A/N: Thank you to mingsmommy for the super beta. I deserve a spanking for forgetting to thank her on the last chapter so a double thanks this time!
Chapter 12
After asking for drinks to be brought outside, Captain Sidle led his young advocate out to the veranda. He scuffled towards the railing, looking out over the garden. The smell of freshly baked bread nipped the air and Grissom felt his stomach rumble.
Shrugging off his lust for food Grissom studied the captain for a moment before speaking. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, noticing the older man's obvious discomfort.
Sighing, the captain turned to face Grissom; he smiled weakly. "There isn't anything you can do, Gil, but I appreciate your concern. Like I said, you are here and that's more than I could ever ask."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," the older man replied quickly, "at least for now. It's my business, no one else's."
Deciding not to probe, although he wanted to, Grissom respected Captain Sidle too much and respected his wishes, keeping his thoughts to himself. He was however, certain that the cause of his friend's unhappiness was down to the Colonel.
"Ah, drinks," the rancher smiled as Rana brought out the refreshments. "Come, Gil, sit and enjoy a drink with me," The captain gestured quickly to a chair and Grissom removed his hat before sitting. "Did you get everything you needed from town and oh, how did the boys get on?"
"Town was," the younger man hesitated, "interesting."
"Oh?" Captain Sidle handed his aid a glass of bourbon. "How so?"
"Numerous reasons," Grissom sipped from his glass, enjoying the burn of the alcohol as it slid down his throat, crisp and warm. "Firstly the boys; they are working off an apology as we speak."
"Working?" The older man coughed, almost choking on his drink.
With a grin he nodded. "They should be home soon."
Now the captain grinned. "It's about time they learned a little grafting."
"Hmmm," Grissom again sipped from his glass. "But they are forgiven and I am sure there will not be a repeat of their actions."
Captain Sidle nodded. "There had better not be. So, what else did you get up to?"
"Do you know a Warrick Brown?" Grissom asked placing his drink down on the table.
Thinking for a moment the captain nodded again. "Yes, nice fellow, he is the town's blacksmith, his work is very good."
"Was…"
Frowning, the older man downed his drink in one. "Was? Was what?"
"He was the town's blacksmith, now he appears to be struggling for a living because of the opposition. I spoke with him earlier, Dante threw a shoe and he fixed him up for me."
"That's a shame," the captain sighed. "I always did like him. How did Dante come to throw a shoe?"
"Um," Grissom hesitated, "I'll get to that in a moment. I had a thought in regards to Warrick."
"Oh? What might that be?"
"Well," the younger man began shuffling forwards in his seat and interlocking his fingers, "we have things that need fixing and a lot of work that needs to be done around the estate?"
The rancher nodded.
"Why don't we just build our own workshop and hire our own, so to speak, blacksmith?"
"You mean Warrick?"
"Why not? You said you always liked him, he is a hard worker, a strong pair of hands and I am pretty sure he would be an asset to the Grove."
The younger man watched as the captain pondered on his request.
"I guess in the end it will be cheaper for us to do our own repairs and it also frees up the others from having to fix issues around the ranch." Captain Sidle spoke his thoughts aloud. "It will be hard work building the workshop Gil, you know that, right?"
"I know," Grissom admitted in a nod, "but if Warrick is interested in the job he has some equipment I am sure we can move here and it's just a few days of hard labor to get the structure up. I'm sure we can manage."
"You really have thought about this, haven't you?" A sly grin pursed the captain's lips.
"So what do you think?" Grissom asked with his own crafty smile.
"I trust you, Gil, if you think this is best for the estate, then do it. You have my full support but would Warrick be interested in leaving his business?"
"He doesn't have much of a business anymore."
"Really?" The older man seemed a little shocked. "Well, he used to do very well."
"Yes, he did, until the competition moved in; now, he barely makes a living."
"You mean the other blacksmith?"
Nodding again Grissom took another sip from his glass. "Yes, the one funded by Colonel McKeen."
Now, the younger man watched as his friend clearly bit down on his tongue.
Standing, the captain firmly clenched his hands behind his back and began pacing back and forth, his boots clonking on the wooden flooring with each step. "Well, there is nothing we can do about Jeffery's persistence; he is obsessed with dominating the town." His pacing ceased and he looked to his aid. "Take on the blacksmith if he is willing, I am tired of hard working people being pushed around."
Nodding, Grissom shifted forward in his seat. "Are you sure you don't wish to talk to me?" He hesitated slightly before continuing, "I find it evident that you have issues with the colonel, if I am out of line for probing I apologize but..."
Shaking his head the rancher sat back down. "If I need your help with this matter, Gil, I will come to you."
Grissom nodded.
So, how did Dante come to throw his shoe?" The captain clearly wanted to change the subject.
"Ah," now Grissom was the one reluctant to answer the questions. "Well, we ran into a little trouble."
Pulling his pipe from his pocket, Captain Sidle tapped the dead tobacco into the ashtray, his brow rising in curiosity. "Oh?"
Unsure of how to tell his boss that his daughter was almost run down, Grissom was silent as a refreshing cool breeze ran over the veranda, he inhaled softly, preparing himself.
"Gil?"
Sighing, the younger man shuffled in his seat. "We were almost run down by a band of riders, four of them."
"What?" The captain shrieked slamming down his pipe. "Where is Sara?! Is she alright?"
Holding up his hands in defense, Grissom attempted to calm the rancher. "Yes, sir. She is fine. I pulled her out of the way; she is absolutely fine and went for a walk in the garden."
As the captain was about to respond, Sara appeared from inside the house. "Hello, you two." Smiling sweetly she sat next to her father.
"My dear," the captain took his daughters hand, "are you alright?"
Chuckling, Sara looked at her father in bemusement. "Father, I'm fine, why do you ask?"
"Gil mentioned the incident in town, you were almost run down."
"Oohhhh." Her glance shifted to her teacher. "That, um, well, I am fine, Father, I can assure you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"So, what happened, Gil? Who were the men?" The angry tone of the captain's voice sent a shiver down Grissom's spine.
Fiddling with his glass, "I don't know." He responded shaking his head. Leaning back in his chair, he got comfortable and told the captain the whole story…
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Sighing as his aid finished his tale, the captain called for another drink.
"I'm just at a bit of a loss, sir, as to what happened. I don't know who or why." Standing, Grissom now paced back and forth. "Maybe it's because of me?" It was the first time he'd had that thought, but maybe it was.
"And maybe," Captain Sidle stood and put a comforting arm on Grissom's shoulder, "it was just a bunch of hoodlums having a little fun, don't blame yourself, Gil."
Frowning, Grissom considered the captains explanation but he didn't believe it. Was his friend shrugging this off too lightly?
"But," the rancher looked to his daughter, "I am concerned, I will make some inquires. Just ensure if you," he turned back to his worker, "leave the estate be extra careful, protect yourself."
Now realizing the captain wasn't taking this quite so lightly Grissom's right brow hitched at his boss's suggestion.
"I will."
"Good, good." Rubbing his hands together Captain Sidle sat back down and began filling his pipe. "Was there anything else, Gil? I have a few things I need to attend to, now."
Shifting his eyes in Sara's direction Grissom forced himself to hide his grin as she smiled at him.
"Yes," he started, "one thing. Are you going to recommence the horse breeding? Sara mentioned you were thinking about it and it's a good source of income, we have some amazing studs."
"Well, I did think about it but we haven't done that since Robbins…" The rancher cleared his throat, "…passed away. Are you up for the task?"
"Absolutely," the younger man grinned mischievously. "What else do you think I've been doing since I left?"
"That is something we would like to know," Sara cut in with her own cheeky smile.
Grissom smiled boldly.
"Very well then," the captain agreed. "I will leave it in your capable hands, I'm sure Sara is very willing to learn the breeding methods too, so I'm certain she will aid you in your task when you get to it."
A quick exchange of eye contact fell between the two younger members at the table, both battling a smirk.
"Then we should get on," Grissom recommended, standing. "We have a lot to do and should eat lunch before we start or we will never make it through the day."
Nodding her agreement, Sara stood and followed Grissom to their duties.
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The rest of the day passed by quickly and sooner than they realized the daylight was fading.
Nicolas and Gregory had returned a little after 3pm, looking rather exhausted. After a minor chuckle, Grissom kindly gave them the rest of the day off for which their appreciation was colossal. They hobbled back to the house to rest up before their no doubt, interesting first day working around the estate the following day.
Grissom had shown Sara how to assess the crop fields and he was satisfied all was growing and being farmed to schedule. They checked the fencing around the cattle and just a few minor repairs were necessary which they set too and fixed immediately. Grissom was impressed at how Sara took to tools quickly and listened to direction and instructions.
They then spent some time evaluating areas around the estate to determine where would be most appropriate to build the workshop. The foundations would be essential so the correct ground had to be located. Funnily enough, the best spot they found was just a short way past the main stable, which worked out to be perfect. Everything would now be in the same area, which was easier all round.
Now, as the sun set on the horizon and a pleasant cool breeze floated in the air, Grissom walked Sara back towards the house, both of them content after a good days work.
"So," He looked to her briefly. "How did you enjoy your first day?"
She smiled softly. "Well, the start was," she flashed him a grin, "interesting but still, all in all, the day was oddly pleasing."
"Yes?"
"Yes," Sara continued, "I enjoyed my day."
"So, you are up for another day?"
They came to the house and stopped.
"Are you kidding? Of course I am."
"Just checking."
Looking to the house for a moment, "So, I will see you for dinner?"
"Sadly not."
Quickly, she faced him again. "Why?" She asked somewhat disappointingly.
"There are a few things I need to do this evening," Grissom conceded. "Things I have to do sooner, rather than later."
Sighing disheartened, Sara nodded. "Very well, I will see you; I guess when I see you."
"I guess you will," he replied tenderly, causing her to smile now. "Good evening, Sara." Bowing his head he turned.
"Oh, Grissom?" Sara called as he walked away.
Stopping he turned to face her.
"Thank you."
"Thank you?" He frowned. "For what, may I ask?"
Taking a tentative step forward Sara smiled. "For earlier, you know, for pulling me out of the way of the riders and in all honesty, for probably saving my life."
Now Grissom smiled. "Anytime," was all he said before turning again and retreating down the driveway, numerous things on his mind but most importantly of all, next time he went out of the estate he was taking his rifle.
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Dusk set in as Grissom washed and changed. After fastening his boots he moved to the mantel and stared at the rifle which lay on the cool oak finish. Reaching with a purpose he took the rifle and flipped open the barrel to check the ammunition.
Satisfied, he slipped the weapon under his arm, stepped outside and headed towards the stables.
He was surprised upon entering the main building to find Ecklie saddling his horse.
"Evening, Conrad."
Startled, Ecklie turned quickly. "Grissom…" The two men glared at each other.
"Little late for a ride isn't it?" Stepping forwards, the senior man was as subtle with his question as he could possibly be.
"I could say the same thing to you," Ecklie shot back.
Smiling cynically, Grissom approached Dante and began to saddle him up. "I have things I must do."
Pulling himself onto his horse, "So do I," Ecklie sneered back before kicking his horse and bolting from the stable.
Watching as Ecklie disappeared in a cloud of dust; Grissom shook his head with a sigh and continued to prepare his horse. Were he and Conrad ever going to be able to forget the past? Doubt fogged his mind as he slipped his rifle into the holster fixed to the saddle. But he knew if the estate was going to get back onto its feet he had to talk to his adversary and at least try to amend some of the hatred.
With Dante ready Grissom swung himself aboard, giving his horse a number of tender pats. After a few quick snorts of appreciation Dante happily trotted from stable, his master had only one destination in mind, town…
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Making it to town without incident, Dante trotted lightly down the main street, his master's eyes sharp and observant through every step. Ready for anything that may happen to come his way.
Upon reaching the center of town Grissom dismounted and tied Dante outside of the Sheriff's office. It was moderately late, but if Grissom knew Jim Brass like he used too, he would still be here.
Just as he had finished securing his horse, he heard it; sneering coming from behind him. He slowly turned to see two men across the street, leaning against the rail of the saloon. He definitely recognized them from the band of riders earlier. He pulled his rifle from Dante and was about to cock it when the door to the sheriff's office opened and Brass stepped out.
"Gil?"
Grissom didn't turn to face his friend and Brass noticed the rifle, so he followed his gaze.
As soon as the two men saw the sheriff they turned quickly on their heels and headed back into the saloon without another word.
Clonking down the few steps from his office Brass stopped by Grissom's side as he lowered the rifle. "Problems already?" The law man asked, knowing it was unusual for Grissom to carry a fire arm.
Sighing, Grissom looked at his friend. "Do you know those men?"
"Sure," Brass admitted with a shrug.
"Who are they?"
Flinging an arm around Grissom's shoulder the sheriff grinned. "You came all this way at this hour to ask me that?"
"I want to know," the young rancher demanded, gritting his teeth.
"Alright," Brass conceded. "Alright. Why don't you come inside and we can talk."
Grissom tucked his rifle under his arm and followed Brass back up the steps.
Heading straight for his desk Brass opened the top drawer and pulled out a bottle of fine whiskey and two glasses. He quickly poured and handed a glass to Grissom but he hesitated in taking the drink.
"Come on," the sheriff urged, "I know you were never much of a drinker but have a tipple with me, actually looks like you need it."
Taking the glass Grissom downed the liquid in one.
"That's more like it," Brass chuckled moving to sit behind his desk. "Take a seat."
Grissom sat opposite his friend as he poured another glass of whiskey and pushed it over the desk to him but this time he didn't drink it so hastily, he merely fiddled with the glass.
"Who are they?"
Sighing, the sheriff screwed the top back onto the bottle. "Have they been causing you trouble?"
Grissom's eyes narrowed, why did he seem reluctant to answer his simple question? "You could say that, they almost ran me and the captain's daughter down this morning and they seem pretty persistent in harassing me."
Rubbing his hand over his chin Brass stood with a sigh. "Stupid boys," he mumbled.
"Who are they Jim?"
"They are Colonel McKeen's boys and I have warned them about their behavior before."
"McKeen…" Snorting sarcastically through his nose, Grissom kicked himself, he should have known.
"I don't think he would have had anything to do with what they did, Gil," Brass cut in. "Those boys can sometimes be a law unto themselves. I have warned them before. Sadly they don't take lightly to new blood in town."
That said, Grissom struggled to believe these boys would just try and run him down for fun but why would the colonel have an issue with him?
"Just be careful," Brass warned, "about how you handle this. Do not take the law into your own hands; I am sure it was just a mistake."
"Are you going to do anything about it?" Grissom asked.
"I will speak to the boys."
"That's it?"
Shrugging the sheriff returned to his seat and fiddled with his fingers. "What else can I do?"
"Try telling the colonel to control his wolves," the young rancher snapped, infuriated at the lack of concern from his friend.
Picking up his drink Brass threw it down his throat in one go. He slammed the glass onto the table. "I wish it was that simple my friend; I really do."
Frowning, Grissom watched as Brass slumped in his seat.
"McKeen owns half the town; hell, probably even more, he is not the kind of guy you want to upset."
"Does he own you?" Grissom asked without even thinking and regretted his words immediately as Brass leapt to his feet, pushed the desk away from him and almost knocked Grissom off his chair.
"Jim," Grissom got to his feet and held up a hand, "I'm sorry I didn't mean that." The rancher took a step back seeing the fury illuminate his friends face.
"Are you accusing me of..."
"No, no," Grissom responded quickly. "I'm sorry, there is just so much going on in my head right now, so many questions, so much frustration, I just, I…I can't, hell, I don't know anymore. I'm sorry alright? I didn't mean it, you are my friend and I shouldn't have said that, I didn't think."
A heavy sigh fell from Brass's lips as his face lightened. "Feel like taking a ride?"
Unsure but curious Grissom nodded. "Where?"
Now Brass grinned. "I want to show you something……."
A/N: Well I think that was a little quicker posting than last time :) Let me know what you think of the chapter and I know how much you all love McKeen so it will be interesting to hear your thoughts once the plot start to unravel. Mwahahaaha! Hit the button! Pleeeaasseeee :0)
