Standard Disclaimers Apply (I’m taking the easy way out).

Spoilers:  The Pilot, The Wall, The Wrong Man, Bat Masterson, Home, Love is Blind, Phantom At The Opera, Hot Time In The Old Town, The Fourth Carpathian.  As far as I can remember that’s all.  Except for one very small one for Faith.

Summary: The continuing adventures of Gary and his “big sister”.  This time he gets involved in a big personal mess of hers when her grandfather’s rodeo rolls into town.  Lots of family visiting.  Secrets from Sky’s past come out.

Rating:  Probably a PG.  Nothing really graphic but there is some violence.

Many thanks to Mary and Shana for their beta reading skills, comments and suggestions.  With Shana as a beta reader I got a taste of what it was like for Laura Ingalls Wilder when she had to rewrite Farmer Boy before her publisher would accept it.  Also thanks to Sharma for her input when she had time.

Dedicated to all the Early Edition Fans who are also westerns fans, be it reading material or movies.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ride 'Em Cowboy
Installment 1
by Janet

It was a pleasant spring day with just a hint of winter lingering in the breeze as Gary Hobson made his way to the Oak Park Fairgrounds where he had a tragedy to prevent.  According to his mysterious newspaper an eight-year-old boy would be critically injured when attacked by a steer owned by the MacGregor Rodeo & Wild West Show.  Newspaper tucked inside his leather bomber jacket he arrived at the gate to the fairgrounds and stopped.  Taking the paper out his greenish-brown eyes scanned the article to double-check exactly where it was he needed to be.  His attention drawn by the bawling of some cattle about a hundred yards away he looked to see if he could spot the boy.  Not seeing him he headed for the area where the attack would take place.  It was not hard to find but it was a good quarter of a mile from where he was now standing.

As he approached the arena he could see one boy who appeared to be the right age standing in the middle of the arena staring at a wild-eyed steer that was charging him.  The adrenaline flowing, Gary charged toward the youngster as fast as his legs would carry him.

“Hey, kid,” he yelled. “Look out!  Move!”
 

The terrified youngster stood rooted to the spot as Gary ran toward him.  The steer was moving like a steam locomotive as it ran across the arena toward the two humans.  Gary caught the youngster up in his arms and ran as fast as he could toward the other side of the arena where he boosted the boy up over the fence to safety.  There wasn’t enough time for him to follow so he moved to one side of the steer’s charge just as the animal crashed into the fence.  Enraged, it turned toward Gary who was racing against time to get to the other side of the arena where he could climb over the fence himself.  Heart pounding Gary ran as fast as he could. He didn’t notice the approach of several men on horseback and afoot that had been attracted to the arena by the noise and Gary’s shout.  Grabbbing the top rail of the fence he vaulted over the top and landed heavily on his right ankle.  Unable to withstand the shock of the impact his leg gave out and Gary fell heavily to the ground just beyond the reach of the steer.  One of the cowboys shooed the steer back out into the open arena where two others got ropes around its horns and dragged it back to its pen.  One of the other men climbed over the fence and went to Gary’s aid.

“Gary!” the man exclaimed.  “What are you doing here?”

A startled Gary looked up into the cobalt blue eyes of his friend Jamie Fairfax.

“I heard the noise-the what do you call it?  Bull?”

“Steer.”

“Steer.  I-I heard the noise the steer was making and I saw this-this little kid standing there as it ran toward him.  So I ran out to help him.  Anyway, never mind about me?  Isn’t this kind of out of your territory?  I thought you were a paramedic.  That’s what Sky told me.”

“I am.  Our Grandfather MacGregor owns this show.  I volunteered to help out while it’s in Chicago.”  Jamie got up from where he was squatting down beside Gary and offered him his hand.

“Thanks.  Ow!”  Gary winced as he tried to stand.

“Here, sit down and let me have a look.  What hurts?”

“My ankle.  The right one.  I landed on it pretty hard when I jumped over the fence.”

Jamie’s fingers probed as gently as he could for broken bones.  Gary sat there biting his lip in an attempt not to cry out as Jamie’s fingers did their work.

“Ow!”

“Sorry, Gary.  I think we’d better have the doctor look at it.  I don’t think there’s anything broken but we’d better play it safe.”  He looked up and called one of the other men over to help him.

“No.  Really, I’m fine.  It’s just a little sore.”  Gary wanted no part of any doctor.  It was liable to lead to a trip to the emergency room, something he definitely wanted to avoid if at all possible.

“No, you’re not.”  Jamie said.  “If I don’t take you to the infirmary and have that ankle looked at we’ll both be in trouble.”  As they approached the tent where the infirmary was being set up he added, “Just wait until you see who the doctor is.”

Their attention was drawn to the entrance of the tent where two men in their late thirties were exiting in a hurry.  A woman’s voice was heard coming from within.

“Get out of here now!  And don’t come back unless you have legitimate business with me!”

The two men left with muttered curses but seeing Jamie and the man who was assisting him with Gary they didn’t press the matter.  The trio, with Gary hobbling painfully between Jamie and the other man, approached the tent.

The tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed woman dressed in jeans, western boots and a gray sweatshirt with the words Scottish Pride printed on it in blue and white lettering looked up as the others approached.

“Gary!”  She exclaimed.  “What are you doing here?  And what happened?”

To Gary’s shock and dismay the woman was Dr. Schuyler Fairfax, sister to Jamie and friend and adopted sister to himself since the age of four.

 Jamie spoke up before Gary could formulate a response.

 “Looks like he sprained his right ankle pretty bad, Sis.  I checked it out before we brought him to you.  I don’t think there’s anything broken.”  Looking at Gary he was amused at the expression on the younger man’s face.   “Told you we’d be in trouble if I didn’t bring you to the doctor didn’t I?”

 “Yeah, yeah, you did,” Gary answered him.  Looking at his “sister” he said “But really, Sky, it...it’s not that bad.  Honest.”

 “Let me be the judge of that young man,” Sky said.  Indicating the doorway to the tent she told her older brother and the cowboy assisting him “Bring him in.  Get him in that chair over by the cot.”

 The two men did as she told them.  Then the cowboy excused himself to attend to other duties.

 “All right.  Now which one of you is going to tell me what happened?” Sky asked.

 In a teasing tone of voice Jamie Fairfax, a six-foot-two inch blond with a strong family resemblance to his sister said “The greenhorn here pulled a kid out of the path of that black steer Granddad’s been having so much trouble with.  From what I can see he landed wrong when he vaulted the fence on the other side of the arena.”

 “Uh-huh.  Let’s take a look at that ankle Gary.  Take your shoe off.  And your sock.”  As gently as she could she probed the injured joint.

 “Ow!  Take it easy would ya?” Gary yelped.

 “Sorry, Gary, but I have to do this.”  Sky fell silent for a few seconds.  “I think you’re right Jamie.  There doesn’t seem to be anything broken.  Sprained yes, but not broken.  I don’t think we even need to send him for x-rays.”

 “Good.  Then I’ll just put my sock and shoe on and leave,” Gary said, determined to make good his escape before the Fairfaxes started asking too many questions.

 “Not yet, you won’t Gary Hobson.  First I have to strap that ankle.  Then we have to find some crutches for you to use,” Sky said in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

 “I’ll get the crutches for you sis.  There’re some in the trailer with the other supplies we haven’t unloaded yet.”  Jamie exited the trailer for a few minutes while his sister wrapped Gary’s ankle.  He found the crutches in the large green trailer parked behind the infirmary tent, right where he thought he would.  The rodeo was just getting set up.  So far, only the basics, such as tents and pens for the livestock had been unloaded and set up.  The plan was to finish setting up during the course of the next couple of days.  The actual show and competitions wouldn’t begin until that weekend.

 As he started back toward the infirmary tent, he heard a voice calling him from a couple of hundred yards behind him.  Turning back he saw his Grandfather Kenneth MacGregor striding toward him.

 “Hey Grandad,” he said.  “What’s up?”

 “I hear some stranger got himself hurt in the arena a little while ago.  Know anything about it?”

 “Yeah.  A friend of ours, Gary Hobson, kept some curious kid from being trampled by that nasty tempered black steer.  Sky’s tending to him now.  It’s just a sprained ankle.  He hurt it vaulting over the fence to escape the steer himself.”

 Kenneth MacGregor frowned.  “How did that critter get loose in the first place?”

 “I don’t know Granddad.  I was more concerned with getting Gary’s ankle tended to than figuring that out.”  Seeing his grandfather’s frown deepen he added, “I’ll look into it as soon as I know Gary’s all set.  I promise.”

 By now they had reached the infirmary.  Jamie grinned as he heard Gary arguing with Sky about taking better care of himself.  It seemed that those two were always arguing about something.  Sky had a hard time letting go of the “little boy” image of Gary that she carried in her mind.  When she’d first met Gary he was a lost and frightened four-year-old who’d almost been bitten by a poisonous snake.  Then, when they’d moved to Hickory, Indiana, Gary’s hometown, when Sky was 12 it had been one thing after another.  Babysitting for him, climbing trees to bring him down when he got scared, hiking trips, swimming in the pond, skating, skiing and every other activity a kid could possibly want to be involved in.  Gary and his best friend Chuck Fishman were among the troop of kids that Sky was always involved with.

 His grin faded momentarily when he thought back a few months ago to Gary and Sky’s reunion.  Sky had seen little of Gary after she graduated from High School.  Between medical school, her internship & residency and establishing her own practice she’d been out of state more than she was at home.  She’d spent a couple of summers working with Granddad’s rodeo.   Then, after five years in Scotland and Kentucky, she’d settled in Chicago and opened a clinic on Halsted Street.  One night she and Sam Delaney had returned to the clinic to retrieve something she’d forgotten (Sam wouldn’t let her go by herself - it was kind of a rough neighborhood) to find it being burglarized and Gary involved in a fight with the two men who had broken in.  She’d ended up treating him for a knife wound in his arm and a mild concussion which had kept him confined to bed for a couple of days.

 He himself had aided Gary in Lincoln Park shortly after that attack when he became slightly ill preventing an elderly gentleman from being run down by a cyclist.  Worst of all had been the warehouse accident when Sky had nearly been killed by a falling load of carpet rolls.  Only Gary’s diving tackle had saved her from that.  Then Gary had been kidnapped off the street near a police station.  On his way to meet with Detective Marion “Zeke” Crumb, two men posing as cops, had handcuffed him and driven him to a warehouse where he was beaten and questioned about how much he knew about a drug theft/smuggling operation.  He shuddered when he remembered Sky’s story of how Gary had been drugged and dumped in a cave not very far from their house.  The men who had kidnapped him had sealed the cave up.  It turned out that these men were the ones from the burglary and only Sky’s insistence on being with the search party had saved Gary.  The oxygen in the cave was just about gone by the time she and a couple of local police officers had dug a hole big enough for her to squeeze through.  His sister had found Gary, bound hand and foot and gagged for good measure, only fifteen feet from the cave entrance.  His eyes nearly swollen shut and gasping for air Gary had been treated in the cave and then sent to the hospital for a couple of days.  Then she had banished him to Hickory to his parents for a few days.

His smile returned when he remembered the party they had had at McGinty’s, Gary’s restaurant and bar, a couple of weeks later.  Good music, good food, the company of their families and Gary’s friends Chuck and Marissa Clark, the young blind woman who was their partner, and Sky’s nurse, Sam Delaney.  Sky would forever state with conviction that she told the best joke that night because she got Gary to smile and laugh.  It was a dumb joke about what you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire.  It was the answer, “frostbite” that had gotten to the rather serious young man.  In spite of himself he had smiled and laughed even while telling her that was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard.

Turning his attention back to the present Jamie turned to his grandfather.  “Grandad, I think we’d better get in there before they start swinging.”  He added with a chuckle, “You know how Sky is when she gets excited.  She’s very protective of Gary but he frustrates her too.”

The two men entered the tent where a very animated “discussion” about Gary’s health and well being was going on.  Kenneth MacGregor looked at his granddaughter with a twinkle in his green eyes.

“Now, Schuyler is that any way to treat a patient?  Especially one who did your old grandfather a tremendous favor?”

“You’re not old!” was Sky’s automatic response.  Then she looked up from where she knelt beside Gary’s chair as she finished bandaging his injured ankle.  Sheepishly she smiled up at him.  “Sorry, Grandpa Mac.  You’d think I was a hot tempered Irishman the way I carry on instead of a cold blooded Scot.”

Kenneth MacGregor reached out with his right hand to help his granddaughter to her feet.  “Well is one of you going to introduce me to this young man or have you both forgotten your manners?”

“Sorry Grandad,” Jamie said.  “Gary this is our grandfather, Kenneth MacGregor.  Grandad this is Gary Hobson.”

Mr. MacGregor reached out to shake hands with Gary.  His green eyes looked the younger man over appraisingly.  He liked what he saw.  A man somewhat younger than his granddaughter with brown hair, brown eyes with a touch of green in them and looks that, in his day, would have been called clean cut and all American.  He also noted the hint of shyness as they were introduced.  He was surprised at that after hearing with his own ears the lively discussion this young man had just had with his granddaughter.

“Jamie here was telling me that you’re the one who helped that youngster out a little bit ago.”

“Well, I…”

“I want you to know how much I appreciate your efforts boy.  I could have had a major lawsuit on my hands.”

“Grandpa Mac, you’re embarrassing him,” Sky said as Gary’s face grew red.

“All right.  I won’t say any more about it.”  Looking at Sky’s handiwork he changed the subject.  “How bad is he hurt?”

“According to him not at all.  According to his personal physician,” she grinned as Gary squirmed under her gaze; “It’s a bad sprain.  He’s going to need to use the crutches Jamie’s holding for a few days whether he likes it or not.”

“I don’t like it!”  Gary exclaimed.  “You fuss too much.  Just like Mom.  I’m fine, really!”  Gary started to stand.  It was a very good thing that the others were standing right there for when he put his weight on his right ankle he turned pale and started to fall.  Jamie Fairfax and his grandfather, a very spry and strong eighty-year-old, caught him and eased him back into the chair.

 Sky picked up the crutches Jamie had dropped and adjusted them to Gary’s height.  Handing them to her friend she said, “Let’s see how you get along with these.”

The two Fairfaxes and their grandfather watched as Gary maneuvered a few steps back & forth.  He seemed to have trouble at first but as they were standing on dirt and not a nice even surface it was to be expected.

“So how do you plan on getting home to McGinty’s Gary?” Sky asked.  “You certainly aren’t going to walk from here to Illinois & Franklin on that ankle.”

“Well when I came here I wasn’t expecting to wind up on crutches.  I guess I’ll take a cab,” he replied.

“No you won’t,” Sky said.  Looking at her watch she added “It’s almost lunch time and I’m hungry.  I’ll get my purse and drive you back in my truck.”   Then she turned to her brother and grandfather.  “Why don’t we all go?  The crew can get along without us for a couple of hours.  I’d like for you to meet our friends Chuck Fishman and Marissa Clark Grandpa Mac.”  Then with a giggle that would seem to be more in character for a teenager than a woman almost forty she amended her statement.  “Well, Marissa is a friend anyway.  Chuck is a pest - sometimes.”  She hastily amended that statement when she saw Gary opening his mouth to speak in defense of his best friend.

“That’s a good idea Grandad,” Jamie said, “Although I suspect Sky has an ulterior motive though.  She and Gary’s cook have been exchanging recipes for months now.”

Kenneth MacGregor looked at his granddaughter with a twinkle in his eye as he spoke to his grandson.  “It’s about time Schuyler showed some interest in domestic matters.”  He delighted in his granddaughter’s discomfort as she blushed.  In reality he was proud of her but never could resist taking the opportunity to tease her.

“All right you two,” Sky said as Gary grinned, enjoying every second of the family’s conversation.  “Enough.  Let’s get my patient in the truck and go get some lunch.”

Jamie and his grandfather assisted Gary as a couple of minutes later Sky pulled up in her truck.  Gary chafed under the feeling of helplessness but didn’t waste more than a couple of seconds arguing.  The other men were every bit as stubborn as Sky.  He’d heard often enough how stubborn Scotsmen could be.  Besides the look Sky gave him when he met her eyes in the rear view mirror squelched the majority of his protests.  Jamie and his grandfather exchanged knowing glances as they climbed into the truck.  They knew Gary had lost this battle before it even started.

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

The lunch crowd was starting to filter into McGinty’s.  Recently retired detective Zeke Crumb was tending bar.  Marissa Clark, an African American woman about Gary’s age, was seated at a table in the main dining room enjoying a cup of coffee prior to ordering her lunch.  Chuck Fishman, Gary’s friend and partner was sitting with her reading his copy of the Sun-Times.  He looked up when he heard Sky’s voice as she entered the restaurant followed by Jamie, her grandfather and Gary.

“Gary,” he yelled startling Marissa as he jumped up from the table.  “What happened?  Are you okay?”

“What is it Chuck,” Marissa asked in concern.  “What’s wrong with Gary?”

“It’s just a sprained ankle Marissa,” Gary reassured her as he made his way slowly and somewhat painfully to the table where she was sitting.  “I’ll explain later.”

The others pulled up another table so that they could all sit together.

“Hi, Marissa,” Sky said, giving her new friend a hug.  “He’s going to be fine.  It’s a nasty sprain but as long as he keeps his weight off of it for a few days it’ll be fine.”

“Sky,” Marissa said returning the hug.  “It’s good to hear your voice!  You haven’t been around for a couple of weeks.”

“I know.  I’ve been busy at the clinic and at the Oak Park fairgrounds.”  Sky squeezed Marissa’s right hand with her left. “I’ll be in your hair enough when things settle down again.”

“Marissa, how are you?” Jamie asked.  “When are we going dancing again?”

“Jamie,” Marissa said, “It’s good to hear your voice too.”  She giggled at his comment.  He’d been among the first to insist she participate as much as possible in the festivities at their private party a few months ago.  He’d swept her onto the dance floor for the first waltz followed by his brother and father.  “Any time you say handsome.  I’ve been waiting for you to ask.”

“Ahem,” Kenneth MacGregor cleared his throat.  “Would somebody care to let me in on the joke?”

“It’s not really a joke Grandpa Mac,” Sky explained “It’s just that Marissa here is blind.  Jamie taught her to waltz at a party last fall.  It was a bit different from the dances she went to when she was in school.”  Then it dawned on her that her grandfather and friend had not been introduced.  “I’m sorry.  Grandpa Mac, this is Marissa Clark.  Marissa this is our grandfather Kenneth MacGregor.”

“It’s nice to meet you sir,” Marissa said holding her hand out.

“The pleasure is all mine young lady,” Mr. MacGregor responded, gently shaking her hand.

“And the little guy there next to Gary with the worried look on his face is Chuck Fishman.”

“Nice to meet you sir,” Chuck said.  “Sky talks about you a lot.”  With a gleam in his eye he turned to Sky.  “Hey, Snake Killer, what did you do to Gary this time?”

If Chuck expected to get a rise out Schuyler Fairfax he wasn’t disappointed.

“Chuck Fishman!” she exclaimed.  “You call me that ridiculous nickname again and I’ll knock you into the middle of the next county.  You know I hate it!”

“I know,” Chuck responded.  “That’s why I do it.”

Gary, caught in the middle of the crossfire was saved from having to break up one of their legendary fights when Crumb came over to their table.

“So, Hobson,” the old cop asked when introductions had been made, “What happened to you?”

“I fell,” Gary said.

“Fell where?  How?” Crumb was always ready to tease “the kid” about his “talent” for getting into trouble.  That is, when he wasn’t complaining or giving him a hard time.

Here Jamie spoke up as the only witness to Gary’s accident present at the table.  “He saved a kid from being hurt by one of Granddad’s steers but when he jumped over the fence to avoid it himself he landed too hard on that ankle.

“What?  Are you going cowboy on us now Hobson?”

“No.  It was just that I had one of my ‘feelings’.”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Crumb said as always.  “Can I get any of youse a drink?”

“Coke for me,” Sky said.  “Jamie?  Grandpa Mac?”

The two men ordered the same.  Crumb walked back to the bar to get the drinks.  One of the wait staff took their lunch orders and left for the kitchen to place them with the cook.

The food arrived and everyone dug in hungrily.  The Fairfax siblings and their grandfather fielded questions from everyone about the upcoming rodeo.

“It’s just a small show but it’s a start for young men and women who go on to compete in the big professional shows such as the Calgary Stampede and Cheyenne’s Frontier Days,” Kenneth MacGregor explained.  “And those who just want to compete for the fun of it.  Several of my grandchildren compete every summer and some like Schuyler and Jamie here work for me for a few weeks.”

“So how long are you going to be here Mr. MacGregor?” Marissa asked.

“Three weeks.”

“Does this mean that we won’t see much of Sky for those three weeks?” Gary asked half hopefully.

“Sweetie, you’re not getting me off your case that easily,” Sky told him, playfully pinching his cheek.  “You’re my patient again and I’ll be around to check up on you.  But right now,” she said, nodding at her brother as she pushed back her chair and picked up Gary’s crutches, “We’re going to get you upstairs and settled with that leg elevated.”

“Huh?  Now wait a minute.  What’s wrong with sitting with my feet up in the office?”
 
 

“You won’t rest and rest is what you need. And that leg needs to be elevated in a safe place,” Sky answered him. As Gary opened his mouth to protest again she said “Uh, uh, uh!  No arguments.  Give me the keys to your apartment.  I’ll go ahead and unlock the door while Jamie helps you up the stairs.”

Chuck and Marissa sat there grinning as they listened to this.  After Gary and Sky’s first meeting in fourteen years they’d had what Mr. MacGregor would call a “go around” on this same subject.  Gary had yet to win one of their arguments but that didn’t stop him from trying.  Reluctantly he handed his keys over and Sky excused herself to go up to the loft and arrange pillows and such to keep him comfortable and occupied.  Cat was nowhere to be seen.  Jamie, smothering his grin and his laughter at the disgusted and resigned look on Gary’s face, helped the younger man keep his balance as he hopped up the stairs.

“What’ll it be Gary,” Sky asked as they entered the room, “Chair, couch or bed?”

“You mean you’re giving me a choice?”

“And just what is that supposed to mean?”

“Last time you said I was your patient you made me stay in bed for two days.”

“The first time you were my patient Gary, dear heart, love of my life,” Sky retorted, “You had a mild concussion and a knife wound in your arm that required twenty-two stitches to close.  The last time you were my patient there was that beating you got when you were kidnapped.”

“Yeah, but…”

“Enough already you two” Jamie chuckled as he interrupted what was warming up to be a full-fledged battle.  “Gary you know you’re going to lose so why don’t you give in now before she changes her mind about giving you a say in the matter?”

“Chair,” a sulky Gary answered as Sky and Jamie both grinned at him.

Gary hobbled over to his armchair and sat down, putting his crutches on the floor to his right.  Sky took a couple of pillows from his bed and placed them on the coffee table.  Then she lifted his right leg and placed his foot on the pillows as gently as she could so she wouldn’t aggravate the injured ankle.

Jamie found the remote for Gary’s TV and handed it to him.  “Relax kid.  The harder you fight her the less chance you have of winning.  If you don’t know that after twenty-six years of friendship you’re not as smart as I thought you were.”

“Yeah, “ Gary muttered.  “But does she have to be so bossy?”

“That’s just he way it is kid,” Jamie patted Gary’s shoulder sympathetically.  “You may as well grin and bear it.”

“Enough you guys. One more wise crack out of either of you and you’ll both be sorry!”  Sky was getting tired of the complaints and wise cracks.  “All you have to do Gary is keep off that ankle for a few days.  You’d be smart to have the kitchen staff send your meals up with Chuck or Marissa and not risk those stairs.  Take aspirin or Tylenol for the pain and ice it.  I’ll pop in tomorrow when I get a chance to check up on you.  Leaning over she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.  “Cheer up, Gary.  You saved a youngster from serious injury or death, and your ankle is only sprained, not broken.  A couple of days rest and you’ll be running around the city again doing whatever it is you do when you’re not here.”

“Ok,” Gary sighed in resignation.

Sky handed him a business card with her name imprinted on it.

“Here take this.  It has my cell phone and pager numbers on it.  You already have the home phone.  If you need me you call one of those numbers.”

Satisfied that her patient was settled in for the time being Sky and Jamie started for the door.  They needed to pick up their grandfather from the dining room and get back to the fairgrounds.  There was still a lot of work to do if the show was going to open on time.

Just as they reached the door it occurred to Gary that there was something he had meant ask Sky.

“Hey Sky?”

Sky stopped and turned back toward Gary.

“Yes, Gary?”

“Who, uh, who were those guys?”

Which guys are you talking about?”

“Those two guys that you were yelling at when Jamie and that other guy brought me to your tent.

“Those two?” Sky exchanged looks with Jamie.  “Just a couple of newcomers to the show.  They heard that there was a woman doctor and thought they could get some special attention.”

“You sure that’s it?  You seemed pretty mad.”

Sky’s dark blue eyes looked at Gary fondly as she made light of the incident.

“That’s all it was.  It’s nothing for you to worry about.”  Planting another kiss on his cheek she said, “Don’t worry about it kiddo.  I can handle them.  And if I can’t I’ve always got my big brothers to look out for me.  Right Jamie?”  She gave her brother a warning look that didn’t completely escape Gary’s attention.

 Noting the warning look Jamie agreed.  “Right.  Look I’ll go down and rescue Chuck and Marissa from Granddad’s tall tales.  Meet you downstairs.”

 “Ok,” Sky agreed.  Sitting on Gary’s couch to his right for a minute she said to Gary “Don’t you fret about those two.  They won’t give me any trouble if they know what’s good for them.  Concentrate on taking care of that ankle like I told you.  I'll stop in tomorrow to check up on you.”  With those parting words she rose from the couch and with an impish gleam in her eyes tousled his hair as she left.  “See ya.”

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

At the fairgrounds an hour later, Jamie confronted his sister.

“Why didn’t you tell Gary the truth about those guys?  You’ve nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I know that but I don’t need another self appointed bodyguard.”  Seeing the exasperated look on her brother’s face she said “I can handle Mark Bradley now, just like I did when we were dating before I met Jonathan.  It was over between us long before Jonathan and I announced our engagement.  He’s going to understand that I’m not interested in renewing our relationship, trust me.”

“I do trust you sis, but I also worry about you.  So do Mom and Dad.  And Alan.  Jonathan made me promise to look out for you if anything ever happened to him.”

Sky reached over and hugged her brother.  Jonathan Bradley had been the one true love of her life.  His death at twenty-five a year after their wedding had shattered Schuyler’s heart and left her a widow at twenty-three. The love of her family had helped her through the dark days that followed.
 

“Listen big brother, I don’t want Gary to get in the middle of this.”  Holding her hand up to forestall his next comment she said “I know he’s a grown man now, but after what happened with his own relationships - him and Genie breaking up and Marcia divorcing him - he doesn’t need to get in the middle of this.  I’ve got you and I’ve got Alan.  Sam will be back in a couple of days.  And the regulars that have been working for Grandpa Mac for years know what an idiot he is.  I’ve got more than enough bodyguards.  Somehow I feel that Gary has enough on his mind without getting dragged into my problems.”

******************************************************************
Back at McGinty’s Gary was fretting over his conversation with Sky.  He just had a feeling that there was more to what was going on than she was telling him.  Even though he got irritated when she seemed to treat him like a child he loved Sky as the sister he’d never had.  If there was something going on he wanted to know and he wanted to help.  At least as much as the paper and his sprained ankle would allow him to.  The first thing was to find out what the look she gave Jamie meant.  It was obvious she didn’t want Jamie to say anything.

He needed to talk to Marissa at least.  With her insight into people’s hearts and souls maybe she’d picked up on something.  Gary went to bed that night frustrated and worried.  It was driving him crazy that Sky wouldn’t talk to him about her problem.  He tossed and turned for several hours, getting little sleep, partly because of what was on his mind and partly because his ankle was paining him some.  Around 2AM he finally broke down and took a couple of Tylenol as Sky had suggested before she left.  It not only eased the ache in his ankle but it helped him relax somewhat so he could fall asleep.

Plop.

“Meow.”

“Good morning, Chicago.  It’s a beautiful spring day.  The sun is out and temps will be in the high 60s.”

Groaning, Gary reached over and turned off the radio.  Picking up his crutches he hobbled over to the door.  Once there he opened it to admit the cat who trotted right in and made himself at home on the countertop.  It made no difference to him that his human partner was having difficulty getting the paper up off the floor without falling over.  He wanted his daily ration of milk.

Carefully, and with some difficulty, Gary closed the door and carried the paper over to the kitchen.  Glaring at the cat he said “I suppose you want me to feed you too, even though I can barely get around.”
 

Cat just looked up at him expectantly.  Exasperated and frustrated with his inability to manage things very well on the crutches he somehow managed to get a bowl out of the cupboard and the milk from the fridge.  He poured a generous bowlful but in light of his circumstances was wise enough to let Cat have his milk on the counter.  Better to do that than fall and not be able to get up again.

“Don’t get any ideas about this being a permanent arrangement,” he told Cat.  “It’s just until I can get around without the crutches, then you’ll eat off the floor again.”

Cat just ignored him and kept on lapping his milk, purring contentedly as he did so.  Gary started thumbing through his paper as he drank a glass of orange juice.  Fortunately it seemed that it was a light news day.  Fortunate for the people of Chicago and very much so for Gary.  With his ankle the way it was he’d have to rely on Chuck who only wanted to be involved with the paper when he could gain information that would make him money - and lots of it.

A couple of hours later Chuck and Marissa arrived to check up on Gary and oversee the daily set up downstairs.  Shortly there came a knock on Gary’s door and his friends entered to find a still wound up and restless Gary trying to make himself comfortable.  It was evident to both of them that the inactivity was getting to Gary even though it had been less than twenty-four hours since he had injured his ankle.

“Hey, buddy,” Chuck said as he and Marissa entered the room.  “How are ya feeling?”

“Good morning, Gary,” Marissa said.  “How’s your ankle?”

“I’m fine but I’m bored,” Gary answered.

“Then why are you squirming in that chair?” Marissa asked.

Gary looked at her and opened his mouth to ask her how she knew but changed his mind before the words left his mouth.  In the years that they’d known each other Marissa had done things like this many times.  He couldn’t figure out how she did it and she always passed it off as intuition or something.

“Ok, so my ankle’s a little sore, too.  It’s nothing.”

“Did you take anything for it?” Marissa asked.

“I took some Tylenol around two this morning.”
 

“Here you go buddy,” Chuck handed him a couple of Tylenol and a glass of water.  This was one of those rare occasions when Chuck’s concern for his friend overcame the selfish side of his nature.  He could tell that Gary was in need of it so he headed off the request.

“I’m glad you guys came up,” Gary said after he had taken the medication.  “I wanted to ask you something.  Did Sky say anything to you about problems at the fairgrounds?”

“What kind of problems Gary,” Marissa asked.

“Why would you think they’re having problems Gar?” Chuck asked.  “Is it in the paper or something?”

“No.” Gary answered.  It’s something I saw and heard yesterday.”

“Like what?” Chuck asked.

“Well, yesterday, when I sprained my ankle diving over that fence and Jamie and one of the cowboys helped me over to the first aid tent Sky was yelling at these two guys,” Gary explained.  “They didn’t look or sound any too happy, any of them.”

“Did you ask her about it Gary?” Marissa asked.

“Yeah.  When she and Jamie were leaving yesterday.  When I asked her she said it was just a couple of newcomers to the show looking for special attention from the lady doctor.”

“And that worries you Gar?”  Chuck was slightly puzzled.  He’d seen for himself for the past twenty years that Schuyler Fairfax was usually quite capable of taking care of herself.

“Well, no,” Gary admitted.  “It’s not that - it’s the look that she gave Jamie when she answered me.  It’s like she was warning him not to say anything to me.”

“Well Gary,” Marissa said.  “Maybe she just doesn’t want you to worry.  Or maybe there isn’t anything more to it than what she told you.  After all she is a nice person and from what you’ve told me she’s attractive.  It could be that they’re no more dangerous than Chuck is when he’s looking for a woman’s attention.”

“Hey!”  Chuck exclaimed.  “I resent that remark!”

Gary smiled briefly at that little exchange, but then he frowned again.

“I still think there’s something going on,” he said.  “I wish she’d tell me what it is.  Maybe I could help.”

“I’d stay out of it if I were you Gar,” Chuck told him.  “She may not appreciate you poking your nose in.”

“I’m not interfering!  I just…I…” The looks he got from his friends put an end to any further denial on his part.  But the idea of finding out what was happening with Sky was still firmly entrenched in his mind.  He was determined to somehow find out even if he had to do it without any help from Chuck or Marissa.  He just wished he could start now.  Maybe Crumb could…No.  That was no good.  If Chuck & Marissa were warning him about getting involved Crumb would be even worse.  He decided to keep his thoughts to himself for the time being.  After all he had to admit to himself there wasn’t much he could do when he didn’t even know their names.  He sighed in frustration squirming restlessly in the chair again after his friends went downstairs to work.

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

The air at the Oak Park Fairgrounds was filled with the sound of hammers ringing, horses neighing, cattle bawling and voices shouting.

“Testing one-two.  Testing.” A man’s voice came over the PA system.

Sky and Jamie Fairfax were busy moving supplies from the trailer to the first aid tent.  A dozen cots were set inside each with a pillow and a blanket.  A small table and several chairs were also in place where Sky and her staff could fill out any necessary paperwork.  Shelves along one wall of the tent held boxes of bandages and gauze, rolls of adhesive tape, bottles of alcohol and other such non-perishable supplies.

Kenneth MacGregor was in the office looking over the schedule of events and list of entries.  Many familiar names were beginning to show up on the list and this pleased the old man tremendously.  He like to think of his entourage as a family - and the employees who had been with him for years were just as fond of him and his family.

Trucks by the dozen, some pulling horse trailers, were pulling onto the fairgrounds and being directed to the stabling area.

Jamie was outside the tent hanging signs when four men and three women approached him.

“Hangin’ that banner a little crooked ain’t ya mister?”  one of the men said in an exaggerated child’s Texas drawl.

“I’d know that voice anywhere!”  Jamie exclaimed skimming down the ladder and turning to face his tormenter.  “Christopher MacGregor are you ever going to grow up?”

“Nope.  No fun in that cuz,” was the answer.

Jamie pulled the man into a hug.  This six foot one black haired, blue eyed cousin was a favorite of the whole MacGregor/Fairfax clan.  Close behind him were his brother Alex, sister Anne, and cousins Rob, Andrew, Hannah and Rebecca.  All the MacGregor’s resembled each other but their coloring was varied.  Where Christopher was dark haired like Sky, Alex was blond like Jamie and Anne was a redhead like their grandfather.  Hannah was a brunette with reddish highlights and cobalt blue eyes like Jamie.  Rob and Andrew were tall redheads with brown eyes but where Rob tanned well every summer Andrew was more apt to burn and had a light sprinkling of freckles across his nose and cheeks that the girls in his life were always raving about much to his embarrassment.  Rebecca was also blonde but had gray-blue eyes.

Greetings and hugs were exchanged between Jamie and his kin.

“Does Grandad know you’re here yet?” he asked.

“We just pulled in and unloaded the horses.  We wanted to look you and Sky up first.” Christopher was the spokesman for the group.  “Where is the good doctor anyway?”

“She’s inside the tent.  We’ve been setting up,” Jamie answered.  Turning back toward the tent he called his sister “Hey Sky come on out here, we’ve got company!”

Sky came in answer to her brother’s page and found herself surrounded by her cousins.

“Chris!  Alex!  Hannah!  Rebecca! Anne!  Rob!  Andrew!  You’re here!” Sky was thrilled to see these family members.  The MacGregor clan was mostly based in Texas but their Fairfax cousins were as close to them as they were to any of their Hoosier relatives.  Many a family vacation had been taken on the ranches belonging to Kenneth MacGregor and his sons.

Greetings were exchanged all around and were repeated moments later in the office where they found not only their grandfather but their beloved grandmother Phoebe as well.  She’d just arrived an hour earlier when Alan, Sky and Jamie’s brother dropped her off on his way to an appointment in Chicago.

She was spending most of her time visiting her daughter and son-in-law in Hickory.  She would be at the rodeo off and on but would spend most of her time visiting and shopping, capping the visit off with what she thought would be a quiet anniversary celebration in three weeks as the rodeo wrapped up its appearance in Chicago.  Neither she nor her husband had any idea that their children and their spouses and their grandchildren were planning a big celebration.  And their family intended to keep it that way.
“Well it’s about time you young rapscallions showed up,” Kenneth MacGregor said with a twinkle in his eye.  “I hope you’ve taken care of your animals and equipment.”

The cousins looked at each other and shook their heads.  Then they started laughing.

“Well,” Chris said, “nice to know some things never change.”

“Of course we took care of our animals first Grandad,” Alex said.  That’s something you and our parents have dinged into us since we just little sprouts.”

A chorus of seven voices - no nine for Jamie and Sky chimed in - chanted “A good horseman always takes care of his mount first and then himself.”

“Don’t worry, Grandad,” Rob spoke up.  “They’re bedded down and watered.  We’ll give them a good workout this afternoon and get some practice runs in.  We thought we’d get some lunch and see the sights and then we’ll be ready to settle down and start getting ready for the competition.”

“You kids run along,” Phoebe MacGregor told her grandchildren.  “And see to it that our young hothead here,” she indicated twenty-year-old Andrew “stays out of trouble.”

“Oh, Grandma,” Andrew sighed as his cousins and sister laughed.  He was the youngest in his family and was notorious for being somewhat short-tempered.  His family always told him that that was what came of being half-Irish and a red headed one to boot.

Saying good-bye to their grandparents the cousins headed back to the first aid tent.  There they piled into Jamie & Sky’s trucks and drove over to pick up Chris’s and all headed for lunch.

It only seemed natural that they should wind up at McGinty’s.  Sky and Jamie ate there as often as possible due to their friendship with Gary, Chuck & Marissa but also because they liked the food.  And with Gary a patient of Sky’s once again she needed to look in on him.

Laughing and talking among themselves they descended upon the restaurant, as their grandfather would say, like a stampeding herd of thirsty cattle heading for a watering hole.

“Hey Chuck, Marissa,” Sky greeted them.  “Hope Tony’s ready to do some serious cooking in that kitchen.  You’ve got a bunch of hungry cowhands here looking to put on the feedbag.”

Turning to her cousins she said “Gang this is Chuck Fishman and Marissa Clark.  Chuck, Marissa these are our cousins Christopher MacGregor…”

“Pleased to meet you folks,” Chris said.

“His brother Alex…”

“Hi.”

“His sister Anne…”

“Hi,” Anne smiled.

“And over there next to Jamie is Rob, his sister Hannah and our cousins Andrew and Rebecca.”  Sky finished off the introductions.  “They’re here to compete in the rodeo and help plan the big anniversary celebration we’re planing for our grandparents which we’re having the night the rodeo closes.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Marissa said.

“Yeah, yeah,” Chuck agreed.  “Have a seat.  You can pull those tables together.”

The MacGregor men did what was suggested and soon enough tables were pulled together for them, their family, Chuck & Marissa to all sit together.

Sky sat long enough to get everyone settled with Jamie “riding herd” over the younger crowd, these cousins all being between ten and twenty years younger than themselves.  They were known to be somewhat boisterous.  Their parents blamed it on their hot Highlander blood.  Then she went upstairs to check on her patient.

“Come in,” came Gary’s answer to her knock.

“Hey, hon,” Sky greeted him.  “How’re you feeling.”

“Ok.” Gary replied.

Sky walked over to the couch and put her bag down on the coffee table.

“That ankle bothering you much?”

“Uh, no, not really,” he said unconvincingly.

“Uh huh,” Sky said raising her right eyebrow as she spoke.  “Sure.  That’s why the Tylenol bottle is half-empty.  Have you been walking around on it against my orders?”

Gary blushed.  It drove him nuts when Marissa knew when he’d done something he shouldn’t.  But ever since he and Sky had been reunited he’d found himself with two people who knew what he did even without being there to see it.

Unwrapping his ankle she was not pleased when she found the swelling was still as bad as when he’d injured it yesterday morning.

“Gary Hobson!” she exclaimed.  “That ankle shouldn’t be this swollen!  Haven’t you been staying off of it like I told you?”

Gary blushed some more as he stuttered “Well I…I”

“That’s what I figured.  That ankle and the guilty look on your face tell me everything I need to know.”

Reaching in her bag she pulled out a bottle and a hypodermic needle.  Seeing the somewhat panic-stricken look on his face she said “Relax.  It’s just an anti-inflammatory like I would give to an arthritic patient.  It’ll help take the swelling down - provided you stay off your feet like I told you.  If you don’t obey my orders I will put you to bed just like the last time.”

Gary gritted his teeth and averted his eyes as she gave him the shot and swabbed the area with alcohol after she was through.  “Now that that’s done, I have a favor to ask of you as the owner of McGinty’s.  Actually it’s a business proposition and I want you to talk it over with Chuck and Marissa before you decide.”

“Sure.  What is it?”  Gary asked, eager to get her attention off of him and onto another subject.

“Grandpa Mac and Grandma Phoebe are celebrating their sixty-fifth wedding anniversary three weeks from Friday.  The family is planning a big celebration the day the competition closes three weeks from Friday night.  We need a caterer and we need a place we can meet to plan the party.  We’ll pay for the food and any phone calls we make.  And of course, we want you guys to come as well.

“You don’t have to pay us,” Gary protested.  We’ll do it for free.”

“No, you won’t Gary Hobson,” Sky told him.  We’re talking in the neighborhood of fifty people, maybe more once my parents, aunts, uncles, the youngest grandchildren and the ten great-grandchildren arrive.  That’s way too many people for you to feed for free.  The cousins that are downstairs with Jamie are part of the planning committee.  They elected me spokesman.”

“I didn’t know your family was that big,” Gary said.

“Honey, that’s just the MacGregor side of the family.  My grandparents had nine kids and all of them have at least three kids and four of them have kids.  A lot of them are teens and early twenties.  They’ll eat you out of house and home given half a chance.  We’ll accept a discount if you want to give us one, but no freebies.  We don’t want to be responsible for you going into bankruptcy.”

“Now remember, talk it over with Chuck & Marissa before you decide.  You can give us your decision in a couple of days.  If you decide to go for it we’ll meet with you here to discuss the details.  Okay?”

“Ok.”

“Now, as for your ankle,” Sky said.  “You’ve got to stay off of it and keep it elevated like I told you.  Be a good boy and maybe tomorrow you can come downstairs.”

“But Sky…”

“No buts Gary.  You’ve aggravated that injury.  That shot I gave you will help but you have to keep it elevated and keep your weight off of it.”  Seeing his face as he started to protest again she added, “No more talk.  Do what you’re told.”

Rising from the couch she picked up her bag.  Leaning over she gave Gary a kiss on the cheek and mussed his hair, enjoying his embarrassed look as she did so.

“I promise that tomorrow when I come by I’ll let you out of here for a while but you’re still going to have to take it easy.  Anyway I’ve got to get downstairs and rejoin my family.  Jamie and seven of our cousins are waiting for me.  You could say the MacGregor’s have invaded McGinty territory only I guarantee you it’s not a turf war as in ancient Scotland.  We’re only here to have lunch before we take them sightseeing and then it’s back to the fairgrounds so they can get some practice runs in on their events.  You’ll get to meet them eventually.”  With that she gave him a final pat on the shoulder and left to rejoin her family.

The next few days were fairly uneventful.  The disasters in the paper were relatively minor.  A stop sign hidden by some tree branches would have resulted in a messy collision between two cars.  No one would be injured but traffic would be detoured for hours until the glass, metal and gas spills were cleaned up.

Some kids would climb the pole of the street signs at an intersection causing traffic tie-ups when an 18-wheeler got stuck on a dead end street.  And various other minor incidents that Gary was able to handle over the telephone.
 

Four days after his accident Sky permitted Gary to stop using the crutches and put his weight on the ankle again.  He still limped a little but not too badly and by the sixth day it was gone completely - something Gary was grateful for since it meant getting back to his “normal” routine and got Sky, Chuck and Marissa off his case about taking it easy.

“Meow.”

Plop.

“Good morning Chicago.  It’s a beautiful spring day out there…”

Gary’s hand reached over and turned the radio off.  After being laid up for four days he was actually looking forward to taking care of whatever the paper had in store for him.

“Morning little buddy,” he said as he opened the door to retrieve the paper and allow Cat to enter.  Putting the paper down on the counter he got a bowl and poured some milk into it, placing it on the floor.  Then he settled himself on a stool at the counter with a glass of orange juice and some toast.

On page one at the bottom of the page a headline caught his eye and set him scrambling to get dressed and out the door.

Cowboy Injured in Rodeo Mishap

Alexander MacGregor, 25, was seriously injured yesterday morning when his horse stumbled and fell throwing him to the ground.  Rodeo officials investigating the accident say that MacGregor’s horse lost a shoe during a practice run for the calf roping competition causing the horse to lose it’s balance.  MacGregor’s injuries, which include a broken wrist and several broken ribs, came as a result of his horse falling on him.  He’s listed in fair condition at Cook County General Hospital.

Rushing down the stairs pulling his lightweight tan jacket on he found Marissa in the main dining room enjoying her first cup of coffee since coming in to work.  Chuck had not arrived yet.

“Morning Gary,” she greeted him.  “You seem to be in a hurry this morning.”

“I have to get out to the fairgrounds,” he explained to her.  “The paper says that one of the cowboys, Alexander MacGregor, is going to be injured when his horse throws him.”

“How are you going to stop that Gary?”

“I don’t know yet.  The paper says his horse loses a shoe.  Then it stumbles and falls on him causing him to break a wrist and some ribs.”

“You know Gary, that’s one of Sky’s cousins.  Didn’t you say she gave you her cell phone and pager numbers?  Why don’t you call her and tell her what you know? You could tell her you got an anonymous tip or something.”

“That’s a good idea Marissa,” Gary said.  “What’d I do with those numbers?”

“Didn’t you put them in your wallet?”

Gary took his wallet out of his pocket and looked.  “No they’re not here.”  Looking at his watch he grimaced.  “I don’t have time to keep looking Marissa.  I’ll have to find Sky when I get to the fairgrounds and tell her what’s going to happen.  With her help I’ll find this cousin of hers and stop the accident.”

He went out the front door to hail a cab with Marissa’s “Be careful Gary” and “Call us to let us know you’re ok” ringing in his ears.

Forty minutes later he arrived at the fairgrounds, which were bustling with activity.  Horses neighed, cattle bawled, the PA system squawked and voices were heard shouting, chattering and singing.

Unsure of where to find the man needing his help he went to the first aid tent to find Sky or Jamie.  Neither of them was there.  Frustrated, Gary looked at his watch and found that he had only five minutes before the accident would occur.  Exiting the tent he hailed a passing cowboy.

“Hey, mister, do you know where Dr. Fairfax is?  Or her brother?”

“They’re over at the arena watching their cousins practice for their events.  Seems to me Alex is working out before the calf roping competition.

“Thanks,” Gary said as he rushed off toward the arena.

Looking around he finally spotted the Fairfax siblings standing by the fence watching as their cousin Rob finished his practice run and released his calf.

“Not bad, Rob,” Jamie called as he and Sky consulted the stopwatch she held in her right hand.  “But you still need a little work on your dismount.  You’re losing precious time that you can’t afford to lose if you want to stay ahead of the competition.  Why don’t you go off somewhere and practice that while Alex takes his turn?”

“Ok,” Rob answered.  “Whatever you say cousin.  You’re the one with the stopwatch.”

“Alex, you’re up,” Sky called as Gary approached her and Jamie.

“No, wait,” he called.  “Sky!  Jamie! Don’t let him go!  He’s gonna get hurt!”

“Gary?!” Sky exclaimed in surprise.  “What are you talking about?”

Gary reached the part of the fence where she was standing.  “Don’t let Alex go.  His horse is gonna fall on him.”

The Fairfaxes looked at their friend in bewilderment.

“Gary, calm down,” Jamie said.  “Tell us what you mean.”

“I…I can’t tell you how I know,” Gary said.  “But I know that if you let Alex take this practice run he’s gonna be hurt.”

When they still didn’t respond he added “Please believe me.  If he makes this run his horse is going to lose a shoe, stumble and fall with him and he’s going to be seriously injured.”

Sky and Jamie hesitated a moment longer but then, convinced that he wasn’t joking they both started toward the chute on the run with Gary on their heels.

“Alex,” Jamie’s voice boomed out across the distance between them.   “Hold up.”

To the men about to release the calf he said, “Wait.  Don’t let that calf go.”

By now the three of them, somewhat breathless had reached the chute where Alex on his Quarter Horse named Commanche was waiting his turn.

“Alex, Gary says you’re going to be hurt if you make this run,” Sky told her cousin.  Looking at Gary she asked, “Do you know which shoe?”

“No,” he answered.  “All I know is that he’s going to lose a shoe and that’ll make him stumble and fall with and on Alex.”

Sky reached for Commanche’s reins as Alex, thoroughly confused, dismounted.

“I checked his shoes this morning when I was grooming and feeding.  They were fine then,” he protested.

“Check them again,” Sky told him.  Gary’s never been wrong yet when he’s warned me about something.  And he’s not prone to joking about people being hurt.”

Just then Jamie, who had been checking the horse’s feet himself, gave a low whistle.

“Look at this,” He said to the others indicating Commanche’s near, or left front hoof.  “This shoe’s hanging on by one nail and just barely at that.”

“Alex if you and Commanche had started your run with that shoe the way it is he most certainly would have fallen and taken you with him.” Sky’s dark blue eyes were even darker with concern.  “You could have been badly hurt and Commanche as well.”

While they were talking Gary snuck a quick look at his paper and breathed a silent sigh of relief.  The headline had changed to one for an article about the City Workers scheduled trimming of dead tree branches in Grant Park.

The conversation between the cousins, the timekeeper and the other hands gathered around was interrupted by a mocking voice coming from just outside the chute.

“Hey, MacGregor, you so afraid of a little competition that you have to cripple your horse so you won’t have to face failure?”

Looking up the group gathered around the Fairfaxes and their cousin saw Mark Bradley.  Gary recognized him as one of the two men he had heard Sky yelling at the day he injured his ankle.

“The day I’m afraid of competition from you Bradley is the day I hang up my spurs permanently,” Alex answered.

Gary could feel the tension in the air as Alex and his cousins faced the man who had just spoken.  It was obvious that there was a long-standing history of trouble between his friends and this guy Bradley.

“Bradley,” the judge who was in the group said, “If I find you had anything to do with this you’ll be disqualified from the competition and barred from all future competitions you may wish to enter.”

But Mark Bradley was not about to let the Fairfax/MacGregor clan off so lightly.  He turned his attention to Sky.

“Hey, Schuyler, when are we going to get together sweetie and have a drink?  Or doesn’t big brother there let you date cowboys?”

“I date whomever I want Mark Bradley,” she answered him as she gripped her angry brother’s arm.

“Who’s the pretty boy behind you?” he asked, referring to Gary who had taken a protective step toward Sky.

“He’s a friend, not that it’s any of your business.”

“’Friend’ huh?  You got a name pretty boy?”

Gary pulled Sky who was still hanging onto Jamie’s arm behind him and faced their tormentor.

“I got a name.  It’s Gary Hobson.  And I don’t like your attitude mister.”

“Well, Gary Hobson, just you stay out of this.  It’s none of your affair.

Before he could make any more comments or threatening moves toward Sky, Jamie, Alex, Gary or anyone else, Kenneth MacGregor appeared on the scene accompanied by Sam Delaney and two security guards.

“Break it up,” he commanded.  “Break it up I said.”

Turning to his younger grandson he said, “Alex go take care of your horse.  The farrier is set up and ready for business.”  Seeing the stubborn look on Alex’s face he said, “Go on.  Git.  Do like I tell you.”  Looking at Mark Bradley with fire in his green eyes he said “Mr. Bradley you are very close to being barred from the competition.  If I hear of you harassing my family or anyone else while you’re here you will be.  One more incident or if we find proof that you tampered with Alex’s gear or mount and you will be.  These two gentlemen,” he indicated the Security Guards “will be keeping a close watch on you.”

The crowd broke up and everyone went their own way.  Some to prepare for their event.  Kenneth MacGregor went back to his office after giving his granddaughter a quick hug.  Alex went to the farrier’s to get Commanche reshod and others to the announcer’s booth and grandstand.

Sky and Jamie, accompanied by Sam started back toward the first aid station talking quietly.

“Hey, Sky,” Gary called.  “Wait up.”

Jogging to catch up with the other three Gary tucked his paper inside his jacket.  Sky stopped but told the others to go on without her.

“Go on you two.  I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

 Appraising his friend with concerned eyes, Gary tried to decide how best to approach her about what was on his mind.  He’d never seen Jamie so angry that he was willing to come to blows.  Nor had he ever seen Sky so angry and yet so protective at the same time.  He had a feeling she didn’t want to talk about what had just happened but now he was more determined than ever to find out what was going on.
 

“What is it Gary?”

“Can we talk?”

“About what?”

“You know what.  About what just happened.”

Gary was getting frustrated.  This was not going the way he wanted it to.  Sky was very closed mouthed for someone who could usually out talk the slickest con artist.  He knew that the look on her face meant she didn’t want to discuss the events of the last few minutes.

“Sky, please, I’m begging you.  Don’t shut me out,” Gary pleaded

Sky looked at his boyish face fondly.  Reaching out she brushed some stray hair back from his forehead.  She could see the concern in his eyes as she did so.  She still didn’t want to tell him about her relationship with Mark Bradley but she knew that the time had come.  She’d tried to keep him out of it but now he was right smack in the middle of it due to his intervention at the arena on Alex’s behalf.

“Ok,” she said with a sigh. “I wanted to keep you out of it but you’re such a stewer you’ll nag me until I do tell you about it.  But let’s go somewhere quiet where we can talk.”

Taking him by the hand she led him to a quiet corner of the fairgrounds.  Her brother and Sam saw them as the passed the first aid station.  Jamie sighed in relief.  He’d wanted her to tell Gary a week ago but true to her Scottish heritage she’d dug her heels in and refused.  Her stubborn streak wouldn’t allow her to drag the kid into this mess.  She was sure she could handle Mark now just as she always had.

Sam smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder.  He’d worked with Sky for ten years.  He knew that eventually she’d break down because over the past six months he’d seen how she felt about Gary and how protective he was of her.  The two men busied themselves with the finishing touches of the set up in the tent being used for a first aid station and filing paperwork that had been completed for some minor injures they’d already treated.

Sky found the spot she was looking for and sat on a bench with her back against a tree.  Patting the seat next to her she told Gary to sit down.  Taking a minute to collect her thoughts she then looked at the concerned face of the young man sitting next to her.

“Gary, how much do you remember about the guys I dated when I was in my teens?” she asked.

“Not much,” he said.  “I guess it’s the difference in our ages.”

“That’s ok,” Sky smiled at him.  “When I was sixteen you were only eight.  I wouldn’t expect you to remember that much.”  She paused for a moment and then continued on.  “When I was eighteen and studying pre-med at Harvard Medical School I met Mark Bradley.  He was in a couple of my classes.  We went out a few times but I broke it off when I realized what a self-centered, jealous, skirt chasing idiot he is.  When I was twenty-two I was working in a hospital in Dallas when I met another young man.  Jonathan was twenty-four.  He had blond hair, brown eyes, dimples in both cheeks and a great smile.  Best of all he treated me, and every woman he came in contact with, like a lady.

“We were going together for about six months when he proposed and took me home to meet his family.  I fell in love with his parents at first sight and they with me.  It was his brother that was the problem.  He stomped and screamed and threatened.  His family couldn’t understand his attitude.”

“I don’t understand, “Gary said.  “Why was his brother so upset?”

“He was jealous.  You see Gary, Jonathan’s brother is that cowboy, Mark Bradley.  He’s my brother-in-law.”

“What?  But you’re not married.”

“Let me finish Gary.  There’s more,” Sky said.  “Jonathan and I tried to reason with Mark but he refused to listen.  Even though I’d stopped seeing him after three dates, he never gave up on us getting back together.”

Sighing she said, “Jonathan asked him to be his best man but Mark refused.  He didn’t even come to the wedding.”  Her voice got very soft and sad at this point.  “I was twenty-two and he was twenty-four when we got married.  I kept my maiden name for professional purposes but I was Mrs. Bradley in private life.  We were married for almost a year…”  Sky’s voice trailed off as tears came to her eyes.

“Are you ok?” Gary was concerned about her.  She wasn’t normally a crier.

“Yes.  I want to finish.  No.  I have to finish.”

Gary reached for Sky’s hand and squeezed it as she struggled to regain her composure.
 

“Jonathan was a Texas Ranger.  A good one.  He trained with one of the best there is.  In April of 1981 he answered a call about a jewelry store robbery even though he was off duty.  The men who robbed the store came out shooting and Jonathan was hit.  He died en route to the hospital.  He was only twenty-five.”  The tears were flowing freely now.  “I buried him and a big piece of my heart down there.  His parents were devastated.  His dad died of a heart attack a few months later.  His mama was a strong woman but losing her older son like that, the sudden death of her husband and the unforgiving, jealous and womanizing nature of her younger one was too much for her.  She died a year later.”

Gary hugged her as the sobs came.  It had been painful to relive but at least now it was out in the open.  Several minutes later she was calm again.

“So now you know my big secret.”

“Why didn’t I know about Jonathan before now?”  Gary was curious.  He’d had no idea or had forgotten that she had been married.

“When I got married you were fourteen.  You and your parents were invited but you got sick, very sick, a few days before the wedding so you weren’t able to make it.  Your mom and dad wouldn’t and couldn’t leave you.  Jonathan and I never had a chance to come to Hickory.  We had a short honeymoon and then went back to work.  When he was killed I stayed in Dallas until his mom died.  A few years after that I went to Kentucky for two years and then I went to Scotland for three.  I came here to Chicago to work at County General and the clinic a couple of months before the burglary that brought you back into my life.

“As for Mark Bradley - I can handle him.  He’ll bait me, or my cousins but he won’t lay a finger on me.  I whupped him good a few times when we were dating because he tried to get rough.  And he’s afraid of Jamie and Alan.  He’s really a coward at heart - he just likes to sound tough.  That crowd he’s hanging out with is another matter.”  She looked at Gary intently, seeing the mixture of sympathy and anger in his eyes.  “Gary, I want you to promise me you’ll stay away from him and his friends.  The reason I didn’t tell you about this ‘til now was because I didn’t want you dragged into the middle of this mess.  Mark himself is not dangerous but that crowd he’s hanging out with could be.  They could very well be the ones who loosened Commanche’s shoe.  Some cowboys will resort to anything up to and including tampering with another’s equipment.  If I find you hanging around here playing bodyguard I’m going to kick your butt back to Hickory!  I’ve got enough protectors with my brothers and Sam and the cowboys who tour with Grandpa Mac every year.  And another thing - if I catch you putting yourself in danger by meddling in this in any way I’m going to have your head!”  As he started to protest she said, “I mean it Gary Matthew Hobson!  Stay away from them!”
 

The two friends hugged again.  Then Gary walked her back to the tent where Jamie and Sam were waiting patiently for her return.  Gary then left the fairgrounds and went back to McGinty’s.  Sky watched him until he was out of sight then went into the tent where Jamie and Sam sat talking.

“I hope you two are happy now.  I told him everything.”

Jamie pulled his younger sister down to sit on the cot next to him.  “Everything?”

“Yes everything.  All about my three dates with Mark.  How I broke it off.  About meeting Jonathan a few years later.  Our wedding and his death.  The death of his parents.  Everything including the fact that Mark is trying to get me back but I won’t have anything to do with him.”

“Good girl, Jamie said.

“I told you your sister was a smart woman, Jamie,” Sam said.  “She knew she had to tell him eventually so she did.”

“Oh, yeah,” Sky groaned.  “Now I have to worry about him tangling with those creeps Mark’s taken up with.”

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

Four hours and six saves later, Gary was back at McGinty’s.  He sat at a table with Marissa and Chuck listening to them discuss business matters but not listening at the same time.  His mind was on the events of the morning - specifically what had happened at the fairgrounds.  He was still reeling from the news that Sky had been married and widowed in such a short space of time without him ever knowing anything about it.  After about ten minutes of silence on his part, Marissa finally spoke up.

“Gary?”

No answer.

“Gary!” she spoke a little more sharply in order to try and get his attention.

“Huh?” Gary’s attention was brought back to his present location.

“You’re awfully quiet.  Are you all right?”

“Yeah,” he responded.  “I was just thinking about Sky.  I had a talk with her this morning and I learned some interesting and disturbing things.

“Like what?” Chuck asked.

“Like the fact that she’s a widow and she’s being harassed by her former brother-in-law.  Who I might add she dated before she met his brother.”

“What?!”  Chuck and Marissa exclaimed simultaneously.

“Slow down buddy and start at the beginning,” Chuck said.

“Why don’t you start at the beginning Gary,” Marissa said, “and tell us everything.”

“When I went out to the fairgrounds I got Sky and Jamie to help me like you suggested Marissa.  We prevented Alex’s accident all right.  Then this cowboy who’s about the same age as Sky started harassing him about being afraid of a little competition.  When he saw Sky he asked her when they were going to get together for a drink.”

“Well, that sounds harmless enough, Gar,” Chuck said.

“You’d think so wouldn’t you,” Gary responded.  “But it’s the way he said it and the way Jamie was ready to come to blows except Sky grabbed his arm.  Then this guy, Mark Bradley, he sees me and he asks Sky who I am.  She tells him I’m a friend and now I seem to be a target.  Mr. MacGregor and Sam Delaney and a couple of security people came along and broke up the fight before it could star.”

“What about Sky being a widow,” Chuck asked.  “Where does that fit into this story?”

“I’m getting to that,” Gary said.  “After the group broke up Sky started to walk back to the infirmary with Jamie and Sam.  I went to her and asked her to tell me what was going on.  She didn’t want to but she gave in and took me off to a bench under a tree and told me that Mark Bradley, the troublemaker, is her brother-in-law.”

“What?” Chuck exclaimed.

“Really,” Marissa said.

“Yeah. When she was eighteen she dated this Bradley character a few times.  She said she dumped him because he was self-centered, jealous and always hitting on other women at the same time that he was dating her.”

“You.  Got Schuyler Fairfax to open up about something she didn’t want to talk about,” Chuck said.  “How’d you do it?”

“I sort of begged her,” Gary mumbled.

“And?” Chuck prompted.

“Well she…she said…”

“She said what Gar?”

Blushing furiously Gary blurted out “She said I was such a stewer I’d nag her until she did.”

If it was possible Gary’s blush deepened as his two best friends burst out laughing at that.  “Hey!” he exclaimed.  “It’s not funny.”

“Sorry, Gar,” Chuck said as he struggled to stop laughing.

“I’m sorry Gary,” Marissa said when she was finally able to stop giggling.  “But what Sky said is so true.  You do worry about other people and you keep at them until they talk to you.”

“Are you two through laughing?” Gary was slightly peeved.  “Can I finish?”

“Sorry, Gar,” Chuck said swallowing his laughter with difficulty.

“So what happened after she stopped seeing him Gary,” Marissa asked.

“She graduated from Harvard Medical School and went to work in a hospital in Dallas.  While she was there she met another guy and six months later they were engaged.  She met his parents.  They loved her.  She loved them.  His brother didn’t.  His brother is this Mark Bradley guy.”

“Go on,” Marissa said.

“Well she said he threw fits about it and even being asked to be best man didn’t calm him down.  She and Jonathan Bradley got married when she was twenty-two.  She told me he was a Texas Ranger and he got killed by jewelry store thieves when he was twenty-five and she was twenty-three.”

“How awful for Sky,” Marissa said when he finished.

“What I don’t understand is why I didn’t know about this until now,” Gary said.  “Sky told me that my parents and I were invited but we didn’t make it because I got sick a few days before the wedding.  She makes it sound like I was really sick.”

 “How old were you when she got married?” Chuck had a feeling he knew the answer.

“Well, gee, uh,” Gary had to stop and think.  “She’s eight years older than me so…uh…fourteen I guess.”

“I think I know what it was Gar,” Chuck said.  “I was away that summer at my grandparents so I missed it all.”

“Well out with it Chuck, please!  It’s driving me crazy!”

“If I remember correctly you came down with a severe case of German Measles.”

“I had the measles when I was six.  Sky helped Mom nurse me through them.”

“Not regular measles Gar. German Measles.  There’s a difference but I don’t really know what.”

“Why don’t you call your mom Gary,” Marissa suggested.  “I’m sure she remembers.”

“Yeah,” Gary said, lost in thought.  “Yeah.”

Getting up from the table he walked to the office and started to sit at his desk.  But when he thought about his conversation with Sky and what she’d told him he decided he’d rather call from his loft where it was quieter and a lot more private.  He climbed the stairs, unlocked the door and entered the room.  Then he closed the door behind him, went over to his armchair and sat down.  Picking up the phone he dialed his parents’ number.  His mom, Lois, answered.

“Hi, Mom, it’s me,” Gary started.

“Gary! How are you honey?”

“I’m fine Mom,” he answered.

“Is everything ok?  You sound distracted or upset.”

“Yeah, Mom, everything’s fine.  I mean I’m fine but I need to know something.”

“What’s that sweetie?”

“Did I ever have the German Measles?  Say when I was about fourteen?”

“Why do you ask Gary?  Are you sick?  Are you holding back on me?”
 

“No, Mom.  Really I’m fine,” He reassured her.  “It’s just that I was talking to Sky today and …well she told me that she got married when she was twenty-two and we were invited to the wedding but I got sick, really sick, just a few days before so we missed it.”

“That’s true hon. That was in July of 1980.  You came down with what we thought was a bad cold at first until you started breaking out.  But your fever kept going up and down and the doctor almost put you in the hospital.  The last thing on our mind was going to Texas for a wedding.  Once you broke out you started to get better.  But it was almost two weeks before you were completely well again.

“Listen sweetie, are you sure you’re ok?  Why the sudden interest in a childhood illness?”

“Mom I’m fine.  It’s just that when Sky told me about her wedding and my being sick I couldn’t remember anything about it.”

“Honey you were so sick you didn’t even know where you were.  You bordered on pneumonia.  Sometimes you didn’t recognize your dad or me.  We had kept the wedding invitation a secret because we wanted to surprise you.  I guess we forgot to tell you about it when you finally got well again because by then it was almost time for you to go back to school. And then her husband died so tragically less than a year after the wedding.  Everyone was in shock when it happened.”

“Why don’t I remember any of this?”  Gary asked.

“I don’t think we ever told you.  From the time you two met Sky had a very protective attitude toward you.  She didn’t want to upset you over something you had no control over.”

“Gary, is Schuyler in some kind of trouble?  Should you be talking to her parents about something?”

“No Mom.  Everything’s under control.  Jamie and her grandfather and a whole bunch of cousins are here.  They’ll take care of anything that happens.

“Hey, did I tell you we’re catering her grandparents surprise anniversary party in two weeks?” Gary was anxious to end this conversation before his mother started worrying about him again.  “Yeah, it’s two weeks from Friday night at the Oak Park Fairgrounds.  We’re invited to the party too.  Look, Mom, I gotta go.  I’m needed downstairs.  Bye.”
 

He quickly hung up the phone before his mother could say anything more.  He sat there staring at the phone for a minute before getting up and going back downstairs.  Chuck and Marissa were still sitting in the same place he had left them ten minutes earlier.

“Did you get hold of your mom, Gary?” Marissa asked when he rejoined them at the table.

“Yeah.  I just hung up from talking to her,” he answered.

“So what did you find out?” Chuck asked.

“You were right.  Mom says that I came down with what they thought was a bad cold until I started breaking out.  And I bordered on pneumonia with a fever so high at times the doctor almost put me in the hospital and sometimes I didn’t recognize her and Dad.”

“Did she say why you didn’t remember about Sky’s marriage,” Marissa asked.

“Yeah.  She says it was almost two weeks before I was completely well.  And then it was almost time to go back to school.  They had kept the wedding invitation a secret so they could surprise me.  They never got around to telling me about it because less than a year later Sky was a widow and she’s so darned protective of me that she didn’t want me to know what she’d been through because I’d worry.”

“She’s right about that Gar,” Chuck told him.  “All the kids in the neighborhood were jealous of you because they thought she liked you best.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Gary said.

“I don’t think so Gary,” Marissa spoke up.  “I can hear it in her voice that she thinks you’re special and I can tell that she wants to protect you as much as you want to protect her.  She loves her older brothers but she really has a ‘big sister’ attitude toward you.  She worries about you almost as much as your mom does.”

“So what else did Sky say when you two talked this morning, Gar?”  Chuck wanted to know.

“What do you mean ‘what else’?”

“I know you.  You’re not telling us everything.  You’re holding out on us.”

“She told me that Mark Bradley isn’t dangerous.”

“That’s not what I mean Gar.  Try again.”

“She told me not to meddle.  That she’ll handle him.”

This time it was Marissa who prompted him to finish what he was trying to avoid telling them.

“Come on Gary.  I’m sure there’s more to it than you’re telling us,” she said.

“Yeah, Gar.  We’re going to find out one way or another so you may as well tell us now,” Chuck needled his buddy one more time.

“She told me she’d kick my butt back to Hickory,” he mumbled.

“I didn’t quite catch that Gar.  What did you say?”  Chuck couldn’t resist the urge to needle his friend.  He knew perfectly well what had just been said but he wanted to hear it again.

“She told me she’d kick my butt back to Hickory!”  Gary practically shouted his answer as he blushed furiously.  His voice caught the attention of some of the customers who looked their way out of curiosity.

His friend’s laughter ringing in his ears Gary attempted to make a dignified exit from the restaurant to take care of his next save.

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

Plop.

“Meow.”

“Good Morning Chicago!  It’s another bright sunny day out there and here’s what’s happening…”

Gary rolled over and slammed his hand down on the off button of his clock radio.  He had spent a good part of the night tossing and turning, unable to sleep without dreaming or worrying about Sky, her former brother-in-law and the implied threat to Sky’s safety and that of her visiting family members.

Groggily he dragged himself out of bed and over to the door.  As always the second the door was opened Cat trotted in and waited expectantly for his human partner to pour him his breakfast milk.
 

His mind still on the events that had transpired the day before at the fairgrounds Gary poured Cat’s milk and after replacing the carton in the refrigerator, sat at the counter with a glass of orange juice and started looking through the paper to see what needed his attention.  There wasn’t anything until 9 o’clock and that was just a case of a truck getting stuck under a bridge that it was too tall to clear.

He was glad the paper was giving him a light day.  Now if he could just think of a reasonable excuse to hang around the fairgrounds to keep an eye on his “big sister”.  One that wouldn’t make her suspicious.   Or bring her wrath down on his head.  He ought to be good at it. He did it every time he made one of his saves.  And some of them required some pretty fancy explanations and excuses.  But the people he usually helped didn’t know him.  Sky had known him since he was four and there was no way she was going to be easily fooled.

He was still mulling this over in his mind as he put his breakfast dishes in the sink and went downstairs.  Marissa was sitting at her desk with a cup of coffee as she read some Braille ledger sheets.

“Morning, Marissa,” He said as he came through the doorway.

“Good Morning, Gary,” she replied.

Spying the nearly full coffeepot Gary walked over and poured himself a cup before sitting at this desk.

“So what’s in the paper this morning Gary?” Marissa asked him.

“So far just a truck stuck under a bridge around 9 o’clock.”

“What?”

“Yeah.  The trailer is too tall to get under the bridge so it gets stuck.  Ties up traffic for about an hour.”

“Well what are you going to do with yourself after you take care of that?”

“I thought maybe I’d go out to the fairgrounds and see how things are going.”

“Gary,” Marissa said in a warning tone of voice.

“What?”  Gary responded defensively.

“I thought Sky warned you about hanging around and getting involved in her problem.”

“She did.  I’m just going out to see how everything’s coming along.  And to see how many are coming in tonight for dinner and to work on the plans for the party.

“And to see if you can find out what Mark Bradley and his friends are up to.”

“Yeah…No.”

“Right.”

“No.  Honest.  I’m going…”

“You’re going to get Sky mad at you.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Gary.  You sat right out there in the dining room yesterday and told Chuck and me that Sky told you to stay out of it or else.  Now you’re going to sit here and tell me that the only reason you’re going to the fairgrounds today is just to see how things are going and to find out how many are coming in for dinner tonight?  Why don’t I believe you?”

Gary had no answer for her.  He knew that she knew that his real reason was to try and keep an eye on his friend and make sure no one harassed her any more if he could help it.

“See you later,” He said as he finished his coffee and headed out the door.

“Morning Hobson,” Crumb said as he entered just as Gary got to the door.

“Crumb.”

Crumb headed for the office to let Marissa know that he was in.  He found her seated at her desk lost in thought.

“Ahem,” he cleared his throat in order to let her know that he was there.  “Morning, Marissa.”

“Oh, good morning Crumb.  You’re a little early aren’t you?”

“Yeah, well I didn’t feel like hanging around home listening to talk shows and that kind of junk so I thought I’d just come in here.  I ain’t got nothin’ else to do.”
 

Marissa smiled to herself.  What Crumb was really saying was, that with Gary always on the run and Chuck in at some odd times himself some days, he didn’t want her to be left alone until the rest of the staff came in.  In spite of his seemingly grumpy demeanor Marissa knew that Crumb was really a pussycat.  He was quite fond of Marissa herself and she knew that he was secretly fond of Gary.  She also knew that he didn’t understand how the two of them could be friends with Chuck.  But it was their differences that made the trio such a good team and Gary and Marissa separately or together managed to keep Chuck’s craziest schemes pretty much under control.

“Hey Crumb, can I ask you something?”

“What’s that?”

“If someone’s being harassed but the one doing the harassing is from another state and only harasses the other person on the rare occasions when they see each other is there anything that can be done?”

“Why do you ask?  Is someone harassing you Marissa?”

“No.  It’s Sky Fairfax who’s got the problem.”

“The doc?  What’s going on with her?”

“Gary had a talk with her yesterday and he found out that she’s been widowed for fifteen years and she’s being harassed by her former brother-in-law.  At least that’s what Gary says.  He’s worried enough that I think that’s why he’s gone to the fairgrounds this morning.  Of course, he says he’s only going out there to see how things are going and to find out how many are coming in for dinner tonight.”

“What does the doc say about this?”

“According to Gary’s account of their talk Mark Bradley isn’t dangerous.”

“This Mark Bradley, he’s the brother-in-law?”

“Yes.  Sky told Gary that Mark Bradley himself isn’t dangerous but the guys he’s hanging out with may be.  She also told him not to hang around thinking he’s going to play bodyguard or meddle in this.  She’s worried about him and he’s worried about her and sooner or later they’re going to clash.”

“I’d like to see that,” the gruff old cop said with a smile in his voice.  “It could be an interesting battle.”

******************************************************************
The fairgrounds were bustling with activity when Gary arrived.  He’d found the truck that would have tied up traffic by getting stuck under a bridge.  In what he considered a brilliant move that would keep him out of trouble with Sky he had offered to show the truck driver how to get to the fairgrounds.  He told the man it would be easier than trying to explain it to him.

Yesterday’s relative quiet had changed to chaos or so it seemed.  Horses neighed, trumpets blared, men shouted and the PA system squawked.  Sunlight flashed off of silver trimmed saddles and bridles as well as brass band instruments.  The air seemed charged with electricity.

Cowboys and cowgirls dressed in brightly colored costumes milled around on foot and on horseback.  Band members in bright red uniforms with white braid were climbing onto the wagon that would carry them in the parade starting in half an hour.
Walking toward the tent where Sky and Jamie worked with Sam Delaney Gary found himself avoiding rushing people and prancing, nervous horses.  He was just about there when he heard Sky’s voice coming from somewhere to his right.  A somewhat annoyed sounding Sky, leading a midnight black horse, was bearing down on him in a hurry and she didn’t look too happy to see him.

“Gary!” she snapped.  “What are you doing here?  I thought I told you not to get any ideas in your head about being my bodyguard!”

“Well I-I…You see there was-there was this truck with…with a trailer load of horses.  And…and he almost got stuck under a bridge,” Gary gave her one of his brightest and most ingenuous smiles even as he stuttered.  “Well, s-since he was lost and …and he needed to get here it…it was easier to show him by riding with him than to tell him.”

Sky just glared at him.  “That’s a great excuse Gary Hobson but after twelve plus years in Chicago I’m quite sure you could have directed him on how to get here without coming out yourself.  You want to try another?”

Gary squirmed under the intensity of her gaze.  He’d overestimated the effect his smile would have.  He hadn’t had much practice in charming her with it in fourteen years or more.  They’d seen little of each other since she went off to Harvard Medical School.  Thinking back to his conversation with Marissa just a little while ago he tried a new explanation.

“I needed,” he swallowed hard.  Sky’s face looked like a thundercloud; “I-I-I wanted to see how things were going.  And to find out how many are coming in for supper tonight.”

“Right.  Keep trying Gary,” Sky said as Jamie, her grandfather and cousin Christopher came up.

“Hey Gary,” Jamie greeted him.  “What brings you out here?”

“I was just telling Sky that I showed a trucker with a trailer load of horses how to get out here.  He was lost and it was easier to show him than to tell him.”

Looking at the uneasy expression on Gary’s face Jamie said sympathetically “She doesn’t believe you huh?”

“No.  I don’t believe him” Sky retorted.  “And you know why.  He also said he just came out to see how things are going and to find out how many are coming in for dinner tonight.”

Next to Jamie Chris grinned as he listened.  He himself had tried such stories before and had never gotten away with it.  Secretly he was rooting for the guy but he wasn’t daring enough to say so to his cousin’s face.  Not with the look she had on it at the moment.  He’d seen friendlier looking storm clouds.

“What seems to be the problem Schuyler?” Kenneth MacGregor asked his granddaughter.

“Nothing I can’t handle Grandpa Mac.” Sky said.  “Gary was just leaving weren’t you dear?”  She turned toward him with fire in her eyes.

Undaunted now that her grandfather was here to intervene Gary looked at the older man and smiled.

“Actually, I just got here.  I was curious to see how things were going.”

“Well, now, that’s real nice of you Gary,” Mr. MacGregor said.  “Say, how would you like to ride in the parade?  I’m sure Christopher here could fit you with some of his parade clothes if you’d like.”

“No!” Sky exclaimed.

“I’d love it,” Gary said grinning triumphantly at his friend who was dressed in her own parade clothes consisting of a red divided riding skirt and a red shirt, both embroidered in yellow.  A yellow bandana was tied around her throat and a white, flat crowned Stetson sat on her dark hair.

“Very well then, Christopher take Gary to your tent and loan him one of your outfits and have Rob find a suitable mount for him.”

“Sure thing Grandad,” Chris’s blue eyes were dancing as he watched his cousin get more frustrated.

“Don’t you have a restaurant to run?” Sky asked Gary.

That made her grandfather hesitate for a minute.  “I’m not keeping you from anything am I young man?”

“Oh, no,” Gary responded.  “My partners can handle things for a while.”

“Well then, Christopher see to it that Gary gets outfitted right away.  The parade starts in twenty minutes.”

“Yes sir,” Chris said as his grandfather walked away to confer with the bandleader.  “Come on Gary, my tent’s this way.”  He led the way as Gary smiled back at Sky happy that he had an excuse to stay now.  There was no way she would argue with her grandfather.  That much he knew he could count on.  In the meantime he could enjoy himself and keep an eye on her at the same time.

“So how long have you known Sky, Gary?” Chris asked as they walked toward his tent.

“Since I was four and she was twelve,” Gary answered.

“How’d you meet?”

“I was on a camping trip with my parents.  We went hiking and I got lost.  I stumbled onto a rattlesnake.  Sky pulled me out of danger and then she cut the snake’s head off.  After she calmed me down she brought me back to my parents.  Later that summer she and her family moved to my hometown.”

“You’re from Hickory?” Chris asked.

“Yeah.”

“Then you’re the Gary we always heard about when they came down to Texas on vacations.”  Stopping briefly he shook Gary’s hand.  “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.  Sky used to talk about you all the time.”

A short distance ahead of them he spotted the red hair of his cousin Rob.  Following his grandfather’s instructions he called to him.

“Hey, Rob!  Come here a second.”

Rob, six feet three inches with red hair and brown eyes was dressed in a Royal blue shirt and tan pants.  He wore a brown Stetson on his head.  A pair of brown gloves stuck out of his back pocket.

“What’s up Chris?” he asked his cousin.

“Rob this is Sky’s friend Gary Hobson.  Gary this is my cousin Rob MacGregor.”

“Nice to meet you Gary,” Rob smiled.

“Grandad has invited Gary to ride in the parade.  Over Sky’s objections I might add.”

“Oh?”  Rob’s eyebrows went up when he heard that.  “And what did you do to our beloved cousin to get her ticked off at you?”

“It’s kind of a long story.  Let’s just say that we don’t agree on why I’m here,” Gary answered.

“We can talk about that later,” Chris said.  “Grandad wants you to pick out a ‘suitable mount’ as he put it.  I’m to loan Gary a costume to wear.”

“Do you know how to ride Gary?” Rob asked.

“Some.  But I’m probably nowhere near as good as you guys are.”

“In that case I think Moonbeam will probably be ok.”  Looking Gary over carefully from head to toe he asked, “What are you six feet?  Six feet one?”

“Six-one,” Gary answered.  “How’d you know?”

“Practice.  I’m six-three myself so I judge by how short or tall a person is compared to me.  Sky’s the one who taught me that.  She gets real testy when I call her ‘little cousin’.  I’ve got three inches on her even though I’m ten years younger than she is.”

Looking at his watch Chris said, “Parade starts in fifteen minutes Rob.  You get Moonbeam, Warrior and Scout.  I’ll get Gary his costume.  We’ll meet back here in ten minutes.  If we’re late Grandad will have our heads.”

“Right.  Ten minutes.” Rob hurried off to do his cousin’s bidding.

To Chris and Gary’s right was the tent Chris was sharing with his brother.  Lifting the flap he walked in.  His younger brother was no where in sight.

“Come on in Gary.  I’ll get you something to wear.”

Rummaging through the costumes that were hanging on a rope strung across from one end of the tent to the other he found exactly what he’d had in mind for Gary when his grandfather had told him to lend him an outfit.  He handed Gary a pair of Jade green twill pants and a Jade green shirt embroidered with gold on the sleeves and pockets.

“Here, change into these while I find you a hat.  And what size shoe do you wear?”

“Ten.”

Opening a trunk next to his cot Chris found a pair of hand tooled black boots like the ones Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and their contemporaries used to wear in the movies and on personal appearance tours.

“Here, try these on for size,” he said as he handed them to Gary who had quickly changed from his jeans and plaid shirt to the clothes Chris had give him.

Gary took the boots Chris handed him and put them on.  They felt strange compared to his sneakers or winter boots but they fit fine.  He couldn’t help grinning at the mental image he got of himself.  And the thought of what Sky was apt to say only momentarily dampened his enthusiasm.  Grabbing a whiskbroom Chris dusted off a green and gold jacket that went with the outfit Gary was wearing and helped him put it on.  Then he took a white Stetson with a two-inch crown and a wide brim and put it on Gary’s head.  Stepping back and walking in a circle around him Chris nodded his approval.

“Looks good Gary.”

“Thanks.  I gotta tell you I feel a little strange though.”

“Don’t worry about it.  You’ll be fine.  Just stick close to Rob and me.  We’ll help you.” With an impish gleam in his eye he said “And we’ll protect you from Schuyler Jane Fairfax as well.”

“Huh?”  Then as he realized that Chris was only teasing him he grinned back.  “Oh.  Thanks.  Thanks a lot.”

“Hey Chris,” Rob called from outside the tent.  “Are you two ready?  Granddad’s yelling ‘riders up’.  We have to get to our places.”

The two men exited the tent where they found Rob sitting in the saddle of an Appaloosa gelding while holding the reins of a black and white Pinto and a light yellow Palomino.  Chris took the reins of the Palomino and handed them to Gary.

“This is Moonbeam Gary.  He’ll be your mount.  He’s lively but perfectly safe.”

Reaching out for the reins Gary took them from Chris and walked up to Moonbeam’s left side.

“Give him a little pat on the neck Gary and let him know you’re friendly.”

Moonbeam turned his head toward the stranger holding his reins.  A quick sniff and he apparently had decided that Gary was okay for he turned back toward the front again.  Placing his left foot in the stirrup Gary mounted.  It was a strange sensation to be mounted on a horse while wearing someone else’s clothes but after a few seconds he relaxed.  Seeing this Chris quickly mounted the Pinto whose name was Warrior and the three of them started off to where the parade was forming.  Sky and her cousins Hannah, Anne and Rebecca were already mounted and in line.  Noticing the stormy look on her face the MacGregor boys made certain that they and their new friend stayed well away from her.  Looking over at Gary as they got into line Rob asked the same question Chris had asked a few minutes ago.  This time Gary went into a little more detail.

“I found out yesterday about her dating Mark Bradley and why she quit seeing him.  And how she met and married his brother.  That Jonathan was killed less than a year after the wedding.  And how Bradley’s giving you all a hard time trying to get her to go out with him again.”

Chris grinned at him.  “And I’ll bet because you even hinted at getting involved in that mess she told you to stay away. Right?”

“How’d you know that?”  Gary was a little taken aback.

“That’s easy,” Rob said.  “She tells us that all the time.  Did she threaten to send you home too?  Or to tell your parents?”

“Yeah.  Something like that.”

The cousins looked at Gary and then at each other and nodded.

“Typical Schuyler response,” Chris said.  “She can protect you but don’t help her unless she asks you to.”

There was no more time for talk as the band struck up a Sousa march and the parade got under way.  For the next hour the MacGregors, Fairfaxes, employees of the rodeo and entrants rode through the streets and fairgrounds smiling and waving at the crowds that gathered on the sidewalks and street corners.
 

Gary had a great time riding with Sky’s brother and cousins.  It was like living a childhood fantasy.  Like most boys, growing up he’d fantasized about being a cowboy.  That may have been a big part of why he’d gotten so involved with Mike Killebrew a year or so ago.  A former cop, Killebrew had been confined to a Mental Health facility after the murder of his partner.  Unable to cope with the guilt Killebrew had started living his life as Bat Masterson.  Gary became involved when Killebrew went after a bike thief who had punched Gary in the face when he tried to prevent the theft.  On a borrowed horse he had stopped the thief.  Gary, despite Chuck’s urging him to walk away, had stuck by the former cop and helped him and the Chicago Police bring the drug dealer responsible for Killebrew’s partner’s death to justice.  Being the one to track him down, and in the process saving Gary’s life when Rico Salazar’s men found him in the warehouse looking for Killebrew, had been the key to putting him on the road to recovery.  Gary had been deeply honored when Mike Killebrew presented him with a copy of Bat Masterson’s autobiography and a Sheriff’s badge.  Only half-teasing Mike Killebrew had left Chicago to Gary’s care telling him “you have a town to protect”.  Gary was drawn back to the present as they arrived back at the fairgrounds and it was time to dismount.  Rob took the reins of the three horses and led them away to where they were being stabled.

“Well, Gary, did you enjoy yourself” Chris asked as they went into the tent to change out of the parade clothes.

Gary’s face lit up as he answered in the affirmative.  “Yeah, I did.”

“Good.  Why don’t you stick around for a while?  The calf roping competition starts at two this afternoon.  The grand procession is at one.  We all dress in our parade clothes and race into the arena behind the flag bearer and the Rodeo Queen who coincidentally happens to be my sister Anne.  She’s the little redhead that was to Sky’s right in the parade.

“Gee, I’d like to but I have to at least go back to McGinty’s and see how things are coming for tonight and for the party.

“Well, come on by when you have time.  We’ll even teach you a few tricks.”

“You’re encouraging him.”

Both men had exited the tent and were startled to hear Sky’s voice behind them as they walked toward the gate.

“I told him yesterday not to get any ideas about hanging around playing bodyguard and today I find a member of my family encouraging him to hang around!”
 

Sky was upset.  Angry even.  Mostly she was worried about Gary.  Mark had gotten a good look at him the day before.  Even if he wasn’t planning anything himself he wasn’t above putting his cronies up to hurting him or turning a blind eye to whatever they were planning.

“Chris don’t you have a horse to tend to or something?”

Chris took the hint.  Giving Gary a commiserating look he left for the area where he and his family had their horses stabled.  He wasn’t a coward by any means but he didn’t care to face his cousin right now.  He’d wait until she was in a more reasonable frame of mind.  Or he’d do what he’d done since he was a kid and sneak around or give her his best Davy Crockett grin.  Davy’s philosphy, in the movie, was that “there’s nothing so absotutely unresistable as a old-fashioned good natured grin.”  Sometimes, he mused, that even works on an angry parent.  Or grandparent.  Or cousin.

Sky turned her attention to Gary.  Taking him by the arm she pulled the reluctant Gary to the same quiet place where she had told him about Mark the day before.  There she pushed him down on the bench while she paced back and forth.

“I don’t know what to do with you Gary.  Didn’t I tell you yesterday to keep out of this?  That I’d handle Mark?  That I don’t want you hanging around thinking you’re going to be my bodyguard?”

“Yeah, but…”

“But what Gary?”  Sky was visibly upset.  “Look sweetie, I have enough on my mind.  A rodeo can be a dangerous place.  I have seven cousins and a lot of friends competing in the various events.  I’m trying to help plan a big party for my grandparents wedding anniversary.  I have the clinic and my work in the ER at County General.  There are endless possibilities for accidents at the rodeo alone.”

She stopped pacing long enough to glare at a chagrined Gary.

“And now, after five years away from home - three of them out of the country I settle in Chicago and start a new career.  I’m reunited with a dear friend - whom I might add became my patient the first time I see him in almost fourteen years!  And then my former brother-in-law pops up like a bad penny!  A pain in the butt I dated a grand total of three times before I got smart enough to quit seeing him.”
 

Sky paused briefly to catch her breath and try to get herself under control.  “I told you how possessive he is.  He wants me back.  He makes my life miserable any time he shows up.  But he’s not stupid.  He stops short of stalking.”  Sitting down next to him she continued.  “Gary, six months ago you came back into my life during a burglary at my clinic.  I treated you for a knife wound and a mild concussion.  Less than a month later I almost lost you for good when you were kidnapped, beaten and left for dead in that cave near my house.”

Tears streaming down her face at this point she reached over to hug her “little brother” who held her tightly as she cried on hi