The Call of Vigilante Justice – Extended Epilogue

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Page moved closer to her mother, sitting next to her on the couch and putting one arm around her. The two women were folding laundry, packing their things for the move they were making.

Page and Stewart’s wedding had gone off without a hitch. Marvin and Abigail kept their promise by making the reception as fun for them as they had made Marvin and Abigail’s.

The couples were sad to be splitting up, in a way, but Page and Stewart were only moving to Brodie, so it wouldn’t be too far away. As it happened, that was where Owen had ended up moving to, as well.

Five years had passed since the back-to-back weddings had occurred.

An infection had taken hold of Henry six months earlier, and he’d succumbed to the effects three months after being stricken.

Mary was having a hard time dealing with the loss of her husband. Caroline, at thirteen, was a bright and beautiful young woman, strong and willing to do whatever it took to make her mother happy. She was willing, she said, to move to Brodie. She felt her chances of finding love there might be better, anyway. That statement had brought laughter from the family, despite the time of mourning. Caroline felt like her father would have thought it was funny, too.

“Everything is going to be okay, Ma,” she said quietly, looking at her mother’s sorrowful profile. Mary glanced at Page, nodding ever-so-slightly.

“I know, my dear,” she replied. “I don’t like that I’m a burden to you.”

“Ma!” Page said, reproachfully. “I don’t want to hear you talk like that! You’re never a burden to me. I love you and Stewart loves you. We want to keep you safe and happy. Getting away from the house will be the best thing for you, I’m sure of it. Nina will take good care of it. She’s going to need it if she plans to live on her own till she finds a husband.”

Mary pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I know.” She reached forward and grabbed a shirt from the top of the pile in front of her. Page could tell by the way she folded it that she wasn’t thinking about the actions of her hands. She’d folded laundry so often in her life, she could probably do it in her sleep.

“I’m not much worried about the house,” she said, reaching forward for something else to fold. Page did the same, listening to her mother without interrupting. “I know Nina will do a good job. And I feel she will be safe here, too. Our neighbors all know she will be here by herself. They’ll make sure she’s safe.”

“And Marvin and Abigail will stop by to make sure she doesn’t need anything,” Page added.

“Yes, and we’ll be coming back often, won’t we?”

Page grinned, hearing the emotion behind her mother’s question. “Yes, we will. Of course.”

Mary nodded, falling silent. Page folded a towel and set it aside, standing up to move the full box to the side of the room and retrieve an empty one. She moved skillfully around the half-packed room, avoiding bumping her legs into anything that might bruise her. There was just one basket left of clothes that needed to be folded and put away. When she bent over to pick it up, she noticed a shirt on top and realized it was a basket of her father’s clothes.

Her mother had probably resisted doing Henry’s clothes, as their intention was to give them to the church to be distributed among the poor and the needy. This, the only basket left, was filled to the brim with clothes that belonged to her beloved father.

Page resisted the tears that clogged her throat, thinking about the last five years of Henry’s life that had been so fruitful and happy. He hadn’t been able to find any work, but he did enjoy a lot of time with his wife and daughters. And his favorite young man, his “son,” Stewart. He’d been delighted when Page had told them they were going to be married.

She was glad that she had so many of his smiles to remember. When she pictured him, instead of the gloomy, rapidly aging man he’d been right after the accident, he’d become a vibrant soul again, making his families laugh, calling out to his “ladies” with a vibrant sweep of his arms when he wanted them all to come and hug him at the same time…

Page missed him. He had been such a strong presence in her life.

Stewart was extremely sympathetic, bending over backwards to make sure Page’s mother and sisters were looked after. He didn’t have to do much for Nina, who had grown into a smart, capable young woman who had decided to work in the bank, much to everyone’s surprise. She just laughed it off, saying she was too young to remember anything that might put her off working at the bank and she happened to like her boss, Mr. George Armstrong, who was a fair and zealous employer.

Page brought the basket over to the couch and sat down, placing it on the opposite side of herself so that it wasn’t near her mother. She figured once she started to take things out and fold them, Mary would notice, anyway.

But it had to be done, and the empty box was perfect for the items that would be given to the church.

She began to fold them, trying to keep them away from her mother’s vision. If Mary didn’t look over and study what Page was doing, she might not notice they were Henry’s clothes.

After she’d folded four shirts, her mother suddenly grabbed her arm and stopped her from folding a fifth.

“Not this one,” Mary said, her voice soft. She took the shirt from Page’s hands and held it in front of her, gazing at it. “Not this one.” She pressed the fabric against her chest and lowered her head, closing her eyes.

Quietly, Page continued folding the laundry.

Stewart raised his eyes out over the land, pulling his hat down to shade them better.

“Looks like you did pretty good for yourself after the bank corrected all those errors,” he said, giving Shamus a look of pride. “Why are you thinkin’ of sellin’?”

Shamus shrugged his large shoulders. “Got some relatives in Wisconsin. Thinkin’ about headin’ out that way to work with them on some property.”

Marvin gripped the saddle horn, raising his eyebrows. “Wisconsin. That ain’t nearby. And the weather ain’t as nice, either.”

Shamus laughed. “Yeah, I hear it might not suit a man like me, but I reckon we’ll have to see. What about you? Lots of people still leavin’ Branch Hill. You goin’?”

Marvin shook his head, casting his eyes out over the land. “Nah, I’m stayin’ right here. This is where Abby and me want to be. We want to raise little Isabel right there on our ranch.”

“I’m sure you’ll have more babies to add to that mix in time,” Shamus remarked.

“Yep, if Abby has it her way, we will. But I reckon that’s up to God, ain’t it?”

“Sure is.”

“There’s enough people coming to Branch Hill to make up the difference,” Stewart said, feeling the need to defend his decision to leave Branch Hill for Brodie.

Shamus glanced over at him. “Yeah, that’s true, too. Don’t mean to make you regret your decision, Stew. I’m all for you leavin’ if you feel like you need to. And it does sound like you got a great opportunity out there. It’s not that far. But you know we’ll all be missin’ ya when you go. As a last hurrah, I’m gonna throw you a goin’ away party. You don’t mind, do ya?”

Stewart smiled at his big Irish friend. “I don’t mind that at all, Shamus. But you don’t have to. Really.”

Shamus shook his head. “Nah, you can’t talk me out of it. I’m glad to do something for my good friend.”

“We should go back to the house and talk numbers, Shamus. When you plannin’ to leave?”

Shamus shrugged. “I’m not sure. Guess it depends on how these negotiations go. With you buyin’ my cattle and the bank buyin’ me out from under my mortgage, I reckon I can go whenever I want. And I ain’t leavin’ until I throw a party for my friends. So, it’s up to you.”

“How long do you want to keep taking care of them?”

Stewart turned his mind away from the business negotiations between his friends. He moved his horse in the direction of the corral, looking over the fence at the cows as they wandered around or stood in one place, swatting their behinds with their tails to keep the flies away.

He and Page were excited to start a life in Brodie, but only because they had secured a house on land that was out away from the action. They would be able to grow a nice garden and have some farm animals, the land even came with a chicken coop already set up and ready for the birds.

Page was so excited about it, which added to Stewart’s happiness. There was nothing he wanted more than to have his wife by his side, planting seeds in the ground, gathering eggs from the coop, feeding the animals. He was taking Page’s ornery goats with him, though he had initially protested. Page just laughed at him. He reminded her of the bruise she’d sustained on her leg because of those goats. But it had only made her laugh more.

Stewart loved the way things never tended to get to Page. She always tried to look on the bright side of life. He was an advocate of finding the silver lining. No matter how tragic the event, there always seemed to be a blessing hidden in there somewhere.

He glanced over his shoulder when he saw his friends leaving the area. He didn’t call after them, they were obviously involved in a deep discussion. He turned his horse and rode after them, not much concerned about catching up.

Stewart ran his eyes over the big Irishman, who frequently turned his head to give Marvin a nod or to say something. He had been so sure the man was responsible for stealing Marvin’s cattle. He had learned his lesson back then and always made sure he had the facts before he made a decision. Some things were okay to decide with emotion. Others required facts and facts alone.

Shamus was his friend now, had been ever since the showdown at the Bolton ranch. He’d even apologized for making Stewart think he would steal the cattle. He’d been so ashamed of his own situation, he’d said, it had made him lash out at everyone around him.

He was too mature for that now, Shamus stated, and had proved himself a worthy and valuable friend in the years that followed.

He rode up behind them just in time to hear Marvin say, “You sure you want to do that? What’s in it for you?”

The questions were strange, and Stewart listened to Shamus’ reply with great curiosity. “I really do. I’ve had a good run, but I’m gettin’ older and it’s time for me to step down and let someone else have the reins.”

“But to close your ranch completely.” Marvin shook his head. “I can’t imagine doing that.”

“Well, I know you’re gonna have a position open soon for a foreman. You considering anyone right now?”

Stewart moved his eyes between the two men, amused when they both turned to look at him. He raised his eyebrows. “Why are you looking at me? I’m not the one making the decisions.”

Marvin turned his gaze back to Shamus. “You lookin’ to take over the position?”

Shamus grinned. “If you’ll have me.”

Marvin looked thoughtful and then smiled. “I reckon we can work something out, Shamus. I’ll be glad to have you on board.”

The saloon was packed full. Page hadn’t seen it this busy for some time. She was standing near the front doors, getting some fresh air and enjoying the light breeze that came through every now and then.

Stewart was heading toward her with a drink in both hands. He swerved to the side to avoid a dancing couple as they moved around him and did a little spin to avoid a man calling out to a friend. Page had the sneaking suspicion he was making the dance moves on purpose to impress her.

She took the glass he handed to her with a big grin. “You were very smooth coming across the lobby to bring me this, Stew,” she said. “I am so impressed.”

Stewart’s responding grin sent a tingle of affection through Page’s body.

“Why, thank you, ma’am,” he said, bowing from the waist and going down so far, she could have bopped him on the back of the head.

She resisted the urge and turned her eyes away until he was standing up straight again.

Page moved to stand closer to him and was satisfied when he put his arm around her shoulders.

Lee lifted a big mug in the air and clanked a spoon against it loudly, getting everyone’s attention.

“Howdy, howdy, hello, let’s all be quiet for a minute,” he said over the murmurings of the crowd in the saloon. “I want to bring Shamus up here to say a few words, since this was his idea,” Lee continued. “But first, I’ve got a few things to say myself about that couple right over there. This is your night, Page, Stew. We’re all here to celebrate your friendship. Don’t be embarrassed, don’t be embarrassed.”

A light chuckle lifted from the crowd as many of them turned to look at Page and Stewart. Page knew her cheeks were burning hot, and Stewart had the most sheepish look on his face. It made her love him even more.

“We all care about you two,” Lee continued. He looked at Page, drawing her attention with the affectionate look he was giving her. “Page, I’ll never forget how awkward you were those first few nights you worked here. You were dropping trays and glasses left and right.”

“It wasn’t that often,” Page protested, drawing laughter from their guests.

Lee laughed with them. “No, probably not, I’m just teasing you. But you worked so well for me. You were such a good employee. I’m as sad that you’re leaving Branch Hill as I was when you decided to leave my employment. I love you, little lady. I hope Stew knows what I mean by that.”

More laughter from the crowd as Stewart chuckled and nodded. “Of course, I do,” he said.

“And you, Stew, well, you’re a gentleman and one of the bravest fellas I know. I’m glad to have been your friend, and Page has done herself well finding a man like you to marry.”

Stewart lifted his glass in the air in a salute. “Where were you at my wedding? I could have used a speech like that there.”

“Hello, mister,” Owen called out from a few feet away. “Something wrong with my speech?”

The crowd laughed as Stewart and Owen began to banter back and forth. Page watched her husband and his best friend, her smile feeling permanent on her face.

It was a sad occasion that they were moving away from Branch Hill. Both had professed to love the little town so much. But when the land opportunity had come to Stewart, he’d felt like he couldn’t pass it up. Although Page was afraid to leave the only home she’d ever known, she was also excited and happy about the fact that the house was big enough to accommodate bringing along her mother and sister, Caroline.

“Why don’t you let us express our gratitude for you and all the support you’ve given us over the past five years?” Stewart called out, raising his glass and swinging it through the air to salute all the friends that had gathered around them. Page couldn’t possibly have felt more pride in her husband. “We want to thank you all. You’ve been supportive and kind. You’ve helped us whenever we needed it and I hope we’ve done the same for all of you.” He grinned wide. “Or most of you. Some of you I don’t think I’ve come in contact with often.”

A titter of laughter rose up in the group. Page looked around, noticing Marvin and Abigail near the bar, their arms around each other and delighted smiles on their faces.

“My wife and I will miss every single one of you, even if we haven’t been in contact much. You are all our family. This has been our home all our lives. I think… I really think this could be the start of something brand new and exciting for me and Page. I’m also thinking it might be nice for our children, to live in a big house with lots of animals and a garden and places to play.”

Page felt a nervous excitement slide through her, making her stomach turn just slightly. She felt a tingle run over her body when Stewart turned his grin to her.

“And Page and I have a plan for that to happen. In about… what did you say, Page? Seven months?”

A brief silence fell over the room before it erupted with cheers and applause.

Stewart lifted his glass and raised his voice over all the cheering. “Yes! We’re going to have a baby! We’re going to be a family!”

His excitement and the reception of her friends brought tears to Page’s eyes. But even through those tears, she looked across the room to Abigail, who was letting her tears flow freely, blowing kisses through the air to her best friend.

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OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!

Grab my new series, "Legends of the Lawless Frontier", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!

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