by Duane Boehm
“For as big as you are, you sure aren’t much of a fighter,” Finnie said.
“If you would have gone with us in the first place, I wouldn’t have had to suffer this embarrassment. The end result would still be the same and I’d be feeling a whole lot better,” Zack said.
“True, true, my boy. And since I’m going to be dragged to your town anyway, I’m going to teach you how to fight. It pains me to see a man as useless as you are in the art of boxing,” Finnie said.
Zack gave Finnie such a look that Gideon wondered if the young man was contemplating shooting him on the spot.
Wishing to end the conversation and get started back to Last Stand, Gideon said, “Let’s get your horse. We have some riding to do.”
Chapter 3
Abby Johann missed Gideon more than she even expected. His absence to help the sheriff of Silverton had caused their first time apart since they married the previous fall. The last few months had been the happiest time of her life. She looked around their new log cabin and thought about all the memories that they had already made there. The cabin would never be as nice as the house that she had left behind when she divorced Marcus, but the cabin was a home and that was something the house never could have been.
They had purchased a hundred head of cattle and Abby had taken on the job of overseeing them when Gideon was busy with his job as sheriff. Riding out each day to check on the herd had become one of her favorite pastimes. She had always loved riding and it gave her an excuse to get out of her normal household chores each day.
As she pulled on her riding pants, she could not get them buttoned. At that moment, she knew that it was time to quit deceiving herself. She was pregnant. For the last few weeks she had noticed the symptoms, but wouldn’t allow herself to admit it. Pretending any longer would be futile. Tears of joy pooled in her eyes as she imagined herself rocking their new baby. She could think of nothing more wonderful than having another child with Gideon. Abby’s aunt and uncle in the Wyoming Territory had raised their daughter Joann, but this time they would share the experience together.
She did worry that the news would overwhelm Gideon. He had been through so many changes in the last year. After he had been found near death outside of Last Stand, he was a bitter and angry man that had been running from his past for so long that it had become a way of life. Sometimes she still marveled at the changes in him. He rediscovered the person that he had been when she knew him in her youth and became a loving father to Joann and Winnie, her daughter from her marriage to Marcus.
Using some twine, Abby tied her pants together and threw on a light jacket to hide the gap in her breeches. It wasn’t as if she expected to see anyone anyway. Saddling her favorite horse, Snuggles, she walked him out of the barn and saw Gideon riding up the road. Flushing with apprehension, she had planned to use the ride to decide how to broach the subject of a baby and now had to decide whether to break the news or wait.
Gideon put Buck into a lope at seeing Abby and dismounted before the horse came to a stop. Giving Abby a hug that lifted her feet off the ground, he said, “I missed you.”
“I missed you too. I’ve gotten used to a warm bedfellow,” Abby said.
“Speaking of such, I thought I’d find you in bed ready and waiting,” he said.
Abby giggled. “Yes, I should have since I have nothing better to do around here than lie around naked. I guess we best hire servants so that I can just be your love toy. You are a vain man,” she joked.
“You are not going to believe what has happened to me. We caught the gang that robbed the pay wagon and the only one that survived the shootout was Fred Parsons. I’ve told you about riding with him in the war. I still can’t believe he became an outlaw. He’ll likely hang for it. It’s a sad day when you have to arrest someone that once saved your life, but he made his choice and I guess he will suffer the consequences. Anyway, he told me that Finnie Ford was a drunk in Animas City, so Zack and I rode there to bring him back. That’s why I’ve been gone longer than expected. I know you’ve heard me talk a lot about Finnie. It turned into quite the ruckus to get him to Last Stand. On the ride back, I would only let him have enough whiskey to keep the shakes away. He raised such a fit on the way that I know that Zack thought I was crazy for doing it and I probably am the last person that needs to try to help someone, but I couldn’t turn my back on him knowing full well that he needed help,” Gideon said.
“I do remember you talking about both of them and I think you are the perfect person to help him. You know what it’s like to be down on your luck and now you are strong enough to do for him what others helped do for you. I’m proud of you,” Abby said.
“You might not think so after you meet him. He’s a rascal and he really is in a bad way,” Gideon said.
“I’m sure I’ll come to like him, and if not, I certainly know how to set him straight,” Abby said.
“Did you know that Joann sent Zack a letter saying that she just wanted to be friends?” Gideon asked.
“While you were gone, I got a letter from her telling me all about it,” Abby answered.
“I love that girl to death, but she is fickle. She could do a lot worse than Zack Barlow. I bet she has a new beau,” Gideon said.
“Of course she does. She is smitten by the son of a rich rancher up there in the Wyoming Territory. You can’t interfere with something like this. She’ll resent you if you do and as headstrong as she is, it would only hurt any chances that Zack still has. It’s not as if she is married yet. Just give it some time,” Abby said.
“I guess you’re right, but I still don’t like it. I was hoping they would hitch up and she would move down here,” Gideon said with resignation.
Abby took Gideon by the hands. “Honey, I have some news for you too,” she said.
“And what might that be?” Gideon asked warily.
“We’re going to have a baby,” Abby squealed.
Gideon’s face went blank and his mouth moved to speak, but no words came out at first. “Really? We’re going to have a baby? I know that you’ve talked about wanting one, but I really thought that you were too old,” he said.
Abby pulled her hands away from Gideon and placed them on her hips. “Gideon Johann, I’m thirty–five years old for crying out loud. I’ll make you think too old. If I ever hear that out of your mouth again, you’ll be the one that can’t have any more children. You’ll be hanging out there with your steers commiserating about when you had a pair,” Abby said
Gideon grinned sheepishly and pulled his hat down over his eyes. “I guess that wasn’t the proper response for impending fatherhood,” he said before throwing his hat in the air and grabbing Abby. “We’re going to have a baby. Can I tell anybody?”
“I think we better wait to tell Winnie. She’s been through enough change for now and I suspect it will crumble her little world for a while until she gets to hold the baby. You can tell Ethan and Sarah, and of course Doc will need to know, but let’s wait until things are further along before we announce it,” Abby said and gave him a hard kiss.
“You make me so happy. I can’t believe it,” Gideon said.
“You’re probably still worried I’m going to castrate you. Let’s go check the herd,” Abby said with a devilish grin.
Chapter 4
The morning after his return home to Abby, Gideon awoke in a fine mood. Not only was he overjoyed at the thought of impending fatherhood, he had also learned that the new situation didn’t preclude him from getting some loving. He was so full of gusto that he gobbled his breakfast down as if he were in a race and put Buck in a lope all the way to Ethan’s place.
Ethan was tightening his cinch to go ride, having sent Zack on ahead to start a fire for branding the new calves. “You didn’t do much of a job looking out for my ranch hand. Zack’s low enough over losing Joann and he’ll never get him a woman if you keep getting him beat up,” he said before Gideon had reined Buck to a halt.
“Ethan, Abby is going to have a
baby,” Gideon said, ignoring the complaining.
“Well aren’t you the gobbler strutting his feathers. Congratulations,” Ethan said.
“I’m a bit giddy over the news. I sure wasn’t expecting it,” Gideon said as he dismounted.
“I’m really happy for you. You deserve it,” Ethan said and shook Gideon’s hand.
“Thank you. Sometimes I can’t believe this is really my life,” Gideon said.
“You better get in there and tell Sarah. The missus might get a bit irritable if she is left out,” Ethan said.
Sarah had become the sister than Gideon had never had. He had even taken to calling her Sis. Her belief in him when he didn’t believe in himself had meant more in some ways than even Ethan’s support. Ethan had believed in him from the memory of what he had once been, where Sarah believed in him from what she had seen in the here and now.
“Gideon, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you out this way?” Sarah said as the two men entered the cabin.
“Sis, I got some news,” Gideon said, failing to hide his smile.
“And what might that be?” she asked.
“Abby’s going to have a baby,” he said.
Sarah let out a squeal and ran to Gideon, giving him a hug. “I did a better job of straightening you up than I ever could have imagined. I’m so happy for the two of you,” she said with a laugh.
Ethan, watching in amusement, said, “Of course, Sarah gets all the credit. She takes credit for everything.”
“I wanted you two to be the first to know and please keep it under your hat. I have to get to Last Stand and make sure Finnie is not tearing it down. I brought a war buddy back to town that is down on his luck. I probably bit off more than I can chew, but I had to try,” Gideon said.
“Zack told us all about it. He sounds like quite the character. Good for you for trying,” Ethan said.
Sarah, beaming like a proud parent, said, “Oh what a difference a year can make in our lives.”
“That it does. I’ll see you guys Sunday,” Gideon said as he took his leave.
Gideon rode into town, stopping at Doc Abram’s office before checking on Finnie. The doctor was one of Gideon’s few confidantes and he valued his opinion. Doc was busy cleaning his spectacles when Gideon walked through the door.
“Who’s that little fellow that has been in and out of the jail all morning?” Doc said as a way of a greeting.
“That there is Finnegan Ford. I fought in the war with him and he is down on his luck so I brought him back here. He’s a good man that’s lost his way. I wanted to talk to you about him. He’s a bad drunk and gets the shakes when he doesn’t have his whiskey. I gave him enough on the ride here to keep it at bay, but I wanted to know how I should handle it,” Gideon said.
The doctor put his glasses on and peered at Gideon. “You’re going to have your hands full if he is that bad of a drunk. You won’t be able to watch him all the time and that’s when he will slip, but you were doing the right thing in giving him enough to calm him. If you can keep him sober, the episodes of the shakes will gradually subside. But keeping him sober is not likely.”
“Well, thanks for the encouragement,” Gideon said sarcastically. “I guess you don’t agree with my bringing him here.”
“Don’t you go putting words into my mouth. I can speak for myself just fine and I didn’t say one damn thing about thinking it was a mistake, but if you don’t want to hear the truth then why in the hell did you come in here?” Doc said, ripping his spectacles off his face.
“I’m sorry. I guess I wanted to hear you say that it was going to be okay and that I could help him,” Gideon said.
“You can help him, but I think it will be hard and there will be setbacks. When a person is to the point of getting the shakes when they don’t have it, they’re a bad drunk,” Doc said.
“Abby is going to have a baby,” Gideon blurted.
“Now that’s more like it. You should have told me that first. We need to celebrate,” the doctor said, reaching into his desk drawer and pulling out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses.
“It’s a little early, don’t you think,” Gideon said.
“It’s never too early to celebrate news like that,” the doctor said as he poured the glasses and pushed one towards Gideon “To a healthy Baby Johann.” The two men clinked their glasses together.
“Thank you, Doc. Keep it to yourself. I know that it will stress the seams of your jacket to keep a secret, but we’d prefer it,” Gideon said after drinking the toast.
“I can keep a secret anytime that I want to do it. I just don’t usually want to,” Doc Abram said and let out a laugh.
“I need to get over to the jailhouse and check on Finnie. I’ll see you later,” Gideon said before walking out the door.
Gideon found Finnie pacing about the office. A bath, shave, and new clothes had transformed the Irishman.
“That’s the best twenty dollars that I ever spent,” Gideon said on seeing him.
“You didn’t spend it. You loaned it,” Finnie reminded him. “I wondered if you were ever coming back. I don’t know a soul here and you barely left me enough whiskey to get by. I should’ve let that constable throw me away.”
“Calm down. I don’t remember anything making you nervous in the old days,” Gideon said.
“These aren’t the old days and I’m not that person anymore. I know I’m a drunk, but I’ve come to accept it. And I have you to thank for dragging me to a strange place, then abandoning me, and yet act like you are doing me some big favor,” Finnie said.
“I went home to see my wife. I did not abandon you. Do you want to tell me what happened that you ended up this way?” Gideon asked.
“No, I do not. Maybe someday, but not now. I hope that you have a plan, because I don’t have a clue what I’m supposed to do with myself,” Finnie said.
“Let’s go for a walk,” Gideon said.
The two men walked down the street to outside of the Last Stand Last Chance Saloon. Motioning Finnie towards a nearby bench, Gideon said, “You sit there while I go inside. I won’t be long.”
Mary, the saloon owner, was another of the few people that Gideon considered his friend. She was standing behind the bar as he walked into the saloon. “Gideon, what do I owe this pleasure,” she said as a joke.
“It is a pleasure to see me, isn’t it?” Gideon said.
Mary looked him over carefully as he walked up to the bar. Feigning vainness was not a normal trait of Gideon and it surprised her. “What’s got you spurs jangling so loud – oh my God, I know. You’re going to have –,” she said before Gideon could get his hand against her lips.
“Tarnation, woman, is there anything about me that you can’t figure out? You make it darn hard to surprise you,” Gideon said, thoroughly annoyed at Mary. From the first time that he had met her, it was as if she could read his mind. Her gift never failed to amaze and irritate him.
“Okay, I didn’t realize it was a secret,” she said before leaning over close to his ear. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you. I need a favor if it is at all possible,” he said.
“And what might that be?” Mary asked.
“I’m surprised that you can’t tell me,” Gideon replied before explaining the situation with Finnie.
“So where do I fit into all this?” Mary asked.
“I was hoping that you could hire him to come in for a couple of hours before you open, to clean the place. He’s staying in the jail so he just needs some money for food and to keep his horse fed. He’ll probably need a glass of whiskey to get him through it too. I’m going to try my best to dry him out, but it’s going to have to be gradual,” Gideon said.
“Are you sure he’s still the same person that you knew in the war? People have a way of changing,” Mary said, smiling wryly at the inference to Gideon’s turnaround.
“He may have lost his way, but I don’t think he would ever lose his honesty. He’s waiting outside if you want to
meet him. With your ability to size men up, I’m sure that you will be able to decide for yourself,” Gideon said, still annoyed that she had figured out that he was going to be a father again.
“Go get him and let me meet him,” Mary said.
Gideon returned with Finnie. Mary’s youth and beauty surprised the Irishman. She was a far cry from any other woman that he had met running a saloon. He looked longingly at the bottles behind her and did his best to hide the trembling of his hands.
“Pleased to meet you,” Finnie said to Mary.
“Listen to that accent. Your voice is as soothing as a baby’s coo. Glad to meet you,” Mary said.
“I don’t know about the accent, but I must say that your beauty certainly puts a shine to this here saloon,” Finnie said.
“And a charmer too,” Mary said.
Motioning towards a bottle, Gideon said, “Why don’t you pour us a drink. I’m a bit dry.”
Finnie did his best not to gulp the drink. He let it savor in his mouth before swallowing. “You sell a considerably finer whiskey than my last saloon of choice. My compliments.”
“So can you have yourself over here to clean by eight and not steal my whiskey?” Mary asked.
“I have already brought shame to my mother, God rest her soul, for the life I live, but I would never dishonor her name with a son that is a thief,” Finnie said.
“I’ll see you in the morning then,” Mary said and gave Gideon a wink.
Chapter 5
Gideon persevered through the first week of Finnie’s stay at the jail, but the Irishman made for an irritable companion. Finnie’s allowance of three drinks a day kept the shakes away, but did nothing for his disposition and tested the sheriff’s patience. To Gideon’s relief, Finnie picked up a couple other odd jobs to keep him out of the office and away from temptation.