Longarm and the Colorado gundown

_{The wagon driver, who really had done an excellent job, quickly finished unloading the luggage from his rig, then climbed back onto his driving box and wheeled the team of small but tough little mules without waiting to give his animals a breather. He touched the brim of his cap and pulled away almost immediately, leaving the would-be train passengers standing alone in the mountain wilderness. Longarm would have been willing to place a sizable wager that most days the driver would have stayed until the train arrived. And that he wouldn’t be much more than out of sight from there before he stopped again and rested his team now.}

_{“You don’t happen to see a, um, comfort facility close by, do you?” the lady whispered to him, probably distressed now that the wagon driver was gone and no one else there would likely know anything about the services the railroad line provided. Or failed to.}

_{“I’ll look around.” Longarm walked up to the platform and checked. There were no signs in place there to show the way to any rest rooms, and certainly there were no outhouses visible. There was, however, a barely visible path beaten into the brush at trackside. Maybe that led to a sink or cat hole anyway. He went back and got the lady and guided her to the start of the path. “This way, ma’am.”}

_{The path proved to be a disappointment, though. It led not to a latrine but to a barren patch of gravel beside the creek that had carved this canyon they were in.}

_{“Sorry, ma’am. But at least there’s some brush between here an’ the platform. If you, uh, wanta put up with, um, primitive conditions.”}

_{“I am afraid I have no choice, Mr. Longarm.” “Ma’am?” His confusion arose because he hadn’t told her his name. Nor, for that matter, had he been given hers.}

_{“Forgive me if I’ve offended you. It was written on your cup.”}

_{“Oh, yes.” He’d forgotten. The engraving. “Longarm from Jessica, with Love.” And a date that had only private meaning.}

_{“Is it a pet name that I should avoid?” she asked.}

_{“No, just a nickname my friends use. An’ you’re welcome to too.”}

_{“Then so I shall, Mr. Longarm.”}

_{“Not mister, just plain Longarm, okay?”}

_{“As you wish. I am Leah Skelde.”}

_{“Miss Skelde.” He bowed to her.}

_{“Just plain Leah would be friendlier, Longarm.”}

_{“My pleasure, Leah.” He bowed again.}

_{“May I ask a favor of you, Longarm?”}

_{“Anything within reason.”}

_{“Then turn your back, please, while I make a dash for those bushes over there.”}