The Diary of Jerrod Bently - J.W. Osborn (mobi ebook reader TXT) 📗

“Say, sherrif?” the old man questioned “Did you and Mister Jake know that you got centipedes in the jail?”
“If that is all there is around this place, we are lucky, “ Doc replied with a grin. “But I think maybe a few bed bugs for our guest would be all right with me.”
“I can get rid of them bugs if you want me to,” Pede said. “Use coal oil and whiskey to do it.”
“I’ll talk to Jake,” Doc said as he sat down in his chair.
“I’m heading back over to the church,” Pede said “Gonna help Miss Victoria get ready for the party today. You coming’ Sherrif?”
“Don’t rightly know,” Doc said as he reached into the drawer for a new cigar. “Titus is still waiting on the judge and I guess I should be here to meet him. “
”Miss Victoria sure will be disappointed if you didn’t come,” Pede encouraged.
Doc pulled his hat down over his eyes and put his feet up on the desk in front of him “If Titus don’t have me taking that yahoo to prison, I’ll try to stop by the church.”
Why had he put Pede off? He was going to be at that social and he was planning to have Frances Bradford on his arm too. If Victoria was attending the social with Nate Travis, Doc was going to attend it with the Widow Bradford.
Victoria remembered she had left her shawl back at her cottage when she went to pick up the cake at the shop earlier that morning. There was a chill in the air after the rain so, mentioning where she was going to Fran, she left the church hall, leaving Fran and Nathan to spend a little time in private. Where was Doc? She was feeling a little disappointed that the social was ready start, people were arriving and he had not shown up. “May be I am being foolish,” she told herself as she unlocked her front door. That little voice inside her head kept saying “have faith.” She saw her shawl, draped across the back of her rocking chair and for a moment remembered a recent buggy ride with Doc Steven, when she had felt a chill and he and wrapped that very shawl around her shoulders and she knew from the look she saw in his eyes, that he was very serious about courting her. “Faith,” Victoria told herself as she threw the shawl over her shoulders and started back to the church.

“That was a mighty good dinner you fixed the other night, Miss Frances,” Nathan Travis complimented, “My Ma couldn’t cook a trout that well.”
Frances Bradford giggled as she arranged candles on the table “Yes, it was good,” she replied “But the best part of it was watching you catch it in the brook.”
“It was kind of you to dry my clothes out for me after the swim I took,”Nathan replied. Fran blushed a little and it made Nathan smile. She was such a pretty woman the thought to himself. “I was glad I didn’t give away all of my husbands clothes,” she commented. She looked to see Preacher Wilks walking toward them. “That was a wonderful sermon this morning,” Fran complimented as he approached, a large basket of rolls on his arm. “I always like the saying “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” the reverend replied. “Here is the bread Almeda promised .” Fran took the basket from him. “This is Nathan Travis,” she said as Nate politely turned from his work with a lantern. “He is from Texas.” The ranger offered the man his hand. “Pleased to meet you, Reverend,” he said.
The two men shook hands, “Like wise, Captain Travis,” Wilks said with a twinkle in his blue eyes“,I’ve heard about you being here on business with the Texas Rangers.”
“Will be taking a wanted man back to Texas.,” Nathan replied. Wilks noticed the disappointed expression that flashed across Frances Bradford’s face. “Don’t hurry to leave, sir,” Wilks said, “Today is Sunday and all that food on those tables looks mighty tempting. Let Mrs. Bradford show you around and introduce you to some of the good citizens of our fair town.”
“I will see that Captain Travis is well looked after,” Fran promised as Wilks walked away. People were arriving for the festivities, some had been there since the early church service, others came along with their families from the out lying regions around the town. It was going to be a good crowd.
Victoria wrapped in her shawl, walked into the church hall, picking up a small box that would be the repository for all the raffle tickets that had been sold during the past week. The tables were laid with piles of baked goods, cold meats, breads and cheese and a huge punch bowl. But there in the center of it all was Victoria’s masterpiece, the three layered jam cake she has spent many hours baking and decorating. It would be going home with the lucky person who held the winning ticket, or so she thought. There were quite a few people in the hall now, but as she looked around, she did not see Doc Stevens among them.
“Victoria,” Fran said “Your cake is just beautiful. Someone is going to really be happy when the lucky number gets called.” Victoria smiled back at her. “I hope so, Fran,” she replied. Reverend Wilks was about to take the podium, when Fran noticed him repeatedly clearing his throat. “I am going to get some water for him,” she said “Excuse me.” The young widow walked away in search of a water pitcher for the parched clergyman and left Victoria and Nate to chat. “I want to thank you for fixing things up so I could see Frances again” he said “She is a fine woman. She’s a good shot with a six gun and I think she caught more fish than I did at the creek the other day.”
Victoria smiled warmly and reached out, touching Nathan on the shoulder “I am so glad that you two are getting along so well,” she said. Nathan reached up and patted her hand. “If it hadn’t been for you, I’d have missed out on spending today with her.”
That was all Doc needed to see as he stepped through the open door of the church hall. That famous temper of his began to boil, for all he saw was Nathan Travis making time with Victoria Langford. When Victoria glanced toward the door and saw him standing there, his black hat squarely on his head, dressed in his well fitting dungarees, white shirt, fancy boots and that silver star pinned to his black vest. Yes, he sure was a fine figure of a man and at that moment she realized that her annoyance with his failure to ask her to the social had passed. She knew right then that she was in love with him and wanted to be with him. She smiled as she took a step toward him, but there was something in his eyes that put a damper on everything. Doc strode up to her and Nathan Travis. “Hello , Victoria,” he said formally, a cold ring to his tone. “Looks like you and Nathan have been enjoying the social.” Nathan caught the barb of jealousy in his old friend’s words.
“Now Doc,” he started “Don’t you go doing something foolish.” The deputy turned angry hazel eyes to the Texas Ranger. “Even when we were kids, you messed with the girls I liked,” Doc hissed “I see you haven’t changed a bit, Travis.”
Nathan rose to his feet. “Doc,” he said “You don’t understand. I am not here with Victoria.” Doc cut him off. “Then why were you two all cozied up like you were when I came in.”
“Cozied up?”, Victoria spit angrily “What are you talking about? I just got here.”
“You got to make a choice here and now, Victoria,” Doc scowled “And it better not be Nathan Travis.”
“What are you talking about?”, Victoria defended. His jealous anger got the better of him and instead of pulling his gun, like everyone who was tensely watching thought he might, he walked over to the table where Victoria’s cake stood in all its delectable grandeur.
“I’ll talk to him,” Nathan whispered as he walked away. Victoria stood there watching the two men afraid of what might happen. Nathan stepped up next to Doc as he stood there admiring the food and the cake. “Mighty pretty cake, isn’t it, Nate,” Doc commented.
“Yes,” Nathan replied “I helped Miss Victoria carry it and all that other stuff in this morning while I was waiting.....” Doc cut him off “Waiting for what, Travis?”, he ground out “For her to tell me to get lost.”
“No, you idiot,” Nathan snapped, “I was helping her.”
“I just bet you were.” Doc stated. People were starting to stare and look a little worried as the tension mounted. Nathan gave Doc a scathing look. “I ain’t talking to you when you are like this, you son of a coyote.” he stated and turned to walk away. “I’ll see you later when you are ready to talk sense.”
“I’m ready to do that right now,” Doc replied, a second later, the beautiful three layer jam cake was smashed over the head of Nathan Travis. Cake and frosting were everywhere, in his hair, in his eyes all over the upper half of his body. “Why you snake,!” Nate roared as he scraped the frosting from his eyes. On seeing what had happened, Frances, dropped the pitcher she was carrying and it shattered on the floor, water and glass going everywhere. “Hope you enjoy your cake, Travis,” Doc sneered as he turned to walk away “Just remember, you can’t have