Wink And A Smile
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“Miss?”
The door behind her opened and she turned to see who had entered the room. It was the man she had seen a moment before in town. He seemed even more handsome up close than he had from across the street, so tall and handsome, with his thick black hair and brown eyes, but there was something about him that made her hesitate.
He smiled when she saw it was only him. “Are you all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she said. She could tell by his voice that he was trying not to smile.
“Would you like some tea?” he asked, glancing at his watch. “It’s too early for dinner.”
She shook her head. “No thank you.”
He nodded. “Well then, let me help you get out of that coat. It looks heavy.”
She did as he instructed. Her feet were bare so she took off her boots and tied them next to the door. The floor wasn’t heated so she left her hat on the table. When he handed her a handkerchief to wipe the dust and sweat from her forehead, she realized how dusty she was and used another one to wipe the sweat from her palms.
As she took the handkerchief away, the man said, “I can’t help but notice you’re a woman.”
She held the handkerchief to her face and stared at him. She heard him chuckle and she was surprised by what came out next. “It’s because I’m a man that I have such a good eye for women. That’s my profession.”
She shook her head. “That doesn’t mean you have the right to stare.”
He stepped closer. “Am I staring?” he asked.
“You’re not a gentleman,” she told him.
He grinned. “And you are?”
She shrugged and looked away.
He walked over to stand behind her. “My name is James Jackson.”
“What’s yours?”
He moved the handkerchief from his eyes. “If you’re looking for a man who’s honest and respectful, I’m not your man. But if you want a man with a sense of humor, I might be. Now, what’s yours?”
The question was strange, but she answered, “Trixie.”
He chuckled. “Now there’s a girl’s name.”
When she turned around, she saw him standing so close to her that they almost touched her. She didn’t think this was a joke. “Well?” she asked. “Am I funny or not?”
He ran his fingers through his thick hair. “Yes.”
“I can’t believe it,” she said. “I always thought there was something wrong with me for being named Trixie, but now I see there really is.”
He smiled. “A nice change from all the boys named John, don’t you think?”
She felt so warm, so safe in his presence that she didn’t want to leave his side, but she had to. He had given her a reason to go outside, though it wasn’t much of a reason. The man was handsome, but that was the extent of it.
There was no other explanation for how she had come to this place. She shook her head and took a step back from him. She put on her hat and followed him out the door. As soon as she left the house, he stopped walking. He turned and watched her walk away.
“Wait!”
She looked back at him and then continued to walk down the street. He fell into step next to her. She wanted to be angry, but the more she talked to him the more she liked him. When he laughed at her jokes, when his brown eyes smiled at her, it seemed he was actually being honest with her, not just trying to get inside the house where she lived.
She kept glancing behind her to see if he was following. Every time she did, she was surprised that he was still there. It was odd to think that this was the only person who would dare approach her in the streets, but she didn’t mind the feeling one bit.
They reached the end of town. They were now on the opposite side of the river from where she lived. The water looked calm and inviting. “Will you come with me?” she asked.
He stopped.
“You can take your horse. I’ll ride the pony.”
As soon as she said it, she realized how foolish she was being. This was the end of the line, but she had to ask him because she needed to know for sure. It would make it easier if she knew they were both leaving towns.
“I guess we should be on our way,” he told her.
She nodded. “Why are you doing this? Don’t you have work to do?”
“No. Not really.” He looked at his watch again. “I’m free to go.”
The pony stopped walking. The man stopped, too. They stood there until she finally realized that he wasn’t going anywhere. She started to feel irritated with him so she went over to the pony. As soon as she was close, the animal moved away and continued walking down the street. She reached out and grabbed the reins.
“Don’t worry,” said the man. “You’re safe around me.”
When she looked up at him, she saw that he was watching her. “I don’t want to go home without you. You’ll just have to ride this pony.”
As she helped him mount the horse, he said, “It’s all right, boy. We’re leaving.”
The pony snorted and started walking faster.
The man laughed. “He knows where we’re going,” the man said.
Trixie smiled. “And how did you know that?”
“I could tell by how fast you were walking.”
“How long will it take us to get there?”
He pointed to the horse’s head. “That way.”
“What do you mean that way?”
“We’re headed south. You can’t miss it.”
“I didn’t miss it. I just wanted to ask you a question.”
“Didn’t you?”
“I’m trying to figure out why you’re following me.”
He smiled and pointed at the pony. “Because he likes you. He’ll follow you wherever you go.”
Trixie stopped smiling when she realized that it was true. The pony had turned back toward the direction they were headed before. He didn’t like leaving her alone. The more she thought about it, the more she liked it. “I don’t want to lose you,” she told the pony.
As soon as he heard the man say that, the horse took off at a gallop.
***
“How far is this place from here?”
The man smiled. “It’s the other side of the river. We’ve been heading south for quite some time now. It shouldn’t be much farther.”
She didn’t see any point in asking him the questions she should have asked. Instead, she looked out over the river and asked her next one.
“What do you think is on the other side?”
He laughed. “Probably just another town like this. Or maybe some land out west where there are buffalo or cattle roaming freely.”
“You know, you talk like you’re not from around here.”
“No. I grew up in a different place, but I moved here because that’s where work was. I didn’t know if anyone would ever want to hire me, but then the bank needed help and I was lucky to find a job.”
She was still wondering what to ask him when he spoke again.
“Let’s go see what’s out there, shall we? Just in case.” He patted the horse on the head. Then he pointed south. “Keep going. You’re almost home.”
***
Trixie never had the chance to get down on the ground and look for clues, so she was happy when the man decided to dismount.
He didn’t ask her to, but she did anyway. The pony was still walking south. As soon as the man stopped talking to it, he walked forward. “You’ll be fine, boy. Don’t worry.”
When she got closer to the pony, the animal snorted and started moving faster. She looked up at the man who was already standing with the horse. “I thought he liked me,” she said.
“He likes you now.”
“I don’t understand why, though.”
“Because of all that talk about you riding him to the river. He knows he’s free.”
Trixie stood there watching them ride away. All she could hear was the sound of the pony’s hoofs clattering on the road. “But he was never really free,” she told him. “He was never free until I came along.”
When she turned back around to walk back toward the bank, she saw that the bank was closed. No one was coming or going. As soon as she reached the bank door, she saw a sign hanging outside the main office. It read: CLOSED DUE TO LACK OF EMPLOYEES.
That’s what happened. They were all gone—all except for her. “This is where I need to be,” she told herself. “Where else would you want to work?”
As she started walking north again, she asked herself the same question. “I just don’t know,” she said.
***
For a few days after Trixie left the bank, she kept telling herself that this was not where she wanted to be. And yet, each day found her heading south on foot. The man on the pony never let her catch up with him, but that didn’t stop her from trying.
She even started to walk faster so that she might get there before him. “Just wait for me,” she told the man on the horse. “We can be friends. You can tell me about yourself and I can ask you questions.”
“It doesn’t look like it. This pony’s going south and you’re headed north.”
She smiled at him. “You never answered my question. What do you think is on the other side of the river?”
The man looked in the direction of the Pony Express station. “I’m betting there’s a town there. With people and businesses. Or maybe it’s an outpost where men go out to fight Indians or outlaws.”
Trixie looked where he pointed. It was still a long way off.
He laughed. “Then I guess we’ll see. Come on, boy. We can’t be late for dinner tonight.”
The man rode the horse away. Trixie watched him for a few minutes before she turned toward the bank. She went back in, but the same sign was on the door. There weren’t any customers walking around, either. All she could hear was the sound of the door closing.
She walked straight to the main office, where she found Mr. Hart sitting behind his desk. He looked up and stared at her. She had been working at the bank for two weeks now. When she’d started, she felt that Mr. Hart was ignoring her, but lately, she had seen him more often and heard him say her name. “I guess this means I have the job,” she said.
He smiled. “We always need help.” He reached for his pen. “Let’s get your papers all signed and you can start right away. Can’t have too many hands on deck when the bank gets busy.”
That wasn’t the only thing he got started. “It’s good to see you, Mrs. Jamison.”
Mrs. Jamison was another woman who worked at the bank. “Yes sir. Good to see you, too.”
“Good to have a familiar face.” The smile lingered on his lips. “Now, let me show you what needs to be done. You can start with the telegraph office.”
Trixie nodded. “Yes, sir. As soon as I’m finished here.” She went through the bank doors into the next room. All along the walls were counters used to keep money in bags and coins. There was a table there with three large wooden chairs. One chair was already occupied. It was occupied by a man. His name was Harry. He’d been working at the Pony Express station for five years now.
Harry looked up from what he was doing. “Why don’t you come in and have some coffee?” he asked. “You look like you could use it after walking all that way.”
“That’s very kind of you. I’ve never had coffee before.”
“What’s not to love? Just fill a cup and ask for one lump or two.”
Trixie poured some coffee, which she then stirred. As soon as she put the spoon down, the other men in the office came inside. They all took seats around the table, except for one of them who didn’t sit down at all. He just stood there drinking his coffee, looking at her with those dark eyes that seemed to know everything about her.
“Don’t forget your spoon,” he said. “Just a little sugar and you’ll be all right.”
When she took the spoon and started to drink, she saw something red floating on top. It was red, but it was also clear. “How is it you always know what I need?”
He laughed. “I guess it’s because you’re so easy to read. And besides, we all drink it this way—two lumps.”
She put the spoon back on the table. “That’s why I feel so comfortable here.”
The man across from Harry looked at his cup. “It’s good to see you here, Trixie. I was sorry to hear about what happened to your mother. God rest her soul.”
Her voice caught as she spoke. “Thank you. It’s still hard to believe. It happened so fast…”
The man put his hand over hers. “Let me say it again. God bless her. You can still feel the sting, I know, but I’m sure she’s happy where she is now.”
Trixie wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “Yes. It’s hard to accept that she’s gone. But it’s nice to know she’s in heaven and with my father.”
“My condolences, dear. We’ll miss her. She was one of our best riders.” He smiled. “Now let’s talk about business. What can we do for you today?”
Trixie had never been a part of such an important meeting. When the other men stopped talking about business, she did. She listened, asking questions and learning what each man in the room did for the company.
Then, when they were through with their business, Mr. Hart looked at her. “You’ll take over the telegraph office, but you also have to do what you’ve always done —take care of the bank’s money. Remember that.”
“Yes, sir. I can do it.”
He took the telegraph key from her. “Just use this whenever you send or receive messages and don’t worry about the keys that we give you to open and close the office.”
“I will,” she promised. “As soon as I finish here.”
“It’s good to have you back. And it’s even better having you working with us again.” He smiled. “So long as you still want to do all those things you did before.”
She gave him a warm smile. “I wouldn’t change anything about my life. I love it here.”
The men left the room. Once Harry left, Trixie walked to the bank door and shut it. When she turned around, Harry was there.
“Can I walk with you?” he asked.
“Of course.” She put her hand on his shoulder, then watched the red horse go past her. He was headed in the same direction she’d gone with Mr. Hart earlier that day.
When they arrived at the stable, she turned to see the horse trot into the next building. She had no idea how the horse got there so fast or why he went to a different stable than the one the rest of the horses were in.
“My mother would be proud of you if she saw you riding here,” Harry said.
Trixie felt her chest tighten. “She told me you were like family.”
“Yes, I am, but your father and I are the only ones who know that.” He grinned. “And of course, now you.”
“Why don’t you tell Mr. Hart and the others? They’ll understand. Just the way they’ve accepted me.”
“It’s hard to tell them anything when they’re all so secretive, but I know how you feel about him.” He put his arms around her and gave her a hug. “Now tell me what’s going on. Did you talk to him today?”
“No. We haven’t been able to get in touch with each other.” She laughed. “I’m sure it has something to do with my being here.”
He shook his head. “Come on. Let’s get you inside before you catch a cold.”
They walked to the bank and climbed the steps. As soon as Harry opened the door, Trixie remembered that the alarm was still on. The glass window rattled from the blast, and she closed her eyes, wishing things hadn’t happened that way.
If she had stopped the gun before he could shoot the alarm clock, they wouldn’t be in this mess. But then, she knew how quickly it had all happened—how fast the bullet went through the glass and hit the alarm clock.
The sound of footsteps outside startled her. She looked out the window, not believing what she saw. A man was running up the street. His clothes were stained with mud and blood. The men who came to her rescue must have shot him. It would explain why the man was limping.
Trixie shook her head. That could never have been Tom’s attacker. He wouldn’t be caught dead with such dirty clothes. Not even when he was on a cattle drive.
“I don’t like it,” Harry said, watching the man run toward them. “What are we going to do?”
She didn’t know either. They couldn’t leave the bank unguarded for too long, and neither of them wanted to call the police.
A few seconds later, the man stopped near the bank entrance and pulled himself inside. He went straight to the window where the alarm was mounted on the wall. The red horse was nowhere in sight.
“Look!” Harry pointed to the man’s muddy bootprints. “I think he’s on a trail. Maybe we should go outside and check it out.”
“No.” She turned away from the window. “You stay here and wait. If I’m wrong, maybe he’ll just turn around. Then you can take care of things while I do whatever I need to do.”
“All right,” he said.
They watched him walk to the back door and push it open. She could see him look inside. When he came back to the front desk, his eyes met hers.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “He won’t bother you anymore.”
With that, Harry went out the front door. She hoped he’d be able to handle it.
When he came back inside, he held the man’s revolver. “Here, take this so you don’t have to walk home barefooted. Your shoes must be somewhere.”
The man accepted the gun. His right leg looked swollen and his ankle was bent at an odd angle. “Why am I being arrested?” he asked. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
Trixie couldn’t believe this was happening to her again. It seemed to happen more and more since she moved here. “Harry told me you were caught trespassing near my property and got into a fight with one of the men who rescued me. One of those men was shot, but I don’t think he’s badly hurt.”
The man laughed. “Of course, he was a lot younger than me. Why would anyone want to fight me? I’m harmless.”
“Your friend is coming back here for you,” Harry said. “You’ll have to come with us now.”
“If you’re taking me to the sheriff—”
“I’m not.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
She put her hand on his arm. “It’ll be all right. Trust me. Now, why don’t you turn around before Mr. Hart comes up here and has to ask you where you’ve been?”
He looked toward the back door, then at Harry. “All right.”
After he walked out the front door, Harry picked up his hat from the floor and put it on his head.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” Trixie asked. “It seems so different in daylight.”
“We just happened to pass by the street and saw this place. This is where we were supposed to meet you today—the day you left. We thought we’d better hurry up and find you before someone else did.”
They looked at each other and smiled. She hoped things would work out. They had only known each other a short time, but she was glad they hadn’t let too many days go by without talking. Maybe when the dust settled, they would decide to stay together. But if that didn’t happen, maybe she should give him a sign and try to make the rest of their trip enjoyable.
Harry stepped away from the window and took a look around the bank. He liked the smell of the place. It reminded him of the scent of the lilac bushes around his father’s house.
The floor looked brand new. A few old wooden chairs lined the walls, along with a small desk where an old-fashioned cash register sat. There was no money in it now, but there would be soon enough. The bank opened for business on Wednesday, and most customers wouldn’t arrive until after the noon meal.
He and Trixie headed down the street. When he glanced back, he saw her gaze lingering on the red horse.
“You want to ride him,” she said. “I was hoping I’d get to ride him. Let’s go up to the stable and see how he looks. Maybe we can do something about his feet.”
“I guess so.”
Trixie led the way to the stable. They climbed the ladder to the loft and found the red horse looking up at them. His ears were perked.
“You’re doing better than the other horses.” Trixie threw the bridle to Harry. “They don’t like you much yet, but that’ll change.”
He put the saddle and bridle on the red horse. After they finished, they climbed down the ladder. “Why are you bringing that saddle?”
“It belongs to this horse. Mr. Hart bought it for him. He’ll be riding him soon.”
“Maybe I should ride him instead.”
She smiled. “Maybe I can do that sometimes. I like to ride.” She turned toward the bank. “But we have some things to take care of first.”
The End