The Fire Within a Ninjago Cowboy

Chapter 35 - Second Sunday Before Supper

Chapter 35 - Second Sunday Before Supper

As for tonight's supper, Mr. Wu invited the group to stay at the main house and eat an informal light meal outdoors on the picnic table.

While it was being prepared, Kai was asked by Miss Gayle to ride into town to Sam's room at the saloon to collect some items for her week's stay at the ranch. Sam hadn't wanted him or any of the others to do it. It meant spending yet another hour or so on a horse, after all the riding they had just done, so she was prepared to spend another night without her own dressing and grooming items. But Miss Gayle went ahead and asked Kai. He gladly agreed and was rewarded with a look of gratefulness from Sam's eyes - and a kiss from her lips when Miss Gayle wasn't looking.

Ideally, Kai would have liked to ride Flame, his own horse, for he had not ridden his gelding in a week. He had been told that Nya had boarded the chestnut animal at the livery stable after the posse left Ninjago Town, and Mr. Wu had retrieved the horse upon his return, housing the equine in the stable of the main house.

Kai opted to ride Morro's horse for this errand, however, for Morro's horse was already saddled, and this was not a leisurely trip, anyway. The timing of the serving of supper was contingent upon the return of Kai.

And Jay.

Jay accompanied Kai to the saloon, for he wanted to personally extend the supper party invitation to Nya, as well as an additional invitation to stay at the main house as an overnight guest on Tuesday night and Wednesday night. Miss Gayle had suggested this to Mr. Wu, for she guessed Nya was at loose ends, now that the saloon had been closed for a week and seemingly would remain so for the foreseeable future. Miss Gayle figured she could pick up Nya from town on Tuesday after her weekly shopping for supplies, and then Nya could enjoy being in the company of the women at the ranch while helping with the supper party preparations. Mr. Wu had agreed to Miss Gayle's idea but had raised his eyebrow at Jay and reminded him about ranch hands not visiting the main house anytime they wanted.

Now, upon reaching the second floor balcony of the quiet Morro Saloon, Jay watched as Kai successfully picked the door lock of Sam's room with a small tool which Sheriff Lloyd had loaned him, since Sam's key had been left behind in her room a week ago. Once Kai was able to enter, Jay knocked on the door of the next room over.

As Kai stood in the middle of Sam's room, he heard Nya's voice scream "Jay!" when the door of the next room opened. Kai listened for further talking but now there was only silence next door. He didn't recall Jay ever admitting that he had kissed the raven-haired saloon girl before, but it was a pretty good bet that's what they were doing now.

Kai looked around Sam's room. He spotted the room key on Sam's writing table and temporarily stored it in his pocket.

He examined the other items on her writing table. It held a framed photograph of Sam in a fancy dress standing next to a nicely dressed older man who was seated. Sam and the man had the same eyes, as well as the same look of kindness in their eyes. Kai could tell that the man was her father, the late Cyrus Borg. Even though the photograph was not specifically mentioned among the list of things Kai needed to gather, he thought Sam might like to have it close at hand, so he put it in the knapsack he had brought to transport her items.

Also on the writing table, Kai saw some of Sam's personal stationery - pink colored paper with "Samantha Rose Borg" displayed in silver script lettering across the top.

So her middle name is Rose. I like that name, he thought. Good thing she doesn't have much of that stationery left. She's gonna have a new last name soon, I hope!

After packing three dresses, a bottle of perfume containing that wonderful strawberry scent, her hairbrush, a pair of earrings, the white robe she had worn on the night she first kissed his cheek in the livery stable, and some unmentionables that he quickly stuffed in the knapsack, he was finished.

He exited the room, locked the door, and added the key to the knapsack. The door to Nya's room was open a crack. Kai simply knocked on it and loudly announced, "Jay, I'll meet you by the horses so we can get back for supper." Then he turned to leave the balcony, hoping Jay would not dally too much. They still had a 45-minute ride back to the ranch.

"Kai!" Nya called out. Kai turned around to see Nya come out onto the balcony, one of her hands holding Jay's. Her other hand held Kai's hat.

"Welcome back!" she said as she let go of Jay's hand to hug Kai. "I'm so glad you're safe! And Sam, too!"

He smiled as he hugged her back. "Thanks! I'm glad to see you again!"

She handed him the hat. "You left this at the church," she told him. He grinned as he put it on his head for the first time in a week.

"Thanks, Nya!" he said. He thought about saying he missed having it when he had been abandoned in the desert, but he didn't feel like bringing up the awful subject at that moment. Instead, he asked, "Are you coming to the supper party?"

"I wouldn't miss it for anything!" she declared, turning her gaze to Jay for a second as she resumed holding the auburn-haired cowboy's hand. She looked again at Kai and said, "I can't wait to see Sam again! Tell her I say howdy and I'll see her on Tuesday when Miss Gayle comes to take me to the ranch!"

"Will do. See you later this week!" Kai tipped his newly returned hat to her. Before he turned to go back downstairs, he gave Jay a look that said I know you're gonna kiss her now!

A tinge of pink crept across Jay's cheeks. "I'll be down in a minute," he said.

A little while later, as the young men rode back to Garmadon Ranch, the brown-haired cowboy asked, "So, Jay, is this the night we speak to Mr. Wu about our plans to propose marriage to our women next Sunday?"

"You bet!" Jay grinned. "We're gonna speak to him first thing after supper!"