Chris sat back in the chair beside the fireplace and opened the book he'd brought with him. He knew the others found it strange that he was hooked on the old Mike Hammer series, but he'd found the writing pretty good and the mysteries, although cliché, were interesting. He wasn't really reading right now, but he didn't want the others to know he was watching them.
Buck was seated at the table going through his little black book; although little wasn't quiet the right word for it anymore. Buck had more names in the book than Kellogg's had Corn Flakes. Some names were just passing fancies, but Chris knew there was one name in the book that meant a lot to Buck. Inez Recillos had managed to not only get under Buck's skin, but had found a way into his heart. He knew Buck and Inez were seeing each other, but not exclusively, yet. It was only a matter of time.
JD and Vin were enthralled in a game of checkers on a board that had seen better days. They'd found it tucked away in the back of a top cupboard while searching for anything spicy to add to Wilmington's chilli. They'd come up empty handed, but dusted off the game and once dinner was cleaned up they'd taken over the table.
"King me, Kid," Tanner said with a wry grin as Dunne slapped his thigh and cursed in disgust.
"That Newman guy wasn't a clairvoyant, but I swear you know what I'm going to do before I do it!" the Bostonian spat.
Chris placed the book on the heavy wood end table and walked into the kitchen. He'd made a pot of coffee and filled four cups. "Coffee's ready," he told the others and moved to the large window overlooking the lake. The moon glistened off the snow and gave it a picture perfect Christmas postcard appearance. He sipped at the coffee and looked surprised when Wilmington added a shot of Amaretto to it. He'd had it before and it was no longer a secret indulgence amongst the seven men who made up The Firm.
"We found some old ornaments in the bedroom, Chris," Wilmington said.
"And?"
"And we were thinking it'd be fun to put up a tree," the ladies' man answered.
"By the fireplace," Larabee said.
"That's what we were thinking."
"None of those ornaments look like they're collectables belonging to Kojay's family do they?"
"No, as a matter of fact there's a note on the box that says if we want to use them to go ahead, just make sure we say a prayer of thanks to those that were here before," Wilmington answered.
"All right…we go out tomorrow and find a tree," Larabee said and heard loud cheers from the two men playing checkers. "I've never seen such a bunch of kids."
"Ya can't tell me yer not lookin' forward to cuttin' down a tree and decoratin' it, Larabee?"
"Oh, I'm looking forward to it, but let's not go pulling any Griswold shenanigans," the blond told them as snow began to fall.
"The little lights ain't twinklin', Clark," Wilmington said.
"Why is the carpet all wet, Todd?" Dunne asked.
"I don't know Margot," Wilmington finished as Tanner stood up and bounced on his feet.
"Shitter's full," the Texan said in a perfect imitation of 'Eddie'.
"Oh, Man, that's classic," Dunne said.
"No, a classic is 'It's A Wonderful Life'," Larabee said of the old favorite.
"That show only comes in black and white," Tanner said with disgust.
"What about How the Grinch Stole Christmas?" Dunne asked.
"The cartoon or the movie with Jim Carrey?" Wilmington asked.
"The cartoon," Larabee answered. "And The Peanuts…can't beat Charlie Brown's Christmas."
"You're a jughead, Chris," Tanner said.
"No, Chris here's a real soft soap. Him and Sarah used to sit down in front of the fire and watch those old shows with cups of apple cider."
"Hot apple cider," Larabee corrected with a far off smile. "Seems to me that you spent a couple of nights with us, Pard."
"That I did…those were good times, Chris," Wilmington said.
"Me and Ma used to pretend we had a fire goin' and she'd read me stories. I loved listenin' to her voice…made me feel safe," Tanner said.
"Mom worked in a hotel…never knew my father, but she made sure Christmas was special. I remember waking up to the smell of hot chocolate and cinnamon toast and checking to make sure Santa had eaten his cookies and drank his milk. I found out Mom was Santa when I was eight, but I never told her. She had too much fun hiding the presents and reading me stories," Dunne told.
"Mom and I never really had a place to call home," Wilmington said. "But we always had family. Not many people realize how close women can be when they're forced to work in the streets. We stayed in so many motels by the time I was five I thought the vacancy sign meant home. Christmas was the one time we stayed anywhere for any length of time and no matter how hard times were Mom managed to find at least one thing on my Christmas list."
"Moms are special," Chris said and remembered his own mother with a hint of sadness. He hadn't been there when his parents were killed in a car accident and had always felt guilty about something he couldn't have changed.
"Okay, what say we go play a couple of hands of poker before we get downright smarmy?" Wilmington said.
"Sounds like a plan…and since Ezra's not here maybe ya'll last more'n one round," Tanner quipped.
"Hardy har har, Vin, put your money where your mouth is and deal the cards off the top, not the bottom," the rogue said as they gathered around the table and Tanner picked up the deck while Dunne put away the checker board.
M7M7M7M7M7M7M7
Vin woke at dawn and stretched the kinks from his back, but it did nothing to alleviate the pulsating spasms above his pelvis. He knew it would take some time for the injury to heal and reached for the rub Midland had prescribed for him. He rubbed it in and sat for several minutes, debating whether or not to take the pain medication she'd given him at the same time.
"Go ahead and take it, Vin, no one will think any less of you," Larabee said from the upper bunk. He'd heard the Texan several times during the night and knew Tanner had been trying to hide his discomfort. He just hoped Midland was right and that the pain from the spasms would subside.
"Sorry, Chris, didn't mean ta wake ya," Tanner said.
"You didn't. I figured I'd better be up before you if I want coffee I can drink without burning out the lining in my stomach," the blond teased and dropped down from the top bunk. He sat next to his friend and was glad he'd brought along warm clothes as he slipped his feet into the soft moccasins. "Why don't you take those pills and lie down. I'll make coffee and get breakfast started."
"I'm okay, Chris."
"You look like death warmed over, Vin," Larabee observed. "Rest…if you don't then it'll be up to Buck and JD to find a tree and we'll end up with…"
"A Charlie Brown special," Tanner said and opened the cap on the bottle of pills he'd placed on the table.
Chris watched him pop two of the white tablets before lying back down and pulling the covers up over his body. He reached for his robe and made his way out of the room. The sound of JD and Buck sleeping made him smile and he shook his head at the way they seemed to have a loud pattern going that could wake the dead.
Chris walked to the fireplace and added kindling to the banked embers. It wasn't long before he had the fire going and he turned his attention to the stove. The one thing Kojay's brother had changed with the cabin was an addition of a small generator that ran on gasoline. It could be used to keep the space heater running while they slept and had enough power to keep a couple of lamps burning at night.
Chris set up the old style coffee percolator and set it on the stove before mixing up a batch of biscuits to go with the bacon and eggs he planned to make for breakfast. He popped them into the oven and reached for a large mug in the cupboard before grabbing the book he'd been reading and sitting at the heavy wooden table. He looked up when he heard footsteps and cocked a half grin at the man whose hair was unkempt as he slid onto the bench beside him.
"Morning, sunshine."
"Good morning…did you make the coffee or is Vin hiding out somewhere?" Wilmington asked.
"I made it," Larabee said and slid his empty cup toward the other man.
"Where's Vin?"
"I told him to stay in bed," the blond answered.
"Prichard really did a job on him," Wilmington said and poured two cups of coffee.
"I know," Larabee agreed and turned to see a still sleepy JD stumble toward them. "Coffee, Kid?"
"Yeah…just throw it in my face," Dunne said and took Wilmington's seat. He placed his arms on the table and laid his head on his arms as he yawned tiredly. "It's too damn early."
"Then why'd you get up?" Wilmington asked.
"Felt like something was missing," Dunne said and reached for the cup of coffee Wilmington passed him.
"What?" Larabee asked.
"The noise," the Bostonian answered.
"What noise…oh the city traffic?" Wilmington asked.
"No, I think some people call it calling in the cows…I just call it loud snoring," Dunne answered.
"That's real funny coming from the kid who could play opera with his nose," Wilmington said.
"Hey, I don't snore."
"Not when you're awake anyway," Larabee said and moved to take the biscuits from the oven. He heard movement from the room he shared with Tanner and a muffled curse told him the man's back was still a mess. "Buck, grab the bacon…I think the bear is awake."
Vin joined them a few minutes later wrapped in a warm robe and pajamas. He sat next to Dunne and reached for Larabee's cup only to have his hand slapped away.
"Get your own," Larabee snapped.
"Ain't got nothin' in it ta make it taste right anyway!"
"That's because it's not that tar you need to add sugar to so you can drink it," Larabee told him and added the bacon to the pan.
"That tar will put hair on your chest and make ya a real man," the Texan said.
"Maybe it will, but you won't have a stomach left," Wilmington said with a grin. It wasn't long before breakfast was on the table and the four men enjoyed the food and each other's company.
M7M7M7M7M7M7M7
The sun shone down on the four friends as they walked along a well-marked trail at the edge of the lake. The snow was hard under their feet as the clouds above their heads moved slowly across the sky. The sound of birds kept them company as they moved deeper into the woods in search of a Christmas tree that would also be used as firewood once the celebration was over,
Buck carried the axe, while Chris carried a rope that would be used to pull the prized tree back to the cabin. The excitement on the two younger men's faces brought warmth to his heart and he was glad Josiah, Nathan, and Ezra would be bringing the presents with them when they arrive in two days.
"What are you thinking about, Buck?" Larabee asked from beside his friend.
"Just thinking how lucky we are," Wilmington answered truthfully.
"Getting sappy in your old age?" the blond asked.
"Speak for yourself…besides you're older than me."
"Not by much, Pard. Looks like Vin and JD have found one they like," Larabee said as Dunne waved excitedly at them.
"We found one," Dunne told them.
"That thing won't fit in the front yard," Larabee told them.
"It's not for the front yard…it's for the living room," Dunne said.
"JD, I'm not carting that thing back to the cabin," Wilmington griped.
"Come on, Buck, look at it and what we cut off can be used for firewood," the Bostonian observed.
"JD, there's plenty of firewood closer to the cabin," the blond said.
"Come on…"
"Give it up, JD, the old timers get a mite grumpy when they have ta work," Tanner offered.
"Old timers, Vin, it seems to me you're the one who's hunched over," Larabee told him.
"I come by it honestly…hard work and all," the Texan said and rubbed at his lower back before pointing to a smaller tree not far from where they stood. "What about that one?"
"What do you think, Chris?" Wilmington asked.
"Looks perfect to me," Larabee said and took the axe from his friend. It took nearly an hour to chop down the tree and trim the excess branches from it. They bundled those up with a piece of rope to bring back to the cabin. They would be used at night if they wanted a fire outside.
"Hey, Chris, feel like doing a little ice fishing when we get back?" Tanner asked.
"Sounds like a plan," Larabee answered as he and Buck began pulling the tree behind them while JD carried the bundle of branches and Vin carried the axe. It took well over an hour to reach the cabin and the sun was now hidden behind heavy clouds that held the promise of new snow.
"Vin, why don't you go on inside and make some hot chocolate," Larabee suggested and watched as the man leaned the axe against the wall and rubbed his lower back before moving toward the door. 'Damn you, Prichard,' he thought as he helped Buck and JD tie the branches of the tree together in order to make it easier to get it inside the cabin.
"I'd like to get my hands on that sonofabitch for five minutes," Wilmington said and knew Larabee had been thinking along the same lines.
"You and me both," Dunne added and moved the branches toward the fire pit before moving to help Larabee and Wilmington. It took half an hour to get the tree inside where Vin had four mugs of steaming hot chocolate and left over biscuits on the table.
"Got some soup ready," Tanner told them and moved to help.
"We got this, Vin, you rest your back or we won't get any fishing in," Larabee warned.
"My back's…"
"A mess and you'll be snarling like an old bear with one foot in the grave if you keep twisting it around," the blond said.
"Vin, if the wind changes your face will stay like that," Wilmington teased of the lines marring the Texan's face.
"Real funny, Buck," Tanner said, but moved to sit at the table while the others took the bucket he'd found in the bottom cupboard. It had several rocks inside and could be filled with water to make sure the tree didn't dry out. He smiled as Larabee cursed when his fingers were jammed against the bucket and the base of the tree.
"Now push it into the corner and make sure it's not too close to the fireplace," Wilmington ordered and helped move the tree deeper into the corner.
"JD, take the ends of the rope and tie them to those hooks," Larabee ordered and held the tree in place while Dunne did as he'd been told.
"It's a tad crooked," Tanner observed.
"It's the tree," Larabee said.
"You sure?" the Texan asked.
"You picked it, Vin, maybe you felt a little empathy for it," Wilmington teased of the Texan's hunched figure.
"Yer a real barrel of laughs, Buck," Tanner said as the three men joined him at the table. "Looks good."
"It'll look even better once we get it decorated," Dunne announced. "Are we gonna do that before Ezra, Nathan, and Josiah get here?"
"They won't be here until Christmas Eve. We'll let it settle tonight and decorate it tomorrow," Larabee answered and picked up a buttered biscuit while Wilmington served the soup.
"Did Buck tell you guys about the new tenant who moved in two doors down from us?" Dunne asked.
"Shut up, Kid!" Wilmington warned.
"No, he didn't but you're going to," Larabee said with a grin.
"No, he's not," the ladies' man said and stared at the Bostonian.
"Well see the name on the box is…"
"JD, don't forget who your roommate is," Wilmington warned.
"He won't do anything, JD," Larabee said and motioned for the younger man to continue.
"As I was saying the name on the box was Alexis Donavan and Buck started asking questions about her…"
"See…her, I rest my case," Wilmington said.
"I got a feelin' it wasn't a 'her'," Tanner said with a wicked grin.
"I'm getting to that. Anyway, Buck finds out she's got red hair down to her ass and to quote him 'legs that go all the way up'," Dunne said.
"What'd he do?" Larabee asked, enjoying the look on his long time friend's face.
"He figured he'd welcome her to the building in style and went out and bought a bottle of wine and this damn big bunch of flowers…"
"They were all the vendor had left," Wilmington said in his own defense.
"So about nine o'clock he takes the wine and the flowers and goes to the 'ladies' apartment. Me and Casey watched him knock on the door, but we couldn't see her even after she opens it and invites him inside. We went back into the apartment and had just popped in a movie…I think it was Tootsie…"
"You're a real comedian, JD," Wilmington groused as Larabee and Tanner watched him closely.
"Go on, JD," Tanner ordered.
"Maybe ten…fifteen minutes go by and we heard a commotion in the hallway and Buck comes storming into the apartment and slams the door."
"What happened, Buck, she didn't fall for your charms?" Larabee asked.
"She didn't, but he did," Dunne answered for the older man. "Turns out Alexis is a female impersonator and gay. He's come to the apartment a couple of times looking for Buck, but Buck won't talk to him."
"That's a mite rude, Bucklin, considerin' ya made the first move," Tanner said and batted his eyes at the older man.
"Shut the hell up, Vin. Who the hell calls their son Alexis anyway? Isn't that a girl's name?" Wilmington said.
"I think it's unisex," Larabee answered. "It seems like a lot of names can be used for a boy or girl."
"Yeah, look at Larabee…I mean if'n he let his hair grow and batted them long lashes of his he'd be mistaken for a girl right up until he shot the sonofabitch who made that mistake," Tanner told them.
"Of all of us there's only one man I know who can pull off being a woman and get away with it," Larabee observed.
"Ezra…God that purple dress and fake boobs…made me all hot just watching him fix those babies," Wilmington joked.
"He could have worked vice with Frank," Larabee said.
"That reminds me…I still owe you and Vin for that one," the rogue said of the man who'd helped Larabee and Tanner put one over on him.
"I thought we agreed that was filed as paid in full," the blond said.
"Nothin's ever paid in full with this bunch, Larabee," Tanner said and stood up. "You ready ta catch some fish?"
"Better bundle up," Wilmington said.
"Are you up for it, Vin?" Larabee asked.
"Yeah, I took a couple of those meds and rubbed that stuff inta my back so I'm good to go," Tanner assured him and moved to grab his jacket and snow pants.
Chris did the same as Wilmington and Dunne cleared the table. "You two want to join us?" he asked.
"Not me…I'm not ready to freeze my ass off in hopes of catching a fish," Wilmington answered.
"I might come down in a little while," Dunne said.
"All right…Buck, don't touch that last piece of pie," Tanner warned.
"Hell…"
"It will be if'n ya put yer grubby paws on it," the Texan growled.
Chris finished dressing and waited for Vin to pull on his hat and gloves before moving outside. The sun was behind the clouds now, but the wind had died down and although cold, they were dressed for it. He walked to the shed and got the tools they'd need to cut through the ice while Vin grabbed the fishing supplies from the shelves.
Chris grabbed the two stools and followed the Texan down to the lake. They made their way out onto the ice and picked a spot that would be fairly well sheltered if the wind picked up again. It took some time to cut through the thick ice, but they were finally able to bait their hooks and drop the lines into the water.
Vin sat on his stool and looked around. The area was beautiful, with the snow covering everything and the branches of the trees dipping toward the ground beneath the added weight of nature's blanket. He heard the far off call of a wolf that was answered by another one and still another. This was what he loved about nature, the sights, the sounds, and the solitude; although since meeting Larabee he no longer craved the life of a loner.
His friendship with Larabee had been something that had blindsided him at a time in his life when he felt he'd hit rock bottom. He was chasing down criminals who'd jumped bail and had nothing to show for it except several scars, a few bucks in the bank, and no place to call home. Since running into Larabee, both figuratively and literally he'd found a brother who watched his back. He'd also found a family that included Orin and Evie Travis. He'd also sort of been adopted by Nettie Wells and had been surprised to find the woman was from his hometown of Vernon, Texas.
Vin glanced sideways at Chris, studying the man's profile and wondering what it was bout the man that made him think of family. Their friendship had grown quickly and they soon discovered there was something strange about them, as if their souls were tied in such a way that they could sense each other in ways that transcended the norm. Those who knew them understood this strange connection and had witnessed its effects on several occasions.
"What are you thinking about, Tanner?"
"Just thinkin' what a lucky bastard you are," the Texan answered.
"Oh, really, and why is that?" Larabee asked.
"Ya got me ta watch yer back," Tanner said softly.
"It goes both ways, Vin," Larabee said seriously, shocked when he felt a tug on his line. He jerked it lightly and smiled when the fish stayed on the line. "Looks like maybe we'll be having fish for dinner."
"Not until ya land it, Larabee," the Texan said as the blond played the line even as he pulled his own from the hole. He chuckled softly as Larabee stood up, but slipped on the ice and landed on his butt, yet he managed to keep hold of his catch and began pulling in the line.
TBC