Virginia’s attentiveness of the injured man. Night and day, she stayed upstairs tending to his every need. Reeves was angry about it and had words with her and their grandmother. He didn’t like it.
Mrs. Ellen, only smiled and watched as her granddaughter took on the duties of nursemaid. It was exactly what she hoped would come out of it. Her granddaughter had fallen in love with Jax, and she was ok with it. She told Reeves to mind his own business. “He’s a good man Reeves , and he deserves happiness just like you. If your sister is the one who makes him happy, and vice versa, then so be it. I will not stand in the way.” “Are you out of your mind woman, or have you completely lost it. I told you, he’s a gunslinger. I heard it from him, when he was mumbling with the fever. He’s the Angel of Death, the one we’ve heard so many stories about.” “Don’t you think I know that? I’m not stupid Reeves . I suspected he was a gunslinger the first moment I laid eyes on him. I suspect Virginia knows it too. I found one of those dime novels, she claimed she bought for you and Craven . It was stashed under the bed. It was all about the Angel of Death. It gave a matching description of Jax and even went as far as to say, he’s never once killed in cold blood.”
Reeves raked his hands through his hair and blew a long breath from his mouth. “I can’t believe this, my own grandmother, setting my sister up with an infamous gunslinger. You really have lost your mind.”
Reeves stormed out of his grandmother’s restaurant and crossed the street to the saloon. He mumbled under his breath the whole way. People stared as they passed by but he paid little mind to them. He was tired, irritable and frustrated. There was no way in hell he was going to let his sister end up with a gunslinger. He’d probably get her killed someday. Some young fool would come along and call him out and Virginia would get in the way. He just knew it. It scared the living daylights out of him.
He chased his troubles away with whiskey. Everyone at the bar made themselves, scarce. They could see he was in an ill mood and most of them had on occasion experienced the bad side of his temper. Neither of them wished to experience that side again. They steered clear of him.
They waited until Reeves had drunk his self into a stupor and then they loaded him in a wagon and carried him home dumping him on the front porch. Martinez fetched a pale of water and dumped it on his head. He was the only one who did not fear Reeves ’s temper, besides his own family. Reeves jumped up with a start, mouth wide open in shock as the cold water hit him. He slung the water from his head and growled obscenities at Martinez. “Damn it Martinez, you good for nothing lily livered, chicken shit, I ought to kill you for that.” “No Senor, if you kill me, your Pa will be very unhappy. He needs me to run things when he’s not around. I think you not mean to kill me. Eso seria muy malo senor.” Reeves grabbed his head. “Stop talking in that damn Mexican, Martinez. You know I can’t understand a word of it,” Reeves complained. “I say, that would be very bad, Senor.”
Reeves got up and found his way inside the house. He stumbled and had problems getting the door opened, but he finally figured it out. Drunk as he was it was most definite he would suffer with a headache for it. He stumbled into the kitchen, with Martinez on his heels. He slumped into a chair and laid his head on the table. Martinez made a pot of coffee, then, proceeded to try to sober him up.
“What has you drinking like this, senor?” “Haven’t you heard my sister was
Mrs. Ellen, only smiled and watched as her granddaughter took on the duties of nursemaid. It was exactly what she hoped would come out of it. Her granddaughter had fallen in love with Jax, and she was ok with it. She told Reeves to mind his own business. “He’s a good man Reeves , and he deserves happiness just like you. If your sister is the one who makes him happy, and vice versa, then so be it. I will not stand in the way.” “Are you out of your mind woman, or have you completely lost it. I told you, he’s a gunslinger. I heard it from him, when he was mumbling with the fever. He’s the Angel of Death, the one we’ve heard so many stories about.” “Don’t you think I know that? I’m not stupid Reeves . I suspected he was a gunslinger the first moment I laid eyes on him. I suspect Virginia knows it too. I found one of those dime novels, she claimed she bought for you and Craven . It was stashed under the bed. It was all about the Angel of Death. It gave a matching description of Jax and even went as far as to say, he’s never once killed in cold blood.”
Reeves raked his hands through his hair and blew a long breath from his mouth. “I can’t believe this, my own grandmother, setting my sister up with an infamous gunslinger. You really have lost your mind.”
Reeves stormed out of his grandmother’s restaurant and crossed the street to the saloon. He mumbled under his breath the whole way. People stared as they passed by but he paid little mind to them. He was tired, irritable and frustrated. There was no way in hell he was going to let his sister end up with a gunslinger. He’d probably get her killed someday. Some young fool would come along and call him out and Virginia would get in the way. He just knew it. It scared the living daylights out of him.
He chased his troubles away with whiskey. Everyone at the bar made themselves, scarce. They could see he was in an ill mood and most of them had on occasion experienced the bad side of his temper. Neither of them wished to experience that side again. They steered clear of him.
They waited until Reeves had drunk his self into a stupor and then they loaded him in a wagon and carried him home dumping him on the front porch. Martinez fetched a pale of water and dumped it on his head. He was the only one who did not fear Reeves ’s temper, besides his own family. Reeves jumped up with a start, mouth wide open in shock as the cold water hit him. He slung the water from his head and growled obscenities at Martinez. “Damn it Martinez, you good for nothing lily livered, chicken shit, I ought to kill you for that.” “No Senor, if you kill me, your Pa will be very unhappy. He needs me to run things when he’s not around. I think you not mean to kill me. Eso seria muy malo senor.” Reeves grabbed his head. “Stop talking in that damn Mexican, Martinez. You know I can’t understand a word of it,” Reeves complained. “I say, that would be very bad, Senor.”
Reeves got up and found his way inside the house. He stumbled and had problems getting the door opened, but he finally figured it out. Drunk as he was it was most definite he would suffer with a headache for it. He stumbled into the kitchen, with Martinez on his heels. He slumped into a chair and laid his head on the table. Martinez made a pot of coffee, then, proceeded to try to sober him up.
“What has you drinking like this, senor?” “Haven’t you heard my sister was
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