Moving On Chapter 5 ANOTHER WEEK LATER--NEW ORLEANS It had been two weeks since Ezra had left Four Corners. He'd be lying if he said that he didn't miss the other men, even Nathan. But he tried not to think about them or about Four Corners. He had a new life and he was determined to be happy about it. He entered his hotel room, locking the door behind him. Sitting down on his bed, he pulled his recently won money out of his red jacket pocket. He allowed himself a little smile as he counted it. He'd been having a good run of luck at the tables the past few nights. "Fifty dollars," he mused out loud as he counted the last dollar. 'That puts me up to... two hundred dollars total,' he thought to himself. He let out a little sigh. It wasn't enough for the kind of casino he wanted. Not nearly enough. But, with a few more games, he should have enough. He hoped. 'As long as the cards go my way,' he thought. Giving a firm nod of his head, he got ready for bed. The next afternoon, Ezra was sitting in his favorite little cafe, eating his lunch, when he heard his name. "Ezra? Ezra Standish?" Ezra looked to the right and saw a man standing there. A tall man with black hair and warm brown eyes. A man that he hadn't seen in ten years. Smiling a genuine smile, Ezra said, "Have a seat, Old Friend." The man smiled as he pulled out the chair across the table from Ezra, and sat down. "Just coffee. Black," he told the waitress a minute later. "So, it's been a while, Ezra." Ezra nodded. "That it has, Brad. How have you been?" A look of sadness entered Brad's eyes. "Alright. I've managed to amass a small fortune. Enough to keep me happy for a while." "Brad, she wouldn't want you to be alone. We both know that. She'd only want you to be happy." Brad sighed and nodded. "I am happy. As happy as I can be. I loved her, Ezra, with all of my heart. I can never love anyone as much as I did her." Ezra nodded, knowing to drop the subject. "So, how did you amass your small fortune?" "Bounty huntin', actually. I only went after the big names," Brad answered, seeing an unreadable emotion quickly enter and leave Ezra's eyes. "What are you doin' in New Orleans? The last I heard, you were in a town in New Mexico. Bein' a lawman." A small sad smile graced Ezra's lips. "Yeah. I was. But things didn't work out. Now, I'm here trying to win my small fortune. I want to open the classiest, grandest casino that anyone has ever set eyes on." Brad smiled. "Still have that dream? Well, I may be able to help you with that. Provided, of course, that you don't mind a partner." "Hmmm, what do you have in mind?" "Well," started Brad, "I can put up half of the money and you put up half. That way, we're equal partners. A casino does sound nice. And, I can hear the clinkin' of coins already." Laughing, Ezra nodded. "As can I." After a pause, he nodded. "Alright. Give me a couple of days to get a little more money. Okay, Partner?" Brad took Ezra's offered hand and gave it a shake. "Alright, Partner." Return to Moving On
Moving On
Chapter 5
ANOTHER WEEK LATER--NEW ORLEANS
It had been two weeks since Ezra had left Four Corners. He'd be lying if he said that he didn't miss the other men, even Nathan. But he tried not to think about them or about Four Corners. He had a new life and he was determined to be happy about it.
He entered his hotel room, locking the door behind him. Sitting down on his bed, he pulled his recently won money out of his red jacket pocket. He allowed himself a little smile as he counted it. He'd been having a good run of luck at the tables the past few nights. "Fifty dollars," he mused out loud as he counted the last dollar. 'That puts me up to... two hundred dollars total,' he thought to himself. He let out a little sigh. It wasn't enough for the kind of casino he wanted. Not nearly enough. But, with a few more games, he should have enough. He hoped. 'As long as the cards go my way,' he thought. Giving a firm nod of his head, he got ready for bed.
The next afternoon, Ezra was sitting in his favorite little cafe, eating his lunch, when he heard his name. "Ezra? Ezra Standish?"
Ezra looked to the right and saw a man standing there. A tall man with black hair and warm brown eyes. A man that he hadn't seen in ten years.
Smiling a genuine smile, Ezra said, "Have a seat, Old Friend."
The man smiled as he pulled out the chair across the table from Ezra, and sat down. "Just coffee. Black," he told the waitress a minute later.
"So, it's been a while, Ezra."
Ezra nodded. "That it has, Brad. How have you been?"
A look of sadness entered Brad's eyes. "Alright. I've managed to amass a small fortune. Enough to keep me happy for a while."
"Brad, she wouldn't want you to be alone. We both know that. She'd only want you to be happy."
Brad sighed and nodded. "I am happy. As happy as I can be. I loved her, Ezra, with all of my heart. I can never love anyone as much as I did her."
Ezra nodded, knowing to drop the subject. "So, how did you amass your small fortune?"
"Bounty huntin', actually. I only went after the big names," Brad answered, seeing an unreadable emotion quickly enter and leave Ezra's eyes. "What are you doin' in New Orleans? The last I heard, you were in a town in New Mexico. Bein' a lawman."
A small sad smile graced Ezra's lips. "Yeah. I was. But things didn't work out. Now, I'm here trying to win my small fortune. I want to open the classiest, grandest casino that anyone has ever set eyes on."
Brad smiled. "Still have that dream? Well, I may be able to help you with that. Provided, of course, that you don't mind a partner."
"Hmmm, what do you have in mind?"
"Well," started Brad, "I can put up half of the money and you put up half. That way, we're equal partners. A casino does sound nice. And, I can hear the clinkin' of coins already."
Laughing, Ezra nodded. "As can I." After a pause, he nodded. "Alright. Give me a couple of days to get a little more money. Okay, Partner?"
Brad took Ezra's offered hand and gave it a shake. "Alright, Partner."
Return to Moving On