CELEBRITY COWBOY
David Shaw
Copyright David Shaw 2011
Published by www.bodice-rippers.com Publishing at Smashwords
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THIS STORY IS INTENDED FOR ADULT READING ONLY
A broad shouldered young man wearing a fringed deerskin shirt and white stetson was leaning against the deck rail of the Queen Charlotte, watching the Indiana shoreline steadily passing to the beat of the riverboat’s stern wheel. A spurred riding boot rested casually on the lowest of the rail bars, the wearer's slumped attitude suggesting no more than a casual interest in the summer greenery and sun speckled ripples.
The Western styled clothing seemed more like a showman’s outfit than the genuine article, except for the utilitarian butt of the Colt Navy revolver protruding from a well worn holster at the man's right hip. That, and the way the Westerner’s eyes seemed never to be entirely at rest. As if he was wary of being taken by surprise.
As he surprised the two women looking at him from the corner of a deck house a few paces away. Both of them were sure the man with the gun was unaware of their scrutiny. Until he suddenly turned towards them and lifted the Stetson in a respectful bow.
Not only were the women surprised, they were also disconcerted and discomforted.
"Ladies."
"Oh my!"
The one that responded first was somewhere into the middle years of her third decade, her features strong yet well proportioned, with tresses of ginger hair underneath a saucy blue hat and a body which would have needed a powerful stallion to carry it swiftly, and, the cowboy instantly decided, a strong man to do it full justice. Junoesque was the word which came to mind. Though he was well aware that no one aboard the Queen Charlotte would have looked at his style of clothing and believed that such a word could exist in his vocabulary.
Not that he needed to consult any dictionary in forming a instant opinion of what he'd like to do with the red head's lush bosom and generous hips.
Then the second woman spoke up: "Sir, I'm sorry if we seemed rude, but we had an idea we'd seen your face in a newspaper sketch. With a hat and shirt like the one you're wearing now."
The cowboy turned towards the speaker and bowed again. She was perhaps three or four years younger, hatless, slimmer, her long blonde hair piled on top of her head and secured at the peak with a tortoise shell, falling away into two pony tails hanging free and loose past her shoulders.
"Ma'am, it does seems my moniker has been mentioned some in your Eastern papers. That is if the name you had in mind is Jake Jefferson Jackson, 'cause that's what'd be printed on my calling cards, if'n I had any".
Both of the women gasped as he proudly introduced himself. In fact the copper nob was so surprised she twitched as if jabbed with a pin.
"The gunfighter! I knew I was right. Oh, I've read so much about you, Mr Jackson. In Mr Buntline's stories. Why you're mentioned in the same breath as Buffalo Bill and Wyatt Earp."
Jake smiled, revealing an excellent set of white teeth in his handsome face. He spoke slowly, as if savoring every word.
"Well, now, a man couldn't want for better company to be named with than those two gen'l'men. But to right truthful, old Ned sometimes draws it on too strong by a chain and a quarter. I could say more but I'm kind of shy about shouting the odds in front of strangers."
"Strangers? Oh, I'm so sorry Mr Jackson," the older woman answered. "I'm Clara Butler and this is my friend, Georgina Tasker."
The cowboy showed the unabashed grace of a true caballero as he kissed each presented hand in turn. And equal lack of embarrassment in eyeing the hands he didn't raise to his lips.
"Well, ladies, you've plumb disappointed me enough to make a rattlesnake cry salt tears. Here I was thinking I'd fallen down a gold mine and it turns out you're both wearing golden rings already. I guess Mr Butler and Mr Tasker are going to be showing up hot footed real soon, and all ready to whip my hide for trying to cut out the best looking pair of high steppers on the deck of this mobile tea kettle."
Clara blushed as she answered.
"Oh no, Edward and Eric have gone ahead to Pittsburgh to look at a business there they may be buying as partners. We would have gone with them but there was a last minute problem in boarding our children, so we've had to follow on the next boat."
Jake made a great play of being astonished.
"You gals have family! Why if that ain't the biggest surprise I've had since Ready Money Mary O'Cready hit me over the head with her bed warmer, and me never even suspecting she ever had the need of that kind of implement at her place."
Georgina and Clara broke out into a fit of giggles, very unladylike but very attractive giggles. Jake laughed too as he replaced the hat over his neatly trimmed blonde hair. Underneath it was the developing thought that these Eastern females had a style and easy confidence about them which was like nothing he'd seen before in women -- not married ones, anyway. Maybe some of those stretchers he'd heard about Eastern goings on hadn't been so stretched out after all. Well, he'd soon enough find out in the big city.