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Saloon Girl At Ten Paces	By : SisterWine Category: M through R > Magnificent Seven Views: 899 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Mirisch Corp. own The Magnificent Seven(1998). Rio Bravo (1959) was written by Jules Furthman, Leigh Brackett & B. H. McCampbell, directed by Howard Hawks. I make no moneys from or claim to Rio Bravo (film) or Magnificent Seven (TV show).

Chapter List
- 1-One
- 2-Two
- 3-Three
- 4-Four
- 5-Five
- 6-Six
- 7-Seven
- 8-Chapter Nine
- 3
- 4
- 5
"So, tell me about this kid, Colorado. How good a friend is he?" Buck asked as he sat down across from her, at a table, and leaned in on his elbows. He smiled and silently hoped the young man wasn't as good of a friend as she had mentioned.
Feathers smiled and laughed softly. "Well, we arrived in Rio Bravo around the same time, just when the sheriff had some trouble. He signed on as a deputy and I tended bar at the hotel. Pretty handy with a gun, too." She folded her arms on the table as they talked. She had thought a lot about Colorado in the passing months and wondered how he and the others were doing, since she left the small town.
"Trouble seems to be apart of town life, these days." Buck smirked. "So, why'd ya leave?"
The corner of her mouth lifted as she caught his smirk. "It was just a little too much excitement for me. I couldn't really take it so, I headed west. Been going from town to town, playing cards, winning money for a poker tournament, in San Francisco." She began shuffling the cards she removed from the pocket of her skirt. Mildly paying attention to her hands and the cards, she stole small glances up at Buck to see the piece of information churning in his mind. Feathers laughed at his shyness. "You have nothing to worry about. Colorado's a sweet kid but, he has his own idea of a dancing partner, I'm sure."
A twinkle in Buck's eye gleamed brighter as he heard this. "So, does that mean..... you and I.... could, possibly, have dinner, sometime?" He gave a coy wink to her as she continued to shuffle the faded deck in her hands.
"If you play your cards right." She smiled just as coyly back and started dealing cards to both of them. When she was finished, she placed the unused portion of the deck on the table, between them, and glanced up at the door as a crowd filed slowly in for noon meals and drinks. Looking a little more past the doorway and out, into the street, she worried about the two deputies escorting the prisoner into dangerous territory. It hadn't been her thoughts to overly worry about them, being two young and capable men, both equipped with a pair of clean and shiny guns on their hips but, she considered them both good friends and vulnerable to attacks of whatever nature or unnatural surroundings might throw at them.
Buck stared at his cards, in his hands and then looked up to find her looking out into the street. Deciding not to comment on her line of sight, he opened the game, placing a card on the table and picking up one from the pile, next to it. He cleared his throat, hoping to ease her back to the table. Luckily, she caught his eye and smiled at him before she made her play. "So, uh,... who taught you how to play cards so well?"
"That'd be me." Ezra walked up behind Buck and sat down in the chair to Buck's left. "Might I offer a fair warning, Mister Wilmington? She does play a mean game of poker." He winked at his cousin, who winked back. Turning to sit sideways and look at Buck's profile, he lowered his voice. "Mister Larabee has asked that we join him at a quarter to one, out by the Travis place, for the unveiling." His slow, southern drawl curved his words as his friend glanced over at him and then back to Feather's actions.
After placing another chip in the pot, Buck turned to give Ezra a piqued interest look. "He's feelin' up to it?" Speaking of Jesse and his release from Nathan's care. His attention had been drawn from the young man, in the bed, to flattering Feathers and then back to Lyla and her tender condition. It hadn't left much time for sleeping but, when exhaustion hit him, for however short the time was, he let it hit him while knowing that Jesse would be alright.
Ezra smiled. "Most certainly. The young man is quite eager to remove himself from the dreary confines of Nathan's doctoring." Stretching his legs out and crossing them at the ankles, he sat and watched the friendly game between them before business called from the bar.
~~~~~~~~~
Jesse sat in the back of a buckboard wagon, his back to the driver, with his legs outstretched. Lyla sat next to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "It's a little far for a 'thanks alot' party. Don't ya think?" he asked as the wagon came to a halt by the stables. He heard a door open and a chair being wheeled around the meet him at the end of the wagon.
Vin turned from the buckboard and eyed Chris, who sat on his horse, next to the wagon, before answering. "Well, seeing as how you and Lyla never got a proper marriage starter, Mrs. Travis thought this would be the perfect way to reconcile that error." Vin drove the wagon while Ezra rode on one side and Chris on the other, with Nathan bringing up the back. He had tried to take it easy over bumps and dips in the road, knowing Jesse was still healing and Lyla couldn't take the jumbling around so much. Vin had borrowed the wagon from the blacksmith and hooked Peso up to pull, with the help of Buck's horse.
Standing and carefully making her way to the end of the wagon, where Josiah and Buck now stood to help her down, she stepped aside and met Mary's embrace, as the woman guided her out of the way of the wheeled chair that both men were now helping Jesse into. Mary had helped her with her dress and washed and brushed her hair before curling it and tieing bows into it, for the event. "Where are we, Mrs. Travis? What's happening?" Lyla's excitement was both enjoyed and a little scared for the young woman. Neither of them had been told what the surprise was, only that it was a good thing and not to worry. Yet, she had sensed Jesse's agitation at the outing and was now having second thoughts about going through with it. She clutched Mary's hand as the woman tried to comfort her.
"You'll love it, Lyla. I promise." Mary smiled and wrapped her arm around Lyla's shoulders as she guided her charge around the side of the wagon and onto the small path, out front of the house.
Jesse sat in the chair and looked confused as Buck wheeled him up to the porch. "What's this?" As the chair came to a stop, he started to turn to look back at Buck but stopped as a pain in his gut stabbed at him not to move that way, just yet. He groaned and turned back to see Chris standing on the porch, in front of the closed cabin door, smiling at him.
Unease filtered over Lyla's senses in the moment of silence. Her breathing became erratic as panic slowly overtook her. "Je-Jesse?" Reaching out a hand for her husband, she calmed as he slipped his hand in hers and rubbed the back of it.
"Right here, darlin'. It's alright." The chair had stopped next to Mary and Lyla, with Lyla in the middle. "I'm gonna let go a minute. Alright?"
Her pants came a little harder but she nodded and waited for him to retrieve her hand. A tear welled up in her eye as the silence bit at her. Lyla forced herself to be patient and that it was alright to smile, knowing she was with friends and that Jesse hadn't been afraid of wherever they were. She waited and took a breath to calm herself.
With the help of Buck, Jesse stood up, slowly from the chair and reached back for Lyla's hand, again. "We're going to step up, onto the step, alright? Take one step, one step again and then, lift your foot, darlin'." He guided her over to the porch, with Mary on the other side of her, and gave her directions. "That's a girl. That's the first step, alright? One more step up." Jesse groaned and paused as he, himself, hadn't been ready for the new exercise, just yet. "I'm right here." He could feel her hand tighten in his as he paused. "Yer doin' just fine, Lyla. We're all done with steps. Mister Larabee and the others are here. You alright?" Jesse turned to look at the worried woman, unsure of where she was.
Lyla nodded and gave a small smile. "Y-yes."
"You look so beautiful, darlin'." Jesse raised a hand to wipe away the tear and started to roll down her cheek. His voice was just over a whisper and he had forced out his own anxiousness as he saw the smile on Mary's and Chris's faces.
Chris stood in front of them and spoke softly and comfortingly. "Jesse, Lyla. The town is grateful for what you've done and, to show our appreciation, Mrs. Travis has offered to give her land and home to you and your family. We hope you and your family will be very happy here."
Jesse's head turned from Lyla to stare at Chris is awe. He was speechless.
Mary smiled and held Lyla's hand. "It's the least I can do. Billy and I stay upstairs, in the newspaper, and with the baby coming, staying in a hotel room isn't the safest place for a young family. So, I am giving you my land. If you want it?"
Smiling and leaning over to kiss her cheek and whisper into Lyla's ear, Jesse relaxed. "Do you want to live here, with me, Lyla? We'll help each other. Alright?"
Lyla smiled and nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Yes. Yes. Jesse, I'll stay anywhere with you."
Chris caught Mary's eye and smiled. "You two ready to go inside?"
Both nodded and as Chris stepped out of the way, Jesse lifted the handle and pushed the door open. Turning to whisper into Lyla's ear, again, he held her tightly, both for his own balance and to help her steady herself. "Three steps forward, darlin'. One. Two. Through the door. Three. We're standin' in the dinin' room. There's a table, right in front and off to the left is a sink, a stove and a cabinet, with food in it." Guiding her to the right, he let her feel, with her free hand, along the wall, coming to a stop at an indent, indicating at room. "This is our room, Lyla. There's a beautiful bed, in the middle and a dresser, to the left. And a nice, colourful quilt, with reds and yellows and greens. Yer favourite colours." Jesse watched her as she smiled, excited for what he was telling her. Guiding her inside, and releasing her hand, he stood there and let her feel her way around the room, on her own.
Taking her hand again and helping her out of the room, Jesse led her over to where the bassinet sat, next to the window, beside the rocking chair. "This is for our baby, love." Jesse gently placed her hand that he held on the side of the bassinet and told her what he saw. "It's white, with lace and a soft pink blanket and pillow." He smiled and watched as she leaned over to feel into the bassinet. "And, there's a rockin' chair, so you can rock them to sleep."
Lyla sighed as Nathan guided her over to the rocker to sit down. "Oh. I love it. Thank you."
Mary smiled and wiped a tear away. "You're very welcome. Both of you."
Catching the woman's eye, Jesse smiled and nodded. "Thank you."
Mary took a deep breath and turned to face the brand new kitchen. "Now, how about some dinner? Ezra and Inez were kind enough to send over some sandwiches and tea so, while we set up, you two can rest." She turned back to find Lyla napping in the rocker, as the moment had been too overwhelming for her.
Nathan had stepped aside to gather a small knit blanket from the end of the bed and draped it carefully over Lyla's legs and middle, letting her sleep as the seven and Jesse stepped outside to look over the small acre of land they had just inherited. He helped the young man back into the wheelchair and walked beside him as Josiah pushed the chair over to the corral where Delby now stood, waiting for the young man to visit her.
"There's my girl." Jesse smiled and shifted in his seat to pull a red apple from his coat pocket, flattening his hand and raising it up for her to take. "Look what I got for you, girl." He smiled up at the brushed and bathed horse as she ate the apple he had given her.
Chris stood next to him, on the right and leant against the freshly made corral. "Think you two'll be happy here, Jesse?"
Jesse sat back and sighed. He smiled as he stared up at the afternoon sky. "Been a long time since I had a home. Long time for Lyla too. Met her Pa, once. Long time ago. Lyle Drake was a hellova cattle barron but, he loved his daughter. Wanted what's best for her. I do, too. I think we'll do just fine." Leaning forward to rub Delby's nose, as the horse placed her head over the top rail and stretched her nose out to see if he had any more treats for her, he turned his head to look at the water pump, next to the house and spotted a rectangled piece of tilled soil. "My Ma taught me how to raise up vegetables. I reckon Lyla and I might give it a try."
"Good." Chris nodded and looked up to catch sight of Mary on the porch step, waving them over. "Let's eat."
~~~~~~~~
Mary had helped Lyla find her way around the kitchen and table before helping her into the bedroom, to lie down, before rejoining Chris, Vin and Jesse, at the table. It was a good afternoon meal, complete with friends and laughs and congratulations before the other five men left to head back to town.
Jesse let Nathan give him a quick check up before the appointed doc left for the evening. His wound had healed fine and was only tender from the moving around he had done throughout the day. He exhaled and nodded when Nathan asked if he was alright for the evening, while Nathan went back to town. "Lyla and I can't thank you all enough. I know she's had a lot put on her, recently, and I can't apologise enough for what I've placed on her but, both of us are entirely grateful for what y'all have done." He sat on one side, next to Mary, while Chris and Vin sat on the other and nodded, smiling that Jesse had been cleared of wrongdoing and attempted to make a new life for he and his delicate wife, in their small but growing community. For the most part, Jesse had been speechless but strung his thoughts together, throughout the day and evening.
"Nathan and I will be back in the morning to see how everything is going. For now, get some rest, Jesse." Mary patted a hand on his left shoulder before standing up with Chris and Vin and making her way to the door. She turned to see Jesse struggle to get to his feet and shake the two gunfighters' hands before nodding quietly to her, with a smile.
Following them to the door and watching them leave, Jesse stood there for a long moment, staring out at the darkness of his new front yard. Closing and latching the door, he picked up the lantern from the table and made his way into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Setting the lantern down, on the night table, beside his side of the bed, he sat down and quietly undressed, kicking off his shoes and pulling his pants off before pulling the covers back and climbing in, next to his sleeping wife.
Jesse balanced himself on his right elbow, leaning over and kissing Lyla's pale cheek as he whispered, "we're home, darlin. All ours. I promise, I'll always be right here, for you. I love you, Lyla McCall." Wrapping his arm around her and holding her close to him, he fell asleep, exhausted as she had been, but happy with his new life.

Continued.
- 3
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- 5
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Saloon Girl At Ten Paces