Chapter Eight

 

We heard the screams as we rode into town. Startled, we kicked Ghost and General into a run, hurrying toward the commotion. Rae, having a good deal more experience riding horseback than myself, had no difficulty. I on the other hand, lost my grasp on the reigns and bounced off Ghost as he rumbled down the trail. The ground came fast and hit with a vengeance, popping my shoulder from its socket yet again.

I let out a groan as I flipped over, crashing solidly into a tree, mashing my left shoulder as well. Anger took hold as I let out a flurry of obscenities. Rae turned to see me just as I crashed to a rest, turned General and trotted back. The screaming from town continued to echo down the trail as she placed her left hand firmly on my right collarbone, pulled hard on my right arm with her own. My shoulder slid back into place with the now familiar sucking sound of the thunk. I groaned for a moment before rising to my feet. My left shoulder too, seemed to have shifted, but with a slight movement of my arm, it crunched and felt once again aligned. I avoided mentioning it, partly wondering if it were my fears and imagination, but mostly not wanting to concern Rae any more than she already was.

Ghost had proven loyal, remaining only feet away and after a brief struggle, we remounted and continued into town. As we rode out of the forest, the trail opened into town and we saw a cluster of people circled around a cloud of dust. The rain had subsided and the dust had us somewhat wishing it would return. As we rode up, Levi came quickly to our horses.

“I tried to get dem fools ta knock it off, but well, I’m too damn old to play referee to them young bucks. They been at it for bout twenty minutes now,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

I climbed down gingerly and spotted William Wyatt, mounted atop Howard, slugging away, pummeling his face into the dirt.

“Billy! Damn it Billy! What the fuck is goin’ on here!” I shouted, my words going unnoticed.

He continued to pound away ruthlessly so I quickly tied a rope to Ghost’s saddle and looped a running bowline, tossing it over his chest. I gave Ghost a swat, startling him into a trot. The rope tightened, yanking Billy to the dirt and Ghost drug him a good twenty feet before finally stopping. Howard lay silent, a bloody grin filling his face.

“Y’all need a fuckin babysitter? What the hell is goin’ on here?” I shouted.

“That sumbitch done eye’d up the wrong woman, fuck him, I ain’t gonna let no man look at my Mary Jane that away,” Billy yelled, spitting dirt from his mouth as he removed my rope and stood.

Howard remained silent, his bloody face holding a creepy smirk.

“That all you got, kid?” he finally offered.

Billy dropped his head and charged. I stepped forward, sliding a foot in his path, sending him face first into the dirt.

“That’ll be enough, the both of ya,” I stated, as I pulled my 9mm from its holster. “Next one of ya so much as farts, I’m gonna put a hole in your fuckin foot. We ain’t doin’ this shit today.”

I turned to see Ethan, Eric, Angie, and Kev, who had ridden up as I spoke.

“Well shit, looks like you got it all sorted out there, Boss.” Ethan said with a grin as he dismounted and walked over with a limp.

Mary Jane, who was tending to Billy, trying vigorously to calm him, turned to me and said. “That son of bitch did ask for it. I told him to stop a few times fore Billy got pissed. He ain’t got no right to eyeball me like that, ‘specially when I done told him not to.”

The rest of the townsfolk stood idly by as tempers settled and the dust calmed. Billy was young and scrawny at his twenty years and hundred fifty pounds, but he was a scrapper, having proved his grit against the much larger man. I could not blame him personally. I myself had done much worse to defend the honor of my girl. Howard however, had always seemed to me as a bit shy of normal and I was quite certain that he had indeed earned the ass-whooping Billy gave him. The two of them went their own ways and the town once again settled into the comfortable calm we had come to know.

Ethan, having been confined to town as his leg continued to mend, offered to prepare some grub, relieving Billy of his normal task, while the rest of the group started in on their own daily grind. The work seemed never ending, yet the town and its buildings were quickly taking shape. Before long, chow was up, and we settled into our normal routine, laughing and carrying on as we ate our, later than normal, breakfast.

Howard however did not join us. He had gone to the creek to clean the blood from his face and had wandered off shortly after. He had been known to wander, so we gave it little thought, leaving him to wallow or pout in his own way. I felt an odd curiosity about the man, thinking to myself that it would not be long until trouble stirred again. It was, by no means, finished.

A short time later Billy approached me, apologetic for his actions and thankful that I had stopped him when I did, adding also an appreciation for letting him get his licks in first. He would not go as far as guarantee there would be no further trouble, but did offer at least, that he would not be the cause of it if there were. I respected the offer, agreeing that every man has the right to stand up for themselves and those around them. I had only little conversation with the kid before then, but quickly grew to like him, seeing a bit of myself in his demeanor.