Page 58 of An Unexpected Welcome

"I didn't plan anything, Jason did. Where is Jason?"

"He's in jail," Pedro said as he came in the house.

"Jail, what for?" Dan cried.

"Well hell, Dan, kidnapping is a crime." Cord laughed.

"Did you really kill Butch?" Dan asked, his face screwing up in misery. Cord didn't know if the blow on the head had him dizzy or if he was emotionally wrought about his brother.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so. He gave me no choice. Him and Jason started firing, I fired back." Cord explained. "Bullet were going everywhere. Hell, Dan, they were set to bushwhack me. What do you expect?"

Dan got quiet. "Butch could get pretty mean. He swore too much, drank too much, but…he was my brother." He looked down now, his face somber.

"Guess someone should get over there and bury him. We had to leave him, because of Charlie." Cord explained.

"I'll bury my brother…" Dan said, his glance sobering now. "That is unless you are taking me to jail too."

Cord stared at him a minute. "We'll go with you and then we'll go to town because you have to talk to the Sheriff and explain what happened."

"But what if he arrests me too?"

"He won't. Jason was behind it all. It's Jason we want behind bars, Dan. But let me tell you something right now, if you ever try to hurt anyone around here again, you'll go to jail. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir." Dan said, hanging his head.

"Brother or no brother."

When Dan got quiet Cord stared at him.

"I'm sorry about Butch, but when you have a showdown, someone is bound to get hurt. It's best you learn this now. All plans don't work the way they are supposed to."

Dan looked at him with regret, "Maybe so, I wish it had been Jason instead of Butch though."

"You don't get along with Jason?" Cord's head twisted in question.

Dan studied the question then eyed them all, "No one gets along with Jason. He spends most his time telling me and Butch how dumb we are. Butch didn't have much brains, but left up to him, he'd have had a showdown with you and left the kid out of it. I didn't want to get Charlie involved."

Cord nodded and told Lilly to stay there with Charlie and Maria. She agreed.

An hour later they were standing over Butch's grave. Dan had no words for his brother. Pedro made the sign of the cross and Cord nodded, "Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Amen."

As they rode to town, Dan glanced at Cord, "Thanks for saying them words over him. I didn't know any."

"Sure," Cord nodded.

Chapter Eighteen

Dan related the entire story to the Sheriff, and they all looked at Jason who was sitting on the bunk of the bed in the cell, staring at the floor. Jason cast Cord a smirk.

"You got anything to say about this Jason?" The Sheriff asked taking his hat off and running a hand through his brown hair.

"No, but Cord's bunch wasn't hurt. And Cord killed my brother, Butch. Ain't you gonna arrest him? Last I heard killing wasn't legal, Sheriff."

The Sheriff scratched his head. "I would, but your brother Dan here said you set Cord up to murder him. So I guess it is your own fault that Butch is dead, Jason. It was all your plan and it kind of went sour. Now didn't it?"

"My fault, now look here Sher

iff, I want him arrested for killing Butch." Jason protested.

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