Chapter Fifteen

Priscilla woke the next morning. For a brief moment she was confused and then it all came rushing back to her.  She had passed out sometime after Jimmy left her. Then the next thing she remembered was an elderly woman who was trying to get her undressed. The woman, Ester, had explained that she and some man named Martin had brought her here along with her husband.  Priscilla did not know what she was talking about but the woman kept speaking in such a soothing tone that she did not care.  All she knew is that she felt better and this Ester person was responsible for it.  Ester had given her a bit of bread to eat and some water to drink when she had first awoken then she had been ushered to a tub.  Priscilla had soaked in the cool water for quite some time.  During her luxurious soak her head had stopped spinning and she no longer felt like she was chilled to the bone.  She felt human again.  Shortly after her soak Ester had given her a nightgown and led her to this room.  Priscilla had lain down and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she had fallen into a deep, restful slumber. 

Now here she was in laying a bed with a man she barely knew.  Jimmy was lying next to her, facing the other wall, dressed in the same long white nightgown as she was.  The nightgown had ridden up a bit, but Jimmy was still properly covered by a sheet. 

But what pleased Priscilla the most was the fact that even though Jimmy was not holding her or even facing her, he still had one hand on her wrist.  It was silly, she realized, but it pleased her.  It made her feel as if his thoughts were still on her, even after all the hell he had gone through, he was worried about her.  And that thought made Priscilla feel warm inside. 

Maybe it was just a year of deliberately pushing people away that made her feel so close to someone she did not even know but she felt it.  She felt a kinship with Jimmy.  Priscilla sighed softly.  The last year had been hard on her.  She had lost so much, the man she loved and her best friend.  She was only now coming to understand everything that had happened.  The pain of the actual events had been so great that she had tried to forget it all. She also ended up turning on people instead of letting them help her.  But all they wanted to do was talk. They did not seem to understand that she did not want to talk.  She could not talk.  It was too hard. 

Then he had appeared, Priscilla thought with a smile.  The Pony Express had rolled into town and every girl in town had eyed the riders, not that they seemed particularly aware of that fact.  Thus many a girls’ interest had waned.  After Lorna had taken up with Cody, Priscilla had learned much more about the young man she had developed a bit of a crush on.  When the dance was mentioned to her she was certain at first Jimmy was going with her only as some favor to Cody.  So once again she made sure she was not going to be played for the fool.  Or least she had tried.  No one seemed terribly surprised to see her actually dressed and ready to go. 

And now she was here.  Maybe she was being given a second chance at happiness.  Or at least finding someone she could care about.  She would not repeat the same mistakes, she vowed.  This time she would take chances. 

*~*~*

Jimmy woke the next morning and when he rolled over he found Priscilla watching him.  He raised a hand to her cheek.  She looked so much better.  “Morning,” he murmured. 

Then suddenly he realized where he was, what he was doing and what he was wearing.  Rather what he was not wearing. Overcome with embarrassment, he pulled away.  “Sorry,” he mumbled.  He should not have been so familiar. 

Jimmy moved quickly from the bed.  “I told Martin I’d help him ‘round here.” He just needed to find his clothes, he decided.

“Wait,” Priscilla began, sitting upright. 

“Sorry,” Jimmy said quickly.  “You must be wondering what’s going on.”

She shook her head.  “It’s not that.  I know what went on,” Priscilla replied.  “When I woke up an elderly woman filled me in.”

“Ester.”

Priscilla nodded.  “But I wanted to talk to you.”

Most likely to tell him to back off Jimmy thought sadly.  He quickly shook off the feeling of hurt.  He was rushing in to something neither he nor Priscilla was ready for.  He should be grateful she was calling him on his behavior. 

“Later,” he told her.  “I promised Martin I’d do some chores.”

“But-” Priscilla began.

Jimmy ignored her and hurried from the room.  He needed to keep busy.  He needed to forget about his foolish longings.

*~*~*

Jimmy threw another pile of straw into the barn then he surveyed the area. The stall he had mucked out and refilled with clean hay looked decent to him.  Especially when he thought about the mess the whole barn had been initially.

He wiped his brow.  It was still hotter than hell, he decided.  He needed something to drink and then he would find Martin and see what else needed to be done around here.  Martin was due back any minute. He was in town, checking to see if there was an Express Station nearby so Jimmy could get word back to Sweetwater.

“Here.”  Jimmy turned around and saw Priscilla slam a pitcher and a glass on a small table next to the stall.

“Ester thinks you need something to drink,” she announced tartly.

As she turned to leave, Jimmy caught her by the arm. 

“What?” she snapped.  “I know you can’t wait to get out of here so you never have to see me again but Ester asked me to do this.”

Jimmy’s mouth fell open.  “That’s not it.”

“No one asked you to come get me.”

“I know,” Jimmy replied, feeling slightly befuddled.

“Let go of me!” Priscilla tried to jerk her arm free.

“I didn’t mean to be so forward,” Jimmy burst out.  He would fix everything.  He would tell Martin the truth.  He would not embarrass her, or himself, by sharing her bed.  Then maybe Priscilla would think better of him. 

“What?”  Now it was Priscilla’s turn to look confused.

“I never not wanted to see you.”  Jimmy stopped.  He was not making any sense, but he had to get the words out.  “It’s just…” his voice trailed off as he was once again unsure of what exactly to say. 

“Just?” Priscilla asked, a flicker of hope rising in her eyes.

 “We went to the dance and then I got called out and it all turned into such a mess. All I was hoping for was a chance to get to know you and then maybe . . .” He did not know how to say this.  He wanted to get to know her, maybe then she’d find something she liked about him. 

“Were you disgusted by what happened at the dance, when that fella called me out?” he asked quietly.

“Truthfully, I don’t remember much of it,” she admitted.  “I thought you’d be more disgusted because of what I did.”

Jimmy shook his head. 

“So start now,” Priscilla told him.

“Huh?”

“What would you have done if that man hadn’t of show up?”

Jimmy smiled.  Maybe he had not ruined it all.  Maybe that scene in Sweetwater was not as off putting as he had thought or maybe she really did not remember it. Or maybe Priscilla’s so called lack of interest in going to the dance had really been a ruse.  Maybe she knew about him the same way he knew about her.  If it had been enough for him, maybe it was enough for her.  Maybe.

“This,” he said softly.  He slid his hands down to her waist and pulled her close.  Locking his eyes with hers, he took one of her hands, drawing her even closer with the other hand.  

Priscilla placed her other hand on his shoulder and did not break eye contact.  Slowly, Jimmy guided her out of the stall and they whirled about the barn.

“You are a good dancer,” Jimmy told her.

“Thank you.”  Priscilla grinned.  “You’re all right.”

“What?” Jimmy sputtered in mock dismay, realizing she was joking. 

Priscilla laughed.  “I was kidding.”

Jimmy stopped moving then.  “After we had a dance or two, I’d ask you outside.”

“Really?” Priscilla lifted a brow.  “I’m not sure I’d agree to such a thing.”  Jimmy looked at her.  Her words were prim and proper but she was so soft and yielding in his arms.  What did this mean exactly?  He had not known many women but he had a notion that Priscilla might be flirting with him.  Yet he was not sure.  So he waited, uncertain as what he should do next. 

It was as if Priscilla realized his confusion because when she spoke again, she said.  “But maybe I’d make an exception for you.” She paused, tilting her head to one side.  “So what would we do outside?”

“I don’t know.  I guess we could check up on Lorna and Cody.”  A slight frown crossed Priscilla’s features.  Jimmy grinned.  Like he would care what Cody was doing.  “Or we could find a quiet spot, maybe look at the stars.”

“And?” Priscilla’s voice was very quiet now.  All the banter that had filled her voice earlier was gone.  She was just as nervous as he was, Jimmy realized. 

He placed both hands on Priscilla cheeks.  “And if you didn’t haul off and deck me,” he whispered, “I’d do this.”  Jimmy drew her near for a kiss.

His lips had barely met hers with Ester arrived. “Goodness,” she exclaimed.  She clucked at them. “You two have time for this later.  Right now I need Priscilla’s help.”

Jimmy watched as Priscilla left.  He moved out of the barn and followed her figure with his eyes all the way back to the house, any idea of talking to Martin long gone from his mind.