Chester and Amethyst made it home to Cody in two days from Dodge. The first thing they both did was hit the bed. It had been a very long trip and both of them were beat.
If it had not been for the rooster crowing at sunup, Chester was sure he and Amethyst would sleep all day. He did not want to get up, but the place had been neglected since he and his wife had been away. It was good to be home again though.
Chester got up and started some coffee. He never really had perfected it yet, but still, he tried. As he scooped the grounds into the tin pot, he paused and his mind went back to Dodge. Suddenly, he was placing the coffee pot on the buck stove inside Marshal Dillon's office. . .
"Morning Mr. Dillon." Chester said as Matt came through the door and hung up his hat. "Coffee'll be ready in a few minutes."
"That's not yesterday's coffee is it Chester?"
"Gosh no, Mr. Dillon. I just got it this morning."
"Well good. I don't know if I can stand that old stuff you've been making lately."
"Well I'm sorry Mr. Dillon. I tried to make it better by using egg shells and chicory, but grounds can only go so far."
"Egg shells and chicory? No wonder it tasted like one of Doc's concoctions!" Matt said.
"Well, you didn't have to drink it, you know!"
"Well, it was better than nothing."
Finally, the coffee was ready and Chester poured him and Matt a cup. As soon as they sat to enjoy it, the office door opened and in walked Festus.
"Why hello Festus," Chester said.
Festus tipped his hat back, "Chester, Marshal."
"Bring some coyote hides to town Festus?"
"Yeah, just got paid a pretty penny for'em too."
"Well good Festus. Must have been some nice ones," Chester said.
"Oh yeah, they's were. Got'em at the right time."
"There's a right time to catch coyote?" Chester asked.
"Oh yeah Chester. You sees, you have t' sneak up on'em in the pack and when they's least expect it, pull that dare trigger and smack'em dead."
"Is that so?" Chester said.
"You bet yer taters that's so."
"Well now that you have some money Festus, what are you gonna do with it?" Matt asked as he sipped his coffee.
"Well, I don't rightly know. Keep it fer a while I guess. One things fer certain, I'm gonna go t' the Long Branch and get a beer."
"That'll be ten cents well spent," Matt said.
"Want t' join me? Marshal? Chester?"
"No... No... Festus, you go have fun. You earned it. Besides, I have paperwork that needs to be done."
"And I need to get supplies for the office, but thank you anyway Festus," Chester said.
"Oh well, maybe next time," Festus said and headed out and across to the Long Branch.
Chester stopped to get the mail on his way back to the Marshal's office with the supplies, and almost dropped everything he bought after he read his letter. It was a feeling of elation and sadness at the same time because he knew what he had to do.
Matt saw the look on Chester's face when he got back from getting supplies. Matt watched Chester sit at the table and almost pout.
"Chester, what is it? You look like you lost your best friend."
"Well, Mr. Dillon, you can say that I am. It's this letter I got. I... I... I have to... Oh Mr. Dillon, I can't tell you. Here, you read it."
Chester handed the letter over to Matt. Matt read it and shook his head.
"Well, Chester, I'll really hate to lose you, but this is something you have to do."
"But I'm not a farmer Mr. Dillon. My father knew that. He had no right to leave his farm to me and Magnus to run together. Why do I have to go out to Denver to do that?"
"Well, for one thing, it was your father's wish. I think you owe him that much."
"But Mr. Dillon, what will you do without me? I can't leave knowing you don't have a replacement for me."
"Oh, I know the perfect person and he's in Dodge right now. Festus."
Chester looked at Matt and smiled. He could not be happier. He was happy that Festus would fill his shoes.
Chester was riding out of Dodge en route to Denver and smiling when Amethyst came walking into the kitchen snapping him out of his Dodge daydream.
"You're smiling Chester."
"Oh, I am? Huh, I am, ain't I."
"You're thinking about Dodge, aren't you? Can't say that I blame you. We'll have to go back sometime."
"I'd like that." Chester replied and got up to pour his wife a cup of coffee and when he turned around to give it to her, he looked at her and he was again whisked off back in time...
It turned out that Magnus was not all that happy about running a farm either. It was not what he knew and it surely was not what Chester knew, so they both sold their shares of it and went their separate ways.
Chester loved his brother, but knew Magnus was a drifter. Chester thought about returning to Dodge, but knew his life there had ended. It was time to start anew. So, Chester got on his horse and before he knew it, he was staring at Amethyst in Cody.
Amethyst smiled at him as he rode up to the general store. She had a clipboard in her hands and an apron on that wrapped tightly around her waist. Her hair was set back in a ribbon and Chester was immediately smitten.
"Well don't just stand there gawking. There's cold pop in the barrel inside. I can tell you need it," Amethyst replied.
Chester smiled that boyish smile and said in his shy voice he tended to get around women, "Why thank you ma'am, I surely do."
"Well help yourself. You'll see the barrel on the right as you go in. I'll be inside in a minute after I finish totaling this order."
"Yes ma'am," Chester answered and walked inside the store and spotted the barrel. In it were bottles of lemon-lime and root beer flavored pop. He pulled out a root beer and grabbed the bottle opener hanging from the barrel and popped the top.
Chester drank as he stood looking around the store. There was nobody else around. It became obvious to Chester that the young lady was the only one running it.
Amethyst finally stepped back inside and walked around the counter, hung up her clipboard, and then said, "Now that will be five cents."
Chester walked to the counter and dug into his pocket and pulled the money out. He handed it to Amethyst, his finger rubbing slightly on her hand and he got a jolt as he felt how soft her hand was. It was a feeling he had never before had.
"Miss, you run this store all by yourself?"
"I do now. Poppa died about three months ago and I had to make a living somehow. I had no choice."
"Oh I'm sorry ma'am. About your poppa I mean, not that you're running a store by yourself."
"Well, I gotta live somehow. And well, poppa would want it this way."
"I'm sure he'd be proud." Chester said and as he finished, a patron came in.
"Aww, Mrs. Hennessy, it's so nice to see you again," Amethyst said to her, then turned to Chester. "Would you excuse me a moment."
"Why sure," Chester said and stood at the counter.
"It's nice to see you too Amethyst. Your father would definitely approve of you taking on this job. But my dear, I have no idea how you do it by yourself."
"Well, it isn't easy, but I make do. Now, what can I do for you?"
"I need twenty-five pounds of flour, salt, and some fabric. I feel like making myself a new dress."
"Well come over here and take a look at these. I think you will just love this one that just came in," Amethyst said and picked up a nice floral fabric roll.
"Oh my, that is beautiful. Just wonderful Amethyst. I'll take the whole roll!"
"I'll write this all up for you, Mrs. Hennessy. Won't be but a minute," Amethyst said and walked back behind the counter to produce the invoice.
Chester watched as Amethyst wrote delicately on the paper. She had a beautiful handwriting he thought. Amethyst knew he was watching and glanced up long enough to smile at him.
"I assume that Mr. Hennessy will be here in a moment to help you load these?" Amethyst paused from writing to ask Mrs. Hennessy.
"Why no, Amethyst. I'm by myself."
Chester knew Amethyst could not do it and certainly Mrs. Hennessy was in no condition to do it. This was his opportunity to step in.
"Why ma'am, I'll be glad to help put this in her wagon."
"Oh no, I couldn't ask a stranger to do that." Amethyst said and shook her head.
"My names Chester. There, we ain't strangers anymore." Chester replied with a smile.
"Well, okay Chester. I'd appreciate it."
"Yes, me too," Mrs. Hennessy said also.
"Oh, it's no problem at all."
Chester gathered up what Mrs. Hennessy asked for and took it to her wagon. As he loaded the items, Amethyst watched with eager eyes and smiled constantly. There was something about Chester that got to her.
When he was finished, and Mrs. Hennessy drove her horses off, Chester went back inside with Amethyst.
"That was nice of you to do Chester."
"Aww, it was nothing."
"Truth is, I really do need some help around here. You've done this before. I can tell."
"Well, yes ma'am. I have. Quite a few times.
"The name is Amethyst, Chester." Amethyst said and Chester smiled.
"I know you're a stranger in town, but if you by chance plan on staying, I could use the help. I couldn't pay much, but..."
"I'll take it," Chester said and as soon as it was out of his mouth, he was once again brought back to reality and standing in his kitchen with his wife.
Chester looked at her as she sipped her coffee. Amethyst looked at her husband. She saw that look in his eyes.
"Chester, darling, you look confused."
"Oh, I was just thinking back to leaving Dodge and meeting you and what could have happened if Turp and Dean would have ended it for us.
"But they didn't. We're back home and together. We have your old friends to thank for that."
"Oh I know. And I surely thank them for all that. I surely do. But for the life of me, I never have figured out why Turp and Dean held me and took you. It's just baffling."
"It's simple Chester. They were both crazy. Even you said it yourself when you told Turp he had rocks for brains. They were both sick. The prairie dust had finally rattled them both and they didn't know what they were doing. They were just doing."
Chester walked over to his wife and took her in his arms. He held onto her long and hard. Amethyst was right. Turp and Dean had lost their minds. Chester guessed that a man could lose it after being out on the prairie that long.
It did not matter now. The gem and the gentleman were back where they belonged. It felt so good to them to be back home.