Cousin's in Time: Part III

Ch 6

Doc's POV

I yelled at Tannen, "It'll shoot the fleas off a dogs back at 500 yards, Tannen, and its pointed straight at your head!"

Tannen motioned his goons to lower their weapons and I did too.

Tannen yelled bluntly, "You owe me money, blacksmith."

I yelled back, "How do you figure?"

Tannen explained, "My horse threw his shoe. Seeing you was the one who done the shoeing, I figures you was responsible."

I replied, "Well, since you never paid me for the job, I say that makes us even!"

Tannen yelled, "Wrong! See I was on my horse when he threw his shoe and I got thrown off."

My attention trailed off of Tannen and it went towards two people I thought I would never see again: Marty and Annie. What in the world? Why are they here? I told them to go straight back to 1985 and not to come for me! My attention went back to Tannen.

I heard him say, "And that just caused me to bust a perfectly good bottle of fine Kentucky Redeye. So the way I figure, blacksmith, you owe me five dollars for the whiskey, and seventy-five dollars for the horse."

Marty and Annie coughed something in unison.

I offered to Tannen, "Look, if your horse threw his shoe, bring him back and I'll re-shoe him!"

Tannen admitted, "I shot that horse!"

I rolled my eyes and told him, "Well, that's your problem!"

Tannen shook his head and threatened, "Wrong! That's yours. So from now on, you better be looking behind you when you walk. Because one day you going to get a bullet in your back. Let's go!"

They all left and soon the street was quiet. Marty and Annie got the ropes off of their necks.

They said in unison, "Doc!"

I shook my head at them and said, "Marty, Annie. I told you not to come back here but to go directly to 1985."

Marty nodded and responded, "We know Doc."

Annie added, "But, we had to come."

I dropped my act and a tear rolled down my face. These two meant the world to me and these eight months without them made me realize that.

I put my hands on their shoulders and responded, "But, it's good to see you two." With that, the three of us hugged. I let go of them and got a good look at Marty. I directed, "Marty, you're going to have to do something about those clothes. You're going to get shot at for wearing that."

Marty clutched his neck and responded, "Or hanged."

I asked, "What idiot dressed you in that outfit? At least Annie has some taste."

Annie smiled and answered, "I hate to break it to you, Doc but you dressed him in that outfit. I would never dress my boyfriend in that. I can tell you that now."

I laughed at her joke and Marty joined me.

We walked back to my shop where Marty and Annie got cleaned up. As Annie was out, I gave Marty a real Western outfit. He changed into it and Annie came back. Just when I was going to ask them why they came, Annie gave me a photograph of a tombstone.

She said, "This is the reason we came, Doc."

I looked at the photograph with a magnifying glass and read it aloud, "Shot in the back by Buford Tannen over a matter of eighty dollars! September 7! That's this Monday! Now, I wished I paid him off!"