The two women stood outside the stage coach at the Sherman Relay Station. Both were stylishly dressed. And pretty, Jess noticed. Very pretty. As he roped the horses in the corral, Jess kept glancing at them, paying more attention to these women than to the horses he was tending to. He led the horses to the front of the stage. After harnessing the horses, he moved to the door of the coach.
Jess greeted, "Ma'am, can I help you into the-" The word 'stage' stuck in his throat as one of the women turned to face him. "Mattie?"
She smiled. "I clean up good, don't I?"
Gone were the dusty clothes. Instead standing before Jess was a well dressed young woman.
She didn't turn away or even blush as Jess' eyes traveled the length of her.
"Well I finally convinced Val that I'm not a rancher. I'm going back East to school. I aim to be a school teacher someday," she announced. "Of course, I'm going to have to read a lot better and write a lot better than I do now."
Jess pushed back his hat as he glazed at her. "Mattie, I'd have never recognized you."
"Ain't use to seeing me in these clothes are you? Well I hardly recognized you the first time I seen you with clothes on either." Her eyes twinkled.
Jess had the good manners to look embarrassed. Slim's chuckle made Mattie howl with laughter.
"Slim," Val drew the tall cowboy away from the others. "I'll only be gone long enough to get Mattie settled in a good school."
"Jess and I will ride over and help Charlie and Nick with your ranch chores while they're on the mend. So don't you worry about your ranch. It'll be run good. I'll see to that."
"Slim, I appreciate that. But while I'm gone, if I write-"
"You better," Slim said. "Val, I need to explain something. When my Pa died, I had to take care of everything--the ranch, Andy, and then starting the relay station. I had to start that station or the ranch wouldn't have lasted. There were a lot of times that I felt as if I had taken on more than I could handle. The stage line took a lot more work than I thought it would. That's why I hired Jess. To tell the truth, I ain't paying him nearly the amount he's worth. I'm lucky he stayed on with me. With all them expenses and responsibilities, I just couldn't take on a wife too. It wasn't the right time. But someday what I'm building here, I'll want to share that with a woman."
"Well, I hope that you'll think of me."
"You're at the top of my list," he promised.
"Oh, you have a list?" Her eyebrow raised.
A slow grin spread across his face. "Actually a short list. With only one name on it."
"I'll write." She kissed him.
Jess turned and stared openly. He gave a nod of approval towards the couple.
"Well?"
Jess glanced back at Mattie. "Well?" he asked with confusion.
"Well, aren't you going to kiss me goodbye?"
"You?"
"Of course me!"
"Well sure, I guess."
"Jess Harper, you don't sound too eager. If you don't kiss me then-"
"You going to shoot me?" Jess asked, a smile threatening to show.
She suddenly put her arms around his neck and kissed him. Her touch of affection surprised all, especially Jess. As her lips clung to his, she wrapped her arms tightly around Jess. Just as suddenly, Mattie pulled back from Jess.
Jess tried to speak but no words came.
"By the way, this is for you." Mattie handed Jess a package. "Thank you again, Jess, for helping us out. I reckon a range war would have broken out if it hadn't been for you. You know, you're not so bad for a gunslinger." She then turned and climbed aboard the stage.
Val too entered the stagecoach but with Slim's help.
As the stage rolled away from the relay station, Slim slapped Jess on the back, "You look like a boy who's gotten his first kiss."
Jess's tongue slid over his lips. "That Mattie...for a girl who you said was innocent, she sure can kiss."
Slim laughed. "I told you she was different from the other women you've known."
"She ain't going to be one I forget. That's for sure." As the stage traveled over the hill, Jess finally turned and faced Slim.
Slim encouraged, "Well open it up. Let's see what she got you."
Jess looked as eager as Slim to see what was inside. He tore the brown colored paper wrapping off as if it was a Christmas present he had eagerly hoped to receive. Inside the package were his clothes. The ones she had taken that day at the pond. All washed and neatly pressed. Jess smiled.
But Slim was frowning. "Something ain't right with those clothes."
"What! These are my clothes."
"I know but-there's something different about them."
Jess eyed the clothing. They were his all right. Jess could understand about the jeans and socks for they were nondescript. But Jess didn't have many shirts. Slim should have recognized Jess' blue shirt. Jess had worn it often enough the weeks he had worked side by side with Slim.
Slim touched the shirt. He smelled it. His nose wrinkled. "That's it!"
"What's wrong?" Jess cautiously smelled his shirt. He should have known not to trust Mattie. He looked questioningly at Slim. Jess then turned the shirt over and took another sniff. "What's wrong with it? I don't smell anything. It smells good to me."
"That's just it! These clothes don't smell like you. They smell good!"
It took Jess just a second to register what Slim had said. By that time Slim had already taken off running for the house.
"I don't know what you're complaining about. I've been taking a bath every Saturday!" Jess yelled, as he raced after Slim, hot on his trail.
Both men hit the cabin door laughing. But Jonesy wasn't laughing. He was shouting, "I'm baking bread! Oh gosh darn!" Jonesy threw his hat on the floor. "Well, it looks like we're going to have bread pudding again!"
