Page 96 of An Unexpected Welcome

"I'm sorry Charlie, but you just weren't meant to be." Sam cried and aimed the gun at Charlie again.

Cord pulled his gun and jumped to the ground in front of

Charlie and pulled the trigger twice. Sam fell with a thud to the ground, dead.

Charlie ran to Cord, "You hurt Pa?"

Cord got up and shrugged, "It'll heal, you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, but we need to get you to the docs." Charlie told him.

"I remember Ma talking about Sam, but I don't remember him. Who was he, Pa?"

"A very mixed up and hurting man, Charlie. He just lost his wife and baby, and he sort of lost his mind…" Cord stared at Sam's open eyes and reached to close them.

The Sheriff came out and was about to arrest Cord when Charlie intervened. "That man was about to kill me. My Pa jumped in and saved me. That man drew his gun first, and shot at me twice. Pa saved me."

"This man's your Pa?" The Sheriff asked.

Charlie looked at him and smiled, "He sure is, and we got to get him to a doctor. He's hurt."

The Sheriff got a few witnesses to tell the same story then looked at Charlie. "The doc's office is around the corner from the jail. Take your Pa and get him looked at."

Charlie nodded.

Someone carted Sam off to the undertaker's.

Cord watched the whole thing, then he let Charlie lead him to the docs.

The doctor patched him up after taking the bullet out and wrapped his arm in a sling. "Don't be using that arm for a couple of weeks."

"No sir, I won't. Thanks." He paid the doctor and they left to walk over to the Sheriff's office. He walked in and looked at the little man behind the desk. "Just wanted to check with you before we left. You got any more questions about what happened?"

The Sheriff stood up. "No sir, I don't. There were enough witnesses to clear it up fast. But in his defense I'd like to say, he just went a little crazy after she died in childbirth."

Cord nodded slowly, "I can understand that. I got a wife I'm awfully fond of too. I'd probably do the same." He motioned to Charlie and they walked out.

"Let's go home, son." Cord looked at him.

Charlie smiled. "Sounds good to me."

Epilogue

"It's another girl," The doc came out of the bedroom and smiled at Cord. "That makes six girls, Cord. When you gonna give up and quit trying for another boy?"

Cord smiled with satisfaction, heading for the bedroom door now, "I like girls doc. I got the only boy I'll ever need."

Charlie was sitting at the table grinning.

"Can I go in?" He asked the doc.

"Give your Ma and Pa a few minutes, then you can. Where's the girls at?"

"Outside, Ginger and Maria are in the pen Pa built watching the others jump rope."

"Never seen anything like that before, corralling kids, but it works." The doc laughed. "You've taken this girl thing pretty well Charlie, how come?"

Charlie laughed. "'Cause I'm the boss, they mind me as good as Ma. And I like being the big brother. I just sort of dread when they grow up and start sparkin'. I might have some trouble with them then."

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