Page 54 of Follow the Lonesome Trail
“He’s a good man,” Ruby murmured as she watched him stride off to talk to the doctor. “I’m sorry it went badly for you, Jimmy, but you’d understand why I did it if you knew him.”
Jimmy snorted. “Youdon’t even know him, Miss Mail-Order Bride.”
“I know him a little better than I let on earlier,” Ruby admitted. “It’s true, we’d only met through letters, but we’ve been writing for quite a while now.” She sighed. “We would’ve gotten married sooner, but Obed’s on his own. He didn’t have nothin’ to offer, he said. But he promised me that if he could save up three hundred dollars, he’d bring me out here. We’d have enough to live on…maybe even start a family. That’s why I cooked up the plan to nab your bounty. It wasn’t personal, you know.”
“Well, good for you. Thanks to me and Frank, you got almost double the money you wanted,” Jimmy grunted. “Now go away, and take your happily ever after with you.”
Jimmy wanted nothing more than to be left alone in his misery, but that didn’t seem to be in the cards.
“Doc’s on his way,” Birmingham announced, walking back over. “He’ll need to dress that cut, Frank. And he’s got water for you both. Food will have to wait till you get back to town. Speaking of town—” Birmingham turned to Ruby. “They’ve got horses ready for us. We’ll need to get moving if we want to catch the parson.” He gave the bandits a sheepish grin. “We’re getting married, ya see.”
Jimmy barely suppressed a gag.
“But before we go—” Birmingham drew out the packet from the sheriff, containing the reward money. “Here. Payment in full, per our agreement. Doubt they’ll let you have it in jail, so I’m putting it here in your knapsack. Yours too, Frank.”
“What?” Jimmy sat up straight with a jolt. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Obed Birmingham counted out a wad of bills from his reward money, folded them neatly, and placed them inside Jimmy’s pack.
“Can’t say it’ll be the easiest hundred dollars you ever made, but I hired you for a job. You held up your end of the bargain, and I’m a man of my word.” He put a hand on Jimmy’s shoulder and locked eyes with him. His kind face was the very portrait of earnest sincerity. “I don’t know what brought you to this point, Jimmy. But you don’t have to stay here. Pay your debts. Do your time. You won’t be locked up forever. And when a chance to make a choice comes round again, well…maybe this money will give you a good start at an honest life.”
Jimmy’s throat felt suddenly tight. “I…I don’t know what to say.”
“You could start with ‘thank you, Deputy Birmingham,’” Ruby supplied, beaming at her fiancé. Then she turned her smile on Jimmy. “See, Jimmy, you got your hundred dollars, after all.”
“Guess I did,” Jimmy said, still not quite believing it. “And you got your man to ride off into the sunset with.”
“That’s pretty much all a gal like me needs.” Ruby agreed, giving him an infuriating little wink. “That, and a dress with good, deep pockets.”
And with a toss of those walnut curls over her shoulder, the Hampton Ruby flounced right out of Jimmy Butler’s life, leaving an impression he doubted he would soon forget.
