were this close to the office, we decided to come in and see you.”
John smiled. “Well, it’s always good to see my little family. And I’m glad to know we’ll be able to feed our company tonight.”
Breanna laughed at his dry humor.
Talbot was looking at the children as they stood beside their father, thinking how amazingly Paul’s features resembled his father’s and Ginny’s resembled her mother’s.
Breanna ran her gaze between her husband and the man from Kansas. “So how do you two know each other?”
John grinned. “Well, it goes back to May 1868.”
“When he was known only as The Stranger, ma’am,” added Talbot. “We only met once, but he certainly proved to be my friend.”
Paul’s eyes lit up. He always loved to hear about his father’s past life and hoped to be just like him one day. He grinned from ear to ear, looking up at him. John caught the beam on his son’s upturned face and laid his hand on Paul’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze.
Talbot spoke again. “Your husband saved my life, Mrs. Brockman. I was in town that particular day and a well-known gunfighter by the name of Hatch Wasserman purposely stepped up to me on Main Street and started talking rough to me. I didn’t know who he was, but I knew he was a gunfighter by the way he wore his gun low on his hip and tied down. He was looking for a fight, for sure. I was just a farmer and wore a gun for protection, not because I wanted to get into a gunfight with the likes of him. Your husband happened to be close by, and he could tell by the looks of me I was a farmer, not a gunfighter.
“When I told Wasserman to go away and leave me alone, he took the gunfighter’s stance and challenged me to draw against him. It was then that this man in black moved up, called Wasserman by name, and told him to back off and leave me alone. Then Wasserman drew against your husband, ma’am, and he put him down. Just before Wasserman died there in the dust, he identified this man as the one people called ‘The Stranger.’ ”
Paul looked up and grinned at his father.
Talbot set his eyes on the tall man. “I’d heard of this fella called ‘The Stranger’ who rode all over the West helping people who were in trouble and putting outlaws where they belonged, but I’d never seen him before that day.”
Talbot reached in his pocket and drew out a silver medallion the size of a silver dollar. “Do you remember giving this to me that day?”
Breanna and the children looked at the medallion, then Ginny smiled at her mother. Breanna winked at her.
“I sure do, Wally,” said John.
The medallion was centered with a five-point star, and around the circular edge were inscribed the words: THE STRANGER THAT SHALL COME FROM A FAR LAND.—
Deuteronomy 29:22
.
Wally turned the medallion toward Breanna. “Did you know he gave medallions like this to people he helped out of trouble, ma’am?”
Breanna nodded. “Oh yes. I have one of my own that he gave to me the first time we met. God sent John to me when I needed him.”
Wally arched his eyebrows. “Really?”
“Yes, sir. Really.”
Wally looked back at the tall man. “Something’s been eating at me all these years.”
“What’s that?”
“This ‘far country’ you’re from, Mr. John Stranger—what country is it?”
John smiled. “Oh, that’s a secret, Wally. Only Breanna knows what country it is.”
Wally looked back at Breanna. “Would you let me in on the secret, Mrs. Stranger—er, uh—I mean, Mrs. Brockman?”
Breanna’s blue eyes flashed as she looked from the medallion to her husband with a teasing smile on her face, then turned back to Talbot. “Sorry, sir. That’s a well-guarded secret.”
Wally playfully swung a fist through the air. “Phooey! Well, you can’t blame a guy for trying.”
The Brockman family laughed.
Wally looked at the medallion with affection. “Well, I’ll always treasure this, Chief.” He slipped it back into his pocket. Then he turned
John smiled. “Well, it’s always good to see my little family. And I’m glad to know we’ll be able to feed our company tonight.”
Breanna laughed at his dry humor.
Talbot was looking at the children as they stood beside their father, thinking how amazingly Paul’s features resembled his father’s and Ginny’s resembled her mother’s.
Breanna ran her gaze between her husband and the man from Kansas. “So how do you two know each other?”
John grinned. “Well, it goes back to May 1868.”
“When he was known only as The Stranger, ma’am,” added Talbot. “We only met once, but he certainly proved to be my friend.”
Paul’s eyes lit up. He always loved to hear about his father’s past life and hoped to be just like him one day. He grinned from ear to ear, looking up at him. John caught the beam on his son’s upturned face and laid his hand on Paul’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze.
Talbot spoke again. “Your husband saved my life, Mrs. Brockman. I was in town that particular day and a well-known gunfighter by the name of Hatch Wasserman purposely stepped up to me on Main Street and started talking rough to me. I didn’t know who he was, but I knew he was a gunfighter by the way he wore his gun low on his hip and tied down. He was looking for a fight, for sure. I was just a farmer and wore a gun for protection, not because I wanted to get into a gunfight with the likes of him. Your husband happened to be close by, and he could tell by the looks of me I was a farmer, not a gunfighter.
“When I told Wasserman to go away and leave me alone, he took the gunfighter’s stance and challenged me to draw against him. It was then that this man in black moved up, called Wasserman by name, and told him to back off and leave me alone. Then Wasserman drew against your husband, ma’am, and he put him down. Just before Wasserman died there in the dust, he identified this man as the one people called ‘The Stranger.’ ”
Paul looked up and grinned at his father.
Talbot set his eyes on the tall man. “I’d heard of this fella called ‘The Stranger’ who rode all over the West helping people who were in trouble and putting outlaws where they belonged, but I’d never seen him before that day.”
Talbot reached in his pocket and drew out a silver medallion the size of a silver dollar. “Do you remember giving this to me that day?”
Breanna and the children looked at the medallion, then Ginny smiled at her mother. Breanna winked at her.
“I sure do, Wally,” said John.
The medallion was centered with a five-point star, and around the circular edge were inscribed the words: THE STRANGER THAT SHALL COME FROM A FAR LAND.—
Deuteronomy 29:22
.
Wally turned the medallion toward Breanna. “Did you know he gave medallions like this to people he helped out of trouble, ma’am?”
Breanna nodded. “Oh yes. I have one of my own that he gave to me the first time we met. God sent John to me when I needed him.”
Wally arched his eyebrows. “Really?”
“Yes, sir. Really.”
Wally looked back at the tall man. “Something’s been eating at me all these years.”
“What’s that?”
“This ‘far country’ you’re from, Mr. John Stranger—what country is it?”
John smiled. “Oh, that’s a secret, Wally. Only Breanna knows what country it is.”
Wally looked back at Breanna. “Would you let me in on the secret, Mrs. Stranger—er, uh—I mean, Mrs. Brockman?”
Breanna’s blue eyes flashed as she looked from the medallion to her husband with a teasing smile on her face, then turned back to Talbot. “Sorry, sir. That’s a well-guarded secret.”
Wally playfully swung a fist through the air. “Phooey! Well, you can’t blame a guy for trying.”
The Brockman family laughed.
Wally looked at the medallion with affection. “Well, I’ll always treasure this, Chief.” He slipped it back into his pocket. Then he turned
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