A Small Price to Pay

Chapter 24 – Timmy and the Bee Hive

He walked into the room and it was still dark. There was just enough light to see that she was in bed, with the covers pulled up to her chin.

"Marybeth, wake up. I need to talk to you."

"Hmmmm. Bret?"

"That's me." He sat down on the bed.

"How is he?" She asked sleepily.

"He's alright physically. Slept all night. Seems to be more alert this mornin'."

"Are you back to stay?" Marybeth lazily traced a pattern on his leg with her finger.

He grabbed her wrist to stop her. "No. I need to be with him today."

"But you said he was alright," she protested.

"I said he was alright physically. He still needs me."

"I need you, too."

"He's my brother, Marybeth."

She leaned on her elbow in the bed. He could see her outline under the blanket and knew she was naked. "And what am I?"

He wanted to be honest with her but he didn't want to hurt her. "I . . . . . . don't know."

Well, that was better than some of the answers he could have given her, and it was the truth.

She sighed. He still had hold of her wrist and she could see him watching her. "Fair enough. I promised Georgia I would help her today, anyway. Maybe you'll be back tonight." She pulled her arm away from his grasp and rolled across the bed, losing the blanket in the process. She saw his eyes follow her. He got up from the bed to leave and leaned over to kiss her good-bye; she grabbed his tie and pulled him down to her. As they kissed he took her in his arms and she knew in that moment she had him.

XXXXXXXX

Bart hadn't gone back to sleep but had indicated no desire to get out of bed. He laid there and listened to Jody tell him about Jessie; the more she talked the closer he felt to the aunt he never knew. There were so many parallels between him and Jessie; it sounded like he was as similar her as Bret was to Pappy.

It was a nice distraction for both of them. Jody didn't think about Travis and Bart didn't think about the jail. Beau joined them and listened to the stories; Jessie was his aunt, too, and he was eager to know more about the woman whose passing had set all this in motion.

Jody observed that Bart didn't ask any questions. It seemed like he was interested in what she could tell him but had no curiosity about anything additional. That struck her as odd; Bart had a quick mind and had questions about everything.

Bret had been gone for almost an hour when they heard the door to the room open. Neither turned around but Jody saw a look of panic cross Bart's face; she and Beau glanced at the same moment. The man standing behind them was Travis Cole.

Jody jumped up and stood in front of Bart; Beau went for his gun but Travis was quicker and had his Colt out in seconds. Beau wisely dropped his hand – he was already beaten, there was no sense getting shot. "I didn't come here to cause trouble, Beauregard."

"What did you come for, Marshal?" Beau asked sarcastically.

"I came to tell you that I've decided not to file charges against you and your cousin for unlawful removal of a prisoner. And since no witnesses have come forward to support the charges against your other cousin, the one hiding behind my ex-fiancée, I'm dropping those. He'll have to come to the jail in person to collect his belongings."

"You snake. How could you treat another human being the way you did Bart?" Jody spit at him.

"Just doing my job. I had a complaint I had to investigate." Travis finally holstered his gun.

"By arresting a man you knew was innocent and locking him up in that dungeon you call a jail?"

"Exactly," Travis told her. "According to procedure."

"Remind me not to get accused of anything in this town," Beau stated.

A sound echoed through the room. It was the sound of a gun hammer being pulled back. "You make a real good target, Travis."

The marshal didn't turn around. He didn't need to. "Maverick."

"What do you want here?"

"Ask your cousin. I told him."

Bret looked to Beau, who nodded. "Get out."

"We're not done, Maverick. You and me."

Bret laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. "Get out, Cole, before I change my mind and shoot you."

Travis turned around to face Bret. That same look was in Maverick's eyes, that I-could-kill-you-if-given-half-a-chance look. The coward in Bret Maverick didn't exist when it came to his brother.

"GET OUT NOW."

The marshal finally took him seriously and walked back out the way he'd come. Bret slammed the door behind him. "How did he get in here?"

Beau was defensive. "I left the door unlocked for you. You were supposed to be right back."

"Sorry. I . . . . . got cleaned up."

"So I see." Beau figured that wasn't all Bret had done.

Jody hurriedly turned back to Bart. The panicked look was gone, but he was still uneasy. "Bartley, it's alright. He won't be back again." Then she added the question. "You know that was Travis? Do you remember when you saw him last?"

One word, said with disdain. "Jail."

She wanted to distract him. "How about getting up and getting dressed? You've got to be tired of lying in that bed." She offered her hand to him and he took it.

"Okay."

Jody glanced over at Beau. "Some help here?"

Beau chuckled slightly. "Time for you to go, Jody. Bret and I will handle this."

XXXXXXXX

The next time she saw Bart he looked more like her brother and less like the fragile soul that had emerged from the jail. "Feeling better?" she asked.

He smiled at her and nodded. That was certainly an improvement, but he still didn't seem like himself. He was too quiet, and entirely too passive. "Beck says you're fine, physically. Want to go for a short walk? We can go anywhere you'd like."

Bret and Beau had gone to the dining room to get some food, and Jody and Bart were alone. "Saloon."

"Are you sure? It's going to be awfully quiet this time of day."

"No." Bart blinked as if trying to retrieve the word he'd just said. "Yeah. It's okay."

"Ready to go?"

"Sure." He took her arm, not really sure who was escorting whom.

They walked slowly out to the hall and down the hotel stairs. Jody saw the boys in the dining room and waved; Bret started to get up but Beau stopped him. "Let them go, Uncle Beauregard," Beau commented.

The sun was bright once they left the hotel, and Jody shielded her eyes from the light. Bart never looked at the jail; he simply turned toward the saloon and walked. His stride got steadier with every step he took. By the time they reached the batwing doors the pace seemed almost normal.

Once they got inside Bart picked a table and sat down, facing the doors but with a view of the whole saloon. Alvin brought coffee. Bart seemed content to just sit and watch goings on in the place, as if seeing everything for the first time. Frankie Slade saw them and started to come over to the table; Jody waved her away. Bart took no notice.

"Do you want to play poker?" Jody asked. She could probably round up enough men for a game.

"No," came the reply. "Not now."

She'd never seen him this quiet and still. What had happened in that jail cell?

"Do you want anything else?" She kept asking questions in the hope of eliciting more than a one word response, but it didn't seem to be working.

"No."

They sat for about a half hour without talking; finally Bret and Beau drifted in and sat at the table with them.

"Glad to see you up, Cousin Bart. How's the head now?"

"Better," was the only answer heard.

Then Bret tried his hand at engaging his brother in conversation. "Clothes are gettin' low again. My tailor in Denver's still got a couple coats you looked at. He wants to know which were your favorites and he can get 'em ready for you. What do you think, Bart?"

Bret got nothing beyond some silence followed by "Don't care."

"Really? Cause he can make another one like the one that got ruined if you want."

Finally Bart turned to his brother. "I don't care, Bret. What difference does it make?"

That was an alarming reply from a man who was as fastidious about his appearance as Bart was. Bret and Beau exchanged glances and Beau immediately got up from the table. "Uh, I just remembered I have to do something. I'll be back." And Beau was gone.

Jody looked to Bret for an answer to Beau's hurried departure. "Beck."

Bart looked up at the mention of his friend's name. "I don't need a doctor."

"Then what's goin' on? You haven't said ten words all day."

The jokester, the man who never stopped talking once you got him started, the gambler who wanted to know everything about everything, had only a sullen sounding reply to his brother's question. "Don't have anything to say."

Again, the silence followed. Even Jody couldn't think of anything to ignite Bart's curiosity. He just sat, quiet and still, and watched his surroundings. The only change in his expression came when he finally saw Frankie across the room and she gave a little wave. Then a very slight smile creased the corners of his mouth.

A few minutes later Beck and Beau came breezing back in. "Well, it's been quite a morning," Beck announced. "Timmy Kelton, Johnny's little brother, decided that a bee hive would make a fine toy. Even the dog got stung. Then Mrs. Tanner's gout flared up again, and Maude Walden brought Susie in with a rash like nothing I've ever seen. How's everybody here?"

Everybody nodded, smiled, and murmured something appropriate, except Bart. He continued to watch the doctor but made no comment. Beck wasn't going down to defeat that easily. "How about you, Bart? What have you been up to this morning?"

"Not much."

Beckham looked from Bret to Beau to Jody and then back to Bart. "That's all you've got for me?"

"That's all."

Beck finally shrugged his shoulders. "Okay." He got up from the table and walked outside. Beau ran after him.

"Wait, Doc. What do we do now?"

"Nothing, Beau. Remember I told you not to try and force him to do anything he doesn't want to do? Well, he doesn't want to talk. Leave him be. When he's got something to say, he'll say it."

"And until then?"

"Enjoy the peace and quiet."