Headstall

From bleak and depressing to uplifting and warm, this story takes us on a journey not uncommon in this world. You'll love these characters, and you will root for them. The author has created a warm blanket for us readers to surround ourselves in. Read it. Cheers!

A wonderful, fulfilling epilogue to a heartwarming story, Craig. You've created something comforting, and I truly enjoyed reading about those who became a family. Cagney and Lacey? Perfect! You should be proud of this. Well done, sir, on all of it. Cheers!

I like giddy, buddy, so don't be sorry. Happy you liked the two latest chapters. Irish average! Bless your heart. Reckon that's fine and dandy for sure. Yep, the foundation for a good life is in place, and as far as Reid and Billy, who knows what will happen to them... whether anyone else will be high centered on a pelvis... You crack me up, friend. Cheers and thanks.

I get you. I didn't mean to say it was easy. The cycle is a deeply learned thing, powerful as hell, and often intrinsic to our childhoods. We learn what we see, and that's just a fact, and family examples have the biggest impact. I get what you say about healing too. For me, the healing is the same, but the scabs from those memories are what reminds of the life I want for me and my kids. My bitterness of the past makes me stubborn, and I mean in a good way.

Yeah, but I don't buy that you can't break the cycle. I mean, it is difficult, but I never fell into the patterns I grew up witnessing. There were times I got a bit off track with drinking as a young man, but it was always important to me to be a better person than my bio father... and my stepfather too. I've never lost sight of the dangers. Healing from dysfunction is harder than growing from it, in my opinion, but that's okay. That trauma is kind of like a compass.

Exactly. My kids are my family, and they aren't perfect, but they are all really great people. Sometimes it surprises me, the bitterness I still have for things long passed. Everyone is affected by dysfunction in one way or another.

Those things are bloody scary! Ugh. They are the stuff of nightmares. Thought there was one in my barn and I went full on psycho with the broom. The remains could not be identified.

Family dynamics can be hard to escape once they're set. I don't have a good relationship with my older brother. He pisses me off... I could never count on him during the tougher times my mother had. He would disappear and I would have to handle all the fallout. We were kids, so I shouldn't hold it against him, but I do. I think of him as selfish, and always will. Don't like selfish people. Oh... and my bio dad used to have us put on boxing gloves and box. He got pissed when I finally beat my older brother. Knocked him on his ass and he cried. I thought my dad would be proud of me, but he was mad. Another f'ing jerk.

So... you don't know the joys of sibling rivalry...

I had a spider bite on my leg. At least, that's what my doctor said it was. Yeah, apparently they get aggressive when trapped in clothes or under blankets and feel threatened. Either way, they ain't living in my house.

A lifetime of this...

I can tell you with certainty the said nipple is all healed up and ready for action.

My brother, cousin and I used to catch spiders in a jar. My bio dad had built a new garage, and the concrete pad seemed to attract spiders, especially daddy long legs. We had a jar crammed full of them after days of collecting, and while I was sitting on the ground, my older brother dumped the whole mess on my head. It was awful... they were stuck in my hair and in my shirt and when I pulled on them they came apart and it was beyond disgusting to a kid. That began my phobia for spiders. Up till then I thought they were cool. Ugh. I still hate my brother for that.

It's nice to see your thought process, and you got there in the end. Reid trusts, respects, and I would add admires Jubal, so being open with him has become easy. His need to clear the air speaks to his desire for friendship, and I truly believe he sees Jubal as his equal (yes, a far cry from the tension of their first meeting). he sees Jubal as principled, devoted and loyal, and smart enough to come up with a plan to save Lucas that others wouldn't have in a million years. I know I wrote that, but it was like Jubal was saying to me, "Let's do this... we can do this, and here's how". And yes, maybe Reid is thinking out loud as he speaks to Jubal (like you just did here ) but isn't that what we do with friends... use them as a sounding board to help us get our thoughts in order? The fact he wants land now is likely an indication he sees the beauty in Jubal and Lucas and their connection. Land is a start towards achieving something similar. Either way, I agree there is a shift in Reid's thinking... in what he is seeing as important. And most important of all... I agree Jubal richly deserves this... this mutual trust and give and take with a friend he doesn't have to hide who he is from. .

Well... I have learned to make no promises. I do doubt I am done with westerns, but there's nothing to say they won't take place elsewhere. Billy? We'll see....

I totally agree. If I see anything with eight legs in my house I go into full battle mode.

So did we. When we moved, which was often, we always took them with us. No such thing as central air back then.

Thanks, Albert! Mosquito nets are given out for free in areas where malaria is present. It has done wonders to stop the spread.

Mosquito netting was a big part of reducing those diseases too. I know they were used as far back as Ancient Greece... but were crucial in later centuries to battling malaria. As far as screens, anything that keeps spiders outdoors has my blessing.

We are all seeing a different Jubal now, and that is thanks to Lucas opening up the way he did. It made Jubal feel safe enough to lay himself bare. He feels safe for the first time in a long time, and that is wonderful to see. His energy is no longer on keeping his secrets, and now he can interact with confidence and humor. Reid is a good guy... I believe we all see that now... and Jubal sees and appreciates how he accepted him despite his own feelings for Lucas. he has proven to be not only a friend, but a man of honor, and he takes what Jubal has to say seriously. I'm sure their conversation had some impact on his decision to buy land, but even more, I believe seeing what Jubal and Lucas have might have spurred him to make changes in his own life. Buying land at this time is a good investment at the least, and he can't go wrong living beside like-minded friends. As far as Billy... well... Cheers and thanks, Terry.

Thanks, Doc!! That is an interesting tidbit about sieves. When I was a kid, most older homes didn't have actual full screens at all. We had those small, sliding, wooden framed screens we would put beneath an open window frame that slid to the width needed. The worked pretty well, and everyone had them. I wonder if that was what Gilbert and Bennett started making... I'll have to do some more research.

No promises, J J, but I do try to keep my friends satisfied. I agree they are becoming like family, and there is always strength and safety in numbers. Reid is a good man, and as Sheriff, a good man to have as a friend. I think this new level for Jubal and Lucas is beautiful too. I am so happy for Jubal. He has been through the fires of hell, yet he is still a loving, caring, and strong man. They fit well together. Thanks, buddy. See you Monday.

@FanLit is very adept at getting her point across. She should be a writer.

Yes, and who knows how much he might have saved as a cowboy. He doesn't seem to be a drinker, so it's possible he did have some savings before reaching Bearpaw. Sheriffs weren't wealthy as a rule, though crooked ones could likely do all right. Reid is lucky he has the offer to use any tools Lucas and Jubal have, as well as Dinah and the wagon. He won't have to outlay a huge amount of money to get the farm going.