A Gideon Johann Boxed Set Book 1 - 4 (A Gideon Johann Western 0)

by Duane Boehm

  The women went inside the cabin and the two guests sat down at the table while Sarah brewed a fresh pot of coffee. They busied themselves with small talk until Sarah filled their cups.

  Abby blurted, “Did you know I killed Pastor Gordon? He tried to get into the cabin.”

  Sarah and Mary paused in mid–sip and exchanged glances.

  Sarah set her cup down on the table. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that. But you had to protect yourself. That probably doesn’t make taking a life any easier, but you have to know you did the right thing.”

  “I keep telling myself that and it helps sometimes, but I took the life of another human being and a preacher to top it off. Gideon thought it best not to let many people know the truth,” Abby said.

  Mary reached over and patted Abby’s arm. “Finnie never told me. When I killed that gambler, Hiatt, in the saloon, I kept telling myself that if I hadn’t done it that Gideon would’ve been killed and then I would’ve been next. That’s what got me through it. Sometimes there’s no other choice and I finally just quit thinking about it. I wish things could have been different, but I feel no guilt whatsoever now. His death was preferable to ours.”

  Hiatt had been a gambler that came to town in pursuit of the Last Chance. He murdered the previous owner and after Mary inherited the saloon, he had tried to force her to sell. After beating and badly cutting Mary, Gideon became aware of the plot and a gunfight ensued. Mary killed the gambler after he had Gideon pinned down behind a table in the saloon.

  “I should’ve never looked at the body. I can’t get that out of my head,” Abby said.

  “I tried to make myself think of something good every time I did that. Make yourself think of Chance when it happens,” Mary said.

  Abby took a sip of coffee. “Thank both of you for listening. It helps to talk about it and I’m sure I’ll get through this like everything else in life. I’ll try what Mary says, but enough about me. Anybody else have some news?” she asked.

  Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Mary said, “I hear that if a certain preacher is available this Saturday, there’s going to be a wedding,” she said.

  Abby and Sarah let out whoops and hollers before congratulating Mary.

  “Don’t worry about the preacher. I’ll make darn sure he’s available,” Sarah said.

  The three women spent the rest of their time together planning, reminiscing, and giggling about weddings. All the talking seemed to spur their appetites and they dove into the pie and Mary’s cookies as if famished.

  Abby finished a cookie, and said, “If we ate like this every day, our men would be kicking us out of the bed.”

  “Speak for yourself. I could get as fat as a pig and still make Ethan beg,” Sarah said to an eruption of laughter.

  Ethan walked into the cabin while the women were still laughing. “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  The women all looked at one another and broke out into another fit of giggling.

  “Honey, there’s some things that it’s best you just don’t know about,” Sarah said.

  Chapter 28

  Saturday morning found Sarah already aflutter trying to decide which dress she would wear to the wedding that afternoon. She had talked about her choices all through breakfast and continued as she cleared the table. Years ago, Ethan had perfected the art of giving supportive generic answers when asked his opinion on clothing choices. He never replied with much more than “You look good in that” or “That dress shows off your figure.” Sarah didn’t seem to notice that he never actually helped her with a decision and she would eventually pick out her choice.

  Benjamin left to do his chores without prompting. No good usually came his way when his mother got worked up. Somehow, it usually turned into extra work for him.

  Ethan stood up from the table. “I have to run to the barn. I’ll be right back.”

  Sarah waved her hand at him to go and turned her attention to washing the dishes.

  The day before, Ethan had gone to town for feed and to check on the china and ring he had ordered for Sarah. Both gifts had arrived from Denver. He hid the crate of dishes behind the sacks of feed and debated giving the gifts to her that night before opting for Saturday.

  Carrying the crate to the cabin took all the brawn that he could muster and he shouted for Sarah to open the door.

  “What in the world is that?” she asked as he sat the box on the floor.

  Retrieving a hammer, Ethan popped the wooden lid loose. “Have a look for yourself,” he said.

  Carefully removing the packaging, Sarah spied a blue willow plate. “What have you done?” she asked.

  “I bought you a complete set of china. Eight settings. I figured we could use some of the reward money to spruce things up a little,” Ethan said.

  Sarah held the plate in her hand, looking at it and then to her husband. For once in her life, she was near speechless. “For me? Ethan Oakes, I don’t know what I’m going to do with you. You outdid yourself this time,” she said and carefully set the plate down before hugging her husband.

  “I got one more surprise. You can wear it with whatever dress you decide on,” he said and pulled the small box from his coat pocket.

  Taking the box from Ethan, Sarah slowly opened it. A small gasp escaped her and she put the pearl ring onto her finger. Tearing up, she couldn’t talk. She waved her hand through the air while Ethan smiled at her as if it were the best day of his life.

  “Do you like it?” Ethan finally asked.

  “Of course, I love it. Sometimes you’re just too good to me. This is the most thoughtful thing that you have ever done. And it’s such a surprise. I can’t wait to show the girls,” she said and hugged him again.

  Benjamin walked into the cabin and saw his parents hugging.

  “Look what your pa got me,” Sarah said and proudly held out her hand to show off her ring. “And look at our new dishes.”

  The boy stared at the ring and dishes before glancing at the smiles on his parents’ faces. His pa looked as happy as his momma did, and he wondered about that. The Bible verse that said it was better to give than receive came to mind and he thought he understood it for the first time. He decided that from now on he would have to do better with picking out presents. “I don’t have a present for you, but I’ll help you pick out a dress.”

  “You got a deal,” Sarah said. “Now help me unpack the china so that we can see the rest of it.”

  ∞

  Gideon’s family ran around the cabin trying to get ready for the wedding. They needed to leave soon and Chance was still walking around in his diaper. Abby chased after him with outfit in hand while Gideon retrieved a brush for Winnie’s hair. The child preferred her stepfather to do the job over her mother’s rougher approach. He never pulled her hair.

  Once the hair was brushed, Gideon pulled a box out of his pocket. “Go give this to your mother when she’s finished with Chance. Tell her we got her a surprise.”

  The necklace had finally come in on the same shipment as Ethan’s ring and china. Hiram had brought it to the jail with the picture already in the locket. The engraving had held up the delivery, but the workmanship had been worth the wait.

  Abby finished tying Chance’s boot while Winnie waited anxiously by her side.

  “What is it, Winnie? We have to go,” Abby said.

  Winnie moved her hand from behind her back and held out the box. “We got you a surprise,” she said.

  Abby took the box and looked up at Gideon as he walked over to them.

  “What have you done?” Abby asked.

  “Open it and find out,” he said.

  Opening the box, Abby careful lifted the locket. “It has my initials on it and it’s gold,” she said with astonishment.

  Gideon leaned down and showed her how to open the cover. She saw the picture and put her hand over her mouth in shock.

  “When did you get this picture taken?” she asked.

  Winnie said, “Joann took us to town. We surprised
you, didn’t we?”

  “I would say so,” Abby replied.

  “Being sheriff, I know how to arrange covert activities,” Gideon said.

  Abby put on the locket. “This is just about the best present ever,” she said and hugged Winnie and then Gideon before wiping the moisture from her eyes with the back of her hand. “You know how to make a girl feel special, but we got to go.”

  ∞

  Much to the chagrin of townsfolk and cowboys, a note was stuck on the Last Chance stating that the saloon would not open until six o’clock on Saturday. Mary stood upstairs in the bedroom looking at herself in the mirror. She wore a new store bought dress that she had purchased that week. The dress was off–white in color with lace around the neckline and showed off her figure. Delta came into the room to help her fix her hair. They had one hour before they needed to leave for Ethan’s church.

  Finnie paced downstairs behind the bar. His new coat and trousers felt stiff and his string tie seemed as if it were trying to choke him. The whiskey bottle tempted him for one of the few times since he had given it up, but rather than break his word, he settled for a glass of beer. He still couldn’t believe that he, Finnegan Ford, stood on the threshold of marriage and he wished Gideon were sitting with him to have a talk.

  Mary insisted that Finnie couldn’t see her in her dress before the wedding so he rode with Doc to the church and Mary came with Delta and Charlotte. Ethan, Sarah, and Benjamin were waiting at the church and Gideon and his family soon arrived. Zack and Joann were the last to arrive at the church.

  Pulling Gideon to the side as they waited to begin the ceremony, Finnie said, “Gideon, do you think I’m doing the right thing? Mary could do so much better than me. I feel she’s sold herself short,” he said.

  “Oh, good God, will you stop. I assure you that Mary Sawyer would not be marrying you unless that is what she wants. You bring out the best in each other. Finnie, you’re a good man. Just be happy that you’ve found somebody after all this time. And besides, I’ll shoot you dead if you get cold feet now,” Gideon said.

  “I guess I just needed to hear that. It’s still hard thinking of me as a married man. Let’s do this,” Finnie said.

  Sarah insisted that her mother’s blue sapphire ring brought good luck and placed it on Mary’s finger.

  “You make a beautiful bride and I’m so happy for you and Finnie. You’ll have a wonderful life together and don’t lose faith, I know there’ll be a baby one of these days,” Sarah said.

  Mary smiled. “Who would have ever thought my life would turn out this way? I need to pinch myself to make sure it’s real.”

  The guest took their seats. Gideon stood at the front of the church with Finnie. Delta walked down the aisle as the maid of honor, and as everybody arose, Mary followed arm–in–arm with Doc. Finnie’s goofy grin would have annoyed the bride if it wasn’t so sincere and she winked at him.

  Ethan cleared his throat. “Hello, everybody. The nice thing about this small wedding today is that we are all friends here. We can be more informal and personal. We’ve seen each other at their best and their worst and yet we choose to call each other friend. Finnie and Mary have been dealt blows in life that would have felled lesser people, but they persevered through it all and stand here today ready to become husband and wife in the eyes of the Lord and start a new life together. Every time I look at Mary, I can’t help but think of the blessings she brought to my family. I could never repay the debt that I owe her. And for Finnie, his life has been richly rewarded for the changes he has made since moving to Last Stand. I’m honored to call him one of my dearest friends. They are both shining examples to all of us to never give up, but to greet each day and try to make it better. Mary and Finnie are two of the people that make Last Stand a special place and I believe with all my heart that God’s hand is in everything that brought us all together here today. Let us pray.”

  After the prayer, Ethan stuck to his usual wedding ceremony. After telling Finnie that he could kiss the bride, he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Finnegan Ford.”

  Everybody stood and clapped and the crusty old doctor got misty eyed when Mary gave him a little wave on the way out of the church. After all the congratulations were made, the group headed to the Last Chance.

  Ethan had not been in the saloon since he became a preacher except for the funeral of the old owner, Mr. Vander. There was a time when he wouldn’t have gone in, but with all the good and bad that had happened in the last couple of years, he just didn’t care what people thought any longer. His conscience would be his guide. He took Sarah by the arm and walked through the entrance with Benjamin following behind them.

  Delta and Charlotte scrambled to the back, bringing out food and setting it on the bar. Once they finished, Delta took over as the bartender.

  “Okay, everybody, we have three hours before the saloon opens. Eat and drink up,” Mary announced.

  Benjamin and Winnie stood in the corner whispering. They were in awe of the saloon. The long carved bar looked fancier than anything that they had ever seen in their lives and the mirrors and bottles of liquor behind it looked mesmerizing. Much to their delight, Mary walked over to them and handed each a bag of candy.

  Three tables were butted together and everybody sat around them eating boiled pork and stewed potatoes while washing it down with beer. Benjamin and Winnie were exploring behind the bar and too busy stuffing candy into their mouths to care about the others while their mothers covertly sipped brews. Joann eyed her parents warily, she didn’t know what they’d think of her drinking beer, but she had never tried it and she wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity.

  Gideon stood and raised his glass. “A toast,” he said. “May Finnie and Mary have a long, happy life together. They deserve it.”

  All the mugs clinked together as Chance watched with fascination from his mother’s lap at all the festivities.

  Finnie turned to Doc. “You’re the only one that hasn’t gotten married. Maybe you’ll be next.”

  Doc waved his hand at the Irishman. “I’m too old for a young one and too spry for an old one,” he said to an explosion of laughter.

  The reception proved to be a lively affair with lots of laughter and storytelling. Sarah and Abby both made it a point to show off their new jewelry and brag on their husbands. Just before six o’clock, the party broke up. Sarah, Abby, and Joann all stood up to find that they were a little wobbly. They started giggling as if their condition was the funniest thing on earth. Gideon took Chance from his mother and offered her an arm to steady herself.

  “We can’t take you girls anywhere,” Gideon teased.

  Joann whispered something in Zack’s ear and his face turned red.

  Sarah watched the exchange. Never known for her shyness even when sober, she said, “I bet I know what’s going on. Zack don’t run that horse in the ground trying to hurry home. Sometimes us women like a long, slow ride. You can thank me for the talk that I had with Joann before your wedding.”

  Zack’s face turned so red that his ears burned and Joann hid behind her hands.

  Ethan grabbed his wife’s elbow. “Let’s get you home before you say something that you will regret,” he said and winked at Zack, further embarrassing the young man.

  Delta and Charlotte began clearing the bar of food and glasses after the guests departed while Mary crawled into Finnie’s lap.

  “Are you ready to go seal the deal?” Mary asked.

  Chapter 29

  With the coffee freshly brewed, Finnie poured cups for himself, Doc, and Gideon. The three men sat in the jail shooting the breeze after lunch at the Last Chance. Finnie could still barely contain himself over his and Mary’s nuptials. Doc and Gideon sneaked smiles and rolled their eyes between themselves as the Irishman railed on about his happiness. The dissertation on the joys of marriage was interrupted by the arrival of the telegraph messenger.

  After the messenger had gone, Gideon said, “That w
as from Marshall Wilcox. James Cooper was spotted in Alamosa. He robbed a general store and stole a horse there yesterday.”

  “That’s only about a day’s ride away. He’s coming,” Finnie said.

  “Yes, he is,” Gideon said as he tossed the note onto his desk.

  “Are you worried?” Finnie asked.

  “What’s the point? It wouldn’t do any good. What’s going to happen will happen,” Gideon said.

  “I’m worried about another ambush like when Ike Todd tried to kill you from the hotel window,” Finnie said.

  “I don’t think Cooper will do that. He has his reputation as a supposedly fast gun to protect. He wouldn’t want to read in the papers how he cowardly ambushed a sheriff,” Gideon said and took a sip of coffee.

  “You don’t think he’s that fast?” Finnie asked.

  “I have no idea. You don’t have to be fast to gun down bank tellers and train engineers in cold blood,” Gideon said.

  Doc rubbed his chin and pulled off his spectacles. “This world would be a lot better place if people just went about their lives doing the right thing.”

  “That it would, but too many people are just no damn good,” Finnie said.

  “With the philosophical teachings of Finnegan Ford now firmly in my head, I’m going to go see patients. Who needs Aristotle?” Doc said and stood.

  “I’m not sure what you just said, but I believe that I’ve been insulted,” Finnie said.

  The doctor paused at the door. “How can you be insulted if you don’t know what I’m talking about?” he said and walked out before there could be a reply.

  “You would think that old goat’s heart would have been softened by meeting his son,” Finnie said. “I have to go get Mary. With the judge in town, we’re going to go see if he’ll accept our bid on the Lucky Horse.”