Chapter 8

After having rode nearly half the afternoon to arrive at his destination, J.D. knocked on the door and paced nervously hat in hand in front of the door to a small home waiting for someone to answer.

Finally, the wooden door creaked upon and a tall lean man wearing a worn pair of overalls greeted him. "Sorry I couldn't get to the door any sooner," the man apologized, "but hearing that we had company everyone inside got a bit excited. I'm sure you can understand."

"Oh, of course, Mr. Ladd," J.D. assured him worrying the brim of his bowler.

"You seem a might nervous, son."

"Well you see I've never done this before, and Buck was supposed to come with me, but couldn't at the last moment. I just don't want to make the wrong choice. This is important after all. I do want Vin to be happy. "

Mr. Ladd chuckled. "Never knew any of my girls or boys to disappoint. You sure you want a girl, right?"

J.D. nodded sharply and bit his lip. "Yeah, a girl…definitely a girl."

"I've met Mr. Tanner a few times, did strike me that he'd favor a girl." He barked out a shrill laugh. "Well c'mon in, we only gots two girls left – both gots long soft silky hair. Full of life and stamina – sure to keep a man happy. Can't go wrong."

Mr. Hamilton pushed open the batwing doors of the saloon and spying the well-dressed man seated at the table in the center of the room, pushed forward through a group of cowboys and ranchers. Approaching man in question, he leaned down and whispered into his ear. "It's here, Mr. Standish. It's in Ridge City."

"Thank you, Mr. Hamilton," Ezra responded, his voice equally low. "Would you be so kind to inform Mr. Larabee that I have left for the train station, and intend to return before the festivities tomorrow?"

The telegraph operated nodded. "You can count on me."

With a grin, Ezra Standish abruptly threw down a winning hand and began gathering up his accumulated winnings. "It appears that my luck has suddenly terminated, gentlemen. I will leave you to you to pursue your pleasures without my presence."

The other men at the table groaned, obviously hoping they might have had a chance to recoup their losses.

Ezra flew up the stairs to the boarding house, quickly packed his saddlebags and flew back down the stairs and towards the livery. Moments later, Ezra astride Chaucer was galloping towards Ridge City.

"Mr. Tanner, I've set you a place at our table," Betty Morgan yelled from the porch, the babe still on her hip.

Vin looked over the back of the mule and towards the homestead.

"Now I won't take no for an answer, Mr. Tanner," she warned, and turned her head back towards the open door. "Don't you dare get out of your chairs," she threatened. "Sally, there's no dolls at the dinner table. Joshua Eugene Morgan, if you don't calm down right now, you won't sit down for a week!"

Vin was leading the mule back to the barn, when she hollered again. "You best clean up and don't dawdle, Mr. Tanner. You won't want your food to be cold!"

The meal was tasty and filling, but Vin was sure he'd be going to bed that night with a headache, not from the Morgan brood being noisy rambunctious children, but from being besieged by all the questions they posed him. One asked him where he got his hat, another why he called his horse Peso, another asked him what his favorite color was…and just like their mother, none of them paused long enough for him to reply.

At the end of the evening, Betty tucked the kids in bed, and Vin headed out to sleep in a pile of hay in the barn telling him he'd be on his way back to town after he finished plowing the east field the next day.

Just as Vin was out of earshot, Clyde tore off the wrapping around his ankle and breathed a sigh of relief. "He'll sleep well tonight, Betty. You worked him like a dog." Reaching up he pulled her into his lap.

"Well, Mr. Larabee did tell me to keep him busy," she said in her defense and wrapped her arms around his husband's neck. "I have instructions not to let him leave our place until after midday tomorrow. So you best get up in the morning and rewrap that ankle before Mr. Tanner sees you."

"Yes, Betty Lou."

"It's just too bad we can't be there tomorrow to celebrate with everyone, but it's good to know we had a part in helping out."

"Amen. Now let's get to bed." Giving her a kiss, he picked her up, blew out the oil lamp, and carried her into their bedroom.

TBC