The Best Job (by Mustang Sallie)

Summary:  Slim and Jess discuss parenting. Seems they’re on the same page, well almost. [Note: In the USA during the months of May and June we celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. This short tale honors the role of parent that Slim and Jess willingly take up when they adopt Mike Williams.]

Category:  Laramie

Genre:   Western

Rating: G

Word Count: 6,931

They had never really talked about it before but here they were, on a spring evening with the topic staring at them right between their eyes. Jess squirmed uncomfortably on his rocker trying to set a straight steady pace. The rockers scrapped against the floor boards keeping time with his heartbeats. Slim, on the other hand, sat on the upright twirling his coffee cup staring at the front door. What was the answer? Shouldn’t he know by now?

 

Neither of them had ever married or had children. Yet, Slim did have experience with Andy. But then again, when he came back from the war, Andy was 12, older than Mike. He was also Slim’s brother. Jess had stated that he had come from a large family. Shouldn’t they know how to parent from their combined experiences?

 

“Did your Pa ever take you to the wood shed?” Time to take the bull by the horns.

 

Jess grimaced in remembered pain. “We were hit with a switch on our backsides,” he said flatly.

 

Slim stared at his friend. ” Even the girls?”

 

“Yup and it was especially brutal when he was drinking. We learned to make ourselves scarce then. “

 

“Jess,” Slim sighed,” How did it make you feel? “

 

“For a time, I actually hated him.” The answers came swiftly and quietly as memories surfaced. ” Sometimes I felt as though I was the worst kid ever. “

 

“What were some of the things you did?”

 

Jess knew that Slim was curious and did not mean to rustle up the dark times he had suffered before and after the fire that killed his entire family on that fateful night when he was 15 years old. ” I liked to pull pranks. Sometimes I switched out the sugar and the salt or I hid Francie’s shoes stuff like that.”

 

“And you were whipped for that!” Slim stood then. His back ramrod straight, eyes never leaving Jess.

 

“Yup,” Jess looked up and met Slim’s eyes. Unable to maintain contact, Jess turned his gaze down again. ” It was a long time ago, Pard.”

 

Slim sank down onto his chair beside Jess. ” My Pa had a look that he gave me when he was disappointed in something I did. Sometimes he would call me by my full name and I knew I was in trouble. I never got hit but the punishment fit the crime though.”

 

“Like what, Pard?” Jess, truly interested now, sat on the edge of his chair.

 

“My Pa insisted that the ranch was a living, breathing part of us and we were responsible for its well-being. If I forgot to do a chore, I got to do the chore plus another one of his choosing for a month. My Ma made me memorize Bible verses. I learned to obey fairly quickly. I loved and respected him, Jess. I was always trying to please him until the war came I never really disagreed with him.”

 

“So, we both were punished differently when we were young. How do we go about punishing Mike?”

 

“I think we need to think about this differently, Pard. We want Mike to feel safe and secure in our caring about him and his feelings. We’ve got no idea about his Pa or the way his parents raised him. We only know what we can see now. He was taught to be obedient and he has manners but he’s still a young’in and I think he’s afraid that if we get mad at him, we’ll send him away. “

 

Jess suck in his breath harshly. He looked aghast at Slim. “Dad gum, I never thought that!”

 

“That’s why we gotta be careful about this, Pard. What’s punishable and what’s the punishment?“

 

“Well, he knows this is a working ranch, right?”

 

Slim nodded.

 

“So, if we give him a small chore, he’s gotta know that if he doesn’t do it or forgets or doesn’t do it right, one of us has to stop what they’re doing and do the chore.”

 

“What’s a small chore?”

 

“Milking Molly, sweeping out a stall, setting the table things like that,” Jess paused. “Ok, and we gotta teach him how to do all those things too,” 

 

Slim’s eyes were on the horizon now.

 

“Whatcha thinking on now?”

 

“What are the rewards for doing the chores?”

 

“The reward is in the doing, my Ma used to say,” Jess grinned.

 

“Yeah, but at the same time, what if he goes beyond and does more than his fair share? Shouldn’t he be rewarded then?”

 

“Candy sticks, fishing, staying up a hour past bedtime, a riding lesson? “

 

Slim smiled broadly. “I think I need to write this down. “

 

The next morning at breakfast, Slim and Jess revealed the first of “Mike’s Life Lessons” to their enthusiastic soon-to-be ‘son’.

 

*****

 

Slim was in the midst of making breakfast one day soon after the porch conversation when he heard the commotion in the yard. Jess was turning the air blue cussing so loudly that the chickens were scared.  Dropping the spoon in the egg batter, Slim wiped his hands on the large towel that was tied around his waist and went out to discover the reason for the tirade. He heard part of it when he opened the door.

 

“Of all the blamed,” the next words were indistinct.

 

“Jess, what’s the matter?”  Slim inquired carefully.

 

“All the milk spilled! The entire bucket!” Jess was off again, sputtering and stomping his foot on the porch.

 

“What happened?”

 

“He says he forgot where to put his feet and he kicked the bucket over. All that milk, all over the floor!” Jess moaned.

 

“All of it?”

 

A head shake was his answer as visions of black coffee and left over biscuits began the march in his head. Slim looked towards the barn. “What’s he doing now?”

 

“I don’t know and I don’t care!”

 

“Pard,” Slim took a chance and laid a hand over Jess’ shoulder. “You don’t really mean that, do you?”

 

“No,” he sighed, “ but you know I hate black coffee! “

 

“All right, let’s go,” Slim sighed reluctantly.  “Small chore, big consequences.“

 

“You understand now, don’t you?” Slim asked anxiously, peering down at the small boy whose head was tucked against his shoulder.

 

“I’m sorry, Jess. I won’t do it again.”

 

“You darn won’t ya know!” Jess frowned again. His anger had long been extinguished but the idea of black coffee was still in his day’s future.

 

“Tomorrow is Saturday, right?”

 

Mike nodded, apprehension written all over his face. ‘What did Slim have in mind for his punishment?’

 

“Well, when either one of us goes we usually bring you back candy sticks or a small present don’t we?”

 

“Yes sir,” Mike barely breathed his answer.

 

“Well, because you forgot and we have no milk there’ll be no biscuits or good coffee for our passengers today. So, I think they’ll be no candy sticks for you this week. And,” Slim paused and nodded towards Jess, “For your punishment you will milk both Molly and Betsy this week.”

 

Mike solemnly put out his hand and shook their hands and went off to clean the barn floor.

 

“One day, a million more to go,” murmured Jess.

 

*****

The stage was running late thank heavens, and Slim hurried to put the biscuits on the table. It was a normal Monday morning but they both had slept in and dragged themselves to the kitchen. Slim yawned again. Jess’ nightmare had kept him awake and he knew that three hours of sleep was not enough.

 

“Say, where’s Mike?” he asked Jess.

 

“In the barn with Buttons and the puppies. You know Slim, that dog and his lady have a fine litter. It’s too bad we gotta get rid of them. “

 

“You want 6 more mouths to feed?”

 

“Nope.”

 

The friendly banter went back and forth for a while and then Slim walked to the window to check on the stage. “It’s coming!” he announced. He tore off his towel apron and walked towards their room.

 

“I’ll get some water for coffee,” Jess yelled and went out the kitchen door. 

 

After donning a clean shirt, Slim finger-combed his hair and opened the front door just in time to see the stage make its final turn towards the ranch house. All at once, time stood still and he saw out of the corner of his eye,  Buttons scamper from the barn right in front of the stage’s path. A second or two later, Mike came barreling after the barking dog oblivious to the thundering hooves and Mose yelling “Get out of the way.”

 

Jess was just about to haul up the bucket when he heard Slim’s agonized scream and his world collapsed.

 

“Mike! Turn around and run for the barn! Now!” Slim bellowed.

 

Everything happened all at once. Slim ran with lightning speed and grabbed Mike by his belt scooping up Buttons as he ran right in front of the speeding horses. Jess flew through the dusty haze towards his family completely ignoring Mose.  By the time he reached them Mike was lying on the barn floor and Slim was slumped over, hands on his knees struggling to catch his breath. “You could have been killed!“ he moaned over and over again. As Jess watched, Slim straightened up and without looking at either of them walked unsteadily to the barn door.

 

“Jess.”

 

The air around the family was thick with emotion and Jess shivered in the summer heat. Something ominous was in the barn with them. Sweat, fear strangled sounds and night terrors danced around them. Slim called his name again, lips barely moving and Jess’ heart lurched as his ears picked up the sound of Slim’s tears. He was at his friend’s side in seconds.  Unbidden, white-hot anger surged within him and he glared at Mike, pointing at the house.

 

“Room, now!” he yelled harshly.

 

Mike was up and out in seconds. After checking on Slim, Jess suddenly remembered the stage and its passengers. Smiling grimly at his forgetfulness, he whispered his apology and went out to help Mose change the team.

 

Back at Slim’s side within minutes, Jess drew him into a tight bear hug. Slim was lost, drowning in his fears and Jess could only hang on, an anchor to his friend’s heart. “I’m here,” he murmured, “we’ll get through this together, “ he said over and over again until at last Slim straightened up and pushed himself out of the firm embrace.

 

“I don’t see how,” Slim began, his voice wavering.

 

“What exactly happened, Pard?” Jess asked carefully.

 

Slim recounted the details in stark but clear tones and Jess shivered in spite of himself. They could have lost him alright. “It sounds like he froze out there,” he started.

 

“That’s exactly what happened! But it didn’t have to happen, Pard. If he had just listened to us and never crossed the yard when the stage was coming.”

 

“He’s a kid, he didn’t think,” Jess ventured to say.

 

“Exactly!” Slim was agitated again. He paced a few steps back and forth and then faced Jess, his face grim and resolute. “I think we oughta let Mort put him in that orphanage. “

 

“What!” Jess almost jumped out of his skin. “ That’s not the answer, Pard.”

 

“You got a better idea?” Slim challenged.

 

Jess sat down on the nearest bale of hay and laced his hands together. He looked up into the anguished blue eyes for a moment. “It was an accident, Pard. He froze when he saw danger and because he’s a kid didn’t have the idea to run away from it. Yes, we could have lost him. I think, it hurts both of us to realize that because we’ve begun to love him,” he bit his lip then and looked down at his hands.

 

“I don’t know if I’ve got the strength to raise him, Jess. What if?”

 

“Hey, weren’t you the one who told a Texan not to live on “what ifs?’ And besides that, you’ve got all the strength you need and don’t forget,” Jess rose then and stood, hands on his hips, “you’re not doin’ the raising all alone.”

 

Slim sighed then, a deep, cleansing sigh and Jess felt the air around them change once again.

 

“Big punishment for this Life Lesson.”

 

“Yup,” Jess pointed a finger lightly into Slim’s chest.

 

*****

 

 

Mike stood leaning against his bed in the small room. He rubbed the tears from his eyes once again. He had really liked living on the ranch. He sighed and began to fold his clothes and pack them in his makeshift bed roll. “I’m not going to a stinking orphanage! “ he shouted to the empty room.

 

“I gotta figure out what to do,” he sank down on the bed at last. ‘They’re gonna come out of that barn and tell me I’m going to Cheyenne,’ he thought dejectedly. ‘I really messed up this time. They’ll probably tell me that I should have listened to them and I’ve made too many mistakes and this is a working ranch and I gotta go. Goodbye and good luck.’

 

He flung himself down on the pillow too overwhelmed to think anymore. He had really liked his room and the soft bed, pretty good food and Jess’ stories. He thought that everything was going alright until today.  He sighed and sat up carefully moving his boots away from his clothes. ‘I got six dollars, some candy sticks and apples. I can’t take a horse cause that’s stealing so I’ll have to walk. I got some fire fixings and a map. Maybe I can walk to the line cabin and stay there for a couple of days and then go into town. Maybe I could say I was waiting for Slim or Jess and I’d get a free meal from the sheriff or some more apples at Benson’s. It would only work once though. Once the sheriff realizes that I ran away, he’ll take me to that orphanage himself and have them throw away the key! I gotta wrap all this up and put it behind the house and slip out tonight after they go to bed.’

 

Mind made up, Mike hid his belongings behind the house and sat on his bed waiting for the inevitable. He had really liked living on the ranch.

 

Jess and Slim entered the house a few minutes later. They both had calmed down but were still conflicted on how to show Mike how much they cared and how to make him listen to them.

 

“Do you think he’s asleep? “ Slim gestured towards the door.

 

Jess shook his head and proceeded to open Mike’s bedroom door.

 

“Tiger,” he said softly, “we gotta talk about what happened out there.” Jess lifted Mike up onto his knee. “Tiger,” he sighed, “part of the reason why Slim and I are so upset is because we’ve come to care about you very much and we’re be really upset if something happened to you. Now we both know that it was an accident and you got scared when you saw the stage come at you . This whole thing could have been avoided if you had just obeyed us and not run into the yard.”

 

Slim bent down on one knee. “Mike, do you like living here?”

 

“Yes.” Mike’s voice was so subdued that Slim frowned for a minute.  He knew instantly that Mike needed their reassurance and so he continued solemnly,  “Well, we’re glad to hear that. See, Sheriff Corey has another two weeks to see if he can find any kin of yours and then he’s going to come out here and take you to that orphanage. But Jess and I are going to see our lawyer and find out how to be your fathers.”

 

Both Jess and Mike stared at Slim.

 

“I figured it out, Jess,” Slim laid a hand on Jess’ shoulder. “You were going to suggest the very same thing, weren’t you?”

 

Jess’ eyes shone with sudden tears . “See Tiger the Judge will have to come out and find out how we’re taking care of you and running into the yard would not be a good idea.”

 

Mike stared at both of them.  ‘Could he trust them? Did that mean he could live here forever?’ It was hard to figure out.

 

“Mike, what we’re talking about is called adoption. We would sign a paper in front of the judge giving him our word that we would raise you and shelter you and see that you’re educated up. It also means that this would be your home forever. No one could come and take you from us or the ranch. Then later, when you’re grown up, if you want to leave to go to school or get married you would go with our blessing. “

 

“Really Slim, Jess?”

 

“Really, Mike.” Jess cleared his throat then and hugged Mike a little tighter.

 

They talked for a while more until Jess could see the effects of the traumatic experience begin to have its effects on the lad.

 

“Why don’t you take a nap,  Mike. We’ll do some chores and wake you up later. We’ll talk again when we all calm down. “

 

“What was all that about, Pard?” Slim frowned as they made their way to the kitchen. “We’re both pretty calm already, aren’t we?”

 

“We are, but he ain’t,” Jess shrugged. “ Did you see his shoulders and the way he kept twisting his hands on the sheet? He needs a nap. We’ll give him time to think and sleep and us to figure out the punishment for this life lesson.”

 

“I’m certainly glad there’s a life we get to think about! “

 

“No argument there!”

 

After they left Mike stared at the ceiling willing it to give him the answer he needed. Go or stay? Could he trust them? What if they were nice to him now and mean later? He’d be stuck with them forever!  The idea of living with Slim and Jess gave him a warm fuzzy feeling; one he hadn’t had in a long time. He didn’t really want to walk away from all of this. The idea of living in the forest wasn’t something he wished for and what if it rained or snowed and he couldn’t find a family to take him in?  But the idea of going to the orphanage still lingered. Two weeks was a long time. He had to leave now.  He looked around his room memorizing everything.

He had really liked living on the ranch.

 

*****

 

 

Jess checked in on Mike before he left for town. They had meant to go on Saturday but it had rained and neither saw the need for a shopping visit in the wet weather. As he drove into town, he ticked off the list in his head. Apples, bullets, canned peaches, sack of flour, yeast. He wasn’t sure who had taught him to put things in order in his head like that but it sure did help if there were more than three items to purchase. He heard Slim’s voice in his head, “just ask Seth to stop in at the ranch this week. The faster we get all the papers together the better.” With any luck they’d be a family by the end of the summer.

 

Slim, in the meantime, put some biscuits on a plate and left them for Mike beside the note he had written. “Jess in town. I’m bringing in the cows. Be back soon. Slim.”

 

Mike waited until Slim rode away. It was now or never. He had really liked living on the ranch but it was time to leave. Picking up his bundle by the side of the house, he hoisted the bed roll over his shoulders and checked the canteen of cider. It was full and not leaking. He set off at a brisk pace, his first destination was the line cabin where he planned to spend the night.

 

As he walked along, Mike listened for cows or horses but hearing nothing but his anxious heartbeats he continued up the hill that led away from the ranch house. It was getting dark when he finally saw it. Nestled in trees it was easy to miss if you weren’t looking for it. Mike leaned his tired body against a tree and wiped his fore head with his sleeve. It was then that he heard voices. He looked around the tree and there were three men on horseback coming his way.

 

 Quickly he stuffed his bag into the brush and taking his bed roll with him, climbed the tree, at times slipping and then grabbing the rough bark. Finally, he found a tree limb that would support his weight and sank down his heart hammering in his chest. The men stopped right beneath him!

 

“So, tell me again Boss, why aren’t we robbing that stage stop?”

 

“Cause they don’t keep the money there, Jenkins.  See boys, I came through this town a year or two ago. The passengers pay the stage line not the stage stop ranchers. “

 

“Oh, so we rob the stage office!”

 

“No dummy! We rob the bank!”

 

Mike listened to the exchange intently. The Boss was now speaking to the man whose name he didn’t know yet. Jenkins had dismounted and was leaning against his horse drinking from his canteen.

 

“What about the safe?”

 

“Here’s the best part, Johnson. The bank’s manager is a fat man who likes cigars. I went into the bank on purpose to stake it out and they got an old safe, easy to open. So, here’s how we do it. We start a fire at the edge of town. Then while everyone is fighting the fire we rob the bank. We’ll tie up the manager and anyone else and be off before anyone knows about it. “

 

“Smart idea, Boss,” said Jenkins as he corked his canteen. “ When should we do this? “

 

“Friday.”

 

“Friday, ‘cause the payroll for the Fort will be there and people take money out on Saturday”.

 

Mike watched quietly as the three robbers mounted their horses and rode towards town. He had to tell someone but who? He knew that he was half way between the ranch and town. Slim and Jess hadn’t found him yet so maybe they hadn’t searched this way. They probably wouldn’t go to town to tell the sheriff. That’s it, I have to tell the sheriff even if he sends me away.

 

Mike set out again with more urgency. He wished he had a horse but that would be stealing. He had no idea what time it was, or how long it would take him to reach town. He had to keep walking. He was getting hungry. He stopped in the middle of the road and looked up at the sky. Slim had been teaching him about weather and how to know if it was gonna rain, or when night was coming. He looked up. The sky was still blue but now was partly gray and the wind had picked up. It was getting colder. He shivered inside his jacket. “I’ll just walk faster tomorrow,” he said to the trees and walked back towards the line cabin and safety.

 

*****

 

 

Back at the ranch, two exhausted and anxious men packed up bed rolls, bandages, newly purchased bullets and food for their unexpected trip. Not knowing which direction Mike had gone they decided to set out for the line cabin first as they figured if nothing else, they’d have a safe place to stay for the night. They had planned on tracking Mike but when it started raining, they knew they had to trust their guts in finding their boy.

 

“I wish I knew why he suddenly took off, Jess,” Slim stared out the window watching the rain drops course down the glass pane. “We’ll never track him now.”

 

“Maybe we need help.”

 

Slim whipped around and stared down Jess. “No! Not Mort!” 

 

His voice was deadly serious and Jess sucked in his breath.  Their eyes met in mutual pain and fear. “We tell Mort that and we lose any chance of getting Mike. There’s got to be a different way.”

 

“Jess, we can’t tell Mort. How would it look if we tell him we want to adopt Mike and then tell him we lost him? The judge would laugh us out of town! We’d be called irresponsible, not fit to be parents. We simply can’t tell anyone.”

 

Jess suddenly yanked the door open and started to walk out of the house only to be pulled sharply backwards. Jess staggered, tripping over his feet. “ Whatcha do that for,” he demanded.

 

“Nothing out there but rain and wind, Jess. You know I’m right. “

 

Jess began to pace and then he sat down in from of the fireplace in silence. His frown told Slim all he needed to know so he wisely said nothing and went into their bedroom and shut the door. A little while later, Jess entered. In silence, he undressed and lay on his bed staring at the ceiling.

 

“You awake?” Jess’ question broke the uneasy silence.

 

“Yup.”

 

“I’m sorry, Slim. I’m just worried, you know.”

 

“I’m sorry too.”

 

“You, whatcha got to be sorry about?”

 

“For worrying the size of Texas and getting you more riled up than you already were.”

 

“Forget it.” Jess turned and faced Slim. “We good?” He held out his hand.

 

“Yeah, we’re good.” They shook hands and settled in for a restless night of sleep.

 

Dawn found them on the trail past the ranch. They rode in silence, each man worried about the tow-head they had come to love. At first, they thought that he’d come back but it was clear that this wasn’t a childish prank and that he had, as Slim had said the day before, decided to leave because he thought they would send him away. 

 

 It was all very confusing but as the early morning sun began its climb over the horizon and the summer heat ramped up, they grew more and more anxious. At first Slim was sure about his decision not to involve Mort, but now he wasn’t so sure.

 

 ‘What if he wasn’t at the cabin?’

 

“Someone was here,” Jess showed Slim the scuffed marks by the back door. “They replaced the boards but they moved the cans in the cupboard. “

 

“Do you think it was Mike?”

 

“If I had to guess, I’d say yes, ‘cause the chair was moved to get to the cupboard. See the marks on the wood there?” he gestured at the roughhewn wooden floor. “A man wouldn’t need to move a chair to get to the cupboard but someone small would.”

 

“Well, at least we know he was out of the rain last night,” Slim sighed. “ He did listen after all about taking care if lost on the ranch.”

 

“Yeah, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s still lost!”

 

“Should we separate? We’d cover more ground that way.”

 

Slim shook his head. “No, we’ve had bad experiences when we did that before. Nope, we stay together. “

 

Decision made, they rode north stopping every now and again to peer into the distance but seeing no sign of Mike turned around and rode in the opposite direction. After circling around several times, they round up through no fault of their own back in front of the cabin.

 

“He’s walking, right?” Jess looked puzzled at his Pard.

 

“I’m as lost as you are, Jess.”

 

“Maybe someone picked him up and brought him home.”

 

“I’ve got a better idea, Jess. Let’s go home and get Buttons. If anyone can find Mike, it’s the dog that started this adventure.“

 

*****

 

 

Mike knelt down by the river bed and cupping his hands drank fully of the clean cold water. He wrung out his bandana and wiped his face and neck and then dumped out the remaining cider. It was kinda funny that the cider when it was cold was delicious but warm was just plain awful. I’ll have to ask Jess about it,’ he thought and then savagely threw the thought aside. He wouldn’t be asking Jess anything anymore. He was on his own.

 

Trudging along with lonesome thoughts for company, Mike failed to see the lone rider coming towards him. As he reined in, Mort Corey sucked in his breath. ‘What was Mike Williams doing out here all alone?’

 

“Mike! What are you doing here and where are Slim and Jess?”

 

Mike froze in his tracks. He shaded his eyes as he looked up at Laramie’s sheriff. “I was on my way to see you,” he began.

 

Mort looked around the area. There was no sign of the two men. As he glanced again at the young boy, he saw the bed roll and little sack at the boy’s feet and sighed. He knew in an instant what Mike was doing. He wondered how long the youngster had been out here on Sherman land. Johnny, his nephew, had lasted a day before he had come home. He had wanted to join the circus. He wondered what Mike wanted.

 

“Well, I’m here now,” he murmured as he dismounted. Getting down on one knee, he looked Mike squarely in the eye. Under the sheriff’s silent scrutiny, Mike began to squirm. ‘Would he believe him? ‘ His lip trembled and suddenly it all became too much. Tears trickled down his cheeks and he found himself in the embrace of comforting arms and a soft shoulder for his wet cheek.

 

Mort carried him over to the side of the road and held him for what seemed to be a long time. It wasn’t the same as the way Slim or Jess held him but it was kind of comforting at the same time. All at once he began to miss the two men who meant so much to him. Finally, the tears subsided and Mike hiccupped a few times. He rubbed his eyes and looked into the kind eyes of the sheriff.

“I have something to tell you, “ Mike whispered, “ but I need you to promise me something.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“After I tell you, can you keep me safe until you take me to that orph, orph,” he stumbled on the hated word, “orphanage?”

 

“Why would I do that, Mike? Don’t you live with Slim and Jess anymore? “

 

“Not after what I did,” Mike shuddered as he remembered the stage coach and the big horses coming at him.

 

“Why don’t you tell me the whole story and then we can decide what to do.”

 

Mike told his story, leaving nothing out. He remembered how Slim had told him to always tell the truth about things and so he did. He was a little scared when he talked about the bank robbers but he managed to give the sheriff as much information as possible.

 

Mort stared at the young boy. He wondered if Slim knew that Mike was copying his mannerisms as Mike folded his arms across his chest much like his old friend and looked him straight in the eye. What he heard was the heartbreaking story of mistaken belief. Mike didn’t have much experience with family love, at least what he surmised was Slim/Jess family love looked like. He was so young and so vulnerable. It was no wonder that he thought they would punish him by sending him away. He needed to clear this matter up right away before he tackled would-be bank robbers.

 

“Mike, we don’t know each other very well but I have known Slim and Jess for a long time and both of them care about you very much. They almost hope I don’t find any kin for you. Now, what you did was wrong but you were frightened and anyone would be if they saw running horses coming at them like you did. I bet those two are riding all over the ranch looking for you right now. “

 

Mort stopped and took a breath. Mike was trembling in his arms. “What are you afraid of, Mike?”

 

“They must be mad at me, Sheriff for running away. “

 

“Why don’t we go to town, Mike. I’m getting hungry and I need to speak to the town council and Mr. Botkin. I’ll write a letter to Slim and have the stage driver deliver it. That way they’ll know where you are. I won’t take you to the orphanage Mike. That’s a decision that must be made by Slim and Jess.”

 

After arriving in town, Mort put Mike in his room next to the cells and locked him in. He then spoke to the members of the town council and asked that they meet with him in the evening to discuss an important town problem. After arriving back at the jail, he wrote the letter to Slim assuring both men that Mike was ok and urged them to be prepared for trouble. Then he picked up Mike and they went to Maud’s Diner for lunch.

 

*****

 

 

Dinner was going great for Mike until three men walked into the diner and sat down near them. He almost choked on his pie when he heard one of them speak. “Sheriff Mort,” he whispered, “ can you drop your napkin?”

 

Mort simply stared at Mike and then he saw him turn pale beneath his tan. Dutifully, he dropped his napkin and met Mike under the table. “Those are the three robbers, Sheriff. I know their voices!”

 

Mort looked hard at the youngster. “Are you sure, Mike?”

 

Mike nodded as he clutched Mort’s hand.” Please don’t let them see me,” he whimpered.

 

“Don’t worry son,” Mort grabbed his napkin and glanced at the men as he did so. They weren’t paying attention to anyone as they were in deep conversation and he helped Mike sit up in his hard-backed chair. “I’m going to stand up and escort you down the street to the jail house. Just act naturally. “

 

Mike swallowed hard and clutched Sheriff Mort’s hand. He resisted the urge to look at the robbers and instead focused on the street in front of them. Once back at the jail, Mort helped him out of his clothes and into his night shirt. Once he was washed up, he instructed Mike to lie down and be absolutely quiet as his guests were due soon.

 

Mike stared around the room after Mort left. It was smaller than his room at the ranch. There was just enough room for a bed, table and chair. He wondered what Slim and Jess were doing. Maybe making supper, ribbing each other. Maybe Slim was writing in the log book or reading. Was Jess carving a figure out of wood? A tear slid down his cheek as he thought about the two men who loved him. “I miss them,“ he whispered to the empty room.

 

He woke to the angry voices just outside the room. He recognized Jed Benson’s voice of reason and the drawl of the blacksmiths. He could hear Dr. Sam and the disdainful voice belonging to Mr. Botkin. He knew that both Slim and Jess did not like Mr. Botkin. He wasn’t sure why but he did have a reason to be at the sheriff’s meeting as it was his bank that was going to be robbed. Mike listened for a while to the plans, wishing not for the first time, that Slim and Jess were with him.

Sheriff Mort ushered the men out and then entered the room. “Did they wake you up, Mike?” he asked.

 

Mike shrugged, “not really,” he said yawning.

 

“Well, everything is in place and those would-be robbers will be in for a surprise on Friday. Now you have an important duty on Friday. You are going to stay right here until I come for you. You’re probably going to smell smoke but we’ve got that covered and not everyone will be fighting the fire.  Some of the men will be in the bank dressed as clerks and we will take them down right quick. Then all they have to do is wait in jail for the judge. Don’t worry, Mike. You’ll be safe the entire time.”

 

The next two days, as far as Mike was concerned, were boring. The only time he had any fun was reading the new book that Sheriff Mort had bought for him. He ate in his room with Sheriff Mort and played a couple of games of checkers. Privately he thought that Jess could beat Sheriff Mort in a game or two as Jess seemed so much better at the game.

 

“Now remember, Mike, no noise and no going outside of this room. It’s going to be a scary day and I don’t want you in the middle of it.Oh, and if something happens to me, Jed Benson knows where you are.”

 

Friday dawned bright and sunny. Sheriff Mort had come for Mike early and they ate a scratch breakfast and then Mike washed up. Right before Sheriff Mort locked him into the room, Mike turned and hugged him tightly. “ Please be alright, “ he whispered.

 

*****

 

 

As hard as it was to wait for Christmas and Santa Claus, Mike reckoned that waiting for something bad to happen was even worse. It wasn’t until he vaguely heard the stage rumble down the street that he smelt smoke. That’s when all heck broke loose. He heard the men’s shouts and then gun fire then silence. Finally he saw the door knob move and then Sheriff Mort was standing in the doorway. He was covered in soot. Mike didn’t care how dusty or dirty he was. He just jumped into Sheriff Mort’s arms and hugged him tightly.

 

“I’m glad you’re okay, “ he mumbled as he clung to Sheriff Mort’s shirt.

 

“Thanks to you, the bank is saved. But I am now going to have to move you again to some place safer. You see, “ he said as he sank down on the bed, ”one robber is dead and the other two are wounded. They are tied up in the doctor’s office but I will have to move them to the jail in a day or two and I don’t want them to see you.”

 

Mike nodded solemnly and then hesitantly asked about the family he was going to.

“You’ll like them,” Mort assured the lad. “They have lots of animals, chickens and cows and horses. It won’t take you anytime at all to settle in.”

 

‘As long as it wasn’t the orphanage,’ Mike thought as he wrapped up his bed roll.

The two boarded the stage a couple of hours later. Mike couldn’t see out the windows as he was too short but Sheriff Mort described the trees and the animals he saw on the way. Before long, Mike was lulled to sleep by the swaying of the coach and he snuggled next to the sheriff’s comforting shoulder.

 

“We’re here, Mike,” Mort gently woke him. Mike looked around in amazement. He was back at the ranch and Jess had just opened the stage door.

 

“Welcome home, Mike! We missed you!” his warm, gravelly voice spoke volumes to Mike and he was in Jess’ embrace in seconds. “I’m sorry for everything, “ he sobbed as he clasped his arms around Jess’ neck.

 

“Hey, everything will be all right now. “ Jess whispered in his ear.

 

“Hey, can I get a hug too?”

 

“Slim!” Mike was easily transferred from one man to the other as Mort watched with fond amusement. ‘Those two really do love that boy,’ he thought to himself. He put Mike’s bed roll and little suitcase down on the porch and prepared to enter the coach for the trip home.

 

“You want to stay for coffee!” Jess asked.

 

“Seems like this is a family reunion, boys and Slim’s got his hands full right now.”

 

“Well, that may be true Mort, but I bet there’s a humdinger of a story that needs to be told and we want to know all about it and the role our son had in it.”

 

Mike straightened in Slim’s arms. “You mean you’re not sending me to that orphanage? “

 

“Never were, Mike. “ Jess spoke as Slim transferred Mike once again to Jess.  “We were upset but we reckoned that we cared about you and we wanted to make this a home for you. In fact, we spoke to our lawyer while you were gone and all we have to do is wait for the judge to approve us.“

 

“We’ll be a family?“

 

Both men nodded and the smiles that were etched on their faces soon was copied by the youngest member of the family. “Sheriff Mort,” Mike turned towards the sheriff, “can you stop looking for my kin? I have a home and fathers forever right here.”

 

“See, I told ya,” Jess grinned at Slim as the two men looked down at their boy. “This is the best job!”

 

***The End***