Chapter 13 – Speechless

Since Doralice didn't want anything to eat and I wasn't about to leave her sitting in an empty courthouse, we spent the lunch break in the same spot we'd spent the entire morning. I got her to do some talking about her father, telling me some of the things she remembered about him. It wasn't easy at first, but the more she told me, the more she opened up about him, and the less tense she seemed.

From everything she said, he seemed like a decent enough father. He taught her to ride and to play poker, and tucked her in bed at night when he was home. It sounded like she had nothing but loving memories of him, until the day that Maude packed up their belongings and moved out. She only saw him once after that, in Houston, and he seemed distracted and standoffish . . . not at all the father she remembered.

Cristian and Maude finally returned, and Maude seemed to be in a better mood. I assumed that Cristian had made sure she had enough brandy to calm her down, and when she kissed me on the cheek my assumption seemed confirmed. "You didn't go anywhere?" Cristian asked, and I shook my head no.

"She wouldn't leave," I whispered back, just as Pike and Alexander returned. I felt Doralice stiffen up next to me and I took hold of her hand. She glanced up at me and managed a small smile.

"Court is in session," the clerk declared, and the judge resumed his place on the bench. He began by reviewing all the evidence presented and continued by reading the wires he'd sent to Denver to confirm the information he'd been given. It was technical and dull, and no sleep last night made it difficult to stay awake and alert. I have to admit I sort of drifted into a state that could be called 'dozing' and might have remained there, but the judge said something that brought Doralice into a heightened state of attention, and I felt her stiffen beside me. I began paying close attention to the judge.

" . . . therefore I declare that the Death Certificate presented to this court is, at the least inaccurate, at the most a forgery, and invalid. Luther Donovan's original date of death stands, and the order to forfeit said property to Jedidiah Pike is rescinded. Mrs. Donovan, you retain ownership of the land and the building thereon known as Maude's. Court is adjourned."

Maude and Cristian hugged each other, and I felt Doralice sag slightly against me. Zebulon Alexander, Esq. rose from his seat and prepared to leave the courtroom; Jedidiah Pike had slumped in his seat when the decision was read, but gathered himself and stood. For the first time he was forced to face our side of the room, and locked eyes with Maude for just a moment before he began to make his way out of the courthouse. Doralice quickly stood and pushed her way past me, and stepped into his path. He looked right through her, as if she wasn't there, and walked around her. That's when I saw it – my derringer in her right hand, as she pulled it out of her purse.

Something made Pike stop with his back towards her. That's when she spoke. "Luther Donovan." He said nothing for a minute, then took a step forward. "Father."

Pike turned to face her. I began to slowly inch my way towards her, hoping to get close enough to take the Remington away from her. So far the gun was only visible to Pike, Doralice, and me. My whole life was standin' in front of me with a gun in her hand, ready to kill the man she'd just called father. I couldn't lose her . . .

"Doralice." It was the first word any of us had heard Pike speak.

She never flinched, bless her, even though other women might have. Her eyes were fixed on him, and I knew what she was gonna ask him before she opened her mouth. "Why?"

He shook his head. "I honestly don't know. An opportunity presented itself, and I took advantage of it. But I'm not your father. I gave up the right to be called that the day I became Sam Winston. Put the gun away, girl. You won't be hurting anyone but yourself. And I'm not worth dying over."

I was close enough now to take the gun from her hands, and she let me. I shoved it in my coat pocket and rested my hand on her arm. She shifted her gaze to me; there were tears in her eyes.

"Let's go home, beautiful. There's nothin' for us here."

She looked at me for a long moment before nodding. "You're right," she murmured. "Nothing."

I put my arm around her shoulders and walked her outside before I took another breath. In just a minute Pike followed us, then walked down the boardwalk to the buggy that was tied up there. He got in and started down the street in it, without looking back.

"I could have killed him," she said out loud.

"But you didn't," I replied.

She shook her head gently. "No, I didn't."

XXXXXXXX

The four of us were sittin' at a table at Maude's. The front doors were open and Randy was behind the bar, but there were only three or four people in the place besides us. Maude had decided to open the saloon, even though she'd been against it, earlier. We'd been quiet and relieved that it was all over, drinking brandy as a sort of release valve to sooth our nerves.

"What now?" The question was from the owner herself.

"Maude, honey, will you marry me?" Cristian asked without any prompting.

Maude chuckled. "Haven't we already done that?"

"But it was so much fun, we should do it again."

"What about my already bein' married?"

"That won't be hard to take care of," her attorney told her. "You were abandoned more than ten years ago. We can have the marriage dissolved in thirty days."

"In that case, my answer's yes," Maude replied.

"A toast, to the bride and groom to be," Doralice proposed, and it was the first time I'd seen her smile since we left the court.

And while we toasted, I started thinkin'. Or, should I say, I resumed thinkin'. I thought it was about time that I took a ride out to talk to Pappy. I was about to make him an unhappy man. Or so I thought.

XXXXXXXX

It was mid-morning the next day before I rode out to see Pappy. I hadn't been there since my talk with him and Uncle Ben about Billy Flynn, and I expected to get a sound tongue-lashing for it. Instead I was greeted like the prodigal son that had just returned home.

"Come in, son, and have some coffee with us." This after Pappy had given me one of the biggest bear hugs in recent memory.

"You feelin' alright, Pappy?" This was not normal behavior for my father.

"Sure, sure, I'm just feelin' good. Happy to hear that Maudie won her lawsuit with your help. You always were a bright boy. Slow learner, but still bright."

"Uh, thank you, I think. How you feelin'?"

"Pretty good for an old man. Ben's got some of that rheumatism, but he's doin' good, too. He got a letter from Beau a couple days ago. He's gonna be a daddy! Danielle and him are finally gonna have a baby, and Ben's beside himself. Can't say as I blame him."

Those were words I never expected to hear coming out of Pappy's mouth. "And how's everything goin' around here?"

"Pretty good, considerin'. Gracie died, and Melody was inconsolable for a few days, then Gracie Junior decided she was gonna be the cats best friend, and they seem to be doin' alright. Not much more than that. Things are pretty quiet. What's goin' on with you? How're you and Doralice doin' with the saloon?"

I cleared my throat. "I own ten percent of Maude's, Pappy."

"You do? How'd that happen?"

I took a few minutes and explained what Maude had done, without my knowledge. Pappy smiled and nodded. "She always did think a lot of you, even before you went down to Mexico to save her girl. Glad to see she's showin' her appreciation."

I pushed myself to get started with the real reason I'd come to see Pappy. "Pa, there's somethin' I wanted to tell you. It's really what I came out here for."

"Yes, Bartley, I figured there was somethin' you wanted to discuss. So get discussin'."

"Pappy, I'm gonna . . . "

Before I could finish, Lily Mae came in from the kitchen and gave me another big hug. "I thought that was you, Mr. B. I missed you last time you was here, I wasn't about to miss you again. How are you?"

We went through everything all over again and ended up spending more than twenty minutes talking about Gracie and Melody, and Gracie Junior's move into her mama's place in Melody's life. When she finally excused herself to go back and tend to dinner, I wasn't even sure how far I'd gotten with what I'd come out here for.

"Pappy, I'm gonna ask Doralice to marry me."

Pappy sat dead still for a minute, and then nodded his head. "Bout time you did that, son. I was wonderin' what was takin' you so long."

I was at a loss for words. "You . . . I mean I . . . are you . . . that's all you got to say?"

"Congratulations?"

I put my hands on my knees and began to laugh. He laughed with me, and when I finished laughing, I finally asked, "You okay with that?"

"I been waitin' for that to happen for the past two or three years. That woman was made for you. I'll be proud to have her as a daughter-in-law. When you gonna ask her?"

For the first time in my life, Pappy left me absolutely speechless.