Ezra stared curiously at Buck for a minute, wondering why he was waiting til last, and then turned his attention to Chris, who was walking towards the bed carrying a square package tied with a bright red ribbon.
"Well, little guy... looks like it's my turn. I don't know if this is going to measure up to all these other fine gifts you've gotten today... but it made another little boy I knew happy, so I'm hopin' it'll do the same for you." Chris hesitated for a second as he stared at Ezra. A slight trace of confusion shone in the gambler's green eyes, but he still had a big smile on his face as he waited patiently for his gift. Chris finally laid it on the bed in front of him, and leaned over to place a light kiss on the younger man's forehead. "Merry Christmas, Ezra."
"Mewwy Chwistmas, Chwis." Ezra stared up at the older man and patted the bed beside him. "Sit wif me? Pwease?"
Chris sank down on the bed next to the Southerner and smiled as Ezra sidled closer and leaned against him while he opened his present. Chris automatically let his arm go around the smaller man's shoulders as he watched him struggle with the ribbon. It kept sliding around the package until the gunslinger finally reached down and held it still for him.
Ezra finally got it unwrapped, and stared down at the book that was revealed. His hand reached out and ran lightly across the picture on the cover, and he turned and grinned up at Chris. "It's Jack and d' Giant, Chwis!! D'is is d' storwy you werwe tewwin' me yesterwday!" The gambler slowly turned the pages, pausing at each of the pictures to try and puzzle out what that particular story was about. "D'ese w'ook w'ike grweat storwies, Chwis... but I can't w'ead d'em yet."
Buck started when he saw what Chris had given Ezra... Adam's book. He raised an eyebrow at his friend and smiled at the shrug and sheepish look he gave him before turning back to Ezra. Buck had known the Little One had gotten to Chris... he'd just had no idea how much.
"Well, I... um... I thought maybe I could read them to you... as a kind of bedtime story." Chris got a little anxious over Ezra's silence. "Just until you learn to read them yourself, of course... or one of the others can read them to you... whatever you want... I just thought you might like-"
The other men stared open-mouthed at their leader... they'd never seen him so nervous and unsure of himself before. All because of his need for the approval of one small boy.
Ezra hadn't heard the worry in Chris's voice... he'd been too busy concentrating on the idea of someone actually wanting to read him a bedtime story. This was something he'd always wished for on those nights when his mama had left him home alone... someone to be there to hold him and take him away from all his loneliness and fear by transporting him away into the make-believe world of a story. He'd seen his uncle Matthew read to his own children while he'd been doing his chores... seen how happy and safe they looked curled up on his lap in the big old rocking chair. He'd have given anything to have that for himself... and now Chris was offering it to him.
Suddenly Ezra heard Chris fumbling to explain away his gift, and he quickly turned and stared into the older man's startled face. "No, Chwis! I don't wanna be able to w'ead it to myself... and I don't want one of d' ovverw guys to w'ead it to me!" He shot an apologetic look at his other brothers and then turned back to the older man who held him. " I want you to w'ead it to me! I... I want you to howld me in yourw w'ap... an' w'ock me... an' show me d' picturwes whiwle you w'ead... an'... an'..."
Ezra's words just seemed to pour out of him, tumbling over themselves in his rush to explain what he needed... what he knew he'd missed out on with his strange and lonely childhood. His next words were slower and spoken so low, even Chris had trouble making them out. "I jus' want you to make me feewl safe an' not so a'wone anymorwe."
Chris could only stare at him for several minutes... his mind reeling after everything Ezra had requested of him. Then it hit him... all Ezra wanted was exactly what he'd hoped to give Adam with that book. A reason for him to crawl into his papa's lap when he thought he was too old for it... to be hugged and cuddled while being spirited away to a land of fantasy... and the absolute certainty that he was safe as long as his father was holding him in his arms. Ezra just wanted the same things most little boys had... the same things that he'd been denied as a child.
Chris pulled Ezra against him and held him tight. "That's all you want, Ezra? Just to be rocked and read to?" He felt the gambler's head move against his chest. "Then that's what you'll have. Tonight before you go to bed, you and I are gonna rock and read a story together... just the two of us. How's that sound?"
Ezra sighed and leaned back to look at Chris. "It sounds grweat, Chwis. But Nafan doesn't have a w'ockin' chairw." The younger man looked down at himself and then gazed sadly at the gunslinger. "'Sides... I f'ink I'm too big to sit in yourw w'ap."
Chris rubbed his hand up and down Ezra's arm and smiled at him. "Don't you worry, little guy... I know where we can get a rockin' chair, and you'll fit in my lap just fine. Every little boy needs to be rocked and read to at least once in his life. I'd say it's about time you got that chance."
Ezra stared at Chris, looking deep into his eyes, and then glanced down and touched the book with his fingers before wrapping them around the older man's hand. Looking back up at Chris, he asked, "Was d' book forw yourw w'ittle boy?"
Chris frowned and looked around the room at the other men.
"No one tol' me, Chwis... I jus'... I jus' know somehow." Ezra looked confused and a little scared when the older man turned his gaze back on him. "His name was... it was Adam... wasn't it, Chwis? Why would I know d'at?"
Chris glanced at Nathan, but the healer just helplessly shook his head and motioned for him to answer Ezra. The gambler didn't seem too upset, so maybe it would help to let him talk about it.
"That's right, Ezra... his name was Adam. He was about your age the first time I gave him this book." Chris found it easier than he thought to talk about his son with the younger man seated in front of him. "He left it outside and it got ruined. I bought this one to replace it."
"D'en why arwe you givin' it to me instead of..." Ezra stared at Chris, and he could see the fear in the younger man's eyes as he struggled to remember something. Suddenly Ezra's eyes snapped into focus, and Chris saw them fill with pain as the Southerner whispered, "Oh, Chwis... he died, didn't he? An' his mama, too."
Chris could only nod as he fought the tears that burned and threatened to fill his eyes. Ezra's fingers tightened around the older man's as he saw the hurt his memories were causing. "I'm so sowwy, Chwis... you must w'eawy miss him, huh?"
"Yeah, I still miss him... and his mother... a lot." Chris pulled Ezra back into his arms and bent his head next to the gambler's. "But I'll tell you what, Ezra... havin' you here with us this Christmas has made things a whole lot better. It's almost like having my son back again."
Ezra trembled as Chris's words made him realize how much he'd actually missed having a father of his own. "Maybe you w'eadin' to me wiwll be good forw bof of us, Chwis. You can pwetend I'm yourw w'ittle boy an' I can pwetend yourw my papa."
Ezra waited breathlessly for a reaction to his words and was relieved to hear Chris whisper in his ear. "I'd like that, Ezra... it would make me proud to think of you as my son."
"An' I'd give anyfing forw you to be my w'eal papa, Chwis." Ezra blinked rapidly, but couldn't quite stop the tears that began trickling down his face.
Chris hugged the gambler tight one more time, and then helped him sit back up in the bed. He smiled at the smaller man, and wiped the tears gently from his cheeks. "You look through your book later and pick out a story... I'll get the rocker... and then tonight we'll snuggle up together and make each other feel better. Okay?"
Ezra nodded and grinned back at him. "D'at's easy, Chwis... I want you to w'ead me d' biggest storwy in d' book... d'at way it'll take a w'ong, w'ong time forw you to finish."
"Sounds good to me, pard." Chris touched his face once more and glanced over at Buck. "Now I think I'd better let ol' Buck have his time with you... he looks like he's about ready to come over here and shove me right off the bed. I think he misses you."
Ezra looked at Buck and smiled. "I miss him, too... I aw'ways miss him when he's not w'ight herwe wif me." He turned back to the gunslinger and picked up his new book. "F'ank you forw sharwing Adam's book wif me, Chwis... I'll take w'eal good carwe of it."
Chris took the book from him and set it on the nightstand with the chess set. "I know you will, Ezra... thank you." He moved off the bed and nodding at Buck, led the rest of his men out of the clinic.
Ezra watched them go in confusion and then turned to see Buck approaching him with a gift in his hand. "Wherwe arwe d'ey all goin', Buck? How come d'ey didn't stay to watch me open yourw pwesent?"
Buck glanced at the door and then sat on the bed facing Ezra. "Well... they're goin' after breakfast for us... aren't ya gettin' hungry, little guy?"
Ezra nodded and looked at Buck, who was staring down at the package he was holding in his hands... he knew the older man was just making excuses, but he wasn't sure why. He reached out and touched Buck's hand. "You aw'w'ight, Buck?"
Buck looked up into the younger man's green eyes... eyes just a little too wise for a five year old... Nathan's right... he is comin' back to us... and gave him a soft smile. "I'm fine, Ezra... here ya go, Little One. Merry Christmas."
The package was small and light. Ezra sat and stared at it for a few moments as a strange feeling began to stir in his stomach. Finally, he set it down on the bed, and with Buck's help, slowly untied the bow and peeled back the paper.
Buck watched Ezra's face carefully as the watch was revealed. The Southerner stared at it for a moment, and then reached down to run his fingers along the delicate pattern that was etched into the shiny gold cover. At first he'd thought it was his watch, but then he'd remembered his didn't have anything on the front like this one did. Suddenly an image flashed across his mind of Buck's hands holding this exact same watch... that's why it seemed familiar... it was-.
Ezra raised his eyes to Buck's and spoke softly. "D'is is yourw watch... isn't it, Buck?"
Buck stared at him. He knew Ezra hadn't seen his watch since the accident... so he had to be remembering from before. Nathan had told him to take it slow if it seemed like the watch was jogging Ezra's memory, but to go ahead and let him work through it if he wasn't getting too upset by it.
"Yeah, pard. I figured since yours quit workin', you'd be needin' a new one... and... well, I just kinda wanted ya to have mine." Buck's voice shook slightly as he spoke. He was scared to death he would handle this all wrong and hurt Ezra instead of help him.
Ezra hesitated a moment longer before finally flipping the watch open and glancing at it. "But I can't tewll time yet, Buck... w'ememberw when I trwied to-" His eyes had just begun to lift towards the older man's face, when suddenly he stopped and quickly looked back down.
"I remember, pard... I thought maybe I could try teachin' ya how to tel-" Buck stopped when he noticed Ezra staring intently down at the watch... his long, slender fingers running lightly over the glass encased numbers. "Ezra?"
His eyes still glued to the watch, Ezra mumbled softly, "It's half-past nine."
Buck saw Ezra's fingers begin to tremble as they continued to skim the surface of the glass. "I w'ememberw..." The gambler raised his head slowly until he was staring into the older man's worried blue eyes. "I w'ememberw how to tewll time, Buck... how come I..." He swallowed nervously, his green eyes shining with the fear that was quickly building in him. "How come I didn't know beforwe... but now I do? H-how could I d-do d'at, Buck?"
Buck reached out and ran his hands up and down Ezra's arms, trying to keep him calm enough to continue. "Take it easy, pard... it's okay. You'd hit your head... remember? That's why you'd forgotten how to tell time before."
Ezra nodded. "My head huwt a'wot when I firwst woked up... an' it doesn't huwt anymorwe."
Buck smiled at him. "That's right, little guy... it's gettin' better an' that's why ya can remember now." He felt the trembling beneath his hands ease somewhat and saw a little bit of the fear leave Ezra's eyes.
Ezra picked up the watch and for the first time noticed that there were letters etched on the inside of the cover. "What's d'is say, Buck?"
"It's just a little inscription I had Mar-... um... Mrs. Travis scratch on there for me." Buck felt a blush of embarrassment creep up to warm his face.
Ezra looked up at Buck, curious at his reluctance to explain. "But what's it say, Buck? I can't w'ead it."
Buck dropped his head, took a deep breath, and ran his hand over his chin nervously before finally looking back at the gambler. "It says, 'For My Little One'... 'You'll Always Be In My Heart'."
Ezra just stared at Buck... not moving, not speaking, barely breathing, as his eyes captured and held the other man's attention.
Buck felt his heart lurch with the intensity of emotion he saw etched on Ezra's face. He tried to tear his gaze away from those piercing green eyes, but stopped when he saw something appear in their emerald depths. It was an awareness... a knowing. Ezra knew what the inscription meant... knew somewhere in his mind that he would eventually be leaving. But thankfully it wasn't filtering through into his consciousness yet... otherwise Buck knew Lit'l Ezra would be terrified. As it was, only Buck was terrified... he was losing his Little One.
Finally the spell Ezra was under broke, and the adoring little brother Buck had come to know and love was back. The gunman watched in amazement as Ezra's features softened until he once more had the youthful expression of a little boy, and his eyes again held the sparkling excitement of Christmas.
"Buck... you w'eawy mean it? D'at I'm in yourw hearwt?" Ezra's voice was low and husky with emotion as he struggled to believe that anyone could love him that much.
It killed Buck to see that even after all they'd said and done, Ezra still had trouble understanding just how much he'd come to mean to them all. Buck reached out and tenderly cupped both hands around Ezra's face and drew him closer.
"Ezra Payton Standish... will ya please listen to me? From the first moment ya woke up here in the clinic and looked into my eyes, you've been in my heart. Since you've been here, you have become absolutely the most precious and important person in my life... and I love ya more than I ever thought I could love anyone. You've filled my heart completely... do you understand?" Buck saw Ezra nod, and watched his incredibly bright green eyes fill with tears. "Those better be tears of happiness, Little One... or you're gonna break my heart."
Ezra gave him another weak nod. "D'ey arwe, Buck."
But Buck could see it in his eyes... he still just didn't believe that he could be loved that much. Suddenly he had an idea... he'd have to be tough on the little guy, and that was going to be hard, but it might just work.
"You wanna give me a Christmas present, Ezra?" Buck smiled when Ezra's head immediately bobbed up and down.
"Morwe d'an anyfing, Buck." Ezra's face fell and the tears flowed even faster down his cheeks. "But I don't have nuffin' to give you, Buck... nuffin'."
"Yes, you do. You've got the one thing in this world that I want." When Ezra stared at him in confusion, Buck continued. "The thing I want more than anything is for you to love me as much as I love you."
Ezra literally shook with the emotions that surged through him as he pulled out of Buck's hands... his eyes widened in disbelief at the older man's request. "Buck... how could you say d'at? I tol' you how much I wuv you! Didn't you bewieve me?!"
"But can you explain why ya love me, Ezra?" Buck watched the gambler's mouth open and close as he struggled to find the words to express what he was feeling.
All the reasons Ezra loved the man sitting there with him flashed through his mind, but none of them seemed adequate enough to explain why he loved Buck as much as he did.
"I can't, Buck... I'm sowwy... I jus' can't find d' w'ight... it's jus'..." The expression that came over Ezra's face at that moment was a heart-wrenching combination of misery and frustration as he realized words just weren't enough. Ezra's voice was choked with tears as he finally just pressed his hand over his heart and sobbed, "I jus' feewl it, Buck... in herwe. I wuv you so much it huwts... pwease bewieve me, Buck... pwease?"
Buck finally gathered him up in his arms, and began whispering quietly in his ear. "I believe ya, Ezra... and that's exactly why I love you. Now... do you believe me?"
Ezra slowly stopped crying and pulled back to stare into Buck's face. Reaching his hand out, he placed it over the older man's heart and whispered, "You feewl it in herwe, too? D'at's why you wuv me?"
"That's right, Little One... I feel it just like you do. And there's no reason for it, Ezra... it just is." Buck touched his forehead to Ezra's. "It hurt when I didn't believe ya, didn't it?"
Ezra nodded and brought his soft hand up to stroke Buck's face. "It huwt a'wot, Buck. I'm sowwy I made you huwt d'at way... I w'eawy am."
Buck nuzzled into the younger man's hand and then leaned back and held out his arms. "It's okay, Ezra... as long as ya believe me now. You do, don't ya?"
Ezra threw himself into Buck's loving embrace, clinging tightly to the older man's neck. "I bewieve you, Buck... do you bewieve me?"
Buck squeezed him tight and smiled. "You bet I do, pard... and thanks for that great Christmas present. It's the best one I've ever gotten." Buck pulled away and reached up to wipe the tears off of Ezra's cheeks. "Now... how 'bout I look an' see if those guys are comin' with breakfast yet. I don't know 'bout you, but I'm starved!"
Ezra gave Buck one of his famous grins, gold tooth glinting in the light from the candles, and nodded. "I'm hungwy, too... an' Buck? I pwomise that you'll aw'ways be in my hearwt, too."
Buck stared at Ezra and felt the tears begin to fall again as he prayed that his Little One would be able to keep that promise. He hugged the younger man tight and began to chuckle. "You know, Ezra... if we keep takin' turns cryin' like this, we'll never get to eat."
Ezra giggled and nuzzled his face into Buck's neck. "D'en you betterw quit bein' such a big crwybaby and go get bweakfast."
Buck grabbed Ezra's arm and used his nightshirt to dry his tears, and then while the smaller man struggled to pull away, the ladies man began tickling him. "Who you callin' a crybaby? Hmmm?"
Ezra squirmed on the bed, trying desperately to get away. But with only one arm free, he was pretty helpless... until he frantically grabbed at Buck's mustache and found he finally had a weapon to use. The more Buck tickled, the harder Ezra tugged, until the room was filled with the gambler's giggles and the older man's exaggerated cries of pain.
The door opened and six heads peered around the edge to see what the heck was going on. Chris stared at the two wrestling on the bed, and then grinned at the others. "Okay, I've got five dollars on Ezra... any takers?"
While the others were calling out their bets on the wrestling match, JD turned around and saw the Judge and Mary approaching the clinic. They were each carrying a box draped with a towel, and Judge Travis had something tucked under his arm... it looked like a Christmas present.
JD reached around the other men and tapped Chris on the shoulder to get his attention. "Chris... we've got company coming."
Chris and the others moved away from the door, shutting it quietly behind them and stood waiting for the pair climbing the stairs.
"Judge... Mary. We were just headed over to the saloon to rustle up some breakfast, care to join us?" Chris smiled at the two of them, but they could see he was firmly diverting them away from the clinic. They'd decided at the beginning of this whole situation that they would keep Ezra away from the prying eyes of the town... and they'd managed to do just that so far.
"Gentlemen." The Judge greeted the men and raised the box in his arms slightly. "Mary and Evie got carried away with the cooking this morning, and we thought maybe you'd appreciate a nice home-cooked breakfast to hold you until dinner. Thought maybe we'd join you for a bit and help Ezra celebrate his first Christmas here." The Judge stared pointedly at Chris... he expected to have his offer accepted.
Mary blushed slightly and shrugged her shoulders at Chris, indicating that none of this was her idea. He nodded understandingly at her and smiled, then turned his full attention on the Judge.
"I thought we'd decided you'd wait til tomorrow morning to talk to Ezra? We want him to just enjoy today with his family." Chris stressed the word family and hoped the Judge would take the hint and back off.
"I understand that, Chris... but I really think the talk tomorrow would go easier if I got acquainted with Lit'l Ezra while he was in a setting where he felt relaxed and safe. He'd be more comfortable telling me everything if he knew I was a friend and no threat to him." Orrin stared around him at the five men, and felt nothing but admiration for them for wanting to protect one of their own. His voice softened, and he tried to reassure them. "I just want to help Ezra, Chris... you know I wouldn't want to do anything to hurt him, or to hinder his recovery."
Chris looked at Nathan and waited. The healer glanced at the clinic door, thinking carefully about the Judge's request, and finally nodded at Chris. "I don't think it could hurt... the Judge's right, it might make things easier on 'im tomorrow."
Mary saw the others glance at her, and hurried to explain. "I'm just helping Orrin carry the food... I had no intention of staying. I understand you wanting to keep everyone from gawking at Ezra-"
Chris stopped her, waving a hand dismissively. "We appreciate that, Mary... but you've done nothing but help since this whole mess started, without trying to intrude in anyway... I think you deserve to spend some time with our little visitor. But brace yourself... he'll have you wrapped around his little finger before you know what the hell happened." He turned to open the door. "Give me just a minute to explain it to Ezra and Buck, and then you can come in."
Chris slipped into the clinic, closing the door firmly behind him. Buck and Ezra were sitting quietly on the bed now, inspecting Ezra's other gifts. Chris couldn't help but smile when he saw Ezra sitting on his knees beside Buck. His arm was wrapped around the older man's neck, his head leaning comfortably against Buck's as he chattered happily about them going fishing, about teaching him how to play chess, and about how Chris had promised to find a rocking chair to read him a story in.
Chris couldn't help think what a great father Buck would make someday... if he ever settled down that is. The tall, lean gunfighter chuckled at that one... Buck settling with one woman might be a problem, but after his experiences with Lit'l Ezra, he might just start thinking about it.
Ezra looked up, noticed Chris standing there, and smiled. "Hi, Chwis! Did you guys get bweakfast? We'rwe starwvin'!"
Chris approached the bed and sat beside the two men. "Well, actually we just had breakfast brought to us. You remember Mrs. Travis?" When Ezra nodded, he continued. "She and the Judge are outside with a couple of boxes of food... smells darn good, too. They'd like to come in and join us for breakfast... if it's okay with you."
Ezra slipped into Buck's arms and stared nervously at Chris. "A judge? Mama hates judges... she says d'ey arwe all mis... mis... miserwable old men who jus' wanna keep honest peopwle frwom earwnin' a w'ivin'."
Chris and Buck stared at Ezra for a moment, and then burst out laughing, startling him. He frowned at them, not appreciating being laughed at one bit. "Well... d'at's what Mama tol' me. Why arwe you w'aughin' at me?!"
Buck hugged him and tried to stop laughing. "We're not laughin' at ya, pard... we're just laughin' at what your mama said. Didn't ya tell me your mama was always runnin' cons on people?"
Ezra nodded and then grinned. "I guess she wouldn't w'ike judges much, would she?"
Chris shook his head, and smiled back at the gambler. "Nope... not much at all. Judge Travis is a nice man, Ezra... he just wants to meet you 'cause we've told him what a good little boy you are. And you said you remember Mrs. Travis, so she shouldn't scare you any."
Buck shot Chris a questioning look. He'd thought they'd agreed to keep today special for the Little One. "Chris?"
"It's alright, Buck... Nathan thinks it'll be good for him. I'll explain later." Chris turned back to Ezra and waited for his answer.
Ezra thought a minute and then looked at Buck.
Buck stared hard at Chris, silently warning him that he'd better be right about this, then turned his gaze back to the Southerner. "It's okay, Ezra... I'll be here with ya the whole time. Ya know I won't let nothin' happen."
With his protector's reassurance, Ezra nodded at Chris and finally agreed. "I guess it's okay, Chwis... it won't be forw verwy w'ong wiwll it?"
Chris patted Ezra on the arm and stood up. "Nah... they won't stay long, Ezra. And if it starts to bother you, you just tell Buck and we'll ask them to leave, okay?"
"Okay, Chwis." His voice was so small and shaky that Chris almost decided not to allow it, but he knew the Judge was right about it making it easier for Ezra to talk to him, so he forced himself to move to the door and open it.
"Ezra says it's okay, but take it easy on him, Judge... he's scared." Chris spoke softly as he stood back and let the others enter. He led the Judge and Mary over to meet their Little One while the others began setting out the food.
Buck had Ezra tucked tightly in his arms and had his head bent close to the trembling gambler's, reassuring him he'd be alright... that nobody was going to hurt him.
"Judge... Mary... this is Ezra." Chris sat beside the Southerner and placed his hand on his arm... stroking it gently to try and calm him. "Ezra... this is Judge Travis."
The Judge stared for a moment, trying to accept that the man cowering against Buck Wilmington was the same cocky, silver-tongued con man who he had hired as one of the seven protectors of the town. Recovering himself quickly, he moved slowly forward and smiled when after a gentle nudge from Buck, Ezra stuck his hand out and said, "How do you do, Judge Twavis... I'm Ezwa Standish."
Chris was impressed with the Judge... he never even hesitated before reaching out and taking Ezra's hand, shaking it gently.
"Well, hello there, Ezra... I've heard a lot about you." Orrin pulled the package he'd been carrying out from under his arm and held it out to the Southerner. "Merry Christmas, son... this is from Mary and I."
Ezra stared at it, and then glanced shyly at Mary as she moved up to stand beside her father-in-law.
"Hi, Ezra... you remember me, don't you?" Nathan had explained to her while they were still outside that Ezra had had a flash of memory and knew who she and Billy were.
Ezra nodded and with Chris's encouragement, slowly reached out to take the package. "You'rwe Biwwy's mama an' you own d' newspaperw, w'ight?"
"That's right. How are you feeling? I heard you had a bit of an accident." Mary knelt in front of him and talked softly, trying to make him more comfortable with their presence there.
"Nafan says I'm gettin' betterw. He looked down at his arm strapped to his chest, and then back up at his two visitors. "I brwoke my arwm, an' Nafan had to put it in a s'wing."
Mary nodded and moved a little closer, touching his leg gently. "I see that. Does it still hurt?"
Ezra shook his head and looked down at her hand on his leg. "Nuh-uh... Nafan's jus' keepin' it w'ike d'is 'cause I keep bangin' it on f'ings." He sat up a little straighter as he slowly relaxed. "Wherwe's Biwwy?"
"He's with his grandma, playing with his new toys." Orrin explained, smiling at the young man. Chris was right, a few minutes of talking with Ezra and you couldn't help but believe he was really only five. The transformation was absolutely amazing.
Buck tapped the package sitting in Ezra's lap and smiled at the Southerner. "So ya gonna open your gift so we can go eat? The smell of all that food is makin' my belly growl."
Ezra grinned at Buck, and nudged him with his shoulder. "Yourw bewwy's aw'ways grwowlin', Buck!"
"Now, Ezra... you know I'm a growin' boy... I told ya that before." Buck gave the gambler a hug when he started giggling, and then held the present for him while he opened it.
Mary put her hand over her mouth to hide the smile that she just couldn't contain after hearing the very proper Ezra Standish actually giggle. Oh my gosh... he's just so sweet! Then she had to stifle her own giggle as she imagined Ezra's reaction to being thought of as sweet. She glanced up at Orrin and saw him struggling to keep a straight face, and knew he was just as taken with the gambler as she was.
Ezra carefully undid the ribbon and then let Buck help him pull the paper off. Chris reached out and helped the eager Southerner lift the lid off the box, then watched as Ezra pushed the tissue paper aside to reveal a small wooden train set. Everyone in the room smiled as they watched him quivering with excitement... picking up each beautifully carved piece and examining it thoroughly before handing it to Buck and reaching for another. As Ezra sat admiring the last part he pulled out, the caboose, Josiah announced that breakfast was ready.
Ezra glanced up at Buck, and then looked shyly at Orrin and Mary. "F'ank you forw my pwesent... I w'eawy wuv it."
Judge Travis reached out and patted Ezra's hand. "You're very welcome, Ezra... I'm glad you liked it. Now what do you say we go see if we can all squeeze around Nathan's table and find out if that food tastes as good as it smells."
Ezra nodded, setting his train carefully down on the bed. Then taking Buck's hand, led the Judge and Mary over to join the others.
Chris grinned at Orrin as they followed Ezra over to the table. "Nice train, Judge. Santa leave it in your stockin' by mistake?"
The older man smiled softly and glanced at Ezra as he spoke. "Well, Mary decided that Billy wouldn't miss just one present out of all those gifts Evie and I spoiled him with this year, and she thought maybe your young visitor might get some enjoyment out of it while he was here."
Chris looked over the Judge's shoulder and saw Mary smiling and shaking her head, and his grin widened. "Mary's idea, huh?"
Orrin scowled at Mary and then cleared his throat as a slight blush crept over his face. "Yes, well..."
Chris interrupted and spared him from having to come up with an explanation. "Thanks, Judge... it really meant a lot to him."
Buck and Chris helped Ezra get settled on the bench across the table from their guests and then sat down on either side of him. Some of them sat on the chairs and benches and some leaned against the wall, balancing their plates as they ate, and all of them joined in the friendly conversation that flowed around the table.
Judge Travis participated in the idle banter, all the while discretely observing the loving interaction between Ezra and his new family. Mary had been completely right, Ezra was having just as beneficial an effect on the six other men as they were on him. It was hard to believe these were the same hardened men who faced danger every day to keep this town and its citizens safe from outlaws, hired guns and drunken trail hands. What he saw before him now were six gentle and caring men who were doing everything they possibly could to take care of their injured brother.
The Judge was fascinated by the change in Ezra, and he had to keep reminding himself it was the same person. Gone was the man who shied away from any of the attempts his friends made to draw him further into their little family. He'd been replaced by an open, loving young soul who craved all the attention they wanted to lavish on him. And lavish they did. The change in the other six men was almost as radical as the one in Ezra. They all seemed perfectly comfortable returning the frequent hugs and 'I wuv you's' that the childlike gambler was so eager to hand out, and the love generated in the clinic that day was almost overwhelming in its intensity.
By the time breakfast was over, Judge Orrin Travis had absolutely no reservations about doing everything legally possible to ensure that Buck Wilmington would be able to obtain legal custody of Ezra Standish. Chris had not exaggerated when he'd talked about the incredible connection Buck had made with five year old Ezra, and Orrin knew that no matter how things turned out with Ezra's memory, Buck would always be there for him.
As soon as breakfast was done, Buck helped Ezra ease himself down on the floor so he could play with his new toy. The others gathered up the now-empty dishes and packed them carefully back in the boxes before moving out onto the landing to talk to the Judge.
Orrin and Chris were the last to leave, pausing in the doorway to take one last look back at the two men huddled together on the floor. Buck and Ezra were bent over the train set, brown heads pressed together as they carefully hooked the little cars in a line. The elderly judge watched as Wilmington playfully tried to put the caboose on the front of the train, sending a protesting Standish into a flurry of giggles as he gently placed a couple of well-aimed pokes to the gambler's stomach.
The Judge turned and hurried out of the clinic before the laughter he was trying so hard to hold back escaped. Chris followed and closed the door behind them, and then faced the Judge, waiting quietly for his impressions of their little visitor.
Orrin Travis studied the anxious faces of his men carefully. When had this group of hired guns turned themselves into such a close-knit family? They were brothers in every sense of the word... brought together not by blood, but by a slowly developed connection of the heart. And now here was their seventh brother, the last one to be slowly dragged into the fold, the one in the most need of a family, facing the threat of being torn away from them. Well, not if he could help it.
The door opened behind them and Buck stepped out. He turned back into the clinic and reassured Ezra that he'd be right back, and then closed the door. "Well, Judge?"
Orrin looked at Buck Wilmington's face, etched with worry, and nodded his head. "You get him to talk to me tomorrow, make sure he knows he needs to tell me everything, and then we'll fight Maude and her attorney tooth and nail to keep that young man here where he belongs. From what I just witnessed, no one could possibly take better care of him than the six of you."
Buck's troubled expression deepened. "What if we can't get 'im to talk to ya? His uncle's got him so damn scared... I'm not sure he'll be able to tell ya anything. It 'bout tore 'im up when he told us."
"You have to find a way to convince him. Without his direct testimony, I'll be forced to allow Maude to take him." Judge Travis wanted to help them, but it had to be done legally.
Buck's face tightened as anger surged through him at the injustice of it all. Ezra'd been put through hell by his mother and that uncle and now he had to relive the nightmare just to make sure they didn't get a chance to do it to him all over again. "Like hell she's gettin' 'im, Judge. She'll have to go through me first."
Orrin shook his head sadly. "I understand how you feel, Buck... it's grossly unfair that Ezra should have to go through this. But the law's the law, and if you interfere in any way, I'll be forced to have you put in jail for obstruction of justice."
Josiah put his arm around Buck's shoulders to calm him and stop the angry reply he saw hovering on the younger man's lips. "Don't worry... we'll get him convinced. If Ezra knows it's the only thing that'll keep him here with you, he'll find the courage to talk."
Buck took a deep breath, ran a hand through his mop of unruly brown hair, and apologized. "Sorry, Judge... I just can't stand the thought of Ezra bein' hurt again. He'll talk to ya, we'll make sure of it."
The Judge paused, staring at each one of them and saw the determination on each of their faces... they'd find a way to make Ezra understand. "I must tell you that I sincerely hope Mr. Standish can retain enough of what's happened here to appreciate just how lucky he is to have stumbled into this new family of his. I'll see you in the morning, gentlemen."
They thanked Mary for the wonderful breakfast and for all her help keeping Ezra's secret, and then returned to the clinic to continue their Christmas celebration... their hearts a little lighter with the knowledge that they now had the Judge behind them in their fight to keep their Little One safe.