Winter's Refuge

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Four

HEYES

The next morning, the Kid insisted, so I helped him and Chrissy move upstairs to their bedroom. Catherine moved into the room with the little girls and is proud of herself. My Nettie insists on sleeping in that room too. So, the crib in the Kid's room is ready for their son. I think they have settled on a name and are trying it out before announcing it to the family. As the Kid heals, Chrissy has been able to hide her worry that next time he will be hurt worse…or killed. Most people can't see it, but I can and I know the Kid can, too.

"Heyes, I need to practice shootin'" the Kid said as he leaned on me climbing the stairs one by one. "It's been over a week. I need to stay sharp."

I nodded. "Agreed. How about after lunch? I'll help you get there…and maybe try to hit some targets myself," I reassured him. We're both aware of that last gunman paid to kill him. I don't think either of us will completely rest until that's settled…and the Kid needs to stay prepared.

So Rocky and Steven got their room back. I moved back to my little office in the barn. Great Uncle spent a day reading through the breeding letters and then asked for the previous years' calendars and letters. He was dismayed that there were no lists made consolidating the visiting mares each year.

"How do you track return customers and what studs they wanted?" Great Uncle asked, sitting in the chair opposite in my office.

"Ahh, we usually recognize the name of the ranch, but not always. If you look at the calendars, we write the name of the mare, the ranch, and the stud on there," I answered. In truth, we haven't kept very good records. "We mark with a red X those that are not welcome back."

"Why would a paying customer not be welcome back?" demanded Great Uncle.

"Well, for starters any mare from Ralston Q. York's Circle E Ranch. The first mare they sent was Speed of Flight. She's a tall black horse that mated with our Summer's Song, the one our kid's call Black Beauty," I started to explain. "I heard they produced a beautiful colt, who sold for a very high price."

"What's wrong with that?" Great Uncle asked.

"With the horse nothing, but their foreman, Norwood Brown, tried to capture Chrissy for the illegal bounty that was on her head," I said. I didn't tell Great Uncle, but those were the days when I had no words, when I was on parole, when I was fighting for my sanity. "Thank goodness Chrissy wasn't here. I helped Lom and our construction supervisor catch the man. Lom arrested him and testified at his trial."

I had Great Uncle's attention. "An illegal bounty? This is Nebraska. Is it part of the Wild West?" he asked.

'It's a long story, and the Colorado governor was even involved. It's all resolved now. I was amazed, but Chrissy took a second horse from the Circle E ranch the next year. She has a forgiving heart and said it was the foreman, not the owner or the horse, that caused the trouble. But the next year, the new foreman, a Mr. Brian Perry, I believe, showed up with a mare named Emmy who was already pregnant. Juan figured it out right away. Perry wanted to talk about the Kid who was away…he'd read all them dime novels. And they wanted to pretend that the baby Emmy was carrying had a Phoenix pedigree. Anyway, Chrissy handled it. Pulled her gun on the man to get him to leave with the mare. Refunded his money and even gave him traveling money," I told him.

"Miss Chrissy pulled HER gun? She's a strong woman and a good match for Jedediah. HER gun?" he asked again. I think he's a little afraid of Chrissy. "Wait, I think I saw the name Brian Perry listed as foreman in one of the letters…but it wasn't from the Circle E. I'll have to find it," Great Uncle said, as he hurried out of my office without a goodbye or another word.

JED 'KID' CURRY

I didn't tell Aiden that I planned to move me and Chrissy and little Charles Jedediah upstairs to our bedroom tomorrow. He would have said 'No. Wait a few more days," but we need to be in our own bed. I need to hold Chrissy every night, for her well-being and mine.

Heyes helped me without an argument. And he agreed to help me practice shootin' after lunch. That paid gunman is gonna find me soon. I can feel it in my bones. And I need to be ready to protect myself, but mostly to protect our family and Phoenix. All the adults here know about him. In Three Birds only two men know about the threat, Sheriff Frank Birde and Father Patrick Mahoney. And that's all that need to know. It's none of their business.

Angie and Ken's Mary got Chrissy upstairs first while me, Lom, and Heyes figured out how I would get up the stairs. Lom said he'd help get me to the stairs, but he didn't want to go anywhere near Chrissy. I still have the splint on my thigh. It hurts and doesn't let me bend my knee so I can't wait for it to come off…but I know Aiden put it on there to help me heal. Angie came downstairs, went into the room Chrissy had just left, and grabbed somethin' that looked like a baby blanket. Before she hurried back upstairs, she stopped and smiled at me.

"Jed, you two moving back upstairs to your own room has done wonders for Chrissy. You know, I had those baby blues hard with both of my kids…I was scared to let Heyes out of my sight, worried constantly that my child would have an accident, and I couldn't help it. That's what Chrissy's been going through with the addition of the worry of the baby not eating and you gone, then injured. I admire her. She's such a strong woman. Anyway, she's much brighter today and I think being in her room is the reason. You're such a good husband," she said. Givin' me a quick peek on the cheek, she rushed back up the stairs.

Heyes, who was supportin' my injured side, grinned. "You must have done good, Kid; my wife just kissed you," he said.

I concentrated on the stairs, leanin' on my partner. Up one stair with my good leg, then I'd pull my bad leg up to the same step and lean heavier on Heyes as I put some weight on it. I counted the steps as we went up. I tried to hide the pain from Heyes. He didn't comment on it, but he knows me so well that he can tell when I'm in pain. He knew I wouldn't stop climbin'.

LOM

Before the Kid went upstairs, I sat with him to get his sworn statement on how the Black Brook Gang was captured. I've done this before with him and I'm always amazed at the precise details he remembers...especially anytime guns were involved. The rest of us involved in the take down are US Marshals so we can't claim the reward. It all goes to Jed Curry.

Shaking his head, the Kid said, "Lom, I hear what you are sayin', but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth collectin' the bounties on outlaws."

"You earned it, Kid," I told him.

"Don't like bounties or rewards. They weigh heavy on you and that illegal one on Chrissy almost got her and a lot of us killed," he answered.

I took a deep breath and reminded him, "You accepted rewards before - Brown River, Ernesto Fuller the 'Barber', Mean Gene and his Devil's Hole gang, Sky Shaw, Dusty Dave and the men that tried to take over Three Birds…"

He cut me off with a wave of his hand. "I know, Lom, I know. Never feels good. I always think about the men that got the bounties on me and Heyes." He rubbed the back of his head where he hit it when he fell off his horse that day. He's talked about how his thoughts and memories were jumbled for the next months…including the start of his prison stay.

I needed to change the subject. "I just need you to sign your statement and I can turn in all my paperwork. Think Wayne can stay here while I go to Cheyenne?"

"He's always welcome, you know that. You two are family," the Kid answered with his easy warm smile.

"Kid, you ready to go upstairs? The ladies have Chrissy all settled," Heyes said, standing in the doorway.

"Gonna need some help," the Kid answered. "Lom?"

"I'll help you to the first landing of the stairs, but no further. I'm not going near your wife until you're healed. Maybe she'll forgive me then and not throw any more books at me," I told him.

JED 'KID' CURRY

True to his word, Heyes helped me downstairs that afternoon. He had a wagon, pulled by one of our stable horses, Pepper, waitin' at our kitchen door.

"Heyes, I can walk to…" I started to say.

"Kid, I think it's going to take all your strength to stand and shoot. Don't argue or I won't help you," Heyes told me. It's hard for me to ask for help…but I need Heyes to help me here. I'm better at helpin' people.

"You got my gun and extra bullets?" I asked so he knew I would accept his help. It was hard gettin' into the wagon. I still have the splint on my leg and walk with crutches. But with Heyes' help, I was settled into the bed of the wagon quickly. He drove right to our shootin' range on the far side of my blacksmith shop.

Heyes was right. I had trouble standin' steady to shoot, but with concentration I managed. I shot four rounds of six bullets before I turned to look for a place to sit. I took Heyes' place on a nearby log.

"Nice shooting, Kid, you knocked every can off the fence," Heyes said as he got up to shoot.

"Aim wasn't perfectly in the center of the can and my draw was slow. Would you come with me to practice tomorrow?" I asked.

"Sure," he answered. He's not used his gun much for a long time. He used to be a good shot and his draw wasn't too shabby. That wasn't well known because I was better. But now I could see he had no confidence in his ability with a gun. I watched as he settled his feet and took a deep breath. He didn't try to draw, just held his gun and shot…and hit four of the cans. Two of them fell off the fence. "Guess I need the practice more than you."

HEYES

As we prepared to return to the house, we heard a buggy coming up Curry Road and waved to Aiden, Auntie, and Stephanie as they went by.

"Hope Aiden will take off this splint. Can't move too fast with it," the Kid said as we approached the house.

"I think that is the idea, Kid," I answered. "Looks like Aiden is waiting for you on the porch."