Bisbee.
I walked into Bisbee tonight and went to the sheriff’s office, seeing Pa at his desk. “Pa! You sleepin’?”
Pa was typing up something on his type writer and looked up. “Nope! Hey munchkin! I am trying to figure out this torture machine they call a typewriter.”
“It ain’t workin’, pa?” I giggled.
“Well, I dunno… I push this here button, and it sposed to put the letter on the paper right? Well when I do, the letter is almost invisible, and this thingy keeps gettin stuck.”
“Looks like ya need more ink, pa.” I giggled.
“More ink? I think it would be faster for me to just write it on paper than use this wonderful machine.” Pa slapped the typewriter on its side and exclaimed, “Work you hunka meta!”
“Then use a pencil, pa.” I giggled. “It’s faster. And easier. And won’t break on ya... ’less ya push too hard.”
“Well now why didn’t I ever think of that. A pencil and paper. You are so smart munchkin.” Pa rolled his eyes.
“I try to be smart pa but... it’s so hard sometimes.” I grinned.
Miss Joan came in and said she didn’t know that Pa worked there.
I went over to examine the jail cell and said, “Those ain’t comfortable beds. I can tell just by lookin’ at ’em.”
“They ain’t sposed to be munchkin. That’s why they are in a jail cell,” Pa told me.
“I looking for one of my team of horses,” Miss Joan said, and I froze at the mention of horses.
“What does the horse look like?” Pa asked and I walked upstairs, looking around. Miss Joan and Pa kept talking about us moving to Bisbee and I wandered downstairs.
“Natalie… Would you like to help out at my ranch? Feeding the horses and all.”
“Pa tell her.” I went over to Pa and hid behind the desk.
“Tom, did I say something wrong?” Miss Joan asked.
“Miss Joan, since her accident, she has been completely afraid of horses.” Pa told her.
“Oh I am so sorry. Sorry Natalie. Please forgive me. Please.”
“She won’t even ride one now,” Pa told her.
“And Tom say hello to Jimmy for me okay?” Miss Joan said. “I am so sorry Natalie. And Tom I am so sorry.”
“You didn’t remember, ma’am.” I shrugged.
“It’s okay Miss Joan. You didn’t know. And I sure will.”
“I am so sorry,” Miss Joan said and started to cry.
I sat in Pa’s lap and cuddled against him as I said, “It ain’t your fault. You didn’t throw me off ya, miss Joan. Just the big horse did.”
“I did see Jimmy and Natalie before. They might have mentioned it, but I forgot. So sorry,” Miss Joan went on.
“At least I can remember. Cause a monk man came and healed me. He’s real good at helpin’ memory. He had herbs and smelling stuff.”
“Miss Joan, would you come have dinner with us sometime?” Pa offered.
“Tom you and your family is welcome anytime to my ranch in Benson,” Miss Joan said. “I am extending a invite. Ok, again I am so sorry to upset you, Natalie. Please forgive me.”
“Thank you Miss Joan,” Pa said. “I appreciate that. You are welcome to our home too. We will have to get together and have Sunday dinner together soon.”
“I forgive you but I don’t forgive that horse yet,” I said.
“Oh yes and Payton says to say hi to you and your Natalie,” Miss Joan said.
“Oh yeah? I ain’t seen Payton in forever. She should come visit.”
“Oh? How is she doing? We haven’t seen her in quite some time,” Pa said.
“She is okay. She is looking for Midnight too.”
I looked down at my stopwatch and then back up. “Well Miss Joan… In about four hours… It’ll be midnight.”
“Munchkin I think she meant her horse.” Pa laughed hard.
“Well it is!”
“How long ago did your horse get out Miss Joan?”
“I put my wagon and team at the ok corral and when I came back only one was missing. “
“Hmmm....how long ago was this?”
“Maybe a hour and a half to two. I hope she ran back home. I got a ranch hand to get the other and wagon and bring them both home while I look for her. So I came here thinking u might have seen her.”
“Hmmm...well I can’t say I have seen a stray horse here in town Miss Joan. But if I come across one, I will let you know for sure. That’s a good idea. Did you see anybody around the corals before your horse disappeared?”
“I saw hoof tracks. The mark is a circle with a Hin the middle. I mean brand. I so upset. Is Trin home? I like to say hello.”
“Aw she’ll come home miss Joan. You think someone coulda taken her?” I asked.
“I do not know, Natalie.”
“Ok...I will keep my eyes open. We have had a slew of missing horses here lately. I don’t know what is going on,” Pa said.
“Ma’s workin’ on gettin her journals together. I’m writin’ em up like short stories. For each case she does. Like Sherlock.”
“I think Trin is already asleep ma’am. She hasn’t felt well today. The weather changes has had her feeling ill,” Pa said.
“Aw ma not feeling good pa?” I looked up.
“No munchkin, she has stayed in bed most of the day today.”
“Anything I can do Tom? I am training to be a medic,” Miss Joan said.
“She will be ok. She has been under a lot of stress lately, and it has gotten to her,” Pa insisted.
“Maybe we should go home and check on Ma,” I said.
“Is Jimmy home? I like to say hi to him,” Miss Joan said.
“He is asleep too Miss Joan. Which is where Natalie should be. Way past her bedtime,” Pa said.
“I guess I should.” I frowned and looked down. “I was out writin’ though and it was gettin’ real interesting.”
“May I walk with you two if that is possible?” Miss Joan asked.
“Ma’am we gotta go home to ma. We gotta have family time before bed.”
“I like to see you place if that is ok with you Tom and Natalie?”
“Not with ma sick.” I shook my head.
Miss Joan finally left and Pa banged his head on the desk. “Pa don’t do that or you’ll have a headache like ma,” I told him.
We walked up to the house and I looked over at him. “Pa... can you tell me a story?”
“Oh of course sweetie… want a horror story?” Pa chuckled.
“Paaaa…” I giggled and went up to get my PJ’s on.
“I was gonna tell you the one about the Big bad Nutso Woman who clang to everything around her…” Pa laughed out loud.
“Pa!!” I giggled again and jumped into bed. “Pa…”
“Yes munchkin?”
“I have a question.”
“Ok…”
“Okay.. well… When did ya know ya loved ma?”
Pa blushed bright red and asked, “Ummmm… why do you ask sweetie?”
“Well uh.. There’s that day comin’ up right... on Saturday? Well I kinda wanna make somethin’ for a boy..... but I dunno if I should.”
“Oh you mean Valentines Day? A boy? Who, Jeffery or Millard?”
“They don’t care ’bout me that way.” I blushed beat red and shook my head.
“Who you kissing on now?”
“Jeff’s got Aspen and... Mill’s got... well.. Mill’s Mill.”
“I think someone is jealous.”
“Nu uh.” I shook my head. “There’s a boy who actually um… Well… He hugged me. But I ain’t s’posed to say so shhhh.”
“He hugged you?!! OH MY GOSH! I am going to have to have a little talk with somebody I already see.” Pa’s eyes went wide and he stomped around the room.
“But Pa.... it was real... It was real nice and... He was real friendly and we’d spent the whole day together at school and after school and..”
“Have you told your ma about this boy yet?”
“I thought you’d yell less. I guess I was wrong.”
“What’s this boys name?” He laughed and sat on the bed, hugging me. “I ain’t really upset sweetie. I think its cute you got a crush on a boy. Is he smart? Or about shy a half load of brick from having a full load?”
“Well he didn’t really want me to hug him cause he said it led to other stuff that his aunt and uncle did and he didn’t wanna make those kinda noises. But then before he left he…” I trailed off.
“Well he is right sweetie...that shouldn’t happen until you’re mine and your ma’s age. When I am too old to shoot him in the butt with my shotgun.”
“So do you think I should make him a card? We just met and all… And I ain’t seen him since.”
“If you feel like you should, I think you should… you still ain’t told me his name… I promise I wont say a word.”
“You promise?” I looked at him seriously.
“I promise!” He smiled.
“Cause the last time ya said that….”
“Wha?!” Pa exclaimed.
“Ya told Jeff right there in the orphanage about my dreams.” I glared at him.
“Who me? I wouldn’t do a thing like that!”
“Uh huh!! Ya did!”
“Well Jeff wasn’t right for you anyways… He’s too young.”
“He didn’t care bout me neither.”
“So when do I get to meet this mysterious boyfriend of yours? I hope before you get married.” Pa smiled and I reached for my teddy bear, hiding my blushing and looking away from him. “Awww come on now…. tell your pa the boys name… so I know who keep an eye on from now on.”
“But you’ll shoot him.”
“No I won’t… I promise! That will be your ma’s job.” He laughed.
“Or you’ll tell him. Or ma. Cause you guys got a secret club over there. I hear ya whisperin sometimes. Through the closed door.”
“Well that’s cause we’re adults… but I promise I won’t do nutttin… if ya don’t tell me, I will start asking all the boys around town.”
“Okay okay. It’s Buster! He lives with his Uncle David and Aunt Meg.” I cringed and finally gave in. I buried myself under the covers and squeezed teddy tight.
Pa hugged me tight and kissed me through the covers. “Aww… well I think he’s a good boy. So you met him at school?”
I nodded and snuck my head out of the covers. “Yeah... then we played games on the bridge... then he showed me his house and I showed him our house and Shira liked him and everything!”
“Dear, please do me a little favor, okay?”
“I won’t kiss him. I promise. Well not yet anyways.”
“No… it’s not that…. well that too… but I was going to say, please be careful who you bring around to the house ok?”
“Well sure but pa he’s eight. What’s he gonna do?”
“I am just saying, don’t bring everybody you meet to our house… cause you never know who else might be watching, or what they are up to… Buster is fine… but just be more careful who you bring home ok?”
“Pa?” I looked down, squeezing my teddy.
“Yes munchkin?”
“How old were you when you had your first crush? Cause I dunno if Jeff was really… I mean I liked him but..”
“Oh gosh sweetie, I have no idea… I was young like you are probably.”
“He never wanted to do stuff with just me. Always had to be with other people ’round. But Buster he… He said I was his friend. And Jeff’s said that too but.. That was after gettin’ to know each other.”
“Sounds like you really like Buster… I think you really should send him a card for Saturday munchkin… who knows, he might send you one back.”
“What if he don’t?”
“Well that’s ok.. boys are different from girls...they don’t always know how to express themselves or do it differently.”
“Oh… Guess I’ll just have to see what happens then.”
“Oh you asked about how did I know when I first loved your ma right?” He asked and I nodded. “The first time I saw her on the streets of Tombstone. They way the sun shined through her hair, and the way she walked, I fell in love with her that moment on.”
“Really? Right away?”
“Yep! She didn’t know it, but I was smitten with her right off. I was like a little lost puppy dog who found the perfect owner.” Pa smiled.
“Like Shira!” I giggled.
“Yep, just like Shira.” Pa laughed and nodded.
“So ma owns you?” I looked at him with confusion.
“Well she owns my heart. She stole it away and has it forever.” Pa laughed, holding his stomach. He tucked me into bed and kissed my forehead and said, “Good night sweetheart,” as I drifted off to sleep.
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