Reconcilable Differences
PART ONE
A lone figure made its way from the rooftop of the Grain Exchange, down along the deserted boardwalk, long easy strides carrying him toward the jail. Sharp eyes scanned the street out of long habit seeking changes in the normal pattern of things.
The pre-dawn hours were cool, with a bit of moisture in the air, giving sign that a storm was brewing. Vin Tanner felt the wind across his face and knew the weather would be coming in from the East by late afternoon.
Coffee was what he was after first thing this morning, and his goal was within sight, figuring that JD would have a pot ready. The Kid was taking the night watch at the jail where Yates and his cohorts were waiting extradition to Silver Springs. Vin had taken to the rooftops soon after his nemesis was carted away yesterday afternoon. He had answered Chris' look of concern with the excuse that a watch should be set in case there were more of Eli Joe's men unaccounted for, then turned away before his lie was exposed.
The very men that had tried to help kill the tracker now waited in the jail, facing the possibility of having their own necks stretched. Judge Travis had declined coming into town to oversee things. Vin hadn't understood why until Mary quietly explained to him that her father-in-law was staying away to protect Vin. He'd quickly looked to Chris for confirmation that the Judge was aware of the bounty on his head. Reading the answer on Larabee's face, Tanner felt numb at that revelation.
The sharpshooter understood that if the Judge came in to Four Corners and was told directly about the bounty, the older man would have to put Vin in a cell along with Yates and his boys. He was also surprised to find that the Judge thought enough of him to try to protect him. It didn't set well with the tracker that his presence in this town had now compromised a man he respected. It was bad enough that Chris was feeling guilty for having to kill Eli Joe in order to save him; Vin didn't want anyone else caught up in the mess his life had become.
Travis had quickly made other arrangements: the prisoners would be escorted to Silver Springs and placed in the custody of the local sheriff. There were wanted posters out on each of them for robbery and a couple with murder charges too. The counties that held the warrants would be notified and the men escorted directly there for prosecution. Tanner knew that in a couple of years, perhaps sooner he might have to face some of these men again.
Vin paused outside the jail looking around at the dusty little town that he'd called home for close to a year, marking each place in his memory.
He looked over at the News Paper office and spotted the soft glow of the lantern in the front window, knowing that Mary would be up and working on a new addition of The Clarion. Mrs. Potter's store would be open in a couple of hours, and the streets soon busy with the bustle of people going about their day. His eyes scanned the top floor of the boarding house, Chris' room faced the street, and the window was open, the cool breeze stirring the burlap coverings. Vin thought of the other men who rode with him. Each one had stood with Vin against his objections in his recent quest to clear his name. The bitter tang of regret laced his mouth, and for the first time in years, he was unsure of what his next step should be.
Vin saw no way of clearing his name, and knowing that in time someone with a real badge would come for him, his choices were limited. What weighed on his mind was the concern that his own troubles would bring added danger to the town he was supposed to protect.
Vin shook his head, looking behind him, knowing that death would reach him soon enough without his aide by being so inattentive. The sun came up on a new day as he rapped his knuckles against the door of the jail, giving warning before he entered. He sure as hell didn't want to take a stray bullet for startling JD.
Dunne was at the stove pouring a cup of coffee when he'd heard the knock, he was immediately relieved to see the sharpshooter poke his head around the door before coming fully into the room.
"Mornin' JD, they give ya any trouble?"
Vin nodded toward the back of the office before he went for coffee with a smile in thanks to the Kid.
"Naw, but that Yates fella sure can saw some logs." He shared a laugh with Vin and then sat back down behind the desk.
JD studied the tracker, reading plainly the signs of fatigue and stress. "You ok, Vin?"
The tip of the old gray Calvary hat rocked down, "Tolerable."
Vin walked back to the prisoners, looking at the six men crowded into the two small cells. Tanner fingered the knife at his side and fought down the urge to commit bloody murder. This group of men had tried to kill him and he wasn't going to forget that easy. Vin knew in the back of his mind that they were not entirely responsible, but that didn't stop the helpless rage he was struggling with.
oooOOooo
Chris walked into the jail. He had seen Vin earlier as he looked out the window from his room. Seeing Tanner motionless in front of the jail had unsettled the blond. He knew that the tracker was a deep thinking man and his stillness meant that Vin was worrying on something.
"Boys."
"Hey, Chris, you're up awful early." JD tipped his cup toward the little pot belly stove, "There's fresh coffee."
Larabee went for a cup and then joined Vin at the back of the jail. His gut clenched when he got a good look at his friend's face. The blond didn’t feel guilt at having to shoot Eli Joe, when it came down to it he didn't have a choice and figured that Tanner knew it too. His worry now was not for what went on yesterday, but how it was going to affect all the tomorrows of the man beside him.
The Texan turned away from the prisoners; rage too close to the surface and he knew that Chris could read it on his face.
"Vin let's take a walk."
He moved back to the stove to refresh his coffee, knowing that Tanner would follow. There were things that needed saying between them and he knew that Vin understood that.
oooOOooo
Buck rolled out of Betsy's bed with a yawn and a stretch. It was far too early to be out of bed, especially if there was a warm and willing pair of arms to hold him. This morning though he had a feeling that his friends needed him more.
Buck had helped Josiah burry Eli Joe up on Boot Hill late yesterday. He didn't know what to say to Vin or to Chris, and was willing to let the two men alone, but something Josiah had said at the killer's graveside stuck with Buck and was the source of his concern now.
"I hope that Vin will stay and let us keep watch over him."
Sanchez had uttered that one sentence and Buck had nodded his agreement before realizing that the preacher fully expected Tanner to leave town. He hadn't considered that Vin might leave, and he worried that Chris would follow him; he knew how close the blond had grown to the sharpshooter. Buck was not ready to let Larabee fade away again.
Wilmington had just stepped out of the boarding house when he saw the two men uppermost in his thoughts headed toward the livery. He rushed across the street and into the jail startling JD so bad, the Kid spilled coffee all down his shirt.
"Buck! Now look what you made me do!"
"Calm down JD and tell me, do you know where Chris and Vin were headed?" Feeling an awful knot in his belly, thinking they might be riding out of town and hurt that Larabee had not considered the rest of the men, him in particular, in that decision.
Dunne stopped swiping at his shirtfront, paying more attention to his friend's face, Buck's brows furrowed with worry.
"Chris told Vin they needed to talk, so they left." Now JD was feeling anxious and wasn't even sure why. "What's wrong?"
Wilmington raked his long fingers through his hair before turning to the Kid with a smile, relieved that'd he had been wrong in his assumptions. "Ain't nothin', JD, just wonderin' is all."
Before the younger man could ask any further questions, Buck moved to the stove and started talking to distract the Kid from questioning him too closely. "Is the coffee fresh?" raising one dark eyebrow, the tall man turned toward Dunne, "'Cause you know, I can't drink coffee that’s been cooked for too long. Nasty tastin' stuff, I know Vin likes it, but I sure as hell don't." He kept up the endless string of chatter for JD's benefit, not wanting to worry the younger man.
oooOOooo
Chris didn't say anything to Vin as they walked to the livery and Vin didn't offer up any words to fill in the silence. They reached the corral and the blond mimicked his friends pose as the younger man leaned his arms over the top railing.
"Stop it, Chris. You ain't got nothin' to feel sorry 'bout, so let it go." Vin had felt the gunslinger's eyes on him and read the guilt like it was a badge across Larabee's chest. He didn't want what his friend was feeling to get in the way of thinking through his choices.
Larabee was not surprised that Vin had read his mood so well; it stopped surprising him long ago, that uncanny ability that Tanner had to read people. Now he was thinking of the fight on the rooftop of the hotel and then his shot that saved Vin's life but killed his ability to clear his name.
The gunslinger was not one for idle chatter and knew Vin to be of a like mind, but there were things that he needed to say and things that he needed to know.
"Sorry just don't seem to cover it, Vin." Clearing his throat and taking a sip of his rapidly cooling coffee, he continued. "It was him or you and there was no other choice I could have made…" he held up his hand when the tracker started to interrupt, "I know I can't make this right for you, no way now to clear your name with Eli Joe dead and buried."
That statement drove right to the heart of Vin's current dilemma, and he didn't even try to hide how bad that felt. The urge to leave was more out of concern for the men he rode with and the people in town that he'd come to care about. The question was how do you choose to leave when you just learned how to stay?
Vin turned and met the cool green eyes of the gunslinger straight on, knowing that the other man would read the uncertainty in his own. "I don't know what I'm gonna do, need some time to work it out in my head."
To Chris that meant only one thing, that Vin wanted a few days to himself, and the gunslinger was hard pressed not to argue.
"I want your word, Vin that once you have your time, you'll come back. Let me and the boys know what you're intending to do." He trusted Tanner to stand by his promise and the blond would have the other man's agreement that he would come back before making any final decisions.
The tracker turned toward his friend; extending his hand, they locked forearms. Vin felt a wealth of brotherly affection for this man and had no problem giving his promise that he would return.
Chris tossed the last dregs of his coffee out, slapping the younger man on the back with his free hand and forcing a smile that he didn't feel to his lips, they turned toward town.
"You up for some breakfast?"
Vin patted his stomach, "I'm so hungry my belly thinks my throat's been cut."
oooOOooo
Ezra passed Chris and Vin on his way to the hotel. He had played cards through the night with a couple of businessmen who had, to his convenience, stopped overnight in Four Corners. They had arrived on the very stage that took his mother back to parts unknown.
Now, roughly sixteen hours later and seventy-five dollars richer, the gambler was ready to get a few hours of sleep and put the last couple of days behind him, or at least he was until he saw Vin and Chris.
Seeing his fellow peacekeepers changed the direction of his pleasant thoughts. It had been a rough few days, battling with Maude and still not entirely sure what her reasoning had been in buying and then selling the hotel other than to humiliate him.
He hadn't even known of Maude's arrival in Four Corners until he was showing some of his potential investors, namely Josiah, JD and Nathan the new saloon he'd just purchased. Ezra had been dismayed to see his mother, knowing that she would try to interfere in his new investment. He was further shocked to learn that she'd just won the hotel across the street from his establishment.
He wondered now if the past few days had been premeditated, another way for his mother to show him how futile his dreams were without her influence.
In the end, she owned the saloon that he had coveted for so long and owned ever so briefly. Ezra knew that he could have made a good living there and would have been happy with the small investment, had his mother not interfered.
He felt a rush of hurt at some of the other men and their behavior in the last couple of days. Nathan letting Maude talk him into setting up a clinic. The healer accepting the title of ‘Physician’ from her was shocking since it was a title he had never accepted from anyone else.
Ezra had been at odds with the former slave since the beginning; he had spoken out of turn once and was not allowed to forget. That first day in the saloon when Chris had asked him if he would join them in protecting the Seminoles his first question had been to ask if the black man was riding with them. Those words had come unbidden to him, more from a lifetime of segregation than any true predaciousness. It was something he had since regretted and hoped had been put behind them in the past months. In future, the southerner would make sure to keep his own counsel when around the healer.
Then there was JD spending his money so foolishly on Maude's advice. If only the young man had come to Ezra first, but alas, he had not and both men had suffered for it. For Standish it was easier to forgive the folly of youth and thus he didn't harbor any real anger toward the Kid.
Ezra wasn't sure what he felt about the preacher. The big man's infatuation with Maude was disconcerting but knowing his mother, it would be rendered harmless in the end. Sanchez seemed to be susceptible and maybe gullible when it came to women. It was a strange vulnerability in such a strong-minded man.
The other three men really didn't factor into the entire episode, as their own concerns kept them busy elsewhere while his mother was in town trying once again to ruin her son's life.
Buck, well the man had his own problems with Lucy announcing that she was expecting both Mr. Wilmington’s child and marriage. Ezra still wasn't sure how that had turned out, only knowing that the ladies man was too involved in his own concerns to be so easily caught up in Ezra's.
During that time, Vin had been arrested by a false sheriff and almost hanged by the very man who had cause the young peacekeeper to become wanted in the first place. Chris was busy trying to keep Tanner alive and thus was not privy, thank the merciful saints, to Ezra's business dealings and his issues with Maude.
The Southerner didn't know what came over him, as he suddenly changed direction and caught up with the two other men as they came abreast of the restaurant.
"Do you gentlemen mind if I join you in breaking your fast this morning?"
Vin gave him a welcoming smile, remembering in spite of his own troubles that Standish had backed him when the tracker needed help. Something that probably surprised the Gambler much more than it did Vin; he could read people well and knew that Ezra was a good man underneath all the wheeling and dealing.
Chris just nodded his acceptance and kept on walking, his mind too full right now with other things.
oooOOooo
Josiah stepped out of the church with a cup of coffee in his hand. He'd had little sleep last night, his mind on Vin Tanner and the events of the past few days. He'd even spared a prayer for Ezra that the gambler would find peace with his mother and in his soul, and find himself worthy of the respect and friendships offered him in this town.
Chris had tried to get Yates and his men to bear witness to Eli Joe’s confession that he was the one who killed Jessie Kincaid, but they adamantly refused. The false Sheriff laughed at the gunslinger for even bothering to make the suggestion, risking Larabee's ire. Yates was happy to say that he wanted Tanner to swing and that his men would be pleased to spread the news of Vin's whereabouts.
That set Larabee off and it took Buck to wrestle the gunslinger out the door before more trouble could start.
Chris' worry for Vin went much deeper; with the death of Eli Joe, would his young friend stay with them? That thought led to another and he found himself thinking of Ezra again and realizing that the loss of the saloon was much the same to the gambler. Now he was suddenly concerned that he might lose two friends.
Josiah saw three of the men go into the restaurant, the gambler and sharpshooter among the group, and decided that he would join them.
oooOOooo
Nathan Jackson stood looking down from the balcony of the clinic. He couldn't believe that he'd allowed Mrs. Standish to talk him into letting her keep that shingle up with him being named as a physician. He had been overwhelmed with the medical office she had set up for him and that fact that he would be able to do so much more with all the new equipment to help the people in town.
When he saw Ezra, it was like a slap in the face. Some of the things that the healer had said to Standish earlier about investing in the saloon had been more from a long born habit of negative thinking toward Southerners rather than any real lingering resentment toward the gambler. The words he'd spoken to his friend echoed in his mind.
Closing his eyes he thought back on the words spoken between them.
Ezra walked ahead of the small group, "Gentlemen, can you not picture this becoming the finest entertainment emporium in the entire territory?"
The young sheriff's heart had not been in the demonstration. "All I can picture right now is them fixin' to take Vin away and hang him."
"Now, Son, don't fret. Besides, when we rescue him, we'll need a fit place to celebrate. So, what say you, boys? Are you ready for success?" The gambler was in his element.
Nathan was distracted by thoughts of Vin and the recent offer from Maude Standish as he responded, "I don't know, Ezra. My daddy used to say, "Best horse you ever saw was only as good as the man riding it."
"Pure wisdom." Ezra didn't know how to respond to what he normally would have considered an insult, he chose to shrug it off.
Nathan's thoughts went to the next day when he heard Ezra call his name; the healer had been coming down the stairs of the hotel. One look at Ezra and was immediately stricken by what he'd allowed himself to be caught up in.
Unwilling to face the younger Standish at that moment, he immediately found the mother and withdrew his services. He found it rather odd that she didn't seem surprised and offered no objection. Almost as if she had done it on purpose just to drive a wedge between himself and Ezra.
He saw Josiah headed toward the restaurant and decided to join him. Maybe the preacher would be able to offer some insight to his actions and reactions of the last few days.
oooOOooo
Buck rubbed his belly as it growled loudly, eliciting a giggle from JD.
"Mine's empty too."
Wilmington watched the men in the cells for a moment more as they ate their own breakfast and then jumped up out of the chair.
"Come on JD, we're gonna get some grub."
"What about them?" Dunne hooked his thumbs in the top of his gun belt and tipped his head toward Yates and the other men.
Buck rubbed his chin thoughtfully and then snapped his fingers, "You got the key to the front door?" pulling the item out of JD's hand, the tall man ushered him out onto the boardwalk, "We'll just lock the outside too. 'Sides we're only gonna be gone a little while."
oooOOooo
Vin watched Ezra fiddle with the silverware on the table, unusually quiet and avoiding all eye contact with the other six men. The change had occurred when he spotted Jackson and Sanchez head toward their table. Tanner figured if the gambler hadn't already ordered his food, he'd have left.
Chris was quiet up until Buck and JD walked in right on the heels of Josiah and Nathan.
Vin became instantly aware that no one was guarding the prisoners and shoved his chair back.
"Who the hell is watching the prisoners?" The blond snagged Vin's arm before Tanner could gain his feet. "You ain't going no where near them, Vin."
The tracker was a bit perturbed that Chris didn't even bother to look in his direction when he delivered that message. Irritated that this man knew him well enough to know he would take JD and Buck's place in the jail.
Buck hooked a nearby chair with his boot and motioned for JD to sit, but the younger man was frozen in place by Larabee's anger.
"I locked the outer door, no one's going to go in there and I'm hungry." Buck locked eyes with Chris; blue eyes met hazel with a challenging arch of brow.
Chris turned away from the far end of the table, suddenly realizing that he still had his hand resting on Vin's forearm. He moved it.
oooOOooo
Smith's restaurant had opened its doors again within two months of the arrival of the seven peacekeepers. In the past, the citizens of Four Corners had not come out of their homes past sundown and the men who frequented the eatery often left without paying. The couple who owned the establishment had recently re-opened their doors to a booming business.
Laura Hagen had been a waitress at Smith's restaurant for the last six months. It was always her pleasure to serve the seven peacekeepers but today she was wary of approaching the table. The group of men were typically was talkative and animated but it was obvious to her that something was wrong.
Their leader, Chris Larabee was sipping his coffee, eyes wandering over each of his men. She noticed that they studied the tracker and the gambler longer than the rest and wondered what could be the source of all the tension between them.
Vin Tanner, normally a quiet but pleasant young man, was doing much the same, his striking blue eyes moving between the healer and the gambler with a puzzled frown on his face.
Ezra Standish, typically brass and bold as you please with quick wit and humor, had not moved his gaze from the table in front of him.
Nathan Jackson kept sending brief glances toward the southerner with what looked to be a guilty flush across his cheeks.
Josiah Sanchez, a man who was normally bright and cheerful, seemed unusually quiet and withdrawn. His gaze never left the rim of his coffee cup as he sipped his drink seemingly lost in thought.
Buck Wilmington, now there was a man full of passion and life, never without a friendly smile and a naughty word. The man never offended in his verbal appreciation of women, Laura herself was always pleased to be the recipient of his interest. Today he kept a steady gaze on the blond gunslinger, a frown on his handsome face.
Looking toward the town's young sheriff, she smiled. Normally fidgety as a cat on a hot tin roof, the reason for his silence was obvious: young Mr. Dunne had his face propped up in his open palm and was fast asleep, with one finger of his free hand curled around the handle of a pewter coffee mug.
She couldn't help the giggle that slipped out, inadvertently drawing all eyes but for the boy's in her direction. Putting a hand over her mouth, she apologized between cuffs of laughter and was pleased to see that once they noticed where her she was looking, the other six joined in. The tension was broken, so Laura swooped in to take the men's orders.
PART TWO
Vin swallowed the last of his coffee and tossed money on the table for his meal. When he scooted his chair back, the scraping noise drew the other men's attention to him.
"Fellas, I'm headin' out fer a day or two." The Texan stood. "Don't want ya'll to worry none, you don't see me around."
Tanner noticed that each man looked to Chris before nodding or offering Vin good wishes for a safe journey, as if seeking his approval first. It didn't bother Vin that they looked to the blond, it had been something they all did during their time together as peacekeepers. Chris was a natural leader.
Vin was turning toward the door when he heard Ezra speak to the group, and the gamblers words stopped him in his tracks.
"Well gentlemen, I'll be taking a prolonged absence from Four Corners as well." Ezra left money by his empty plate and made to stand, not expecting that any of the other men would voice any objections. It had not been his intention to leave town when he came into the restaurant but once the thought crossed his mind, Ezra couldn't dispel his urge to go.
"With Vin gone, I need you here Ezra." Chris didn't want to spare anyone else with Tanner out of town and it was damned inconvenient to have the gambler want to leave at the same time.
"Mr. Larabee, I believe that I am entitled to…" He was interrupted.
"Ezra can come with me, if'n he needs some time." Vin made the unplanned offer because he wanted to derail what was sure to become an eruption of anger between the gunslinger and the gambler. Each man had a different agenda and it was clear that Chris would soon alienate Ezra with his demands that the Southerner stay in town.
Chris turned shocked eyes toward the tracker, trying to read the intent behind the offer. Knowing Tanner's need for privacy, he knew there had to be a deeper meaning in this. He was disturbed that he didn’t know what was going on with Standish and made a vow to find out before the day was through. His thoughts were interrupted as Ezra answered Vin.
"While I appreciate the offer Mr. Tanner, I had a rather different destination in mind. A soft bed being at the top of my requirements: along with a ready game of cards and strong drink." Although Ezra was surprised at Vin's offer he was not at all shocked at how Chris had reacted to his announcement.
Larabee stood followed by the rest of the men, looking down on the gambler where he was still seated. "I won't pretend to know what's going on with you Standish, but I'd feel better if you would stick with Vin if you need a couple of days to figure out if you're staying or going." The small group left the restaurant behind their leader.
oooOOooo
Vin waited outside the eatery for Ezra. He watched as Nathan went back to his clinic, Josiah headed to the church and Chris, Buck and JD entered the jail.
He heard the door open behind him. Ezra came out, both men spoke at once.
"Vin"
"Ezra"
The southerner held out his hand indicating that his friend should speak first.
"I just wanted to say thanks for the help with Eli Joe an' his gang."
A gold tooth flashed as Ezra smiled, "My pleasure, Mr. Tanner." He moved up closer to the longhaired man before speaking again.
"While I appreciate your offer to accompany you outside town, I am not certain of my destination or the duration of my journey."
Vin nodded his understanding, "I was too caught up in my own troubles these past days to see what else might be goin' on." It was his way of apologizing for not knowing that Ezra had concerns of his own. "an' I just wanted you ta know you've got a friend ready to stand beside ya."
After listening to Vin, Ezra decided that maybe leaving town with the tracker would provide a good cover if he decided not to come back. "If you are sure that it wouldn't be an imposition, I would be honored to join you."
Nodding his head, Vin told the gambler to meet him at the livery by ten that morning.
As they parted for the short time it would take to prepare to leave, Ezra thought ahead. He might still want to leave Four Corners and rather than coming back for his meager belongings, he would arrange an extra mount to carry those items he didn't want to leave behind.
oooOOooo
Nathan was sitting outside the clinic when he saw Ezra enter the livery. Taking a deep breath the healer rose to his feet and started down the steps. He waited for fifteen minutes by the double doors, until Ezra walked out leading his horse and an old mule.
"Ezra, you got a minute?" Nathan asked. He read the desire to refuse in the other man's eyes just before Ezra spoke.
"I have only a moment to spare, Mr. Jackson. What can I help you with?" Ezra didn't want to have this conversation but realized it was unavoidable with the man standing in his path.
"I just wanted ta tell ya that I'm sorry 'bout getting' 'tween you an' yer ma. I was lookin' at all that fancy equipment an' she sure knows how to persuade a man that he can do good fer folks." Nathan saw that he had the gambler's attention, so he continued.
"You been at my back more times than I care ta count an' that means somthin' ta me. Truth is, I got no extra money ta be investin' in yer saloon an' I should'a just laid it out plain an' simple, but sometimes a man's got too much pride."
"I can certainly relate to that." Ezra thought of the way he had let his mother get to him and the competition that resulted in his loss of the Standish Tavern.
"I just want ya ta know that I quit that place."
The gambler knew that he and Nathan would never completely see eye to eye due to the circumstances of their upbringing, but he did appreciate the other man's effort to settle things between them. He felt he could do no less.
"Consider it water under the bridge, Mr. Jackson." He offered his hand and felt the strong grip of the healer in response.
"Well then, I must be moving along, Mr. Tanner has given me a time schedule." He touched the brim of his hat in a two-finger salute as he moved away.
Nathan watched him for a few minutes with a smile on his face.
oooOOooo
Vin stood in front of Peso, stroking the gelding's soft muzzle. His mind ran several old trails, places he'd been that he might choose to go again.
His wanting to leave town was due to the shame he felt that many of the town's citizens had witnessed him being led out of Four Corners as a prisoner. One of the town's peacekeepers accused of a vile crime. Mary and Chris had tried to reassure him that the incident had been kept quiet, and as much as he appreciated their efforts, but knew that, something like the bounty couldn’t be kept a secret for long. If he stayed, there would be questions from people like Conklin, and that would led to others getting suspicious, until he absolutely won’t be able to hide it.
All this thinking left him with the knowledge that he was looking for a reason to leave and all he needed now was a way to tell the rest.
Still thinking of where he wanted to go, Vin turned his thoughts to the mountains, high places still untouched by the human hand. If he had to live with the bounty on his head the rest of his life, he would go to a place that brought him peace.
Peso lifted his big head and snorted, an answering sound came from a horse outside the livery, telling Vin that Ezra was on time and ready to ride.
oooOOooo
"Boy, would you look at that? What a pair!" Buck chuckled hanging onto the support pole outside the jail.
JD laughed along as they watched Vin ride ahead of the Gambler out of town. Peso bore a set of leather saddlebags and a bedroll tucked up behind the low back saddle. Ezra was leading a mule, loaded down with four carpetbags and a large role of bedding tied across the middle.
Chris was sitting outside the saloon with Josiah watching the two young peacekeepers head south.
"How long you think Vin is gonna put up with Ezra on the trail?" Josiah laughed softly.
The gunslinger shook his head, "He's got the patience of a saint, but Ezra knows how to whine so's it makes your ears bleed."
Underneath the humor, Chris harbored a deep and abiding worry that neither man would come back to stay. He was surprised to have such a concern for Standish; he wondered when he'd let the gambler get under his skin.
oooOOooo
By two that afternoon, Ezra was beginning to wonder how far outside town Vin was intending to go. They had traveled at a sedate pace, and to his surprise, he was enjoying the peaceful setting, but dark clouds had gathered overhead and he was worried that they would be caught out in a rainstorm.
"Mr. Tanner?"
Hearing another voice startled the Texan, so lost in thought he'd forgotten for a time he was not traveling alone.
"Just up ahead." He answered the unspoken question.
Another 20 minutes and Vin turned toward a small stand of trees, their green leaves, fed from the stream that ran nearby. Vin came out here often when he wanted a few days away from the busy town; it was quiet and good place to think.
oooOOooo
"Chris!" JD swept in through the doors of the saloon waving a yellow paper. He headed to the back table where the gunslinger was sitting sipping on a glass of whiskey.
"Telegram from the Judge."
Taking the paper, the blond read it silently and then looked up at the Kid, who was waiting for instructions.
"Get the men together at the jail, I'll be along."
It never failed that when they were down a man or two, trouble came up their backs. Judge Travis had sent them a warning of several thousand head of cattle headed their direction from Texas and in a direct line were reports of rustlers coming down from Colorado Territory.
Orrin did state that he thought the threat of the gang that was stealing cattle, were too far away to be a worry but wanted them to be prepared.
On top of that news was a report that the prisoner wagon the Judge had arranged to pick up Yates and his gang had been delayed by two days.
Throwing back the rest of his drink, Chris left the saloon. He was going to have to set watches between the jail and the outskirts of the town. First he would send JD and Buck out to warn the surrounding ranches of possible danger.
oooOOooo
Vin and Ezra worked in silence to set up the camp. The gambler proving that he was not a novice on the trail, that so many had mistaken him for in the past. By nightfall, each man was settled on either side of the fire with a plate of beans and biscuits with thick slices of ham. Vin made the coffee and Ezra added a dram of rum from his flask.
The Texan closed his eyes as he ate, listening to the sounds of the night. He was glad that the rain had been brief and hadn't saturated the ground where they set up camp. In the canopy of the trees he could hear the wind blow the branches around, creating music of its own.
"You really do love it out here don't you Vin?" Ezra had watched the smile on the other man's face, noticing how relaxed Vin was now that they had left the trappings of the town behind.
The tracker didn't bother to open his eyes as he spoke, "Yep. Ain't somethin' I can explain ta someone who ain't use to it."
"Don't bother; it’s a language I don't speak very well." The gambler chuckled.
Both men lapsed into silence again until the howl of a coyote sounded in the distance. Vin laughed aloud as Ezra jumped to his feet with his pistol in one hand and the little derringer in the other.
"Very funny, ha ha, so happy to have amused you." Standish dropped back to his bedroll but kept his six-shooter within easy reach.
"Sorry Ezra, but you looked right funny just now." He chuckled again as he reached for another cup of coffee.
"I must admit that I am a bit out of my element. In town one doesn't often hear the symphony of the wild."
"I reckon not." Taking a sip of coffee Vin studied the gambler.
"Is there something bothering you Mr. Tanner?"
"Just trying to figure out a way ta let the rest of the boys know I won't be stayin'."
"If you don't mind hearing my opinion?" Ezra paused and continued when Vin didn't speak. "I think it would be a great loss for the town and the other men. Considering the things you have accomplished since your arrival."
"Don't know that what I've done is enough ta make up fer the danger that bounty brings."
"Mrs. Wells would have something to say about that, or Mrs. Potter. Mary Travis has reason to be thankful for your presence as well. I could also name Miss Inez and …"
Vin stopped the man from continuing, "Seems ta me you ain't stickin' round either, so what's it matter to you if'n I stay or not?"
Ezra looked down into his cup, shook his head and then looked back up at the other man, "I've been sitting here asking myself that very question." His gold tooth flashed as he grinned.
"In truth, I was more than content to stay in that dust covered backwoods little burg, but recent circumstances have altered my thinking." Pausing, he dowsed his coffee with more of the rum from his silver flask and then offered the flask to the tracker.
Vin watched the Southerner as he took the liquor, poured some into his own cup and waited for Ezra's gaze to come back to him, before handing it back.
Ezra starred into his cup as he spoke, "I feel that at least one of us should stay, as the rest of the men would be hard pressed to protect the town with both our absences'. May I also add that you have only had one incident regarding the bounty in the months we have been in Four Corners? Don't you think the odds are in your favor?"
"Maybe, it's just…I can't…shit Ezra." Vin huffed a frustrated breath as he rose to his feet.
Ezra watched Vin paced away toward the remuda and then back again before the Texan pulled a bottle of whiskey out of his saddlebags that they had left under a tree. Vin broke the seal and offered the bottle to Ezra.
The gambler tossed the remaining dregs of coffee laced with rum and accepted a full cup of liquor from the other man.
Both men were quiet for a time. Ezra reasoned that Vin just needed time to gather his thoughts, and he himself, felt an unaccustomed desire for silence.
oooOOooo
Chris Larabee sat in a table in the back of the saloon, sipping a glass of whiskey, when the saloon doors burst open and handful of dusty men marched through.
After the Judge's missive, he'd sent Buck and JD to check out the surrounding ranches and homesteads, making sure that people were informed of the large herd of cattle headed their way.
Nathan was at the jail and Josiah was patrolling the boardwalks around town.
Watching closely as the trail hands settled at various places around the saloon, Chris was relieved that such a small number had come into the bar.
Finishing off his drink, he went outside, instinctively knowing that the men behind him in no way represented all the wranglers.
The hitching posts up and down the boardwalk were all full of the horses the new arrivals had rode in on, attesting to the large number of strangers that were in town.
He would have felt better if Ezra and Vin were back in town.
oooOOooo
"Where was ya figurin' ta go?"
Ezra was startled at hearing Vin speak after almost an hour of silence.
"Well, I hadn't really contemplated that portion of my journey." He turned so that he could see the Texan; Vin was lying on his back, he was so still for a moment, Ezra questioned if he'd actually heard the other man speak.
That notion was dispelled when Vin lifted his hat and faced him. "You ain't got no price on yer head, seems ta me that it'd make better sense fer you ta stay." Vin reached for the half empty bottle of whiskey and poured a generous potion into his mug. "You said earlier that yer feelin's changed 'bout stayin'."
Vin shifted back against his saddle, his top lip was tingling, indicating he'd more than reached his limit of alcohol for the night; he had been feeling drowsy until the southerner spoke.
"Did you know, Vin that I procured ownership of one of the saloons in town this past week?"
"No, Ezra didn't know 'bout it. That what you wanna do fer a livin'?"
"That's a moot point, since I no longer have possession of the establishment." Ezra could hear the bitterness in his own voice.
Vin saw the angry flash of eyes as Standish looked across the fire at him.
"My very own mother ruined any chance I had to settle there." He purposely didn't mention the role the other peacekeepers played in the last few days. He'd made his peace with them and was willing to leave it alone.
"How so?" Tanner found that he was curios as always about the relationship between Ezra and his mother. He'd been orphaned so young that half the time he wondered if his memories were true of his beloved mother. He'd never understood how those two could go from happy greetings to constant arguing in the blink of an eye.
"She swooped into town without any prior notice, coincidently won the hotel across the street from my establishment and set up a gaming room. In direct competition with my own saloon." Taking a deep breath, he looked up toward the sky, trying to control the emotions that were so close to the surface.
"I think what bothers me most is that I can find no rhyme or reason in her actions other than to humiliate me in front of the town." Ezra shrugged his shoulders. "I sometimes envy you. You hold nothing but cherished memories of your mother... while I only feel anger, disappointment and the unshakeable belief that she truly doesn't care for me…" his voice trailed away as the coffee cup was lifted to his lips.
"My ma's been gone years past, wish it weren’t so." Vin shrugged the sadness away and changed the direction of the conversation back to Ezra. "She still own that hotel? Your Ma?’
"No and that's another piece of the puzzle. Not two days after she purchased the Hotel, she sold it and bought the mortgage on my saloon." Lying back against his saddle, Ezra shook his head, still perplexed over the entire incident.
"Don't mean ya gotta leave. There's a place fer you there, Ezra, all's you got ta do is want it." While those words were meant for the southerner, Vin felt their meaning as well.
Looking at his friend, Ezra tilted his head at a thoughtful angle, "Sage advice. I could say the same for you."
Nodding Vin smiled.
"What say we head on back in the mornin'. No tellin' what trouble the boys have got to without us."
"Sounds like a good plan to me."
Somewhere between wanting to stay and needing to go, Vin Tanner realized that for now he was right where he wanted to be, beside the friends he'd made and the town he had come to care for. Vin knew he always had the choice to leave if those feelings changed.
Ezra didn't know how long he would stay in Four Corners, but Vin was right, he did have a place there that didn't have anything to do with his mother or the Standish Tavern. It would be enough to hold him for now.
oooOOooo
Vin and Ezra got a late start back to Four Corners, staying in camp to avoid riding in an early morning rain shower. Several hours later, they approached the outskirts of town.
On their approach, they heard gunfire. Setting spurs to their mounts they raced forward.
The first thing they noticed was several horses tied up from the hardware store down past Diggers Saloon and out in front of the cigar shop.
The two men tied their mounts to the hitching rail in front of the jail and crossed the street with guns drawn.
Ezra moved to one side of the saloon entrance as Vin took position on the other side. Just as they were getting ready to enter, a body came flying past to land in the dirt beyond the boardwalk. A short dust covered cowboy got up, rubbed his hands together and marched right back into the melee.
"After you, Mr. Tanner." Ezra bowed from the waist and swept his arm out toward the double doors.
Grinning with anticipation, Vin nodded. "I thank ya kindly."
oooOOooo
Chris had managed to avoid the mass of bodies struggling in the middle of the saloon and had pulled his gun ready to fire when he saw Vin come in followed by Ezra. It was good to have all the men together again but he didn't have time to savor the feeling as Buck called out and Tanner answered by jumping over the top of the bodies and fighting his way toward his friend.
Larabee put his gun back in its holster. He figured the boys needed to have a little fun before he broke up the party.
EPILOGE:
Vin watched as Yates was loaded in the prison wagon, the last of the six men who were headed to Silver Springs to face justice.
The Texan watched as the four outriders followed along beside and behind the prisoners until they were out of town.
"You okay?" Chris studied his friends face.
Vin turned to look at the blond offering a smile as he nodded his head. "Yep."
Chris didn’t expect more of an answer from Tanner.
The two men watched as Buck and JD passed by on their way to the Wells Homestead, they could hear the ladies man giving unsolicited advice to the Kid as they rode by.
Looking across the street, they saw that the gambler came out of the Standish Tavern with a smile on his face, carrying two large canvas bags and Inez hot on his heels.
They could hear the pretty Senorita as she fussed at Ezra all the way across the street.
"You can't take those Ezra; they belong to your mother." Inez finally threw up her hands. "I give up. You can work this out with Mrs. Standish."
"Thank you." Ezra chuckled as he stepped up onto the boardwalk beside Vin and Chris.
Just then, Josiah came by with Nathan to let Chris know they were going to attend a birthing out at the Napier's small ranch.
"Seems the wife had a habit of having twins and this was her ninth pregnancy but her 13 child or maybe 14." Josiah mused aloud.
"Mr. Jackson, might I have a moment." Ezra asked.
"Sure Ezra, but I need ta get goin' soon, them babies have a habit of not waitin' on the rest of us." Nathan walked a short distance with the gambler.
Holding out the bags to the healer, Ezra waited until Nathan took hold before he let go. As he was turning away he spoke, "Those are yours Mr. Jackson, use them for good health."
Nathan was shocked when he slowly opened the smaller of the canvas bags. Nestled in the bottom was a black doctor's bag. He recognized it as the one Maude had put in the hotel medical office.
The healer was ready to argue that these didn't belong to him when Vin stepped into this line of vision blocking out the retreating southerner.
"Don't question it, Nate. Let Ezra do this one thing for the town." Tanner squeezed Nathan shoulder as he passed by. The Texan unhitched Peso and mounted.
Nathan realized that is exactly what Ezra had done, not bestowed these items upon him but contributed them to the wellbeing of the town as a whole. Thus cementing Ezra's commitment to do all he could to watch after them. The offering humbled Nathan.
"'siah, you about ready?" Nathan looked over to where his friend held their horses. "Give me a bit to take these here things up ta my room."
A few minutes later, all Chris could see was the fading image of Nathan and Josiah as they rode out of town. Turning back down the boardwalk, he caught sight of Ezra just outside the saloon. The Gambler flashed him a gold-toothed grin and a two-finger salute before entering the bar.
The End