Portersville by J.W. Osborn (beautiful books to read TXT) ๐
Excerpt from the book:
The Cattle Drive ended with the wedding of Jerrod Bently and Samantha Dodge, and a mystery waiting to be solved. Is Dakota Joe, in truth Scrub Pot's lost son, or and imposter who knows far too much about the secret the old Indian and Doc Stevens have been keeping ?
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away. My memory has improved by being here with you and around Sam and Brian. Iโd 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.
โJoe,โ he said quietly as they sat together at the table . โIf 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. โYou say I rode with him and the rangers,โ he said quietly, as misty, far away expression crossed his handsome face. โBut all I remember is the sounds of battle, fire and then blackness.โ
โIt is as Brian has told you, my son,โ Scrub Pot said โYou 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
โMay be we should go to Portersville., โ Joe said as he pushed back and rose from the chair, then crossed to the fire place to add another log. โI want to remember Doc Stevens., โ he said as he watched the sparks fly. โHe 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
โHe was like a brother to you, Joe,โ Scrub Pot said โbut 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
โI have been thinking over what Brian said ,โ Joe replied โ 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
โOr you could die, Joseph,โ Scrub Pot replied firmly โit is far too great a risk.โ
โ I might be willing to take that risk, Father,โ he said quietly โSome 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
โIt is not all gone, my son,โ Scrub Pot replied โMay be some time with Doc will open up yet another door.โ
โI donโt know,โ Joe replied โI would like to see him, before I make a decision about going to that doctor in Saint Louis..โ
โThen 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.
โI would like to see Doc Stevens,โ Joe replied โ 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. โThen we shall go,โ he said โWe can leave as early as tomorrow.โ
Joe looked at his father. โI will have to let Sam know I am going to be away for a while,โ he said โEly can take over for me at the ranch.โ
Scrub Pot was all ready rolling up his woolen army blankets. โThen you better ride,โ he suggested. Joe slid his empty chair back into the table. โI 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. โJerrod!,โ she said suddenly, โVictoria had a little girl!โ
I filled the column in the ledger in with numbers in black ink instead of red and smiled. โWhat they name her?.โ
โSarah,โ Sam replied as she looked up at me with tears in her dark eyes.. โ after my mother.โ
โWhen did the new addition to the Stevens clan arrive?โ, I asked as I lay aside my pen.
โTwo months ago,โ Sam replied โI 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. โWe should go see them and the new baby,โ I suggested โThink Trouble will be ready to go back to Portersville?โ
She smiled up at me โHe is ALWAYS ready, Jerrod,โ she replied โBut 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 weโll 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. โBoss?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 โthe boss.โ
โDoorโs open,โ I replied โCome 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. โMorninโ Pa.,โ Sam said as she got up from her place on the brightly colored Indian rug sheโd been sitting on. โThere was a letter in the mail this morning from Doc,โ she added โHe and Victoria had a baby girl.โ
โThat is good news,โ Joe replied. โI hope everyone is well.โ
โThey are,โ Sam replied โWhat is on your mind?โ
โI must to take some time off, โ Joe replied quietly โI need to get away from here for a while.โ
Sam looked at her father, a worried expression crossing her face . โHave you changed your mind about seeing Dr. Evans?โ
โNo,โ Joe replied โI have not made a decision yet. โI donโt know how long I might be gone, Sam. Ely will take my place and I will get back as soon as I can.โ
โWhere 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.
โPortersville,โ Joe answered โI want to see Doc Stevens.โ
โSeeing Doc might be good for you.โ Sam replied โWhen do you plan to leave?
โIn the morning, โ Joe said. Sam looked at me and I nodded my agreement.
โEly is a good man,โ I said โand he will do a good job for you while you are away, but I sure donโt expect him to be as good with all those horses as you are, Joe.โ
โThank you, โ Joe said as he turned to go.
โWait,โ Sam protested โIt is a long and dangerous ride over into the territory. Please tell me that you are not going alone.โ
He smiled at her, โYour grandfather will be joining me.โ
โThat is good,โI added as I closed up my ledgers.The ranch accounting work
was done. โJust donโt let him cook for you . โ, I added โ All right?โ
Joe grinned โI have heard that my father is no cook.โ
Scrub Pot closed his bible and looked at his son.
โJoe,โ he said quietly as they sat together at the table . โIf 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. โYou say I rode with him and the rangers,โ he said quietly, as misty, far away expression crossed his handsome face. โBut all I remember is the sounds of battle, fire and then blackness.โ
โIt is as Brian has told you, my son,โ Scrub Pot said โYou 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
โMay be we should go to Portersville., โ Joe said as he pushed back and rose from the chair, then crossed to the fire place to add another log. โI want to remember Doc Stevens., โ he said as he watched the sparks fly. โHe 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
โHe was like a brother to you, Joe,โ Scrub Pot said โbut 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
โI have been thinking over what Brian said ,โ Joe replied โ 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
โOr you could die, Joseph,โ Scrub Pot replied firmly โit is far too great a risk.โ
โ I might be willing to take that risk, Father,โ he said quietly โSome 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
โIt is not all gone, my son,โ Scrub Pot replied โMay be some time with Doc will open up yet another door.โ
โI donโt know,โ Joe replied โI would like to see him, before I make a decision about going to that doctor in Saint Louis..โ
โThen 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.
โI would like to see Doc Stevens,โ Joe replied โ 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. โThen we shall go,โ he said โWe can leave as early as tomorrow.โ
Joe looked at his father. โI will have to let Sam know I am going to be away for a while,โ he said โEly can take over for me at the ranch.โ
Scrub Pot was all ready rolling up his woolen army blankets. โThen you better ride,โ he suggested. Joe slid his empty chair back into the table. โI 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. โJerrod!,โ she said suddenly, โVictoria had a little girl!โ
I filled the column in the ledger in with numbers in black ink instead of red and smiled. โWhat they name her?.โ
โSarah,โ Sam replied as she looked up at me with tears in her dark eyes.. โ after my mother.โ
โWhen did the new addition to the Stevens clan arrive?โ, I asked as I lay aside my pen.
โTwo months ago,โ Sam replied โI 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. โWe should go see them and the new baby,โ I suggested โThink Trouble will be ready to go back to Portersville?โ
She smiled up at me โHe is ALWAYS ready, Jerrod,โ she replied โBut 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 weโll 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. โBoss?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 โthe boss.โ
โDoorโs open,โ I replied โCome 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. โMorninโ Pa.,โ Sam said as she got up from her place on the brightly colored Indian rug sheโd been sitting on. โThere was a letter in the mail this morning from Doc,โ she added โHe and Victoria had a baby girl.โ
โThat is good news,โ Joe replied. โI hope everyone is well.โ
โThey are,โ Sam replied โWhat is on your mind?โ
โI must to take some time off, โ Joe replied quietly โI need to get away from here for a while.โ
Sam looked at her father, a worried expression crossing her face . โHave you changed your mind about seeing Dr. Evans?โ
โNo,โ Joe replied โI have not made a decision yet. โI donโt know how long I might be gone, Sam. Ely will take my place and I will get back as soon as I can.โ
โWhere 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.
โPortersville,โ Joe answered โI want to see Doc Stevens.โ
โSeeing Doc might be good for you.โ Sam replied โWhen do you plan to leave?
โIn the morning, โ Joe said. Sam looked at me and I nodded my agreement.
โEly is a good man,โ I said โand he will do a good job for you while you are away, but I sure donโt expect him to be as good with all those horses as you are, Joe.โ
โThank you, โ Joe said as he turned to go.
โWait,โ Sam protested โIt is a long and dangerous ride over into the territory. Please tell me that you are not going alone.โ
He smiled at her, โYour grandfather will be joining me.โ
โThat is good,โI added as I closed up my ledgers.The ranch accounting work
was done. โJust donโt let him cook for you . โ, I added โ All right?โ
Joe grinned โI have heard that my father is no cook.โ
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