The Last Good Day, стр. 54

“They can send it to the address Julie has in California,” Rance said.

“Good, load me up and head for Austin,” B.W. said.

Rance and Riley loaded B.W. on the wagon and they sat his rocker in beside him. Julie sat Mitchell next to her on the wagon seat. Fannie helped the boys climb up beside Mitchell. They watched Tommy carve his name in the livery stable door. He could write his name now. That was a good start, Rance thought.

Rance took Julie’s Colt and handed it to Tommy.

“You have earned the right to carry this on you,” Rance said. “You know when and how to use it.”

B.W. raised up from the wagon. “You damn sure have,” he said.

“Thank you,” Tommy said and stuck the gun in his belt.

“Take us to Austin, Julie,” B.W. said and Julie snapped the reins. The horses did a stutter step and started pulling the wagon.

Two days later, they arrived in Austin with everything they had. They dropped everyone but B.W. off at the church to get ready for the weddings. Rance and Riley carried B.W. from the wagon in his rocking chair inside the capitol building to the estate office where he filed the papers for the inheritance. They carried him back to the wagon, then from the wagon to the church. They had to sit down in a pew to catch their breath.

“Who the hell needs a horse,” B.W. said, smiling like the Cheshire Cat at Rance and Riley.

They had a double wedding ceremony, Tommy was best man for both. After the wedding, they loaded up the wagon. B.W. had the double-barrel beside him. They tied B.W.’s horse to the back of the wagon. Julie and Fannie took turns reining the wagon. The Riley boys played with Mitchell and kept him entertained. Tommy and Riley rode along each side of the wagon, with Rance riding point as they headed for California, each with thoughts of their next big adventure.

THE END

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John L. Lansdale was born and raised in east Texas. He is married to the love of his life Mary. They have four children. He is a retired Army reserve psychological operations officer and a combat veteran that served three tours in Vietnam with numerous medals and awards. He is a graduate of a Texas police academy and a state certified peace officer. He is an inventor, country music songwriter, performer and television programmer. He produced the television special “Ladies of Country Music” and several other programs. He goes back to the Sun Record days and was introduced to Elvis Presley by Mary on their first date when Elvis was a seventeen-year-old student at Humes High School in Memphis and a ticket-taker at Loew’s State Theater.

John has produced a variety of albums and music videos for country artists in Nashville along with songs for movies, with one as recently as 2018 titled “Tremble” for an upcoming film. He has hosted his own radio shows and won awards for radio and television commercials. He was a writer and editor for a business newspaper. He has worked as a comic book writer for Tales from the Crypt, IDW, Grave Tales, Cemetery Dance and many more. He co-authored Shadows West and Hell’s Bounty with his brother Joe. He is the author of Slow Bullet, the four-part Mecana detective series, Long Walk Home, Zombie Gold and several others.

John’s novel Slow Bullet was reviewed by Publishers Weekly as a must read page-turner with constant action and compared his work to that of popular 1950s author Mickey Spillane. The novel Long Walk Home was a finalist in the fiction category for the National Indie Excellence Awards. The novel Zombie Gold received great reviews including a Booklist review that praised it as a superb story with characters that came alive. Kissing the Devil received praise a pulp novella. All titles are still in print with new ones on the way.

John was recently inducted into the Gladewater Museum. His motto is: Never Give Up.

THE MECANA SERIES

by JOHN L. LANSDALE

HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR – Book #1

Dallas PD Detective Thomas Mecana is on the hunt for a serial killer terrorizing the Lone Star State. Joining him is Darcie Connors, a young officer working her first murder case. With hard work, and some luck, Mecana and his partner discover a most-unusual serial killer case with murder in its very genes.

WHEN THE NIGHT BIRD SINGS – Book #2

Detectives Thomas Mecana and Darcie Connors are on the trail of a new suspect. With an ever-growing suspect list, Mecana must toe the line between friend and foe. Each action leaves them sitting in the crosshairs of danger. One wrong move could mean the end.

TWISTED JUSTICE – Book #3

Dallas Homicide Detective Sunday Verves is looking into the suspicious deaths of local drug runners when she discovers a potential suspect that hits too close to home. When the trail leads her south of the border, she enlists some old friends to track down the suspects.

THE BOX – Book #4

Detective Thomas Mecana and the gang get back together for another case. Mecana soon finds the case is bringing back old evidence. This horror-filled novel brings the Mecana Series full-circle to where it all began.

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