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

over the years.”
“I imagine he favors your father,” I said “do you remember him at all, Sam?”
“No,” she answered “But after tonight with so many people here and all of them talking about him and Doc and all the adventures they had , I feel like I know him well.”
I rolled her over in my arms. “I love you, Sam Dodge,” I said “But we best get inside for the night. Don’t want any “talk.” in the morning.”
Her inviting lips were inches from mine, “The judge gave us thirty days to marry,” she said “I am glad we are not waiting that long.”
“Me either,” I replied. I never wanted to let her go, and after tomorrow she would be mine forever and always. I guess I’d done pretty well for a boy off the docks of New York Harbor. She pressed her finger gently to my lips. “Jerrod,” she said “I have a surprise for you.”
“You do?
“Yes. But you can not see it until tomorrow night.” Then she giggled, and it made me wonder what she was planning.

++++++++++

With This Ring


It was a little after dawn on the morning of the wedding and it looked like it was going to be a pretty North Texas day. It was at this early hour when not even the rooster had crowed yet, that lone rider rode up to the front of the ranch house calling out for Doc Stevens. Doc was a lawman, and someone waking him at this hour could only mean trouble. He rose from his bed, leaving Victoria sound asleep , pulled on his pants and boots and grabbed his gun as he started out the door. The rider continued to call out his name. Doc stepped out onto the porch “Keep it down,” he stated “Do you want to wake the whole house?.”
“No”, the man relied “Just you, if you are Elliot “Doc” Stevens?”
“This had better be good, “ Doc growled as he half buttoned the shirt he’d pulled on over his shoulders when he hurried down the stairs. The rider rummaged in his saddle bag and pulled out a securely wrapped parcel and handed it down to him. “This here is a special delivery from one Jacob D. Titus, Attorney at Law.” he said . Doc took the parcel and looked it over. Something from Titus had him a little worried. “Thanks,” he replied “Want to come in and have some coffee? The cook gets up early. The man tipped his hat , “Thanks kindly, sir,” he said, “But I’ve got a few more deliveries. “ He was gone down the lane in the next second. Doc returned to the porch sat down on the swing. He unwrapped the box and pulled it open. Inside was a folded letter and a small decorative wooden box. Doc unfolded the paper and began to read.


Howdy Doc,

I think may be with all the commotion here with the trial and all, you might have forgotten about this shipment you had coming in from that jeweler in New Orleans. It arrived just after you and your posse left for Texas. So I am forwarding it on to you. Figure you will know what to do with it. All is well here in Portersville, I had to lock up Old Pede for being drunk, but that is about it. I hope Sam and Jerrod got married and moved on to their ranch. A fine young couple to say the least of them. My Suzy is marrying Hap the III come this Sunday. Hap turned out to be a half decent deputy sherrif and he came to me like a man and asked for my girl. Think I might even like the boy one day, but if he hurts her, I’ll put him in the ground. The deed to the Double J is at the bank and J.W. and I have signed all the papers in advance for when you and Victoria get home. Hope all is well and that we will be seeing you back home soon.

Your friend,
Jake Titus.

PS
Please tell Victoria we miss her at the bake shop. J.W. is doing just fine with it in her place, but there hasn’t been any pie for weeks.


Doc smiled. He was thinking of home and the future. He had a secret and at the right time, he would show it to Victoria. His prayers had been answered, and he had been blessed. What was once Titus’s 300 acre ranch called the Double J would soon become The Two Hearts One Love Ranch. His work here was almost done, and soon he and his wife would return to the Oklahoma Territory to begin a new life there. He pulled open the wooden box, and there nestled in rich black velvet were three rings, Victoria’s diamond engagement ring, her matching wedding band and his own ring made of plain thick California gold. Their names and date of their wedding were engraved inside each one. It had taken months , and the cost has set him back a little, but that did not matter to Doc. He wanted Victoria to know what those rings meant to them both and he knew she would. He smiled thoughtfully , thinking of his sister Sarah for a moment. “She’s all grown up, Sarah,’ he said to himself “You’d be proud to see her and to know her. I am giving her away to the man she will marry in just a few hours and I think it will be the hardest thing I have ever done.” He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, then walked back into the house and up the stairs to his room.
Victoria was out of their bed and standing in front of the mirror brushing her long blonde hair when Doc quietly opened the door and walked in. She paused amid stroke, her hair brush in hand. “What was all the commotion, honey?”, she asked, grateful that she had not had morning sickness for a while now.
“An express rider?”, Doc replied with a grin “Take off your wedding ring?”, he added.
“Why?”, she asked “I never take it off, you know that, Doc. It is bad luck.”
“Humor me, Vic,” he prodded “Take it off and close your eyes.”
She set her hair brush down and pulled the plain golden band off her finger. “All right Doc,” she said as she lay it on the dresser “My eyes are closed.”
“Good,” he said as he took her hand and slid her sparkling matched rings on her finger. Victoria’s brown eyes flew open in great surprise. “Oh Doc,” she sighed “They are beautiful.”
“For my beautiful wife,” he said as he handed her his ring. “I never wore one of these before,” he added “but I want the world to know that I am yours and you are mine.” She took the ring from him and slid it on his left hand , fourth finger. “I love you , Elliot Stevens,” she said as he drew her into his arms. He kissed her in a way that made her wish they had time to return to the bed they had shared. As Doc broke away from their intimate kiss, he whispered to her “I’ll be back in a little while.” She turned and took up her brush again and smiled at him. He would hurry.
A short while later, Doc walked into the bunk house. I was awake. And I was ready to go over to the kitchen to see if Esparanza had made coffee yet. I was getting married today and I could not endure another pot of Ely Jax’s brew. It was worse than Scrub Pot’s had been on the trail. I was a little surprised to see Doc at this early hour.
“Mornin’ Doc,” I said “Is there something wrong?”
“No,” he replied “I have something for you to give to Sam.”
He placed the small gold ring in my hand. “This was her Momma’s wedding ring,” he said “The night Victoria and I were married, she gave it to me because at the time I had no ring to give my wife. She told me it was a wedding gift. Sarah died when Sam was not even two years old, Jerrod and this is all she has left to remember her mother.”
He looked me in the eye , his misty. “When you marry my niece today, you put this on her finger, that is where it belongs.” I could tell he was kind of choked up as he turned to leave. “Doc?”, I said as I looked at the simple golden band. “Thank you, but what about Victoria?”
“An express rider came through just a little while ago,” Doc said “The rings I sent for from New Orleans came to the office in Portersville. Jake Titus sent them to me. “
”That’s good,” I said as I carefully put the ring in pocket of my dungarees. “I’m heading over to the kitchen. Is Sam up yet?”
“Don’t know,” he