By: Clarise ([email protected])
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Disclaimer: The characters
in the story belong to CBS and Norris Productions
the author holds no claim to
them and all copyright information must be kept in tact.
A posting on the Delphi
board inspired this little story. All credit goes to
WTRangerette for the hilarious visual of Walker making a scene at
Alex’s expense.
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Texas Ranger
Cordell Walker burst through the doors of CD's Bar and Grill and made a bee
line for the coffee pot that had it's permanent home behind and a little to the
left of CD's long mahogany bar. After pouring himself a cup and then noisily
returning the pot back to its spot, he trudged heavily to his favorite corner
booth and slid onto the cushioned bench. Throwing his black Stetson into the
opposite seat and banging his holstered gun onto the table he heaved a
frustrated sigh. He took a slow sip from his coffee mug and closed his eyes.
"That woman!" he thought to himself.
CD Parker, a retired Captain of the Texas
Rangers and Walker's former partner and now owner of the establishment that
Walker had just entered had seen the whole mini-drama unfold. He weighed
whether or not he should go over to his friend and ask what the problem was.
Walker usually wasn't given to such dramatics. In fact CD only knew him to get
so upset when it had something to do with a certain blond Assistant District
Attorney. "Oh Lordy Alex, what have you done now?" was CD's silent
query heavenward. A sudden screeching of chairs against hardwood floor turned
his attention from Walker for a second. Two women tourists had risen from their
table in a hurry and, clutching their respective handbags, made a hasty exit
nervously chattering to each other and glancing furtively at the upset Texas
Ranger.
"Well, that's just peachy. Now he's
scaring away my customers," thought CD somewhat irritated by the defection
of the two ladies. Being a firm believer in the benefits of getting things off
one's chest, CD made the decision to saunter over to Walker's booth and get the
low down.
"Hiya, Cordell. Sure was some entrance
just now. Somethin' bothering you?" boomed CD as he approached Walker.
"She did it to me again, CD!"
groaned Walker. "Hell, you know no one could love that woman more than I
do but I swear if she embarrasses me again like she did today…"
"I thought you were supposed to be
testifying in court today on the Phillips bust?" CD questioned, silently
congratulating himself at being right as to the source of Walker's current
state of mind.
"That's what I was doing. I mean look
at me. I did what she wanted. I even wore a tie for God's sakes. Boots all
shined, matching socks, clean white shirt…" Walker trailed off as he took
another sip of coffee.
"Dangumit, Cordell! What
happened?"
Shifting uncomfortably at the memory of his
recent courtroom appearance, Walker debated uncertainly over how to explain
Alex's latest affront. "Alex went out of her way to embarrass me, CD.
Whatever happened to her vaunted professionalism? We're engaged now. What am I
going to have to endure once we are married?"
"Cordell. I ain't no closer to knowing
what you are bellyaching about. How's a person suppose to help if’ in he don't
know what's going on."
"She took off my hat for me,"
blurted Walker clearly embarrassed all over again at the thought.
"Whaaat? Son have you lost the good
sense God gave you? Cordell!. What are you talking about?" CD was
desperate to understand. All this over …what?
"She took off my hat!" repeated
Walker shocked that CD did not appreciate the seriousness of the offense.
"Alex calls me up to testify. Okay so I had my mind on something else so I
kind of just forgot to remove my hat as I got up. But, I would have remembered
when I got up to the stand! As I walk by Alex's table she half way blocks my
way and says "could I take your hat for you Ranger Walker?" and then
reaches up to take it off my head!"
"Cordell. Something don't sound
right," complained CD. "Are you sure you are giving me the whole
story? Who was the presiding judge?"
"Carstairs," was Walker's pained
response.
"Nora Carstairs?" CD paused for a
moment to consider the new information and then continued. "Well, there
you go, Cordell. You remember Carstairs. She's that stickler for good manners
in her courtroom. Alex was just worried that Carstairs would cause a scene over
your faux pas. Alex was just trying to spare you any embarrassment son."
"You're probably right CD," agreed
Walker reluctant to let the matter drop. "But hell, people laughed! And
Alex didn't understand when I tried to talk to her about it afterward. If I
could just do something that would show her how I felt today…"
Just at that moment Alex Cahill breezed into
CD's. Spying her fiancé and CD she headed towards them smiling brightly.
"Hi guys. What's up?"
Walker gave CD a warning look as he answered
Alex. "Nothing much, Alex."
CD hesitated, thought the better of it and
said, "What can I get you honey?"
"I'll have what Walker's having. Coffee
isn't it?"
"That's right, Alex. Coming right
up"
Alex slid in beside Walker and gave him a
kiss on the cheek. "I want to thank you for doing so well on the stand
today, Walker. I think we have this case in the bag. I was a little nervous
there in the beginning. I thought Carstairs was going to come unglued when it
looked like you weren’t going to take off your hat…but when you got up on that
stand and gave clear, professional, and detailed answers to my questions… I
don't think anyone could come away with any verdict but guilty. What do you
think?"
Walker could tell that Alex was in what he
called "The Zone". She did not really want an answer to her question.
She was just verbalizing her thought processes. He put his arm around her
shoulders and gave her a short squeeze of reassurance. The 'hat fiasco', as he
now thought of it, would just have to wait. Alex just did not see and, as he
was unwilling to ruin the rest of the day trying to make her understand, Walker
let the matter fade from his memory…*** or so he thought ***
That weekend presented Cordell Walker with
the perfect opportunity for demonstrating to Alex how the 'hat fiasco' had made
him feel in terms that she could relate to.
Walker awoke to the familiar smell of
freshly brewed coffee wafting in to his room from downstairs. Slipping on a
pair of well-worn fit like a second skin, jeans the Ranger exited his bedroom
and went in search of the source. His bare feet made soft padding noises on the
stairs as he descended. He hoped he would be able to surprise whomever it was
in his kitchen at this hour.
"Hey lady," cooed Walker softly as
he slid in behind his fiancée who was at the stove cooking. It looked like
scrambled eggs as he leaned over her shoulder for a better look. "What? Do
you live here or something," laughed Walker as he kissed Alex's exposed neck
lovingly. She had her hair pulled back neatly with two, sea- shell like, combs
which gave Walker all the access he needed.
"I'm over here often enough, aren't I
Cowboy?" laughed Alex in agreement as she reveled in the sensation of
Walker's bare chest against her back and his soft beard against her neck.
Turning in his arms she allowed herself to be drawn into an earth-shatteringly
sweet kiss.
"Mmm, what a way to greet the
morning," murmured Walker contentedly against Alex's soft lips. He leaned
back from the embrace and eyed Alex speculatively. "You know Alex I've got
no problem with you moving in any…"
Touching a finger to Walkers lips Alex
interrupted, "I'd love to continue this conversation but I've got a lot of
things to do today. I just wanted to remind you that you agreed to allow my
abused women's group to meet here today since St. Stephen's could not
accommodate us."
Walker had forgotten but he did not let Alex
know that. "No problem, Alex. I do need to get some work done around the
ranch after me and Trivette get done with our surveillance assignment. But, I
promise I won't get in your way. Hey, it smells like something is
burning."
"The eggs!" cried Alex mournfully
as she spun out of their embrace. She glared at the ruined meal as if they had
intentionally burned themselves. She turned off the stove with a frustrated
snap of the wrist.
"Don't worry about it Alex,"
soothed Walker as he drew her back into a comforting embrace from behind.
"Besides I didn't fall in love with you because of your cooking,"
explained Walker suggestively as he bent to nuzzle Alex's ear.
"Oh you!" was all Alex could get
out before Walker had turned her around and captured her lips once again.
***
"Hey, partner snap out of it will
ya," complained Texas Ranger James Trivette loudly. He was upset that his
partner had gone for the majority of their two- hour surveillance stint without
putting much more than two words together. All he'd gotten were some yeahs and
a few grunts of acknowledgement out of Walker since relieving Harris and
Jackson. If this kept up he would go insane with boredom. Trivette tried again
to engage his partner in conversation.
"Come on Walker. I know you've got
something cookin' in that noggin of yours. You've been sporting an evil grin,
for a while now. Come on man, let me in on it!" wailed Trivette as Walker
continued to ignore him.
Finally Walker broke out of his musings with
the look of someone who had made up his mind about something. Stroking his
sandy red beard for affect, Walker slowly turned toward Trivette and smiled
widely. "You really want to know Trivette," he asked mischievously.
"You
know I do Walker!" Trivette practically shouted. "Ooh this is going to
be good I just know it." Trivette rubbed his hands together in glee finally something to break the monotony of
their assignment.
"Alright. Here it is," began
Walker slowly. "I told you about the 'hat fiasco' with Alex right?"
"Yeah," replied Trivette
hesitantly nodding his agreement. He thought Walker had been crazy to react the
way he did but he guessed he could look the other way if it meant some
conversation out of Walker.
"Okay. I think I've got just the thing
to show Alex how the 'hat fiasco' made me feel. You know she's got her abused
women's group out at the ranch this afternoon… " As Walker continued
Trivette's eyes got rounder and a wide grin appeared on his face.
"Oh man you've got to let me be there.
I could bring a camera to capture the moment or something," offered
Trivette excitedly after Walker finished filling him in on his plan.
"Trivette!" warned Walker. "I
don't want this to turn into some kind of circus. I just want to get my point
across."
"Okay, okay, no camera. But, you have
to let me be there. Come on you owe me."
"Owe you? Owe you for what?"
questioned Walker good- naturedly.
"Hey, man. We've been sitting here
close to two hours watching for Stephensen to appear at the warehouse and I've
had nothing but grunts out of you. You have to make it up to me for making this
the most boring, uncomfortable stake out we've ever been on," Trivette
finished hopefully.
"Alright, alright, Trivette. I don't
have time to argue with you," laughed Walker. "Here come Purvis and
Hendricks to relieve us. If Alex asks why you're there I'll just say you've
agreed to help me with all I've got to do around the ranch."
"Yes!" was all Trivette said in
response clearly delighted that his afternoon was not going to be as boring as
his morning had been. Picking up the radio Trivette asked dispatch to patch him
through to Purvis's and Hendrick's car.
"Purvis here. Go ahead"
"We're outta here Purvis. No activity
to report. Hope you guys have more luck than we did," responded Trivette
as Walker guided the Ram from its hiding place to allow Purvis and Hendrick's
to move their car in.
***Back at the ranch***
"That was Joyce," explained Alex
to the group as she replaced the receiver in its cradle. "She won't be
able to make it today." Alex returned to her seat around Walker's kitchen
table. "Connie, please continue."
As Connie Furnell began to speak again Alex
marveled at how far Connie had come since the group's encounter with her
abusive husband Brad at a retreat she had held some years ago. Connie was now
one of Alex's best counselor's. Her specialty was convincing women of the need
to take part in the abused women's group as a first step towards freedom from
the abuse. She was currently filling the group in on a potential new group
member who had contacted her.
"Like I said we used to be friends.
When she saw me the other day and found out that I had divorced Brad and gotten
my life back she asked me how I did it. I've told her about the group and she's
interested but she's also real scared. I was thinking maybe a little one on one
with me first then I could bring her to a meeting. What do you all think?"
"That sounds fine to me,"
responded Alex. "Remind her about the HOPE Center if she needs a place to
stay on short notice and you may give her my number if she needs any legal
advice or if she just wants to talk."
There were general nods of agreement around
the table and other telephone numbers were offered. "Hey, Alex,"
called Angie, a diminutive black lady who had been with the group since day
one. "Please tell your fiancée thanks from all of us for allowing us to
use his ranch for the meeting today. It is so beautiful here."
"Yes, it is," responded Alex in
full agreement. And I certainly will tell him, although he should be in soon. I
heard his truck a while back. He said he had some work to do around the
ranch." Just then the sound of a hammer could be heard through the screen
door. "Speak of the devil," laughed Alex. "Maybe we should close
the kitchen door against the racket."
"No way, Alex. It's way too hot."
Jenny Mason, a petite blond spoke for the group.
"The screen door lets in just enough
breeze to cool this room off," agreed Mary Hamilton, a fairly new group
member.
"Alright," agreed Alex. "Well
let's continue with the meeting. Does anyone have anything they want to share?
How about you Mary?" prompted Alex.
****
"Geez, Walker. I didn't think you were
actually going to put me to work, complained Trivette. He had relieved himself
of his shirt and was pounding away at a nail, rivulets of perspiration already
streaming down his tightly muscled, ebony chest.
"I told you I had to work up a sweat to
make this look good," answered Walker laughing. Walker had also taken off
his white cotton shirt and replaced it with a Levi’s work shirt that he had
grabbed from the back of his truck. The sleeves were torn from the shoulder and
had produced a white fringe of frayed threads. "And I really do have to
get these stalls fixed.
As you can see they are falling apart."
For the next hour the pair of Rangers worked
hard. Together they soon had all the stalls mended and had refilled all the hay
troughs with hay. Trivette drew the line at mucking out the stalls so Walker
let him go through the tack room and put aside any tack that looked like it
needed repair. Walker would get to it later. When Walker was finished he gave himself
a once over. "Hey, Trivette," he called. "Do I look the
part?"
Trivette
looked up from his seat on a bench in the tack room. Grinning widely he said,
"I think you're ready for prime time partner. Hey, put those work gloves
back on. That'll complete the picture. So you going to do it now?"
Nodding in the affirmative, Walker made his
way to the entrance to the barn.
"Wait a minute, man. I've got to get me
a good spot. Give me time to circle around to the kitchen window. I saw them
all sitting there when we drove up," explained Trivette excitedly.
"You've got two minutes,
Trivette."
Trivette slipped out ahead of Walker and
made his way behind the back of the barn so that his approach would not be in
the line of sight of anyone in the kitchen. Walker waited the agreed upon two
minutes and then, chuckling to himself, exited the barn and headed towards his
house.
"I think we've had a productive meeting
today. Although I'd like to see several of you participate more I believe
everyone is making splendid progress. Any comments?" asked Alex as she
wound up the meeting.
Before anyone could answer there came a
creak from the kitchen's screen door as someone opened it and made to enter the
kitchen. All eyes were riveted on Walker as he stepped inside and stood for a
minute adjusting his eyes to the light in the room. Alex's mouth fell open at
the spectacle of her husband to be standing before them like some red-haired
"Marlboro Man" albeit not as neat. Everything seemed to progress in
slow motion for her as she noted his gritty appearance and the amount of skin
and muscle he was showing off! Walker pulled a red bandana from his back pocket
and mopped at his neck. Moving to the refrigerator he opened it and selected a
cold Michelob from its interior. Bringing the bottle up Walker made a show of pressing
it to his forehead and sighing contentedly. "Ahhhhh, that sure feels good.
Hot day isn't it ladies?" commented Walker as he closed the refrigerator
and shuffled past the awe struck group and into his living room.
Nothing was said for a moment until Mary
piped up, "Hubba, hubba. Alex call him back here will ya?" At that
the group dissolved into a fit of giggles and wolf whistles and crude comments.
Alex felt the red of embarrassment creep up
her face. This was not the image she wanted people to have of her fiancé.
"Excuse me a moment, won't you?" asked Alex hurriedly as she rose.
"Sure, Alex. Just as long as you bring
that hunk of a man back here with you," hooted Angie, which set the rest
of the group into another round of hysterics.
"Walker!" hissed Alex when she got
into the living room. "What has gotten into you?"
"Hold up there Alex," laughed
Walker fending off a half hearted punch thrown by his, clearly upset, fiancée.
I want you to stop for a moment. I want you to take stock of yourself. How do
you feel right at this moment?"
"Walker, I don't have time for
games."
"Alex, I'm serious. I'm trying to make a point here," insisted
Walker.
Alex saw that Walker was sincere so she did
what he had asked.
"Okay," continued Walker when he
saw that Alex was ready. "You know how you feel right now?
"Yes," was Alex's simple reply.
"That's how I felt when you took off my
hat for me in court this week," explained Walker triumphantly.
When Alex did not say anything to his
revelation Walker got a little worried. Had he gone too far? Had CD and
Trivette been right? Had he overreacted to the 'hat fiasco'?
"Alex? Do you understand what I was
trying to tell you?
"Oh, you," laughed Alex. "Of
course I understand. But, next time just try talking to me. I think I'm going
to have to fight all those women in the kitchen for you after your little
stunt. I have to admit though there is something to be said for this macho
grunge look you've got going here."
Just then there was a loud thud and a
muffled groan from outside the kitchen. "OOOH, ladies here's another one
out here. Come and see. Hey, handsome come on inside. We won't bite"
Alex looked at Walker questioningly. Walker
looked skyward and groaned, "Trivette!"