The Texas Kid
by Patricia Henry
Chapter Five
It was near lunch time. Jess was drenched with perspiration and grime. He had chased two calves then fixed another fence. He had just finished cutting wood for the cook stove. He entered the house of the relay station, in a sour mood.
�Jonesy, I hope you got lunch ready. I�m so hungry I could eat a live bear and not care-� He stopped dead in his tracks. �Miss...�
�Cecily,� she said immediately standing, facing him with a smile.
�Cecily,� he greeted.
Jonesy stood. �I�ll get your lunch. You just be patient. I had some things to do this morning. So it�s going to be a might late. You just take a seat and relax or you could go wash up.�
�I just did!�
Jonesy raised his eyebrow with surprise.
�Here. Sit here.� Cecily offered the chair that she had been sitting in.
Jess sat. �Thank you.�
Cecily moved another chair close to Jess� chair and sat down in it.
Jess glanced several times at her. Each time she was watching him closely. Just smiling at him.
�So you enjoying your visit to Laramie?� he searched for conversation.
�Oh yes! Especially since I met you.�
Jess looked taken back. �Me?�
�Jess,� Jonesy placed a loaf of bread and a knife down on the table in front of Jess, �Miss Cecily here was telling me all about the Texas Kid.�
�The-Jonesy, is this all I get for lunch?� Jess didn�t hide his anger.
�Of course not. And mind your manners. Ain�t you interested in hearing about the Texas Kid?�
�I�m interested in getting something to eat. You know how hard I�ve been working. Slim had us leaving here early this morning. I�m about to starve!�
�You�ll have to excuse Jess, Miss Cecily. He can be quite a handful when he�s hungry.�
Jess bit back his reply.
�Here. Eat some of that.� Jonesy placed the chicken in front of Jess.
A smile lit Jess� face. �Now this is more like it. Ain�t use to getting fried chicken for lunch, Jonesy.�
�And I kept it hot too.�
Jess bit into the fried chicken. He swallowed with a smile on his face. He waved the chicken leg in the air as he complemented, �It�s good. Mighty good!�
�Thank you,� Cecily responded.
Jess� hand, holding the leg of chicken, stopped halfway to his mouth.
�Miss Cecily brought this out. Just for you, Jess.�
�For me?�
�You saved us yesterday,� she explained. Her smile widen as she slid her chair closer to Jess.
Jess said, �Well...Slim was there too. He�s the one that you ought to be thanking. I did nothing...�
�You are so modest. What did I tell you, Mr. Jonesy? Just like the Texas Kid.�
�You might have something there. Right height. From Texas. Blue eyes. Though in the book you said he was described as handsome.�
�Very handsome,� she explained.
Jonesy studied Jess. �That�s the only way Jess differs I guess.�
Jess� eyes narrowed. He threw the leg of chicken down on the plate. �What are rambling about, Jonesy?�
�You ever heard of the Texas Kid?�
�Nope.�
�Are you sure?� Cecily asked.
�Who is this Texas Kid?�
�Just the greatest hero in the whole entire West,� Cecily cried out with happiness.
Jonesy couldn�t contain his smile, �And Miss Cecily thinks that�s you.�
�Me?�
�You sure look like him. And you�re from Texas. And you have a horse named Traveler.�
�Hold on! I ain�t no hero. Truth be known, Miss, I was once wanted by the law.�
�So was the Texas Kid!�
�I should have known,� Jonesy said with a grin now showing. �Ain�t we fortunate to have such a hero staying at our humble abode?�
�Jonesy,� Jess said under his breath.
�And what a hero!� Jonesy said, �Why The Texas Kid fought off ten men at one time using just his bare fists.�
Cecily nodded enthusiastically.
�Sure hated that I missed seeing that, Jess,� Jonesy said with a wink.
�Jonesy, a man ought to be able to eat his lunch without-�
Jess might have said more but Slim entered the cabin, moving fast. �Glad lunch is on the table. I see we got company.� Slim sat down at the table across from Jess.
�Slim, this here is Cecily Corey, Mort�s niece. She was on the stage yesterday.�
�Glad to make your acquaintance. Pardon me, Miss, for eating but it�s been awhile since breakfast. Chicken! For lunch! Is this some special occasion?�
�Oh indeed it is!� Jonesy said as he handed Slim a plate full of fried chicken. �We got someone special living here.�
Slim looked confused. �Jonesy, you ain�t making sense.�
�Look at Jess carefully. What do you see?�
Slim studied Jess, who was wearing a huge frown. �Someone that could use a bath?�
Jess chewed as if fighting the food.
�The Texas Kid. In the flesh!� Jonesy stated.
�Who?�
Cecily handed Slim a book. On the cover was the Texas Kid. �It looks like Jess don�t it?� Slim observed
�It ain�t me!� Jess snarled.
�Oh I don�t know, Jess. You could do worse. You could be one of them ten outlaws that The Texas Kid beat with just his bare fists,� Jonesy stated.
�Jonesy, if there weren�t a young lady here I swear I�d-�
�Mr. Jonesy,� Cecily didn�t try to hide her hurt, �you can make fun all you want. But the Texas Kid is someone to be admired.�
Jonesy�s smile faded. �I know that. And I�m awful sorry if I sounded different. You see, Miss Cecily, I�m use to teasing Jess. But the truth is that Jess is a tough hombre. He�s saved some people a time or two. Including Slim here and even me. And Andy, Slim�s brother, who�s off visiting. You�ll have to meet him. He�ll tell you all about Jess. He admires him too.�
Jess couldn�t tell if Jonesy was making fun of him or was sincere. But Cecily smiled prettily at the old man as if she was happy that they agreed about Jess.
Slim opened the book. He turned several of the pages. He smiled. �Listen to this....The Texas Kid fired his colt. One bullet...two bullets...then he fanned the hammer and kept firing. It took eight bullets to kill the outlaw.�
�Eight!� Jess cried out. �A gun only holds six bullets.�
Slim continued, �The Texas Kid felt a bullet enter his arm, then his leg. But nothing could stop him. He threw down his gun and used his fists. Knocking one then the other bandit unconscious.
When the fight was over. Ten men lay on the ground unconscious. The Texas Kid marched to the girl that they had held hostage. He picked her up in his arms and carried her to his faithful horse, Traveler. He tossed her on his saddle.�
�With a shot up arm?� Jess asked.
Slim kept reading, �Then they rode into the sunset, heading for the unknown.�
�Well they better stop and get them some supper. If it�s sunset and he�s done all that fighting, he�s going to be a hungry hero,� Jess stated.
Cecily sobbed and ran from the cabin.
�Now see what you did!� Jonesy criticized. �That young girl has a crush on you, Jess. You ought to be honored.�
�Go talk to her, Jess,� Slim said, handing him the book.
�Me? I don�t know what to say.�
�Boy, don�t let her ride back to Laramie crying. Mort will have all our hides and rightly so,� Jonesy advised.
Jess pushed back his chair. He moved slowly to the door. He found Cecily outside, untying her horse. �You leaving so soon?�
She nodded.
He took the reins from her hands. His big hand closed over her small hand. �Miss, we didn�t mean no harm.�
�You were making fun of me!�
�No, they were making fun of me. I�m use to it. I�m always getting teased by them.�
�You? But you�re so brave and wonderful.� Her eyes stared at him with hero worship.
�I appreciate the confidence you have in me. But I�m just a cowboy. Like most you�ll find around here, in Laramie.�
�Then you aren�t the real Texas Kid?�
�No ma�am.� He handed her the book. �Sure sounds like someone I�d like to be, though,� Jess said with a smile. �I can see why you�re so taken with him.�
�Well...he�s only in a book and you�re real.�
Jess took a small step backwards. �I�m just a cowboy, Miss.�
Suddenly she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Before Jess could speak, she mounted her horse. �Jess Harper, you�re a better hero than any Texas Kid. Much better!� She turned her horse and rode away.
Jess turned and saw Jonesy and Slim watching him from the porch.
�She�s a little young, ain�t she?� Slim criticized.
�She kissed me! I never kissed her!�
�Well you best talk to Mort about this. �Cause as soon as she tells him that you two kissed-�
�You think she will?�
Both men nodded.
�Why me?� Jess barked as he entered the cabin. �Why me?�
�Guess you and the Texas Kid just got problems the rest of us don�t have,� Slim said with a laugh, then dodged the chicken bone that Jess threw at him.
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