An Unexpected Welcome

by Rita Hestand

  "I think he's happy Cord." Lilly laughed.

  "God, so am I? I never dreamed things would happen this fast, but, I'm so glad they are." He pulled her into his arms again and kissed her so tenderly she swooned.

  "I love you Cord," she whispered.

  "Lady, I'm the happiest man in the world tonight." He said and they went inside.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  On a quiet day, just a bit before Halloween, Sam rode into town. The wind was blowing a norther in and the air had changed from hot to cold in a matter of hours.

  Sam's face looked grim and foreboding. The sound of his horse clopping through town disturbed no one, because noise from the saloon drown it out.

  He heard the banging on the piano from the saloon and he hobbled his horse and went inside since the railing was full. He wondered if Lilly had sold it yet. And if she had, who bought it.

  One man came barreling out of the saloon and landed face down in the dirt, Sam watched with the same grim face.

  He went inside. His gaze fell on the roulette table first, then several others. The saloon was packed full of people, smoke, and whiskey. Gambling was the main entertainment although a few girls decorated the winners at the tables.

  Sam glanced about for Lilly but didn't see her.

  In fact, he didn't see but a few familiar faces and none were sober.

  This certainly wasn't what he expected, but he saw huge stacks of cash being transferred to a cage near the back doorway. So the place was making big money these days. That shocked him.

  He went up to the bar and ordered a beer.

  "Miss Lilly around?"

  "Who?"

  "Lilly, the owner?" Sam said slowly.

  "Joe Sorrels' owns this place now. Don't know no Lilly."

  Disgusted with the drunks, he left and rode out of town toward Dubs' place.

  Near as he could remember it was northeast of town.

  He rode slow, taking in the sights of the town and the quiet of the prairie as he rode.

  Doc was walking down the street and he saw him and frowned. Sam nodded his head toward him and rode on. It looked as though no one was particularly glad to see him. That didn't surprise him much either. He hadn't been well liked when he lived here.

  As he neared the ranch, he looked the place over for a bit before he rode into the yard. Looks as though the Dubs boys were doing all right. There was a light on too.

  He dismounted and hobbled his horse, then went to knock on the door.

  Dan opened it.

  "Sam?" Dan sounded very surprised to see him.

  "Dan, is your brother at home?" Sam asked.

  "Yeah, sure, come on in." Dan offered.

  Jason came out of the back room and saw him and smiled smugly, but questioningly too.

  "Well Sam, good to see you again. I didn't figure you'd ever come back here."

  Sam nodded, his mood was not congenial but Jason allowed for that. Seeing his somber face, Jason knew something had happened to his little paradise in Terrell. And Sam was packing a gun now. Something had changed.

  "Change your mind Sam?" Jason asked as he pulled out a bottle of his finest whiskey and offered Sam a drink."

  Sam nodded, "Yeah, I guess I did."

  "I sort of figured you'd be home with a new baby by now." Jason chuckled drily as he poured all three of them a drink and set them on the table.

  Sam's face screwed up in a terrible frown. "The baby died, and so did she."

  "What?" Jason was shocked by the news. One minute everything had been going well for the man and now his whole world was turned upside down. But Jason knew that was probably good news for him.

  "The doc was out of town, she went into labor early, the baby was turned wrong. The baby was born dead, and she died not long after." Sam said so shockingly hard that Dan and Jason both stared for a full minute.

  "I'm sorry Sam." Jason said contritely.

  "Yeah, well, so am I."

  "You seem to be taking it well." Jason lied.

  "That's a joke. I almost killed myself Jason. I would have too, but I remembered your visit. I got another kid don't I?" Sam slammed his glass on the table hard, almost shattering it.

  "You talking about Lilly's kid?" Dan blurted.

  "You damned right I am. He's my kid." Sam shouted.

  "But I thought…."

  "Shut up, Dan." Jason barked at his brother. If Sam thought it was his, it probably was.

  "So you reconsidered, did you?" Jason asked, trying not to sound like the cat that stole the milk.

  "I reconsidered." He nodded.

  "Good. That's really good Sam." Jason nodded.

  "Now where can I find Lilly and the kid. I went by the saloon and didn't see them." Sam said, his finger rubbed the top of his glass hard.

  "Lilly married Cord, Sam. They're out at his place." Jason told him.

  "Married him?" Sam shouted.

  "Yeah, not long after I talked with you." Jason explained.

  "She was always sweet on Cord. Well, she can have him. All I want is the kid." Sam told him.

  "Well now Sam, Cord's pretty attached to that kid. In fact, he's told everyone in town it's his kid."

  "In a pig's eye it is. He wasn't around when she got that way." Sam told him.

  "He said he came back, to be with her, and left, and never knew she was pregnant." Jason explained waiting to hear Sam's side of it.

  "That kids' mine. I gave her the saloon to help her support the kid. She didn't deny it then. You mean she's going along with Cord's story." Sam's brows drew together and he stared at Jason now.

  "She is. She sold the saloon to someone from Dallas and he's running it now. The townspeople don't like it, because of the gambling."

  "They never wanted gambling here." Sam huffed.

  Sam got quiet. "But good or bad, that's where the real money is. Looks like it's doing pretty fair too."

  "They take in a lot, got their own bank right there in the saloon, with guards and all." Dan was saying.

  "So what do you aim to do about it all, Sam?" Jason asked knowing Sam was boiling now. "The kid I mean."

  "Just what I said, I'm taking my kid out of here." Sam said.

  "But what about Lilly and Cord?" Jason seemed frustrated that he had only one thing on his mind.

  "They can go to hell for all I care. I just want my kid." Sam said and stood up.

  "Well now wait a minute Sam. Let's think this thing through. How you gonna get him?"

  "I figure I'll just take him when he's alone. I'll stake it out, and watch and when he's alone, I'll take him."

  "That's all your gonna do, take the kid?"

  "That's all I want, Jason. I told you, Cord is your problem, not mine."

  "Look, you are tired. Why don't you stay the night and think on it Sam. By morning things will look clearer to you. Maybe we can put our heads together about all of this." Jason tried to persuade him.

  Sam turned to stare at Jason. "You want Cord and Lilly dead. Then you figure that out. I just want my kid. I lost one, I won't lose the other. I'm still very respected in Terrell, still the President of the bank. I got a life back there, but I won't live it alone. The kid is mine, and I'm taking him back with me."

  "How you gonna do that, Sam? You can't just walk up and take the kid. Cord will fight you for him. And he's good with a gun, Sam. Really good." Jason emphasized the fact.

  He stared at Jason for a moment. "I guess if I have to, I'll kill him. Not that I want to. But it's my kid. Anyone gets in the way…I'll kill them too."

  Jason saw the possibilities of getting rid of Lilly and Cord, but could Sam kill Cord? He'd seen Cord in action and he knew how fast he was. That's the main reason he hadn't tried it himself.

  "Why don't you sit down, and let's talk about this a while. I don't think you're ready to take on Cord McCall." Jason blurted.

  Sam turned to Jason, his eyes bright with hate, "I'll take him, or I'll die. At this point I just don't care."

  "I want to
see you get your kid, Sam, but not like this."

  "What do you care, one way or another. I know what you want, Jason. I'm not doing the dirty work for you. I'm not calling Cord out. I'll wait until I see the kid alone, and I'll take him."

  "He'll come after you." Jason warned him.

  "Let him try." Sam lifted his chin. "I'll have the law on him."

  "Can you prove the kid is yours?" Dan stared at Sam for an answer.

  "Prove it? What's to prove?"

  "It's your word against Cord's." Dan replied.

  "So, I get the kid to Terrell, who do you think the law will believe there?"

  Dan had been sitting quietly in a chair at the table with them, but even he saw the futility of trying to take Cord. Sam wasn't thinking straight; anyone could see that. Sam was filled with grief he didn't know how to accomplish what he wanted.

  Dan stood up now and faced Sam, "Look Sam, Jason is right about this. You ain't thinkin' straight. Why don't you stay the night and we'll talk on it some more in the morning?"

  Sam frowned. "You're a sensible kid, aren't you Dan?"

  "I try to be." He nodded.

  "All right, I am tired tonight. I'll stay and I'll think about how I'm going to do this. But I'm not killing Cord, or even Lilly. I just want the kid."

  "His name is Charlie," Dan told him.

  "Charlie, huh?" Sam nodded.

  "Is he a good kid?" Sam asked Dan out of the blue.

  "Yeah, he's a right good kid, Sam." Dan told him. "Lilly did a good job raising him."

  "I figured he would be." Sam nodded.

  "You'd be proud of him Sam. He loves to fish." Dan smiled now.

  "Fish huh?" Sam scratched his chin as though thinking on that a bit.

  "All right Dan, I'll stay."

  "Good," Jason nodded.

  "Now Dan, what else can you tell me about my kid?" Sam stared at Dan and Jason grit his teeth.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Sam spent the night at Jason's place and they talked well into the night. Jason let Sam vent a bit about what had happened and Sam seemed to settle out.

  But the next morning he was bent on one thing only, getting his kid.

  Jason felt it still might all work out, because he knew Cord wouldn't let it rest until he had Charlie back. So he kept his mouth shut.

  Sam rode out toward Cord's place. It was early and there were several men about. He spotted Cord and Pedro moving out toward the south pasture. He heard Lilly and saw he when she came out on the porch and kissed Cord goodbye.

  Charlie and another Mexican boy came out of the house and Sam watched to see where they went. They went inside the barn. They were in there for a while, so Sam went around the back and slipped through a back door.

  Charlie was raking a stall out and the other boy went to get some water, it was perfect timing. Sam grabbed the boy, with his hand over his mouth and pulled him outside.

  "Not a word, boy," Sam grunted.

  Charlie nodded.

  Juan came back inside and called to Charlie. Charlie started to yell, but Sam knocked him out with his fist. He carried him away to his horse that was hobbled in a grove.

  Juan was searching for Charlie, and calling his name.

  Directly the Mexican boy ran to the house and Sam rode off with Charlie across his saddle horn.

  He'd ride around the town of Doubtful, so no one would spot him with Charlie and head straight for home. He didn't owe Jason and Dan anything, so he didn't stop off to tell them anything.

  ***

  Juan ran inside the house, "Miss Lilly, Miss Lilly," he yelled for her.

  Lilly came out of the bedroom where she'd made the bed and saw Juan in the kitchen, red faced and upset.

  "What's wrong, Juan?" Lilly asked coming to stand in front of him and crooking her head in question.

  "It's Charlie, he's gone!"

  Lilly's eyes widened. "Gone, gone where, Juan?"

  "I don't know. One minute he was working in the stall, the next he was gone. I looked all over the barn and around the place. But I couldn't find him. He's gone!"

  "Well, honey, he's got to be here somewhere." Lilly protested, and went to the door to look out. She opened it and called his name loudly.

  Nothing.

  "You say he was cleaning a stall out?"

  "Yes ma'am. He was working. The rake's there, but he isn't." Juan looked alarmed.

  Lilly felt something crawl up her back. Charlie wasn't the kind of kid to just run off. Especially since the Dubs boys kidnapped him. He was sensible.

  She went out and searched for herself, and she couldn't find him. She began to panic. She looked at Juan who followed her every step. "Go get Cord."

  He nodded and taking Charlie's horse, he rode out to the pasture.

  Cord saw him coming and looked up. Pedro and Don Diego saw him too and they all gathered together to find out what was going on.

  "It's Charlie, he's gone!" Juan said, again out of breath.

  "Gone, gone where?" Cord asked, watching the turmoil in Juan's expressive face.

  "I don't know; we were working in the barn together. I went to get some water and when I came back the rake was there, but Charlie was gone. Me and Lilly looked all over so she sent me out here to tell you." Juan said his face screwed up in a frown. "He can't just disappear."

  "No, he can't. Thanks Juan."

  Pedro and Don Diego glanced at him, "The Dubs? You think?"

  "Possibly, yes. But I can't see them trying this again."

  Cord studied on it a minute. Something clicked in his mind, but he tossed it aside as being paranoid.

  "Let's go talk to Jason." Cord folded his lips together and took on a grim persona. Pedro nodded.

  Pedro sent Juan back to the house. "Stay with Miss Lilly."

  Juan nodded.

  The three of them rode to Jason's place. Jason was fixing to ride off himself when he saw Cord coming.

  "Well, what's going on Cord, the trial isn't for another couple of weeks."

  "Where's Charlie, Jason?" Cord asked, his face a wad of frowns.

  Jason laughed, "How should I know."

  Cord dismounted and jerked Jason off his horse. "I'm not playing games with you Jason, where is Charlie?"

  "I repeat; how should I know?" Jason squared his jaw.

  Dan heard the ruckus and came out on the porch. He glanced at Jason, who was being held by the collar by Cord.

  "What's going on here," He asked trying to sound as mean as his brother.

  "Where's Charlie, Dan?" Cord shot him a off handed glance.

  Dan seemed to study the situation.

  Cord drew his gun and put it to Jason's head, "Where is he?"

  "Sam came and got him." Dan blurted.

  Jason sent him a damning scowl. "Shut up, Dan."

  "He's gonna find out sooner or later." Dan moved away from Cord and Jason.

  "Sam!" Cord's face turned red now. So it wasn't just a feeling he'd had. They got Sam into this!

  "If I find out you had something to do with this Jason, I'll be back. Now where is Sam?"

  "Again, how would I know?"

  "Where does he live."

  Dan saw that Cord was through playing games, that he was desperate to find Charlie and Dan liked Charlie. "He lives in Terrell now."

  Cord turned to look at Dan. Dan shrugged. "I like Charlie."

  "You dirty snitch, I ought to kill you." Jason hollered as Cord turned him loose and shoved him against the wall of the house.

  "Charlie was happy with Cord, Jason. He doesn't deserve to suffer because of this." Dan explained looking straight at Cord. "Sam just lost his wife and baby, he's not thinking straight and he might hurt Charlie."

  "You miserable coward!" Jason yelled.

  Dan stared at his brother for once, and Dan drew on him, "Shut up Jason. For once in your miserable life, shut up or I'll kill you myself."

  "You won't use that gun, you're too much a coward. You've never killed anyone in your life." Jason yelled.r />
  Dan's hand shook just enough for him to notice, but he held it steady on Jason. "There's always a first time."

  Cord studied the two of them and moved to stand in front of Dan. "He's not worth going to jail for Dan."

  Dan stared at Jason with the hate that had built for the past couple of years. "Your right. Your also right that he had a hand in this too. Jason tried to talk Sam into killing you because he's too coward to do it himself. You and Lilly. Sam didn't want to kill anyone, he just wanted Charlie. But poor Charlie, he don't know what's going on. You got to go get him, Cord." Dan cried real tears now "You gotta stop all of this. Ain't no telling what Charlie will do if he finds out Sam's his father."

  Cord stared at the kid, "Charlie's going to be alright Dan. It might take him a while, but he'll figure it out."

  "I'm gonna take Jason into the Sheriff's office," Dan announced as though he'd finally gotten some backbone. "He's done enough damage. And I don't want him knocking me around anymore."

  Cord nodded, "Good idea, Dan. I'll go after Charlie."

  Dan nodded. Pedro and Don Diego helped Dan tie Jason up and put him on his horse.

  Pedro looked at Cord, "We will ride with you."

  "No, this is something I have to settle with Sam. I don't want anyone hurt. Go back to the ranch and take care of the women and children. If I don't come back tell Lilly the ranch is in her name."

  Pedro narrowed his gaze on Cord, "But I will go with you!"

  "No. I'm gonna settle this." Cord told him. "I'd rather know that the women, children and ranch is taken care of, no matter what happens. If I don't come back, you'll know Sam's still got Charlie. Get the Sheriff and go get Charlie, understood?"

  "Si, understood!" Pedro frowned at him and rode off in a cloud of dust.

  "My cousin, he thinks he is a fast gun." Don Diego smiled at Cord.

  "Yeah, but he's not. See that he uses his head, Don Diego." Cord told him.

  "I will, good luck, my friend." And Don Diego rode to catch up to Pedro.

  When they got home and told Lilly, she was frantic. "Sam took Charlie?"

  "Si, Dan said so." Pedro explained.

  "He's going after him alone?" Lilly cried.

  Don Diego stepped up now and looked at Lilly's frantic face, "He wanted it that way. He said if he does not return, that we are to get the Sheriff to go with us and get Charlie."