Boundless Hearts The Saga Continues

Chapter 3

Kitty is standing behind the man and sees how he looks at Audrey. “Young man, I don’t know you, but that young lady isn’t for you. She’s engaged to be married in a couple of months. Her beau wouldn’t be happy with how you look at her and what I just heard you say.” She walks beside him and looks at Audrey and Little Horn talking to Isabell and Tatanka.

He cut his eyes at Kitty. “A person can’t be killed for looking. Anyway, who are those fancy Indians? Why are they here? Shouldn’t they be on a reservation or somewhere in the wilderness?” He’s looking at Little Horn and Tatanka and Qaletaqa.

“You paid for one night. Just how long are you planning on staying in my house?” Kitty looks at him,“what does HTJ stand for since that is the way you signed in?”

The young man is looking at Sheriff Lyman walking toward the stagecoach. “Howard Thomas Jr. I was named after my father.” He looks at Audrey once more before walking into the boarding house.

She stares at him, thinking, “another Howard is about to die.”

The Sheriff tells Richard, Qaletaqa, and Treasure about Howard's son just arriving in town. They're looking over at Kitty’s house while listening to him. They see her standing next to a stranger.

“If he takes it upon himself to stay until sunset. Then my son and I will be paying his ass a visit.” Richard is still looking at her and the man.

Treasure shook her head and looked at her daughters. “Let’s hope he isn’t like his father. I can’t deal with another pervert in this town." She looks at Kitty again, but the man walks into the house.

Qaletaqa wraps his arms around her and kisses the top of her head. “My wife, if he is like his father, I will kill him for you."

“Okay, my husband.” She lay her head against his chest.

Richard and Lyman laugh. They know that Qaletaqa will kill anyone that Treasure tells him to.

Treasure notices that Kitty is waving her over to the boarding house. She excuses herself and meets Kitty in front of her house but in the street. Kitty is telling her about her conversation with Howard’s son about Audrey.

“Oh really, he will never touch my daughter. He has lost his mind. He should climb back on the horse he rode his nasty tail on and be on his way.” Treasure points at the house and then in the direction out of town.

Richard pats Qaletaqa's shoulder. "Son, something Kitty said has gotten your wife on a rampage. You might need to go over there and calm her down.”

Qaletaqa nods his head, then at Tatanka and Little Horn. “Get the ladies in the buggy. It’s time to head home. Let me go see who I need to kill to make my wife happy.” He's walking over to Treasure and Kitty. "My wife, are you alright?"

“No, I’m not. That pervert's son wants our Audrey. He has another thing coming. I’ll kill his ass like I did his father.” She points at the house.

Qaletaqa looks at Kitty. “How long will he be here?”

Kitty takes a deep breath. “Well, he paid me for one night. But to be honest, I have a feeling that has changed. This young man is going to be trouble.”

“We will be here tomorrow. Right now, I'm taking my wife home to see our kids. I will deal with him tomorrow. If anything happens, let us know.” Qaletaqa takes Treasure's hand. “I promise you he will not touch our girl.”

Flossie is looking at the expression on Treasure's face and thinks. “This can’t be good. I guess today is the day for the bad news.”

Upstairs in the boarding house, Howard Jr is standing in the window looking at Little Horn, sitting beside Audrey with her arm around him. “I have never seen anything like this before.”

****

Christopher and Annette bought and remolded Betty's old house from Richard. Qaletaqa, Little Horn, Tatanka, and some more warriors helped Christopher remodel the house and add two more bedrooms and an indoor bath. Now they have a little over a hundred cows, which are still growing. Annette works at the diner three days a week. She and Christopher refuse to buy anything on credit. Besides working on their farm, Christopher works five days a week at the lumber yard.

He has been trying to get his mother, Lucy, to come there to stay. But they haven’t given up hope. that she'll change her mind. At first, Lucy was excited to come for a visit, that is until her son told her that his wife was a colored woman. Maryann was beside herself when she received a telegram from Lucy stating that was the reason for her not coming. At first, she thought about not telling him and Annette the reason. One day, the couple visited her and told her they were planning to visit Lucy. She told them because she didn’t want Annette to be mistreated. That would only cause Lucy problems with Treasure and her family. Maryann didn’t want that.

Annette just finished tucking their sons Eugene, Jonathan, and Robert into bed. She sits down to read a letter she has received from her mother. Christopher walks out of the kitchen with two cups of coffee. He had just finished washing the dishes. When he sits down, she tells him that her parents, sister, and brother are planning a visit and should arrive next week. He is delighted to see them. Her parents come once a year. Wells and Donovan always help him with the work on the farm. Annette's mother, Dilly, and Annie help Annette in the house. Christopher knows that will give Annette more time to rest and spend with their sons.

Christopher is planning to speak with Richard and Qaletaqa tomorrow about a letter he received from Cort, a friend from back home. He and Cort grew up together, and Cort has always been nothing but trouble. About a year before Christopher came to Willow Creek Falls. Cort left Central City to travel to Tombstone. The last time he heard from Cort. He had turned into a gambler. That is one of the things that he loves about Willow Creek Falls it is quiet and very family-oriented. He feels that he won’t be alone the day Cort arrives. He doesn't want any troubles to come to their good town.

*****

In Dodge City, four men sit around a table in the saloon. After Sheriff Milo released them from jail, he gave them twenty-four hours to leave town. They were found cheating in a poker game. The victims that they cheated wanted them to be hung. The Sheriff made the four men repay the money or be hung.

Bronco waves one of the saloon girls over to their table. He pulls her into his lap and tries to kiss her. She slaps his hand and tells him to stop.

“Leave her alone,” Calhoun poked Bronco's arm.

“Damn, I was only trying to have some fun” Bronco unhands the woman.

“We’re in enough trouble here already. We don’t have any money to get out of jail.” Calhoun is looking at the coins he has in his hand. “Sweetheart, bring us another bottle."

“Make it two bottles. “ Ralph slams some money on the table.

Calhoun has been watching Benji and wondering why he is so quiet. Every time he was about to ask him why. Bronco does something stupid and makes him forget about it.

Ralph has already noticed Benji's behavior, “hey lad, I know you’re not still thinking about that filly in Tombstone?”

Benji chuckles. “No. But that would be a good thought. Do you remember that low-life want to be a gambler? Damn, what was his name?” Benji hit the table. “Cort, yeah, Cort. He always spoke about a small town his friend had moved to. Willow Creek Falls. Has either of you ever heard of it? He said that it's small but has money there.” He looks around the table.

The other three men shook their heads. Then Bronco and Ralph look at Calhoun.

Calhoun is playing with his long salt-and-pepper beard. “Looks like we are going to Willow Creek Falls.”

****

Cort is being held by one man and punched in the stomach by another man. “You lying, cheating piece of shit. I’ll get my money back from you one way or another.” The man hitting Cort yells when he hears a clicking noise close to the back of his head.

“Let him go before I blow your head off,” a woman pushes his head with a gun.

The man who was holding Cort looked at the other man.

“You heard the lady.” He raises his hands. “Woman, you have no idea who you are messing with. Do you know what happens to people that interfere with my business?”

The woman is looking at Cort, getting up off the ground. “ No, and I don’t care. Let their horses go. Now empty your pockets.”

Both men look at her weirdly.

“Don’t make me ask you twice,” she put the gun on one of the men's noses.

Cort walks toward the woman with two horses. He takes the gun from her and helps her get on her horse. “Darling, it seems that we have worn out our welcome out in Tombstone. Thank you, kind bushwhackers, for your donation” He saddles his horse, and he and the woman ride off.

She looks over at him. “Where to?”

“I had planned on visiting a friend soon. I believe now is the right time. He said Willow Creek Falls is a nice town. Let's see how nice.” He kicks his horse.

*****

Qaletaqa is on the floor, rolling around with Tokalah and Tarantula. Treasure is holding Takoda and talking to Salome. Salome is telling her about the colt that her grandfather gave her because she was a good girl.

Treasure cuts her eyes at her father. Richard raises the newspaper to cover his face and pretends to be reading it.

Flossie laughs. “Yes, their grandfather has been spoiling all of them. He took the boys into town last week. Do you know he had the nerve to give each one a jar of hard candy? Takoda was sitting in the back of the wagon, holding a candy jar and eating it. I told him I would wake him up if they had belly aches. He said that’s why we have a doctor in the family.”

Qaletaqa laughs, thinking back about Treasure that day in the General Store when she was pregnant with the twins. He was carrying her to the wagon with a candy jar in her hands and was eating it."

“Father. What am I going to do with you?” Treasure shook her head and grinned " Speaking about my brother, I was surprised not to see him and Celina when we arrived."

Richard is pretending to be reading the paper.

“Celina is about to give birth soon. He’s only coming out to make emergency calls right now.” Flossie is looking at Elise walking into the room.

“Mother, you have perfect timing. Can you help Audrey put the kids to bed? There are a few important matters that I want to talk to my daughter and son about.” Richard folds the newspaper.

Qaletaqa and Treasure kiss their four kids goodnight, then give Richard their attention. He tells them about gamblers heading their way, and they must stop them from taking over the town.

"Jerks, all of them have the nerves if they think we would allow that. What is wrong with people? Have they lost their minds?' Treasure is looking at her father, waiting for an answer.

Richard stood up. "I will have to say yes. If they believe that this is the town for that crap.”

“We won’t let that happen.” Qaletaqa pats her hand, “ I do have a feeling there will be a lot of bloodshed.”

Treasure looks at her husband, "I don’t care how much blood is shed as long as those bastards don’t take over our town.”

Qaletaqa nods, "I will kill anyone that comes here looking for trouble.”

“So will I. Father, how did you come of the information?” Treasure looks at her father.

He takes a message out of his shirt pocket. “This came for you while you were gone. Adam said that it was important. So I read it.” Richard looks at Qaletaqa. “It’s from Lars.”

Treasure reads the message, “I had hoped he had settled down and living an honest life.” She hands it to her husband.

Qaletaqa looks at her. "If this Lars comes here and still wants you, I will kill him, then hang him up for the buzzards to eat his eyes out.”

“My husband, I don’t believe for one minute Lars still wants me” Treasure kisses his cheek. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Richard pats Qaletaqa's shoulder. “I agree with you, son. Now about Howard’s offspring. Why is he here? We need to find out.”

“We’re paying Junior a visit tomorrow. That bastard wants our daughter. I will shoot his manhood off if he comes near Audrey. Boom.” Treasure looks at her father and husband.

Qaletaqa kisses the top of her head. “Yes, my wife, you do that. It is good to know that I am not the only man whose manhood you will shoot.”

Richard chuckles. “Maybe the fool will come to his senses. You and my daughter will have to beat Little Horn to Junior if he comes after Audrey.”