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RATING: G
ARCHIVE: Yes
DISCLAIMER: Characters belong to CBS/Trilogy/etc. No infringement intended,
no profit being made.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: A homage-paying continuation of 'Red' and 'Black' by
Linda
Backer (backeracres@yahoo.com)
********************
"Where is he now?"
"Jus' comin' down off the roof of the barber shop." Nathan peered
over the
batwing doors and called back an answer to Josiah and the four other
peacekeepers reclining at one of the saloon's round, wooden tables.
Chris swallowed the bite of sandwich he had in his mouth, "I don't know
which is more cruel, Buck. Makin' everyone in town think Vin
abused Peso so
bad that the poor creature's hair fell out or makin' everyone in town
think
JD is crazier than a hungry dog by sendin' him all over Four Corners
chasin'
that trail of little white pieces of paper."
Vin uncrossed his arms from the pouting position they held just long
enough
to take a drink of beer. "If'n it was your horse that looked like a
cow elk
in the middle of moltin' season, I don't think there'd be any question."
A huge, proud grin spread across Wilmington's face. "I figure
the
punishment should last as long as the crime."
"And that horse a' yours is definitely still orange." Nathan reminded.
Then, catching the fierce look in Buck's eye, he added. "Uh,
but it's
faded...a lot."
"Roof of the barber shop," repeated Ezra, shaking his head with a slight
smile. He laid out another hand of Solitaire for himself as he
continued,
"and what might JD's next destination be?"
Buck's brow furrowed in thought as he mumbled to himself, "Let's see,
telegraph office was before that. Telegraph, barbershop, feed
store,
hatband..."
Vin couldn't prevent the laugh that escaped his lips, "You put one in
the
band of his own hat? Now, that's cruel."
Ezra offered a small shrug and pursed his lips, "If one's actions are
potentially goin' to raise agitation then one should be sure they are
executed so as to be unattributable."
Standish caught the sideways glance Vin shot in his direction, "I.E.:
if
you're goin' to steal from the cookie jar make sure you brush the crumbs
from your mouth."
"Weren't no crumbs, Ezra," replied the bounty hunter, "Jus' JD needin'
to
learn how to act innocent."
Buck barked a laugh, "C'mon Vin, the kid spends more time at bein' innocent
than he does at breathin'."
"I believe Brother Vin meant 'innocent' in the form of 'non-guilt',
not
'being naïve'."
"Uh-oh," blurted Nathan, scrambling back to his empty seat and full
beer at
the table.
Suddenly, JD punched aside the swinging doors and held them open as
he stood
in the entryway. The boy had stripped off the jacket and vest
of his usual
attire and the bangs of his dark hair actually stayed swept up away
from his
eyes, thanks to the perspiration acquired from that afternoon's hunt.
"Dang it, Buck! I swear, if I have to climb to the top of the
feed store
I'm gonna make you eat every one of these stupid notes." Then,
as he turned
to leave, "What's next, somethin' tucked in my hat?!"
The six other regulators were barely able to contain themselves for
more
than a few seconds before their laughter filled the large room gaining
them
more odd looks from the surrounding patrons.
Josiah absentmindedly fingered the string of Chris's hat, which rested
on
the table. "To think that poor boy spent all that time guarding
his horse
and never once thought to mind his tack."
"Is Mr. Dunne's saddle still stored in your room?"
Chris looked at his old friend with disbelief, "That was the first place
you
sent him."
Buck wiped a tear from his eye, "Yeah, but the note was on the bed,
the
saddle's in the closet." His smile dropped away and was replaced
by an
expression of confusion directed toward Ezra. "How did you know I..."
But the gambler cut him off, "Buck, my livelihood and...occasionally
my
life, has depended upon my ability to read and anticipate the patterns
and
behaviors of others. Let me guess, your first thought was to
store it in
the hay loft." The latter comment phrased as more of a statement
than a
question.
Buck's eyes widened, "How did you kn..."
"Dang it, Buck! This ain't funny." JD appeared again in
the opening of the
barroom, clutching a small piece of paper in one hand and his bowler
in the
other. "How many more of these things are there? I've already
got
fifteen!"
"You're real close, kid." His friend replied with a poor attempt at
a
straight face. "Almost there."
JD stormed away again only to have Buck and Vin follow him to the door
to
observe more of the young man's torture.
Ezra's low chuckle faded as he spoke, "Our Mr. Dunne does have an infectious
enthusiasm which, I must admit, I find quite endearin' at times.
And I
certainly couldn't imagine this group without him but...I swear, slower
than
a sack of wet mice, that one is sometimes."
Josiah's own deep laugh echoed in the glass confines of his mug as he
took a
sip of beer. "Now, Ezra, you remember what it was like being
that age."
For a fraction of a second the gambler's hand froze mid-turn of a card
but
he smoothly continued with the move, unaware that Chris had noticed
his
hesitation. Standish didn't look up but answered Josiah quietly,
the tip of
his tongue wetting his lower lip. "Mr. Sanchez, I'm not sure
I was ever
that age."
Larabee reached across the table and tapped a move Ezra wasn't seeing.
The
gambler's eyes flitted upward as if he were surprised that someone
would
presume that he couldn't manage on his own. Chris held the other
man's gaze
and Ezra thought he read an almost reassuring look on the usually serious
face.
"Don't worry, Ezra. Keep hangin' around Vin, Buck and JD and you'll
get
your chance."
fin
