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

Dazed eyes looked up into Scrub Pot’s weathered and now tear streaked face. “Father?,” he rasped.
“Yes, my boy,” the old man sobbed “It is I, your father.”
Doc stared at the stranger. It seemed that Joe Dodge had returned from the dead. But how? He’d buried Joe’s body himself all those years ago, marked the grave and yet, on the day of Sam’s wedding, had Joe Dodge had returned? By now there had been attention drawn to what was going on near the front paddock gate and people started to gather.
“Get him into the house,” I said.
“Who is he?”, Sam asked as she took my hand. Scrub Pot looked up her “A traveler in need, child,” he said , looking over at Doc, warning him not to say any thing.
We carried the man into the house and put him in an upstairs bed room. He was exhausted , starved and in dire need of a bath. In shock I turned to my bride. “What a day.,” I said as we waited outside the door of the room for Scrub Pot.
She smiled. “It’s our wedding day,” she said “Grandfather will tend to him for now. We have to go back outside and I want to cut Aunt Victoria’s cake soon!” I kissed her. I knew that no matter how hard we had to work, or the troubles we might face, we would make a wonderful life together. One life time with this woman would not be enough I thought selfishly.
Scrub Pot saw the man settled and came to the door where we waited. “Go now, see to your wedding guests,” he said “this man must rest and then we will learn his story.”
Sam nodded , then took my hand dragging me toward the stairs and then back outside. Our guests were enjoying the party and no one seemed to notice the thin paint horse in the paddock opposite the stud’s and no one inquired about the man who had been taken into the house.
The music went on playing, a waltz this time. “Now Sam,” I said apologetically “I am not a good dancer, but I will try. Will you dance with me?” She laughed that bright sweet laugh of her’s. “I don’t dance well either, so we will make a likely pair,” she added as I drew her into my arms. My beautiful, wife. My Sam. I had never been happier than I was that day. “How do you like the sound of it?”, I asked as we began our version of a waltz.
“Sound of what?” Sam asked.
“Your new name,” I replied.
“I like it just fine,” she giggled “Mrs. Jerrod Bently”
“Guess I am not a green horn anymore,” I teased.
“No, you are a real cowboy now,” she replied as she put her arms around my neck. I lifted her up into the air as all our friends began to cheer and clap.
“A toast to the bride and groom,” Brian Dodge shouted above the noise. Things calmed down a little as everyone raised their glasses.
“I never expected to get off the train from Philadelphia and end up here in Grants Creek to be best man at my baby sister’s wedding,” he said “For those of you who may not know me, I am Brian Dodge, Sam’s brother. I salute you Jerrod. You too Sammy. May you have a long and happy life and many little Bentlys.” Everyone drank to his best wishes for us but then he raised his hand to speak again. “Folks, I forgot to mention something that is going to be very important to my sister today. Back in Philadelphia, they call me Doctor Brian Dodge. And I am the best veterinarian in the state of Pennsylvania! Sam,” he added “ I checked you Desert Rose this morning and she is in foal. Congratulations.”
Sam jumped for joy. Her dreams were coming true and I could not have been a happier man. But I knew a secret about the man up stairs in one of our bedrooms. How was I going to tell her that man being cared for upstairs in our house might be her father, whom she thought to be dead for all of her life?
The celebration went on well into the evening with more good food, music and dancing. Doc whirled Victoria into a reel. “Well, Sherrif,” she said as she moved along with him, “Where have you been? You missed them cutting the cake.” He smiled down at her. “Sorry, Honey,” he apologized “I was helping Scrub Pot.”
“You looked mighty handsome when you gave the bride away,” she complimented. “And she looks beautiful in her momma’s wedding dress.” Doc grinned as they danced. “ That contraption my sister brought from up North was not what my girl needed to be wearing on her wedding day.”
“It is good that she clings to her heritage like she does,” Victoria replied “I was proud to stand up with her today.”
“And you were a beautiful matron of honor, Vic,” he said “Sam is a beautiful bride. But she could not hold a candle to you on our wedding day.”
She smiled up at him as the dance ended. “Oh Doc,” she said, “You are such a romantic.” He just grinned that cockeyed grin and slid his arm around her narrow waist. “Let’s get some punch,” he said “There is something I want to tell you and it is very important.”
“There is something I want to tell you too,” she replied. Victoria had kept silent about the baby until she was sure there was one. Now it was time to tell Doc that he was going to be a father.
A smiling Lilly Greyhorse ladled punch into two glass cups and handed them to Doc.
“Thanks,” he said “and when are you and Little Fox tying the knot?”
“One more horse,” Lillie giggled “and everyone will all be dancing at our wedding.”
Doc handed the brimming cup to his wife and they walked up the steps of the ranch house. The found a quiet corner of the long porch. There were a few empty chairs where they sat down. That was good, Victoria said to herself, as she was not sure how her husband was going to take her news. “Did you see that man we took up stairs earlier?,” Doc said as he sipped his drink thoughtfully “I do not know how, or who or why, but that fellow may be Sam and Brian’s father, Joe Dodge.”
A shiver of great surprise ran down Victoria’s spine. “Joe Dodge?” she questioned “I thought you told me he was dead.”
“Thought he was.,” Doc replied “For over twenty years. I thought I buried him after the Caldero gang burned Bear Claw, and his children were left to grow up without him and then their momma died of influenza a year later. Sam was barely two years old when she and Brian were left with me and the old man. If that fellow is Joe Dodge, he’s been out there all those years, alive. I don’t know if I should put a bullet in him or praise God that he some how survived.”
”Are you sure it is your friend, Doc?” Victoria asked.
“Scrub Pot knows, ” Doc replied “and part of me hopes that it is Joe, and part of me wants him to be in that grave at Bear Claw.” Victoria set aside her cup of punch. “Does Sam know yet?,” she asked.
“No,” Doc replied “ Not yet. Don’t want their wedding day ruined by the past.”
“Good idea,” Victoria agreed, “Now Doc. I know you have had a kind of a shock this afternoon, and you have had a lot on your mind. ” she added , “But I have something to tell you. I want you to understand that I had to wait to make sure I was right so there would be no disappointment if I was wrong.”
He turned to his wife and looked at her funny. “What are you talking about Vic?”, he asked.
Demurely she looked down at her lap and smoothed the blue skirt of her dress a little nervously. “We are having a baby.,” she said.
Doc was silent. Victoria waited, biting her lip. Doc stared at his wife. “You rode Fancy all the way from Portersville.,” he said worriedly “It was a hard ride.”
“I know,” she replied. “Doc. I was fine when we left and I am fine now.”
He took her hands and drew them to his lips and kissed her fingertips. “You are sure you are all right?”, he asked.
“Right as rain,” she replied “ and as I figure it, you will be holding our baby in your arms in about seven months.”
“Boy or girl?” , Doc