Winter's Refuge

Chapter Two Hundred Six

JED 'KID' CURRY

We didn't wait for fall to go back to the grove of black walnut trees. Heyes didn't remember our childhood nuttin' picnics and the carefreeness of those days. I do. I can see the frustration in his eyes. He wants to remember and told me the memories are somewhere just out of his reach. I'm determined he makes new memories of the grove, positive family ones, and see if we could recapture that lighthearted joy.

Auntie helped pack us a picnic but begged off from comin'. She's been more tired lately. She insists on makin' dinner, but Angie and Hortencia take the lead in breakfast and lunch with Chrissy helpin' where she can. Dr. Aiden assures us it is a single birth, but it's been the hardest one for my wife. She's always tired…no, exhausted and touchy and cranky. But at night, she curls up next to me and she's calm and lovin'.

Our family needed two wagons to get to the grove. Rocky drove one wagon. At our dinner table when I announced this day trip, he'd argued that they weren't part of our family. The cacophony of voices disagreein' was deafenin' with Martha's and Nettie's the loudest. And it was determined that the Rockes were family and would join us. We went on a Tuesday and the older kids missed school. Stephanie and Michael argued briefly that we should go on a weekend but were overruled.

I remember my excitement as a kid when we all went to the grove of black walnut trees. I looked forward to it for days. I told that to Chrissy last night. She smiled.

"Jed take Chrissy there once," she whispered. "I needed calm."

I'd taken her there a month or so after the triplets were born….and we had lost Trinity Rose. Of course, she didn't have my family memories off walnut trees but we both found some serenity there that afternoon. Alone there, we clung to each other and cried for our loss. Eventually we celebrated the two new little lives we had been blessed with. I made the bench when we returned to Phoenix. I stopped here frequently but never brought anyone else until that day I brought Heyes.

"I remember goin' nuttin' with our families when we were young. Everyone was happy, laughing'. Heyes don't remember,' I told her.

"We'll make good new memories," she told me as she closed her eyes and slept.

ASJ*ASJ

And now we were on our way. I was excited. So was Chrissy. Heyes seemed nervous. And everyone else didn't know what to expect. Ruth Ann was the first to smell the trees. She stood up in the bed of the wagon and stuck her nose up into the air, signin' "Lemon trees? No lemon, smells dirty too."

Laughin', everyone started describin' what they thought the trees smelled like. And there was no consensus.

"Papa, what do you think the trees smell like?" Joy asked.

'I always thought it was a kind of musty lemon," I answered, as we entered the grove under the largest trees. The kids stood and looked around as I helped Chrissy to the bench. "New. Jed make?" she asked, although she knew I made it.

Then, lookin' at all the kids standin' not sure what to do, I grinned and pushed Heyes hard, so he fell back into the leaves and undergrowth. Surprised, anger passed over his face, and then he knew what I was doin'. He sat up, grabbed a handful of leaves and threw them up in the air, comin' down on Nettie and Diane Frances. They both howled with joy and threw leaves at Heyes and Josiah. Soon leaves were flyin' everywhere. While Steven joined in, Rocky and Stephanie stood to the side watchin'. I wasn't gonna leave them out. I looked at Heyes and as he stood up with an armful of leaves, I sneaked up behind them. Me and my partner shared a glance and 'poof", all of our leaves went up over the kids. And they laughed and joined in.

I love to hear unbridled laughter, and we laughed and played until we were out of breath from laughin' so hard. Baby Alexander loved crawlin' through the leaves and gettin' muddy and dirty without anyone stoppin' him. Finally, Catherine climbed on Chrissy's lap and laid her head on her ma's shoulder. "Tired, Mama," she said.

Angie dug her son out of the leaves and handed him to me. She got the picnic basket out of the wagon and set it on the bench next to Chrissy. Heyes whistled loudly. "Come on, let's sit in a big circle and have lunch. I was surprised how quickly everyone came to eat. Chrissy led a blessin' for us, the food we were about to eat and the trees that were givin' us shelter. Martha helped Angie pass out the sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs, and cookies. Today, we adults didn't care if the cookies disappeared first.

We called the time after lunch quiet time. Stephanie read to the little ones until they fell asleep on the leaves. Steven and Rocky helped Martha and Michael track squirrels. And me and Heyes took our wives for a walk. Chrissy walked slowly and the others got far ahead of us. I stopped and took her in my arms. "Wasn't it fun to see everyone laughin?" I asked, kissin' her on her forehead.

"Fun to see Jed and Heyes playful like little kids," she answered. "Thank you for very good day."

HEYES

Our family laughed more after our walnut tree picnic. Right after that, Phoenix grew again. Lom and Wayne moved into their new house and settled in quickly. And Ribs Jackson arrived. I was anxious how he would get along with Ken. We hadn't told him that he would be working for an ex-US Marshal. I think their relationship was strained a little at the beginning because of that, but Ribs wanted to learn, and Ken is a patient teacher and soon they had a comfortable working arrangement that grew into friendship. Ribs was an anxious worker, always wanting to learn more. He lived in the new bunkhouse with Vince. Vince is quiet and reserved and Ribs was nervous around him but came to look at him as the big brother he never had and they talk in the evening over a game of cards.

KT Parrish finished the shop/home for Damian Crest, but he and his daughter Roseann were now in Denver taking official photographs of the governor and his family.

ASJ*ASJ

All the mail for Phoenix is bound together and put on my desk. My first job in the morning is to sort it. I sort the personal looking mail into stacks. I keep all the bills and anything that looks like Phoenix business. Chrissy gets anything regarding the breeding operation. The Kid gets requests for special orders a couple of times a week. Lom's mail always comes bound together. It's usually wanted posters and newspapers and occasionally a personal letter.

After the mail is sorted comes one of my favorite times of day, walking Lom's mail to him. I am usually accompanied by the little ones not old enough to go to school. Now that Joy has joined Michael and Martha at our elementary school, she proudly rides to school in the wagon with them and Stephanie and Steven. So, my companions are Ruth Ann, Nettie, Diane, and Josiah. We have a wonderful time. We look at every tree and marvel at new flowers. We watch the corn and wheat grow and run in between the rows. They love to hear stories about me and the Kid's friends, Wheat and Kyle…cleaned up stories, of course. I could, of course, walk to Lom's house in fifteen minutes instead of an hour, but this walk and playing with our babies is good for my soul.

Wayne waits for us on his front porch and Lom has cold glasses of milk waiting for us all. Most of the time, Wayne walks back with us so his pa can work.

Of course, that all changes when Lom has to leave on an assignment. That's what he calls it when he joins other Marshals, and they try to catch the wanted men. He's gotten pretty good at it.

JED 'KID' CURRY

Lom's new house was too far off of the main road for the telegraph so instead of puttin' the telegraph lines next to Lom's new house, KT built a small, skinny extension with a side entrance into Ken's Shoe Emporium. It serves as the warehouse for all his old newspapers and is right next to the library on the other side.

We found out Ribs has a knack for the telegraph machine, so he listens for the telegraph and helps Ken. I've seldom seen someone so willin' to learn. He told us he and his younger brother grew up in a boys' orphanage in Kentucky. One day they walked out west and just kept walkin', eatin', and sleepin' however they could.

Today, I noticed him standin' in the road outside the blacksmith shop at the back of a line of customers that Rocky was checkin' in. Ribs waved me to come over.

"Mr. Curry, sir, this telegram just came for Marshal Trevors, and it's marked urgent," he told me, holdin' out the paper.

"No need to say sir. Mr. Curry will do just fine. Don't you usually take those telegrams right to him?" I asked. I wiped my hands on a nearby towel which turned black.

"Yes, sir, er… Mr. Curry, but this one mentions you so I thought you should take it to him." Ribs is always nervous talkin' to me or Heyes one on one. He sleeps in the new bunkhouse Heyes had built and Vince says he talks a lot to him.

Wipin' my hands one more time, I took and read the telegram. "Thanks, Ribs, you're right; it'll be better if I deliver this." I looked over at Rocky. He only had two more customers to check in. "Rocky, I'm goin' over to Lom's. Don't know how long I'll be. If you need anything, Juan is in the stables."

"Got it, Mr. Curry," Rocky answered.

I decided to walk to Lom's house so I could think about the telegram. Of course, I was gonna help him, but I didn't want my family to worry about me and Chrissy was only six weeks away from her time. I was almost there when I heard…

"Unc Hey, hide," my youngest son Josiah's voice demanded with a giggle.

Heyes answered, "I will if you all sit down and count to ten with your eyes closed."

From just off the road, I watched as Ruth Ann, Nettie, Diane Frances, and Josiah sat down with Nettie signin' the instructions to Ruth Ann. Then, she started countin'. "One, two, three..."

I slipped into the corn where Heyes had disappeared and quickly slipped around behind him, puttin' my hand over his mouth.

Startled, his elbow had just touched my ribs when he recognized me. I took my hand from his mouth, put my finger to my lips, and smiled.

"Eleven, ten," Nettie announced.

Heyes rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders at his daughter's countin' and helpin' the youngsters, he yelled, "This way." Then, he silently slipped sideways, and I took his place. Hearin' gigglin', I got ready to pounce.

"Grrr!" I yelled, jumpin' out in front of them. Screams and laughter filled the cornfield as I gathered all four children into a group hug and carried them to the road.

"Where did you come from?" signed Ruth Ann.

"The corn," I answered.

"Before the corn, Unc Jed?" Nettie asked and signed.

"I was goin' to Uncle Lom's and saw Uncle Heyes hide and thought I'd surprise you. Did I?"

"Yes, you surprised us," Ruth Ann signed as the others nodded.

"Then, my job is done. I've a telegram for Uncle Lom so I'm gonna hurry on ahead of you." I caught Heyes' eyes. "I'll see you there."

HEYES

The Kid doesn't have time to deliver telegrams himself, so I gave him a questioning look. He winked and repeated. "I'll see you there."

Curious, I hurried my walking companions on by reminding them of the cold milk waiting ahead. Wayne waited for us on the porch and the glasses of milk were set out on a table. The front door was open, and I could see the Kid and Lom inside.

"You all stay right here where we can see you," I told the kids and signed so Ruth Ann understood.

"Yes, Papa," answered Nettie.

"Yes, Uncle Heyes," the rest answered. "Yes" was a recent vocal word for Ruth Ann.

"Hi there," I said, walking over to see what the Kid and Lom were reading.

"Heyes, read this," the Kid said.

"TO: Marshal Lom Trevors

Three Birds, Phoenix Office

Trevors STOP Info you provided panned out STOP Meet Marshal Gray Lyons and Karl Josephs ten miles northeast of Two Roads Junction on Thursday by noon STOP Shortage of marshals STOP Bring Curry.

Deputy Director Aaron Brothers"

"NO!" I heard Ruth Ann scream. When we got to the porch, she had one hand on Josiah's chest and the other on Wayne's, holding them apart as they were swinging at each other.

As the Kid picked up his son, Lom scooped up Wayne. I signed, "Good job," to Ruth Ann. "What's this all about?" I demanded. Neither boy answered.

So, Ruth Ann told us in sign language. "Wayne said he could climb that tree all the way to that bird's nest faster than Josiah. Brother said he could do it faster."

"Boys, is that what this is about?" I asked.

Both nodded from the safety of their father's arms. I studied them. Wayne was six months older, but Josiah was stockier. And Josiah was used to rough housing with his sisters and cousins.

"I could beat either of them," Diane Francis said, sticking out her tongue at her twin.

I got a nod from the Kid and another from Lom. We walked down the steps, and I drew a line in the dirt with my toe. "Okay, all three of you, go ahead. Let's see who's faster."

The Kid and Lom ran down to the tree while I said, "Ready, GO!" Three sets of legs scurried toward the tree. Diane Francis got there first and climbed quickly, seeming not even to touch the branches. Wayne and Josiah were close behind. The Kid and Lom were watching with hands out, ready to catch anyone who took a misstep and fell.

Diane Francis got there first but didn't touch the nest. "Quiet! Look!" she told the two boys as they climbed up next to her.

"Baby birds," said Wayne. "Don't touch them or the nest or their ma won't come back 'cause she smells us."

The three heads, race forgotten, watched the baby birds silently. They came down slower than they went up, but no one fell.

Ruth Ann touched my pant leg to get my attention. "See, Uncle, girls can do anything," she signed and winked at me.