A Texas Hill Country Christmas by William W. Johnstone Page B

office,” Porter explained.
    â€œI didn’t think they were supposed to give out information like that,” Ace said.
    Porter smiled and said, “Well . . . when I told him that I was searching for my dear, sweet, innocent sister who had fallen under the spell of a dastardly, conniving, evil man who wished to lure her away and besmirch her honor, I was able to convince him to assist me. When I described Evelyn, he admitted that he had sold her a ticket for the Fredericksburg stage.”
    â€œYou don’t need to be writing stories and essays,” Ace said. “You ought to write melodramas instead.”
    â€œMelodramas are the stuff of life, exaggerated for effect,” Porter responded with a smile.
    â€œWhat about Hudson?” Chance asked. “Is he going on the stage, too?”
    Porter shook his head.
    â€œApparently not. I described him for the clerk as well, and the man claimed never to have seen him, let alone sold him a ticket. I believe the gentleman. He was eager to help. Most men live small, quiet lives and are happy to take part in grand, exciting adventures, even though it be vicariously.”
    â€œHudson must have a horse and plan to ride to Fredericksburg,” Ace mused. “Could be he’s left town already.”
    Porter made a fist and thumped it on the table.
    â€œThat’s exactly what I fear has happened,” he said. “He’s stolen a march on us, gentlemen, and we must act quickly to forestall him!”
    â€œWhat?” Ace said with a frown. “You can’t stop him from riding to Fredericksburg if he wants to. It’s a free country.”
    â€œAnd neither can he stop us. You have horses, I take it?”
    â€œYeah, we have horses,” Chance said. “Do you?”
    â€œAs a matter of fact, I have a saddle mount I sometimes take for rides in the country. The animal is stabled near here. I can go back to my boarding house, pack a few things, and be ready to ride in, say, half an hour?”
    Ace leaned forward, clasped his hands together on the table, and said, “Listen to me, Will. This is a bad idea you’ve got. You’re just going to get yourself in trouble. I didn’t like Hudson, either, but if Miss Channing wants to marry him, that’s her decision to make.”
    â€œAnd he’s not going to put up with you making a pest of yourself,” Chance added. “You’ll be better off if you just forget about both of them and get on with your life.”
    Porter looked back and forth between the brothers as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. After a moment he said, “Have you no passion in your souls, my friends? Have you never been in love? Have you never had your heart broken?”
    â€œI’ve had my heart broken plenty of times,” Chance said. “It’s sort of like when a red ant bites you. Stings for a while, but then it gets better.”
    â€œAce, surely you understand,” Porter said as he turned to the other Jensen brother. “I sense that you and I, we’re kindred spirits.”
    â€œI don’t hardly see how you get that,” Ace said. “We didn’t come to Austin to get mixed up in any trouble. We figured to just spend some time here taking life easy. Besides, it’s going to be Christmas in less than a week. It’s a time for celebrating, not fighting.”
    â€œChristmas!” Porter slapped the table. “The holiest time of the year. You’d allow a poor man to be emotionally devastated at Christmas?” He heaved a sigh. “What a bitter present the wise men doth deliver!”
    â€œNow, dadgum it—”
    Porter held up both hands, palms out, to stop anything else Ace and Chance had to say.
    â€œNever mind,” he said. “I understand. We barely know each other. I have no right to ask you to inconvenience yourselves by helping me.” He scraped back his chair and stood up.