Nathan walked up and joined the others at their table, dropping wearily onto the chair Josiah pulled out for him.
JD glanced back up the stairs and then frowned at the healer. "Shouldn't you be helpin' Buck with Ezra, Nathan?"
Nathan gratefully accepted the beer that Inez slipped in front of him and then waited while she asked if they wanted anything else before responding to JD's question. "I offered, but he's more comfortable with Buck takin' care of him. 'Sides, there ain't nothin' more I could do for 'im than what Buck's doin'."
Vin tipped back in his chair and looked curiously over at Nathan. "Ya mean their ain't none a them herbs an' things ya got that'll help 'im?"
Nathan shook his head and took a long draw on his beer. "I seen these kinda headaches he's gettin' before, an' most times they don't last long enough t' make it worth the trouble of forcin' 'im t' take the medicine. The pain'd be gone 'fore the tea could even start workin'."
Josiah could hear the helplessness in his friend's voice and knew not being able to do anything for Ezra was bothering him more than he was letting on. "They come and go that quickly?"
"The pain itself does, but the other stuff that comes with it usually hangs on for a couple hours after the headache goes away... the sick feelin', the lightheadedness, blurry vision, bein' tired." Nathan saw Vin stare hard at him and flushed guiltily as he remembered his treatment of Ezra earlier. He heaved a deep remorseful sigh and stared down at the table. "I know, Vin... I was wrong t' jus' assume it was a hangover he had this mornin'. I shoulda at least considered it coulda been somethin' else."
Josiah patted Nathan gently on the shoulder. "Beatin' yourself up over it isn't gonna help Ezra now." He shifted his light blue eyes to their leader. "Well, now we know why Delacourte was after him... and I would bet my life that it's also what his nightmares are about."
Chris nodded and looked up toward Ezra's room. "He obviously saw his uncle do something when he was stayin' with him, and it must have been pretty serious to make him want to shut Ezra up bad enough to kill 'im."
"We ain't got much choice then, do we? Somehow we gotta get Ezra t' go back t'—" Vin stopped and frowned. "Where the hell is Ezra from anyway?"
"Ezra's from New Orleans, but his uncle lived in Shelby... a little town west of there."
They all turned to stare at JD.
JD paused with his mug of milk halfway to his lips when he noticed them staring at him again. "What?!" He was getting really tired of being the object of their attention every time he opened his mouth.
"How the hell did ya know that? Ezra never talks about hisself or his past." Nathan glanced at the others and saw them all nodding in agreement.
"Well, he does to me and Buck." JD stared right back at them, his dark brows drawing down in a frown. "Maybe he'd talk to the rest of ya if he thought you'd take him seriously an' not turn everything he says into a joke."
The others all shifted uncomfortably in their chairs as JD's words hit home. He was right... they did usually laugh off most of what Ezra said, but that was because Ezra usually did it first. Of course, maybe he was just trying to beat them to the punch. If he made the joke, maybe it wouldn't hurt quite so much.
Josiah slid lower in his chair and took a large gulp of his beer. "Out of the mouths of babes."
Admittedly, they'd all come a long way toward treating Ezra as one of the family, but there were obviously a few things they still needed to work on. Maybe the upcoming trip would help forge a tighter bond with their resident gambler.
"So how are we gonna convince 'im t' go?" Vin stared around the table at the others hoping one of them would come up with a plan, because as far as he could see, it was going to take a miracle to get Ezra to go anywhere near the place.
Chris glanced at Vin and shrugged. "Well, I could order him to go, but I'd rather not do that unless there's no other way." A smile tugged at his lips and he took a quick sip of his beer. "We might have our best weapon already working on 'im. Buck's been gettin' damn good at talking Ezra into doin' just about anything he wants him to, and since Buck knows goin' back is Ezra's best bet at riddin' himself of those nightmares, he'll be pulling out all the stops in order to talk him into goin'."
Josiah shook his head in sympathy for the gambler. "Then I foresee a trip in our future, because Ezra doesn't stand a chance against the full force of that infamous Wilmington charm."
They all laughingly agreed with the preacher's prediction, and with a silent prayer for Buck's success, began hammering out the details of the trip they all hoped they'd soon be making.
It had been almost an hour and Buck was still seated on the floor with Ezra. The vomiting had finally stopped and the headache had begun to ease up, but he didn't think the younger man was ready to be moved just yet. Buck was alarmed at how much Ezra's condition had worsened since he'd first found out about his nightmares three short weeks ago. As he sat with one arm wrapped around him, gently wiping the sweat off his face, Buck could feel just how much weight the younger man had lost off his already slender frame. He knew Ezra's bulky layers of clothes had hidden the change, but he still kicked himself for not noticing it sooner.
"Damn it, Ezra, why didn't ya tell me you were still havin' trouble?" Buck kept his voice soft, with no hint of anger in it, just a sadness that the gambler still didn't trust him enough to ask for his help.
Ezra pushed himself out of Buck's arms and leaned weakly against the wall beside him. He sat with his head tipped back and his eyes closed as he still fought against the nausea that threatened to make a resurgence. "I'm sorry, Buck, I thought I could handle it myself, and I... I just didn't want to cause you any worry."
Buck shook his head and heaved an exasperated sigh at the Southerner's stubborn pride. "Hell, Ezra, it's my job to worry 'bout ya. That's just what big brothers do." He saw a shiver ripple through the slight form beside him and quickly pushed himself to his feet. "Come on, pard, let's get ya up off this hard floor an' into bed."
Ezra grabbed hold of Buck's arms and stopped him as he tried to lift him to his feet. "I don't think that would be wise at the moment... my stomach is still a bit unsteady."
"Still feelin' dizzy?" When the gambler nodded, Buck knelt beside him and waited till he gave the okay, and then slowly eased him to his feet. Once he had him upright, Buck stopped, gave Ezra a chance to catch his breath, and then shifted his grip to take most of the smaller man's weight before carefully walking him over to the bed. Buck sat Ezra down and let him rest for a minute, then helped him lay back amongst the pillows and pulled the blanket up over him.
Buck grabbed the wet cloth and again wiped Ezra's face off. "Ya gonna make it, pard?"
Ezra took a few deep breaths and slowly opened his eyes. "I think so... at least for now."
Buck could see that sleep was pulling at the weary gambler, but he wanted to get the subject of the trip settled first. "Ezra, I know you're real tired now and needin' to rest, but we have to talk 'bout JD's idea."
"I was hopin' you'd forgotten about that." The gambler managed to give him a weak smile, but Buck saw the small tremor of fear that shook him.
He watched Ezra struggle with his emotions and almost relented. But then Buck took a good look at the smaller man... at the utter exhaustion that dulled his usually bright green eyes and the gauntness of his face, and he steeled himself against his desire to protect the gambler from his memories.
Ezra stared up at Buck, searching his face for even a hint that he was willing to drop the subject, but it was apparent that he had no intention of changing his mind. Ezra turned away and heaved a ragged sigh. His voice trembled with emotion as he tried to make the former lawman understand.
"You have no idea what you're askin' of me, Mr. Wilmington. I am deeply ashamed to admit it, but... I... I'm—" Ezra looked up and the older man's heart nearly broke in two when he saw the depth of emotion openly revealed in the gambler's eyes. Ezra's voice sank to a husky, pain-filled whisper. "I'm afraid, Buck. I hate it, and I wish it weren't true, but just the thought of returning to that... place... absolutely terrifies me." He weakly pushed himself over onto his side, turning his back on the older man, and curled up into a ball of pure misery. "I can't do it, Buck. I... I just can't."
Buck leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands, swallowing hard to try and get his own emotions under control. Once he thought he could keep from breaking down, Buck shifted over to sit on the bed beside Ezra and began lightly massaging his back. "I've met your uncle, pard... remember? I do know some of what you're goin' through, an' it makes me sick to think of havin' to take you back there." He felt Ezra tense up under his hand and gently forced him to roll back over so he could see his face. "But ya can't keep goin' on the way you are, Ezra... it's gonna kill ya... an' then he'll win. You don't want that, do ya?"
Ezra shook his head and tiredly closed his eyes. "Of course I don't, but what if we travel all the way back there and I still can't remember? Do you think goin' through all that for nothin' won't kill me just as quickly? He wins either way."
Buck took the smaller man's hand in his and tugged gently on it. When Ezra opened his eyes and looked at him, Buck caught and held his attention, pinning him with the intensity of his gaze and forcing him to listen. "The Ezra Standish I know would never fold up and just quit... he'd go down fightin' with everything he had."
Ezra stared at his friend for several minutes and finally gave him a small, resigned smile. "You seem to think you know this 'Ezra Standish' fellow pretty well."
"Damn straight I do... an' I know he'd appreciate his best friend's help in makin' this decision so much, that he'd insist on buyin' 'im a drink just to thank 'im." Buck laughed when Ezra dug in his pocket, pulled out a coin, and tossed it down on the bed beside his hand.
"I suppose you're right, Mr. Wilmington, that is probably what he'd do. So please accept this as a token of my appreciation and go get that drink so that I can get some sleep. I suppose if I'm goin' to be travelin' all the way back to Louisiana, I'll need to be fully rested."
Buck picked up the money and patted Ezra on the shoulder. "That'a boy, Ezra... I knew you'd make the right decision." Buck squeezed his arm and turned down the light before moving away from the bed. "And, Ezra? Don't you worry... we'll be right there beside ya every step of the way."
Ezra yawned and rolled over, pulling the quilt snugly up under his chin. "I know you will, Buck. I never doubted it for a minute."
Buck waited until he heard Ezra's breathing even out into the steady rhythm of sleep and then slipped out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him.
When Buck had joined the others down in the saloon and given them the welcome news that Ezra had agreed to go, the only detail they'd managed to work out was that they'd need to take the train. Then they'd started arguing over which of them would accompany Ezra and which of them would stay to take care of the town. An hour later, they were still at it.
Buck's eyes widened when he saw JD scowling at him. "Don't even think it, boy... Ezra's not goin' anywhere without me. Besides, he needs me in case he gets one of his headaches."
"Nathan'll be there." JD gestured at the healer and gave Buck a smug grin, thinking he'd answered that little argument.
Buck glanced at Nathan and just shook his head.
Nathan glared at the other man. "What... you sayin' I can't take care of them headaches? An' what if somethin' else happens... you gonna be able to take out a bullet or set a bone or stitch up a stab wound? I know how y'all are, an' the odds on any one of those things happenin' is pretty damn good. I have t' go."
Josiah's deep, rumbling voice rolled over Buck's response to Nathan's statement. "Well, you all saw him up there... who did he let comfort him when he needed it? Yours truly. And considering what he's liable to be goin' through once we reach his uncle's, he's probably gonna be needin' a lot more of my calming presence and reassurances."
JD shook his head, his shaggy, dark hair whipping about his face. He was determined not to be left behind on this one... not when it concerned Ezra. "He'd have Buck there for that... he sure wouldn't want both of ya actin' like a mother hen over 'im."
"Ha! See... I told ya I needed to be with 'im." Buck pointed his finger triumphantly at JD.
"Yeah... well, he's one of my best friends, an' I know he'd want me with 'im." JD's brows drew down as he stared at Josiah and Buck. He turned his eyes on Chris and Vin and received a dark glare from both men.
"Don't even go there, JD," Chris warned him. There was no argument where he was concerned. Ezra was one of his men, and he was in trouble... there was no way he wouldn't be there for him.
"What are ya lookin' at me for, kid?" Vin's eyes narrowed as he saw the others turn to stare at him.
JD shrugged and slid his mug of milk nervously around the table in front of him. "Well... why do you need to go? Ezra grew up there... he'll know the area good enough. What'll we need a tracker for?"
Buck sided with their youngest. "That's right, Vin. Besides, we'll be goin' through Texas... it'd be too dangerous for ya to go along."
Vin glanced at Buck and shook his head. "We'll be takin' a damned train. Who's gonna notice me on there?" Then he turned his gaze on JD. "Ezra ain't been back there in... what... twenty years? 'Sides, he was only five then. How much is he likely t' remember?"
Chris saw Buck and JD both open their mouths to continue the argument and decided he'd had enough. "Well, it looks like we're never gonna be able to settle this, so I guess we're just all gonna have to go."
The others were immediately silenced by his quiet statement and stared at him with their mouths hanging open in surprise.
Vin recovered first and frowned at their leader. "Who's gonna watch over the town while we're gone?"
"Yeah... what's the Judge gonna say if we all take off?" JD shook his head at the idea of them all just up and leaving.
"Yes, Mr. Larabee, what is the Judge goin' to say?"
They all looked up, startled by Ezra's sudden appearance in the saloon.
"Ezra, what the hell are ya doin' up already? You were s'posed to be restin'." Nathan glowered at the gambler as he retrieved a chair from another table and slid it in between Buck and JD.
Ezra smiled up at Inez who had seen him slowly making his way down the stairs and had anticipated his order for a double shot of his special whiskey. Taking the glass she held out to him and offering a grateful thank you, the gambler turned just in time to see Nathan wave her back to the table. He frowned and heaved an exasperated sigh when he heard the healer request some food for him. "Mr. Jackson, if I had wanted something to eat, I would have ordered it."
"It ain't a matter of wantin' t' eat, Ezra... it's that ya need to." Nathan looked to the others and was relieved to see them all nodding their heads in agreement. Buck wasn't the only one who'd noticed the Southerner's drop in weight. They'd all been shocked by the change in him that had become obvious once they'd finally seen him without his fancy coat and vest.
Ezra rubbed wearily at his eyes before looking up at his friends. Even though his vision was still slightly blurred, he could see their nods and knew that he was outnumbered. He'd been going to remind them of the food he'd eaten earlier, but decided it wouldn't do him any good. Besides, he knew they were only speaking out of concern and worry for his well-being and... they were right. He wasn't blind to the evidence of his physical decline that stared back at him every morning when he used the mirror to shave. The dark circles under his eyes, the hollowness of his cheeks... it was clear that the nightmares and headaches were exacting a heavy toll on his health.
"All right, Mr. Jackson... whatever you say. I'll try to ingest a sufficient amount of food to satisfy you... if y'all will be so kind as to fill me in on any decisions you've made so far concerning our upcoming trip." Ezra grimaced as Inez placed a large bowl of stew and a couple of biscuits on the table in front of him. Picking up the spoon, he reluctantly began eating while the others went back to ironing out the details of the trip.
It took the rest of the evening and considerable arguing, but they finally managed to settle on a plan that would hopefully have all of them on their way to Shelby within the week. Since the Judge was in Eagle Bend for a trial, it was decided that Chris, Buck, JD and Ezra would go there to inform him of their need to leave for an indefinite period of time. Hopefully, since he had been so closely involved with Ezra's situation during his period of amnesia, he would understand and agree to the necessity for the trip and be able to arrange for some other means of protection for the town in their absence.
Ezra stared in amazement at the others as they, to a man, brushed off his concern that their decision to accompany him could very well result in the loss of their jobs. His heart swelled with emotion as they assured him that the only thing that mattered to them was being there for him. He was their brother and he was in trouble. He needed them. End of discussion.
Josiah saw Ezra struggling to come to grips with the idea that this kind of devotion could possibly be directed at him, and realized just how close to the surface the gambler's emotions were at the moment. In an effort to take the pressure off of him, the preacher suggested they get back to working on the list of things that needed to be accomplished in order to get their trip underway.
"Ya know... Mary's traveled an awful lot, maybe while you four are gone, I could talk t' her an' see if she can't help with the arrangements for the train we'll need t' take." Nathan saw Vin looking at him questioningly. "What's the matter, Vin?"
"Well, I hate to be the one t' have t' bring this up, but how are we gonna afford tickets for all of us?" Vin glanced around the table at the others. "I don't know 'bout the rest of ya, but I sure ain't got that kinda money."
The others looked slightly dumbfounded at the realization that they'd been so focused on their need to get Ezra back to Louisiana, that they'd never even given a thought to the problem of paying for the trip.
Ezra sighed and stared regretfully at his friends. "Ordinarily, I would have enough funds stashed away to finance our little excursion, but Lady Luck has not been kind to me in recent weeks, and I unfortunately find myself in the same depleted position as Mr. Tanner."
Chris absentmindedly waved a hand at the gambler as he thought over this little glitch in their plans. "That's all right, Ezra, there's no way we'd let ya pay for the whole trip anyway."
It was quiet for a few minutes as they all sat sipping their drinks, trying to come up with some way to get the money they needed.
Suddenly, Vin sat up straighter in his chair and gave Chris a thoughtful look. "Hey, cowboy... ya 'member that feller that was askin' 'bout the coach a couple months back? Well, Sam tol' me the other day that he'd been back to the livery an' was still real interested in it... said he'd be willin' t' pay top dollar t' own a rig that fine."
Chris stared at the tracker and let a slow, satisfied grin creep across his face. "Now who better to finance our trip than dear old Uncle Matthew himself."
Ezra frowned at the two men and slowly lowered his glass to the table. They all saw the slight tremor that ran through the Southerner when he heard the hated name. "What are you talkin' about, Mr. Larabee? My uncle? He isn't—" Ezra glanced nervously over his shoulder as if he expected the man who haunted his dreams to walk through the door.
Buck laid a calming hand on Ezra's shoulder and hurried to reassure him. "Easy, pard, he ain't here. It's his coach that we're talkin' 'bout sellin'. He left it behind when he lit outta here after tryin' t'... well, after that mess in the alley. Guess he figured he could make a quicker getaway on a horse." He saw Ezra sigh in relief, but could tell he was still a bit confused. "You know the rig we're talkin' 'bout... real fancy... sits out behind the livery?"
Ezra finally nodded as he recalled seeing the expensive-looking carriage. "So someone's shown an interest in purchasing it?"
"Yup. That rancher that bought out ol' man Wilkerson. Heard he's got more money than Stuart James or Guy Royal ever thought of havin' an' wants the coach t' cart his fancy friends from back East around in." Vin grinned knowingly at the others. "Reckon he'd be willin' t' pay top dollar for it."
Chris nodded at the tracker and Josiah. "Well then, why don't you two ride on out to his spread and see what kinda deal you can make with 'im while we're gone. If he's that anxious to get his hands on that rig, we oughta be able to get more than enough to pay for the trip."
Buck leaned forward and slapped a hand down on the table. "Now that we got all that settled, how 'bout a hand or two of poker 'fore we hit the sack? I need t' win some spendin' money for that little trip t' Eagle Bend we're takin' in the mornin'. I figure I better buy some new duds... gotta look good to impress all those southern belles we'll be meetin'."
JD snorted and grinned at the older man as he searched his pockets for enough money to get in on the game. "Yeah right, Buck... like them fancy women are even gonna look twice at a—" He stopped suddenly and frowned as he pulled a folded envelope out of his coat pocket. "Geez, Ezra, with all the commotion goin' on this mornin', I completely forgot about this letter that came for ya. Looks kinda official."
Ezra set the cards he'd been shuffling down and took the thick envelope from JD. After nervously turning it over in his hands several times, he finally ran one long, slender finger along the seal and opened it. The others watched curiously as he unfolded the letter and let his eyes scan down the page.
Ezra's eyebrows shot up, and he quickly looked around the table, fastening his surprised gaze on Buck. "Um... Mr. Wilmington? Exactly when and why did you decide to take on the responsibility of being my..." He looked back down and read directly from the letter he held in his hand... "'court appointed legal guardian?'"
Chris and the others struggled to smother their laughter as they saw the realization of what the papers were suddenly wash over Buck... effectively wiping the smile off his face and bringing a hot flush of embarrassment to his cheeks.
"Aw hell... I'd forgotten all 'bout them damned papers." Buck stared miserably at the documents for a moment while he struggled to find the words to explain, then looked up at Ezra trying to gauge his reaction to what he'd read. But the gambler had his poker face firmly in place, and he couldn't tell if Ezra was going to good-naturedly accept the news of his guardianship, or if he was about to explode. Buck quickly dropped his eyes back down to stare at the table. "Well, Maude was tryin' to drag you back to St. Louis with her, an' the Judge said the only way we could legally stop her was to have him make one of us your guardian."
"And he picked... you? The town Lothario? The one person more averse to accepting responsibility than myself?" If Buck would have just gotten the courage to look back up at Ezra, he would have seen the mischievous twinkle in the gambler's bright green eyes. "Just how much did you pay Judge Travis for the privilege of gaining control over my every move?"
That did it. Buck's head shot up, his face infused with righteous indignation at Ezra's disparaging statement. "Privilege?! Why you damn— I shoulda let Maude take your rotten southern ass back with her! It sure woulda saved me a lot of—" The enraged gunfighter finally noticed the smile tugging at Ezra's lips and heard the choked laughter of his friends, and his angry tirade came to a sputtering halt. He let a sheepish grin steal across his face when he saw the gambler's smile widen until his gold tooth glittered in the lamplight. "Damn you, Ezra, ya really had me goin' there for a minute."
"I am sorry, Mr. Wilmington. I just couldn't resist torturing you a little." Ezra chuckled as he waved the papers at Buck. "I'm truly honored to have you as my guardian... just don't get any ideas about invoking your authority over me."
Buck laughed and took the papers out of the Southerner's hand. "Don't worry, Ezra, we'll take care of that right now." He folded the documents and started to rip them in half, but was stopped when Ezra quickly reached out and snatched them back.
Ezra blushed slightly when he saw the surprised looks the others were giving him, and hastily offered up an explanation while carefully folding the papers and placing them back in the envelope. "I think I'd better hold onto these... if you don't mind, Mr. Wilmington. They are, after all, legal documents, and I may have need of them in the future."
"Sure, Ezra, whatever you say." Buck saw the expression on the gambler's face soften as he stared down at the envelope for a moment before slipping it into his pocket. He turned away to hide the smile he couldn't quite hold back, allowing Ezra to hang onto the facade of indifference he'd put up for the rest of their friends. They might be fooled by the Southerner's lame excuse for keeping the papers, but he wasn't... he was well aware of the true depth of Ezra's feelings for his new family and knew just how much those custody papers meant to him. But Ezra's secret was safe with him... at least until they were alone. Then he might indulge himself in a bit of gentle teasing. Just to keep the gambler on his toes. Buck grinned and asked Ezra if he was ever going to deal the cards, or if he was just going to sit there and shuffle the spots off of them, successfully turning the attention away from Ezra and his emotions and back to the game.
Ezra flashed him a smile of thanks and quickly dealt the cards. "Well, gentlemen, are y'all ready to hand over your money to the Ezra Standish Fund for Wayward Gamblers? All donations will be gratefully accepted."
Ezra awoke early the next morning and was pleasantly surprised when he realized that he'd slept through the entire night... no nightmares and no headaches. He stretched lazily and had just started to untangle himself from the covers when he was startled by JD pounding on his door, announcing that Chris wanted to leave within the hour and that he'd better hurry. After assuring the younger man that he was awake and would be down shortly, he got up and began preparing for their trip to Eagle Bend.
It only took him a short time to get everything ready. Soon all he had left to do was don his coat and hat and head down to the saloon for a bite of breakfast. Ezra stood contemplating the jacket he'd worn the previous night, and after a moment's hesitation, decided it would be good enough to use for the hot, dusty trip. He could freshen up and change into something cleaner when they arrived and secured a room at the hotel.
Lifting the dark red coat off the back of the chair, Ezra shook it slightly to remove any dust that clung to the fine material. He started in surprise as the envelope he'd slipped into the pocket the night before fell to the floor. The young gambler slid his arms into the sleeves and shrugged the garment up over his shoulders before bending down to retrieve the letter.
Ezra settled lightly on the edge of the bed and tapped the envelope against the palm of his hand. Smiling softly, he slowly withdrew the document and again read the words that officially proclaimed Buck his guardian and protector. He felt a tightness in his throat as he thought about how hard they'd apparently all worked to ensure that he remain a part of their family. His own mother had spent nearly his entire life pushing him away and out of her life and then suddenly, here were six men who had fought tooth and nail to pull him into theirs and keep him there. Ezra couldn't remember anything about Maude's visit during his troubles except for that brief moment in the alley, but knowing how she hated to lose, he was sure those custody papers were a hard- won victory for his friends. He was still usually incapable of expressing his emotions to anyone other than Buck, but hopefully, one day, he'd be able to tell them all just how much he appreciated what they'd done for him.
Ezra very carefully tucked the papers back in the envelope and, walking over to the dresser, placed it almost reverently in the drawer that held the few things he owned that were special to him in one way or another. Giving it one last gentle touch, he pushed the drawer closed and, gathering up his things, left the room and headed down to join his friends in the saloon.
After Chris and the others got over the shock of seeing Ezra actually up and ready on time, they ate a quick breakfast and then set out for Eagle Bend.
The ride went smoothly as JD kept them entertained with his uncontrollable excitement over the upcoming trip to Louisiana. He bombarded Ezra with an unending string of questions about his childhood home, and the gambler, after receiving a night of much needed uninterrupted sleep, was in a sufficiently good enough humor to patiently answer most of them.
Ezra carefully dodged the subject of his uncle's plantation and the memories it stirred up by informing them that they'd moved away from there by the time he was six. Instead, he regaled them with tales of his exploits as a youth traveling with his mother over much of the South. By the time he had reached the age of ten, Maude had realized how useful he could be to her and had stopped leaving him behind. After hearing about some of the riskier cons Maude had involved him in, they were all amazed that he was there with them and not locked away for life in some prison, or worse yet, dead because of the retaliation of one of her marks.
JD hung on the older man's every word, envious of the interesting life he had led compared to his own quiet and boring childhood spent as a stable boy. "Boy, you sure were lucky, Ezra! That all sounds real exciting... a heck of a lot better than mucking out stalls and hauling feed and water."
Ezra stared quietly at the boy, a pained expression on his face as he recalled the details of his life that he'd deliberately left out. The beatings and short stints in jail that had accompanied many of his mother's scams. The loneliness of having no friends, no real home. The abuse he'd suffered at the hands of nearly everyone his mother had associated with. "I assure you, Mr. Dunne... I would have traded places with you in a heartbeat."
JD blushed and stared at the longing in Ezra's eyes and knew he'd let himself get carried away by the gambler's stories. Of course he didn't wish for Ezra's life with Maude. His own mother may have been only a chambermaid, but she had showered him with love and every spare moment of her attention. "I'm sorry, Ezra. I wasn't thinkin'."
Ezra gave himself a mental shake, dispelling the unpleasant memories that were threatening to drag him down. "That's quite all right, Mr. Dunne. I may have embellished it a bit and made it seem a tad more excitin' than it actually was." He flashed JD a brilliant smile and smoothly changed the subject by directing the boy's questions toward more general information about their destination.
The rest of the ride went quickly as Ezra fielded JD's spirited inquiries and even a few from Chris and Buck. By the time they reached Eagle Bend, they all had a clearer picture of what to expect from their trip to the Deep South.
Upon arriving in town, Chris led the way to the hotel where they had decided to get rooms for the night, not wanting to have to either rush back to Four Corners or sleep on the trail. A decision that was most welcome by Ezra who was inordinately averse to roughing it and who avoided it whenever possible.
Dismounting slowly, they all stretched and gingerly worked the stiffness out of their aching muscles. Chris announced that they might as well find the Judge first thing and get their talk out of the way. He was hoping that Travis would be able to make the arrangements for someone to take over their duties as peacekeepers while they were still in Eagle Bend so they'd be able to concentrate on the details of their trip once they got back home. He didn't want to delay leaving any longer than possible, fearing that Ezra would change his mind and refuse to go.
Chris glanced at Ezra and noticed the air of apprehension that had come over the gambler at the mention of their meeting with the Judge. He knew how much Ezra was probably dreading the thought of discussing his nightmares with anyone other than them... especially Judge Orrin Travis... and decided that it might be easier if he and Buck handled it themselves.
"Ezra? Would you rather not have to talk to the Judge?" Chris watched his face carefully and knew he'd been right when he saw the look of relief that filled Ezra's eyes.
Ezra nodded quickly and then blushed at his own eagerness to get out of what would have been, for him at least, a painful ordeal. "I have to admit, I would prefer not to, Mr. Larabee, unless, of course, you think I should."
Buck laid a supportive hand on Ezra's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "That's okay, pard, Chris an' I can tell the Judge whatever he needs to know. Why don't you an' JD get our rooms an' then go on over to the saloon an' have a drink. We'll meet ya over there when we're finished."
Ezra nodded gratefully, and he and JD stepped up on the boardwalk and moved toward the hotel.
"Ezra!"
The two men turned at the sound of their leader's voice. "Yes, Mr. Larabee?"
"You two make sure you stay out of trouble. Once Sheriff Stains knows we're in town, he'll be lookin' for any excuse he can find to throw us in jail." Chris gave them his best Larabee glare. "Don't give 'im one."
Ezra nodded and gave him a salute before turning and entering the hotel with JD following close behind him.
Chris stared after them for a moment before heading toward the feed store. Judging from the crowd gathered outside jockeying for a position at the windows, that was where the trial was being held.
Buck had seen the look on his partner's face before he'd turned away from the hotel and knew what he was thinking. "Don't worry, pard, Ezra'll be extra careful as long as JD's with 'im. You know how he feels about the kid." Buck opened the door and stood back to let Chris lead the way into the make-shift court. "'Sides, this won't take us long, an' then we can join 'em. How much trouble could they possibly get into just havin' a drink?"
Chris gave the lanky gunfighter a look of disbelief and shook his head as he entered the store. "You forget who we're talkin' about? Those two can find trouble in their sleep."
After securing them rooms and stabling their horses, Ezra and JD made their way over to the saloon.
JD had quickly satisfied his growling stomach while Ezra had sufficiently soothed his dry and dusty throat with several drinks. Now they were contentedly settled at their table playing cards with a couple of the locals who had asked to join them. The other two men had started out friendly enough, but as the game wore on and their beer consumption mounted, they began to grow a bit dissatisfied with JD's playing ability and his constant barrage of lame jokes. Actually, they were more upset over Ezra's playing ability, but thought it safer to take their frustrations out on the boy instead.
"Damn, junior, are ya gonna play or not?!" The older of the two men tossed his cards down in anger as JD hesitated over whether to fold or not.
"Yeah, if ya'd concentrate on your cards 'stead of those stupid jokes ya keep yammerin' on about, we might get this damned hand over with!" The other stranger echoed his partner's sentiments and immediately regretted it when he caught the look Ezra shot him.
"I would suggest you gentlemen watch how you speak to my young friend." Ezra's voice was cool and steady, but they all saw the flash of anger that sparked in his green eyes as he looked up from his cards.
JD knew that look and shifted nervously in his chair as Chris's warning about avoiding trouble echoed through his mind. "It's all right, Ezra. I was gonna quit after this hand anyway."
Ezra flashed a reassuring smile at JD. "Nonsense, Mr. Dunne. Just because your brand of humor is too sophisticated for the uneducated and unwashed citizenry of this disgustingly shabby little backwater, doesn't mean that you should stop gifting us with your brilliant tales. I, for one, would love to hear more, but then again... I have the intelligence and good taste to appreciate them."
The two men stared at Ezra with narrowed eyes, their minds turning over his fancy words until they finally figured out what he was saying. "Hey, Virgil, I think this scrawny little peacock jus' called us dirty an' stupid."
His friend nodded and began to push himself slowly away from the table. "Yeah, an' I think he's insultin' our town, too."
While JD shook his head at what he knew was coming, Ezra's smile widened as he carefully positioned his right arm on the table... ready to engage his derringer if the need arose. "Well, Mr. Dunne, it seems these two Neanderthals aren't quite as dumb as they look."
"Ezra...." JD moaned and grabbed at the gambler's sleeve, trying to stop his mouth before it got them thrown in jail... or worse.