Short Story The Birthday
The Birthday!
A Short story by Patty Wilkinson
(For Effie with love and thanks)
NB First Published in 2015 and added to this site 2017
Slim Sherman, the tall blond rancher and owner of the Sherman Ranch and Relay Station, wandered across the bedroom he shared with his friend and business partner Jess Harper. He looked down at his sleeping buddy, Jess’s black hair was mussed up and falling across his forehead; his slender face looking decidedly young and innocent in repose.
Slim chuckled to himself and thought how appearances could be deceptive. Young…well, maybe...but innocent?
Slim reached down and shook his buddy firmly by the shoulders, before attempting to pull the bedding off when he got no response.
“Come on, Jess, roll out. It’s late and we’ve got a lot to get through today.”
“Gerr off,” came the angry, if sleepy, retort as the young cowboy made a grab for the sheet, his eyes still tightly closed. He rolled onto his side away, from the harsh intrusion into his sweet dreams.
“Jess, will you get your ornery hide out of your pit or do I have to shoot that bed from under you?”
“Aw, Slim, will you leave a body alone? I was just dreaming about Millie...and it was gettin’ real interesting.”
“Well, tough. Get up, pard. Breakfast’s on the table, and you know it’s the day Miss Daisy’s cronies from the women’s group are visiting. She’s fussing and fretting already.”
Jess muttered something very rude under his breath before he finally sat up, his deep blue eyes gazing around the room in confusion, before scratching his head and dragging himself up towards the washstand.Read More »
#98 Turned Renegade
Turned Renegade?
By Patty Wilkinson
(Some strong language, violence and adult themes)
Noun: renegade: a person who deserts and betrays an organization, country, or set of principles.
Chapter 1
Jess Harper looked out the window at the sun-baked yard, hands stuffed in his pockets, despondency in his deep blue eyes. He sighed loudly before turning back to the unusually tidy parlour of the ranch house.
Just that morning, Daisy and Mike had departed for a protracted visit to Daisy’s sister in Cheyenne. Both young Mike and Daisy had succumbed to a bad dose of influenza in the spring; following on from a terribly long, hard winter and both were in need of a break and change of scene.
Sure, he and Slim, his partner in the ranch, had been happy enough for them to go, aware it would do them both good. But now as he stood in the quiet empty room with the long summer school holiday before him, he realized just how much he would miss them both.
Sighing again he reluctantly made his way towards the kitchen, knowing Slim would be expecting supper when he returned from mending fence over on the east pasture.
He was standing in the small kitchen debating whether to do beans and bacon, or just beans when there was a loud hammering on the front door. He ran to answer it, snagging the rifle kept by the door, before opening it cautiously and peering out.
Then he lowered the rifle, an embarrassed grin on his face, “Hell Mort where’s the fire?” he asked, “I thought it was Jesse James come to rob us the way you were practically knocking the door down.”
Sheriff Mort Cory gave his old friend a rueful look, “Sorry about that Jess, but a matter of some urgency...is Mrs Cooper in?”Read More »
#97 Who Killed Clay Brady?
Who Killed Clay Brady?
By
Patty Wilkinson
Please Note: Some adult themes, strong language and violence
Chapter 1
Jess Harper had the light of battle in his deep blue eyes as he weighed up the big black stallion from his seat on the coral fence.
“Sure I can break him, Slim,” he said turning to where the tall blond rancher was leaning on the fence beside him. “It’ll just take some time that’s all.”
“Yes, and time is what we haven’t got,” Slim retorted irritably. “You know the deadline for the green broke mustangs is the end of the month and the army don’t like to be kept waiting.”
Jess rolled his eyes, “Well I know that don’t I. Nope I reckon we’ll keep this critter for ourselves, he’ll make a damn good worker once I’ve finished with him.”
Slim shook his head and sighed deeply, “Well OK but later. We need to get the others ready and delivered on time if we want that bonus.”
“Sure, sure,” Jess said vaguely. But his eyes were still on the proud animal that was galloping around the coral pausing occasionally to shake his head, snort and paw the ground showing his immense displeasure at being confined.
“You know, he puts me in mind of Black Jack,” Jess said, “same goddamn temper that’s for sure,” he added with a grin.
“And that’s exactly why I don’t want you working him,” Slim said in exasperation. “Black Jack was a widow-maker if ever I saw one...I reckon you’d never have broken him.”
“Just a damn shame I didn’t get the chance to finish the job,” Jess said sadly.
The horse had jumped the fence and then taken a bad fall later and sustained a broken leg, resulting in his death.
“As it was, he ended up dead, instead of you,” Slim reminded him morosely.
“Yeah, well Ace ain’t gonna jump the fence I’ve made dang sure of that.”Read More »
