We were all up early the next morning. Daniel and Angel were really happy with how last night had gone. And both were a little sore. Go figure.
They both thanked us, again. Then we divided up the things to do for breakfast. Then there was a knock at the door. Angel heard it and told me.
But I heard it to and was already moving to the door. I opened it to see Bob, Charlie, and a lady I took to be Angel’s mother. To be honest I was surprised.
“Well I wasn’t expecting you all til this afternoon,” I told them. As I waved them in.
“From George,” Bob said holding up bubble gum cigars. Enough for all of us.
“Hey Dante!” I called and he came right in. “Well tell us?”
“A boy mom told us,”Charlie said with a big smile. “Eight pounds eleven ounces. This morning at 6:08.”
“And now this lovely lady is Donna Montoya,” Bob told us making the introduction. “Not Donya* Montoya.” (Not actually spelled with a y in Spanish.)
“We are pleased to meet you,” I said holding out my hand.
“A pleasure ma’am,” Dante said as he shook her hand.
"Thank you. Now did my Angel behave himself yesterday?” she asked watching her son’s reaction.
“Mom!”
“Yes he did,” Dante told her getting a smile from Angel. “For the most part.” He added as he started to smile.
“Hey!” Angel and Daniel chorused. Getting a laugh from Bob, Charlie, and Donna. Okay me too.
“Well how about some breakfast?” I asked. “We are just cooking it.”
“Please!” Charlie said getting some laughs from Daniel and Angel.
“Really!” Bob said acting hurt. Or I think he was acting.
“Dad microwave stuff isn’t cooking,” Charlie told his father.
“Amen,” Daniel said as he high fives his brother.
“Remember who gives you your allowance?” Bob asked them.
“Mom!” they said together. Drawing some laughs from the rest of us.
“I can’t win,” Bob said throwing up his hands.
“It doesn’t look like it,” Donna agreed with him.
“Angel are you going to finish setting the table?” Donna asked her son. Seeing the plates in his hands.
“Yes ma’am,” he replied going back to work.
“Coffee?” I asked her and Bob.
They both said they would as they sat down. Angel came in with three more plates and sets of silverware.
“Food’s ready!” Jimmy called out. I had the boys go ahead and sit down.
“Back in a minute,” I said as we went into the kitchen.
We all carried in something. Scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, biscuits and gravy. It smelled great. I went back for some jams and ketchup.
“Now dad this is breakfast,” Daniel told his dad getting a few snickers.
“Funny,” Bob replied. “But you guys are right. I can not cook.”
The boys were stunned at their father’s confession. And so was I to be honest. And I smiled.
“Well it’s about time,” I said drawing some laughs. Even from Bob.
“Well Mrs. Montoya what brings you out here so early?” Dante asked changing the subject.
“Well I brought Angel’s saddle,” Donna told us. Angel froze for a moment. “I figured Angel would like it today.”
“And call me Donna please.”
“My saddle?” he asked taken by surprise.
“Yes mejio,” she told him with a smile. “I’ve had it in storage. I didn’t want you to fixate on it till we could get you riding again.”
Angel jumped up and ran around the table. Where he hugged his mother and cried. Then after kissing her he went back to Daniel’s side.
“I have my saddle!” Angel crowed to Daniel. Then he kissed Daniel with reckless abandon.
“Angel,” Donna said trying to calm her son down. Angel turned to his mother. Chin up.
“Momma I love him,” Angel told his mother rather defiantly. She smiled at him.
“And I love Angel,” Daniel told her. Then he returned Angel's kiss.
Donna got up and came around the table to Daniel and Angel. She kissed each on the cheek.
“As long as you are happy my Angel,” she told them. “And you too Daniel.”
“Now Marshal Hickok I would like to thank you and Dante for what you have done,” She said as she sat back down.
“You can call me Billy,” I told her. “He was a pleasure to have.”
“They most certainly were,” Dante told her. “So I guess you ride as well?”
“Well that’s another reason I wanted to come out early,” Donna said looking at me. “I was hoping to ask something of you Marshal...Billy.”
“Go ahead,” I told her. “And anything you need to ask me you can always ask Dante.”
“I was wondering if we could keep our saddles out here?” she asked.
“And maybe some horses later on?”
Again Angel was taken aback. He looked from his mother to Dante and me. All I did was smile at Dante. And Dante smiled back. Angel ran over and hugged me then Dante. Then he went and hugged his mother. Tears of joy running down his face.
“Now Angel, you know buying a horse is expensive,” Donna told her son.
“Hey! What about the Mustang adoption coming up?” Daniel asked. Getting a hug of his own.
“Yeah!” Charlie said looking at his dad. “Maybe Daniel and I could get our own?”
“If that’s okay with you Billy?” Daniel asked me.
“Well what do you think my love?” I asked Dante.
“I think that would be wonderful,” he said causing Bob to freeze.
He looked from Dante and me to his sons.
“Well I think there is one…” I started.
“Thursday!” Daniel said showing their plan all along. Bob tried to say something but couldn’t.
“Well Bob what do you think?” I asked him.
“If you and Dante are okay with it?” Bob asked. “I think Jean may want one as well.”
“Wait. Wednesday is our last day this year,” Charlie told us.
“Oh!” was all Bob could say. Then Bob and Donna put their heads together. Then they turned to face the boys. Who were waiting anxiously.
“Well Billy I have one more question if I could?” Donna asked. "Could my daughter and I keep a horse here?”
I squeezed Dante’s hand under the table.
“We,” Dante said kissing me on the cheek. “Would love for you too.”
“Jimmy, Andrew?” I asked them.
“Well we’ll wait,” Andrew said kissing Jimmy.
“We’ve talked about it,” Jimmy said. “We’re going to wait til Andrew buys a ranch.”
“Dante,” I told him. “It looks like Thursday is going to be busy.”
“And next Tuesday we start summer semester,” Jimmy added.
“Momma, I have a question,” Angel said.
“And that is my rude son?” she asked.
“Where is Antonia?" he asked as we loaded the dishwasher.
“She’s with your Aunt Juanita,” she told him. “At your cousin Sarah’s birthday party?”
“I forgot her present…”
“It’s with your sister,” Donna told her son as we went outside.
She opened her Van’s hatch. Three saddles sat in the back. Along with the rest of the tack. Bridles and saddle blankets.
“Besides she likes Sarah’s friend’s brother,” Donna told her son. “What’s his name? Davey.”
“Wait a minute,” he said as he picked up his saddle. “You mean Davey Martin.”
“He’s in our class isn’t he?” Charlie asked. Daniel saw that Angel was getting mad.
“I’ll kill him!” Angel blurted out. “He’s to old for her.”
“He’s thirteen,” Donna said calmly. “And your sister is twelve.”
“Well Donna,” I said ending Angels argument. “Would you like to join us on our ride today? Since you have your saddle.”
“I would love to,” Donna answered with a smile. “Do you have enough horses?” As we came around the stable she saw them.
“That’s one of the things that drew me to Antonio,” she told us. “I had never ridden before. But Tonio taught me how to ride.”
Donna and Angel told us some about Antonio Montoya. He had been a rancher. One of the Spanish riders for the State Fair. And Angel was supposed to ride the year his father passed.
He died from cancer. And the family had to sell the ranch to pay off his bills.
Dante, Bob, and I brought horses out for the boys and Donna. Then horses for Jimmy, and Andrew. As well as ourselves.
“Hey Billy I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Bob said. “How did you win over the Stallion?”
“He’s taken with Dante’s Pinto,” I told him. “With luck we may have a foal next year.”
Dante stopped and looked at me rather sternly. But all I could do was smile back.
“You don’t really believe that do you?” Dante asked me seriously.
“We won’t know for a few more months,” I told him with an annoying smile.
“Your horse isn’t gelded?” Angel asked in total amazement.
“Nope,” I told him as I threw my saddle over his back. “He’s the herd stallion.”
“Oh! We’re having a talk later youngman,” Dante said very seriously.
“Yes sir,” I replied trying to look serious myself. And getting some laughs for my trouble. Finally Dante smile.
We had enough saddles for everyone. Andrew helped Jimmy saddle one of my mares. Bob and Charlie saddled his two work horses. We grabbed two of George’s for Donna and Daniel. But one of my hard case mares took a liking to Angel. But she walked up to him on her own.
As we were about to mount up. There was the crunch of gravel. Two sheriffs vehicles followed by a sedan I recognized. Ethan?
The Sgt.’s name was Barry Moore. The other deputy I didn’t know. Then Sharon McCall stepped out of the sedan. And the hair stood up on the back of my neck.
“Dante, call your dad,” I told him. While I motioned to Bob to make a phone call. He nodded.
“Trouble?” Dante asked as he pulled out his phone.
“Big trouble,” I told him stepping up to Barry. We shook hands. “Sgt. Moore.”
I could tell Barry and the other deputy were uncomfortable. Bob had gotten Ethan on the phone. And Dante had Sam on his.
“That’s him and the boy he seduced,” Sharon accused. ”And look. There are three more to be seduced.”
“Angel and I are boyfriends you witch,” Daniel roared. Angel grabbed him. So Daniel kissed Angel on the lips in front of everyone. To the hoots and fist pumps of his brother.
“Charles, Daniel,” Bob said to calm them down. “Mrs. McCall, you need to watch what you say where my sons are concerned.”
“Now would you like to talk to your husband?” Bob asked offering her the phone. But she waved him off.
Dante and I bit our tongues. Which wasn’t easy to do. But Sharon McCall wasn’t to be put off.
“Why would I want to talk to him. Again?” Sharon practically yelled at us.
“Ma’am you will let us look into this,” Barry told her rather firmly.
“Please,” she said rather sarcastically. “Do your job.”
“Marshal Hickok we have to ask you both some questions,” Barry said. “And anyone else who knows anything.”
“Ask away,” I told him. Because I wasn’t worried.
“Youngman I need to see some identification please,” Barry asked Dante.
“My pleasure Sgt.,” Dante said as he handed over his driver’s license. “As you can see that I am seventeen. And this is a copy of a document that affirms I am an emancipated youth.”
“Here’s my college I.D. showing you I have finished two years. And I will register to start the summer semester for the start of my third year. Which is Tuesday.”
“I understand that you and Marshal Hickok are engaged to be married?” Barry asked as he looked at Dante’s documents.
“I asked Billy, I mean Marshal Hickok to marry me yesterday,” Dante told him. “I was lucky enough to get a yes for my trouble.”
“Thank you. But I still need to talk to other witnesses,” Barry told us. Then handed Dante his paperwork back.
Then he talked to Andrew and Jimmy. The other deputy was talking to Bob, his sons and Angel. Then they compared their information.
“Ma’am it appears there is no breach of the law,” Barry told Sharon McCall. And she wasn’t happy about it. “Mr. Green is seventeen, which is the age of consent. And Dante Green can do as he pleases. But we will pass it on to the County Prosecutor for their review.”
“And what about these little perverts?” a livid Sharon demanded as they turned to walk away.
“Mrs. McCall I warned you…” Bob started. But before Bob could finish. Donna Montoya stepped up slapped Sharon McCall so hard she fell.
“You do not talk about my son that way!” Donna roared. The deputies turned to look.
“I want her arrested!” Sharon yelled from the ground.
“For what?” Bob demanded. “You stumbled and fell.”
“Yeah lady!” said all the boys. Even Andrew and Jimmy nodded their assent.
Dante was telling his dad what was going on. Trying very hard not to laugh.
“Ma’am they’re all saying you fell,” Barry told here. “So since we didn’t see what happened. There’s nothing we can do.”
“Marshal Hickok, sorry to have to bothered you,” Barry said showing his irritation. And he shook my hand. To Sharon McCall’s ire.
“This is not the end of this!” she roared. “Hickok! I’ll see you and these cretins fired.”
“You mark my words!” she roared.
“Ma’am you’re under arrest,” said the younger deputy. As he turned and pulled his handcuffs. “You have made threats.”
“Just a minute deputy,” I said. “I’ll ask you not to arrest her at this time. But put this in your report.”
“If she makes more threats…”
“RAAAH!” Sharon McCall roared again. She got up and went to her car.
She started her car. Threw it in gear. Spinning her tires and threw gravel all over.
Again the deputies said their goodbyes. They got into their vehicles and left. Bob walked over and offered me his phone.
“Ethan would like to talk to you,” Bob told me as I took the phone.
“I’m sorry,” Ethan said to me. “She was gone when I woke up.”
“That’s why I had Bob call you,” I told him. “Ethan you need to talk to her about this.”
“I will talk to you more sometime tomorrow.” We talked for a few more minutes. That he felt bad was apparent. But I had plans and I wasn’t going to let her ruin them. I told him that I didn’t hold this against him.
“Let’s go for that ride guys,” I said as I handed Bob his phone back.
Zeb had held his place while it all went on.
We rode out across the ranch. And we took a deer trail into the National Forest. Which my ranch backed up to.
Up one of the canyons on my ranch. I showed them an ancient granary and some petroglyphs. We found some of my cattle with a few more spring calves.
Riding back some of the other horses fell in with us again. I saw two foals and one mare was still pregnant. Had anyone seen us. It looked like the riderless horses were herding us.
As the house came into view. Charlie, Daniel, and Angel made a race of it back to the corral. We all had a good chuckle at how they had forgotten Sharon McCall.
“We need to do this more often,“ Bob said as we rode up.
“I would like to join in,” Donna Montoya said. “So would Antonia.”
But Dante and I were watching the Green’s car pull up. Diane got out first. Followed by Jean and Sam. That Jean and Diane were fired up was obvious by the look on their faces.
“Dante are you okay?” Diane asked running over to him. She grabbed and hugged him though before he could answer.
“Mom I’m fine,” Dante said looking at her seriously. “We’re all fine.”
“Charlie, Daniel?” Jean asked her sons. Who rolled their eyes.
“We’re fine,” they said in concert.
“And thank you for asking about Angel,” Daniel said in a huff.
“Daniel!” Bob barked at his youngest. But you could see Jean grab his arm.
“Angel I am sorry,” Jean said. “I should have asked how you were.”
“But I assume that this is your mother?”
“I’m fine Mrs. Driscoll,” Angel said grabbing Daniel’s arm. Then he whispered in Daniel’s ear.
“I’m sorry mom,” Daniel said.
“No Daniel,”Jean told her son. “You had every right to get upset.”
“Angel is important to you,” she said as she hugged her youngest.
Sam had edged over to Dante and me.
“Sorry,” he said. “It was either bring them or watch them drive off by themselves.”
“And I wanted to check on Dante too,” he added.
“Well you all missed the good part,” Bob told them. “Which didn’t happen.
“Donna put Sharon McCall on her ass.”
“Bob watch your language,” Jean said to him.
“Well Jean that’s what she did,” I told her. “And if it wouldn’t get her in trouble. I would love to have it on video.”
Jean and Diane turned to look at Donna. They both shook her hand in thanking her.
“Angel would you look after my horse please?” Donna asked her son.
“Si momma,” he said taking her horse’s reins.
“We’re gonna get some lunch ready for everyone,” Jean told us. “While we talk.”
“Sounds good to me,” I said pulling the saddle off of Zeb.
“There’s some fresh lunch meat in the pantry refrigerator,” Dante told them.
The ladies walked on up to the house. Sam and Bob shook their heads.
“Sharon McCall does not know the can of worms she’s opened,” Bob said as he carried his saddle into the tack room.
We took care of the horses in short order. Sam pitched in to help Angel with his mother’s horse. He noticed that Jimmy’s horse was favoring a fore leg. And sure enough he saved her from a nasty stone bruise.
Then we made our way up to the house. Food was laid out in the kitchen for sandwiches. But as I turned to ask Dante a question. They were all there.
“Ladies.”
“Billy we would like to talk to you,” Jean told me with a serious look on her face.
“Okay,” I said as Dante stepped up next to me.
“Dante this doesn’t concern you,” Diane told her son.
“Yes it does,” Dante told her defiantly. “If it concerns Billy. It concerns me.”
He stood his ground as he stared at his mother. Then she finally relented.
“Billy can you set up a meeting for us?” Jean asked me. “We want to meet with Ethan McCall.”
“Well you will have to excuse me,” I told them. “But I want first crack at this problem.”
“Especially since Dante and I were the target of this attack.”
They looked at each other. Without a word they came to an agreement.
“As long as you promise to turn it over to us if you can not get it done,” Jean told me. “You have to promise us that.”
“If I can’t get it done,” I said. “It can’t be done. But Ethan is a good man and he’s on our side. Remember that”
“Now ladies let’s eat,” Dante said.
They didn’t like it. You could tell. But they accepted it.
Dante and I sat down with Sam, Bob, Andrew and Jimmy. The boys had to sit down with their mothers. Not that they wanted to.
“Well that was better than this morning,” Dante said as we ate. “Well sort of.”
“Not by much,” I agreed with him.
“Well we’ll have your back tomorrow when you talk to Ethan,” Bob told me.
“Yeah,” Sam said. “Diane is as pissed as I’ve ever seen her.”
“She won’t be fit to live with till this is settled.
“Do you want me there?” Dante asked me. I kissed him.
“Isn’t registration tomorrow,” I asked him.
“Yes! But …”
“You and Jimmy worry about that,” I told him. Then I pulled out a debit card. “This is a prepaid debit card with enough for your classes and books.”
“Okay?” I asked him.
“Okay,” Dante said. “But can I come to the office after registration?”
“Okay?” he asked making me smile.
“Okay,” I told him with a kiss.
Then Andrew followed suit. Jimmy had similar reaction to that of Dante’s.
When asked when I would be there. I explained what Andrew was planning. And I decided to get Dante and I set up with powers of attorney.
“What do you and Dante need them for?” Sam asked as the ladies walked over.
“What’s this about power of attorneys for you guys?” Diane asked.
“I’m getting us full powers of attorney so Dante and I can take care of each other,” I explained to them.
“Well that makes sense,” Sam said looking at Diane. Diane kissed his cheek.
“Well I think that’s enough for today,” Bob said. “You boys still have three school days left.”
“Angel. Don’t you and Daniel have something to say to Billy and Dante,” Donna said.
They gave her a blank stare for a moment. Then they remembered.
“Billy, Dante. We want to thank you both for letting us stay last night,” Angel started.
“And I would like to thank you for helping me come out to my parents,” Daniel said hugging his dad.
Then they kissed each other on the cheek. And I kissed Dante.
“You are both welcome,” Dante told them. “And Charlie we’ll figure out how to get Alice and you out here to spend the night. But either her mother or your mother will have to spend the night.”
“Boys it was our pleasure,” I told them. “And you are welcome back anytime.” They were elated to hear that last, til.
“Especially to work your mustangs,” I told them. “You have to work them yourselves.”
“He’s right,” Angel told them. “We need to do it.”
“How long does it take to break a horse?” Charlie asked.
“A week to a month,” Angel told him. “That’s how long it takes to gentle a wild horse.”
“I have a friend who gentles horses up on the Navajo Reservation,” I told them. “I’ll see if she can come down and give us a hand.”
They all looked at me. And I smiled at the reaction.
“Yes I said she. She’s the best horse breaker on the Navajo reservation.”
“And a great friend,” I told them. “I will call her tonight.”
Editor note
It seems like trouble is coming for our little group and what evil plans does the witch have for our group. Only time will tell