Two little words. After all these years they'd finally been spoken out loud, and I felt better for having heard them. Even if I'd had to pry them out of the person that had spoken them.
"Was that as difficult as you made it sound?"
"Yes." My old friend looked at me and grinned, and for the first time in years I felt like I was talking to Dandy Jim Buckley. All my nervous energy was gone, and I was able to sit down and quit pacing. I poured more coffee for both of us and asked another question, on an equally touchy subject.
"What does the doctor have to say?"
"You know how physicians are. He doesn't really know what it is, only that it hurts when I eat and hurts when I don't eat. I've given up trying to understand it."
"Did he have a prognosis?" We'd made peace between us; at long last. And I needed to know if Jim was going to stick around for a while.
A shrug of the shoulders followed. "There's a doctor from back east that's coming to Denver next month. He's treated maladies like mine before, and he's already committed to seeing me. I should know more then."
"Are you staying in Grand Junction?" I couldn't see Dandy spending the rest of his days in the town, but then nobody would have bet on my remaining in Little Bend, either.
"Probably. I'm tired, Bart. I have no desire to be chased from one place to another. Especially with the standing I have here. Nobody wants to run me out of town on a rail." He stopped and gave it a moment's thought. "Well, almost nobody."
"Corinne Stinson?"
"You've met her, I presume."
"I have. I think the young lady needs to have a talk with you about her sister."
Jim shook his head. "I'm not sure I could convince her of the truth."
I had an idea. "Would you talk to her if she came by here?"
"How are you going to manage that?"
"Let me worry about that," I answered, hoping I'd be able to convince her to come with me. It was worth a try.
"Today's Friday, old man."
"So it is, Dandy. Are we going to Katie McClusky's tonight? Do you still feel up to it?"
"I'm looking forward to it."
"I have to go, Jim. I have things to do before tonight." I stood and offered my hand. "About seven o'clock?"
We shook on it, and once more I got the Buckley grin. "Perfect. I'll be ready."
I went straight to the Wells Fargo office to send a telegram to Doralice. 'Issues resolved. Will be home next week. Yours Always, Bart.' If I caught the stage to Denver on Monday I could be home in Little Bend by Friday. I bought a ticket for Monday and slipped it into my wallet. Next stop was Denam's. I was fortunate – Corinne was behind the counter and the store was empty.
"Mr. Maverick. I didn't expect to see you again."
"I came because I have a proposition for you, Miss Stinson."
"And what would that be?"
"I want you to agree to go to Mr. Buckley's with me, tomorrow at noon."
"Why would I want to do that?"
"Because you need to hear the truth. And because I asked you to." Now it was up to Corinne to decide.
She stood and stared at me for almost five minutes while she thought it over, before finally making up her mind. "Alright. But I don't guarantee anything."
"All I ask is that you come with me and listen to what Dandy has to say. And thank you for agreeing to go with me. I'll be here tomorrow at noon."
She looked slightly bewildered but nodded her head. I tipped my hat and left. I heard a hotel bed calling my name.
XXXXXXXX
Getting Dandy to Katie McCluskey's was easier said than done, but get him there I did, and the food was well worth the difficulty. Even if Jim only ate half of it. Most everyone in the restaurant stopped at our table at one time or another to say hello to Jim or introduce themselves to me, and they all seemed glad to see him. I probably never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself, but James Buckley was truly loved by the residents of this town.
I appeared promptly at twelve o'clock the next day and took Corinne to Dandy's house. Mrs. Murtaw escorted us into the study and then brought Dandy in; I had hold of Corinne's elbow and felt her stiffen as soon as she saw him, but she allowed me to seat her. Mrs. Murtaw poured coffee for all three of us, then left and closed the study doors behind her. It was deathly silent for too long a moment, and then I cleared my throat and began. "You two both cared about Janet. It's time you understood what happened to her, and why she died. Dandy, tell Corinne what you told me. And make sure it's the truth."
I took my coffee back to the desk and took a seat. I was close enough to hear the conversation but far enough away that it didn't feel like I was eavesdropping. And as far as I could tell, Jim opened his heart and told Corinne the truth, even the painful part about how he really felt about Janet, and how happy they both were to no longer be alone. He explained his ambivalent love for his son and why he didn't find it necessary to have another child and told Corinne all the reasons Janet insisted they have a baby.
I'm sure Corinne didn't believe what she was hearing at first, but I could tell from her expression and the questions she asked that the more Jim explained, the more she realized the truth. A child had been Janet's idea from the start, and nothing Buckley could say or do was going to dissuade her. It took them almost two hours to straighten everything out between them – occasionally it sounded like that wasn't gonna happen. But I knew it had when I saw Corinne give her former brother-in-law a big hug, the look on Dandy's face reflecting his satisfaction with the results of the meeting.
I took Corinne back to the tobacco store, and we parted company. She was in a much happier place than she'd been earlier, and I had the feeling a friendship may have begun. I returned to Jim's and found him, too, in a better frame of mind than before, and I was pleased to have a hand in what appeared to be a reconciliation of sorts.
It looked as if this trip would turn out better than I'd had any reason to hope.