American library books ยป Fiction ยป Portersville by J.W. Osborn (beautiful books to read TXT) ๐Ÿ“•

Read book online ยซPortersville by J.W. Osborn (beautiful books to read TXT) ๐Ÿ“•ยป.   Author   -   J.W. Osborn



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away. My memory has improved by being here with you and around Sam and Brian. Iโ€™d like to try to regain what I can on my own. Go to places where I once lived, or worked and see people who knew me back then and maybe I could recall more of my past.โ€
Scrub Pot closed his bible and looked at his son.
โ€œJoe,โ€ he said quietly as they sat together at the table . โ€œIf you saw Doc again, do you think it might help you?โ€
Joe Dodge looked down at his folded hands as they lay on the table in front of him. He never liked feeling helpless and now that part of his memory was returning, that was how he felt. โ€œYou say I rode with him and the rangers,โ€ he said quietly, as misty, far away expression crossed his handsome face. โ€œBut all I remember is the sounds of battle, fire and then blackness.โ€
โ€œIt is as Brian has told you, my son,โ€ Scrub Pot said โ€œYou were shot from behind, and the bullet is still lodged in your skull. What you see in your memory is right, there was a fire, and an explosion. You went after Caldero and that was the last glimpse I had of you until the day you showed up at the ranch.โ€
โ€œMay be we should go to Portersville., โ€œ Joe said as he pushed back and rose from the chair, then crossed to the fire place to add another log. โ€œI want to remember Doc Stevens., โ€œ he said as he watched the sparks fly. โ€œHe visited me when I was staying at the ranch. We talked, but I had no memory of any history with him until the other day when I was at the house with Sam and Brian. Before then, I recalled nothing of a past with him, since the day Sam and Jerrod were married.โ€
โ€œHe was like a brother to you, Joe,โ€ Scrub Pot said โ€œbut as stubborn as that man is, you are going to have to one day convince him that you really are my son. Not some drifter.โ€
โ€œI have been thinking over what Brian said ,โ€ Joe replied โ€œ If there is a fragment of that bullet keeping me from remembering my past, and if it were to be removed, maybe I could regain all that I have lost.โ€
โ€œOr you could die, Joseph,โ€ Scrub Pot replied firmly โ€œit is far too great a risk.โ€
โ€œ I might be willing to take that risk, Father,โ€ he said quietly โ€œSome of my life and memory has come back, but it has only been since I have been around here where I lived once, where my wife and I started our family and then it was all gone.โ€
โ€œIt is not all gone, my son,โ€ Scrub Pot replied โ€œMay be some time with Doc will open up yet another door.โ€
โ€œI donโ€™t know,โ€ Joe replied โ€œI would like to see him, before I make a decision about going to that doctor in Saint Louis..โ€
โ€œThen you are yet to decide about it that.,โ€ Scrub Pot said quietly and Joe could see the hint of relief that briefly crossed his somber expression.
โ€œI would like to see Doc Stevens,โ€ Joe replied โ€œ You say we were close and may be spending a little time with him and his wife would help. โ€
The old man smiled as rose from his chair. โ€œThen we shall go,โ€ he said โ€œWe can leave as early as tomorrow.โ€
Joe looked at his father. โ€œI will have to let Sam know I am going to be away for a while,โ€ he said โ€œEly can take over for me at the ranch.โ€
Scrub Pot was all ready rolling up his woolen army blankets. โ€œThen you better ride,โ€ he suggested. Joe slid his empty chair back into the table. โ€œI will be back as soon as I get things arranged with Sam and Jerrod,โ€ he replied, as he started for the door of the cabin.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++


I sat at my desk, going over the monthly accounts. Sam was sitting on the floor reading a letter that had come with the morning mail delivery from Grants Creek. โ€œJerrod!,โ€ she said suddenly, โ€œVictoria had a little girl!โ€
I filled the column in the ledger in with numbers in black ink instead of red and smiled. โ€œWhat they name her?.โ€
โ€œSarah,โ€ Sam replied as she looked up at me with tears in her dark eyes.. โ€œ after my mother.โ€
โ€œWhen did the new addition to the Stevens clan arrive?โ€, I asked as I lay aside my pen.
โ€œTwo months ago,โ€ Sam replied โ€œI was there when Victoria discovered she was going to have Sarah.โ€
My mind slipped back in time to that horrifying day out on the Kansas planes when Sam had been badly injured in that fall. I had hated to let her go, but I knew that she would be all right if she went back to Portersville with Doc. โ€œWe should go see them and the new baby,โ€ I suggested โ€œThink Trouble will be ready to go back to Portersville?โ€
She smiled up at me โ€œHe is ALWAYS ready, Jerrod,โ€ she replied โ€œBut we have to much going on with the mares, the cattle and now there is a chance that my father might be able to get his memory back if Brian and I can convince him to see that doctor. Come summer weโ€™ll go out there to see Doc and Victoria.โ€
Now I had no idea that while we sat in my office, talking about Doc and Victoria Stevens and their new baby girl, that my wife had a secret of her own, but she was not ready to share that with me yet. That secret would turn out to be my own beautiful daughter, Cassandra Ilene, but it was not time for that yet and there was a whole lot of events that were fixing to happen between now and then.
A knock sounded on the closed door of my office. โ€œBoss?โ€ I was not yet used to the foremen and ranch hands calling me that. I preferred to be called Jerrod, but they did not seem comfortable with it so I was โ€œthe boss.โ€
โ€œDoorโ€™s open,โ€ I replied โ€œCome on in.โ€
Dakota Joe walked in his hat in his hands and from the look on his face I could tell he had something on his mind. โ€œMorninโ€™ Pa.,โ€ Sam said as she got up from her place on the brightly colored Indian rug sheโ€™d been sitting on. โ€œThere was a letter in the mail this morning from Doc,โ€ she added โ€œHe and Victoria had a baby girl.โ€
โ€œThat is good news,โ€ Joe replied. โ€œI hope everyone is well.โ€
โ€œThey are,โ€ Sam replied โ€œWhat is on your mind?โ€
โ€œI must to take some time off, โ€œ Joe replied quietly โ€œI need to get away from here for a while.โ€
Sam looked at her father, a worried expression crossing her face . โ€œHave you changed your mind about seeing Dr. Evans?โ€
โ€œNo,โ€ Joe replied โ€œI have not made a decision yet. โ€œI donโ€™t know how long I might be gone, Sam. Ely will take my place and I will get back as soon as I can.โ€
โ€œWhere are you going?โ€ she asked and from the tone of her voice I could tell she was a little worried. Her father had just come back into her life, and now he was leaving again.
โ€œPortersville,โ€ Joe answered โ€œI want to see Doc Stevens.โ€
โ€œSeeing Doc might be good for you.โ€ Sam replied โ€œWhen do you plan to leave?
โ€œIn the morning, โ€ Joe said. Sam looked at me and I nodded my agreement.
โ€œEly is a good man,โ€ I said โ€œand he will do a good job for you while you are away, but I sure donโ€™t expect him to be as good with all those horses as you are, Joe.โ€
โ€œThank you, โ€œ Joe said as he turned to go.
โ€œWait,โ€ Sam protested โ€œIt is a long and dangerous ride over into the territory. Please tell me that you are not going alone.โ€
He smiled at her, โ€œYour grandfather will be joining me.โ€
โ€œThat is good,โ€I added as I closed up my ledgers.The ranch accounting work
was done. โ€œJust donโ€™t let him cook for you . โ€œ, I added โ€œ All right?โ€
Joe grinned โ€œI have heard that my father is no cook.โ€
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