Happy Thanksgiving, Mr. Larabee---4
Evie Travis loved the early morning and the quiet that came with it. She woke before her husband and eased out of bed. By the time everyone else was awake she'd have breakfast ready and on the table. This morning she would take a short walk before getting to work. Her husband grumbled something unintelligible and turned away from her while she finished dressing and she hurried out of the room and down the stairs. Evie moved to the front door and pushed it open as she reached for her coat and hat. The morning air was crisp and her breath came in short plumes of white. She strolled along the quiet street toward the edge of town and enjoyed the silent world around her.
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Vin tugged on his buckskin jacket and hurried out of the house. Dawn was just beginning to lighten the sky, but he knew the sun would not shine today as a chill wind blew across the open area in front of the house. The Texan looked at the depleted woodpile and reached for the axe. The least he could do for Nettie Wells was see that she had a good supply of wood and he knew JD would help him see to it when he woke up and they finished breakfast. Vin was never one to balk at hard work and grabbed several large chunks to begin with.
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Chris awoke several times during the night, shivering uncontrollably as he tried to get warm. Each time he took a breath it felt like someone was shoving a red-hot poker into his right side. He reached for the bottle of whiskey and hoped the alcohol would give him some relief. The bottle had only been half full when he went to bed and he was surprised to see he'd drunk less than half of that. The sound of horses signaled that the town was already awake and he groaned when he slid his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up.
"Damn," he whispered and reached for his pants hanging over the chair, cursing silently when he found they were still soaking wet. He pulled open the dresser and reached for the clean set of clothing he kept there. It took a lot longer than normal to get dressed and several times Chris was forced to rest and catch his breath. He was now certain there was a broken rib beneath the colorful array of bruises on his right side, but he wouldn't let it ruin his plans for the day. No matter what the people of the town thought of him he was going to have dinner with the Travis family and spend time with the boy who'd wormed his way into his heart.
Chris felt the first pangs of hunger and could already smell the biscuits and bacon. Pulling on his boots put undue pressure on his aching ribs, but he finally managed to get them on and strapped on his gun belt before opening the door and walking down the stairs. Wanting to check on the town before breakfast, Chris opened the back door and stepped out into the cool morning air. He knew he should have put on his coat, but the duster was still soaked from the storm the night before. Striding purposefully across the street he nearly collided with Evie Travis.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Travis."
"Mr. Larabee, it seems I'm not the only one out and about this morning. You look like you hardly slept at all. Drinking will do that to a man."
"I'm sure it will, Ma'am, but I haven't been drinking today, least not yet," the blond added. The woman grated on his nerves and seemed to bring out the worst in him and he knew he shouldn't have let her goad him, but it was too late now.
"I wish Mary would come to her senses and…"
"And what, Mrs. Travis?" Larabee asked.
"She should never have invited someone like you to dinner."
"Someone like me?"
"Yes. A gunslinger is not exactly someone I want my grandson around. Billy is at an impressionable age and Mary should know better! Your less than stellar reputation…"
'Less than stellar…less than stellar…less than stellar…' the words reverberated through his mind, but they were spoken at a different time by a different woman and yet they cut through him like a knife. He was reminded once more that no matter how hard he tried, his reputation was always going to come back to haunt him.
"Are you listening to me?" Evie Travis asked when the man seemed to ignore her question.
"I heard you," Larabee said, fighting the anger and disappointment.
"Will you do as I ask or do I stay in my room through the dinner?"
"Sorry, I didn't quite hear your question," Larabee told her.
"I asked you to stay away from my son's home tonight or else you'll force me to stay in my room. I refuse to sit down with a man like you and I refuse to condone your being around my grandson. I will not have Steven's son exposed to the likes of you! How many men have you killed? How many are out there just waiting for a chance to get revenge for the wrongs you've done? How many more will you kill just to prove you're a faster gun?"
Chris felt as if someone had shoved a knife through his heart and felt the world around him crumbling once more. He hadn't felt this alone since he'd lost his heart and soul and now he was once more being told he wasn't welcome in someone's home. The fact that it wasn't Mary saying these things didn't make it any easier.
"Well?"
"I'll stay away," the blond said and turned away from the woman. He didn't see or hear anything around him as he strode purposefully away from Evie Travis. He didn't know where he was going. Just that he needed to be alone. He needed to get away from the reminder that he was tolerated here, but he wasn't wanted or welcome to share their families or their homes. Chris held his right arm tight against his side as he reached the livery and stepped inside. There was no one around and for that he was grateful and grabbed his saddle blanket. Pony whinnied when the blanket was placed on his back and Chris patted the animal's neck.
"Sorry, Boy, just got to get away for a while," Larabee whispered and finished saddling the horse. He reached for his saddlebag and spotted one of Yosemite's coats thrown over the stall. He grabbed it and put it on before leading Pony out of the livery. He quickly mounted and rode out of town, his stomach churning and the damning words repeating over and over in his mind.
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Nettie smiled as she looked out at the two young men working hand in hand. Casey shared the bed with her and gave up her room to their guests. She'd heard the Texan when he first started moving about the house and quickly got up to start breakfast. JD had walked out of Casey's room, said good morning and grabbed his jacket, gloves and hat before hurrying out of the house. Casey was the last to rise, but now she was kneading the dough for biscuits.
"They still at it, Aunt Nettie?"
"That they are. The rate they're going we'll have enough wood to last until the New Year," the older woman said with a smile.
"JD said Vin told him it's gonna be a long, cold winter."
"The way these old bones are aching it wouldn't surprise me a bit," Nettie said and added bacon to the pan.
"You're not old, Aunt Nettie."
"Thank you for that, Child, but the years are going by faster than I care to count. I'm just glad I can still get around and have my health," the older woman said.
"Me too, have I ever thanked you for taking me in?"
"A time or two," Nettie said with a warm smile as the two men entered the house. "You boys, best wipe your feet!"
"Sure will, Ma'am," the Texan said and hung his hat and jacket on the hook beside the door. He rubbed his hands furiously in an effort to warm up and noticed Dunne doing the same.
"Cold, JD?" Casey asked.
"It's freezing out there," Dunne said and moved to stand beside the young woman.
Casey looked at her hands and couldn't resist temptation as JD bent to look in the bowl. She lifted her hands and smeared dough on his cheeks. "Got ya!"
"Hey!" Dunne exclaimed and smiled mischievously as the young woman tried to move past him. "I'll get you for that."
"JD, don't you go doin' nothin' of the sort!" Casey warned and turned to her aunt for help. "Tell him not to do it, Aunt Nettie!"
"Sorry, Child, but I'm too old to go chasing the youngin's," the woman smiled as her niece squealed when Dunne placed his cold hands on Casey's bare arms.
"JD! I'll get you for that!"
"JD, ya'd best go easy on her or we won't have any biscuits fer breakfast!" the Texan said and poured a cup of coffee from the pot.
"You heard him, JD! I can't make biscuits if I'm frozen!" Casey cried and used the chair as a barrier between herself and the Bostonian.
"Should have thought of that before you attacked me," Dunne said, faking a move to the left even as Casey moved to the right.
"You two make a mess and you'll be cleaning it up!" Nettie warned the laughing duo. She knew her niece had feelings for the easterner and hoped some day they would be married. When that time came she hoped they would share her home and fill it with lots of children.
"Watch it, JD, she's gonna git ya!" Tanner said and laughed when Casey Wells used her momentum to knock the Bostonian flat on the floor. The younger man didn't move for several seconds and the Texan saw the smile on Casey's face quickly fade as she knelt beside the downed man.
"JD! Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.
"Got ya!" Dunne said and quickly turned the tables on her.
"All right you two, that's enough. Casey, get on in here and finish these biscuits. JD, get on out there and bring in some more wood," Nettie ordered, the smile on her face belying the stern quality in her voice as she accepted a cup of coffee from the Texan. This was going to be a wonderful Thanksgiving and there was plenty to be thankful for.
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Clem and Willy McCollum watched for their chance, but as the town began to waken they knew it was time to hide out until they could get the judge alone. Too many people were moving about and even though he was confident no one would recognize them, Clem didn't want to take any chances. They had spotted Travis and the young boy early in the day, but there were two men with them and they had no chance of grabbing the boy and his grandfather. They rode out of town shortly after noon, but would return once people were in their homes and settled for the night. One way or the other they were going to get to the judge before the end of the day.
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Chris knew he was probably making too much out of the woman's words, but they flashed through his mind and kept him from returning to the town he called home.
'…less than stellar reputation…less than stellar reputation… I will not have Steven's son exposed to the likes of you! How many men have you killed? How many are out there just waiting for a chance to get revenge for the wrongs you've done? How many more will you kill just to prove you're a faster gun? I refuse to sit down with the likes of you!'
Chris spent the day at his small homestead and took some of his anger and frustration out on the pile of wood near the small barn he'd built with the help of the others. Pony was happily ensconced inside, away from the light snow that had started to fall. Chris grimaced as he lifted the axe over his head and brought it down on the chunk of wood. The pain reminded him of the events of the night before and the gunshot wound to his temple and he leaned wearily against the fence. Whoever had shot him could still be out there and he briefly wondered if maybe Gloria Potter was right. His own words came back to haunt him when he lifted the axe and brought it down on the chunk of wood.
'Lady, I am the bad element!'
Chris wasn't sure why he suddenly felt the need to see if he really was not wanted in Four Corners, but before he knew what he was doing he had Pony saddled. He headed back toward the town as dusk slowly spread throughout the land and a light dusting of snow covered the ground.
TBC