People can Change
Ch. 9
The storm had broken up around six the next morning, but when Slick, Mo, and Hank woke up Rick was nowhere in sight. All three men knew that Rick had taken off. Mo and Slick weren't as evil or obsessed as Hank was, but when you rode for the brand, whether it was good or bad; you never quit on the job. Maybe that sort of thinking would kill them someday, but they didn't think about it. Mo and Slick went to saddle the horses while Hank cursed at Rick for being a gutless traitor.
Hank couldn't or wouldn't see that his over bearing way caused a lot of people discomfort. The way his father raised him might play a huge part in his way of thinking. His parents loved each other, then his mom died in a freak accident when he was young, changing him and his father from happy hardworking people to bitter and resentful. After the horses were saddle all three men mounted and started on down the road.
Slick and Mo rode behind their boss not paying attention to the area around them. They were too busy wondering what Mr. Breckenridge was going to do when they caught up to Scott.
"What do you think he gonna do when we get to Stockton?" Mo asked.
"I don't know. I can't blame Rick for taking off last night." Slick answered.
"I don't envy Rick riding out in that storm. I wonder where he went." Mo said.
"Most likely he went to wherever Tim disappeared to. Those two were pretty close. Sometimes I wondered if they were brothers." Slick replied.
Before Mo could put in his two penny's worth in, Hank ordered them to stop talking. They were out here doing a job, not going to visit anyone. Mo and Slick didn't argue with him and they shut up and continued their trip in silently.
/
Rick rode into Stockton and looked around the town. He stopped at the saloon to get a drink and find out if anyone knew where Juliet was staying at. Once this was done he was taking off to join Tim. Rick dismounted, tied the reigns to the hitching post, and walked into the saloon.
Once inside Rick walked up to the bar and asked for a beer. The barkeeper handed him a beer and asked the stranger where he was headed to.
"Wyoming, after I find a Mrs. Juliet Breckenridge. I've got news that might be important to her and her husband. I can't leave the area without telling her."
Sam, the barkeeper, didn't know what the information pertained to, but it sounded serious and important, so he told Rick where Juliet was staying. Sam had heard about the young mother and her two babies from the Doc, after he had gotten back from his trip to the Barkleys house yesterday.
Rick thanked the man, drank his beer, and left to do what he needed to do. After doing this one last thing, this state would not see him again. Hopefully, Juliet would believe him and not shoot him on site. It was not long before Rick found the place the Barkleys called home; and where Mrs. Juliet Breckenridge with her small family was staying at. As he rode up to the house he saw a group of people out on the porch.