Past and Present
Johnny glanced down and saw the blood on his daughters' pants leg, and he drew in a breath. He took her arm and sat her down on the sofa."Now young lady, I wont to know what happened to you? How bad is it?"
"It's just a crease dad, I am fine." She started to get up and saw her brother and cousin coming in the french doors. A repreve? That question was quickly answered. Scott looked at the boys and motioned them to sit. Cautiously they sat.
" Valena, I have talked to you about this before, you know what happened to me, and your mother. It's not something I won't my daughter to go through, and I know your mother would be upset about this. She once thought it was fun and a game. Cause the way her father painted it for her. But once you get into your first gunfight, then you are branded, cause you are the daughter of a gunfighter, and not just one buy two. People don't forget. The town will be talking for a long time. They will say you are like me.People may come looking for you.I say this out of love for you, baby."
"I love you daddy, you are the best. But I can't change what happened. You taught me how to use the gun, I only protected myself. Jimmy stood there, he didn't do anything." All heads turned to the young man with the dark hair and blue eyes. He squirmed under the scrutiny.
"Jimmy, you didn't try to help your sister? What did I tell you about that? Family looks out for family. I am ashamed of you. Get to your room, I'll be up in a minute." Jimmy looked at his grandfather and uncle, no help there.
"But Pa, you said stay out of trouble. Besides you know I am not that good with a gun. You should have seen Valena, she was something. If had been a fist fight I could have done something." He bowed his head and headed dragging his feet to the stairs.
Scott turned to his son, Martin. "I didn't do anything dad, I wasn't there." Scott smiled at his boy.
"I know that boy, I am not mad at you. Have you seen your cousin Jesse?"
"No, I thought he was working on the corral today." Scott looked at Johnny. Whom nodded at him.
Johnny turned to Valena, and his voice softened and his expression was loving. Valena reached out and kissed him on the cheek."I hope this will die down, and people will forget. For a month no going into town.Except for church with the family."
Valena got up and left the room. Three sets of eyes followed her. Murdock handed out three glasses of whiskey. All three men sat down, and drank quietly. Murdock looked over at the large picture taken years ago of his kids, their wives and his grandchildren. Now they were three men raising four kids alone. Scotts wife had died of a fever, over four years ago, and Johnnys had died five years before in a shoot out trying to protect the family, while Johnny was gone.. He loved his family dearly, and enjoyed having them all under the same roof again. What he had missed with his own sons, he had found with his grandchildren. Now the past was raising its ugly head again, the next generation was following the same road of its elders.
Scott caught the direction of his fathers' look. He too took in the family picture. He missed Melissa, and with her a part of his soul died with her. The only thing kept him going was his son Martin. A handsome boy with his hair, and his mothers brown eyes, and her nose. He loved that boy. Then there was his father and brother, and a niece and nephews too.
Johnny too had drawn into memories of the past. His Sarah whom he had loved so.She was his other half. They had a lot in common and not just the gun either. She could match his temper, though she was mostly soft spoken and gentle and had a laugh that brightened any room. She had never wonted to return to the south, her home. She had told him, her home was where ever he was. Once he had gotten mad at Murdock and wonted to leave, she began to pack and said, she'd go anywhere with him. Mansion or shack it didn't matter. As long as he was there. For her home was in his arms. He would love her forever, one day he would join her. Valena was the exact image of her mother, a beautiful reminder of Sarah.
Jesse came in the door, and looked at his elders sitting quietly, and he threw his hat on the table and announced in a loud voice."I'm home!" All eyes turned to him.
"You know better than to yell, young man."
"Yes sir granddad."
"Where have you been?" Jesse turned and looked at his father. Johnny wasn't smiling.\
"I was out practicing with my gun. I saw a new gun in town I really wont."
"First Valena and now you. You planning on being a gunfighter too?"
"What would be wrong with that? You and mom were. You survived and was good at it."
" Damn it Jesse, it's not the life for either of kids. Your mother and I were lucky, and then we got out of it. Otherwise we would have died. Gunfighters don't have a long life span. Have you forgotten how your mother died?" Jesse hung his head, and his eyes misted. Johnny looked at his son, and went and put a hand on his shoulder. Jesse looked up.This boy his second born was like him in appearence and personality, and he couldn't sit still for a second.
"I am sorry dad, but I wont to follow my dreams, just as you did."
"What's wrong with being a rancher?"
"Nothing dad, but not for awhile. I know I will always have a home here. But I won't to make my own way for a while." Johnny knew his young son, would if he had his heart set on this he would do it.
"I won't you to think about it for a while give it six months, but if you do, I will be here for you." Jesse smiled at his father and went to the kitchen, to look for cookies.
Trouble was brewing in town, in fact it had ridden into town in the form of four men, who were looking for trouble and knew with whom they wonted to find it with. The leader was tall, his thinning dark hair, blew in the wind, and his salt and pepper whiskers were shaggy. His eyes like a pig. The man stopped in front of the livery and started talking to the livery owner, the man reluctanly answered, pointing out the direction for the men.
Continued..........