David Robbins - Memphis Run

“A stork? Where did you hear babies are delivered by a stork?”

“From Daddy.”

“Figures,” Sherry muttered. “What did he tell you?”

“Do you remember when the horse had the baby horse?”

“Black Beauty, when she had her foal?” Sherry asked, knowing he was referring to the delivery by one of the horses used by the Tillers.

“Yep.”

“What about it?”

“I asked Daddy where the baby horse came from,” Ringo recounted.

“He said a stork brought it.”

“He did, did he?”

“Yep. And you know what else?”

“I can’t begin to imagine.”

“Daddy said storks bring people babies too. Even deer babies and fox babies.”

“Busy bunch of storks,” Sherry muttered. She estimated they were within a hundred yards of the line of cabins, drawing near to her own.

“And you know what else?”

“No, what?”

“Do you remember the animal books in the library?”

“The books you like so much, the ones with all the pictures?”

“Those books,” Ringo confirmed.

“I asked Daddy where baby elephants came from,” Ringo mentioned.

“And he said a stork.”

“How did you know?”

“Just a lucky guess,” Sherry commented dryly.

“But not little storks.”

“Little storks?”

“Daddy says little storks bring little babies, like baby fish and baby birds. And madi—medu—”

“Medium?”

“Yep. Medium storks bring people babies. But elephant babies come from really big storks with beaks this big,” Ringo detailed, and stretched his hands apart as far as they would go.

“I’m going to have a long talk with your father when he gets back,” Sherry observed.

“Did you ever see a beak that big?”

“Just your daddy’s nose.”

Ringo laughed at the notion. “Daddy’s nose isn’t that big.”

“It will be when I’m through with him,” Sherry vowed. She was disappointed to note the uproar in the western sector had tapered off. A cluster of trees separated them from their cabin, and she bore to the left, following a well-worn trail.

The cabin came within view in seconds.

“Daddy!” Ringo exclaimed, kicking his legs in excitement.

Sherry froze in her tracks, her mouth slack, her green eyes watering.

“Let me down! Let me down!” Ringo yelled.

“Here you go,” Sherry mumbled, lowering him to the ground.

The boy was off like a shot, running toward his father, shouting with delight. “Daddy! Daddy! You’re home!”

“I’m home,” Hickok replied, standing six feet from the open cabin door.

He beamed and knelt, his arms wide, and a moment later Ringo plowed into him and nearly knocked him over. “I’m home, buckaroo.”

Father and son hugged one another, Hickok with his eyes closed, Ringo giggling and saying over and over again, “You’re back! You’re really back.”

“And I’m not leavin’ for a spell,” Hickok stated. “I promise.” He opened his eyes to find Sherry in front of him, her eyes and cheeks moist, and he kissed Ringo and stood. “Howdy, ma’am. Did you miss me?”

“No,” Sherry said, then threw herself into his arms, her face pressed against his neck. “Don’t you ever do this to us again!”

“I didn’t exactly plan it,” Hickok remarked huskily.

Sherry sighed and kissed him tenderly on the neck. “Dear Spirit, how we missed you!”

“You needed someone to help with the dishes, huh?”

Sherry chuckled. “You know you’ll do anything to get out of doing work around the house.”

“Who, me?”

“No. The storks.”

“The what?”

“We’ll talk about it later,” Sherry said.

“Uhhh,” Hickok began sheepishly. “There’s something we need to talk about right now.”

Sherry leaned back and pecked him on the tip of his nose. Ringo was squeezing the gunman’s right leg. “Whatever is it, I’m sure it can wait,” she stated.

“I’m afraid it can’t,” Hickok replied.

“What is it?”

“Promise you won’t get all riled?”

Sherry’s eyes narrowed quizzically. “Uh-oh. What have you done now? Whenever you say that, it means you’ve gone and done something off the wall.” She grinned. “Men are so predictable. And here I am, outnumbered in my own family.”

Hickok cleared his throat, his mouth twisting in a cockeyed, reserved grin. “Not any more.”

“What do you mean?”

“I brought you a little surprise,” Hickok said.

“Oh?” Sherry smiled. “You’ve never done that before. What is it? Jewelry? Clothes?”

“Do you remember telling me that you’d like our next young’un to be a girl?”

“Yeah. So?”

Hickok nodded at the cabin.

Perplexed, Sherry looked, and the sight of the blonde girl wearing a blue jump suit, framed in the doorway, caused her to release her husband and step back in astonishment. “Who—?” she blurted out.

“This is Chastity,” Hickok introduced the child. “Chastity, this is Ringo,” he said, and patted his son on the head. “And this is Sherry, my missus.”

Chastity walked over to them, her anxious gaze on Sherry. “Will you be my new mommy?”

“Your mommy?”

“My mommy and daddy were killed,” Chastity explained with naive simplicity. “My new daddy said you would be my new mommy.”

Sherry, still stunned and confused, squatted. “Your new daddy?”

Chastity pointed at Hickok. “He said you’re the nicest lady in the world.

He said I could be your girl.”

“How about it?” Hickok asked. “Look at the bright side. You won’t have any morning sickness this time.”

“Where—how—when—?” Sherry began, and then discerned the unease, the incipient fear, in Chastity’s eyes. She reached out and impulsively embraced her. “Don’t worry. Everything is all right.” She paused, watching tears form in the corners of Chastity’s eyes. “You’ve found a new home.

Yes, I’ll be your new mommy.”

“Thank you,” Chastity stated politely, and started crying.

“What’s wrong, princess?” Hickok inquired as he lifted Ringo in his arms. “I figured you’d be happy.”

“I am,” Chastity blubbered.

Sherry clasped the girl and stroked her hair. “There. There. It’s okay.”

She glanced up at Hickok, and for an instant her eyes seemed to reflect all of the love in the world.

“Wow, Dad. Thanks,” Ringo said.

“For what?”

“Now I can be a Warrior.”

“Fine by me,” Hickok responded, and gazed at each of them in supreme happiness. “How about this? Everything has worked out just fine.” He paused. “Now I won’t have to help with the dishes any more.”

“Dream on,” was Sherry’s reply.

In the western section of the compound, not far from the lowered drawbridge and the dusty jeep parked a dozen yards from the moat, purposely avoided by the other Family members to allow them some measure of privacy, stood Blade, Jenny, and Gabe. They were embracing tenderly, not even speaking, simply savoring their reunion, with Jenny weeping softly, Gabe sniffling, and Blade feeling an overwhelming sense of sheer joy.

Thirty feet to the north, partially obscured by a towering pine, oblivious to everyone and everything as they kissed passionately was the Family’s preeminent martial artist and a red-headed woman wearing a yellow blouse and brown pants.

“I never want you to leave again,” she said when they came up for air.

“I’m a Warrior, Lexine. I must leave when Blade orders me to do so.”

“I love you so much, Rikki.”

“And I love you.”

“Don’t you think it’s about time we did something about the way we feel?”

“I do,” Rikki said.