Doralice
Chapter 28 – HomeFour horses stood at the river, waiting to wade into the knee deep water. Four riders sat on those horses, each with different thoughts about the potential crossing. They ranged from 'My God, at last, Texas!' to 'Thank you God, for bringin' us back safe,' to 'Nothin's ever looked as good,' to the simple 'Home.' They looked up and down the river, waiting to make sure there were no Federales or Texas State Police or even, God forbid, United States Federal Marshals. When all they saw was the river, and Texas on the other side of it, they started across.
Within a few minutes, Mexico would be nothing more than a memory, a mission of rescue and redemption. One rode across the river bareback, having given his saddle to his younger brother to ascertain an easier journey. One rode with a heavy heart, having just buried the love of his life, into an unknown future. One rode away from the hangman's noose, an unfairly imposed sentence for self-defense. One rode back to a life of uncertainty and promise, knowing that he'd finally saved someone from a death they didn't deserve.
They rode into Zapata, straight to the telegraph office, and sent two wires. The first was to Maude Donovan at 'Maude's' in Little Bend, Texas, and said:
Back in Texas
Safe and home soon
Maverick
The second was to Beauregard Maverick, also in Little Bend. It read:
Coming home
All safe
Bret, Bart, and Beau
The doctor in Zapata looked over Bart's slowly healing gunshot wounds and pronounced him "as fit as could be expected" and prescribed rest and inactivity, then cleaned and bandaged everything and had the audacity to charge five dollars for his consultation. Doralice got to take a bath and wash her hair, then put on a brand new dress and shoes and dazzled everyone who saw her.
Bret and Beau sat down and had a decent cup of coffee that neither of them made, then smoked a good cigar and paid the hotel for two tubs of hot water. Bart went to his hotel room and laid down, so happy that he finally had a real bed to sleep in that all he wanted to do was lay on it and smile. Then he made the hotel clerk crazy by ordering and luxuriating in the fourth bath that had to be drawn that night.
Breakfast was almost like heaven. Bacon, eggs, biscuits, coffee, and nobody had to cook it. They debated the merits of a wagon versus a buggy and finally decided the wagon would be better, in case riding got to be too difficult for Bart, who was still in pain and needed to heal. While everyone packed what little they had and paid for their rooms, Bret went to the livery and bought a wagon and harnesses, then hitched up Doralice and Beau's horses to the wagon and saddled his own. Noble got tied to the back end; then Bret drove back to the hotel and left the wagon. He walked back to the livery to collect his horse and thought about everything they'd been through. He stopped by the State Police office and gave Jed Tatum a brief rundown on what had occurred since he'd been in Zapata last; Tatum was glad to hear that all had worked out for the best. He and Bret shook hands and Maverick walked away marveling at the difference between the local sheriffs and the state police.
By the time he got back to the hotel, everything was loaded and all were ready to go. The journey back to Little Bend would take longer than the hurried ride to the border, but it would be worth it. They had plenty of supplies, all the time in the world, and nobody chasing them.
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When they finally reached Little Bend they went straight to 'Maude's' and walked in, Doralice first, followed by Bart, then Bret and Beau. It was early evening and the place was almost empty. Maude was in her office, and when she looked up from her paperwork and saw her daughter she shrieked, jumped up and ran. Hugs, kisses, tears, and plenty of "Let me look at you's" followed, and when she'd lavished all the attention she could on Doralice she turned to Bart and almost killed him with her embrace. She was so overjoyed to have her daughter back and safe that she gave Bart nearly as much attention until he finally had to pry himself loose and sit down, exhausted.
Bret and Beau were given the appropriate hugs, kisses and 'thank-you's', and then she turned back to Doralice. "I can't believe you're back and safe," she kept telling her daughter until Doralice finally stopped her.
"I wouldn't be if it weren't for this man," and she put her arm around Bart and smiled at him. Maude came back to stand in front of him and take both his hands in hers. "I can never thank you enough for bringing her back to me. Are you alright? What happened down there?"
"I'm fine," Bart replied, but stopped Maude from giving him another hug. "Well, almost fine."
Bret stepped in as Beau stood back and watched everyone celebrate the return. "Maude, I promise we'll be back tomorrow, but there are two more Mavericks waiting to welcome us home, and we need to go see them. Good enough? Tomorrow?"
Maude nodded, understanding perfectly the necessity of leaving. Bart stood to go with his 'brothers' and Doralice ran up to him and put her arms lightly around his neck. "Thank you. I have my life because of you. I'll never forget that." She kissed him, and for the first time he kissed her back as if he meant it.
"If there are more of those available, I'll never let you," he murmured back to her, then tipped his hat to the ladies and followed Bret and Beau out the door.
The arrival at the 'mansion' was no less joyous; even Lily Mae was still awake, anticipating their arrival. Ben gripped his son in an embrace, then shook hands with Bret and Bart. Pappy seemed subdued and didn't say anything, just hugged Beau, then Bret, and finally Bart, whom he clasped to his chest and kissed on the head before turning back to his oldest. "Thank you, son."
Lily Mae served a special late supper, and the story of the charade and chase with the Federales was told and retold. Bart downplayed the bullet wounds and subsequent fever, and Pappy didn't try to pry more from his youngest, knowing that his oldest would tell him the real story later. When there was no more to tell everyone adjourned to the main room, where chairs and cigars were passed around, and Lily Mae left the men folk to discuss more somber matters.
Ben and Beauregard alternated catching the three 'boys' up on everything that had gone on in their absence, but when the last thing on the list remained, Ben deferred to his brother. "I've got some bad news, boys, and I thought you needed to hear it tonight, because as soon as it's known you're back in town, you'll be gettin' a visit from someone you haven't met yet.
"About a week after Bret and Beau left for Mexico, Fred Taylor and his father were killed out at their ranch. They were gettin' ready to start a cattle drive and had money in the house to pay all the hands, and some damn fool tried to rob 'em. Didn't get the cash, but dead is dead. Mrs. Taylor lost the baby some months back, and now she's lost Fred, too. And she needs somebody to boss her cattle drive. Fred did so much talkin' to her about growin' up with you boys that she's gonna be comin' round, askin' you to be her trail bosses."
"Know when this thing's set to start, Pappy?" Bart asked, thinking about the time he still needed to heal and prepare.
"End of the month, son," Pappy answered.
Hmmm. Almost three weeks. Bart looked at Bret; the look that passed between them said everything. This was going to be a two-man job; Beau had spent the time when the brothers were herding cattle in England, and he had little experience with this kind of thing.
They'd just seen Fred, happy and newlywed when they'd first returned to Little Bend, and now he was dead. It wasn't right, and there was only thing they could do about it.
"Thanks for the information, Pappy. We'll be expectin' a visit."
Once again the brothers exchanged a look that seemed to say it all. This wasn't the visit they'd planned, but that seemed to happen every time they planned something. It was the hand they were dealt, and they'd play the cards they got. That's all anybody could do.
Coming Next: Long Road Out of Eden
