The Five Dollar Mail (Book 1: The Green & Book 2: Lynch's Boys)

82: Pugilistic Hooligans

Cover painting by Angela Taratuta. Chapter artwork of Lily by Laura Hollingsworth. All graphics by me.

"Oh, Jesse, don't tell me you're smoking again," Lily blurted out when she saw the smoldering quirly dangling from her brother's lips.

Saint's head jerked up at the sound, a self-satisfied half smile on his face. He and Jesse occupied adjacent cells in Sheriff Holt's jailhouse. Rob Yarl was in one of the two cells on the other side.

Lily stood close to the bars, glancing back and forth between the two of them. Jesse had frozen in his tracks, guiltily caught in mid-drag on the borrowed quirly he'd gotten from Saint. And he was doing so well staying off them, too. She glared at Saint, exasperated.

"No. Just this one," Jesse said defensively. "I just need to calm down, alright? Lemme just relax for a few minutes." He gave the quirly one last puff, then grimaced and pinched the ember out, sticking it into his pocket. "I can't believe this," he muttered, pacing like a cat inside the locked cell.

She shot an angry glance over at Rob Yarl in the opposite cell and noted with satisfaction that the Yarl boy didn't look any happier than any of the rest of them.

"I'm sorry, Miss," Yarl said, clearly embarrassed. "I didn't...I mean, I didn't know he was gonna...I didn't know what to say!"

She sighed, irritated and helpless. "It's...all right, Mr. Yarl." She shrugged helplessly at Jesse and Saint. "It can't be helped." She paused. "Thank you for dropping the charges against Mr. Peltier."

Yarl laced his fingers behind his thick neck and paced, agitated.

"You two need to calm down," Saint said, slouching against the bars. He looked disturbingly at ease inside the cell that imprisoned him. Clearly, it was not an unfamiliar environment to him. "We're gonna be here two days. Just quit crying and take it like men so we don't end spending even more time in here."

"Fiona feels terrible about this," she said quietly to Jesse, wrapping a hand around the bars between them. "I had no idea this would happen."

Jesse sighed and shrugged. "Ah, nobody did. Tell her I ain't mad at her." He gave her hand a squeeze, and smiled. "Saint's right. This ain't gonna kill us. Storm's safe, that's all that matters. I'll pay a couple nights in jail for that."

She nodded, and turned towards the adjacent cell. "You alright, Mr. Saint?"

"Fine." He nodded emphatically. "All things considered, this is great. Little Miss...I wonder if you send my book over here next time someone comes into town."

Your book... Lily was surprised by the request. "Yes, of course, where...

"You'll see it. Little shelf over my bunk. Crew knows where it is." He smirked as though at a private joke. "Little Dorrit. How's that for irony?"

Blackie sat on his desk, arms crossed. "As soon as that Judge started getting mad, I started getting worried. Sorry about this, boys, I hate I had to arrest you."

"Naw, Blackie," Saint said, making a dismissive gesture with his hand. "I ain't kidding. This thing coulda ended a whole lot worse. Ain't that right, Farmboy? "He reached into his breast pocket absently, pulling out a square of paper, then fumbled around in the depths of his coat for his tobacco pouch, tapping out a fresh line of tobacco. "Couldn't this thing have turned out a whole lot worse? How about you, Yarl? Whadaya say? Ain't this better than what coulda happened?" He rolled it deftly into a quirly and stuck it to his lip. "And anyways," he mumbled around the unlit smoke as he put his pouch away. "It's quieter here than it is in the bunkhouse."

"Mr. Saint." Lily wondered if her face was reflecting the incredulity she felt. She realized her mouth had dropped open. He can't be seriously thinking about ... "I..I don't mean to mind your business...but..." There is no way you're smoking that in front of me. Not after your lungs quit working that night. She stepped over to the bars, locking eyes with him. Reaching up, she paused and then quietly took the unlit smoke from his lips.

He was staring back at her, surprised and startled, one eyebrow raised under his tousled forelock. His voice was a teasing purr. "You gonna smoke that, Little Miss?"

Her face began to burn. Damn him. How can he look so cocky and so...so charming...through the bars of a jail cell? How? She cleared her throat. "I will if it will keep you from smoking it."

It was true. She would smoke the thing herself if it would keep an irritant out of his ailing lungs. If it would keep him healthy, I'd eat it.

The amused, smirk melted from his face as if she'd slapped him and he looked at her a long, unreadable moment. A dark grimace began brewing across his features and he looked away.

I've offended him. She felt a moment's sharp regret, which quickly turned to amused annoyance. That's just too bad, Mr. Bari.

"Jesse," he grunted, gesturing him to come nearer the bars separating them.

Jesse leaned in close, a questioning look on his face. Saint reached through the iron grid and plucked a peppermint stick out of his friend's pocket. He turned, gave Lily a resigned, unhappy look, and stuck the candy between his teeth.

Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying this story, please let me know by giving me a star or a comment! I appreciate your support!