by Duane Boehm
“I’ve got to start somewhere. I have to go see Doc and see how McClean is doing. Oh, that reminds me, I’m going to ask Zack to stay at the jail until he is strong enough to travel. Do you mind if I ask him to dinner tonight?” he said.
“That will be fine,” Abby said.
“See you tonight,” Gideon said and left.
Gideon stopped at the jail and tossed the candy on his desk before crossing the street and entering the doctor’s office. He found the old doctor sitting at his desk drinking coffee.
“Good morning, my fine doctor,” Gideon said.
Doc Abram gave Gideon a disgusted look. “There is nothing good about this morning. So far today I have had to lance the boil on one cowboy’s smelly ass and clean the shot–off pecker of the one lying over there. And on top of it, I am tired as all hell. Makes me wonder why I ever wanted to be a doctor,” he said.
“How is he doing?” Gideon asked.
“Well, I was able to save one of his balls, but he is one messed up outlaw. I’m not very confident that things will heal. That is not the cleanest area in which to get shot. I hope you are happy for all the work you caused me,” Doc said.
“Damn, Doc, you could be happy that I caught him and that I didn’t get my head blown off,” Gideon said.
“It could still happen,” Doc said cantankerously. “Have you ever heard of the Dutch Lady Ranch in New Mexico or what happened to Mary when they were here last time?”
“I’ve heard of the ranch, but don’t know the story,” Gideon answered.
“One of them named Tyler roughed Mary up and Vander took a club to him. The one that came in here with the boil, Runt Holcomb, went to draw his gun and Vander broke his arm and knocked out his teeth. I had to listen to his false teeth chatter today when he talked and his forearm healed at an angle. He was asking if Vander still ran the saloon and grousing about him. He said Tyler has a permanent limp from it. You better keep an eye on them,” Doc said.
“I will. I guess I had better stay in town again tonight. I’d like to sleep in my bed back at the cabin one of these days. Do you want me to take McClean to the jail?” Gideon said.
“No, leave him here. It will be easier on me and he sure isn’t going to be going anywhere,” Doc said.
Zack came ambling out from the back room of the office. “Hello, Gideon,” he said.
“Hello to you. You’re looking a might better these days,” Gideon said.
“Doc, sir, I straightened up your back room,” Zack said.
“That will probably be the end of me ever finding anything again,” Doc complained.
“Zack, why don’t you move over to the jail until you are up for traveling? You can sleep in one of the empty cells,” Gideon said.
“Yes, sir, that would please me. I think I have about worn out my welcome here,” Zack said.
“Don’t get me wrong, you’re a fine young man. I just don’t need my stuff rearranged,” Doc said as way of explanation.
Turning to Doc, Gideon said, “How about meeting me over at Last Chance around eight for a couple of beers? I’ll buy the first one.”
“You’re going to buy me a couple for all the work that you have caused me,” Doc said as he shooed Gideon and Zack out the door.
As they walked across the street, Zack said, “Gideon, I want to thank you for taking care of me. I know that it had to be a burden with a prisoner and all. I’m much beholden.”
“It’s nothing that you wouldn’t have done for me. We’re all square. We’ve been invited to dinner. Do you have a change of clothes in your saddlebags?” Gideon said.
“Yes, sir, I do,” Zack said.
Gideon gave him a look. “That sir business is going to get you in trouble yet. We’ll go to the stable and get your clothes later.”
∞
Mary was in the dry goods store looking at bolts of material. Since playing a role in the rescue of Benjamin, she had gained a confidence about herself. No longer ashamed to be seen around town, she was planning to sew a new dress.
Looking up when the bell on the shop door rang, she immediately recognized the two cowboys that Mr. Vander had badly beaten. That night had been a bad one and the memory upset her. Her hands started quivering as she moved farther back in the store to avoid detection. The two men bought ammunition and were quickly gone.
Mary was too upset to think about making a dress any longer. Making a hasty exit, she headed to the Last Chance to talk to Mr. Vander. She found him at his usual spot for that time of day, sitting at the table in the back room, reading the newspaper. The old German looked up and gave her his usual paternal smile.
“You look nice today, Miss Mary,” Mr. Vander said.
Mary hastily sat down beside him, placing her hand on his arm as he lowered his paper. “Mr. Vander, those two cowboys from the Dutch Lady that you beat up are back in town. We are going to have to be careful,” she said.
“Two more bad apples in town to add to the barrel,” he said.
“You are talking about that gambler, Hiatt, that has been hanging around in here, aren’t you?” Mary asked.
“Miss Mary, don’t you worry yourself about him,” Mr. Vander said.
“Why does he stay around here? He has cleaned out all the local cowboys and the trail hands have about all passed through for the fall. I would think he would move on to easier pickings,” she said.
“It’s alright. Don’t worry,” he said.
“I’m going to let Gideon know about the cowboys in town,” Mary said.
∞
Grabbing Winnie’s candy as he left the jail, Gideon, along with Zack, set out on foot for Abby’s house, not wanting to retrieve the horses from the stable for such a short ride. They walked by the saloons and found them both quiet with little business. Earlier that day, Mary had come by the office worried about the safety of Mr. Vander and he had assured her that he already had plans to come by later in the evening.
Joann greeted Gideon and Zack at the door and Gideon introduced the young man to the family. He noticed that Zack and Joann both straightened their postures up and were smiling at each other. Providing his daughter with a prospective beau had never been his intention and he wondered if maybe he should have thought out Zack’s invitation to dinner a little more. He desperately wanted to get to know Joann and he didn’t want Zack in the way to interfere with it.
“I’m glad you are up and feeling better. Maybe some of my cooking will make you stronger and you will be back to good as new soon,” Abby said to Zack.
“Thank you, ma’am. Gideon here was a lifesaver,” Zack said.
“I heard that you were a polite one. Gideon is old enough to be called sir, but I’m younger – much too young to be called ma’am,” Abby teased.
“I’ll try to remember that, Abby,” Zack said.
Gideon handed the candy to Winnie. “I got you some candy. I thought you might like it,” Gideon said.
“Thank you, Mr. Gideon,” Winnie said as she took the licorice laces while still managing to look at the floor.
“How was school today?” he asked.
Ignoring the question, Winnie said, “I know that you are Joann’s daddy and she is my sister.”
Gideon looked over at Abby as she was putting the finishing touches on the meal. She said, “Joann didn’t want to keep it a secret any longer either. I forgot to tell you in all the excitement.”
“Oh, I didn’t know,” Gideon said.
“Are you upset? I thought that is what we both wanted,” Abby said.
“No. No, not at all. I’m just a little surprised now that it’s happening. The thought of saying that I have a daughter still seems unbelievable,” he said.
“Well, she is right in front of you. It doesn’t get much more believable than that,” Abby said.
“Doc Abram figured it out years ago. He told me when I was getting ready to go after the stagecoach robbers,” Gideon said.
“That old goat is too smart for his own good. I’ll have t
o hand it to him though, I sure never thought that he could ever keep a secret,” Abby said.
“Me either. If I would have had time that day, I think that I would have fainted,” he said with a laugh.
Turning to Zack, Gideon said, “We have a bit of a complicated family here. I’ll explain it to you later.”
“Dinner is ready. Let’s eat,” Abby said.
They were well into the meal and Gideon was bragging on Abby’s cooking. Out of the blue, Abby said, “So whose cooking do you like better, mine or Sarah’s?”
Gideon started stammering. “You’re both very good cooks,” he finally said.
“Gideon Johann, you like Sarah’s cooking better than mine. Wait until the next time I see her,” Abby said.
“I didn’t say that and be nice to her. That woman is like a sister to me,” he said protectively.
“You don’t have to say it. It is obvious that you like hers better. And quit being so defensive, I was only kidding. I wouldn’t ruin my friendship with Sarah for the likes of you,” Abby said with a grin.
“Well, if you ever do get tired of the likes of me, I at least know where I can go get cornbread that won’t choke me,” Gideon said, grinning proudly at his comeback.
“Oh believe me, you are going to get choked,” Abby said.
The two girls watched the conversation in silence, occasionally exchanging glances. Winnie had no idea what to make of it. The playfulness was a side of her mother that she had never seen her exhibit before with a man. The meals with her parents had been devoid of humor and mostly about the ranch or her. Joann found the bantering hilarious. She had never seen Abs so happy and she was seeing Gideon in a whole new light that made her want to hug him.
“Can I interrupt you two kid’s bickering for a moment?” Joann said, smiling so they knew that she wasn’t being serious.
“What is it?” Abby asked, still uncertain if Joann thought that they were really fighting.
“You two are adorable, but I wanted to ask Gideon about his family and where he grew up,” Joann said.
Gideon and Abby looked at each other, grinning like a couple of teenagers at being called adorable. He took a drink of water to wash the cornbread down before speaking, which did not go unnoticed by Abby. “I tell you what, you and I will ride up there and I will show you around and tell you about your grandparents. How about that?” he said.
“I would like that very much,” Joann said.
“Can you ride a horse or do we need a buggy?” Gideon asked.
“Can I ride a horse? I can ride a horse as well as any man,” Joann said.
“Oh my God, you are Abby’s daughter alright. She always thought that she could ride better than everybody else could too. But then again, she thinks that she can make cornbread,” Gideon said.
“It’s a good thing that these girls are here or you would be wearing cornbread about now,” Abby said.
Zack chimed in on the conversation. “Riding a pony where your feet drag the ground doesn’t count as real riding,” he said to Joann.
“At least when one of the outlaws came for me, I took a shot at him instead of letting them ride up and knock me silly,” Joann retorted.
Zack’s face turned red and he grinned in embarrassment. “Ouch, you play rough. I didn’t know that Gideon had told that,” he said.
Having dispensed of Zack, Joann turned her attention back to Gideon. “Isn’t your homestead going up for auction?” she asked.
“Yes, in a couple of weeks,” Gideon answered.
“Are you going to try and buy it back?” Joann quizzed him.
Gideon looked around the table and even Winnie was looking at him for his answer. “I need to decide that very soon. I don’t know,” he said.
There was an awkward moment of silence before Zack and Joann picked up the void in conversation, excitedly comparing Laramie to Cheyenne and exchanging stories of their lives in Wyoming. Gideon and Abby returned to playful banter without any more serious discussions. Winnie did her best to stay out of the exchanges even as the others attempted to draw her in; she was having none of it. With the meal finished, they retired to the parlor until Gideon and Zack had to leave.
Abby and Joann walked them out the door. “Are you staying in town tonight?” she asked.
“Unfortunately. There’s some trail hands in town that Mr. Vander roughed up a couple of years ago and I’m going to hang around the Last Chance for a while to make sure everything is okay,” Gideon said.
“I see,” Abby said.
“Zack, would you mind heading on back to the jail? I need a word with Abby,” Gideon said.
Zack’s attempt at keeping a stoic face betrayed him and he grinned mischievously at them. “That’s not a problem. I wouldn’t want to interfere with a good conversation,” he said.
“You could still die from complications from your wound if you are not careful. I’ll see you later,” Gideon said as Zack began walking away.
“I might get jealous with you mingling with your old girlfriend,” Abby said when Zack was out of sight.
Gideon could feel his face turn red and was glad that they were standing in the dark. Abby had never before acknowledged an awareness of his and Mary’s past together. His mind raced for something to say. “That was before you, back when I thought you hated me,” he said.
“You might be tempted again with no more loving than you get around here these days,” Abby teased.
Gideon took Abby in his arms and kissed her mouth. They stood on the porch making out as they had in their youth. “I want you,” he said.
“Me too. Maybe things will slow down so that we can have some time before long,” Abby said.
“I certainly hope so,” Gideon said.
“That Zack is a really sweet boy. I like him,” Abby said.
“I guess. I wasn’t intending to spark a romance. Did you see the way those two were looking at each other?” Gideon remarked.
“Oh my, the overprotective father is already kicking in. Well, if something does happen, I think Joann could do a lot worse than him,” Abby said.
“I better get going. I’ll see you sometime,” he said before they kissed goodbye.
Gideon walked to the Last Chance, finding it occupied with only local cowboys and Doc over at the corner table drinking a beer.
“You owe the lady for this one,” Doc said as he hoisted the mug to his mouth.
“Like I thought there was a snowball’s chance in hell that it would be otherwise,” Gideon said.
The two men sat in the corner drinking beer and reliving the past until the crowd thinned. The old doctor grew tired and the two men walked out together towards their offices. They passed the Lucky Horse Saloon on their way and could hear that it was still going strong with all the trail hands in it.
“Sounds like they’re having too good a time in there to worry about settling old scores with Vander,” Doc said.
“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. I’m going to turn in for the night,” Gideon said as the two men parted and headed to their beds.
Chapter 9
Mary awoke early from a fitful night of sleeping. She usually slept until at least ten in the morning after her late nights in the saloon, but concerns for Mr. Vander’s safety had haunted her through the night until she resigned herself to get out of bed. Putting on her housecoat, she took the backstairs towards the room where on most mornings she drank her coffee and helped the owner with his bookkeeping.
She walked into the back room and let out a scream. Mr. Vander was slumped over his ledger with a massive pool of blood covering the table and dripping to the floor. Fighting off her reflex to run, she willed herself to place her hand upon the back of the saloon owner’s neck; his skin was cold as a beer to the touch. Darting out the back door into the alley, Mary ran barefoot to the sheriff’s office.
Gideon was standing at the potbelly stove ready to get it going to make some coffee when Mary burst through the door. He spun around drawing his revol
ver. “What in the hell is it with every woman in this town thinking –,” he said before stopping mid–sentence at the realization that something was badly wrong.
“Somebody has murdered Mr. Vander. He is slumped over the table in the back room and there is blood everywhere,” Mary said.
“Damn it to hell. I should have stuck around until he went to bed. I thought that those cowboys might try to tear up the place. Never did I think they would murder him,” Gideon said as he took Mary by the elbow and started walking her out the door.
“Poor Mr. Vander, he didn’t deserve to die that way. He was always so good to me,” Mary said dazedly as they walked into the alley.
“I know that he was. Did you see or hear anything last night?” Gideon said.
“I always check to see if he needs anything before I go to bed and he was down there counting the receipts for last night like he always does. Nobody was around that I saw,” she said.
The stench of death hit Gideon hard when he entered the room. The smell was something that he knew well from the war and one that he would never get used to its odor. The amount of blood was sickening. The table looked like a lake of red on the one end and there were little dried blood–falls off the edge. It had been a long time since Gideon had seen someone he liked die violently and the old familiar combination of sadness and nausea settled into his stomach. He had to will himself from running into the alley and puking.
A chair at the side of the table was pulled out as if the killer had been sitting there, which Gideon found odd, but figured that it might have just been left that way or got knocked back during the murder. Gideon gently pulled the shoulders back on the dead man until he was sitting up in his seat. Mary let out a scream and ran out into the alley where Gideon could hear her retching. It appeared as if Mr. Vander was first stabbed in the Adam’s apple and then his throat had been deeply slashed from ear to ear, accounting for the extreme loss of blood. The wounds were gruesome and Gideon sat down in a chair to collect himself.