Jesse by Barbara Goss (namjoon book recommendations txt) 📕

took a deep breath, walked across the street, and entered the saloon.  It was smoky inside, and it took a few minutes for her to spot Leo.  Ginger was still on his knee, and he was touching her inappropriately and kissing her.  She walked right up to him and cleared her throat.

Leo was startled, and he stood quickly, dumping Ginger onto the floor.

She stood up, placed her hands on hips, and glared at him while Leo stared at Charlie intently.

 “How did you find me?” he asked.

“Your gang is in jail, and they were so outraged that you planned to cheat them out of what you stole from me, that they told us where to find you.”

Leo swore under his breath.  “So, what now?  I don’t have the money with me.”

“Everyone is watching us.  Let’s continue our conversation outside.” Charlie led the way to the saloon door, but she peeked back to be sure he was following.

He whispered something to Ginger, before walking out the door after Charlie. Once outside he said, “I could kill you and keep that money.  There was a small fortune in that safe.”

“You could, but my husband would hunt you down and kill you before you had the chance to spend the money.”

“Ha!” Leo laughed.  “Your husband is dead.  I shot him near Cheyenne weeks ago.”

Charlie gasped and covered her face with her hands.  At the same time, Ginger came out of the saloon holding a pistol aimed straight at her heart.

“You see, little sister, I can’t kill you, but Ginger here can.”

Charlie’s eyes darted from Leo to Ginger.  Where were the sheriff and the other guys?

She saw the sheriff, Clem, Howie, and Buck out of the corner of her eye Their guns were aimed at Leo’s back and not at Ginger, since she was still in the saloon’s doorway and out of their view.

The sheriff had no idea that Ginger was holding a gun pointed at Charlie’s heart.  Charlie was wearing her guns, but she knew that Ginger could shoot her before she could get a gun out of her holster.  What was she to do? She realized that life truly didn’t matter anymore if Jesse was dead, and she closed her eyes and prayed.

A familiar voice broke through her prayer: “Throw the gun down on the ground!”

Charlie opened her eyes to see Jesse standing behind Ginger with a gun to her back.  Her heart thumped so hard in her chest that she had trouble breathing—Jesse was alive!

Ginger threw down her gun grudgingly.  That was when Leo grabbed Ginger’s arm and pulled her to their horses several feet away.

Sheriff Granger moved in on them along with Clem, Howie, and Buck.  Leo and Ginger weren’t going anywhere, except to jail, but Charlie didn’t see any of it, for she was in Jesse’s arms.

Chapter Eighteen

 When Charlie squeezed Jesse, he gave out a gasp and pushed her away.  Charlie looked up at him, confused.

“I got shot in the back by Roy in Sterling’s Mill.  I’ve been there for some time being doctored up, but I’m still sore and weak.”

Charlie lay her head on his chest. “I’m so sorry.  Are you all right?”

“I’m still recovering.  I think we need to spend the night in the hotel over there,” he nodded at a shabby-looking building.  “We can ride home tomorrow.”

Jesse swooned, and Charlie grabbed him and walked him across the street to the hotel next door to the sheriff’s office where she got them a room and put Jesse to bed.

“I’m going next door to the sheriff’s to see how we go about getting our money back,” Charlie said.  “It was all my fault it got stolen.”

“No, Charlie,” Jesse said.  “I have a greater need right now.  I need you to lie beside me.  We can figure all that out in the morning.”

Charlie smiled.  “Oh, Jesse!  Leo told me you were dead, and after hearing that, I didn’t care if Ginger shot me or not.”

“Ginger?  Was that the woman with the gun on you?”

Charlie climbed up onto the bed and laid beside Jesse. “Yes, Leo’s new woman.  How did you know?  How did you get behind her?  Were you in the saloon the whole time?”

“I watched you walk into the saloon from up on the hill.  I had a strange feeling, so I came down and went in the backdoor of the saloon, through the kitchen, and that’s when I saw Ginger holding a gun on someone.  As I walked closer, I saw it was my beloved soulmate.”

Charlie put her hands around his neck and kissed his cheek.  “The sheriff and three men from church had me covered, but they couldn’t see Ginger from their viewpoint.  I was ready to die.  I couldn’t imagine living in a world without you in it.”

Jesse stroked her hair. “I meant that much to you after one night of passion?”

 “I fell in love with you while we were camping on our way to Cheyenne. And from there it just grew deeper.”

“You did?” Jesse said, his eyes slowly closing.

“Sleep, sweetheart,” she said.  “I love you,” but Jesse was already asleep.

After a slow ride home, Charlie insisted that Jesse see a doctor.  “Please, Jesse, you’re as white as a ghost, and I’m worried about you.”

Jesse laid down on the settee.  “Ah, you bought a softer one... I love it.”  He gazed around the room.  “You’ve made this house into a home, and I love it.”

“The doctor?  You changing the subject with compliments won’t deter me from having your wound checked.”

“Let me relax.  I feel fine.  It was an exhausting ride is all.”

“I’m going to make you some soup, and if your color isn’t better, I’m going to fetch a doctor.  There is one, isn’t there?”

Jesse sighed.  “According to Sean, we’ve never had one in