Part 2

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Ezra sighed and rubbed his temples as he left the Hamilton's house. Dear Mrs. Hamilton desperately wanted to learn to play the piano but her talent seemed to be in direct opposition to her desire. Two months of teaching and she still could barely run the scales and stumbled and fumbled her way through the two simple songs that he had started trying to teach her. If only he could figure out why she couldn't seem to play.

He sighed and resolutely pushed thoughts of her out of his mind. He had promised Vin a surprise when he got home tonight. A smile crossed his face. He knew exactly what he was going to do.

Several weeks ago, Vin had shyly admitted that the first time he'd felt an intense desire for Ezra, had thought of him *that way*, had been when Ezra had dressed as a woman to rescue Mrs. Travis from Wickestown. After his confession, he'd asked if Ezra would dress up for him again sometime.

Ezra had acquired the clothing yesterday. He had asked for Inez' help, as he knew that she was aware of his and Vin's relationship. She had listened with raised eyebrows as he had stammered and blushed his way through his request, then had calmly said that she would be glad to help.

She had made the purchases without any problem and now they awaited him in his room over the saloon.  

Inez greeted him with a conspiratorial smile. "I have prepared your bath. Everything is pressed and hung up for you."

"Thank you," he said with a slight blush, before hurrying up the stairs to the room he still maintained there.

Closing the door, he turned to look at the dress hanging on the back of it. It was red satin and barely knee length, a working girl's dress. Low cut with spaghetti straps to hold what little top there was in place. A froth of petticoats lay on the bed, along with a lacy corset and silk underwear, cut very low at the top and high at the bottom. Black silk stockings hung over the footboard of the bed and high-heeled slippers sat beside it.

He shrugged out his coat and hung it up. Fingers trembled with excitement as he unbuttoned his vest and shirt. As he stripped off his pants, his cock sprang out, firmly erect. He gave it a hard squeeze, then resolutely removed his hand determined to ignore it. He would *not* relieve his need until he had Vin buried balls deep inside him.

The tub sat beside the bed, filled with hot water. A chair beside it held towels, soap, bathoil and shampoo. His shaving cup, with the soap he used for shaving already in it, sat there as well, his razor beside it.

He knew Inez expected him to shave his legs before he put on the silk stockings. He debated only a moment before deciding that he most definitely would. The itch as the hair began to grow back would be a long-term reminder of this night, albeit an uncomfortable one. He didn't mind a little discomfort, especially if it evoked memories of the ecstasy he fully expected to experience in a few hours.

He opened the bath oil and took a deep breath of it. The scent was heady. Magnolias. Not his usual choice, but this was a special night and he wanted Vin to associate a different scent with the 'woman' that he would hold tonight.

He stepped into the hot water, sinking to his neck, letting the warmth soak in, relaxing and soothing him.

*************************************************

An hour later Inez knocked on his door. "Senor?" she called softly. "Are you ready?"

"Almost, do come in." Ezra opened the door, staying behind it, and let her in.

She stepped inside and he closed the door, turning so that she could get a good look at him.

"Oh, Senor, you look lovely!" she beamed at him. "Such a tiny waist... the midriff so flat. I would not have believed... and such nice legs as well. Senor Tanner will be delighted."

He blushed and smiled shyly, his hand going up to his hair. "My hair... I don't know what to do with it. Perhaps I should have gotten a wig..."

"No... no, Senor. Your hair is fine. Sit. I will fix it. Perhaps it is a bit short, but it curls so prettily. We need only enhance that. And tease it up a bit to give it more volume."

She motioned him towards the chair before the dresser and he sat down. She flicked a few curls forward as bangs over his forehand then quickly teased up the rest.

She raised his chin to look at his face. "A bit of rouge for your lips. We do not want to overdo it. After all, it is you that Senor Tanner desires." She caressed his cheek, her eyes soft. "You must love him very much."

"More than life itself." He answered softly, but honestly.

"He is a very lucky man," she sighed. "When first we met, I dared to hope..." she smiled sadly at him.

"I'm sorry."

"Do not be. You are happy. He is happy. Had it been meant to be, it would have been. It was not, so, it was not meant to be. I will find another... meanwhile I have two very good friends who are very happy together."

"I sincerely hope that when you find your love you shall be as happy as we are."

"Thank you, Senor." She straightened, taking a deep breath and reaching for the tin of rouge and a lip brush. "Now, purse you lips so that I can paint them."

A moment later she stood back. "There. That is good." Moving away, she continued, "I will go check on the buggy I ordered. It should be around back by now... and I have a travel cloak so that you will not be seen leaving. I will drive you to the ranch and bring the buggy back."

She swept out the door, leaving him standing, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

[Lord, please let Vin be pleased. Perhaps a more modest dress would have been better...]

Fortunately, Inez returned before he had time to really work himself up into a nervous fit. She had a long, full travel-cloak thrown over one arm. "Put this on, " she instructed.

He did so, lifting the hood to cover his head and wrapping it snugly around himself.

She nodded her approval. "No one will know it is you in that, Senor. Let us go."

She stepped to the door and opened it, checking up and down the hall before motioning him to follow her out.

They hurried along the hall to the back stairs. Ezra hesitated at the steps, then taking a deep breath, lifted the cloak just enough that he wouldn't trip over it as he made his way down the stairs. He let the other hand glide along the wall to help him keep his balance in the unfamiliar high-heeled shoes. He made it down the stairs without tripping and was glad that the buggy was directly outside the back door.

Chaucer was tied to the back of it.

Inez smiled at him, "I thought you would want him at the ranch since I shall be returning the buggy to the livery."

"Thank, you. That was most thoughtful."

"You are welcome, Senor." Then she grinned as he frowned at the buggy, obviously uncertain about how to go about climbing up into it the way he was dressed. "Let me help you," she offered, reaching to place a hand under his elbow.

He shook his head but accepted the help and was soon in the buggy and seated.

*************************************************

An hour later Ezra was pacing restlessly up and down the long center hall of his and Vin's home, growing more anxious and uncertain by the minute, muttering to himself.

"I don't know about this dress. What if he doesn't like it? Perhaps I should have mentioned what I intended. Perhaps let him pick out the dress? Yes. That's what I should have done. But it wouldn't have been a surprise then. Oh, Lord! What if I chose wrong?"

His head snapped up as he heard a horse come into the yard. He hurried to the front door, peeking out from behind the curtain.

Vin was home.

He retreated into the parlor, taking quick, short steps, almost wringing his hands together. He didn't even notice that the hour of pacing along with his innate gracefulness had given a wonderfully sexy sway to his walk.

It was nearly fifteen minutes later before he heard Vin's footsteps on the porch then the sound of the door opening and closing.

"Ez?" Vin saw the light in the parlor and moved towards it.

Swallowing hard, Ezra took a deep breath and stepped towards the open doorway. "I'm here, Vin." He said quietly, then waited nervously for his lover to see him.

Vin stepped through the doorway and stopped, staring at his lover. His mouth dropped open then closed to spread into a huge grin, "Wow!" was all he could say.

"Do... do you like... Miss Eliza?" Ezra asked hesitantly, taking another step towards Vin.

"Yeah... oh, yeah! I like her a lot. You look great, Ez." He grabbed his hat off his head and tossed it towards the hat rack as he closed the distance between them. One arm encircled Ezra's slender waist pulling him close. The other tangled in his soft curls, cradling his head as Vin claimed his mouth in a searing kiss.

He trailed kisses down his lover's elegant throat to the top of the dress, pushing it down with his chin to expose one puckered pink nipple, which he nipped, then suckled on.

Ezra moaned, trembling in Vin's arms. It seemed he had chosen well after all.

The hand left his hair to support his back as Vin bent him backwards, still suckling on the exposed nipple. The tracker rubbed his face against the top of the satin dress, working his way across to the other nipple, pushing the dress out of the way so that he could nip on then suckle that nipple as well.

Ezra clutched at his shoulders, moaning incoherently as Vin's other hand slid down the satin skirt to dig through the froth of petticoats until it reached a smooth silk encased thigh and slid upwards to slip under the edge of the silk underwear and caress a firm buttock. One finger slipped into the crack between the buttocks and Ezra cried out as it dipped into his oiled hole.

Vin growled with excitement and need. Just knowing that Ezra had dressed himself up for Vin, had slicked himself up for him drove him wild. He tightened his arm around Ezra's back and pulled his finger out of his lover long enough to wrap his arm around him, just below those wonderfully firm buttocks, and lift him, carrying him the two steps to the shabby sofa that the McGlamorys had left behind.

He tossed the gambler onto it, and fell on top of him, groping and kissing at him. His groin pressed against one of the elegant silk clad legs and he began to hump it eagerly barely hearing Ezra's whimpered, pleas.

"Please... please... take me. Vin. Vin!"

Ezra's voice finally cut through to Vin's lust filled brain.

"What?" Vin panted.

"I need you in me... please..." Ezra gasped.

Vin forced himself to stop humping against Ezra's leg, knowing if he didn't he would come right then. He couldn't resist planting more kisses along Ezra's neck and up to claim his lips again. Then with more will power than he knew he had, he forced himself to stand up, climbing off the gambler to open his pants.

He stood for just a moment staring down at his incredible, versatile lover.

Ezra lay on the sofa, panting. His eyes were dark with desire. Only a thin ring of green showed around the pupil. His legs were spread wide. One elegant leg, clad in the finest of black silk stockings was flung over the back of the sofa, the other hung off the front edge. The red satin dress had been pushed down so that his puckered nipples peeked over the top of the lacy black corset. The froth of petticoats was up around his waist, exposing the black silk underwear, fancy lace garters and those wonderfully long lean legs with their smooth silk stockings and their elegant high-heeled shoes.

"Beautiful. You're so damn beautiful." Vin practically tore his pants open and lowered himself back onto his lover.

Ezra immediately wrapped his legs around him, shifting to make it easier for Vin to enter him.

It took a moment of fumbling with the unfamiliar clothing to get the underwear pushed aside enough for Vin to get to the puckered entrance to Ezra's body. With a long, smooth, stroke he buried himself in his lover's hot, slick channel.

Ezra gave a sigh of pleasure and moved his hips, encouraging Vin to start stroking, his legs tightening around Vin's waist.

It only took a few deep strokes, with Vin hitting Ezra's gland with each one, for Ezra to come. He shouted Vin's name as he spasmed around Vin's cock and he spewed his come into the silk underwear that still restrained his cock.

Vin cried out in pleasure as Ezra's passage tightened around him, sending him over the edge. "Ezra!"

He collapsed on top of Ezra, burying his face in his lover's neck. "Oh, damn, Baby! That was good," he gasped.

Ezra's fingers carded through his hair. It was something that Ezra seemed to do unconsciously in the afterglow of their lovemaking, a silent confirmation that it had been more than just good for him.

After several minutes of just resting together, Vin slowly moved off Ezra. He sat up on the sofa and helped Ezra get up and turned to sit on his lap. Vin tugged up the back of the dress so that Ezra's silk clad buttocks rested directly on his thighs. The petticoats were bunched around the gambler's slender waist.

Vin smoothed them down, then slid his hand up the gambler's legs under them to caress Ezra's cock, massaging the semen-dampened material into it. He grinned as he felt it start to harden again.

Ezra sighed and pressed against the rubbing hand as he fished for Vin's cock, knowing it was still out somewhere between them. He found it after a moment and gave Vin a smirky little smile as he massaged it back to hardness.

"Feels like you are ready for round two." He murmured, leaning in for a kiss.

"Might get more'n two rounds outta me tonight, Baby. You're damn hot." Vin told him, delighted to see his lover blush at the compliment. "But let's take this up to the bedroom. Do it nice and slow this time."

"I think that would be most agreeable. This accursed sofa has a wayward spring. Fortunately the petticoats cushioned it somewhat."

Vin chuckled at his lover's comment before urging him to his feet so that they could go upstairs. At the foot of the stairs he stepped back, "You first. Wanna watch ya."

Ezra ducked his head, suddenly shy but moved to go up the stairs first. As he ascended, he heard Vin murmur, "Oh, yeah. Moves real graceful..."

He couldn't help preening a bit, putting just a touch more sway in his hips as he reached the upper landing.

With a whoop, Vin came up behind him, grabbing him around the waist and swinging him around. The tracker set him back on his feet and planted kisses all over the back of his neck and shoulders. "You're a devil, Ezra Standish... and I love you!"

He hauled Ezra down the hall towards their bedroom as the gambler giggled helplessly at his lover's enthusiasm.

God! It was good to have their own place, to not have to keep quiet, or worry about being overheard or seen.

*************************************************

Several hours and several bouts of lovemaking later, Vin slipped out of the bed, careful not to disturb his sleeping lover.

He stood for a moment looking down at his lover in the dim light of the low-turned lamp. Ezra lay on his side, his knees drawn up just a bit, his arms wrapped around the pillow that Vin had gently substituted for himself. He still wore the silk and lace underwear and corset, along with the silk stockings and garters. All were stained with semen now. He had a very satisfied smile on his face.

To Vin, he looked like nothing more than an angel, a fallen angel... a very happily fallen angel. Vin chuckled softly as he slipped out of the room to make the rounds of the house, checking to make sure the doors and ground floor windows were closed and locked.

A few minutes later he slipped back into the room, only to be confronted with sleepy green eyes.

"You left me," Ezra pouted.

Vin sat down on the edge of the bed next to him. "Weren't gone but a minute. Had ta check the house. Couldn't remember lockin' the front door. Found I hadn't. It's locked now."

Ezra rolled onto his back and lazily lifted one leg, laying it on Vin's shoulder, rubbing the silk clad calf against Vin's cheek as he did so.

Vin grinned and leaned over him, one hand supporting himself while the other reached up to caress the leg resting on his shoulder. "Silk sure feels good. Gonna hav'ta buy ya some more of these stockin's."

"I take that to mean you enjoyed the game?"

"Oh, yeah. Love your games, Ez. Think I'd love ta meet more of your "characters". You're a right fine actor."

"Well, I was born in the theater." Ezra grinned at him, then moaned softly as Vin's hand slid down from caressing his leg to stroke his hip.

"Ya was?"

Ezra chuckled, sighing softly as Vin continued to caress him, stoking along his hips then his outer thighs before moving to stroke his inner thighs. "Mother was an actress in her youth... and father an actor. I was born in the wings of the Royal Oaks Theatre in Charleston, between the second and third acts of a play they were in. Fortunately Mother's last line was in the second act. The way she tells it, she barely made it off stage before I made my debut."

Vin grinned, leaning in for a kiss. He shifted, moving to lie beside Ezra on the bed, pulling his lover into his arms and tossing the covers over them.

Ezra snuggled close, letting his head lie on Vin's shoulder.

Vin continued to caress him, slowly, lazily, not really trying to arouse him again, just wanting to touch him. After a moment he said, "Ya ain't ever really said anything about your father, afore."

"I was only six when he died. Most of my memories are vague... more feelings than anything else. He loved me. I know that. And I adored him."

He fell silent a moment and Vin pressed a kiss to his forehead as he waited for his lover to go on. It was so seldom that Ezra spoke of his past, preferring to 'let the dead past bury its dead' as he put it, that Vin treasured whatever Ezra did share with him.

"I have so few clear memories of him and they are so precious to me that I tend to hoard them," Ezra confessed, sighing softly, and settling more securely against Vin before going on. "My clearest memory of him is of being sung to sleep. Mother was never very..." he paused searching for the correct word, "affectionate, but Father... Father loved to hold me, rock me, read to me and sing to me."

Ezra's voice was soft, but Vin could hear the love Ezra had felt for his father in it.

"He began teaching me to play the piano when I was barely four. I had to sit in his lap to reach the keys... and he had to work the pedals. He was not only the star of our little acting troupe but the manager, and when he died the company folded. It was after that that Mother began to make our way with conning and gambling. Father had been a fine poker player as well as an actor, often supporting the troupe with his winnings when bookings were scarce. He had taught Mother and I both to play. Mother continued to teach me."

There was sadness in his voice as he went on. "By the time I was ten I was playing in Casinos against grown men... professional poker players."

Vin hugged him closer. "I'm sorry, Ez. Sorry ya never really got to just be a kid."

Ezra hugged him back. "My childhood was no worse than yours. Perhaps better in many ways. I, at least, still had Mother, although I was seldom with her."

"Miss my Ma." Vin admitted. "Like your memories of your dad, my memories of her are more feelin's than anything else. Cain't remember what she looked like, color of her hair or eyes. But I remember her singin' ta me. Can hear her voice tellin' me ta always remember that I'm a Tanner."

"She would be proud of you." Ezra said quietly but with conviction.

"Don't know 'bout that. Got that bounty on my head."

"She knows you didn't do it."

"Reckon."

A comfortable silence fell for a bit, then Vin said, "Your dad would be proud of you, too."

"I wonder. He wasn't like Mother and me. He was a good, honest man. He never conned anyone or cheated at the gambling tables."

"You ain't a con man no more. An' you don't cheat nobody that don't try cheatin' you first. You done a lot of good since you been here. You're a good man, Ez. Ya mighta tried not to be but ya are."

Ezra chuckled softly. "Mother always said that I was a miserable conman. Too softhearted. I was forever letting the marks off the hook. It infuriated her." His voice trailed off as his breathing deepened.

"Ya goin' ta sleep?"

"Hummmm."

"Ya want outta that corset first?"

"Huh-uh." Ezra rooted in closer then mumbled, "Change in the morning. Light the water heater when you get up."

Vin chuckled to himself. One of the things that Ezra loved most about the house was the fact that it not only had running water, but there was a coal-oil fired water heater in the bath just off the master bedroom. It took a while to heat the water but once heated he only had to open a valve to have hot water delivered to the oversized, porcelain-over-iron, clawfoot tub.

Vin had to admit that he was fond of that tub, too, and the readily available hot water. Coming in after a long day and being able to just fire up the heater and have hot water to soak his aching body in, without having to carry a lot of buckets to fill the tub, was wonderful.

Vin lay awake awhile longer, letting his mind drift. He hadn't called a place home since his mother had died. He'd drifted with the wind, never getting too close to anyone. When he had rode into Four Corners, he'd had a horse and saddle, his weapons, a change of clothes in his saddlebags and not much else.

Except a price on his head that made him wary of everyone around him. Then his eyes had met Chris Larabee's across a dusty street. And in that moment everything had changed. One thing had led to another and another beyond that until he found himself where he was now, lying beside his lover in their bed in their house on their land.

He had a home, a family and a future. The only thing still marring it was the price on his head. Ezra was right. It was time to do something about that. He'd ask his partner in the morning, if he'd been thinking about it.

He gave a soft snort as he settled in to sleep. Of course Ezra had been thinking about it. Once the man got an idea in is head, he was worse than a dog with a bone. There was no getting it away from him until he was done with it.

*************************************************

Ezra rolled over and sighed, blinking his eyes to adjust to the light in the room. He finally opened them, looking up at the ceiling. He had awakened earlier, just briefly when Vin awoke and left to meet Chris and the others for breakfast in town. He knew by the warmth in the room that Vin had lit the bedroom stove and probably the one in the bathroom as well. He hoped his lover had remembered to light the burner on the water heater. He was in serious need of a bath.

He grinned at the memories of how he had come to need a bath so badly.

Vin had really liked 'Eliza' as Ezra had chosen to call the lady of the evening that he had portrayed the night before. He frowned slightly. He might need to instruct Vin in the finer points of playacting. His lover had called him 'Ez' or 'Ezra' throughout the game when Ezra would have preferred to be referred to by the name he had given the character he was playing.

[Not a big thing, but something I should perhaps mention to Vin. He did say he'd like to play again and I would enjoy the games more if he used the character names. He might enjoy it more as well.]

He threw back the covers but lay there a moment longer. He glanced down at himself, He still wore the silk and lace underwear and the corset and stockings with their garters. The stockings had slipped down his legs a bit during the night and he raised one leg, smoothing the stocking up it and looking at it. He had nice legs, if he did say so himself.

Vin had certainly seemed to like them. He'd said that he'd have to buy Ezra more stockings.

[In the meantime, I'll just have to wash these.] Ezra sighed as he got up. He'd have to wash all the feminine garments he had bought for this little game.

[We really need a housekeeper, someone who won't be shocked by our relationship or being asked to wash feminine sexy things for a man.]

He frowned thoughtfully as he removed the stockings, corset and underwear.

[Miss Lydia said in her last letter that Miss Nora was pregnant. I doubt that the father is planning to marry her. I wonder if she would like to get out of the business? If she intends to keep the child she might like a safe place to raise it.]

He shook his head. Vin had once said that they were just a couple of strays looking for a home. Well, now that they had one, perhaps they could provide a place to belong for other 'strays'. Miss Nora had not had any choice about being a prostitute. Wickes had tricked her with an offer of employment then forced her into it.

He frowned. Would the young woman refuse their help, thinking that they might want the same of her that Wickes had? He would have to make it clear, when he wrote Lydia that he and Vin were together, that neither of them had any interest in any woman now that they had found each other.

He went into the bathroom and put the garments in the sink to soak while he ran his bath. Vin had remembered to light the burner on the water heater. He smiled to himself. It was wonderful to have such a thoughtful lover.

He had not had anyone take care of him since his father died. Maude had been devastated at the loss of his father, unable at first to take care of herself, let alone him. Ezra was quite certain that she had loved his father deeply and dearly and had never loved anyone else, despite her other four marriages.

He poured bath oil into the steaming water then stepped carefully into the now slippery tub. Sinking down into the hot water, he sighed contentedly. This was going to be the best Thanksgiving ever. He had so much to be thankful for.

He grinned at the memory of a Thanksgiving that he had spent with one of his aunts. It had been a tradition there for each person at the table to say what they were thankful for before they ate. If he did that this year and listed everything that he was thankful for, the other six would shoot him.

He chuckled to himself. Vin would be at the front of the line. Vin loved to eat and Ezra would still be listing things at midnight.

He lay back in the tub, just soaking and letting his mind wander. He had a list of things to do that seemed endless, but his mind kept wandering back to Vin and the one thing that still needed doing to make their happiness complete.

The bounty. It was high time they did something about it, or at least made a decision about what to do. He resolved that he would talk to Vin about it, today.

Decision made, he sat up and began to bathe. Half an hour later he was ready to go into town.

*************************************************

As he stepped out on the porch he saw Rafe Mosely, riding his horse around the corral, leading several of the mares on a line behind him. He walked to the corral fence to watch for a moment.

Rafe trotted over and grinned down at him, "Good morning, Mister Standish. Vin said I should exercise the mares a bit. They're not due till April, so it's still a few months before they shouldn't be rode at all but I figured it'd be easier to just lead them than saddle each one up and ride her."

"That's fine, Mister Mosely. You do what you feel is the best use of your time. I shall be riding into town for a while. You are in charge until either myself or Mister Tanner returns."

"Yes, sir! Would you like Matt to saddle Chaucer for you? He's in the barn."

"I..." he hesitated, he hadn't actually thought about the fact that saddling his and Vin's horses for them might be considered part of Matt's job, but then they hadn't actually spelled out what Matt was to do. He smiled at the other man, "That would be acceptable. Thank you."

Rafe grinned and trotted towards the barn, leading the mares. "Matt!" He called as he neared the building.

Matt Brewster popped out almost immediately. "Yeah, Rafe?"

"Mister Standish is going into town. How about saddling Chaucer for him?"

"Sure thing, Rafe. Do you want me to rub down the mares when I'm done?"

"Yes, please." Rafe had decided that since Ezra seemed to set store by good manners and was always polite to him, that it wouldn't hurt to be polite as well. Besides, Matt was a good kid, a hard worker and eager to please.

Rafe dismounted and he and Ezra talked a few minutes while Matt saddled Chaucer. He noted with some amusement that Ezra was even polite to his spoiled horse. He told the animal 'good morning,' stroked his muzzle and scratched his ears before mounting to head for town.

*************************************************

Ezra checked in at the jail with JD and learned that the others were all to meet for lunch at the hotel dining room. The young sheriff eagerly asked if Ezra was joining them and grinned happily when told that he was.

He stopped by the post office and mailed several letters, one to his mother in St. Louis another to Lydia in San Francisco. He wondered, vaguely, if he should have asked Vin first about offering the housekeeper job to Nora then shrugged. He'd tell Vin later. After all Vin had said that he would leave the financial part of the ranch to Ezra and hiring a housekeeper was part of that. Besides there would be plenty of time to discuss it with Vin and explain his reasons for preferring an ex-working girl for the position.

He frowned slightly, deep in thought, as he made his way down the boardwalk. He responded distantly to the greetings of the townspeople. If he kept hiring people they were going to have to do some building. It would be best, if Nora had her own house. Nothing elaborate, just a few rooms. And if they hired another man or two to help with the horses and general upkeep on the ranch, they would need a small bunkhouse. They wouldn't need a separate house for Rafe. They could just build a private room in the bunkhouse for the foreman.

He shook his head, they were going to need more money... but it would have to wait until after the first of the year. There was just too much to do here for him to make a trip anywhere to find a big game. But that didn't mean he shouldn't be looking for an opportunity. The monthly game in Willow Creek was not to his liking for this. The tournament rules there meant that he either won the whole thing or lost his stake. He preferred a game where he could walk away without having to leave all his money on the table. There were several casinos within a few days' ride. He'd check them out then decide where he felt he could get the best return.

He entered the hotel dining room and smiled to see that he was the first to arrive. He followed the waitress to the seven's usual table and ordered coffee, deciding to wait until the others arrived.

Chris was the first of the others to get there. He sat down and gave Ezra a nod. They sat in companionable silence, drinking their coffee until Buck and JD arrived, arguing as usual.

Chris shook his head and gave Ezra an 'are we the only grownups here' look.

Ezra grinned back at him, rolling his eyes at the other two peacekeepers' antics. It wouldn't be the same without them.

Nathan and Josiah came in with Vin trailing behind them. They took the empty seats leaving the one between Chris and Ezra for Vin.

As he glanced around the table he realized that they formed a circle based on the strongest friendships among them. JD sat next to Buck who was his best friend. Buck sat between JD, his best friend and Chris who was his oldest friend. Chris sat between Buck, his oldest friend and Vin, who was his best friend. Vin sat between Chris, his best friend and Ezra, who was his lover. Ezra sat between Vin, his lover and Josiah, who took a paternal interest in him. Josiah sat between Ezra, who he looked on as a son, and Nathan who was his oldest friend. Nathan sat between Josiah, his oldest friend and JD, whom everyone looked on as a baby brother.

He smiled to himself. It was a very comfortable and comforting seating arrangement. He listened quietly to the others talking.

The waitress appeared and took their order then returned shortly with it. They ate and talked.

Vin filled them in on what he had seen on patrol, noting that it was going to be a harsh winter. Several of the more shallow water holes were already frozen solid.

Nathan told them they had two new citizens as Mrs. Grimmler had given birth to twins the night before.

Josiah grinned at that and said that he would drop by to find out when she wanted to have them christened.

Nathan laughed, "Gonna be a while I think. They ain't agreed on a name fer one baby yet, let alone two."

During a lull in the conversation Josiah turned to Vin and Ezra, "You two are a mite quiet this morning. Anything the matter?"

All eyes went to them as the others realized that he was right. While Vin seldom had much to say, Ezra had barely spoken at all, which was very unusual.

With a sigh Ezra lay down his fork. "No. Nothing the matter, Mister Sanchez." He smiled at the frown that not calling Josiah by his first name always earned him. "I've just been thinking."

"'Bout what?" Vin asked.

Ezra turned to Vin, studying him for a moment before answering, "Perhaps I should have consulted you first, but you did say that you wanted me to handle the finances..."

"Yeah. So what have ya done?" Vin frowned.

"I've offered Miss Nora a job as our housekeeper. In her last letter, Miss Lydia informed me that the young lady was with child and I thought she might wish to," he paused a second looking for the exact word he wanted, "retire from her current occupation." He left unsaid that she might be more understanding about their relationship than a 'decent' woman might be.

"Where's she going to stay?" Vin demanded, not wanting to have to go back to the way things had been when they were slipping around to see each other.

"I thought that we might build her a small house on the property. She would be close at hand and still have her privacy." [And we'd still have ours.]

He smiled, "We really should think about building a small bunkhouse as well. I doubt that we will ever need more than two more hands but if Rafe is to be our foreman, he deserves a better place to sleep than that old room in the barn. When the mares begin to foal we really should have Matthew stay at the ranch as well."

"What's all that going to cost?" Vin asked.

"We have a stand of timber that could be cut for the lumber, so the costs would be for having it cut and milled. You and Rafe, or if Josiah is willing, he could do the actual building."

"We could hold a barn raising," Josiah said then grinned and corrected it to, "house raising."

Ezra nodded, "It's something to think about. I doubt that we will be able to build until spring in any event. Should Miss Nora come before that, she will have to stay in town. I just sent the letter today, so we won't have an answer back for several weeks." He sighed and turned back to Vin, "The other thing that I have been thinking about is the bounty and what we can do about it."

Vin's smile turned into a grin, "I was plannin' ta ask ya, if you had thought about that anymore."

"I have." He paused and looked around at the others, "I used to know a gentleman who worked for the Pinkertons." His eyes landed on Josiah. "He is not, I can assure you, anything like Cyrus Poplar."

He turned back to Vin, "His name is Joseph LaFiamma. He's easily one of the smartest men that I have ever met, stubborn and tenacious. He will want to meet you, ask you some questions, decide for himself, if he believes you. If he does, and I'm sure he will, he will take the case."

"How much is this going to cost? Last I heard Pinkerton's men didn't come cheap." Chris said.

"If he is still with the Pinkertons, it will be eight dollars a day... possibly plus expenses. However, I have heard that Joseph left the agency. If he is working on his own, I doubt that he will charge that much."

"Why'd he leave'em?" Vin asked. [Eight dollars a day is a hell of a good wage.]

"I heard that the disagreement was over a client that Pinkerton turned down, due to his inability to pay the going rate. Joseph wanted to take the case anyway. He has a very strong sense of justice. He felt that the man needed help and should not be turned away because he could not pay what Pinkerton demanded."

He paused and smiled at Vin, "I think you will like him. In some ways you are very alike. There is a light in Joseph, a strength of character similar to your own. He will always do what he believes to be right, no matter what anyone else thinks or says."

"Where are we going to get the money? I can see us being able to pay Rafe and Matt and maybe a housekeeper, but we're talkin' what? Better'n two hundred dollars a month fer a detective? Ain't no tellin' how long it'll take him, if he can even help, an' we got to pay him no matter how it goes," Vin said with a frown. "It's been so long now, I don't even know if there's anything he can do. Eli Joe's dead...."

"Yates isn't, at least as far as we know. He may know something. If not, there are other members of Eli Joe's gang still around," Ezra sighed. "I know it's a long shot, but what other chance do we have? Without giving up our job here, we don't have the time to run down every lead. Joseph will do exactly that. You said that Eli always ran with a gang. Therefore someone was most likely there when he killed Jeff Kincaid. Someone knows what actually happened... and Joseph will find that someone."

"Iffn that someone is still alive. It's been nigh on five years, Ez. A trail that cold..." Vin trailed off again, hopelessness showing in his eyes.

Ezra's head came up, his mouth set in a stubborn line, eyes flashing. "I refuse to accept that there is nothing that can be done! You are innocent. We will find a way to prove it!"

Vin gave a small snort of laughter, seeing that stubborn look on his lover's face. "All right. We're gonna prove it. Reckon that still leaves: How do we pay this fella?"

Ezra leaned back in his chair, a grin beginning to cross his face, "I've been thinking that perhaps we should take a short trip. We still have about a thousand dollars in the bank. I could take half of that, find a game and turn it into quite a bit more."

"Willow Creek?"

"No. I don't want to play under tournament rules. I would prefer a game where, should I start to lose, I can simply walk away and come back later. There are several casinos within, say, three to five day's ride. I will put out feelers, write some other gamblers that I know and see which would be the best place to try my luck. Mister Bangs, for instance," he mentioned the one-legged gambler that had given him so much trouble some time back, "is very fond of a place in Bristol City called Hightower's Casino. I will of course check with others before deciding on the best place to play."

Nathan gave Ezra a skeptical look, "You write that cheater? Woulda thought that you was glad to see the back of him!"

"I bear the gentleman no grudge. We correspond regularly. He has become a font of information concerning the larger stake games in the territory. I shall miss him should he actually retire to San Francisco as he has been writing of doing."

"That reminds me," Chris began, "I've been meaning to ask you, about all the mail you get. Seems every time the stage comes through, you get a bundle of letters."

"I have quite a large correspondence." Ezra replied, noncommittally.

"Don't see you doing that much writing. Seems like you don't send near as much as you get." Chris regarded him shrewdly.

"Yes, well. Many of my correspondents do not expect replies."

"And why is that?"

Ezra shrugged. "They are paid regularly."

"You pay folks to write to you?" Nathan asked incredulously.

"I pay people to send me information, Mister Jackson. Surely you have some concept of the value of information?"

"Don't know what yer getting' at."

"Mister Jackson, information is, and always has been, a valuable commodity." He paused and studied Nathan curiously. "Tell me, how far would you have gotten when you made your escape from your enslavement, had you not had some information to guide you? Surely before you left, you listened to others who had tried before you, learning from their mistakes, gleaning information about the routes and who could and could not be trusted. Perhaps you gathered information regarding such things as what wild berries, roots and other things were and were not edible. Even something as simple as how to locate the North Star and follow it was valuable information to a man in your position."

Nathan stared at him a moment then nodded, "Yeah. I did... never paid for it though."

"If you had had the money you would have done so, however."

"Don't understand what you hope to gain." Nathan said.

"I correspond regularly with the law enforcement officers in nearby towns. In the towns that have no law officers or in which the law officers will not correspond with me, I find other sources. I receive the newspaper from every town that has one within a hundred-mile radius."

"I still don't see..." Nathan began.

"Let me give you an example; the miscreants that attempted to rob the bank last month. If you'll recall, I was expecting them. How? I knew the odds were good that they would be hitting our bank. Newspaper articles informed me of two failed attempts, one on the bank in Bitter Creek, the other on the bank in Eagle Bend. This told me that they were moving in our direction and getting desperate for money. Information from the bartender in the saloon they frequented while casing the bank in Eagle Bend, gave me their names. That allowed me to pick out their wanted posters and refresh my memory as to what they looked like. I recognized the two men sent to case our bank when they rode into town. From there it was a simple matter to inform Mister Dunne of their presence and allow him to inform the rest of you. Laying the trap for them was simple, since the newspaper articles gave a full account of the tactics that they had used in the two failed attempts. We were able to take them out without anyone other than the miscreants getting hurt."

"I wondered how you knew about them." Chris said, "Maybe I should start reading those out of town newspapers."

Ezra shrugged, "As you wish."

Chris regarded him a moment, "But I don't need to do I?" he asked softly. "You'll be sure and tell me anything that I need to know."

Ezra smiled. "Indeed, sir."

Chris nodded.

"What about the bounty hunters that took Vin?" Nathan asked.

"I knew that they were in the area. However, I did not know that they were all part of the same group. Marks was a very smart man. Until they came after Vin they had worked in smaller units, two or three men to a town... and none of my informants heard them speak of Vin. Most of the men they went after were worth more than Vin's five hundred dollars and were men who rode alone. As for the law officers, I receive mail from them regularly but only once a month unless they have something that they felt was urgent. I had not yet received the monthly report when Vin was taken. After that little debacle, I made some changes. I now receive weekly reports from the law officers and my other informants have been told that I want to know whenever any bounty hunters are in the region, no matter who they are looking for. Before I only had them telegraph me whenever they heard of someone looking for Vin. It costs me more now but," he looked over at Vin, his eyes softening, "I'd rather spend the money than risk another such incident."

Vin reached up and squeezed his shoulder in understanding. "Worked out all right Ez."

"But it could have been a fatal mistake." Ezra insisted. His eyes hardened, "The sooner we get the bounty cleared up, the better. I shall stop at the telegraph office as soon as I leave here." He checked his watch. "And I really should be going. The children are expecting me."

*************************************************

Two days later he got a reply to the telegram that he had sent to Chicago.

He immediately sent a telegram to LeBeau, who he knew was one of Joe's many cousins. The reply came within hours. When last heard from, Joe had been in New York with plans to sail for Europe. The telegram gave the name of another of Joe's cousins that lived in New York and suggested that Ezra try him.

Ezra immediately sent that cousin a telegram. The reply came the next day.

Europe canceled? Ezra grinned at the image that produced. So, Joe was in Washington. It would take him a while to get to Four Corners if he wasn't tied up in something that he couldn't get loose from.

He thought carefully before sending a telegram to Washington.

The reply came within the hour.

Ezra sighed when he read it. Joseph wouldn't want to let go of the obligation, but if Ezra asked him to he would. They had waited this long, another month and a half wouldn't matter that much.

*************************************************
Washington DC
*************************************************

In a large house just down the road from the White House, a tall dark-haired man looked down at the telegram in his hand and frowned.

It wasn't like Ezra to ask for help or to say that something was urgent, then agree that it could wait. Joe had already begun to regret taking the bodyguard job that he had. The self-important little man that he was guarding annoyed him.

Joe had already decided that the only danger to the little shit was in his head. The man wasn't important enough for anyone to want to kill him, annoying enough maybe, but not important enough.

He crumpled the telegram in his hand and tossed it into the fire, a habit that held over from the war when he had habitually destroyed the telegrams that he received from Union sympathizers in the south, who had given him valuable information.

He was already chafing under the boredom of his new job. He knew himself well enough to know that he'd be chomping at the bit soon. Maybe some fool would actually take a shot at the little bastard, then after he took out the shooter he could claim that his job was done and head out for Colorado.

It would be good to see Ezra again.

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