Searching For Jeremy Bolt Chapter Four
Jason had just finished making out the work schedule for next week. Usually that was Joshua's responsibility, but he and Jeremy had been in Tacoma all week on business for their logging operation. Jason had missed his brothers, but this was Friday, and they were due home soon.
Candy and Lottie were preparing a welcome home supper for them tonight, so it was going to be a great evening of conversation, food, and relaxation.
As Jason was putting away his papers and his pen, he heard his brothers at the hitching post outside. Jason flung the front door open.
"Joshua! Jeremy!" Jason saw the horses, but not his brothers.
He stepped out on to the porch and got a better view of Brownie and Buckie.
"Oh, my God! No! No!" Jason dropped to his knees.
His brothers' dead bodies were slung across their horses.
"JOSHUA! JEREMY!" Jason cried out.
The two younger brothers came running from their bedrooms.
"Wake up, Jason! Wake up!" Joshua shook him.
"It's a n-n-nightmare, J-J-Jason! W-W-Wake up!" Jeremy shouted.
Jason opened his eyes. "Brothers! Oh, thank You, Lord! It was just that awful dream!"
"You have that nightmare quite often, Jason." Joshua reminded him.
"I know, ever since Ben Perkins told us that the young woman who died last week was Job Harmon's wife. She had come into Ben's store a few times." Jason replied. "I thought that Elijah's anger at me over Will's death had been dealt with in the past, but apparently not. He is still after the two of you."
"Jason, you could have killed Stoker in that fight, but you didn't. It seems like Mr. Harmon would be glad about that and not want to fight anymore." Jeremy told him.
"I agree with you, Jeremy. However, Elijah and his sons are still very angry for Job to kill his own wife in an effort to keep me from finding out their plan to kill you and Joshua." Jason replied.
"Jason, Jeremy and I want to talk to you during breakfast. It's important. Let's all get dressed and then get breakfast started." Joshua told him.
Jason peered at his brothers. He couldn't read their expressions and he was worried.
"Alright, Josh. See you boys in a few minutes." The oldest brother agreed.
The three brothers got dressed in their bedrooms. Jeremy was the first one in the kitchen area since he did most of the cooking.
Jason and Joshua came in soon. Joshua set the table while Jason rummaged through drawers looking for his work gloves.
Jason noticed that his brothers were unusually quiet for this time of day. Most mornings, they shared a lively banter about Jeremy's cooking and Josh's lack of taste.
When the meal was prepared, the brothers ate in silence for a few minutes. Jeremy got up to get the coffee pot from the stove.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Jason asked.
Jeremy poured each one of them more coffee and took the coffee pot back to the stove.
When the youngest brother was seated at the table again, Joshua said, "Jeremy and I have been talking for the past few days, Jason. We have come to a very serious decision and both of us agreed to it without any hesitation."
"I see. You and Jeremy are certainly free to discuss anything you want without me. However, since this is a very serious decision, I'm wondering why I wasn't included in the discussion at some point." Jason replied.
Joshua and Jeremy glanced at each other. Jeremy took a deep breath.
"We didn't include you, Jason because we knew you wouldn't agree with our decision. You won't like it now, but we have to tell you." Jeremy spoke firmly.
Jason gazed at both of his brothers. "Alright, what is this about?"
"It's about the Harmons' wanting revenge against us." Joshua responded.
"What did the two of you decide?" Jason swallowed hard.
"We decided, Jason, that we are going to the Harmons and face them to get this over with one way or the other." Jeremy looked up at the ceiling.
"One way or the other! One way or the other! There's only one way that this is going to end if you two go through with your DECISION! I will be planting each of you on the mountain!" Jason shouted.
"Jason, there is no sense in us just waiting around for the Harmons to decide to come to Seattle one day and kill us!" Joshua yelled.
"No! Let's not trouble the Harmons by making them have to put some miles behind them to kill you. Why, you and Jeremy will just walk up to their door and say hello, here we are making it as easy as we possibly can for you to MURDER us!" Jason bellowed.
"Jason, try to see our side of this, please! We don't want to die. But we can't spend our lives hiding or looking over our shoulders. We can't jump every time a twig snaps or each time someone walks up behind us." Joshua explained.
"Not only that, Jason, we have to think about the safety of the people we love. What if we wait for the Harmons and when they come after us, they kill Candy instead of me? Or they get Lottie instead of Josh?" Jeremy asked.
"Brothers, you have two valid points, but I still don't like this idea at all. There is only one way that I will agree to it and I know you are grown men and don't need for me to agree with you. So, let's say this is the only way I can justify your decision." Jason told them.
"What is your justification as if we don't know." Joshua sighed.
Jeremy put his face on the table and cried. "Please don't, Jason!"
Jason got up and walked around the table to Jeremy. Jason knelt by his chair. He placed his hand on his youngest brother's shoulder.
"Jeremy." Jason said quietly. "I have to go with you and Joshua. If the worst happens, I can't let my brothers die without me."
"Yes, you can, Jason! You have too! You have to get married and have sons to carry on the Bolt name! We don't want you to die, Jason!" Jeremy continued to cry.
"Now, Jeremy, that's how I feel about you and Josh. If you and he confront the Harmons, I confront them with you. We either survive together or we die together. Alright?" Jason inquired.
Jeremy raised his head from the table and looked at his oldest brother. "Alright."
Jason glanced at Joshua. "Josh, what do you say?"
"I say alright. When are we going? Jeremy and I were going tomorrow. Since you are going too, Jason, don't you need to make arrangements about the business and the mountain in case none of us come back?" Joshua asked.
"No, Joshua, don't you remember that we took care of all that before we went on our trip to New Bedford to get the brides in case something happened and none of us returned. Aaron has those documents in his safe. I will talk to him today and remind him about the papers." Jason answered.
"I remember now, Jason. It's not like me to forget something like that." Joshua told his brothers.
"Well, it's not everyone who plans for the possible end of their life at our ages, Josh. I have got to tell Candy and then I have to tell her g-g-goodbye." Jeremy responded.
"Yes, and I need to talk to Allyn." Jason sighed.
Joshua cleared his throat. "I'm going to talk to Biddie."
Jason and Jeremy narrowed their eyes at their blond brother.
"Biddie, Josh? You are going to talk to Biddie?" Jason asked.
"Yes, Jason. Is there anything wrong with that?" Joshua smiled.
"No, certainly, not. Biddie is a fine young woman. It's just that I had no idea, did you, Jeremy?" Jason glanced at the youngest Bolt.
"No, I didn't have any idea, Jason. Candy has suspected something a few times, but Biddie has never confirmed anything." Jeremy answered.
"Well, I have been trying to get up my nerve and it appears I have almost waited until the last minute." Joshua sighed and shook his head.
The Bolt brothers left their cabin. They agreed to meet at Lottie's tomorrow morning.
Before going to see Candy, Jeremy went to the church to talk to Reverend Adams. The pastor apologized for refusing to allow him to bring the Message due to his stuttering. Jeremy accepted his apology and told him he was forgiven.
Jeremy explained that the reason for his visit was to ask for prayer for his brothers and himself along with their loved ones and friends. Jeremy told the preacher what was going on with the Harmons and what he and his brothers were going to do to take care of the situation.
Reverend Adams was distraught over the possibility of the three brothers being killed. He assured Jeremy that he would pray for them and all who love them. Jeremy thanked the pastor and left to go see Candy.
Candy was in the parlor area of the dormitory. She was looking out the window and she saw Jeremy walking out of the church. She figured he had gone to talk to the Reverend and make amends. She hoped Jeremy would be bringing the Message at church in a few weeks.
Candy moved from the window so her fiancé wouldn't see her peeping out. She checked her hair in the mirror and pinched her cheeks.
Candy opened the front door as Jeremy was stepping up on to the porch. She noticed that he looked anxious.
"Good morning, Jeremy! How are you today?" She asked pleasantly.
"Hello, Candy, I'm okay. You look very pretty. I like your pink dress a lot." He replied. "Candy, I need to talk to you about something that's very important. I was thinking that a room at Lottie's would be a good place to talk. Does that sound alright to you?"
"Yes, that's fine, Jeremy. Did you want to tell me about Joshua and Biddie? He has already come by and taken Biddie out for a walk so they could talk as well. Just think how happy all of us will be in the coming years, Jeremy. Biddie and I will be sisters-in-law. We can raise our sweet little Bolt babies together and wait for our big handsome Bolt husbands to come home from work everyday. It will be such fun!" Candy laughed.
She noticed that Jeremy didn't join in on the joyful future talk with her. Candy was concerned about him.
"Jeremy, did I say something wrong? If I did, I'm sorry. What do you want to talk about?" Candy inquired.
"You didn't say anything wrong, Candy. I'm not angry. I'll tell you what I need to talk about when we get to Lottie's, okay?" Jeremy answered.
"Alright, but you are scaring me, sweetheart. It's something bad, isn't it?" Candy was on the verge of tears.
"I will explain at Lottie's." He replied.
The young couple was silent on the short walk to the saloon. When they went inside, the barroom was empty except for the owner.
Lottie was sitting behind the bar with her face on the bar. She was squalling.
"Oh, my goodness, Lottie! What's the matter?" Candy ran to her.
"Jeremy is about to tell you. Jason came by a few minutes ago and told me as he was on his way to tell Allyn." Lottie sobbed.
"And Joshua is going to tell Biddie! Jeremy, you have to tell me! I can't stand not knowing what is going on." Candy looked at him.
"Come on, Candy, it's better for me to tell you in private. Excuse us, Lottie." Jeremy took Candy's arm.
Jeremy and Candy went upstairs to a room. They sat down on the bed.
"Candy, you know that the woman who died last week was Job Harmon's wife. Well, what we haven't told everyone is that she warned Jason that the Harmons are after me and Joshua to get revenge on him. Rather than wait for the Harmons to get the drop on us, we are going to confront them tomorrow. Since they are mountain people, there is a good chance that me and my brothers won't be coming back." Jeremy explained.
"Well, before you leave tomorrow, you are going to impregnate me tonight, Jeremy! So, I will have your son to remember you by!" Candy shouted.
"Candy!" Jeremy was shocked.
"What? People can murder you and your brothers because of an accident, but I can't say a dirty word?" Candy barked.
Candy stood up and undressed. "What are you waiting for Jeremy?"
"Right now?" He asked. "Here, sweetheart, you don't want to get sick."
Jeremy grabbed the blanket from the bed and put it around her.
"I'm serious, Jeremy! I might not get pregnant, but we have to at least try. That way if you die tomorrow, I will know that I at least tried to bring your son into the world." Candy told him.
"Candy, you don't do things this way. It's not nice and you are a nice girl.' Jeremy said as they sat back down on the bed.
"Nice! Nice! Well, let's see where nice has gotten us, Jeremy. You are nice. When you were a little boy, your so-called friends at school laughed at you and made you cry because you stuttered. As an adult, your friends, employees, and co workers laughed at you for stuttering and made you leave home. Even the minister rejected your offer to participate in a church activity because you stutter. And now, a family wants to kill you and your brothers because of an accident. So nice has not paid off for you. As for me, I have been nice all of my life. No drinking, no swearing, no sex, and my nice fiancé is probably going to be murdered tomorrow. So, I think he should impregnate me tonight with his son." Candy argued.
"Let me see if I understand what you're saying. Since life is unfair and some people are mean, we should get back at them by having sex and you getting pregnant." Jeremy laughed. "That will teach them, won't it?"
"Jeremy Bolt! Don't you laugh at me! You know perfectly well what I mean! You and I have tried to behave like we are supposed to and where has it gotten us? Possibly you dead and me all alone. So why shouldn't we just do what we want and say to hell with the world?"
"I know what you mean, sweetheart. I didn't mean to upset you more. I need to tell you that if any of the three of us don't come home tomorrow, Jason has made arrangements for you and any of the other brides to have free passage back to New Bedford if you want it. He feels that our deaths so soon after all of you signed the contract voids the agreement." Jeremy explained.
"Oh, Jeremy! There is a true possibility that you, Jason, and Joshua might be gone forever tomorrow! If Jason is thinking of ending the contract and losing the mountain…" Candy sobbed.
Jeremy held Candy in his arms and sang softly to her as she cried.
Jason and Allyn argued like two cats in a sack over the idea that Jason and his brothers were just handing themselves over to the Harmons.
Joshua and Biddie declared true love for each other and lamented that both of them waited too late to tell the other.
Each of the three couples spent the night together. Jeremy and Candy were at Lottie's. Jason and Allyn were at Allyn's house. Joshua and Biddie were at the Bolt home place.
The whisky and the tears and the declarations of love flowed freely that night. The morning came too soon.
The three couples met at Lottie's for an early breakfast. Lottie prepared a huge meal. Everyone insisted that she join them, so she obliged.
"This is all very good, Lottie. It's nice of you to cook for us." Jason told her.
"Yes. Lottie, it's much better than Jeremy's cooking. He should take lessons from you." Joshua laughed.
"I'll be happy to teach you anytime, Jeremy. Maybe this Saturday…." Lottie cried.
Jeremy left his seat and walked around the table to Lottie. He crouched by her chair.
"Lottie." He whispered, "I love you. Please don't cry." Jeremy held her hand and gazed into her eyes.
"I want to be brave for my Bolt boys, but I'm failing because I can't bear the thought of losing any of you. If I could take care of those Harmons, I would certainly do it!" Lottie spoke.
"Lottie, you are one of the bravest people I have known." Jeremy said as he stood up. Lottie left her chair. They hugged each other and cried.
"Things are going to turn out fine" Lottie told him as their hug ended.
"It's time to go, brothers." Jason said.
Each of the Bolts said goodbye to his sweetheart. Tears and salty kisses were exchanged.
The Bolt brothers walked out of the saloon. Aaron and some of his workers had gotten the brothers' horses ready and brought them to Lottie's.
"Thank you, Aaron, for everything." Jason said quietly.
"You're welcome, Jason. Now, I'm expecting you to be at our meeting next Wednesday. Don't let me down, Bolt. Please don't let me down." Aaron replied.
"I'll do my very best, Aaron!" Jason responded with his booming voice.
The Bolts checked their pistols and their shotguns. They looked briefly at their gear.
Allyn, Biddie, and Candy had followed the men outside. The Bolts and their ladies exchanged goodbyes and kisses once again.
The three brothers got on their horses and headed out of town. When they were almost out of sight, Candy ran after them.
"Jeremy! Jeremy! Please don't go! Jeremy!" She shouted.
Jeremy stopped and turned around. He rode back to her and slid off of Brownie.
"Candy, I have to go, we talked about this last night, sweetheart." Jeremy looked into her sad tear-filled eyes.
"No." She whispered softly. "You can just stay here with me and Jason can stay with Allyn and Joshua can stay with Biddie. Nice, easy, and simple."
"Until the Harmons show up. My brothers are waiting, sweet girl. I gotta go." He kissed her gently on her cheek.
"Alright, I love you." Candy watched him mount Brownie.
"I love you too." He smiled at her. Then he rode back to where Jason and Joshua were waiting for him.
Candy stood in the middle of the road watching the three brothers riding away.
Just before the curve in the road, Jeremy stopped and turned Brownie around facing home.
"I love you, Miss Candy Pruitt!" He shouted and waved.
"I love you, Jeremy Bolt!" She shouted and waved back.
Candy watched as Jeremy turned Brownie and rode out of sight.
TBC
.
.