GROWING PAINS - PART II - Chapter 6 BACK HOME
Newest chapter in my Growing Pains story.
"Gosh Jess, you really don't remember Mrs. Jessup at all?" Andy looked at Jess as they walked across the street to the hotel restaurant to meet the Jessup's for dinner.
"Nope Andy, was sorta little at the time, maybe five or six. Seems I kinda remember gonin over to their place pettin and feedin the horses, but not the people. Hardly even remember my older brother Mattie it was so long ago."
"There they are now." Andy fidgeted raising his hand to wave a greeting. "We're right here Mr. and Mrs. Jessup." He called grabbing Jess's hand to pull him over to the Jessup's as if he was afraid Jess would cut and run.
Jess smiled thinking it sure don't take much to get Andy excited. They seated themselves at a large table close to the front window settling down to dinner. Jess knew it would be an early night for him but he wanted a few things cleared up before he headed back to the hotel.
"Mam, can you tell me why Matt changed his name from Harper to Jessup?"
Mrs. Jessup gently pressed her napkin against her lips then answered.
"Jess, it wasn't too long after the fire that Matt returned to Texas. Matt had secured a job as a drover for a cattle drive beginning not too far from your home. He figured you'd be bout 14 or 15 and would be ready to strike out on your own. Matt had lined up a job for you helping to manage the remuda for the drive. Our son had passed away about a year earlier. We missed him something awful." Julie stopped to take a breath.
"I remember It was late afternoon when Matt rode into our yard. He looked dusty and tired so we asked him to come on in for dinner. When he explained his reason for coming back home, we told him how your family home and outbuildings had been burned to the ground by the Bannister's and only Francie had survived the fire. We didn't know you had survived Jess; not until we received the letter from Sara asking about Mattie. Pa explained about the Bannisters and the fire. We knew that Francie had married Gil Brady and moved out of Texas. Matt was so saddened by the loss of his family from the fire we convinced him to stay with us."
"Why did you think I was dead?" Jess asked.
"Well, Francie left and we figured if you'd been alive you'd be with her. The bodies were so badly burned they were unrecognizable. The neighbors buried the remains together and put a single headstone on the grave. Spike and I had been out of town when the fire occurred so only had the neighbors' explanation to go by."
"You see Jess, Matt had been with us almost a year when we asked if he would like to change his name to Jessup and become our son legally so we could be a family. Even though he was about 24 or 25 at the time. He happily agreed. Matt was very happy here and having Matt here helped fill our hearts with the love we had lost when our son had died. We planned he would inherit the ranch when we passed. Matt agreed and became Matt Jessup."
"Reckon I know what you mean, Mrs. Jessup. Slim offered me a family and a home. Took me awhile, to realize the ranch was what I needed and that they needed me. Nope, couldn't drag me away now. Slim and I have adopted a small boy named Mike just a bit older than Mattie."
Andy smiled. "Took Slim and me a good while to get Jess to settle down, think it was the soft bed and good cookin that kept him coming back."
"No argument there." Slim smiled reaching over slapping Jess on his good shoulder.
"Sara told me how she and Matt met and even though I thought Mattie was Mike's age I now see she is a few years younger than Mike; just tall for her age." Jess added. "Looks like I got a new relative and this one's actually related."
Slim noted that Jess seemed to be slumping in his seat. Reaching over, he whispered, "Ready to turn in pard? We have a tough ride home tomorrow."
"Yeah Slim. If I stay up much longer you'll be carrying me up the stairs to our room. Come on Andy, let's head over to bed. Night Mr. and Mrs. Jessup, thanks for clearing up the why's as to my brother changin his name and thanks for being the family he needed."
"You're welcome Jess. Nice to know we'll be neighbors."
The ride home was uneventful. Jess tolerated the ride and though tired and sore was glad to finally see the hill that led down to the ranch. Andy, Slim and Jess all pulled their horses to a halt at the top of the hill and peered down at their home.
"Good to be home huh Jess." Slim commented.
"Yeah, sure is. What are we waiting for?" Jess whooped sending Traveler galloping down the hill.
He'll pay for that Slim thought but spurred Alamo to follow Jess down the hill.
"Yahoo!" Andy held on to Cyclone as he reared up and charged after the other riders soon passing Slim and catching up to Jess just as he pulled up in front of the porch.
Hearing Andy's war whoop, Daisy and Jonesy rushed out to the porch waving and smiling - welcoming their boys home.
"How'd it go Slim?" Jonesy asked. Daisy stepped close to hear Slim's answer as he swung off his horse. "Just fine Jonesy, have lots to tell you. First, help me get Jess inside and settled. He's doing great just will need to rest and maybe some of that liniment of yours."
Jess laughed as Andy helped him down and turned to Daisy. "What's for dinner Daisy?" he asked as he folded her into his arms in a solid hug." Daisy wrapped her arms around Jess, then stepped back. "Come on now, inside Jess dinner will be ready shortly."
Mike ran out of the house hurling himself at Jess forgetting the cowboy's injuries. Jess cringed but hugged the boy tightly. "Careful Tiger not back to my full self yet."
"Sorry Jess. I forgot, just so happy to see you."
Mike turned jumping into Slim's waiting arms. Slim caught the boy carrying him into the house.
"Hey, thought you were goin to help me." Jess growled.
"Should of made you boys some of my mulligan." Jonesy smirked. "Daisy insisted on making chicken and dumplings. Guess you'll have to suffer through her homemade apple pie too. She spoils you all something awful."
"Come on Jess, lets' get you in the house. I'll take care of Traveler for you." Andy walked next to Jess to make sure his leg didn't give out, but he seemed to be walking fine with barely a limp.
"Looks like the trip cured you Pard." Slim commented. Slim placed his arm around Andy. "Come on Andy, I'll help you with the horses and we can finish the evening chores." Andy hugged his brother back as the two walked to the barn arm in arm leading Traveler, Cyclone and Alamo behind them. Mike was still sitting up on Slims shoulder.
"Jess are you really feeling better?" Daisy whispered.
"I cheated Daisy, took some of that laudanum you sent along with Slim, but I am doing better. I think just a day or two till I'm pretty much back to normal, didn't want Slim to be worried." Jonesy stayed close to Jess. Jess hung his hat and gunbelt on the rack by the door. "Think I'll rest up a bit fore dinner." he remarked and headed over to the couch to lay down.
After dinner Andy brought in the baseball gloves they'd all had been working on. The men had taken the left work glove from some of their old gloves laying around the ranch using this glove as a pattern. By placing the glove on a piece of cowhide, they used the glove as a pattern cutting out a larger version in cowhide. They cut out two matching pieces to surround the work glove. Next, Jonesy punched holes in the cowhide around the fingers. Daisy, Slim and Jess sewed the pieces together with the old glove sewn inside with cowhide laces. Daisy stuffed the space between the work glove and the cowhide glove with old quilt batting she had found. At the end of the evening they only had Mike's glove to finish and they'd all have a baseball glove. The bat needed a bit more sanding and it would be ready to try out. Jonesy surprised Andy by having made up some wooden bases while they were in Cheyenne, for their makeshift baseball diamond. He had even made a pitcher's mound and a home plate. The men and boys were excited to try out their new bat and gloves. Andy was reading the rules of the game out loud to the workers as they finished up their sewing.
When everyone turned in Daisy and Jonesy stayed up to finish up Mike's baseball mitt.
I do not own Laramie and just write for my own enjoyment.
The next chapter will follow quickly.