Give My All to Jessie (Third in Outlaw Series)

Give My All to Jessie

"You damn beast horse!" A feminine voice yelled out and Langly turned toward the sound to see a sight unlike any he had ever seen before.

A young woman, probably about the same age as him was fighting with a large Palomino stallion that was struggling against the lead rope attached to his halter. She was being drug around in ever direction while she fought to dig her buckskin boots into the mud to keep her footing. Langly let his eyes wander up from her mid-calf high boots, to her fringed buckskin pants that hugged her legs and rear, and a tight white blouse that hugged her curved chest and tiny waist before tucking into those damn trousers that were still stealing his attentions.... Her hair was brown with bursts of gold running through it and it was full of waves and wild on her head like the mane of some kind of big cat.

Her face was flushed with anger and her eyes, which appeared to be a rare color of violet, were narrowed as she fought against the animal that clearly outweighed and out-muscled her.

Langly broke away from his uncle who was still going on a rant about how he was going to have to teach Langly a thing or two about being a man. He made his way quickly to the woman and grabbed the lead rope at the horses head firmly. He clicked his tongue and whispered soothingly as he ran his hand over the stallions light mane and instantly the giant horse quieted.

"Well I'll be damned." the woman said as she grabbed a black hat from the ground and wiped it against her pants leg before placing it on her head. "I guess he likes men a bit more than he likes women."

"Ya just gotta talk real sweet to some of them is all, ma'am." Langly replied as he took off his hat, tucked it under his arm and then held out his hand. The woman looked down at his hand and then burst out laughing as she took the rope. Langly stared at her tiny nose, her arched brows, those violet eyes beneath those long lashes.... Her top was a little too thin compared to her bottom lip but they were both rosy red and she had a stubborn little dimple in her chin.

"Where the hell did you find this kid at, Jeremiah?" she exclaimed. Kid? Langly was offended. There was no way this woman was any older than he was.

"He's my nephew, Jessie... Damn you're all grown up." Jeremiah replied as he walked over and joined them.

"Yep. I finally grew some boobs to fill my shirts out." she agreed with a nod. Langly just stood there feeling confused, embarrassed and awkward as he watched this woman who looked so much like an angel, cussing and talking vulgar with his outlaw uncle.

"Watcha doin' with your pas horse?" Jeremiah asked as he looked at the Palomino.

"Pa got himself shot up and killed." Jessie replied with a shrug. "So I took the horse. It was the only damn thing of value that bastard had." Jeremiah laughed but Langly didn't really see how what she had said was that funny.

"You got some time? We were fixin to go over to Hawkins fire for a while." Jeremiah said and Jessie shook her head.

"I've been here a few days and I was actually fixin to move on but this damn thing was fighting with me. He's a bit calmer now thanks to your nephew here... What is your name?" Jessie asked as she looked Langly up and down. Langly flushed bright red. He wasn't used to having a woman look him over quite like that. It was as if she was sizing up cattle at an auction.

"Uh... Langly, ma'am." he replied and then he dropped his hand as he realized he'd still been holding it out and his ears burned.

"You might want to keep an eye on him, Jeremiah." Jessie said with a chuckle and a very unladylike snort. "He seems a little green." She laughed as she patted Langly on the back and then jumped up into the saddle of the big stallion.