by Duane Boehm
Mary walked over to see him. “Did you decide to try out our lunch?” she asked.
“No, I’m not hungry or thirsty, for that matter. I just want to talk when you get a chance,” Gideon said.
Concerned with his demeanor, Mary sat down at the table with him. “What’s the matter?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I just got this bad feeling today. I’ve never had it before and since you always seem to know all, I was wondering if you felt it too?” Gideon said.
“Gideon, I know how to read men by their eyes and their mannerisms and such. I learned it from a lifetime of putting up with their shenanigans. I never claimed to know what was going to happen in the future,” Mary said.
“I guess I’m just being silly and you have work to do. I’ll leave you alone,” Gideon said and started to rise from his chair.
“Sit down. I’m fine. Are you scared?” she asked as she put her hand on his arm to keep in from leaving.
Gideon smiled sadly. “No, I’m not scared. I should have been dead a long time ago and being scared won’t stop whatever is going to happen from happening anyway. It just seems like a bad time to die after all that has changed for me in the last few months. Life is a lot sweeter these days,” he said.
“Gideon, you are scaring me. I’ve never heard you talk like this,” Mary said.
“I know. It’s just a strange day. Maybe John Roe is getting to me. It’s been going on long enough to make me think too much,” he said.
“I need to hear you talk more like the legendary Gideon Johann,” Mary joked before growing serious. “Gideon, good will conquer evil. And you are good.”
“When did you get so optimistic?” Gideon asked.
“When I realized that I had friends that I could count on when I needed them, even when I didn’t want them to help,” she said, patting his arm.
“I think you are the friend that everybody needs. Benjamin and I both would probably already be dead if not for you,” he said.
“I think that we all can call it even. I’ve certainly received my share of blessings for it,” Mary said.
“Mary, you take care of yourself. I better go,” Gideon said.
Mary watched Gideon walk out and then poured herself a whisky, something that she never did. She steeled herself to keep her hands from shaking. Gideon’s behavior had shook her to her core and made her fear for his life. His current demeanor was the first time that she had ever witnessed him acting as if he were conquerable.
She had come to accept that she would never have Gideon for her own and was even happy for him and Abby, but she could not bear the thought of not having him in her life. He was the only person that she had ever known that seemed bigger than life itself and indestructible; the good that would always triumphs evil. Even in killing Hiatt, she did not believe that she had saved Gideon as much as she had stood up for herself. She had no doubt that Gideon would have killed the gambler if she had not. For her world to go on making sense, she needed Gideon to continue being the legend for which she always teased him.
Gideon stopped outside the saloon and gathered his thoughts. Talks with Mary had a way of making him take stock of himself and want to be the person that she believed he was. Abby was the love of his life, but Mary was the one that spoke to his conscience. He thought about what she had said about good conquers evil and he knew in his heart that he had always tried to be good even when he had failed at it. Mary’s faith in him was enough for him to shake off his foreboding and walk down the street, posture straight and shoulders back, ready to defeat whatever lay ahead.
The blacksmith, Blackie, was limping rapidly towards Gideon, flapping his arms to draw attention. Gideon’s heart started racing at the sight of him, already knowing the message.
“Gideon, that Roe fellow got his horse and rode out of town. It’s been a good twenty minutes ago. I couldn’t find you,” Blackie said.
“Damn it. What was he carrying?” Gideon asked.
“Just his guns,” Blackie said.
“Which way did he go?” Gideon questioned.
“He rode back through town, but I don’t know where he headed. I’m sorry, Gideon. I didn’t know where you were,” Blackie said.
“It’s not your fault. I got to go,” Gideon said before jogging off to the stable and saddling Buck. He stopped at the jail to retrieve his rifle and then headed for the cabin, putting Buck into a lope.
∞
Red stood frozen on the cabin porch barking and growling. The short fur on his neck was standing on end as he stared out into the woods. Abby stepped out onto the porch to see what was upsetting him and noticed that except for the dog that everything else was too quiet. The usual chirpy birds were silent. She ran back in side, calling Red in with her, and bolting the door.
“Joann, get my rifle and bolt the back door,” Abby called out.
“What’s the matter?” Joann asked as she retrieved the gun.
“I think that there’s someone out there,” Abby answered.
Joann handed her mother the Winchester. Abby chambered a shell and moved to the window, opening it and peering out into the woods. She could not see anybody, but was certain that they were being watched.
“Do you think that it is Roe?” Joann asked.
“I don’t know, but I fear that it is. You watch the back, but keep your head down,” Abby warned.
“I don’t see anything,” Joann called out after scanning the back yard.
Abby caught a glimpse of movement between two trees, but didn’t see enough of it to recognize what it was. She aimed at the tree and fired.
Joann screamed in surprise. “What was it? What happened?” she yelled.
“I saw something move. I wanted to let them know that we know that they are there,” Abby said.
Abby saw a man start running deeper into the woods. She could barely catch sight of him for the tree cover, but she chambered another cartridge and fired. The man crouched, but kept on running.
Gideon heard the shots and put Buck into a gallop. He raced into the yard with his pistol drawn, sliding off the horse before it had come to a stop and running to the porch as Abby flung the door open.
“Gideon, thank God that you are here. He was out there. He took off running through the woods after I shot at him,” Abby said as she wrapped her arms around him.
“Are you two okay? I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner. Blackie couldn’t find me,” Gideon said.
“We’re fine. It just scared the hell out of us. That little Red makes for a good watchdog. He’s what tipped me off,” Abby said.
“Do you think that you hit him?” Gideon asked.
“No, I never had a bead on him. I just wanted to make sure that he knew that I was ready for him,” Abby said.
“I’m sorry that I brought this on you. Nothing good ever comes from being around me,” he said.
Joann came charging across the room like a goose guarding its nest and pecking Gideon on the chest with her finger. “Don’t talk like that. You always try to do good. I think Benjamin would have a different opinion on the matter and so do I,” she said.
“She’s right, Gideon. Now is not the time to beat yourself up. What are you going to do?” Abby said.
“I’m just sick of all the trouble. Point me in the direction that you saw him. I’m going to go kill the son of a bitch,” he said.
“Don’t get careless. You’re kind of handy to have around here,” Abby said, trying to lighten the mood as they stepped out onto the porch and she pointed out where she had seen Roe.
“You two stay locked in the cabin. If I don’t get this settled by the time school is out, I’ll get Winnie myself,” Gideon said.
“Be careful. I love you,” Abby said.
“I love both of you,” Gideon said and gave them each a kiss.
Climbing up on Buck, Gideon tipped his hat and smiled before riding into the woods. The trail was easy to find in the disturbed fallen leaves and led to where the horse had been tied.
After following the tracks for a couple hundred yards, it became apparent that Roe had headed back to town. No longer concerned with tracking, Gideon pointed Buck towards town.
Gideon tied Buck in front of the jail and started walking down the middle of the street, scanning the sidewalks for Roe. He spotted him walking out of the livery stable as he neared it.
“Roe, we are settling this now. You crossed the line,” Gideon called out.
“What’s the matter, Sheriff? Can’t a man go for a horse ride?” Roe asked as he walked into the street, stopping once the two men were about thirty yards apart.
“Somebody told you about the cabin. Unbuckle your gun belt,” Gideon said.
“I don’t think that I want to do that. I came here to kill you or somebody that you loved. You’re lucky that damn little hound was around or your woman and daughter would be dead about now. So I guess that I’m going to have to settle for killing you. I’m ready to get out of this little hole of a town anyway,” Roe said as people in the street began to scatter at the realization of what was about to happen.
Gideon had for years heard about the gun skills of such men as Wild Bill Hickok and John Wesley Hardin and had always wondered how he compared. In all his years of living life with a gun, he had never been in a duel. He knew that he was fast and more importantly accurate with his aim, but he had no idea if his fast was fast enough.
“Do you want to tell me your real name so that we can bury you proper and notify your kin,” Gideon said.
“No, I’m going to send you to Hell never knowing who killed you or who you killed to cause this. It’ll give you and the devil something to ponder down there,” Roe said.
“Suit yourself,” Gideon called out.
“Did the note that you received after I was already here, throw you?” Roe asked.
Gideon did not answer. He was so focused on what was about to happen that all other distractions were banished from his senses. Calmness had settled upon him and he was keenly alert to the rhythms of his body.
The two men drew their revolvers and fired. The two shots were so closely spaced that it sounded more like one long shot instead of two separate ones. Gideon knew that Roe had beaten him to the draw and he stood there wondering if he was shot and dying and didn’t know it. Roe looked as puzzled as he felt and then almost imperceptibly he saw Roe’s knees start to bend. They continued to bend ever so slowly until he dropped to them. His knees hitting the ground seemed to awaken Roe from his stupor and he raised his gun towards Gideon again. Gideon fired, sending Roe lurching backwards until he sprung forward, landing on his face.
Gideon walked slowly to him and kicked the gun away even though he knew that there was no need for it. John Roe was dead. Rolling Roe over, he confirmed what he already knew about the second shot being through the heart and found that his first shot had been about six inches below its mark. Looking up, he noticed the people crowded on the sidewalks staring at him. He spotted Mary standing there with her hands pressed against her mouth. As they made eye contact, she came running out into the street towards him.
“Are you hurt?” Mary cried.
Gideon rubbed his scar and sighed. “Good conquers evil, remember? I just needed to be reminded was all. Thank God legends are allowed to have friends when they falter,” he said and tried to smile.
“Well, don’t forget it. I can’t take very many falters,” she said.
“I have to go see Abby. I’ll catch you later,” Gideon said and then kissed Mary on the cheek in front of all the townsfolk staring at him.
The cabinetmaker was standing on the sidewalk and Gideon motioned him over. “I’m afraid that I’ve been too good for your business lately. I don’t know his real name so don’t even bother with a marker,” he said before walking off, reloading his gun as he did.
Gideon mounted Buck, putting the horse into an easy trot. All that he wanted to do was get to Abby as quickly as possible, but he didn’t want to ruin his horse to do it. As he rode, he tried to force himself to relax and be thankful that he had survived.
There had been too much killing lately for his liking and he had been responsible for too much of it. None of the men that had died except for poor old Mr. Vander had amounted to anything, but all the same, he was sick of being the executioner. Last Stand had always been, for the most part, a peaceful place in his youth and he had not foreseen so much violence when he had taken the job. Sheriff Fuller had had his hands full after the war with all the riffraff that had drifted into the area, but that had been a long time ago. He wondered if a new era of violence was starting or he had just had a run of bad luck. Reminding himself that Sheriff Fuller had assured him that there had been years where he had done practically nothing but sit in his office and drink coffee, he tried to put the killings out of his mind.
Buck was still holding his trot as Gideon reached the cabin. Abby and Joann ran out to meet him.
“I killed John Roe,” Gideon said from the saddle.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. We had a duel and luckily I was a better aim than he was,” he said as he climbed off the horse.
Abby ran to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head against his chest. “There’s been too much killing lately,” she said.
“I know it. He wouldn’t tell me his real name. I will never know for sure what this was all about. It has to get better, doesn’t it? I’m sick of killing,” Gideon said and absently–mindedly patted her back.
“Let’s hope so. Can we move back to town?” Abby said.
“Sure. I’ll bring a wagon out tomorrow,” he said. “At least we can get on with our lives now.”
“Can we set a date yet?” she asked as she looked up at him.
Gideon grinned down at her. “You tell me when and I will be there wearing a wedding coat and a smile,” he said.
Joann walked off the porch to them, still drying her hands on a towel from the dishes she had been washing. “See, you took care of it and Abs and I are no worse for wear. So when is the date?” she asked.
“How about this Saturday? We’ve waited long enough. There’s nothing left to wait for,” Abby said.
“If I were you, I would be in a hurry to marry a catch like me as soon as possible too,” Gideon said and pinched Abby on the butt.
“Yeah and it’s possible that they might still find a bullet from John Roe in you yet,” Abby cautioned.
Chapter 28
Gideon moved the girls back to town the next day. After they were settled, Abby rode out to talk to Marcus about keeping Winnie and Joann for the week after the wedding. After all the lost years apart, the couple desperately wanted to have one week to themselves. After dinner that evening, Gideon and Abby sat down with Winnie to talk.
“Winnie, Gideon and I are getting married this Saturday. We would like you and Joann to stand with us. It would mean a lot to me,” Abby said.
“You’re getting married already?” Winnie asked.
“I know it’s soon, but it is what I want. I really need for you to be happy for me. I know it’s hard, but this is what is going to make me happy and I hope that you care enough about my happiness that you can accept my marriage,” Abby said.
“So is Mr. Gideon going to be my daddy too?” Winnie asked.
“Marcus will always be your daddy. Gideon will be your stepfather and we will all learn how that works as we go. You are going to stay with your daddy the first week after we get married so that Gideon and I can get used to being together before we have you and Joann in the house,” Abby said.
Winnie stood up and placed a hand on each of Abby’s shoulders. “I’ll do all this for you and Joann. I still don’t like it, but you are happier now that Mr. Gideon is with you. You smile more,” she said before kissing her mother.
“Thank you, Winnie,” Gideon said.
Winnie held out her hand and shook with Gideon. “You are welcome,” she said.
Gideon got up to give Winnie and Abby
some alone time. He was relieved that things with Winnie were greatly improved even if they were a far cry from ideal. Walking into the kitchen, he found Joann setting at the table looking rather glum. “Don’t tell me that you are unhappy with the wedding too?” he said.
Joann looked up at him, attempting to smile. “I’m going to spend a week with you and Abs after I stay with Marcus and then I’m headed back. I miss Momma and Poppa and I need to be with them, but I’m going to miss everybody here so much, including Zack. I don’t even want to tell him. I guess I need to split myself in two. One for here and one for Wyoming,” she said.
“So do you think that he is the one?” Gideon asked.
“Daddy, I don’t know. Maybe. We really haven’t spent that much time together to get to know each other, but I sure like being with him,” Joann said.
“Well, I’m the last one that should give you romance advice, but you are young and I expect that you’ll get it all figured out. You can always come back in the spring,” he said.
“I know. Can I ask you something?” she said.
“I already told you that you could ask me anything. Fire away,” Gideon said.
“Has meeting me been everything that you hoped that it would be?” Joann asked.
Gideon ran his hand through his shock of unruly hair. “Honey, getting to know you has been without a doubt one of the highlights of my life. I’ve felt things that I did not even know were possible for me. Way more than I could have ever hoped for,” he said.
“Me too,” she said.
“When are you going to tell Zack?” Gideon asked.
“I was thinking about riding out to Ethan’s place and see if I could have a word with Zack. I want to tell him before the wedding and there’s not much time,” Joann said.
“I’ll ride with you. I need to make sure that Ethan can marry us Saturday and that Benjamin and Zack can stand up there with me. I also need to tell Sarah the big news in person,” Gideon said.
