Beau stood, grabbed his arm, and let out a blast of swear words, calling Jack every name in the devil’s book.
Jack held his left hand on his right shoulder, looked upward, and moved his lips as if in silent prayer.
Beau turned, jumped on his horse, and rode toward the doctor’s clinic, still swearing.
Wyatt finally let out the breath he’d been holding. “Wow! You really are fast, Jack.”
“I admit to practicing a lot last night,” he said. “The thing that worried me the most was that I’d kill him, and I couldn’t live with that pain again.”
“Do you want to see the doctor for that wound?” Wyatt walked over and lifted the hand Jack was holding over the wound.
“It doesn’t hurt much; just stings,” Jack said.
Wyatt chuckled. “I can’t believe it. It’s just a nick. It ripped your shirt and just scraped off a bit of skin. You were mightily protected, Jack.”
Jack winked. “Yes, I was.”
“Vera can take care of this. When she’s done, you and I will talk about your future.”
“My future?”
“You can’t wander about from town to town, working on farms. You need a real job or a profession.”
Jack shrugged. “I’ve never thought that far ahead, but after meeting Thea, I think you’re right.”
~~~~***~~~~
Vera washed and treated Jack’s wound. “Thank the good Lord that nasty brute didn’t kill you.”
“After you bandage him up, Jack and I will have a talk about his future,” Wyatt said.
“That’s a good idea. You can’t go through life as a drifter. You need roots and a family someday.”
“There’s something I need to do first,” Jack said as he stood. “I need to go to church and thank God properly.”
“Why, Jack,” Vera said, “you can thank him anywhere. Use the spare room upstairs.”
“No, I want to do it where I first met God.”
Vera frowned. “What if you run into Beau?”
“I don’t think he’ll bother me anymore, eh, Wyatt?”
“I think he’ll avoid you from now on.” Wyatt clapped Jack’s back. “Come back after. I really want to talk.”
“I promise.”
“I’ll sweeten the pot,” Vera said. “Come for dinner. I have a fat beef roast in the oven.”
~~~~***~~~~
After dinner, Wyatt sat in the sitting room with Jack while Vera cleaned up the dishes.
“What do you think you’d like to do for a living?” Wyatt asked.
“I don’t know. Let me think.”
“You’ve worked on many farms—what job did you like doing the best?”
“I loved working with horses ... well, all animals, but mostly horses.”
“A livery job might be a good start for you. Then, if you save as much of your pay as you can, maybe one day you can own the livery or buy your own business. Hays could use another livery.”
“Is that how you got this farm?” Jack asked.
“No, I was fortunate—not everyone has a father who owns six hundred acres. He gave me three hundred and helped me to build the farm.”
“You’ve put a lot of hard work into it, though,” Jack said. “But it was lucky to get the land.”
“I want you to go to the livery in town and ask about a job. The owner is Hank Cramer, and he’s getting up in years. He may need some help since he had only daughters. His wife is dead, and his daughters have married and moved to other, nearby towns. He’s alone. I know he has a man named Stan helping, but he likes to tip the whiskey glass, so it’s worth a try.”
“All right, but who will work the farm for you? Come spring, you’ll need help,” Jack said.
“I won’t have a problem finding someone. There are young lads all over town looking for jobs. Last year, I had a sixteen-year-old who was one of the best workers I’ve ever had— except for you, of course.”
“I’ll talk to Mr. Cramer tomorrow,” Jack said, standing. “I’d better go home and get some sleep. I practiced my draw so late last night, I didn’t get much.”
~~~~***~~~~
Vera and Grace sat at the kitchen table, sipping tea. Vera had ridden over to tell her all the news.
“Is Jack all right?” Grace asked after hearing about the shoot-out.
“He’s fine. He put his trust in the Lord and has only a scratch on his shoulder.”
Grace stood to fill the teapot.
“Why, Grace, you’re looking a lot like a mother these days.”
Grace smiled and rubbed her tummy. “I vow, this child won’t stop kicking. He’s bound to be an active fellow.”
“Do you think it’s a boy, then?”
“Well, Clay’s father claims that since I don’t have heartburn and because of all the activity, this little one is a boy.”
Vera smiled. “How wonderful. Will he arrive in March or April?”
“That’s just it—Doc Hall said either the last week of March or the first week of April.”
“Are you feeling well?”
“I feel terrific. I’ve never been happier.” Grace poured them some more tea. “After our tea, I’ll show you all the baby clothes I’ve made.”
“I’ll start knitting him sweaters and caps.”
“Thank you, Vera.” Grace stirred her tea. “Is that a wedding ring on your finger?”
Vera blushed and whispered, “We became truly married in Missouri, and I don’t mean just the church service.”
“It’s about time. It’s a gorgeous ring.” Grace peered into Vera’s eyes. “Are you happy?”
“Grace, I’ve never been happier. I could never have imagined what love would feel like. It’s the most sensational feeling. I have the best husband in the world.”
“I think I’ll save all the baby clothes so we can share them.”
Both women smiled.
New Year’s Eve meant an evening church service and dinner at Grace and Clay’s. At midnight, the couples exchanged kisses and well-wishes before Wyatt and Vera headed for home.
In the quiet
