Summary: Jonesy doesn’t understand Slim’s hiring practices. This is a story from A Day in the Life series.
Category: Laramie
Genre: Western
Rating: G
Word Count: 1612
“I just don’t understand it! What was that boy thinking? Why, he doesn’t know anything about that man! He could be wanted. Maybe he’s carrying a different name. I just don’t trust him.”
The man in the bowler hat fumed as he slammed his well-worn knife onto the carrots. As he grew more and more agitated, the carrots grew smaller and smaller.
“Who drinks four cups of coffee in the morning? Why Slim only has one, two if it’s Sunday. We’re going to have to buy more coffee. Why, if I didn’t know better, I‘d think he had coffee instead of blood in his veins! He does like my Mulligan stew though. But I don’t understand Slim. I’ve known him all his life. He’s always giving folks second chances. Well, if that’s the case, then Jess Harper better earn his keep.
Carrots, now cut to smithereens, Jonesy began on the potatoes. He fixed his gaze out the window as he peeled the spuds.
“I suppose I should do a tally, like Slim does at the end of the day. All right? On the good side, he is good with horses. He knows how to tame them and shoe ‘em. Rides pretty well too. Cares for his horse before himself. Then he works hard. Never leaves a job half finished. He does like to play though. He and Andy are always teasing Slim. But, to get back to that tally, he is polite to the paying customers, even the flirty ones.
“He’s good with a gun. Heck, he saved Slim’s life twice! But I wonder how come he’s so fast. I know he fought in the war and was on the other side. But Slim says that doesn’t matter to him so I guess it shouldn’t matter to me. He’s got a temper though and his own code to follow. And he’s stubborn! Why the two of them when they disagree! I’ve had to break up two fights already! And he even had the gall as to give Slim a nickname – “Hard Rock” they both should wear it!
“On the good side, I guess I should add that he tries his best to not come between Slim and Andy. He’s gotta know that Andy hero worships him. He follows Jess around like a puppy dog. Wasn’t long ago that Slim was on a pedestal but not anymore. I bet Slim feels bad about that. Jess thought that Slim beat up on Andy after that first meeting but we all convinced him that all Slim has to do is give Andy the look.
“I do wish he would stop smoking. It smells bad enough in here without that. I oughta tell Slim about it. I know he wouldn’t start a fire why he’s deathly afraid of fire. I didn’t understand until he got that fever after he was shot in the bank. Slim heard all sorts of things that night while he tried to get the fever to go down. Seems all of Jess’ family save two died in a fire when he was a youngster not much older than Andy is now. Maybe that’s why he’s so wild, being all alone like he was. But still. Maybe I oughta ask the sheriff to look for posters just in case.
“Andy brought home a new book. It’s got things to buy in it. There’s a piano in it rght pretty one with rosewood feet and ivory keys. The price is way too much for me but a fella can dream, right? When I’m not cleaning or washing clothes or cooking, I look through the pages. So many things to buy!
“Jess has been on the ranch for about a month now and things are getting better between the men. Jess still teases Slim and Slim still has problems with Andy but everyone is trying to get along.
“Well, the sheriff looked into Jess Harper. Seems he had been in prison but was let out cause he was only fifteen years old. He’s got a paper signed by the governor saying he’s cleared of any wrongdoing so that’s a good thing. I hope Slim never finds out that it was me that wanted the sheriff to check on Jess.
“Everything was going great until Miss Essie Bright showed up with a guy by the name of Roany Bishop. Miss Essie was a preaching lady who ran revival meetings and Roany was a saddle tramp who said he played the piano. I was out in the yard when the stage wagon rolled onto our property and I roamed over to chat. I found out later that Jess was afraid of Roany Soon everyone was afraid of what he was willing to do. There was definitely something wrong with that man and Jess knew it. The whole incident gave me the jeepers and I finally understood why Jess left the ranch. He warned me not to leave town so I wrote a letter to Slim and had Frankie deliver it, telling him not to come into Laramie.
“My first inkling that all was not right was when we were riding towards town. The driver of the stage made a joke about Miss Essie’s wagon and Roany took offense and tried to run the stage off the road. He even pushed me off. I ended up rolling down a small hill. I dusted myself off and Jess came by and after helping me onto his horse’s back, rode us back to Miss Essie’s wagon. When I tried to understand what was going on, Jess told me, over a beer in the saloon, that I should stay clear of Roany and not get in his way. I asked him if that was why he left the ranch. He didn’t answer me but his look said it all.
“Everything went downhill from there and after Roany shoved me against the railing, Jess got into a fight. Roany reloaded his derringer and aimed it at Miss Essie. Jess had to shoot him saving her, himself and a bunch of others. After my rescue, I realized that he had saved my life. I went home a man with a lighter heart but I was afraid that Jess was really gonna leave for good.
“Thankfully, Jess not only came back but he brought Miss Essie’ piano with him. Seems the blacksmith used to sell pianos back in the day and he fixed it. It still has a fine tone I guess I have to add saving my life to the ever-growing good things Jess is and has done since arriving here. I wonder how many more things I’ll be adding to that list.
“The list keeps getting longer. I reckon I should just about give up trying to find things I don’t like about Jess Harper. He saved Slim again. The cost this time was killing his brother-in-law. Seems Gil Brady was a yellow coward who deserted his men under battle and then escaped an army prison. All Jess cared about was that his sister was alright. Well, Slim saved Jess from drowning and then Jess saved Slim from an Indian attack so that made them even. This saving of each other is beginning to be a habit. But I just don’t understand the bond that’s growing between them.
“I’m glad that they’ve become friends but this knowing when either of them is hurt or sick, well that’s another thing. Sheriff Mort says they’re closer than brothers; joined at the hip. I guess that’s true in a way. I mean they work together; they sleep in the same room and they eat together. They sometimes finish each other’s sentences and like I just said, they know when one of them is hurt or sick or just plain mad. It’s like Jess has become a second protector of Andy. It’s plain as the nose on your face that that boy needs friends and a family around him. Sometimes I see a flicker of sadness in those blue eyes of his when he’s listening to Slim read a book to Andy. The way Andy snuggles up to Slim or the banter between them. What that boy doesn’t realize is that he’s become part of the family already and darn it, I can’t think of any more bad things to say about him!
“Finally! I knew something was up when Jess left for Rock Springs. It was more than trying to help a friend. Jess wrote Slim that he was going to be gone for a while longer than he planned. I figured he had to get out of a mess his friend was in so I didn’t add my two cents. Slim is so on edge these days. He’s torn between wanting to go after Jess and staying put. I think he wonders if Jess is leaving for the Big Open again.
“I can finally close the book on Jess Harper. He and Slim had a conversation when he returned from Rock Springs. Slim couldn’t quite figure out how Jess could shoot Sheriff Hatch and make up that story about how heroic the sheriff had been discovering the money and shooting the robber. But I guess what clinched it for him was what Jess said afterwards. Seems he finally has figured out that it’s not just the fact that we need him, it’s that he needs us too. Guess we’re finally a family. I’ll have to buy more coffee!”
–The End–
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