So I concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they can.” –Ecclesiastes 3:12, NLT
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With that shot I dropped the man I was dragging, when he head thudded on the floor, a second shot was fired from the kitchen, this one a more powerful caliber. I glanced toward the kitchen and my eyes caught the fur-man who had pushed his chair back. His gun was out and he fired at me.
What I feared the most happened. His bullet hit the man at the table that was between us, who grunted and fell to the floor. Thankfully in one way, that gave me time to draw and return fire with no one in the way of my target. I shot twice, as the man tried to cock and fire his gun again. He looked surprised when first, his gun didn’t fire, and second when my bullet plowed into his chest. Dropping his gun, his hand flew to his chest, then he stared at me before his eyes glazed over and he fell down across the table and onto the floor.
Before I could rush to the kitchen, a man came out with a sneer on his face. He sort of twirled in a half circle, dropped his gun, then he crumpled to the floor. “Molly!” I hollered. “Lola!”
I took two steps when I heard the shotgun boom. I had forgotten Teeter, not figuring that he had enough gumption to try anything, but then my back was to him. Turning I saw that he was on his back, pistol in hand. My eyes then went to Doc who was holding the Greener. Only for an instant though; I had to check on Molly.
She met me at the kitchen entrance with the pistol she kept in her work dress in hand. With a sob she fell against me, and I walked her over to the table where Doc had been. The Greener was on the table, and I saw Doc up where Teeter lay on the floor.
“You all right?” I asked hurriedly. She nodded. “Lola?” She nodded again, pointing towards the kitchen.
I rushed in that direction and upon entering the kitchen, I saw Lola sitting on the floor near the woodpile. “Lola, Lola, are you hurt?”
When she didn’t say anything I reached down for her. She blinked her eyes several times, maybe I was out of focus, but she grabbed hold of my arm and I helped her to stand. “Let’s go sit with Molly.”
Reentering the dining area, I saw Doc working on the downed man, the one fur-man shot. “Oh, Lord,” I prayed aloud.
I took Lola over to Molly, then went toward the man. Doc was giving his friend and another man instructions and they helped the still conscious man out the door and towards Doc’s office. I was thankful that he was conscious but there was a pool of blood on the floor where he had been lying.
“Miles,” came Doc’s voice. “Check on the man by the kitchen, see if he’s dead. I’ll look fur-man over, and then head on over to the office to work on Dickinson’s wound.”
“He goin’ to make it, Doc?”
Doc gave me a little shrug, then bent down to check on the condition of fur-man while I went to see about the other. “Dead,” I muttered loudly, and upon saying that Doc went up and out the diner.
The others who were in the diner were slowly getting up off the floor where they had taken refuge during the gunplay. It was at that time that the door burst open, immediately my hand pulled my gun. The man hollered, “Miles! Molly! What’s happened?” He stopped as he looked at my pistol pointing at him. “Miles, put that away.”
It was Solly Vendor from across the street. I was still on edge, but fortunately I recognized him. “Solly, we’re all right. Go get Parker.” He turned and rushed back out the doorway. I yelled on his way out, “Get Mateo over here.”
I stood then started walking to the table where Molly and Lola were sitting. “More business for Paul Parker, the undertaker,” I thought to myself.
Molly was holding Lola around her shoulders. “Neither of you were shot?” I questioned. “I was sure I heard him fire once.”
When I said that, Lola began to cry and she buried her face in Molly’s chest…