The Diary of Jerrod Bently, J.W. Osborn [the false prince series TXT] 📗

“Were you hurt?”, she asked.
“No,” I answered “I am fine. Just was a little worried about you.”
“I couldn’t get my knife fast enough,” she whispered. I could see that trying to talk to me was tiring her out very quickly. I stroked her cheek gently. “It’s all right, Sam,” I said “He will not be able to hurt you or any one else again.”
Her eyes closed. “I know,” she said sleepily.
“I love you, Sam,” I said.
“I... love..” her words trailed off in to silence as she fell back asleep. It did not matter if they hung me tomorrow, she had told me just what I wanted to hear. I kissed her on the cheek and left.
I joined Doc, Scrub Pot and Ely Jax outside the wagon. “Is she awake?”, Ely asked anxiously.
“ She was,” I answered “ but she’s has fallen back to sleep.”
“Thank you , Jesus!,” the young drover said, his relief evident in his voice.” May be I will come by to visit her tomorrow.”
Scrub Pot nodded. “Doc?”, Ely asked “If we are going to move this herd I need my brother back here to do his job. Any idea about how far behind you and the deputy he might be?”
“I left him in the care of my wife,” Doc replied “I am sure by now she has got him rested , fed and ready to ride. Maybe two days or so.”
He turned to me and I thought I might have seen a glimmer of jealousy in his eyes, but Ely Jax kept that kind of thing to himself. “Guess you’ll be stepping in for Sam,” he said.
“He will,” Doc stated firmly before I could answer. I did not know what to say, I just stood there looking back at the odd expression that crossed Ely’s face. “We’ll move out when you give the order, boss,” he said to me and then walked away.

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“I’m about sick of eating beans and biscuits,” Hap III complained to Doc “and how long are we going to be hanging around here anyway? Cattle stink.”
“As long as it takes, boy,” Doc growled “Now tend to greasing those wheels and don’t miss a spot. I need that buckboard to ride as smooth a possible. Understand?”
Grumbling, the young man picked up the dripping can of grease and brush to begin applying it to the rear axle of the buckboard.
It had been a week since Doc arrived . Sam was improving, but far from recovered. She did not take it well at all when her Grandfather told her she was going back to Portersville with her uncle.
“What about my horse?”, she fumed as she sat on the edge of her bunk. “And where is Desert Rose?”
“She is back in Portersville, Sam,” Doc replied . Her headache was wearing her down, “How..”she began and then became quiet. “I don’t want to know, Uncle Elliot,” she said. Floyd Jax had returned on a horse from the Johansen Livery and with a letter from Victoria, telling her husband that Desert Rose needed rest and that Kane Wolf had seen to the care of her chipped hooves.
“Your mare is fine, Sam,” Doc replied “My wife knows horses. She will take good care of her, and besides, trying to make this trip back with Joe and Trouble with a mare along would be a recipe for disaster. “
She lay back down on her bunk, the pain from her injuries far worse than she would ever admit. “I don’t want to leave,” she said stubbornly.
“You will do as I say, Samantha Ann,” Scrub Pot commanded. “You will go with Doc in the morning. Jerrod and I will take the herd the rest of the way.”
She was tired. “He can do it,” she admitted quietly.
“I have faith in Jerrod., “ Scrub Pot said “We will settle the accounts and return to Portersville in a few weeks.”
A few weeks, she thought to herself.. A few weeks without Jerrod . The tears sprang into her eyes. “What is wrong, Sam?”, Doc asked worriedly. She was too stubborn to tell him that she would miss Jerrod Bently far more than the cattle drive. “Nothing,” Sam said quietly. “Uncle Elliot?”
“Yes, honey,”, Doc replied
“Jerrod killed Tom Dalton. Don’t you have to take him to jail?”
“As I see it, Jerrod shot Dalton in self defense.” Doc replied “And after all he told me and what you told me, that is my decision. I am releasing him on his own recognizance to finish the drive. If Vickers tries to say he murdered Dalton, there will probably end up being a trial or at least some kind of hearing in Portersville. But you let me worry about that, Sammy. It is my job.”

I could hardly keep my mind on my work. The herd was quiet for once. Not too many of those long horns had spooked or wandered off, so I stood my watch and on my way back to camp stopped to pick some wild flowers for Sam. I did not want to let her go. I couldn’t let her go. I had almost lost her and early tomorrow she was leaving with Doc. My better sense told me it was the best thing to do, or her convalescence would take far longer than if she stayed. I looked up as I finished picking the flowers and saw Ely Jax ride by. He paused. “She any better?”, he asked. I did not care for the look in his blue eyes. “Yes,” I said “I am on my way to see her now.”
“Figured as much,” Jax replied “We movin’ on tomorrow?”
“That’s the plan.,” I answered and I climbed back into the saddle, the flowers in hand.
“You know she’s going back to that border town with Doc, don’t you,” Jax said smugly.
“I know,” I answered “It’s the best thing for her.”
He looked like he was sizing me up and I sensed that there was far more going on than just his casual words. “Tell Sam I’ll be by to see her in a little while,” he said and then clucked to his horse and rode away. His attitude rubbed me the wrong way. I would not be his message bearer.


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Doc had his horse saddled and was ready to ride. It was dawn and Hap Johansen III grumbled his way through harnessing the team and hitching them to the buckboard. It was going to be long slow and dangerous trek back to Portersville. When they had come, they moved too fast for any of the hostile Indians, or outlaws who might have been out there to notice, but going back, they’d have to move slower.
“Beware of the Comanche, “ Scrub Pot warned “To me they are brothers, but to you, well.. It could be dangerous.”
If Doc Stevens was nervous about hostel Indians, he sure didn’t show it as he buckled the throat latch on the black’s bridle. Doc finished, then drew his Navy Colt from its holster, and opened the chamber to make sure it was loaded with six bullets. “I have dealt with Apache and the Comanche many times before,” he said “We will be alright. You just keep praying for a safe passage.”
“Have no fear, my brother,” the old man said “Remember, prayer is my business.”
Doc grinned “How could I ever forget it. I think you are the only Blackfoot war chief ever to enter the seminary in Oklahoma City.”
“I was.,” Scrub Pot replied “And how shocked they were to find me civilized and educated.”
“Only because of Alice,” Doc teased “She led you to Christ.”
“Indeed she did, Elliot,” the old mad agreed “I walked the rest of the way myself.”
“I know,” Doc replied “I only met her a few times, but she was quite a lady.”
“A beautiful soul,” Scrub Pot replied quietly “and I loved her very much.”
“We best get started,” Doc prompted “Is Sam ready?”
“She asked me to see that Trouble is ready to go” Scrub Pot said “You know Sam and that horse. She will not leave without him.”
“I figured that.,” Doc replied as he fumbled in his pocket the stub of cigar he had left. “Think I’ll have a smoke, while you see to your orders.”
“Orders, indeed,” the old man groused as he walked away.


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