I put a passed out Balik back in his crib I can't help but just stare at him. He's so beautiful my second son, smiling at him when he gurgles in his sleep. I move away with a sigh, I need to get my shirt on and out to the stop I can hear the train. My belt rustles and creaks as I grab up my shirt and put it on groaning when the badge scratches my breast. Thinking I should get a shirt with pockets or perhaps a vest with the accursed poking badge on I move to the door.
Chun is heading toward the stairs with a man ahead of her he nods to me as he passes his hat in his hands. Chun smiles and takes my arm as we head for the stairs she stops us at the head.
"Janet my folks are wondering when you are coming in to eat."
"Isaac's pies have a tendency of pulling you to them. I swear I'll stop in later today, I'm supposed to keep an eye on the town with Dan and Chad, not sure why they haven't made me do a walk yet." Chun giggles and leans in to me.
"Because you are addicted to the books doc says for us every afternoon. I miss him coming in for breakfast and talking until it starts getting dark. I think we all miss you saying the book." I sigh, I can't after I got deputized with all of the people coming in and leaving town three badges don't seem enough.
"I miss saying them to I say books to Balik some he prefers my songs."
Chun smiles, Balik has become the darling of the whores even the Apache dote over him. We head down the stairs to Celeste, figuring Sally has decided to try for a man I smile at her as I pass. Exiting the saloon with the new fancy sign over it I find Sally sitting on the horse tie post. Grinning I go toward to push her over in the water trough, Sally drops down with a laugh. She falls in step with me as I head toward the stop.
"So getting another whore in the train?" I ask as we turn to walk past the sheriff's toward the station.
"Nope, better." Sally is giggling and smiling next to me I look over at her.
"You bought a husband?" I had been rather shocked when I had been told of mail order brides, even more to find there was not a mail order husband I still say it's possible.
"Oh good grief, no Janet my sister is coming. I haven't seen her in six years she was twelve the last time." I smile over at her before greeting two Apache men walking toward the store.
"Does your sister have a name or did you forget it?" I ask with a giggle, Sally groans and slaps my back.
"Gwendolyn, she's always preferred Gwen I just find it fun to say her whole name."
At the station I see Chad leaning against the corner of the building. I move up quiet as I can behind him then reach out to touch his shoulder.
"You should do that with a quieter belt." Chad says not even turning around, I sigh he's right this belt is just noisy right now.
"The oil they sent isn't working, I guess I need to wear it as much as I can." Chad chuckles as the train comes in.
Sally moves past us smiling excitedly looking at the passengers getting off. I look as well, none look threatening most don't have a gun on their hip. A few see me and Chad and talk to each other quietly. Two men about as tall as the sky are not as quiet talking about how Apache can even work as the law here, Chad goes and speaks to them with a rather sour expression. I sigh and look back over the passengers getting off, there are an awful lot of them today then I notice one.
I have to look twice at this man he's taller than many around him with a wide whitish yellow hat. What really sets him apart is the broad shoulders and the marshal badge on his chest. Even more, he looks very familiar and I think back on it for a moment before it comes to me. This is the same fresh young marshal that had come to Dan and me to ask for help in finding a particularly tough target the trip before I started carrying Balik. His name comes to me after a moment, Martin. With his name issuing forth from me I charge him getting a grunt out of Chad behind me.
Martin looks at me surprised and confused then he smiles as I get closer. Right before I leap up into his arms I notice he has a prisoner, a stocky little man that looks very familiar. Martin catches me with a grunt putting one hand on my backside to hold me up as I plant kisses on his cheeks and mouth.
"Janet I thought you were with child." I giggle still held up by him Chad appears to keep the prisoner in hand.
"Birth was last month, beautiful boy we named Balik. Took a lot of doing, Dan was all for naming him Benjamin. Finally I had to just put my foot down on his and make it clear my second child will have a proper name." Chad protests next to us getting Martin to look over at him confused.
"I'm the first son and I do have a proper name. I'm Chad by the way, are you staying the night or moving on with the train?" Martin sets me back on the ground and straightens up.
"Staying the night hoping his companions don't decide I delayed twice. He is for the next town, case of murder and banditry they have a judge waiting for him there." The prisoner groans and shakes his head looking at me he smiles.
"Janet come on tell the marshal I ain't like that." I look at him confused for a second.
His brown hair is wild and unkempt with a beard he's a little shorter than Chad. I look him over, rather on the scrawny side with bowlegs, his hands though remind me. He had bought time with me when I was getting large, he had spent plenty of time getting me to see stars before and during the time he was inside.
"Oh Michael, I'm sorry I never knew you long enough to say either way. You were the last for me that night besides my Dan if it makes you feel any better." His face falls there is a small smile still there. "Martin if you wish I can accompany you to the next town tomorrow. I haven't had a chance to work with my new Winchester." Martin grins and nods with a chuckle.
"I would like that, be nice to have the best tracker and shooter ever seen in Kansas City to help me deliver him. Michael you worry too much if you did not do it you will be found not guilty." I groan I always hated that label. "Janet do you have bullets for sale here, I would rather not find one box for my revolver is not enough."
"Yes come on Andrew stocks more than you would expect in his store." I take Martin's arm in mine he chuckles then reverses so my arm is in his.
Chad walks with us Michael being pulled along after him. We leave him at the sheriff's as we continue past for Andrew's store, expanded now with the wide path opened. He had talked the smaller farm supplies store to move his store to make the path wider than it would have been and expanded his store to fill the corner made by the two converging paths. Martin whistles as we go in, there are toy wagons and other items for children hanging above us. He has an entire counter dedicated to sweets, jelly beans, candy sticks and licorice being the biggest part of it.
"Janet and friend, so nice to see you both." Elan says with a smile, this is the other nice part of the new store he hired an Apache to help.
"Elan how are you? This is Martin he's a marshal seeing a prisoner through to the next town." Elan looks confused for a moment then smiles.
"Oh a big town sheriff, yes very nice of you to come to the store. Is there anything in particular you wish?" Andrew appears coming out of the back.
"I think I know you wish to buy some bullets. Janet you really must stop buying Elan sweets, he's starting to expand." Elan looks at Andrew and sighs shaking his head.
"Yes I need to get bullets for my revolver unless you have the new Colt if Janet wears them they must be good." Andrew smiles big and moves over to the gun counter, I move toward the sweets with Elan.
"Fresh batch of licorice, I snuck one earlier, they are less sweet than the last." Elan says smiling pointing to a jar packed with licorice.
"Oh I will have two pennies of licorice in that case, and a penny of the sticks. Bonita is on a sweeter than one can stand train, I do not know how she stands it. Isaac is joking about how he makes two pies, one with sugar and crust and a regular for everyone else." Elan laughs and nods.
"Medicine man swears he had vision she has daughter." I giggle Mr. Johnson and most of the town say the same thing.
"Janet, Colt finally came up with the solution on your belt, soak it in water. They did not prepare them correctly for the skin they used it came out dryer than it should have. If it still does not work I can order you another they swear the problem is fixed now." Andrew says coming over watching Elan, I sigh leather tends to shrink while drying.
Elan hands over the wrapped package of licorice while he collects four of the candy sticks. While he is wrapping those I open the licorice and take one out. I take a bite and savor the flavor, Elan was right these are not very sweet and more like getting it from the plant. I offer some to Andrew he shakes his head I hold it out toward Martin who takes a bite then sighs.
"These are kind of sour." I giggle and smile before taking another bite.
"Janet for some odd reason prefers them that way, Elan as well I think." Andrew says holding out his hand for the three pennies I owe.
"I am a duly appointed deputy I should get sweets for free." I hand over the pennies Andrew chuckling as he takes them.
"I was there when it was decided you would be a deputy. Your only duly appointed for another two months so you can recover from birth and go back to whoring." I shake my head.
"I'm a deputy until Dan decides we should move on, when I return to whoring I'll just not wear the badge." Martin looks at me confused.
"I knew there was something different, your not after me for sex and your speaking better, I guess coming here was really good for you." I smile up at Martin noticing he has a new belt and Colt on his hip.
