by jfclover

If I hadn’t been so naïve and if I hadn’t been so full of myself, I wouldn’t be nursing a wound Doc thought should’ve killed most men, but I’d always been a fighter, and I’d do my best to pull through. 

Chapter 1

The day was like any other.  Spring brought new life to the Ponderosa and renewed energy to those who’d spent so much time indoors.  It wasn’t all boredom, though.  Like clockwork, the stock needed to be fed and supplies needed to be gathered in Virginia City by sleigh rather than buckboard.  Traveling back and forth was an all-day affair, but keeping Hop Sing happy was a priority.  If all five of us had to live in the same tight quarters, it was wise to keep our cook satisfied.

The day was like any other until it wasn’t. Pa wanted to go to town with Hoss and me.  Adam was content to stay home and enjoy the peace and quiet since—apparently—Hoss and I were too noisy for his liking.  Fine.  We didn’t need a grumpy brother along to pick up a month’s worth of supplies.  Pa was bad enough.  The whole idea of going to town meant we’d have time for a few beers before returning home.  Hopefully, my father would feel the same way.

“Four beers, Cosmo.” 

With the sleigh filled and the mail tucked safely inside my jacket pocket, Hoss and I stopped by Roy’s office, picked up the sheriff and our pa, and headed across the street to the saloon.

“Who’s the winner today?”  Hoss asked.  Pa glanced at Roy, and the sheriff’s grin said it all.  “I see.  Bit outta practice, Pa?”

“This old codger has cards up his sleeve.”

“I dare you accuse me of—”

“Settle down, Old Friend.  Look!  Joe’s buying.”

“Me?”

“Thanks, Little Brother.”

I don’t know how he roped me into these things, but my father can be very underhanded.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t the one with cards up his sleeve.  After laying money on the bar, I carried the mugs to the table Roy had found for the four of us.  “Enjoy,” I said with a hint of sarcasm.

“Thank you, Son.”

“Hey, that reminds me,” Roy said.  “Guess who bought me a beer yesterday?  Old man Wilson and guess what he told me?”

“Spreading rumors, Roy?”

“This ain’t no rumor, Ben.  Straight from the horse’s mouth.  Remember his daughter, Alberta Mae?”

“Yeah.  If I remember right, she was around Hoss’ age when she ran off with Russ Sievers.”

“He was no good.  He weren’t nothing but a retired gunslinger.”

Hoss ran his finger around the top of his mug.  How does a gunslinger retire?  Don’t most of ‘em end up dead in the middle of Main Street?”

“Yeah.   He got shot over in Genoa, remember?  Nearly died.  Weren’t long after that and he started courting Miss Alberta Mae.  Story goes, she made an honest man of him.”

“So what’s old man Wilson got to say?”

“Oh.  I sort of got off track.  Alberta Mae’s come home … without her husband.”

“Is he dead?”

“Don’t know.”

“That’s it?”  I said.  “His daughter came home.  What’s the big deal?”

Roy glanced at Pa.  “You were too young to remember, Little Joe, but Miss Alberta Mae was the prettiest gal to ever set foot in Storey County.  How many beauty contests do you think that little gal won, Ben?”

“Many, many, many.”

“But she’s an old lady now, right?”

Pa glared at me.  “By all means, Joseph.  If you consider thirty an old lady.”

“I didn’t exactly mean old.  Mature.  That’s a better word, right, Pa?”

“Right, Joe.”

I kept my mouth shut for the remainder of our time at the Silver Dollar.  I let the other three do all the chit-chatting.  I’d said enough for one day.

The following morning, Roy Coffee knocked, and Pa expected me to let my breakfast grow cold and answer the front door.  “Hey, Roy.  Didn’t we just see you yesterday?”

“Yeah, well, that’s what I came to talk to you about.”

“Me?”

“You or Hoss or Adam.”

“My brothers have already left the house, but you can talk to me and Pa.”

“Fine, Son.”

“Morning, Roy.  How about a cup of coffee?”

“Thanks, Ben.”

Roy took Hoss’ chair.  My brothers’ breakfast dishes had been removed, and the sheriff plopped his elbows on the table.  “I wanted to ask a favor of one of your boys, Ben.”

“Sure.  What do you need?”

“Guess I should ask Joe.  It’s about Mrs. Wilson.”

“The old lady?  I mean …”

Pa rolled his eyes, but Roy kept his wits long enough to ask me the favor.  “Her father asked if I knew a young man who could give him a hand.  He ain’t so strong no more, and with Miss Alberta coming home, he needs a few things done at the house.  He’s offering twenty dollars for a day’s work.  You interested?”

“You bet, I am.  I’ve been eyeing a saddle down at Ira’s Tack Shop.”

“Twenty dollars won’t buy you a saddle, Son.”

“No, but it’s a start.”

I rode out the following morning.  Old man Wilson owned land that butted up to the Ponderosa on the southwest corner.  It wasn’t a long ride, but I had time to think about Adam’s comment the night before.

“She was the pride of Storey County.  A beauty.”

“You don’t say.” 

“You remember her, don’t you, Pa?”

“She was a looker all right.  Almost as pretty as your mother, Little Joe.”

“Oh, yeah?  Can’t wait to meet her.”

“Watch yourself, Little Brother.”

“What do you mean by that?”  I didn’t appreciate either of my brothers butting into my business.

“You leave the lady alone.”

“I don’t think you have to worry, Hoss.  She sounds a bit mature for a young man like me..”

“Watch it, Sonny.”

“That’s enough, Boys.  Let’s make it an early night.  We need to get up at the crack of dawn.

Chapter 2

After tying Cooch at the hitchrail, I marched up the porch steps and knocked on the front door.  The old man’s house was in disrepair.  He needed more than a day’s work, but that wasn’t my concern.  I’d do my part, earn my twenty dollars, and be on my way.  It wasn’t long before we’d started round-up and moved our cattle to Sacramento.  This would be my second year on the drive. 

I learned a lot last year because Hoss and Adam planned to make me a seasoned drover after only one trail drive.  In their words, I was learning from the best, and there wasn’t room for failure.  I wasn’t a stupid kid, and I’d been raised on a ranch, so learning how to move cattle came easily to me.  There was much I had to learn, but I only had to be told once, and I was good to go.  For once, I made my brothers proud.

When the front door opened, a gruff voice followed.  “You one of them Cartwright boys?”

“Yes, Sir.  Joe Cartwright.”

“I got plenty of work if you’re able.”

“That’s why I’m here.”

“Fine.  Let’s get started.”

“Yes, Sir.”

The old man’s demeanor was straight to the point.  No friendly greeting and no horsing around getting to know each other better.  There were food crumbs in his beard, and his eastern-style top hat covered a balding head.  He had a paunch, probably from lack of keeping his place presentable, but that was my job—at least for one day.  The pay was decent, and I would do a good job.

When we entered the barn, the old man stopped to light a lamp.  Stuff was piled everywhere.  Rakes and hoes lay cattywampus on the ground.  In my opinion, a real hazard.

“My daughter just moved back home.  Her trunk needs to go upstairs to her bedroom.  This old rocker can go up, too.”

“Okay.”

He walked farther into the barn.  “This here’s a bedframe.  She’ll need that too.  I ordered a mattress from the mercantile, and Jake said he’d send it out with a boy as soon as possible.”

“Okay.”  I wondered where she’d been sleeping, but I didn’t dare ask.  The old man wasn’t good at chit-chat.

“You do that first, and I’ll show you what’s next.”

“Yes, Sir.”

I figured the bedframe should be set up first, but women are particular about those things.  I couldn’t put it just anywhere.  Did she want it under the window or across from the window, and what if there was more than one room upstairs?  I needed more information.  After coming up with a plan, I dragged everything to the front porch, the bed, the trunk, and the chair.  I knocked on the door. 

“Mr.  Wilson?  I need to speak to you, Sir.”  The old man opened the door, but he didn’t look happy to see me.  “I’m not sure where you want these things … I mean, is there more than one room upstairs?”

“Only one room.”

“Good.  Okay.  Is there any special way you want the bed set up?”

“Don’t you got any brains in that head of yours?  Just set it up.”

“Yes, Sir.”

I propped the front door open and started hauling the bed up the stairs to the only room that existed.  It was more of an attic than a real bedroom.  A porthole-sized window at the front of the house let the only daylight show through.  Even a man of my size could only stand up in the middle of the room, and that’s where I centered the bed.  I found a good spot for the rocker and placed the trunk under the window.  If the lady didn’t like the arrangement, I could move things before the day was out.

With the task completed, I ventured down to find the old man.  Instead, Miss Alberta Mae stood just inside the front door.  Secured in the crook of her left arm was a ball of white fluff.

“Hello,” she said.”

“Hello.”  Good Lord.  The lady was a looker.  I’d never met anyone so beautiful before.  “I … um, I just took the furniture up to your room.”

“I know.  Papa told me he hired a man.”

I smiled.  “Yeah, that’s me.”

“I’m pleased to meet you—”

“Joe.  Joe Cartwright.”

“I knew a family of Cartwrights when I was … was it Adam?”

“That’s my eldest brother.”

“Yes, of course.”

Her voice was as sultry as a sweet summer night, and her body had curves in all the right places.  When she began walking toward me, my heart raced with a feeling of something grand, but I was a kid, and she was a married woman.  I wanted to laugh at the thoughts that ran through my head, and then all the control in the world couldn’t keep embarrassment from taking over. 

When she leaned in and whispered into my ear, the heat of her breath caressed the tender flesh of my cheek.  “You’re a handsome young man, Joe Cartwright.”  Before I could agree or deny the fact that the fluff ball barked and nearly scared me to death.  “May I introduce Franchot?”

I reached forward to pet the pup, but he didn’t seem too thrilled by my presence, and I jerked my hand away.  “Guess he doesn’t like me.”

“He’s not fond of most men.”

“Not even your husband?”

“That’s right.”

After setting the pup on the floor, he ran toward the kitchen, and I gave a sigh of relief, but then it happened.  She pressed herself against me.  Did she think she could handle me like she handled a pet dog?  I reached for her arms to push her away, but when her hands slid around my waist, I couldn’t seem to move.  It was an odd stance, yet heat soared through me like a dangerous firestorm, and breaking away seemed impossible. 

“Miss.”  My breathing was labored.  “Your father.”

“Are you dismissing me?”

“No, not at all, but your father might—”

“Let’s not talk about him.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Let’s see how the furniture fits in my room.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

I admit the whole situation made me nervous, but I followed her up the stairs like an obedient Franchot.  How could I not?  If she didn’t like the arrangement, I’d have to move her furniture sometime today anyway.  Now was as good a time as any.  I was just the paid help.  I didn’t know what else Mr. Wilson had in mind, but I sure hadn’t earned my pay. 

The woman got carried away.  Nothing more.  She was a married lady, and she and her husband probably played silly games all the time.  She just forgot where she was or who she was with.  It was all a crazy mistake.

“Let me know if something is out of place.”

Tapping her finger against her chin, she scanned the room and then looked at me over her shoulder.  “It’s fine for now.  I don’t know if the featherbed will make a difference or not, but I doubt it.”

“Good.  I need to find your father and see what else he wants me to do.”

She started toward me.  “My father has a mean streak, Joe.  Don’t let him take advantage.”

“Don’t worry.  I’m only here for one day.”

“Still …” 

Both hands moved up my chest in a very seductive fashion.  Fearing I would hurt her feelings, I didn’t step away.  I didn’t move a muscle.  I stood like a kid who didn’t have a clue what to do next.

“You have lovely hair, Joe.”

“Thank you, Miss Alberta.”

“And your skin is so tanned by the sun that it glows.”

“I guess so.”

“Is there anything else I can do for you, Ma’am?”

“Oh, yes, but not right now.  Papa’s waiting for you downstairs.”

“Yes, Ma’am.  And I should be on my way.”

“Yes, you should.”

“Bye, Ma’am.”

“I’ll look for you later.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

I flew down the stairs like a wildman and found Mr. Wilson sipping coffee at the kitchen table.  “Miss Alberta’s furniture’s in place, Sir.”

“Took you long enough.”

“Yes, Sir.  I wanted to make sure Miss Alberta was happy with the placement.”

The old man stood.  “There’s work to be done in the barn.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Chapter 3

By the time I replaced shingles on the roof, cleaned the tack, braced two of the stalls, and mucked the barn, I was starving and wondered if anyone would feed me before I fainted dead away.  When I started toward the house to get my next assignment, Miss Alberta stood in the doorway.  Though it was past noon, the woman still wore her satin and lace dressing gown.  I wondered why she hadn’t changed clothes by now, but maybe being home with her father was like a vacation or maybe she was just feeling lazy.  I didn’t know.

With arms crossed over her silky-white chest, she leaned heavily against the doorjamb and watched me walk toward the house.  When she ran her tongue over her bottom lip, I felt a tinge of fear run through me.  The lady knew how to entice a young man, but if need be, I could be strong.  How many times had I run it through my head that Alberta Mae was a married woman?  How many times?

“I’m looking for your father,” I said after climbing the two porch steps, but keeping my distance.

“Papa’s inside fixing lunch.”

Even though I thought that was women’s work, I didn’t say anything but, “That’s great.  I’m starving.”

“I bet you are.”

After moving the satin robe across one bare leg, it was obvious she wore nothing underneath, and wanted to make sure I was aware.  As she slipped long, delicate fingers between her legs, I turned my head away.  Did she have any idea how she was torturing me?  What kind of game was the married woman playing?

She refused to let me pass into the house, and I stood like a schoolboy, not knowing what to do next.  After clutching the front of my shirt and pulling me close, she took my left hand and placed it against the dark tangle of hair between her legs. 

“I’m quite fond of you, Joe.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“I’d like to know you better.”

“But, I—”

“Would you like to  know me better?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”  My trousers tightened.  My God.  Married to a gunslinger, and Papa was a room away.  What did she expect me to do?  “I’m sure we could be friends, Miss Alberta.”

“Kiss me, Joe.”

“Here?  Now?”

“Kiss me.”

My heart pounded.  Everything about her directive was wrong, but when she slipped her hand over my hardened cock, I nearly exploded.  After clutching her narrow waist with both hands, I pressed my lips to hers, but what I found was an open mouth and a tongue that was ready to explore.

I couldn’t control my breathing, but this had to stop.  “We can’t do this.”

“You’re right.”

“I’m glad you see it my way.”

“I’ll meet you in the loft in half an hour.”

“But Miss Alberta.”

“Half an hour.”

I set out to repair the corral fence per Mr. Wilson’s instructions, but that was only the first job he gave me.  There were several more repairs than needed tending, and the clock was ticking.  When Miss Alberta strolled from the house to the barn, I knew my half-hour was drawing near, and it was time to satisfy a married woman with a grumpy father close by. 

After taking a deep breath, I marched into the barn.  My father would be so proud.  I wasn’t green.  I’d been with the best life had to offer.  Miss Bulette taught me more about making love than I ever thought possible, but what was I to do with Miss Alberta?  I couldn’t run away.  I promised her father a day’s work, but she expected me to perform.  Was a new saddle worth compromising my morals?  What the heck was wrong with me anyhow? I climbed the ladder to the loft.

Miss Alberta had posed her naked self atop a laid-out quilt.  With one leg straight and the other bent at the knee, she beckoned me toward her with one hand and toyed between her legs with the other.  After seeing any decent lady positioned like an experienced whore, I had no choice but to drop my trousers and climb on top of Miss Alberta.

Nothing compared to the way she handled a man.  She knew exactly what she wanted and wasted no time going after her prize.  As petite as she was, she didn’t lack strength, and after rolling me to my back, she ripped my shirt open and sent buttons flying clear across the barn. 

I’d lowered my trousers, but that wasn’t good enough for Miss Alberta.  She wanted me as naked as she was, and it wasn’t long before my boots and trousers went flying from the loft onto the barn floor.

At first, I panicked.  What if Papa waltzed in and realized what was happening?  I’d heard of shotgun weddings, but Miss Alberta was already married.  If that wasn’t enough, my father would judge me a sinner for coveting my neighbor’s wife, but my sins had gone way beyond coveting.  But Pa was the least of my worries.  Miss Alberta had covered my penis with her mouth and at the same time, she scraped log red marks on my torso with the tips of her fingernails.

I was her slave.  I was ready for anything she had to offer, and I would give the performance of my life if that’s what it took to make her happy.  She’d sing my praises in her dreams, and then she’d leave Storey County with sweet memories of time spent with a willing neighbor.

When she pulled up short, just before I was ready to lose my mind, she slid herself up the quilt and positioned herself on top of me.  All I had to do was lie back and enjoy the ride.  Admittedly, I liked her style.  Her decided aggression was new to me, and her movements aroused me more than I knew was possible.  I thought Julia had all the moves, but Miss Alberta Mae …

Her movements started slowly, but when all respectability vanished and she began grinding away like a woman possessed, I slid my hands down the backs of her legs and pressed her silky white skin tighter against mine.  Her rose-flavored cologne filled the loft with a fragrance it had never known before, and the musky aroma of sex filled me with a pleasure I couldn’t explain.

As both of us lay back on the quilt and fought to catch our breath, I wondered if guilt echoed through her mind like it did mine.  A girl’s reputation was always forefront in any social situation, but what about a young man?  Was he as guilty as the woman?  A world of shame lay heavy on my mind.

Chapter 4

Feigning exhaustion, I excused myself right after supper and climbed the stairs to my room.  Nothing had been worse than slipping down that damn ladder barefoot.  Luckily, the old man hadn’t come into the barn and seen my clothes lying everywhere on the ground.  Mr. Wilson said I’d done a good job and asked if I’d return the following day and help out some more.  The pay would be the same.

How could I resist?  I wanted that darn saddle and figured Miss Alberta had been satisfied and was probably crying tears for her husband.  I don’t know why they weren’t together, but after yesterday’s ordeal, I’m sure she longed for him more than ever.  Tomorrow, I could actually get more work done for Mr. Wilson.  He’d like that, and maybe he’d call on me from time to time.  Hard work but good money.  I had no problem with that!

After hitching Cooch and loosening the cinch, I knocked on the Wilson’s front door. 

Carrying her little pup, she answered.  “Good morning, Joe.”

I tipped my hat.  “Miss Alberta.”

“Papa’s not feeling well this morning.  He asked me to give you his list.”

“No problem.  I can start without him.”

She backed away from the door like any normal woman would.  No unwanted advances.  No open dressing gown or tugging at my shirt.  Relief washed over me.  I could get my work done, grab my twenty dollars, and be on my way.  No feeling of guilt or shame.

I hadn’t slept more than an hour, and I was desperate not to let it show.  I tossed and turned all night, thinking and dreaming about what I’d done and how far I’d gone against God’s law.  No one could ever know, especially my family.  I’d really let them down this time.  The baby of the family could easily ruin the Cartwrights’ reputation as upstanding men in the community.

When I picked up the list old man Wilson had left, I could sense Alberta Mae standing right behind me, and before I reached the final chore of the day, her hands had slipped under my arms and were climbing up my chest.

I jerked away.  “Your father left a long list.  I should start right away.”

“Yes, you should.”

When I tried to step around her, she sidestepped in front of me.  “There’s something I want to show you first.”

“All right.”

“It’s upstairs.”

I tried not to sigh overloud.  I had work to do, but the woman had other plans, so I followed her to the attic room.

“My featherbed arrived.”

“That’s nice.”

“I slept up here last night, but I was all alone.  I hate sleeping alone.”

“I’m sure you miss your husband.”

She didn’t answer.  Instead, she turned her back on me and loosened the sash, and her dressing gown fell to the floor.  She turned back to face me.  “Do you like what you see?”

“I have work to do.” 

I hated her for tempting me.  I hated that I couldn’t resist her charms and that I dropped my hat and gun belt and stepped toward her.  I steadied my right hand on her waist and let my left seek the dampness between her thighs.  She was ready and willing, and when a smile crossed her face, I eased her onto the featherbed and slid down next to her.

Alberta was a firecracker that, when ignited, she blazed with a surge of excitement.  There was nothing she wouldn’t do to please a man.  I believe she would’ve acted the same no matter who shared her bed.  The woman was insatiable.  She never got enough, and she never wanted our time together to end.

After loosening my belt, she slipped her hand down the front of my trousers, and in seconds, I was as hard as a rock.  Her movements weren’t subtle, and I was eager to get the job done.  Her father had no idea what his daughter provided the hired help, and I prayed he never would.

Heavy pounding on the front door startled us both.  “Are you expecting someone?”

“No.  No one ever comes here.”  Her movements had halted the minute we heard the racket.  “I’m not dressed for company, Joe.  Would you mind?”

My cock had given way to fear, and I was able to crawl out of bed and rush down the stairs.  Papa was nowhere in sight, and I thanked God for that.  I pulled the front door open and a man’s fist plowed into my chin and knocked me clear off my feet.  I rolled from my back to my side and felt the bones in my jaw, hoping nothing was broken.

The man was a giant, as big as Hoss and strong as a bull.  The punch nearly did me in, but I was oblivious as to why the big oaf was after me.  I’d never seen the man before, and I hoped to never see him again.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Why you little … where’s my wife?”

“Your wife?”

“Alberta Mae.”

“I’m just the hired help, Mister.  I haven’t seen your wife all morning, but her room is upstairs.  I’m sure she’d love to see you.”

“If I find out you’re lying ….”

“Me?  No, Sir.  I work for Mr. Wilson.  That’s all.”

That’s when I realized my mistake.  My hat and gun belt still lay on the bedroom floor.

Chapter 5

I stared at the list Mr. Wilson had made the night before and thought I’d begin with the backdoor steps.  My jaw ached, and I was as jittery as a leaf in the wind.  If the husband found out I’d been with his wife, my family would never see me again.

Hopefully, the big man wouldn’t find me at the rear of the house. There were scraps of wood in the corner of the barn, and I thought there might be enough to repair the stairs.  Otherwise, I’d have to ride into town.

The job didn’t take too long, and by the time I finished, I saw Alberta Mae, her husband, and Papa sitting at the kitchen table.  I felt like a Peeping Tom, but my life was on the line.  It seemed as though the husband had calmed down, but I remembered what he’d done for a living before he “retired.”  Somehow, retirement and gunslinger were never lumped together in the same sentence, but I didn’t need to be careless.  I found out right off that he wasn’t fond of me.

Mr. Wilson’s list was too long for one day’s work, but I would do my best to complete most of the tasks.  Next on the list was the water trough.  Wilson wanted a new one built, but there wasn’t enough wood for the job.  I’d have to go inside the house to get money and ask if I could use his buckboard.  I dreaded the thought.

I gave a quick knock on the door before I entered the house.  They were all still sitting around the table, and I felt like I didn’t belong.  “What happened to your face, Son?”

I fingered my jaw.  “Nothing much, Sir.  Just an accident.”

“It looks like someone punched you.”

I glanced at the gunman.  “It’s nothing.”

“If you say so.  What can we do for you?”

“I planned to tackle the trough, but I need to go to town for new planks of wood.”

“Yeah,” the old man said.  “Guess I don’t have nothing around here.  By the way, the back steps look good.”

“Thank you.”

“You’ll have to take the buckboard.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Oh, Papa.  I should ride in with Joe and pick up the dress Mrs. Osmond made for me.  She said it would be ready this week.”

“It’s fine with me, Daughter.”

“Wait,” Russ said. 

I glared at Alberta’s husband.  I wasn’t about to drag him along with me, too.

“Since you’re going that way, pick me up some tobacco, Boy.”  He dug in his trousers pocket and pulled out a few coins.

“Any particular type?”

“Whiskey soaked.”

“All right.”

The old man stood and clapped his hand against my back.  “Tell Gus to put the lumber on my bill.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I’ll just be two shakes, Joe.  By the time you hitch the horses, I’ll be ready to go.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

The woman was efficient.  She wore a simple cotton dress—no frills—and ran out the door right as I finished hitching up the pulling horse.  I helped her up to the seat and climbed up beside her.

“My gun and my hat?”

“Under my bed.”

“I’ll need them before I head home.”

“I’ll think of something.”

The conversation was short and sweet, but it was time to change the subject.  “Were you expecting your husband to show up today?”

“No.”

“Do you know how close he came to killing me, and he doesn’t know the half of it?  What if he’d caught me in your bed?”

In a monotone voice, she answered.  “That would’ve been bad.  You’d be dead by now.”

“That’s fine.  Just fine.”

Her hand moved up my thigh.  “Calm down, Joe.  Nothing happened.”

I removed her hand.  “It’s over, Alberta.  No more.”

“But Joe.”

“No buts, Lady.  “I’d rather not be dead.”

Her hand found my crotch.  “I need a favor.”

I moved her hand back to her lap.  I was done playing games.  Her husband had come for her, and I needed to be as far out of the picture as possible. 

“Don’t touch me!  I never should’ve … it’s over and done with, Alberta.  Do you understand?”

“But Joe.”  Determined as sin, her hand crept up my thigh.  “You’re the one who doesn’t understand.”

“I understand plenty.  Your husband is here, and the two of us are finished.”

“No, let me explain.  You need to know the whole story.”

Alberta wouldn’t give up.  For the third time, I removed her hand before I grew rock hard.  Persistence was her middle name, and I nearly broke out in a sweat with thoughts of sex and death.  Which would it be?  If she had her way, we’d have a romp on the seat of the buckboard.  We’d both be satisfied with the results, but who’s to say her husband wouldn’t ride up at the most inopportune time.  The woman scared me.

I clucked the horses faster than I should’ve, and when I didn’t have time to swerve around a good-sized rock in the road, the buckboard tipped.  As the two of us flew from our seat and crashed onto the hard, dry earth, the wheels still spun, and dust swirled like a thunderous cloud around the fallen wagon.

If I hit my head, I wasn’t aware.   If I’d been knocked unconscious, it was only for a few seconds.  Nothing felt broken, but nothing felt right either, and it wasn’t until I became fully alert that I realized what she was attempting.  The whore in her had raised her pretty head again.  Her hand covered my cock and she was ready to have me right on the dirt road.

I turned to her and said,  “Why?”

“Why not?”

What could I say?  The woman had dismissed her morals.  She’d misplaced right from wrong, and so had I.  This funny business with the lady neighbor had to end before we both wound up dead.

“I still haven’t asked you for that favor, Joe.”

I was no longer interested in anything Alberta had to say, and I lay there like a dead fish, but that didn’t stop her from rattling on. My father taught us to be polite to the ladies, but I wanted to close my eyes and ears to this one.  Mrs. Alberta Mae Sievers didn’t know when to call it quits.

“Joe.”

“What, “I said in a deadpan voice.  I didn’t even open my eyes.

“I want you to kill my husband.”

Chapter 6

It was after midnight when I rode home, but the best part of my day had been that Alberta had enough sense to set my hat and gun belt on the front porch before her husband found them under the bed.

She and I had no choice but to walk back to Wilson’s ranch.  She ran straight to her room and left the old man and me to repair the buckboard.  Russ, the gunman, was nowhere in sight, and that was fine with me. 

The old man wasn’t pleased and only paid half my wages.  Part of me understood.  Tipping the wagon had been my fault, but if his daughter had any morals at all, it never would’ve happened.  After driving the buckboard back to the ranch, I told him I’d go to town first thing in the morning and pick up the wood for the trough.  He was fine with that, but I hoped he would fire me, tell me to get lost, and never come back, but that’s not what happened.  He wanted me to return and finish the jobs on his list.

Pa met me at the front door.  I wasn’t surprised.  My father was a worrier, and I was so late returning home, he was nearly beside himself.

“Where have you been, Joseph?”

“It’s a long story, Pa.”

“I’d like to hear it.”

After plopping down on the settee, I relayed the day’s events and told Pa what was planned for tomorrow.  Even though Alberta’s request was the only thing on my mind, I managed to tell the day’s story without fumbling.

“I’m really tired, Pa.”

“I bet you are.  Do you want me to send Hoss with you tomorrow?”

“Hoss?  Why?”

“Maybe the two of you could finish up and be done with the Wilsons.”

“No, that’s not necessary.  I’ll probably be done tomorrow anyway.”

Pa stood and laid his hand on my shoulder.  “Whatever you think’s best.”

“Hopefully, I won’t be as late tomorrow night.”

“Hopefully.”

I fell asleep just before dawn.  After tossing and turning all night, trying to come up with the right words for Alberta, I was dead to the world when Hoss hollered at me from my doorway. 

“Better get a move on, Little Joe.”

“Yeah … I’m up.”

“Make sure you are.”

“I said, I’m up.”

I didn’t mean to take it out on my brother, but the minute I opened my eyes, I remembered what had been asked of me and what I had to say.  “No, Lady.  No way in hell will I confront your husband.”

Chapter 7

It was easier to take the Ponderosa’s buckboard rather than get Old Man Wilson’s.  After heading into town and loading the bed with enough wood to build the trough, I drove out to the ranch and hoped to complete the project today.  The old man should be happy, and I could collect my twenty dollars.  I still wouldn’t have enough for the saddle, but I’d be halfway there.

The yard was empty when I pulled the wagon up in front of the barn.  I needed to gather some tools, and if luck held out, Alberta and her gunslinger husband would have left for the day.  Maybe they’d go to town.  Maybe they’d ride around the countryside.  Anywhere but in the yard where I had to worry about what she’d say next. 

I had no intention of killing her husband.  What kind of man did she think I was?  And was that the reason she kept toying with my affections?  She took things too far, and I was weak.  I’d never been seduced by a married woman, and my whole insides were in shambles.  Thinking straight had become a challenge.

Mr. Wilson must’ve heard me nailing the trough together, and he came out to talk.  “Howdy, Son.”

I nodded to the old man.

“You do good work, Joe.  I wonder if I could call on you now and then to help me out?”

I removed the nails I held in my mouth.  “I’d like that, Sir.”

“Maybe we could start out with once a week … just till I get caught up.”

“I’ll have to check with my father, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work.”  He offered his hand, and we shook on the deal.  “How long will Alberta and Russ be around.  Do they have plans to move on?”

“Don’t know their plans.  Don’t much care what they do.”

“I see.”

“No, you don’t, Son.”

The old man had converted back to his grumpy ways, but I’d let him decide if he wanted to explain.  I couldn’t care less what they did as long as they stayed away from me.

“You don’t know the half of it.”

While the cats were away, the old man invited me into the house for a cup of coffee and a talk.  I had no choice, and I followed Mr. Wilson inside.  There weren’t any fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies I was used to having with Hop Sing at the helm.  Mr. Wilson was on his own, and I don’t think Alberta knew what the kitchen was for.  She was worthless at everything but fucking.

“Are you sure you want to—”

“It’s curious, Joe.  I know your father, but I don’t know much about you, though I know more than I should.”

“I’m not sure what you mean, Sir.”

“No,” he said, holding his cup close to his lips and blowing at the hot liquid.  “I’m sure you don’t.”

As uncomfortable as I felt, I couldn’t leave the kitchen table.  The old man had something to say, and I remained as patient as I could.

“My daughter is a whore.”

My eyes widened at his statement, but I held my tongue.  What the hell could I say?  “Well, yeah.  She sure is, Mr.  Wilson.”

“I know she had you in the loft and again in her bedroom.  That’s why she wanted her bed in the attic.  There’s a room right next to mine, but she needed distance so she could carry on with whoever she pleased.”

“I … I”

“You don’t have to say nothing, Son.  He trained her in the art of whoring.”

“He?”

“Her husband.”

“Oh.”  Why was he telling me all this?  I didn’t need to know anything about his daughter.  It should’ve been a private affair, but he felt he could speak freely … to me.  Why me?

“He wooed her and took her away from me.  They left on a westbound stage, and when the money ran out, he put my daughter to work in some high-falutin’ saloon.  She wasn’t allowed to come back to him until she’d made twenty dollars.  Do you know how many men she had to … anyway, that’s how they made money.  He tried his hand at poker, thought he could double her income, but he was a lousy player and lost every cent every time she handed over her pay.”

“Mr. Wilson, you don’t have to—”

“Let me finish.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“The man’s a gunslinger.  That seems to be the only skill he’s ever had.  Don’t want to farm or ranch, and he can’t play poker.  That’s why he followed her back here.  He wants her with him.  He needs her income.”

“I’m sorry about everything, Mr. Wilson, but there’s not much I can do.”

“You good with a gun?”

“What?”  My heart beat like a drum.  I knew what he was asking.

“I want him dead, Joe.”

“Your daughter asked me the same thing yesterday, and my answer to both of you is no.  Not a chance in hell am I going up against a gunslinger.”

“You might be Alberta’s last hope.”

“I’m sorry.”  After setting my cup on the saucer, I stood from my chair.  “I need to finish the trough.”  I scurried from the room.

Chapter 8

I pocketed the twenty dollars and rode home, although there still wasn’t enough money for a saddle, but I tucked the hard-earned cash in my top drawer.  Whether I’d go back to Wilson’s and earn more, I wasn’t sure.  I had till Monday to make my decision. 

Russ and Alberta had been gone from the ranch all day, and it set me to wondering.  Was the gunslinger whoring his wife out in Virginia City so he could jump into a poker game and try to double his money?  Would he be so bold when everyone in Storey County might remember the one-time beauty queen?   

If the gunslinger found out his wife slept with the handyman in payment for his murder, he’d shoot me before I even loaded my gun.  If he ever discovered the truth, there’d be no such thing as a fair fight, but how could I have been so stupid?  Why hadn’t I figured she had an ulterior motive when she lured me up to the loft or to the attic? 

I’d been such a fool, but my family could never know.  My brothers warned me to be aware, but I thought they were being silly.  Maybe they knew more than they should about the beauty queen and didn’t want to let our father in on the real Alberta Mae Wilson.  Anyway, none of that mattered now.  I needed the married couple to move far, far away.  I didn’t want to see either of them again.

Chapter 9

“Are you all finished at the Wilson’s, Son?”

I wish Pa hadn’t asked that question at the supper table.  All eyes were on me, waiting for an answer.   My brothers had been doing my chores, and I doubt they were happy, but I hadn’t made my decision.  Since the old man knew I’d been with his daughter, it was hard for me to look him in the eye … but I wanted that new saddle more than anything and blurted out my answer.

“He wants me to come once a week if that’s okay with you.”

“What do you think, Boys?  Can we spare Joseph one day a week?”

Waiting for Adam’s snarky remark was never fun, but that night, I didn’t much care.  Let him snark all he wanted.  I fancied that saddle and another two weeks would do the trick.  If Russ and Alberta stayed busy in town, I would be good to go.  Of course, that was wishful thinking, and days without the couple lurking in the house or the yard would make working for Mr. Wilson much more pleasant. 

When I headed back on Monday, I was met at the door by Alberta Mae.  Though the flimsy nightgown was a thing of the past, her simple cotton dress made her more desirable than when she flaunted her wares and attacked me on sight.

“Good morning, Miss Alberta.”

“So formal? After all we’ve been through?”

I tried to ignore the woman, but she was hard to avoid.  “Is your father inside?”

“No.  Not sure where he is.”

“Where’s Russ?”

“Russ?”

“Your husband?”  She didn’t have to play dumb with me.  I wasn’t in the mood for tomfoolery.

“Not sure where he is.”

This wasn’t how I planned to start my day.  The woman was a menace, always in my way, always a hindrance to me getting that brand-new saddle.

I tipped my hat to the lady.  “I’ll check the barn.”

“Joe, wait.”

“I need to find your Pa, Ma’am.”

“Have you thought about what we talked about?”

I shook my head.  I told her no once.  “Didn’t you hear me the first time?  The answer is no.  Not a chance, so don’t ask me again.”

“What if I add two hundred dollars to the deal?”

“I won’t change my mind.  Not now.  Not ever.  You can add one thousand dollars to the deal, and my answer will still be no.  I’m not a gunfighter.”  When her hands skimmed up my shirtfront, I took a step back.  I wasn’t falling for her charms again.  “Tell your father I’m sorry, but something came up, and I had to leave.”

“Joe.  Wait.”

“No.  Not this time.”

Since I hadn’t taken time to unsaddle my horse, my getaway was clean and fast.  The woman lingered on the front porch, but I didn’t care.  I wasn’t doing her bidding, not for any amount of money or any playful romp on her brand-new featherbed.  My saddle would have to wait.  Working for old man Wilson had become too much of a hardship for my liking.

When I rode into the yard, I saw the curtain move by Pa’s desk, and before I could lead Cooch to the barn, Pa hollered at me from the front porch.  “Joe?”

“Be right there.”

If I had a few minutes to tend my horse, maybe I could come up with a plausible reason for my early arrival home.  Pa would ask a hundred questions, and I’d have to hand over good-sounding answers.  No mention of Alberta Mae, and no mention of her gunfighter husband.  I’d use the old man for my alibi.

“You’re home early, Son.”

“Yeah.”  I heaved my saddle and blanket over the divider and reached for the oat bag.  Cooch deserved the best. 

“Something go wrong?”

“No, not really.  The old man wasn’t expecting me, and he had other things to do.  He likes to be there when I’m working for him.”

“I hate to waste the whole day.  Why don’t we eat lunch, and you can ride out and meet your brothers?”

“I’ll go now, Pa.  I’m not real hungry.”  I dared not tell my father any more than that.  I’d rather ride out than have to sit and chit-chat about the old man or his daughter. 

“If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.”

By Saturday afternoon, my brothers and I had repaired enough fence to last a lifetime, but we’d be doing the same monotonous chore again next week.  It was a never-ending task.  But this week’s job was finished, and we drove the wagon home halfway through the day.  Each of us would take a bath and be ready for some Saturday night fun.  A few beers and a few hands of cards sounded good to me.

Chapter 10

A saloon never failed to embrace the foul stench of stale beer and a haze of bluish smoke that lay heavy above every card table, but it was the sights and sounds of individual taverns that gave a man the freedom to let loose and have fun on a Saturday night. 

I loved everything about the Bucket of Blood, but my eldest brother would feel more relaxed and a bit more comfortable down the street at the Sazerac.  Adam’s choice was a little too highbrow for Hoss and me, and when we all came in together, my saloon-of-choice always won out.

On this particular night, I wish Hoss and I would’ve given in to my brother’s wishes.  None of us had a clue what a simple night on the town would bring, and a simple decision to drink at a different saloon would have been a much better choice.

When Harriette—one of the pretty young gals that made riding to town after a hard day’s work worthwhile—signaled that a seat had opened up at one of the tables, I picked up my mug of beer and left my brothers at the bar.

“You’re always looking out for me, aren’t you?”

“Don’t you know it, Joe Cartwright.”

I leaned in and kissed the pretty woman on the cheek.  “Stick with me tonight.  I feel lucky.”

The night started out well, and after winning my first three hands, I picked up three silver dollars and handed them over my shoulder to Harriette.  She’d brought me good luck, and I was thankful for small favors.  I was up nearly twenty dollars, and if I had a lick of sense, I’d leave the table and go home a winner, but I wasn’t that smart, and after three more hands, I wish I’d listened to myself earlier.

“That’s enough for me, Boys.”

“You’re still up ten bucks, Joe.  Maybe you should stay?”

“Not tonight.  My brothers are waiting—”

“Hey, Hot Shot.”

I glanced toward the batwings and witnessed Sievers, Alberta’s gunslinging husband, shooting off his mouth and directing his words straight at me.  I didn’t bother to answer.  Instead, I tipped my hat to Harriette and made my way toward my brothers.  I didn’t want to have anything to do with a man like him.

“You know that fella, Little Joe?”

“Yeah, we’ve met.”  I wasn’t about to explain anything more than I had to, but Hoss continued his questions.

“He don’t look like anyone I’d wanna know.”

“Me either, Brother.”  But the gunslinger wasn’t finished.  He proceeded to goad me.

“Joe Cartwright.”

I dropped my head and stared down at the bar.  Let him have his fun, but he could have it without me.  I wasn’t going to join in and play some stupid little game he thought might be fun.  He hated me from the get-go, and I can’t say I was thrilled about meeting him.  I tried to keep my distance, and the saloon was the last place I thought I’d see him again.

“I know everything about you, Joe Cartwright.”

Hoss and Adam’s eyes bore down on me, but I couldn’t look up.  If a conversation between husband and wife had taken place, my whole world would come crashing down around me.  I was too young to be cast aside as some kind of lothario, but I couldn’t trust Alberta to keep our affair a secret. 

“Don’t ignore me, Cartwright.”

Hoss tapped my shoulder.  “Come on.  Let’s get outta here.”

That was the best suggestion I’d heard all night, and I gave my brother a quick nod, but it wasn’t over yet.  Russ Sievers had much more to say.

“After a bit of persuasion, Alberta Mae became a very talkative woman.  Do you want everyone to hear what she said, or do you want to meet me outside?”

We all knew what he meant by a little persuasion, and I hoped the woman wasn’t hurt too badly.  She didn’t deserve a beating, but she married a gunfighter, and I bet he was as good with his fists as he was with his gun.

Hoss didn’t tap my shoulder this time; he grabbed hold and guided me toward the batwings.  Adam flanked my right side, but nothing or no one would get in Sievers’ way.  Drawing me into a gunfight was his intention.  He was determined to see me dead.

When Adam fell away from my side, I turned my head to the conversation my brother had with the gunman.

“My brother wants nothing to do with you, not today, not ever.”

 “I’ll take you first.  Then the fat one.  Whatever it takes to draw that wife-stealing brother of yours out on the street.”

Even though Adam’s hand rested on his Colt, he only planned to talk.  “Go home, Sievers.  No one’s going to fight you.”

“You’re as cocky as that young brother of yours, ain’t you?  Think you’re pretty smart, but you’re not.  That little brother of yours took advantage of my wife.  She tried to get away, but he pinned her down and defiled her.  What would you do in my place?”

Hoss’s hand slipped from my shoulder, and Adam turned to face me head-on.  The questioning looks on their faces made me feel about one inch tall.  Should I blurt out the truth, or deny everything the man said?  The saloon was full of men and slightly dressed gals, all with their eyes directed at me.  Everyone waited for me to answer the gunfighter.

“Well?”

Russ Sievers and the attentive crowd weren’t the only ones who wanted answers.  My own brother felt he had to question me in front of all the onlookers in the saloon.  I doubt I’d ever been more ashamed in my life.  My affair with Alberta Mae was one-sided, but who’d believe a tale like that?  She planned this confrontation all along.  She wanted her husband dead, and she used me as her ace in the hole.  I was a nobody, and in her eyes, I was dispensable.

“Let’s go.” 

When I moved toward the batwings, my brothers didn’t hesitate to flank me on the way to the boardwalk, but as I reached up to grab the pommel, Sievers pushed the barrel of his gun into my ribs. 

“What’s it gonna take, Cartwright?”

“I’m not going to fight you, Sievers.”

“Which brother will you miss most?”

“I assume you’re ready to hang.”

“You’re a funny man, aren’t you?  The life of the party?”

“No.”

“You fucked my wife, Cartwright.”

“You’ve got it all wrong.”

“Then you admit you fucked my wife.”

“No.  Your wife …”

“My wife what?  Are you calling my wife a liar?”

“No.”

“Then you fucked my wife.  Plain and simple.”

I’d held my rage so far, but the gunslinger’s constant barrage made my skin crawl.  I wanted to slap him, punch and kick him, anything but stand up against him in a gunfight.

“Go home to your wife, Sievers.”

I mounted my horse and stared down at the man who still held a gun in his hand.  He shot at the ground near Cooch’s front hooves, and when the animal pranced sideways, I tightened my legs against the saddle.  Sievers’ plan was to see me fall, but I was a decent horseman and he had to go a lot farther if he wanted to see my butt hit the ground.

“You’re yellow, Cartwright.  You’re all talk and no action.”

I’d told myself to stay strong, but I lost the battle.  I dismounted my horse and turned toward my nemesis.  When he grinned, I wanted to smack that stupid smile from his face, but this time, I didn’t hesitate to follow through, and I hit him with everything I had in me.

I didn’t have to turn around to know my brothers were closing in.  Each of them would try to hold me back, but it was too late.  I’d let the family down if I took on the gunfighter, but I’d let myself down if I didn’t.

“Let’s get this over with, Sievers.”

The gunfighter smiled.  His goading paid off; he had me where he wanted me.  Some would call me a dumb kid.  Some would say bravado got the best of me, but a man had to stand in my boots to know how I felt.

I moved toward the middle of C Street, as did Russ Sievers.  At around thirty feet, we were close enough to aim true and hit our target.

My eyes locked on the gunfighter’s right hand.  I waited for the slightest movement, the slimmest twitch, and I would draw my Colt.  I felt the crowd closing in, but I didn’t dare look away from my mark.  Beads of sweat glistened on my forehead and trickled down the small of my back, but nothing could disrupt my focus on the task at hand.

Two guns erupted in gunfire …

Chapter 11

“What do you think his chances are?”

“I won’t lie to you, Ben.  The boy’s condition is dire.” 

Though I couldn’t move my arms or legs or force my eyes to open, my hearing didn’t fail me.  Every word said between my father and the doctor didn’t give much hope of a full recovery.  I’m not sure how long I’d been incapacitated.  In fact, I had no recollection of anything beyond lying face down in the street with blood pooling from a wound in my chest. 

I didn’t know if I’d done any damage to my opponent.  My mind was blank after I  fired, but what I couldn’t forget was the look on my brothers’ faces as they hovered over my prone, lifeless body.  Though I never meant for them to be part of the mess I’d made, they couldn’t walk away.  I’d become more of a burden than a pleasure, and I regretted putting them through the hardship of telling Pa how I died. 

But I didn’t die.  Paul Martin was a good man and always did his best, but he wasn’t overconfident.  He told it like it was, and the odds weren’t in my favor.  I’d brought the fight on myself, and it wasn’t fair that my family had to be part of my failings.  Pa had lost three wives, but they weren’t the cause of their own demise.  The shooting was my fault alone, and that made all the difference.

When the world finally came into focus, my father was the first person I saw.  Sitting in an overstuffed chair pulled close to my bed, I wondered how many days he’d spent watching over the fool he called son.  His chin rested on his fist, and his eyes were closed.  Though I was as dry as a bone, I didn’t want to disturb him, and I closed my eyes until I heard him stir.

When I opened them a second time, my father had leaned forward in his chair and was stroking my arm, and when he saw that my eyes were open, he smiled and took hold of my hand. 

“It’s about time you woke up.”

“Thirsty.”

Pa filled a glass from the bedside pitcher and brought it to my mouth, and as soon as I tried to sit up, pain shot through me like a bolt of lightning, and I fell back on the bed with a thud.

“Not so fast, Son.” 

“What happened?  Why am I here?”

“You don’t know?”

“I remember some of it.”

“Sievers is dead.”

“I killed him?”

“Yes.  You killed him.”

She got what she wanted, but at what cost?  The conversation between the doctor and my father sat heavily on my mind.  I couldn’t change the facts.  I wasn’t out of the woods and may never be, and I wondered if she cared enough to tell me she was sorry.

What did it matter?  I never wanted to see Alberta’s face again.  She tricked me and nearly got me killed, but the worst part would be having to tell my family why I had to stand up against Russ Sievers and nearly get myself killed.  The whole thing was embarrassing, and I didn’t want the world to know what a fool I’d been.  It wouldn’t be long before my private affairs were common knowledge to anyone who wanted to listen and everyone to judge.  Joe Cartwright would be the laughingstock of Storey County.

Chapter 11

By week’s end, I was allowed to sit in my overstuffed chair by the window.  The view outside kept me from staring at four whitewashed walls, but I was still a long way from riding and roping and carrying on like a normal ranch hand.  Those days were still weeks away.

A discussion about my behavior with Mrs. Sievers hadn’t happened, although I knew Pa was chomping at the bit to have a chat with his wayward son, but after hearing a horse ride up, I glanced down to see Roy Coffee walking up to the front door.  As much as I wanted to be part of the conversation, I didn’t have the stamina to make it down the stairs.

To my surprise, Roy and Pa stepped into my room.  My father came to stand by my side before the sheriff explained why he’d ridden out to the ranch.

“I didn’t come out sooner.  Paul said you was in pretty bad shape and that I should wait a while before I told you the news.”

“What news?”  Pa’s hand came to rest on my shoulder.  Did he already know what Roy had come to say?

“As you know, Russ Sievers is dead, but there won’t be any charges.  Everyone on the street said it was a fair fight.”

My God.  I’d never even thought about the consequences.  “It’s not something I’m proud of, Sheriff.”

“No, I didn’t think you would be, but I wanted you to know you’re free and clear and won’t be indicted for murder.”

“Thanks.”

“There’s one more thing, Little Joe.”

“What’s that?”

“Mrs. Sievers took her own life.”

“She what?  When?”

“Her father found her.  The details aren’t necessary.  All I’ll say is that it was a gruesome sight, something no father should have to see.”

I felt bad for Mr. Wilson.  He knew what his daughter had become, and then having to deal with her untimely death seemed like an awful burden for a man his age.

“Tell him I’m real sorry, will you, Sheriff?”

“I will.  He’ll appreciate that, Son.”

“I’d do it myself but,”—I glanced up at my father.  “It’ll be a while before I can sit a horse, and I’d like him to know before that time comes.”

When Roy had said all there was to say, Pa winked at me before he walked the sheriff downstairs and bid him farewell.  He left me alone to mull over the facts, and I appreciated that he thought I was man enough to deal with two deaths on my own.

Later the same day, another visitor appeared in the yard, only this time, a buckboard was involved.  From my perch at the window, it took me a minute to figure out who had driven up, and when I did, I became a nervous wreck.  What the heck was he doing here?  It’s not a person I ever wanted to see again.

A light tapping on my bedroom door alerted me that Pa and our visitor had come up to talk.  I sat up straighter in the chair, but wasn’t sure how sociable I could be.

“Hello, Mr. Wilson.”

“Glad you see you’re sitting up, Joe.”

“Yeah.  Won’t be long and I’ll be back in business.”

“Don’t rush things, Son.  Make sure you’re healed up before you go and do something crazy.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I brung you something.  I’ll leave it with your pa and you can see it when you’re up and around.”

“You brought me something?  There was no need—”

“You let me be the judge.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I appreciate all you done for me, Joe.  I’ll be selling the place and movin’ on.”

“Where will you go?”

“Got a brother down Carson way.  He wants me to come down there with him.  Figure it might be for the best.”

“I wish you luck, Mr. Wilson.”

“Thank you, Son.”  The old man looked up at my father.  “I’ll let myself out.  You stay with the boy.”

“Take care,” Pa said and shook the man’s hand.  “Maybe we’ll meet again someday.”

Chapter 12

Doc finally gave me the okay.  My days of lying around doing nothing were over, and I was fit enough to return to normal ranch work.  Though my brothers had complained about the overload of chores for more than a week, they’d be stuck with their little brother tomorrow, but I was ready to go.  I’d never been so ready to dig postholes or chase ornery steers.  Bring it on, Brothers!

Mr. Wilson had moved in with his brother before I had time to thank him for the gift he’d left with my father.  Being laid up like I was, it had been another week before I was allowed downstairs, but Pa had balanced the brand-new saddle on the arm of the settee before he helped me down the stairs.

I don’t know how Mr. Wilson knew, but there it sat, as pretty as the day I saw it through the window of the tack shop.  Though I hadn’t worked enough to pay the bill, the old man had taken it upon himself to pay Ira Friedman and haul it out to the house.  After everything I’d been through, perhaps he felt he was to blame.  I’d never know how he felt about his daughter’s plan, and I didn’t think it was anything he cared to share with a boy like me.  It didn’t make up for Alberta Mae’s deceitful ways, but I appreciated the gesture all the same.

As I lifted the saddle onto Cooch’s back, I smiled.  A beautiful horse deserved a beautiful saddle, one that fit him like a glove.  I could sense my brothers behind me, watching and trying not to say something that would ruin my first day back to work.  For years, they’d made fun of the affection I had for my mount, but I didn’t think they goaded me today.

I was gradually putting Alberta Mae and her gunslinger husband out of my mind.  They were past tense.  I was ready to move on and forget how I’d been duped into facing Russ Sievers in the middle of C Street.  Although I came out the winner, I’d been a fool to take him on and prayed I’d never be that reckless again.

“You two ready to ride?”

“Just waitin’ on you, Little Brother.”

“Time’s a-wastin’.”

Morning sun shone over the mountain peaks.  The air felt clean and fresh, and the birds sang a fine, sweet song. My wound had healed, and I was riding out with my brothers.  Life was back to normal, and I’d never been happier.

The End

2024