"The right time, the right place, the right body, the right face. Timber I'm fallin' in love.... You're the only one I'm dreaming of. I can't beleive that I'm fallin' in love." Patty Loveless 'Timber, I'm fallin in love'

“I ain’t never been in this… town.” Joe said as they rode onto the dusty street of a town that had nothing other than a ramshackle saloon, a mercantile that didn’t look as if it could survive the wind from a hummingbird migration, a blacksmith with a couple of drunks passed out on the benches in front of it and several other buildings with such faded and peeling signs that it was impossible to tell what types of businesses they were.

“Two days of traveling to come here?” Jonah asked Reb and Reb shrugged.

“They like these here run down places.” he stated defensively. “We can show their pictures ‘round and maybe somebody here knows ‘em and might just be able to point us in whichever direction they might have taken.”

“That and the women in that saloon over there call themselves ‘Soiled Doves’ and they’ll take up on the balcony and give you all kinds of loving… They don’t even close the curtains first.” Bart stated.

“’Less of course yer one of them shy ones.” Reb added and the two men snorted with laughter.

“So are you all riding with me to help find these two or to get your peckers played with?” Jonah demanded and Joe chuckled quietly.

“Well I figure since you’re getting yours played with we….” Bart’s words were cut off when both Jonah and Joe slammed a fist into his gut.

Joe looked at Jonah with shock, wondering why he’d punched his friend. Joe had punched him because he’d been acting like an ass toward her ever since they’d left Barbadine and Joe was tired of it. She also figured he needed to be reminded that she was more than just some whore playing with a mans pecker and she didn’t like to be compared to one.

Bart took several steps back as Reb chuckled, rocked back on his heels and his blue eye sparkled with amusement.

“What..the hell?” Bart gasped, his face drawn with pain and his skin pale as he held his stomach.

“You’ll watch what you say.” Jonah warned and, without saying anything else or looking at Joe, he turned and stormed toward the building that Joe assumed was a hotel, leading Copper by the reins as he went.

“What the hell is y’alls problem?” Bart grumbled.

“I ain’t a whore and I don’t wanna be compared to one.” Joe snapped. “That’s my problem, I reckon, as far as Jonah goes, I don’t rightly know why he hit you.”

“I wasn’t trying to compare you to no whore, Joe.” Bart assured the woman.

“At times Bart’s mouth gets goin’ just a bit quicker than what his brain can keep up with.” Reb agreed.

“Shut the hell up, Reb.” Bart grumbled and then he kicked the dirt roughly and walked away toward the saloon, leading his horse as well since this town didn’t seem to have a livery…. Or much of anything to speak of.

“So have you and ol’ Jonah had fun having yer own little camps ev’ry night?” Reb asked, before spitting a stream of tobacco into the dirt.

Joe stopped biting on her thumb nail and glared at him.

“What the hell business is that of your’n. Ya ain’t jealous are ya? Jonah might just share a campsite with you if ya asked him real nice like.” In truth Joe and Jonah hadn’t shared a bed or anything other than conversations, some laughs and a glance or two since Barbadine but she didn’t think that was any of Reb’s business.

“Real cute there, Joe. Ya know yer pa would be rollin’ over in his grave if’n he saw what ya was doing with Jonah. He didn’t raise you to be that way.”

Joe saw Jonah step up behind Reb but knew that the other man hadn’t realized it. Joe didn’t understand just why Jonah looked so angry. Was it because Reb had insulted her? Why would Jonah care so much? He didn’t get pissed when she called Reb a one-eyed son of a bitch, so what was different about Reb insulting her?

“Now, Joe, Gideon worked his ass off to keep ya away from men that was just gonna lay with ya and then take off and he wouldn’t take too kindly to havin’ all that hard work be fer nothing. And yer mama, what would she say……”

Joe squared her shoulders, rose to her full height, only a couple inches shorter than Reb and stuck her finger into his chest.

“Don’t ya dare utter one more word ’bout my mama. My pa raised me to be tough and smart. I know damned well what I’m doin’ and I don’t need no lip offa you. Now you was my pa’s friend but that don’t mean I gotta put up with that mouth of your’n.”

“I’m yer friend too, dammit, and I just don’t wanna see all yer pa’s work be fer nothing’.”

“I believe that‘s all he has to say Joe.” Jonah spoke up with a growl. “Now ya ready to go get a drink?”

Joe nodded as Reb turned quickly and held his hands up to Jonah. “Now, I weren’t tryin’ to piss ya off or nothing, Jonah, but ya know as good as I do that ya ain’t got the clearest of vision when it comes to these things…”

Joe nearly chuckled at the way Reb swallowed hard when Jonah’s eyes narrowed. But while Jonah was bigger than Reb, Reb hadn’t lived as long as he had in this rough country by being a coward and he squared his shoulders and met Jonah’s gaze.

“Just because I’ve been made a fool of in the past don’t mean there’s a damn thing wrong with my head. Now we’re all supposed to be friends so why don’t you just back off and let’s head to the saloon and get a damn drink.” Jonah offered, his voice low and angry.

“Alright then, Jonah.” Reb agreed with a nod and Joe knew that Jonah had gotten his point across to the other man. She was happy that Jonah wasn’t a hot tempered man who swung fists too easily. Her pa had been that type and if Reb had spoken that way about her in front of her pa then Reb would have been shitting out his own teeth for a month to come.

Jonah walked around Reb and put his arm around Joe’s shoulders, leading her toward the saloon.

Joe wanted to pull away and scold him but she didn’t because in honesty it felt good to have his body so close to her own. They hadn’t laid together or even touched since leaving Barbadine and Joe was eager to go to the hotel and be alone with Jonah… She truly didn’t even want to go to the saloon but she knew that they needed to ask around about Scarlett and this town had no lawmen to speak to.

“Scarlett isn’t here.” Jonah said as he and Joe walked together. Joe noticed that their boots, his made of scarred up leather and hers made of skins and furs, were perfectly in step.

“What makes ya so sure?” she asked.

“I showed the picture to the hotel clerk and he hadn’t seen her. I showed him her husbands picture too and he hadn’t seen him either.”

“Maybe he was lying for them.” Joe countered and Jonah shook his head.

“Naw, I really don’t think so. I just think he flat out hasn’t seen either of them.”

“Sorry, Jonah.” Joe replied, though inside she was conflicted. Was she really sorry? The longer it took to find Scarlett, the longer she got to keep Jonah close to her. Then again Jonah needed to find that woman in order to give himself some peace.

“How ‘bout I buy you your first beer?” she offered as she pulled out of the grasp of his arm and grinned up at him.

Jonah nodded. “Sounds good to me. I’ll buy your second.”

They made their way through the swinging doors and into the brightly lit and dusty interior of the saloon.

Joe glanced around and nearly laughed out loud. This was the wildest place she’d been in in a long time.

Two men were locked in a brawl in the back corner while the source of their disagreement, a whore, or ‘soiled dove’ as they called themselves here according to the sign on the balcony, was watching on with amusement.

A drunkard was playing the piano while a scantily clad woman with her breasts on display stood next to it and sang very loudly and completely off key.

The bar was lined with thirsty men in varying degrees of drunkenness and poker games were being played at nearly every table.

“I see why Bart and Reb like it here.” Joe said and then her eyes were drawn to the upstairs balcony. Curtains separated the velvet covered chairs and men were in those chairs with whores in varying states of undress, servicing their needs.

Most of the women were sitting on the men’s laps with their heads thrown back as they bounced and moaned but Joe saw several who appeared to be on their knees and the only part of them visible was the top of their hair as the men sat there and appeared to be in ecstasy.

“You’d think they’d at least close the curtains.” Jonah mumbled as he went up to the bar and found two empty stools.

“Ya aren’t shy are ya, Jonah?” Joe teased and Jonah laughed as he signaled for two beers.

“Why, you want me to see about getting us a balcony room?” he asked and it was Joe’s turn to laugh.

“Not sure I’m quite drunk enough fer that.”

“I don’t believe I could ever be drunk enough for that.” Jonah agreed. “When we’re together there sure as hell won’t be anybody drinking whiskey and watching it.”

Joe felt a blush rise on her cheeks and quickly hid her face with her mug of beer as she took a swig. She planned on having Jonah teach her just what those women were doing to those men. She had had no idea that she could sit on Jonah’s lap like that and make love and she had no idea what the women on their knees were doing……

“So why did ya get so angry at Reb?” Joe asked, eager to change the topic.

Jonah’s eyes were locked on a few men that had just stepped up onto a little stage with fiddles, guitars and a horn.

“Because he was being an ass.” he replied simply as the men began playing a fast paced tune that had several of the unoccupied ‘soiled doves’ swaying suggestively in front of the stage.

“Yeah, but he was bein‘ an ass to me, not you. Ya don’t get mad when I call him a one eyed son of a bitch so why were ya ‘bout ready to shoot him for all but calling me a whore? ”

Jonah frowned and looked over at her.

“I was?”

“Seemed to be that way.” Joe replied with a half shrug. “And, hell, ya punched Bart fer sayin’ the same thing.” she added. Jonah rubbed his face and shrugged.

“Guess I just don‘t like to hear any man call a woman a whore when I know damn good and well that she isn’t one.”

“I could be.” Joe countered. Jonah’s gray eyes narrowed as he met her gaze full force.

“No. No you couldn’t be.”

“Is that right?” Joe asked, enjoying the challenge in his eyes. She knew she wouldn’t be a whore but she wasn’t about to tell him that all she wanted was his body loving her and never anyone else. That would just be setting herself up for a fall that she wasn’t willing to take.

“Yeah that’s right.”

The song the band was playing picked up tempo and Joe found her foot tapping along with the beat.

“You like to dance?” Jonah asked with amusement and Joe clicked her tongue.

“Naw, I ain’t no good at it.”

“I doubt that, Joe.” Jonah urged her and Joe shook her head as he stood and held out his hand.

“I ain’t dancing in front of all these people!” she argued. Jonah laughed.

“These people are all so damn drunk they won’t remember a thing come morning. Now come on.”

Joe had no idea why she let Jonah talk her into getting to her feet and walking out to the fairly empty section of dust covered wooden planks in front of the stage and she had even less of an idea how he managed to get her stomping her feet, clapping her hands and laughing loudly as they circled each other and danced to the fast tempo the men continued to play.

They were soon joined by more people dancing and eventually they were all stomping, spinning one another and doing the best square dancing Joe was sure this town had seen in a long long time.

Joe felt free in those moments and as she looped her arm through Jonah’s and let him lead her in a quick circle around the group, she met his eyes, so full of laughter and happiness and knew she was in trouble.

Timber, she had fallen in love.

****

“Well I’ll be damned.” Reb said as he threw his cards down and stared at Joe and Jonah as they danced and laughed.

Bart sighed and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “If I didn’t know any better, Reb, I’d say those two were….”

“They can’t be!” Reb argued. Jonah leaned down then and whispered something into Joe’s ear as she passed by him and the woman threw her head back and laughed. Not the guarded chuckling laughter she usually showed the world but the full hearted, feminine laughter that she usually only reserved for moments when she was alone with those she trusted.

“It sure looks it to me though.” Bart said with nod. “Guess I might as well forget about her.”

“Ya never stood a chance to begin with. She says yer like an annoying brother.”

“She never said that!” Bart argued and Reb nodded.

“Yeah she did. But now her pa raised her better than to fall in love! And she ain’t nothing like what Jonah has ever wanted before. Why there ain’t a single solitary feminine bone in Joe’s body! The woman wouldn’t know how to be a lady if’n ya forced her into a dress at gunpoint and told her to act the part.”

“As bad as I hate to say this…” Bart admitted. “…I think it’s a good thing for them both. Joe actually seems happier now than she ever has before. She’s acting more like herself and less like she’s putting on a tough act. And Jonah…. Jonah ain’t depressed. He’s been depressed since Penny hightailed it away from him and right now he looks damned happy. After what Scarlett did to him I thought he’d sink back down into the bottle and the moping but he didn’t and I can only guess that’s cuz of Joe.”

Reb batted his lashes and his blue eye filled with amusement. “Why, Bart, that speech was plumb beautiful.”

“I’m serious, dammit!” Bart exclaimed with a grumble and Reb nodded.

“Me too.” he assured him. “Why you even brought a tear to my eye.”

“Well looks like that dove I’ve had my eye on all night is finally free.” Bart stated as he pushed his chair back and patting his skinny midsection. “I reckon I’ll be heading that way.” He stood and Reb nodded and watched his friend walk up the rickety staircase toward the dark haired beauty at the top, waiting to take his coin in exchange for a bit of fun.

As far as Reb was concerned that’s all any man oughta ever need. But then again, Jonah was smiling awful big every time he looked at Joe. Bart had been right about that much.

***

Jonah pulled off his hat and wiped his shirt sleeve across his sweat slicked forehead.

“Ya aren’t tired are ya?” Joe asked with a pant and Jonah nodded as he plopped his hat back on his damp hair.

“Yeah a bit.” he admitted with a grin. Joe took him by the hand and led him out of the throng of folks that had begun dancing after they had.

Jonah couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun and it amazed him.

After realizing Scarlett wasn’t here, Jonah had been more than a little upset and he had felt that darkness that always seemed to be ready to drag him down, building inside of him. He had wanted to get sloppy drunk and pass out until late the next day…

Joe had kept him from doing so. Joe and her smiles. Her touches. Her laughter.

“Have ya a seat, old man, and I’ll go get us a couple of beers.” Joe urged as she pointed at an empty table. Jonah chuckled.

“Since you’re bringing back beer, I’ll let the old man comment slide.” Joe winked at him and then disappeared through the crowd, though Jonah never lost track of that wild, thick red hair.

He glanced around the saloon and saw that the drunk had passed out over his piano keys and the woman who had been singing was laying across the top of the black piano, her breasts poking straight in the air, still uncovered.

Jonah quickly pulled his gaze away from that, feeling as if he was violating the woman by looking at her as she slept. He searched for Bart and Reb and caught sight of Reb going up the stairs to where there was a ’soiled dove’ waiting for him with light blond hair and a painted red smile.

Jonah figured Bart was probably up in one of the many balcony rooms, since several had the curtains closed.

He looked back toward the bar and saw Joe making her way toward him and then his blood froze when he saw two men, big men, come up on either side of her and block her path.

“What are you doin’ pretty thing?” Jonah heard one of them sneer. He couldn’t hear Joe’s response but the harsh laughter from the two men told him it hadn’t been good.

“Those are my buddies over there with your woman.” a skinny man with rotten teeth and stringy brown hair stated as he sat down beside Jonah. “They’ve been watchin’ her all night. They mean to harm her.”

“Is that right?” Jonah asked, as he leaned his back against the table and propped his elbows on it, his fingers dancing across the revolver in the new holster he had bought himself back in Barbadine.

“Yeah. Ain’t you gonna help your woman?” the man demanded. Jonah shook his head as he watched one of the big men twirl some of Joe’s hair around his finger.

“Nope, she ain’t my woman and she can handle herself. Ain’t you gonna help your buddies?”

The man snorted. “They ain’t in no danger from her! They plan on raping her…..” Before the man could finish, the sound of breaking glass filled the air as Joe raised a beer mug and brought it down hard against the side of one of the big men’s skulls.

The man crumpled to the floor without a sound and when the second man lunged at Joe he found his nose connecting with her elbow and Jonah heard the crack as it shattered and blood covered his face.

Joe looked around her.

“Anybody else think I got pretty hair and wanna take me on upstairs and have yer way with me?” she demanded, holding the unbroken beer mug in one hand as her other hand hovered over her gun.

There was a general murmur of denial to Joe’s question and then Jonah chuckled and raised his hand.

Joe grinned, took a big swig of beer, tossed the glass down at the feet of the man who was glaring at her and holding his broken bleeding nose.

“Come along then, Jonah.” she urged with a wave of her hand and Jonah tipped his hat to the skinny man beside him, holstered the gun that he’d had pulled and aimed at the second big mans gut, stood up, and walked to Joe.

She looped her arm through his and they walked out the swinging doors and into the chilly darkness.

“You were watching those men.” Joe stated as they made their way to the hotel.

“Yep.”

“You didn’t try to help me.”

“Nope.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re a tough woman. I knew you had it handled.”

“So that’s why you had that revolver aimed at the man with the busted nose?”

“Well I aimed it before you busted his nose.” Jonah replied with a grin. “And I was just being cautious. I didn’t want him to try to take a cheap shot on ya.”

“My hero.” Joe replied with a snort and Jonah just smiled, his mind already jumping ahead to what was going to happen once they were once again alone in a hotel room.