The RECKONING: A Jess Williams Western Read Free

Jess with chores, she usually caused him more work and grief. Mostly, she would tag along with him and bug him until he just wanted to thump her on the back of her head. The only thing that stopped him from doing so was the knowledge that he would get a switch taken to his backside and that was something he worked real hard to steer clear of. It was close to noon on a typical day around the ranch and Becky was in the house making some lunch for Jess to take out to his pa. Jess had finished throwing some hay in the stables to feed the cattle and he was walking up to the house to see if his mom had the food ready when Samantha came out of the stables with her hands full of hay. She was jumping up and down, each time letting a little hay drop here and there. Jess knew she was just egging him on.
                  “One of these days I’m going to thump you good, Samantha,” he warned her, giving her a look of dissatisfaction.
                  “I don’t think so, ‘cause you know pa will switch your behind real good,” she replied giggling. Jess gave her the evil eye for a moment and turned around and headed for the house. Just as he walked in his mother was wrapping John’s lunch in a cloth.
                  “I’ll bet your pa is mighty hungry by now Jess,” said Becky. “You get this out to him right away, you hear?”
                  “I’ll get it straight out to him, I promise,” he replied.
                  “Make sure you do.”
                  “Can I ride the paint today?”
                  “Didn’t your father already tell you that you could?”
                  “Yeah, but I was just checking.”
                  “Then I’m sure it’s okay,” said Becky. Jess took the lunch from his ma and headed for the stables to saddle up the paint.
                  Jess had the paint saddled up and out of the stable in less than five minutes. Out of the six horses they owned, Jess had always liked the paint the best. He was a gentle horse and Jess gave him a few apples or carrots every day. Jess always loved riding out on the ranch. Sometimes he would imagine he was on his own and roaming around the country going from one town to another. He was always wondering about what he would do when he grew up. Would he stay and work the ranch or go off and do something different? Maybe he’d be a sheriff like his pa had been, or maybe he’d own his own business in town. Of course; like most young boys, Jess would imagine himself as a gunfighter; and of course, the fastest gunfighter alive. Whenever Jess got some free time from his chores, he would find himself down by the creek drawing his hand-carved wooden pistol that his pa made for him. He asked his pa a while back to teach him how to shoot a real pistol, but John said he was too young for that yet. It only took fifteen minutes before Jess found his pa. He was looking over a new calf that seemed to be lost and not doing very well.
                  “About time you got here Jess,” said John. “My stomach’s been growling like a bear that just came out from a long winter nap.”
                  “Sorry pa,” replied Jess nervously. “I got here as soon as I could…honest. I never stopped or anything, I rode straight out here. The biscuits ma made you are still warm and she put some honey in a jar to go with them.” John looked at Jess and gave him a big smile.
                  “Don’t get you’re britches all up in a bunch,” laughed John. “Get down off that horse and let’s have a biscuit or two.” Jess always liked it when his pa let him have lunch with him out on the range.
                  “Jess, don’t forget to stack up some more hay in the barn and stable tonight before supper,” said John, as he finished up with his lunch.
                  “Okay, pa. If I get