Portersville, J.W. Osborn [free ereaders txt] 📗

From The Diary Of Jerrod Bently
J.W.Osborn’s


PORTERSVILLE

Copyright© February 14, 2010-JWO


The New Homestead


“Come on Victoria,” he said, “Lets go out for a ride. Been dying to drive the new team.”
“Doc. You are just like a child with a new toy.”, she said as she crossed the parlor and headed for the kitchen. “I am tired, and I have to bake those pies for the preacher’s wife.”
He stopped her at the open door way to the kitchen. “It’s Sunday, Vic,” he persisted “And if you are tired, you can rest in the buggy.” She slid her arms around his neck, and looked him straight in the eye. “You are a persistent man, Elliot Stevens,” she said.
“Yes I am,” he agreed. “Now get your coat and come on. There is something I want to show you.”
She smiled up at him, watching that lazy smile cross his face. He was such a handsome man, and she loved him so much. “Oh, all right,” she agreed. “How long will it take you to get the team hitched?”
“No time at all, Honey,” Doc replied slyly “I already did it. Now come on. Let’s go.”
“I ‘ll get my coat,” she replied. Back in Texas, on the day Jerrod and Sam Bently were married, Victoria had surprised her husband with news of the baby she was carrying. Now what was he up to? He’d been acting like he was keeping some big secret and was about to bust. She pulled her black wool coat over her shoulders and buttoned it. “I am ready, Doc,” she said. He offered her his arm. “Let’s go, Missus Stevens,” he drawled “Those greys are going to be a wonder to drive.”
Victoria laughed. “Hap said they were real high steppers.”
There in front of the cottage was a shining new buggy. It was black and silver with a leather hood over the top, a front and rear seat, both thickly padded and covered in black leather.
“Oh Doc!,” she cried “It is BEAUTIFUL! I love it!” Doc drew his wife close to his side. “I thought you would, Vic,” he said. “There is room in there for a whole family.” She rushed to the side of the beautiful new conveyance and ran her hand over the polished wood on the hand rail. “Where did you get it?”, she asked “It is new.”
“From your friend The Contessa,” Doc replied. Before Victoria could move, he scooped her up into his arms and deposited her on the front seat of the buggy. The seat was very comfortable for a lady who was nearly five months gone with child. Doc climbed up beside her and undid the reins from the hook. “Oh Doc,” his wife declared again “What a beautiful surprise. Thank you.” That famous cockeyed grin crossed his face. “Glad you like it, honey gal,” he said “But I ain’t done yet.”
“Why Doc Stevens!,” she declared “Whatever do you mean?”
“You’ll find out,” he said as he released the break and clucked to the matched team of tall grey geldings. With the jingle of harnesses and the crack of Doc’s whip, they were off at a brisk trot, passing by the church, onto the main street of Portersville and out of town. The ride was exhilarating for Victoria as she sat beside her husband, smiling and wondering just what it was that he was up to.
Upon reaching their destination, Sheriff Elliot Stevens helped his wife down from the buggy. “I tried missing all the ruts and bumps,” he said apologetically.
“What are you up to, Doc?,” Victoria asked suspiciously as she pulled her coat tighter around her as a cold breeze swept by. “This is The Double J and out there is Jake Titus’s back fields.”, she added as she took her husband’s arm.
“What do you see out there, Victoria?”, Doc asked as they walked toward the split rail fence at the edge of the lane. Victoria scanned the wide pastures before her. It was dotted with a dozen or more horses and a copper colored mule. “Jake’s horses and Molly,” she answered.
“No, Darlin’,” Doc replied with a crooked grin on his face.”There is more than that out there. Look again.”
He whistled loudly and out of the trees at the far edge of the field, his black stallion, Smokey Joe, appeared. The black whinnied his reply. Suddenly all the other horses took notice of him and prepared to run if he chose to. “That’s Joe! ,” Victoria declared, “What is HE doing out there with Jake’s mares? I just put him in his stall no more than a hour ago.”
Doc slid his arm around her. “And I snuck him out when you went into the house,” he drawled, “Joe is at home, Mrs. Stevens. This spread will no longer be known as the Double J , it is going to be called The Stevens Ranch,” he added “ A new home and a new life for us and that baby you are carrying.”
Tears of joy filled her brown eyes.” Oh Doc!,” she cried as she threw her arms around him, “When you said you had a surprise for me, I never dreamed it would be this! I thought it was just the buggy.”
Doc grinned. “I bought the place from Jake,” he said “We made the deal before we rode back to Texas with Sam and Jerrod. Seems that Mrs. Titus has made Jake a rich man with her stories of adventures out here in the West. Been kind of quiet since they moved back East. “
”I miss them,” Victoria replied “I have known them for years, Since Suzy was a baby.”
“She ain’t no baby now, honey,” Doc replied “Seems that there is going to be another baby in Portersville, come spring. Had a letter from Jake this morning.”
“Suzy and Hap are having a baby so soon ?”
“Yes,” Doc replied “and Jake is real happy about becoming a grand pappy. I sure do miss ole Jake. He’s a fine man.”
“He and J.W. will be back for a visit one day.”. Victoria said as she smoothed the front of her dress, and felt her baby move. It had been happening often lately and she smiled to herself. “It’s a girl,” she said in her thoughts,“ I just know it.”
”What about Molly?”, she asked as she turned her attention to the red mule grazing near the fence. “That mule is dangerous to anyone except Jake Titus. Even Kane Wolf has trouble with her. Is Jake planning to send for her?.”
“No,” Doc replied, a bit of humor in his voice. “I think I have the perfect buyer for that mule. Been thinking about it since yesterday.”
“Ah, Doc,” Victoria said “She is such a mean old critter. She always was. Who in the world would want her?”
“My old fried, the Reverend Zachariah Dodge,” Doc replied proudly. “And one day he will come to visit and I am going make sure that he doesn’t leave here without that miserable , stubborn, long eared critter.”
“I am well aware of Scrub Pot’s expertise with horses, Doc,” Victoria replied apprehensively. “But he is not a young man, and that mule is mean as ten rattle snakes.”
“That don’t matter.,” Doc replied “There isn’t a horse, mule, or mustang that old coot can’t tame.”
“And he may never speak to us again.,” Victoria added worriedly.
“Trust me, Darlin’,” Doc drawled,” I know Scrub Pot as well as any man and he will have that mule in a harness the very day he takes her off my hands.”
Victoria gave her husband a doubtful look. “I will have to see that