“Do you love me, Jane? Or was that just whiskey talkin’ last night?”
The quilt fell to her waist as she sat up beside him in bed and lit a cheroot. “What do you think?” she asked grinning coyly as she exhaled a ring of smoke.
“I’m not sure. I’ve never been with a woman quite as enthusiastic . . . or as vocal as you,” he answered.
“If I did, what use would I have for a no-account outlaw such as yourself?” she prodded.
“No-account?” he exclaimed. “I’ve got a place down on Blue Creek, I’ll have you know. Filed on in Douglas and everything.”
“Oh, so you’re going to be a big cattle rancher, huh? You don’t know nothin’ about cows ‘cept how to rustle ‘em.”
“Horses,” he corrected.
“So, you’re moving up to horse-thief,” she scoffed as she took another long pull on her cigar. “You always have liked a fast pony when you’re running from the law.”
“No, I’d go straight.”
“Straight to Hell at the end of a rope most likely,” she blew another smoke-ring.
“You never answered my question.”
“Which one?”
“Do you really love me?”
“We can have another toss right now,” her sly grin returned. “I’ll show you.”
“Just a minute,” he responded as he climbed out of bed and slid his pants on. “I’ll be right back.” He pulled his suspenders over his bare shoulders and slipped out the door down the hall to the privy.
Jane sat on the side of the bed considering the question… she hadn’t been with a man since Bill got killed. The urge had been building inside her for a week when she rode into town yesterday afternoon and paid for her room. She’d crossed the street and bought a calico dress then came back to take a bath in hot water with perfumed soap, unlike stripping down beside a cold stream in the middle of nowhere. When she proceeded to put on the dress, she realized her lack of lady’s undergarments. The men’s drawers she usually wore beneath her overalls would not suffice, so she dressed without any.
The cool breeze from below enhanced her mood as she descended the stairs to the saloon for supper. She was drinking a beer with her steak when he walked in from the dusty street beating the remnants of the trail from his clothing with his hat. It had been a while since she’d seen him. Good looking, smiling and friendly as always, he dropped a coin on the bar and ordered whiskey.
“Care to join me?” she asked.
The man squinted toward her; not yet accustomed to the darkness indoors she thought.
The woman at the corner table looked familiar as she sat looking across her meal at him. Plain yet almost handsome in her calico dress, he couldn’t quite place her. He recognized the voice when she spoke, but struggled to identify where he’d heard it. As he crossed the room it suddenly came to him. Her normal attire had always been a man’s pants and shirt covered by an oversized coat with a slouch hat on her head. The comprehension brought a toothy grin. She cleaned up quite agreeably.
“Hello, Jane,” he greeted pulling up a chair. “You look nice this evening.”
*****
The calico dress that had laid on the floor, now draped across a chair by the window. He glanced out onto the empty street below before noticing the piece of paper laying on the dress.
Butch,
I’ll be seeing you around.
J. Canary
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