Moving On Chapter 9 "What the hell do you mean?" demanded Chris. "Was Ezra married?" "God, no! Ezra hasn't found the right woman to settle down with, yet. I was married to his... twin sister, Isabella." Six sets of eyes widened at that. "Twin sister?!" exclaimed Buck. "My God, there's two of them!" he said in a joking tone. "Wait a minute," said Josiah. "What do you mean, you were married to her?" Brad sighed and was silent for a moment. "I met Isabella when she was nineteen. Her and Ezra were in Georgia, which is where I'm from. It was love at first sight, on my part anyway." Brad smiled in fond memory. "She could be a real firecracker when she wanted to be. "Anyway, we married a couple of months later. We were married for eight years. Then, when she was twenty-seven, she fell ill with the flu. It made her extremely weak and she wasn't able to fight it off. She died a week after gettin' sick." All six peacekeepers could tell that he was still deeply affected by his wife's death. "Was Ezra even upset about it? Did he even try to help his own sister?" Nathan asked snidely. Brad's eyes turned cold and he growled, "Don't you ever ask me that, again. He loved his sister dearly. They were as close as siblings could be. They were best friends. He was devastated when she died. We both were." Nathan held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Okay, okay. Didn't mean no offence." "Seems to be a common thread with ya, don't it," Vin stated quietly. Trying to change the subject, JD said, "I wonder what happened. Why did someone attack Ezra?" When Nathan opened his mouth to respond, he was faced with six glares. He wisely snapped his mouth shut. "I heard some rumors goin' around that it was the three men that he was playin' cards with last night. That they got it into their heads that he had been cheatin'..." Brad trailed off when he saw five pairs of eyes shoot to Nathan. "What?" he demanded. Nathan just averted his eyes and stayed silent. "Nate made a comment in front of those men last night. About Ez cheatin'," answered Buck. Brad's eyes narrowed as he stared at Nathan, his dislike showing in his eyes. "You stupid..." "Hey!" interrupted an angry Nathan. "I didn't mean for him to get hurt," he defended himself. "What did you think was goin' to happen?" growled Brad. Nathan shrugged, "I didn't think about it." "I thought we had a talk about that," commented Chris. "How are we going to convince him to go back to Four Corners when you keep stickin' your foot in your mouth?" "I don't think he wants to go back to Four Corners, gentlemen. He and I have plans to open a casino," said Brad. Before anything else could be said, Doctor Welsh walked out of the room Ezra was in, and over to them. "Gentlemen, Mister Standish is awake. He's still a little groggy but coherent. You all can see him if you wish. But, do not put any undue stress on him. Understand?" Seven men nodded in the affirmative, then walked in to see Ezra. Return to Moving On
Moving On
Chapter 9
"What the hell do you mean?" demanded Chris. "Was Ezra married?"
"God, no! Ezra hasn't found the right woman to settle down with, yet. I was married to his... twin sister, Isabella."
Six sets of eyes widened at that. "Twin sister?!" exclaimed Buck. "My God, there's two of them!" he said in a joking tone.
"Wait a minute," said Josiah. "What do you mean, you were married to her?"
Brad sighed and was silent for a moment. "I met Isabella when she was nineteen. Her and Ezra were in Georgia, which is where I'm from. It was love at first sight, on my part anyway." Brad smiled in fond memory. "She could be a real firecracker when she wanted to be.
"Anyway, we married a couple of months later. We were married for eight years. Then, when she was twenty-seven, she fell ill with the flu. It made her extremely weak and she wasn't able to fight it off. She died a week after gettin' sick." All six peacekeepers could tell that he was still deeply affected by his wife's death.
"Was Ezra even upset about it? Did he even try to help his own sister?" Nathan asked snidely.
Brad's eyes turned cold and he growled, "Don't you ever ask me that, again. He loved his sister dearly. They were as close as siblings could be. They were best friends. He was devastated when she died. We both were."
Nathan held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Okay, okay. Didn't mean no offence."
"Seems to be a common thread with ya, don't it," Vin stated quietly.
Trying to change the subject, JD said, "I wonder what happened. Why did someone attack Ezra?"
When Nathan opened his mouth to respond, he was faced with six glares. He wisely snapped his mouth shut.
"I heard some rumors goin' around that it was the three men that he was playin' cards with last night. That they got it into their heads that he had been cheatin'..." Brad trailed off when he saw five pairs of eyes shoot to Nathan.
"What?" he demanded.
Nathan just averted his eyes and stayed silent. "Nate made a comment in front of those men last night. About Ez cheatin'," answered Buck.
Brad's eyes narrowed as he stared at Nathan, his dislike showing in his eyes. "You stupid..."
"Hey!" interrupted an angry Nathan. "I didn't mean for him to get hurt," he defended himself.
"What did you think was goin' to happen?" growled Brad.
Nathan shrugged, "I didn't think about it."
"I thought we had a talk about that," commented Chris. "How are we going to convince him to go back to Four Corners when you keep stickin' your foot in your mouth?"
"I don't think he wants to go back to Four Corners, gentlemen. He and I have plans to open a casino," said Brad.
Before anything else could be said, Doctor Welsh walked out of the room Ezra was in, and over to them. "Gentlemen, Mister Standish is awake. He's still a little groggy but coherent. You all can see him if you wish. But, do not put any undue stress on him. Understand?"
Seven men nodded in the affirmative, then walked in to see Ezra.
Return to Moving On