Chapter 4

Jan looked at her watch. "Supper time. Anybody hungry?"

I answered, "Not until you mentioned it. Now I'm starved."

"Didn't you eat on the road?"

"A buffalo burger at the restaurant by the Missouri River rest area."

"Poor baby. Dan has steaks to grill. I think they're dinosaur." Dan did tend to think big and overbuy anytime he was in the grocery store.

I closed up the horse trailer and my truck. Dan quickly threw some dirt back in the hole. Jan and Krista threw the floorboards next to the stall.

They climbed in Dan's pickup. I swung the stable door open, Dan backed out, and I swung the door closed and locked it. I slid into the cab as Krista again carefully perched on my lap. I put my arms around her. It just felt right.

Dan pulled into the B&B driveway. He parked behind the building. He backed up close to the back door. We began unloading.

Our costumes and shooting clothes went into the bedroom close to our suite. Guns went across the hall from our suite. All the plastic wrapped bundles went downstairs into the basement. Tools and the metal detector went into the parlor. With unloading done we stepped outside.

Dan was starting up the grill. Krista and Jan headed for the small four box stall horse barn to tend to livestock. Duke was calmly walking the exercise merry-go-round. He was stretching after his ride. Even our long absence did not unhinge him.

The shed held four stalls. One was dedicated for Duke. Jan had a paint horse just her size named "Buttercup." Dan had a large red Thoroughbred named predictably "Red." I had a riding mule.

The whole mule deal started as a joke. When D&J asked me what kind of horse I wanted in their shed. I did not want I horse. I did not want to ride. I said, "I want a mule. Like I rode into the Grand Canyon."

I thought that solved the problem.

Then one weekend Krista and I arrived and I met "Francis." They named him after the talking mule from a series of 1950's movies.

My Francis was a cross between a donkey and a horse of mixed Morgan and Percheron ancestry. The Percheron draft horse for its "cold blood"; the result was a calm animal over fifteen hands tall.

Krista had worked with Francis before I arrived on the scene. He had several comfortable gaits. He also had zero fear of gunfire.

I did not realize how good Francis was until we went on a horseback camping trip. Francis carried me up hills so steep that the rest of the horses had to be led up. He also carries a pack and pulls a small buckboard just as nicely. I learned to appreciate my mule!

Jan tended the other two horses. Krista was brushing and cooling down Duke. I greeted Francis. We had the horses lined up outside as we brushed and curry combed. As usual, they acted calmly despite the close proximity. Krista said, "I think you should ride Francis in your mounted events this week."

Jan asked, "You still want to compete, K?"

"Oh yeah. Final tune up, before we tackle real gunfighters with real bullets."

Dan had walked up just during the discussion. He said, "I agree. Plus we got groundwork before we jump in with all eight feet."

We all laughed at his wordplay. We also nodded at the logic. Krista said, "I wish we had left us a note."

I said, "K honey, do you realize how convoluted that sounds?"

"This is a fucking situation."

We all nodded. Jan said, "Maybe in the B&B. We haven't searched yet."

Dan said, "After supper. No more searches on an empty stomach."

That was a real big hint. We turned the horses into the modest paddock. J & K started hauling food and plates to the picnic table. I helped Dan finish grilling the steaks. He was also heating the baked potatoes and grilling ears of sweet corn.

We ate until we were stuffed. Then Jan brought out dessert. Desert was making your own ice cream sundaes. I completely forgot I was full and stuffed myself with ice cream.

We ended up sitting on the grass next to Dan's fire ring toasting marshmallows. Krista was on my lap. Jan was on Dan's. Jan said, "Fuck this. I want to try out the portal. Tonight."