no-good gunfighter and saving your life, Mr. Talbot!”
Ginny jumped in rhythm with her brother. “And we could tell them about Papa leading you to Jesus too, Mr. Talbot! They’ll really be glad to meet you!”
Wally’s features tinted slightly. He shook his head slowly. “Folks, I really appreciate your invitation, but I wouldn’t want to interfere with you and your guests.”
Breanna shook her head emphatically. “You would
not
be interfering, Mr. Talbot. David and Kitty Tabor and their daughter, Tharyn, are very dear friends of ours. They are sweet and dedicated Christians. I know they would love to meet one of John’s friends from his John Stranger days. My husband has quite a colorful past, and everyone is always fascinated with tales of his travels. They would also enjoy hearing the details of how this led to John bringing you to the Lord. Please say you will have supper with us tonight.”
John laid his hand on Wally’s shoulder. “Yes, Wally. That way you and I can have more time to talk and catch up on more details of each other’s lives since 1868.”
A smile spread over Wally’s face from ear to ear. “Well, okay! Sounds great to me!”
“Good!” exclaimed Breanna. “Well, Paul, Ginny—we’d better head for home.”
“And I’d best be letting you get back to your work, Chief,” said Wally. “I’ll go get me a room at one of the hotels. I have a horse I rented at the Black Saddle Stable here in town. What time would you want me to show up here at the office again so I can go to your house with you?”
“Tell you what, Wally. The hotel room isn’t necessary. You can stay in one of our guest rooms tonight. We live about six miles outof town in the country. If you can occupy yourself until five o’clock this afternoon, be here then and I’ll lead you to our place. I keep my horse in the stable out back.”
Wally grinned. “I can occupy myself, all right. I want to look this town over good before I head for home. So you live in the country, eh? Good! Then this ol’ farmer will really feel at home!”
Wally thanked all of the Brockman family for their kindness, then left, saying he would be back at the office a few minutes before five o’clock.
Breanna moved to her husband with a sweet smile on her lips. “Well, Mr. John Stranger, Mrs. Stranger and these little Strangers need to get home so we can prepare for our big evening.”
Raising up on her tiptoes, she planted a kiss on John’s lips. He hugged her. Ginny was next to get a hug, then Paul did the same.
As they started for the office door with John following, Paul said, “I really like that, Mama! I think it’s neat being a ‘Little Stranger’!”
B reanna Brockman guided the trotting team south along Broadway with Ginny sitting on the wagon seat between her and Paul. The children were talking about Wally Talbot and all the other people their father helped out of trouble when he rode the West as The Stranger.
Breanna smiled. Paul, especially, was intrigued with his father’s mysterious past and talked about it often. He was fascinated with all the stories he had heard from his father’s admirers how John Stranger faced so many of the West’s fastest gunslingers who found themselves compelled by their egos to challenge him to a quick draw. Only a few months ago, Breanna had heard her son comment when he had heard one of the stories from an old former lawman from Arizona: “Yep! All those gunslingers thought they could outdraw my papa. They’re gone and Papa is still here. Guess we know who was the fastest!”
When they were past the residential area, Paul was telling his little sister what she had heard so many times before; he was going to grow up to be a lawman just like Papa.
The wagon came to a fork in the road, and Breanna took the fork to the right, heading southwest toward the foothills of the Rockies. They had gone some two miles from the edge of townwhen they saw a wagon coming toward them with the team
Ginny jumped in rhythm with her brother. “And we could tell them about Papa leading you to Jesus too, Mr. Talbot! They’ll really be glad to meet you!”
Wally’s features tinted slightly. He shook his head slowly. “Folks, I really appreciate your invitation, but I wouldn’t want to interfere with you and your guests.”
Breanna shook her head emphatically. “You would
not
be interfering, Mr. Talbot. David and Kitty Tabor and their daughter, Tharyn, are very dear friends of ours. They are sweet and dedicated Christians. I know they would love to meet one of John’s friends from his John Stranger days. My husband has quite a colorful past, and everyone is always fascinated with tales of his travels. They would also enjoy hearing the details of how this led to John bringing you to the Lord. Please say you will have supper with us tonight.”
John laid his hand on Wally’s shoulder. “Yes, Wally. That way you and I can have more time to talk and catch up on more details of each other’s lives since 1868.”
A smile spread over Wally’s face from ear to ear. “Well, okay! Sounds great to me!”
“Good!” exclaimed Breanna. “Well, Paul, Ginny—we’d better head for home.”
“And I’d best be letting you get back to your work, Chief,” said Wally. “I’ll go get me a room at one of the hotels. I have a horse I rented at the Black Saddle Stable here in town. What time would you want me to show up here at the office again so I can go to your house with you?”
“Tell you what, Wally. The hotel room isn’t necessary. You can stay in one of our guest rooms tonight. We live about six miles outof town in the country. If you can occupy yourself until five o’clock this afternoon, be here then and I’ll lead you to our place. I keep my horse in the stable out back.”
Wally grinned. “I can occupy myself, all right. I want to look this town over good before I head for home. So you live in the country, eh? Good! Then this ol’ farmer will really feel at home!”
Wally thanked all of the Brockman family for their kindness, then left, saying he would be back at the office a few minutes before five o’clock.
Breanna moved to her husband with a sweet smile on her lips. “Well, Mr. John Stranger, Mrs. Stranger and these little Strangers need to get home so we can prepare for our big evening.”
Raising up on her tiptoes, she planted a kiss on John’s lips. He hugged her. Ginny was next to get a hug, then Paul did the same.
As they started for the office door with John following, Paul said, “I really like that, Mama! I think it’s neat being a ‘Little Stranger’!”
B reanna Brockman guided the trotting team south along Broadway with Ginny sitting on the wagon seat between her and Paul. The children were talking about Wally Talbot and all the other people their father helped out of trouble when he rode the West as The Stranger.
Breanna smiled. Paul, especially, was intrigued with his father’s mysterious past and talked about it often. He was fascinated with all the stories he had heard from his father’s admirers how John Stranger faced so many of the West’s fastest gunslingers who found themselves compelled by their egos to challenge him to a quick draw. Only a few months ago, Breanna had heard her son comment when he had heard one of the stories from an old former lawman from Arizona: “Yep! All those gunslingers thought they could outdraw my papa. They’re gone and Papa is still here. Guess we know who was the fastest!”
When they were past the residential area, Paul was telling his little sister what she had heard so many times before; he was going to grow up to be a lawman just like Papa.
The wagon came to a fork in the road, and Breanna took the fork to the right, heading southwest toward the foothills of the Rockies. They had gone some two miles from the edge of townwhen they saw a wagon coming toward them with the team
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