Billy Travis Larabee: Mary’s son from her 1st marriage. He is 12-years-old in this story (this is where the timeline doesn’t fit
Jacob Vin Larabee: Chris and Mary’s 9-year-old son. He and Jesse are best friends Riley Elizabeth Larabee: Chris and Mary’s 7-year-old daughter
Alyssa Standish: Ezra’s Wife
Jared Thomas Standish: Ezra and Alyssa’s 7-year-old son (twin of Connor)
Connor James Standish: Ezra and Alyssa’s 7-year-old son (twin of Jared)
Inez Wilmington: Buck’s Wife
Adam Michael Wilmington: Buck and Inez’s 8-year-old son
Kiley Ann Wilmington: Buck and Inez’s 6-year-old daughter
Maria Sanchez: Josiah’s Wife
Abigail Nicole Sanchez: Josiah and Maria’s 6-year-old daughter
Rain Jackson: Nathan’s Wife
Jacey Skye Jackson: Nathan and Rain’s 7-year-old daughter
Joshua Daniel Jackson: Nathan and Rain’s 6-year-old son
Casey Dunne: JD’s Wife
Haley Michelle Dunne: JD and Casey’s 5-year-old daughter
Nettie Wells: Casey’s aunt and Vin’s ‘foster mom’
This story will mostly revolve around the children and how the seven deal with their antics and adventures. If this is not something you would enjoy, please do not continue to read.
“Who’s th’ new girl?” Jessie asked Jacey, indication the haughtily dressed girl sitting on the log by the swing.
“Her name’s Pricilla Peyton. My pa says she’s staying with the Widow Lowry until the end of the school year.”
“Why?”
“Something ‘bout her pa getting his business settled in San Francisco. She’s supposed to go meet up with him this summer.”
“That ‘splains th’ way she’s dressed.” Jessie said disapprovingly as she watched the girl get up and head towards the schoolhouse. “ Look at ‘er. She walks like she’s gotta stick up ‘er ass.”
“Come on Jessie. Give her a chance, she might not be that bad.” Jacey said diplomatically.
“Not that bad! She just put ‘er fancy bandana down ‘fore she sat. A little dirt ain't gonna kill’er.”
“Kill who?” Jake asked, coming up to Jessie.
“Miss Prissy pants over there.” Jessie answered.
“Oh, her. I saw tha Widow Lowry’s hand drop ‘er off this morning. She wouldn’t let’em help ‘er down off tha wagon because his hands were dirty.” Jake sneered. “I think we should help ‘er out. I mean, she is new an all. Maybe she just needs to find out things first hand.”
Jesse gave Jake a knowing look. “Yeah. I think yer right. Wouldn’t want ta be unfriendly, now would we?”
Jacey rolled her eyes. She knew what they were planning and wanted nothing to do with it. “You guys are on your own.” She said putting her hands up. “I don’t wanna get in to any trouble today.” She walked away quickly, but heard Jessie yell “ Chicken.”
Jake and Jessie walked over to the new girl. “Hi. My name’s Jessie an this here’s Jake. What’s yers?”
“Pricilla.” As the girl said her name, she gave Jessie’s overalls a disapproving look. “Jessie, you’re a girl right?”
Jake put his hand on her shoulder to stop her from saying whatever she was going to say. “We wanted ta show ya around ‘fore school starts. Ya want ta come?”
“Very well.” Pricilla replied.
The duo walked Pricilla around the school ground and stopped near the mud puddle next to the swing. “Wanna sit in th’ swing? I’ll give ya a push.” Jessie said in her friendliest voice. While she was doing that, Jake got onto his hands and knees behind Pricilla.
“No, thank you. I do not want my clothing to get soiled. Unlike you, I dress like a lady and prefer my dresses clean.”
Jesse was having a hard time controlling her temper. “Well, even if’n ya don’t want ta swing, I think I’ll give ya that push anyway.” Jesse gave Pricilla a shove.
Since Jake was behind her, she couldn’t move her feet to gain her balance. She tottered a moment before falling, butt first, into the mud.
“AAIIIEEE! You did that on purpose!” Pricilla yelled over Jake and Jesse’s laughter.
Jake was about to respond when he felt a hand grab his arm. He looked over his shoulder and saw a very angry Gabby Strong. “H-Hi Miss Strong.”
“Don’t hi me young man. Pricilla, are you all right?”
“No, I am not all right! Look at my new dress!” She hollered. “Those two deliberately pushed me into this filth.” She said indicating the mud puddle she was standing in.
“N-Now Miss Strong, we was jus showing ‘er around. She jus up an fell into th’ mud. We tried to help ‘er, but she fell ‘fore we could grab ‘er.” Jesse said trying to save her and Jake’s hides.
“Jessica Tanner don’t lie to me. I saw what you two were going to do from my window. I just didn’t get here in time to stop you.”
“We didn’t mean any harm…we was jist joking around.”
“Joking around? Do you see her laughing?” Gabby put her hands on her hips. And stared at the two troublemakers.
“I have had it with you two and your pranks. I warned you two yesterday after you put sand into Billy James’s sandwich, that I wouldn’t stand for anymore pranks.” Gabby started pulling them towards the schoolhouse. “Now, you two can stand in the corner while I write a note to your father’s. I expect you to have them signed it and then return it to me tomorrow. Am I clear?”
“Aw come on…please Miss Strong. Our pa’s are gonna kill us.” Jesse pleaded.
“Then you should have thought about that before you pushed Pricilla into the mud.” She said as she pushed both miscreants into a corner and sat at her desk. “Now, you will stand there until class begins. If you give me any more trouble today, I’ll keep you here until your father’s come get you. Understand?” She could help but smile at the two groans she heard coming from the corners.
When Jesse got home from school that afternoon, she quickly did her chores and homework. She didn’t want anything to upset her pa before she gave him the note. //Hopefully, he’ll be in a good mood. //
Vin Tanner pulled Peso up to the porch and dismounted. Before his feet hit the ground, Jesse was at his side.
“Want me ta take Peso pa?” She asked sweetly.
“Don’tcha have homework ta do?”
“Already done it, pa.”
“All right, Sunshine, if’n ya want ta.” Vin handed her the reins and watched Jesse walk Peso into the barn. He looked around the yard and smiled. //Hmmm. Chores are done. Homework is done. She’s offerin ta take Peso…yep someone got in ta trouble t’day// Vin laughed as he walked into the house.
“What’s so funny?” Emily asked after giving her husband a welcoming kiss.
“Our daughter.”
“What'd she do?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I’m guessin’ I’m gonna find out soon ‘nough.”
At Emily’s puzzled look, he continued. “She’s already done ‘er chores an homework. Then she come over ta me an got Peso…offered ta bed him down fer me. I reckon she’s done got herself in ta trouble t’day an wants me in a good mood ‘fore she tells me.”
Emily gave a small laugh. “Well, whatever it is, it must be something she’s sure your going to be angry over.” She kissed Vin on the cheek and gave his a shove towards the stairs. “Go on and get cleaned up. Supper will be ready in a few minutes.”
Jesse waited until her pa was sitting in his chair with his after dinner coffee before she approached him.
“Ummm…Pa?”
Vin turned to look at his oldest child. She was shifting nervously from one foot to the other. “What’s a matter Sunshine?”
“Ummm…I got somethin fer ya ta read.”
“Somethin fer me ta read?”
“Uh, yeah pa. Miss Strong wrote ya a note. Ya have ta sign it so’s I can take it back ta her.”
“I do? Well, give me a minute ta read it.” Vin settled back into his chair and started reading the note.
Jesse anxiously stood off to his left trying to read his face. //Damn, it’s like readin a rock. Cain’t git nothin outta him. // She knew she was in trouble. She just didn’t know how much.
Vin finished reading and set the note on the table beside him. He leaned forward and propped his arms on his knees. “Well?” he asked quietly.
Jesse knew what he wanted. “I’m sorry pa. I didn’t mean ta git inta trouble.”
“Ya didn’t mean ta git in trouble? Why’d ya push th’ new girl inta th’ mud then?”
“Well, she was sayin mean things ‘bout me. I had ta shut ‘er up. Not my fault she’s little miss prissy pants. The mud wouldn’t a hurt her any.” Jesse answered, her anger at the girl resurfacing.
“ What was she sayin?”
Jesse really didn’t want to answer that. She knew she dressed like a boy and expected others to tease her about it, but it was the WAY Pricilla said it that made her mad.
“Jessica, I asked ya a question. I s’pect an answer.”
//Damn. Now I have ta answer him. // “She was puttin me down ‘cause I dress like a boy.”
“So. Others have done that an you didn’t do anythin ta them.”
“It was th’ WAY she said it pa. ‘You are a girl, right?’” Jesse mimicked. “ I woulda hit her if’n Jake didn’t stop me.”
“Lucky fer you ya didn’t.” Vin gave her a look that told her that would have been a VERY bad move on her part.
“Yes, Sir.”
“We’ve talked ‘bout ya getting inta trouble at school. Haven’t we?”
“Yes, Sir.” She knew where this was going and decided to just ask. “Ya gonna spank me?”
“What do ya think?” Vin asked. Jesse dropped her head in response. “I’ll tell ya what. You promise me ya wont bother her agin, an I won’t spank ya.”
“Really Pa?” Jesse asked, eyes wide in wonderment. //Did pa jist say he wasn’t gonna spank me? //
“But…” Vin continued. “This is yer one an only warnin. If I catch ya doin anythin else to th’ girl, I promise ya, I’ll tan yer hide so’s ya wont set easy fer days. Understand?”
“Yes, Sir! I wont bother her no more!” Jesse threw her arms around her father and gave him a big hug and kiss.
“Hold on there Sunshine…” Vin pulled his daughter away from him to look in her eyes. “You will still be going to bed early tonight.”
“Aww Paaa...”
“I could jist spank you instead.” Vin tried to hide his smile at the look on Jesse’s face.
“Oh no, Pa. No need fer that. I’ll go on up ta bed now.” She hugged him again, kissed her ma and headed off to bed.
The next morning Jake met up with Jesse in front of the schoolhouse. “So, what’d yer pa do?”
“Jist sent me ta bed early.”
“That’s all?!”
“Yep…well that an promise to let ‘er alone from now on.” Jesse couldn’t help but smile. “What’d Uncle Chris do?”
“What do ya think he did?” Jake replied rubbing his backside. “Said I shouldn’t a been pickin on a girl. Then he said if I did it again we’d have a session in tha barn.”
“Ouch.” Jesse sympathized.
“Yeah. But it don’t really hurt now.” Jake smiled. “Come on…I thought of a new thing we can do to Pricilla…an no one will know it’s us.”
“Are you crazy? Why’d I want ta do that?”
“Ya didn’t hear what she’s callin ya?”
“No.”
“She’s been callin ya ‘That Dirty Little Boy’ since she got here. Figure she’s tryin ta git back at ya.”
“She’s what?! Oh, her ass is mine!” Jesse started over toward Pricilla but Jake stopped her.
“Stop, Jesse. If ya hit ‘er Uncle Vin’ll tan yer hide fer sure. If we do it my way, she wont know what hit her and you wont git in ta trouble.”
Jesse paused and attempted to tamp down her anger. “What’d ya have in mind?”
“Well, after school, we…”
“Hurry up, she’s comin.” Jake said to Jesse. Jesse shimmed up the tree behind Jake and crouched down behind the leaves. “Ya got ‘em?” She asked Jake.
“Yep. Here.” Jake gave half of the worms that were in the tin he had. “Now, when she comes over here, we throw these on her. While she screamin, we take off behind the schoolhouse and head home the back way. Got it?”
“Got it.”
They waited for their prey to get within range, then pounced. Worms fell from the tree in blobs, right onto Pricilla’s hair! “EEEEEEIIIIIIKKKK”
The scream was piercing. Jake and Jesse dropped their cans and covered their mouth to keep from laughing. Suddenly Jesse stopped. “Oh Shit.Git down!” She grabbed Jake and ducked down further behind the tree.
It took Jake a second to realize what was going on. Then he saw him…Uncle Vin! He was at Pricilla’s side trying to calm her down and get the worms off her. “We are sooo dead!” he heard Jesse whisper.
“Shhh. He don’t know were here yet. Be quiet and stay down.”
<><><><><><>
Vin heard the scream come from the near the schoolhouse and took off
running. When he rounded the corner, he froze. There was a young girl covered
in worms standing in front of him. He managed to stifle the laughter trying
to erupt and walked over to the girl.
“Shhh. Stop screamin.” Vin said to the girl. “It’s all right. They’s jist worms. Let me help ya.” When the worms were finally off, he asked the girl “What’s yer name?”
“Pricilla Preston.” She sobbed out. “And you are?”
“Vin Tanner.”
“Tanner? They you are that vile girls father! She did this to me.”
“Hold on there young lady. Ya got no right ta be callin my daughter names.” He waited for the Pricilla to look at him. “Now, why d’ya think she did this?”
“Because she has been picking on me from the moment I got here. I know she did this…and that Jake boy probably helped her.”
Vin scratched his chin. //This prank does scream Jesse and Jake…// Just
then, Vin caught a movement from the tree a few yards away and frowned.
“Pricilla, why don’t you go on home. I‘ll find out who did this and take
care of it.”
Pricilla saw the change in Vin’s reaction and heard the promised in his voice. “But…”
“Go on now. I’ll take care of everything.”
Vin waited until Pricilla was out of sight before he moved closer to the tree.
“C’mon. Git down here.” When no bodies came out of the tree he said, “Jake an Jesse, I know yer up there. C’mon down ‘fore I come up an git ya. Ya don’t want me ta do that.” Vin said sternly.
He looked up at the tree and saw feet dangling out of the limbs. He walked over and ‘helped’ them down. Once both children were on the ground, he turned them sideways and gave them each a firm swat.
“Ow!” Jesse said.
“Ouch!” Jake followed.
“What in th’ hell are ya doin?”
“Climbin a tree pa…what’s it look like?” Jesse mouth said before her brain could stop her. “Ouch!” Vin swatted her again.
“Now ain't th’ time ta be gittin smart. I thought we talked ‘bout this last night? Didn’t ya say ya weren’t gonna bother Pricilla anymore?”
“Ummm…Yes sir. But…”
“No buts. We’ll finish this at home.” He grabbed both Jake’s and Jesse’s hands marched them to the Clarion. After dropping Jake off, Vin put Jesse on Peso, mounted up behind her and headed home.
Once home, Vin lifted Jesse off Peso and set her on her feet. “Go on up ta yer room. I’ll be there directly.” He gave her another sway and sent her on her way.
Emily stood at the door watching everything. “What’d she do now?”
“She an Jake threw worms on th’ new girl, Pricilla.”
“The same girl you talked to her about last night?”
“Yep. Now I’m gonna keep m’promise.”
Vin entered Jesse’s room and shut the door. “Wanna tell me that that was ‘bout?”
“She was callin me names agin.”
“Didn’t we jist talk ‘bout this last night? Didn’t ya say ya wouldn’t mess with ‘er anymore?”
“Yes, Sir.” Jesse looked up at her pa. “I jist lost my temper. I’m sorry.”
“Not as sorry as yer gonna be.” Vin said ominously. He removed his belt and positioned Jesse at the foot of the bed. “I wont have a bully fer a daughter. Am I clear?”
“Yes, Sir…but please…not the belt. I promise I wont bother ‘er agin.”
“Nope. I gave ya that chance an you blew it. Now, let’s git this done. Drop yer britches and bend over.”
Jesse did as she was told and waited for the first lick. When Vin was through, he put his belt back on. “I reckon we wont be havin this ‘talk’ agin.”
“No, Sir.” Jesse sobbed while trying to rub the sting out of her hind end. //Man, pa wasn’t kiddin…he really let me have it. I ain’t gonna sit comfortably for days! //
Vin pulled Jesse into a hug and let her cry. When she calmed down, he pulled her away and kissed her forehead. “Leaver Pricilla alone, yer raised better’n that. Go it?”
“Yes Sir.”
The next morning found Jesse standing in front of Pricilla on the school ground, Vin right beside them. Vin gave Jesse a little nudge. “Go on.”
“Uh, look Pricilla. I’m sorry I played them pranks on ya. I should’ta done that.”
Pricilla looked from Vin to Jesse. She noticed Jesse discomfort and decided to give her a break. “Apology accepted. However, I must apologize as well. I am sorry I called you those names. Maybe we could start over?”
“Sure, I’d like that…but only if’n ya stop worryin ‘bout gittin dirty!”
“Jessica Lynn Tanner!” Vin bellowed.
Jesse put her hands up in a defensive gesture. “Just kiddin! Jeesh!
Cain't no one take a joke?”
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