Chapter Text
Jed Curry strode into the study as if he owned it. He tipped his hat and scanned the room. The latter was a well-developed habit which, despite his young age, had often saved his life.
Frank Maxwell’s surprise was obvious when he greeted his visitor. “Mr. Curry, I presume.”
He was answered with a brief nod.
The aging man, who was both a landowner and a financier, studied his young visitor: tall, of medium build and fair complexion. He seemed barely old enough to be shaving, but Maxwell’s recruiter had told him that the appearance was misleading, that he must be in his early twenties. His face was framed with sun-bleached blond curls and dominated by light eyes and sensual lips, handsome with a boy’s innocence, except for his eyes. His sky-blue eyes were remote but alert.
“Well, I have to admit, that I expected someone more ... experienced,” Maxwell said as he ended his visual examination.
“Experience is not a matter of age, Mr. Maxwell,” Curry replied, the reproach in his soft, amiable voice barely audible.
“No, offense, Mr. Curry. Of course, I heard about your reputation, I just wasn’t sure, if you are the man to whom it refers.”
The blond gunslinger tucked his thumbs behind his gun belt and shifted his weight to his other leg. Nothing about him broadcasted the facts that he had outdrawn Parker Wilkins and sent Ralph Homer into retirement with his fast draw.
“I guess, you want proof of my abilities,” he said. “I agree to that, assuming that I’m interested in that job of yours. Your contact was very short on information what exactly you want me to do.”
“Didn’t he tell you what I offer? Doesn’t it pay well enough to answer your questions?”
“It pays very well, but I have to know what I am risking my hide for, before I accept.” The young man held his glance and briefly raised his chin, a gesture of pride and self-confidence.
“A man with principles. You’re thinking beyond greed, I appreciate that.”
“Why don’t you just tell me what this is all about, so we don’t waste each other’s time, Mr. Maxwell.”
“All right, then,” the older one said and rose. Slowly he crossed the room. “I need your protection, Mr. Curry, protection for myself and my purchase. A short while ago, I bought something that might invite a lot of trouble to me. There’s no doubt, that there will be attempts to get it back.”
“So, it’s kinda illegal?”
“Well, it depends,” Maxwell dodged the question. “See, there’s an outlaw gang riding this territory and more than once they have messed up my plans costing me a lot of money. I’m wealthy, that’s true, very wealthy, and you will understand, that I want to keep it that way. So, I made a deal and bought me a guarantee, but I think they might renege on the deal.”
He poured two glasses of whiskey and offered one to his visitor. With a nod Curry accepted it. He took a sip and pursed his lips in appreciation: finest Kentucky bourbon, top-shelf quality.
“You sure know how to live in style, Mr. Maxwell,” he said and raised his glass.
“And I’m ready to share, with those who support me,” Maxwell told him.
“You’re generous. But tell me, what in the world keeps an outlaw gang at bay?”
“I’ve got their brains,” the older one answered with a smug smile.
The remark earned Maxwell a curious glance.
“See, I suppose you heard about that gang, the Devil’s Hole gang run by Big Jim Santana. Big Jim is a solid man for solid jobs, but he lacks the imagination and finesse for the coups that the gang lately pulled. Big Jim was never a problem, it turned out the latest member did the scheming, so I took care of the newcomer.”
He took a swig from his glass before he continued.
“My boys were lucky enough when the gang hoorayed Kingsburg. I hold shares in the local entertainment business and received firsthand information. I knew when to expect them in town and the preferences of every single one of them. When the gang separated, the most vexing member ran straight into my trap.”
“Someone sold him out?” Curry asked.
Maxwell nodded and smiled. “Seems there’s a lot of conflict within these gangs. Their strife works to my advantage. Now I’ve got a bargaining chip, which I keep for ransom so to speak. There’s no harm done as long as the gang keeps out of my way. There’s no risk of tricky escape plans either, because I cut off their head. And for my compensation - well, there are other ways to get even.” Maxwell smacked his lips and the glint in his eyes rang Curry’s alarm bells.
There was no question, that the man was dangerous, a fact that neither his sluggish impression nor voluminous figure could conceal. Nobody in these parts with too many scruples lasted very long in his kind of position. And Jed Curry wouldn’t have lasted very long in his business if he hadn’t developed a reliable sense for danger and kept an eye on his back. He was young, but he was keen and he was damned fast with his gun. There was something in his perspective employer that awakened Curry's senses and earned his disgust.
Maybe it was the way his servants ducked when his eyes met them, or the way he talked about a man he had at his mercy, outlaw or not. As yet there was no price on Curry’s head, but he wasn’t a regarded member of society either. Certainly, Maxwell would behave quite differently, if he wasn’t hoping for his help.
“You keep him here?” Jed Curry asked raising his brow. “And no guards?”
“Not in my house, I value my privacy for many reasons. They patrol the property and keep outside what belongs outside. But there’s no chance for escape without any help, you’ll see.”
Maxwell indicated for him to down his drink and led his guest out of the room. They walked through the hallway and up the staircase.
“You think it’s a good idea, keeping your captive here?” Curry asked, regarding the surroundings which displayed nothing but wealth and luxury.
Maxwell’s eyes smoldered. “Yes, yes I do. It always makes may day: it just takes one look to reassure myself, that I won’t be crossed by that adder again. Or like Sun Tzu put it: ‘Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.’ It would make a good show for special guests, too.”
“You would display the man to your guests?” the young man asked, sporting the well-trained poker face, which had become his second nature.
“Who said, it was a man?” Maxwell replied, unlocking a door at the end of the first floor and inviting Curry to enter. “Don’t mind it, everyone took her for a fellow.”
Curry slightly bowed his head and stepped into the luxurious place. ‘That kinda prison one could get used to,’ he thought in amusement, showing a lopsided grin as he took in the impression of polished oak boards, exquisite furniture, a broad brass bed and heavy curtains.
He sobered when his eyes met the inmate: chained to the wall, her head dropped down to her chest, long dark-brown hair framing her face. She was probably unconscious at least she didn’t respond to their entrance. His heartbeat increased.
In a blink he took in every detail. Her disheveled clothing - male shirt and pants, both battered from a fight - displayed long legs, slim hips and more bruises than he liked to see on a woman. Everything about her was firm and wiry. She was too tall and sinewy for a classical belle, not as curvaceous as generally favored. Nevertheless, the impression she gave was remarkable.
“Isn’t she a gem?” Maxwell said and strode to his captive. He grabbed her chin and raised her head, revealing a delicate face: light skin colored by an air of bronze, fine chiseled features and beautiful lips. The face was slightly asymmetric, no part of it perfect, but in its entirety it was flawless.
She wasn’t unconscious, but maybe drugged. With sluggish movements she tried to get away from her unwanted host. Maxwell chuckled over her attempt and stroked her cheek with his thumb.
Instantly Curry’s right hand dropped to the butt of his gun. She struck him like a ghost from his past, but he shook the thought off, concentrating on the here and now.
“Don’t underestimate this sweet little dove.” Maxwell said. “She fooled half of Wyoming with her scams and there are a lot of folks around who’d like to pay her back. But here she is, in my custody. Nobody but me knowing her little secret. Isn’t it just beautiful?”
Beautiful wasn’t the first term which occurred to his visitor. Thinking about his possibilities, he kept calm, at least until her head tilted back and she opened her eyes - big and dark-brown, haunting in shape and color. Unable to focus they panned the room.
Curry’s blood froze. His colt almost jumped into his hand. “Hold it!”
His employer-to-be froze and stared at him in disbelief.
“You can’t be serious!”
“I am.”
“You’re supposed to work for me!”
“I won’t.”
“But ...”
“Turn her loose!”
“Curry, don’t make a mistake! I’m a powerful man in these parts.” Maxwell tried to act menacing, but his threat dripped effortlessly off the gunslinger.
“It’s you, who made the mistake, Mister Maxwell!” Curry declared, his voice cold. “You think your money lets you deal with everyone just like you want, but you’re wrong. You went too far. That’s no way to treat a man, even less a woman. Turn her loose! Now!”
The man’s youth was at odds with his harsh voice and the stern look in his eyes. They were not sky-blue anymore, but ice-covered blue steel, holding a deadly promise.
Whatever those eyes had witnessed, sent a shiver down Maxwell’s spine. With trembling fingers, he produced a keyring from his vest-pocket and opened the handcuffs.
Freed, the woman dropped down to the floor.
“You hear me, ma’am?” Curry asked her, but received no response.
“Ma’am!” Maxwell snorted.
Blue eyes narrowed. Swiftly the blond went for Maxwell who couldn’t even try to defend himself, before Curry’s blow hit his head. Maxwell screwed his eyes shut and slumped hard to the floor.
The young man holstered his gun and knelt down beside the motionless woman.
“Heyes ...?” he murmured. “Heyes, can you hear me?”
He took her in his arms, lifted her up and eased her onto the bed. On a nightstand he noticed a carafe of water and poured a glass for her. Gently he slipped his arm under her neck, propped her up and gently pushed the glass against her lips.
Her eyes fluttered open, the pupils wide and dark in the chocolate-colored eyes. She faced him, startled, tried to back away.
“Heyes? Heyes, you’re safe. It’s me, Jed.”
“Jed?” she slurred, showing no sign of recognition.
“Yeah, Jed. Jed Curry. Don’t you remember me?” Heavens, was it so easy to forget him? He paused and scanned her body. Well, maybe he had changed as much as she had. She was older now than she was then - certainly she was - a grown woman now, not a lanky teenager anymore. “You’ve certainly fledged within the last years, Trouble.”
“Jed ...” A brief smile flashed across her face and dispelled every doubt. There was no way that dimples like hers could ever be found in another face. “Not one day older ...”
He returned her smile. “Seems like some things never change. You still get yourself into trouble. Fate brought me here just in time.”
“Odd name for ya horse, Kid...” she replied, fighting to keep her eyes open.
He chuckled, but instantly sobered again and studied her pale face. “Are you all right, Heyes?”
“Yeah. All right ...” she slurred, already drifting off again.
Gently he eased her head onto the pillow. Then he stood and panned the room. His eyes took in every detail, but his mind was focused on the past.
-o-o-o-
Jed had known Heyes for almost all of his life. She had been raised to inherit her father’s ranch, marry a dashing horseman and raise her family next to his own, leading a good life and becoming an eccentric but reliable part of the community. But life was a bitch and it took only one single night to take everything away from her as well as from him until the only thing left to them was each other.
They had been best friends since childhood, Heyes was two years older than him, but yet they were inseparable. They stuck together when they grew up at neighboring farms, later on in school and after the raid when they were moved to an orphanage.
When things became unbearable there, they ran away together, living on the streets. Caring for each other, backing each other up, they only trusted each other.
They shared everything: joy and sorrow, the good times and the bad times. Together they accomplished what neither of them could have managed alone, always one in act and thought.
But as Jed struggled towards manhood things suddenly changed. Two years difference in age suddenly seemed like decades. She still treated him like a child, but he was no longer one. There was something in the way she moved, the way she walked, that made things complicated. He couldn’t deal with the things he felt when he watched her, when he saw her flirting with other boys, flirting with men.
With her silver tongue she almost always got her way, but her cheeky and reckless behavior got her into a lot of trouble more than once, and that meant trouble for her developing friend, too, who was blessed with a good deal of stubbornness and a quick temper.
The arguments between them grew harsher with every passing month. They stopped talking and she stopped listening. The tie that bound them stretched and wore out. Jed’s protective instinct caged her in, and more than once she went off like fireworks, when he crossed her for her own good. In return, the way she patronized him drove him up the wall while his temper made him clash with the boys in their neighborhood.
Their last evening as companions had almost ended in tragedy. She met Chancy Charly, who was slightly older than her and leader of the gang controlling their quarter. They had had some trouble lately, because Jed ran into his boys from time to time and then would berate them for the way they treated the girls and young ones on their street. What started as recurring skirmishes was escalating.
Heyes refused Jed’s company for the meeting, she didn’t wish to fan the flames, as she said. As it happened often those days, she wouldn’t listen to Jed’s warnings. One of her was more than enough to deal with one of them, she claimed cockily.
Jed was angry and disagreed, but eventually gave in. Scowling, he strolled through the streets, stopping here and there when he met friends, but not in the mood for a game or chat. Yet he heard whispers, rumors, of what Charly was actually up to. He didn’t want to talk and he wasn’t alone. He planned-on driving Heyes into a corner and teaching her a lesson - and thus also Jed.
Neither common sense nor trust in his friend’s abilities held Jed back. He started running and he arrived just in time. It took only one blink to prove that the rumors had been right. Heyes stood with her back to the wall, three older teenage boys surrounding her. Close, too close to be comfortable, they were, taking their time mocking her. Heyes didn’t seem to notice it, her stance was challenging and self-confident.
“You still think, you’re like one of us,” a tall boy with broad shoulders told her. His shirt was as dirty as the look on his face. “But you’re not. There are things only a man can do.”
“Oh, I never thought, I was like you, Charly,” she replied with a cheeky smile. “It’s obvious that we’re not talking on the same level.”
“Talking,” he scoffed and moved even closer. “That’s not what we’re gonna do today...”
“Hands off her!” Jed called, stumbling into the backyard and trying to catch his breath.
The older boys turned around and laughed at him. “Look, who’s here: Jed Curry. What you want, kid? Learn how things outta be done?”
“Let her go, Charly! I won’t tell you twice!”
“Aw, c’mon, what you’re gonna do, huh? There’s one of you and three of us! You’ve got no chance, laddie.”
Charlie’s calculation was wrong. There was Heyes, too, and Heyes in danger multiplied with Jed’s anger changed the odds enormously. He charged forward and attacked the lads without another warning. He could never recall what happened next. His brain shut off and left the lead to his instincts. Heyes’s voice tried to get through the red rush dazing his brain, but he couldn’t stop. When he eventually returned to his senses, the boys lay on the ground, bleeding, in different stages of misery. Heyes clasped his shoulder and urged him away before anyone noticed what had happened.
When they had returned to their hideout, she had scolded him and accused him of ruining all of her plans with his stupidity.
“Kid, what do you think, you’ve done!?”
“I saved your ass, that’s what I’ve done!” Jed growled. “And I told you in the first place, that was a dang fool thing to do, even for you!”
“Oh, no! You crossed me! Once again! Everything was fine until you stormed into the backyard and busted our meeting!”
“Nothin’ was fine! Don’t you remember what they ‘ve done?” Jed blurted out.
“Boasting! Nothing a mite of sweet-talking couldn’t handle. Where was your trust?”
“My trust? Where has been yours? I knew what would happen!”
“You knew nothing, you just can’t trust anyone, not even me! And hell, I don’t know what got into you! You almost killed them! You wanna have dancing lessons at the end of a rope!?”
“Dang, Heyes, if you’d listen just once ...” he exclaimed.
“No, you listen!” Heyes shouted at him in full rage now and prodded her finger in his shoulder. “I can’t go on with you like this, Kid! Not another day!”
Seething with anger, she began scurrying around, grabbed her meager belongings and pushed them into a worn bag.
“You can’t!? I can’t! You ...” he retorted, but she wouldn’t hear him out.
“Stop it, Kid, just stop it! It’s over!” she cut him off.
Immediately he sobered.
“Over...? What is over?” he asked in confusion while he turned around, trying to follow her swift movements.
“We’re not partners any longer! We’ll split! We have to leave this town anyway or they’ll rip us to shreds for what you’ve done today.”
“Fine! I’m glad, I don’t have to watch your bloody back anymore, when you’re running into the next set-up,” he shot at her, his voice filled with bitterness. “Just don’t call me, when they catch you cold next time!”
“No way, Jed, I won’t! You’re no good for me anymore, and heavens, I’m not good for you! Just see what you’ve done because of me.” She took a deep breath, reined herself in and faced him, laid her hands gently on his shoulders. He could still feel her touch as if it had been yesterday. “There’s no time to talk it over, we have to sneak out fast and under cover of the night.”
Her warm brown eyes fixed on him and he couldn’t think clearly anymore. He could have drowned in those dark depths and never returned. Jed’s heart pounded like mad in his chest when she said the fatal words.
“Get your stuff, Jed. Go east. I’ll go west. Don’t look back. Don’t return. Ever!”
Her eyes wandered slowly over his face, lighting a fire in his middle, while her words froze his heart.
“Where will we meet again, Heyes?” Jed asked as her words slowly sank in.
She grabbed her bag, about to leave, but halted one last time. She produced the few coins she owned from her pocket and tucked them into Jed’s. Then her hand briefly touched his arm.
“You’re better off without me, Jed. You’re a good boy after all. You’ll make it,” she said, leaned into him and gently kissed his cheek. “I wish you well, Kid.”
Her eyes shimmered in the dim light as she drew back. There was so much, those eyes tried to tell Jed, but he couldn’t understand them anymore.
Suddenly he felt sorry; sorry for their fight, sorry for the things they’d lost, for their way of misunderstanding, but not sorry for what he’d done. Fear crept out of the corner of his soul, but he forced it back. Hell, he was a man now, not a child who was scared by his own shadow! Yet everything felt wrong.
“Heyes, where?! Middleton?” he asked, but received no answer.
She turned away, slipped out and disappeared into the darkness. She was fast and she knew the secret paths better than anyone else.
“Heyes!?” The returning fear shaded Jed’s breaking voice. “Dang Heyes, where!” He called for her, tried to follow her, but when he almost ran into a mob of angry guttersnipes, he followed her advice and edged off himself.
More than five years had passed since that night, but he remembered everything as if it had happened yesterday. It had been the last day he walked out without strapping on his gun, and all too soon he tied his weapon down. He had always been a good shot aiming for marksmanship, but then he had increased his efforts. Nobody would ever catch him cold again.
The first months had been hard on him, but he was prepared and he learned fast. Jed found new friends and earned himself a reputation, found a place in this rotten world, but he never met his friend again.
Not until today.
-o-o-o-
Jed Curry’s thoughts returned to the present. The price he had to pay for that night had been high, due in damn hard coin. It had hardened him, made a man of him, the man he was today.
And what had happened to her? So much time had passed and still she got herself into trouble. She lay in a stranger’s bed, roughed up, drugged, obviously an outlaw and member of a notorious gang. And the man who imprisoned and mistreated her, was said to be a notable member of the society. Just another one who took what he wanted, protected by his wealth from consequences everybody else was facing. Curry’s thoughts were in turmoil, his anger rose.
Power and wealth, that’s what things were all about. The latter one buying the first one and higher rated than any grace or humanity.
The red rage reached his brain, but he forced it down again. Thoughtfully he panned the room. A silvery shimmer caught his eye: the small keyring lay disregarded on the floor where it had slipped out of Maxwell’s hand. A sparkle lit up Jed Curry’s eyes.
He picked up the keys and removed the handcuffs from the rings in the wall. Playfully he spun them around his index finger before he closed them snugly around Maxwell’s wrists.
Next, he undressed the voluminous man down to his unmentionables, before he hoisted him up and chained him to the wall, just like his prisoner had been before. The view he gave now was everything but beautiful and even less impressive.
The young man kicked the clothes under the bed and pocketed the keys in his vest.
Effortlessly, he lifted the unconscious woman up and throw her over his shoulder. He tipped his hat and nodded towards the new captive. “I can’t agree to your terms, Mr. Maxwell. You better hope that we never meet again.”
Leisurely he strode out of the room and stopped at the threshold. While his left hand steadied his burden, he closed and locked the door deliberately and put that key in his pocket, too.
Ignoring the curious glances of the household servants he carried his friend out of the place and crossed the yard. At the well he slowed down a moment and threw his collections of keys down the shaft.
A couple of men in the yard watched him and exchanged glances. They pushed themselves up from their leisurely guard posts and slowly moved closer. Yet nobody tried to stop him, but it would hardly have been possible to stop him anyway.
As he approached his horse, the men increased their pace.
“Hey, son, what do you think you’re doing?” a dark-haired man with a scrubby mustache called out to him. His stance and the way he wore his weapon told Jed that he probably made his living with his arms, not his hands.
“Doing my job, I guess,” Jed replied as he assessed his odds. One against four. Tricky, but usually not much of a problem, despite the fact that his load limited his movement.
“Your job? I’ve never seen your face here before. I’d know if you were one of our men,” the dark one replied and squared himself up.
“I must have been wrong in thinking Maxwell was the boss, I guess,” the young blond drawled, unobtrusively releasing the safety catch of his gun. “He called me here for a job, which it turned out meant disposing of his trash.” He patted Heyes’s rear with his left hand and shifted her weight on his shoulder, silently praying she wouldn’t move right then.
“The boss was pretty worn out when he was finished dealing with her. Guess, you won’t see him for quite a while,” Jed declared. “If you wanna take care of the mess he left, I’m fine with it. I’ve got my pay and I’m not keen on work that’s hard on my back.”
With a swing he threw the motionless body of his friend over his horse’s back, before he turned to the dark-haired speaker again. “You wanna take over?”
They stared each other down, silent and alert, trying to judge one another. Finally, the stranger relaxed.
“Go on. You got your pay you’ll do your job! I’ll be damned if I sully my hands by doing your work.”
The young gunslinger nodded. He swept his glance over the men one last time before he turned to his horse again. With a swift upswing Curry mounted behind his friend.
“He could at least have given me a horse, to take it away. Well, one must be cheap to get that rich, I guess,” he said and tipped his head towards the men. Leisurely, he took on the reins and nudged his horse into a walk, slowly leaving the mansion behind.
When he was out of sight, he stopped. Quickly he checked on Heyes. She didn’t respond to his touch, but her vital signs were strong.
Jed hoisted his friend into an upright position and wrapped her in his jacket. Putting his left arm around her waist, he pulled her closer until her back safely leaned against his chest. Then he took on the reins and spurred his horse in a lope, trying to get away as fast as possible before anyone figured out what had actually happened.
-o-o-o-
Jed Curry rode for several hours. His childhood friend leaned heavily against his chest, her head rested on his shoulder. A couple of times she stirred, tried to free herself, but his soothing voice always calmed her down again.
When night fell, he searched for a sheltered resting place. Jed found the remainders of an old cabin, where he made camp. There wasn’t much of the roof left, but the chimney was intact and two walls promised a modicum of protection from the never-ending wind.
The young man eased his friend down on his bedroll near the fireplace. Then he prepared a simple meal and a pot of coffee. That she still was unresponsive worried him, but he couldn’t come up with anything better than the meager meal and just hoped that her system would handle whatever was ailing her.
The night wasn’t exactly cold, but the draft sneaked in through every fold of the fabric. When Jed noticed Heyes was shivering, he got up, picked up his blanket and hunkered down beside her. The next day they would get her equipment and proper clothing. For now, a quite uncomfortable night awaited him.
As he spread his blanket over her, she woke by his touch and recoiled.
“Heyes, keep calm. It’s me,” he murmured soothingly.
She propped herself up and faced him, her eyes clear now, “Jed? Is it really you? No dream?”
“No dream, Heyes,” he said and smiled at her.
“I’m glad you’re not a ghost haunting me, but a man of flesh and blood,” she said and gave him a half-dimpled smirk. “And I’m glad you got me outta there. You really saved my ass this time.”
“Old habits die hard,” Jed said and shrugged. “I wasn’t keen on Maxwell’s job anyway. Sometimes money just ain’t enough.”
“Big words, Kid. Seems you have developed a philosophical streak,” she said and smiled at him. “It’s good to see you, Kid. Hell, you’re grown to become quite a man.”
Her appreciative eyes scanned him and sent warmth into the remotest corners of his body. Nothing had prepared him for the ambiguous feelings she awoke in him. He was not the only one who had grown to become ‘quite something’, and she seemed to him strange and familiar at the same time.
Hiding his unease, he stood, pulled one of his shirts out of his saddlebags and threw it to her. She caught it swiftly, her eyes asking a question.
“You better get changed. I don’t wanna start rumors when we ride into town tomorrow. I guess, you’ll get lost in one of my pants, but that and my jacket will cover the most of yours, until we get you something better,” he said and studied her. “You look pretty skinny, Heyes. Guess, they didn’t feed you that much, huh? You’re hungry?”
“As a hunter,” she admitted, while she stripped off her tattered shirt without any fuss.
Jed smirked, shook his head and turned around. He took his time as he filled a plate with baked beans and bread. As the rustling behind his back ended, he handed her the plate and sat down beside her.
“Thanks, Kid,” she said and quickly began tucking into the food. After the first two bites, she forced herself to slow down.
“Why do you still call me Kid, when even you must admit, I’ve become a man?” the blond asked her.
“C’mon, you may have the body of a man, but certainly you have the face of a boy.” She addressed him with a mischievous smile. “I guess, in a way you’ll always be a kid for me.”
Jed applied his poker face and kept silent.
Heyes stopped eating and studied him intensely. Eventually she gave in. “All right. What’d you want me to call you?”
Slowly she started eating again.
“Curry, maybe?”
She just wrinkled her nose.
“How about Big Jed Curry, huh?” His suggestion caused her to laugh out loud and hearty.
“You’re priceless,” she replied. Still laughing she set the now empty plate aside.
“You know, Heyes, call me whatever you want. I guess, I’ll stand it for a while, Trouble,” Jed said and grinned.
“Kid, you’re such an idiot!” she said and nudged his thigh.
“That makes two of us, I guess,” he countered.
Their eyes met and they chuckled. It felt just too good to be together again.
“Then we’re still friends?” Jed asked her.
“Certainly, Kid,” she said in utter conviction. “We’ve always been friends. We haven’t seen each other for a while, that’s all.”
“A pretty long while, Heyes.”
“Nah, Jed, just a spell. Have you been all right? Has life been good to you?”
“Mostly,” he replied and shrugged. “What about you?”
“Mostly,” she said and laid her hand on his arm. “So, you’re not mad at me anymore?”
He took his time and listened inside himself. His emotions were in turmoil, but was he still mad at her? Not at all he found, but he felt no need to let her off that easy.
“Mostly,” he said flatly.
She studied him intensely until a broad grin cracked through Jed’s poker face. Heyes punched his arm. “Don’t do that to me. I know I made a mistake back then, more than one. Believe me, I’ve learned it the hard way.”
“That must have been pretty hard on you, Heyes. It’s the first time I received a genuine apology from you. Well, almost, that is,” he said.
“Now, it’s rare for a genius like me,” she replied.
Jed lifted his brow and showed a lopsided grin, his eyes telling clearly his opinion about her remark.
Heyes’s answered with a twinkle.
Silence spread, companionable silence. Eventually Heyes lay down and snuggled into the blankets. Jed leaned back against the wall and relaxed, too.
Simultaneously they yawned and chuckled as they noticed it.
“Now, what you’re gonna do next?” Jed asked his friend. “Go for revenge?”
Heyes rolled over to her side and faced him. “I guess, you didn’t let him go scot-free?”
Jed nodded briefly. “You could say so. He sure has my sympathies for he’s annoyed, but that’s no way to treat any woman, even if it’s you. Yet I doubt, it will be the last you’ll hear from him.”
“I’d rather not. I’ll return to Devil’s hole and check out the situation. It’s the best place to get started again and that’s where my belongings are - as long as that dirty bunch of thieves hasn’t split them yet, that is.”
“Wouldn’t your partner take care of that?” Jed asked her. “Speaking of him, why didn’t he come for you?”
“Partner? I’ve got no partner. What made you think I had one?”
“Well, I don’t know. The way Maxwell talked about you and Big Jim, I guess. Him being the leader and you doing the thinking...”
“Me and Big Jim? Jeez!” She snickered and shook her head. “But I’ve got me a place in the gang. He’s our leader and I’m his hand. I guess, he’s still figuring out how to get me out. What about you?”
“Huh?”
“Partner, family, home...?”
Jed shook his head.
Heyes brows moved towards her hairline. “No wife? Or half a dozen cute little Currys with golden curls?” Teasing, she ran her fingers through his hair.
“No, Heyes, it’s hard to settle with one woman, when there’s so many pretty girls out there,” he answered her and smiled contritely. “And stop that! You really make me feel like I’m a kid.”
“I just can’t help myself, it’s too tempting,” she said and grinned. “So, you’re a ladies’ man, huh? I bet, the girls come easy to you, considering your looks. You must have a lot of opportunities to enjoy yourself.”
“No complaints,” Jed said, his eyes sparkling.
Heyes laughed and briefly shook her head before she rolled over on her back again. They stared up to the starlit sky, both of them following their own thoughts, both of them far away from sleep.
“So, you’re married to that gun, huh?” Heyes asked after a while. “Are you good?”
“I am,” Jed confirmed.
“How good?”
“Good enough for most men around these parts. Why do you ask?”
He was answered with thoughtful silence.
“Kid, would you like to come with me?” Heyes said after a while. “The least I owe you is a job, and I bet you’ll like the other boys.”
“You don’t owe me anything, Heyes. The question is, do you want me to join you?”
“That’s no question at all! Sure, I do!”
“And you’re sure returning is a good idea? Somebody sold you out.”
“Sold me!?” she almost jumped up again.
“Yeah. That’s what Maxwell told me.”
“Then it was no coincidence ...” she paused and pondered for a while. The thoughts flickering through her mind were almost visible on her face. “I have to return, Jed. The boys are a good bunch over all. They’re good in their job and honestly, riding with them can be real fun. I can’t figure out who betrayed me yet, but there’s no chance I’ll let him get away with it! I earned me a reputation and I won’t spoil it.”
She looked at him, studying him, and added, “But I sure could use someone watching my back, someone to trust. Will you be that one, Jed?”
Thinking it over took him no longer than a blink. “Nope, Heyes.”
“Nope?!”
“Nope.”
“Jed, that’s not reasonable,” she said, her eyes intensely studying his face again. “You’ve got no place to go and I offer you one. I did pretty well, but I bet it would be a lot better if we worked together again.”
“It’s not a matter of reason, Heyes, but a gut feeling,” he told her. “I do pretty good on my own now, I don’t need to be your sidekick anymore. And I doubt there’s any other place for me with you.”
“There’s only one place where you’ve always been, and that isn’t the place of a sidekick,” she stated. “Well, I was used to being the older one, the thinker, maybe that’s what’s bothering you.”
“Yeah, I guess you have a point there. You wouldn’t hear my opinion, even less consider it. That’s hard to take for a man. Yet I wasn’t the one who broke up our partnership.”
“I know, Kid. And I paid my dues.”
They fell silent again but their eyes locked. Her dark eyes smoldered in the dancing light of the fire, holding a darkness inside Jed had never seen in this intensity before. There was no question that neither of their lives had been a walk in a park.
Hell, there was nothing he wished more than to be with her again, at least for a while, feeling the connection again they once had shared. He had a good life now and enjoyed it, but there was a part of him, that always stayed empty and cold. Over time he had got used to the feeling and it had lost its edge, but no company or enjoyment had been able to fill the void. Until now.
Thoughtfully he studied her while she waited unusually quiet.
“All right now, Heyes. I’ll come with you, at least until you’re safe again.”
She answered him with one of her incredible smiles and lay back. “We’ll have a great time together, Kid, trust me.”
Jed looked down at her in silence, taking in the self-satisfaction she radiated. Then a furtive glint flashed his eyes and he cleared his throat. “What will it pay me?”
“What!?” She shot up as if stung by an adder.
“The payment, Heyes. You hire a gun you have to pay it.”
Her features derailed and her eyes widened in disbelief as Jed noticed complacently. “You’re kidding ...”
“You’re kidding!” he retorted. “You think I’ll risk my hide for those pretty eyes of yours?”
“Well ...” she began and hesitated long enough to make him smile in the darkness. “No.”
“So...?”
“We were always partners, but that’s something I can’t offer you. I’m Big Jim’s hand and I have no say in that. What I can offer you is membership of our gang. We’ll work together and you’ll get the same share as any of the boys.”
“Heyes, you got me wrong. I’ll help you find that traitor, before I go back on my way again. If you don’t pull a job until then, I won’t get any payment at all. You’ve got to offer me more than that.”
This time the disbelief in her eyes was clear. ‘You won’t stay with me...?’ Yet it showed up only for a blink.
“Ah, now you’re trying to cheat met,” she countered. “If I promise you more than that, you’ll get more than I get myself.”
“Isn’t my support worth it?”
“How do I know that?”
Jed just gave her the look.
“Yeah, all right. I do know. And it’s not that I wouldn’t owe you anyway. And I’m no ingrate. There’s still something left of my last share. Let’s say you get $200 when we’re back in Devil’s Hole, and a full share if you’re in a job.”
“Seems fair enough,” he said. “I’m in!”
Heyes laid down again and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.
“And don’t think I wouldn’t know that you would’ve done it anyway,” she murmured and closed her eyes, smiling.
Curry nudged her with his elbow and they shared a chuckle.
“You’ll see, Kid, I’m good at getting us money for the high life all year round! We’re heading for the good times now,” she promised him.
Listening to the sounds of the night, they eventually relaxed and it didn’t take long before Heyes was sound asleep.
Only Jed stayed alert, watching over her and enjoying the warmth he felt inside.