Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
After a fast ride, Cornelius and Felix tied their horses to the rail in front of the Bonner Store. It was eight o’clock.
Cornelius unlocked the front door. “You mind the counter,” Cornelius said in a gruff voice. “And try not to break anything.”
“I’m not three,” Felix grumbled.
“What?” His father raised his voice, irritated at the retort.
“You brought me here at gunpoint, so don’t expect me to be respectful.”
“You’re my son, and you will respect your father.”
“I was never your son. I was only your property. You even said so this morning. You have no respect for me.”
“I don’t like your attitude, boy.”
“First, I’m not a boy. I’m a man. And as for respect, what are you going to do about it?
Order me out of the store?” Felix felt a surge of confidence.
If part of becoming a man meant standing up to an overbearing father, he learned that part.
He was a gnat’s whisker away from shoving over every shelf in the store, but figured his father would file charges against him.
Better to wait until his personal posse showed up.
Cornelius huffed and balled his fists, then turned and stomped upstairs to his office to work.
Felix won that battle. If he had to work with his father for a few hours while Pa and Joey negotiated for his return to the ranch, he would lay down his own rules.
For the next hour, he worked at stocking the shelves and tidying up the displays, replenishing from the back room when display shelves were almost empty. It would be a long, hot day.
* * *
Grover and Joey rode to the sheriff’s office when they arrived in town at nine o'clock. They tethered the horses to the hitching rail.
“Mornin’, Grover.” Sheriff Jackson greeted them as they entered. “Howdy, Joey.”
“Mornin’, Sheriff.” Grover extended his hand, and the sheriff shook it.
“Sheriff.” Joey nodded his head.
“What’s up?” Sheriff Jackson asked.
“We had an incident at the ranch this morning that I need to report,” Grover said.
“A gunman came to the house, forced himself in, bounded up the stairs, and woke Felix and Joey. He pointed a loaded pistol at Joey, threatening to shoot him if Felix didn’t do what he said.
Then he held a gun to Felix’s back, forcing him down the stairs and onto his horse.
I don’t appreciate threats to my family, sheriff. ”
“Any idea who this gunman was?”
“Cornelius Bonner. I guess he didn’t like Felix’s decision to return to the ranch, so he came to kidnap him. I tried to stop him, but my options were limited when he pulled a gun. I didn’t want anyone shot.”
Sheriff Jackson nodded. “Smart thinking. Two horses stood tied up in front of the Bonner store, and one of them matched the horse Felix rode to win the calf roping contest. I thought he decided to come back to town.”
Joey stepped forward. “It was decided for him, sheriff.”
Grover placed a hand on Joey's shoulder and nodded. “What Joey says is correct, sheriff. Felix chose to stay at the ranch and asked me to take him in. He became part of our family and a best friend to Joey here. I want to press charges if I can.”
Sheriff Jackson stood and reached for his hat. “Let me go talk to Bonner. I need to get his side of this story and determine his intentions. It sounds like he’s holding Felix against his will, but he is a Bonner, so he is subject to his father's wishes.”
“Felix is a legal adult now. He turned 18 in April. He's old enough to make his own decisions regardless of what his father wants, right?”
The sheriff nodded. “Technically, that is correct. But I need to talk to Cornelius and Felix to understand what happened from their perspective. If someone accused you, you would expect the same courtesy. In fact, that did happen recently, so I’m sure you understand.”
Grover nodded. “You have a point, Sheriff. Let’s go over to Bonner’s store and hear what they have to say.”
They left the sheriff’s office and walked toward the store on the other side of the town square.
“I figured Bonner would back off after that faked robbery,” Sheriff said.
Their boots clomped against the wooden sidewalk.
“That whole situation never made sense to me. Bonner didn’t do a good job with details. ”
“How come you didn’t arrest him, sheriff?” Joey asked. He walked tall in the company of the town lawman and his strong father.
“Ain’t no law against a man ransacking his own store and beating himself up.” The sheriff chuckled.
“I guess that’s right,” Joey said. They arrived at the Bonner store.
“You two stay outside until I can talk to Bonner. I’m sure he’s expecting something, and seeing you may make him feel trapped.”
“Got it, Sheriff,” Grover said.
* * *
“Welcome, sheriff.” Felix greeted him as he entered the store. “What can I help you with today?”
“Howdy, Felix. What brings you to the store? I thought you were ranching.”
“Father came to the ranch with a gun and forced me back here.” Felix didn’t worry about another confrontation with his father
Cornelius glared down at Sheriff Jackson and Felix from the second floor.
“Cornelius. What’s this I hear about you threatening Joey Sterling with a gun?” The Sheriff asked, loud enough for everyone in the store to hear.
“None of your concern, Sheriff,” Cornelius growled. “It’s family business.”
“It’s not family business if you enter someone else’s home uninvited, draw a gun, and take it upon yourself to search that home.”
“As I said, Sheriff, none of your business. This is a Bonner/Sterling feud.”
“So Grover Sterling had a gun, too, did he?”
“Not that I noticed, but he did have my property, and I wanted it back.” Cornelius stood at the second-floor railing, arms folded across his chest. “I expect you’ll be moving along now, Sheriff.”
Sheriff Jackson eyed Felix and motioned toward the door for him to follow. “Let’s talk outside.” He turned back to Cornelius, touched his hat brim, and then stepped toward the door with Felix behind him.
“Hey…where are you going, boy?” Cornelius shouted from the second-floor office. “You have work to do. Get back to it.”
Then Joey and Grover walked in the door.
“What are those two doing here?” Cornelius shouted. “Get out of my store, you two.” He picked up the gun from his desk and aimed it at Joey. “I’m gonna fix this situation for once and for all.”
In a panic, Felix shoved Joey hard to the floor and ducked down himself. The gun fired, and the bullet struck Sheriff Jackson’s left shoulder.
The sheriff winced, grabbed his shoulder, and gasped. Bonner let the gun slip from his hand, and it fell to the ground floor with a loud thud.
Still wincing, Sheriff Jackson drew his gun and aimed at Cornelius. “Bonner, you’re under arrest for the attempted murder of Joseph Sterling. I have three witnesses. And if that’s not bad enough, you just shot a Texas lawman.”
Cornelius huffed. “Merely defending my property, sheriff.”
The sheriff shook his head. “People are not property, Bonner. You clearly intended bodily harm. Now, come down here. You’re under arrest.”
Cornelius huffed, half-raised his arms, and clomped down the stairs, taking his time. “I should’ve aimed better.”
“I’ll get the deputy, and then the doc,” Grover said. He hurried out of the store and down the street.
Felix stood and pulled Joey into a hug. “That was a close one.”
“Your father was going to shoot me.” Joey whimpered, his voice shaking as much as his body. He held onto Felix for comfort.
“You’re okay, Joey. I have you.”
Sheriff Jackson turned to Felix. “You’d best go and fetch your ma, Felix.”
Felix looked at the sheriff, who still grimaced from the gunshot wound. “I’m guessing you will take Father to jail.”
The sheriff nodded, still holding his shoulder. He grimaced again, then said, “Cornelius won’t be able to run the store for a while. A long while.”
“Tell Pa we’ll be back,” Joey said.
The sheriff nodded, and Felix led Joey out of the store.
* * *
At the house, Felix shouted, “Mother!”
Hattie came into the living room. “Felix? I didn’t expect to see you.”
“Mother, Father has been arrested for the attempted murder of Joey and for shooting the sheriff in the shoulder. You need to go down to the store and keep things going.”
Hattie frowned in disbelief. “Your father did what?”
“He came to the ranch this morning and held a gun on the Sterlings and me. He threatened to shoot Joey if I didn’t come with him.
Then he held a gun to my back until I was out of the house and on my horse.
He forced me to come back with him. When Joey and Pa Sterling came to town and got the sheriff involved, they all came to the store.
Pa went crazy and threatened to kill Joey.
I pushed Joey to the floor and covered him.
Father’s gunshot missed us and hit the sheriff’s shoulder. ”
Hattie fell back into a chair. “I knew he was upset about your decision to stay at the ranch, but I never thought he would threaten anyone at gunpoint.”
After Joey and his mother had regained their composure, Felix walked with them back into town to the store. They discussed nothing on the walk. Everyone was still shocked by the events of the morning.
When they arrived at the store, Grover was waiting out front. He grabbed Joey and hugged him. “Everything okay, son?”
Joey pulled back to see his father’s eyes. “Yes, Pa. I can’t believe Mr. Bonner was going to kill me.”
“Thanks to Felix’s quick thinking, you were unharmed.”
Grover reached for Felix and pulled him in, too. “Felix, you saved Joey. Thank you.”
Joey grabbed Felix from his father. “Yes. Thank you.”
Felix held Joey and looked at Pa Sterling. “Where is the sheriff? Did he take my father to jail?”
“I went to get the deputy while the sheriff kept an eye on your father. The deputy came and took him to jail. The sheriff went with the doctor to get the bullet removed and his shoulder patched up.”
Overwhelmed by the events of the morning, Hattie sighed. “I think we’ll close the store for the day. Felix, would you help me lock up?”
Felix nodded and turned to Joey. “Stay here with Pa. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Grover put his arm around Joey’s shoulders.
The shy, withdrawn, uncertain young man who came to the ranch two months ago turned into a confident, protective, capable man.
He had enough sense to know not to argue with a man pointing a gun at him, but was not afraid to stand up for his rights or put himself in danger to protect someone he loved.
Cornelius’s goal of making a man out of Felix was realized. Too bad Cornelius would never care.