LB

“Your turn, Uncle Ezra!”

“Me?” he said blankly.

“If I can, you can,” Josiah encouraged.

Chris and Buck slowed the pace of the jump-rope.

“Just try,” JD begged.

Ezra grimaced. “All right. Here goes nothing.”

He gamely jumped in, managing a few successful hops before JD and Vin leapt in on either side of him.

Suddenly Nathan yelled, “Hot Peppers!”

The two turners gleefully cranked the rope faster, ignoring Ezra’s yelp of protest.

In seconds the jumpers lay in a heap on the grass, both children giggling like mad. Ezra laughed too as he called up, “Not kind, Mr. Jackson.”

OW

Chris squeezed both eyes shut and shook his head. When he opened them, the vision was still there. JD, Buck, Vin and Ezra; each on one foot, hopping down the main street.

From his chair outside the saloon, Josiah offered, “Bet.”

“Should’ve known.”

“Whoever reaches the end without falling or putting his other leg down, wins four dollars.”

“Ezra’s idea?”

“Vin’s, sort of.”

“Sort of?”

“Kid was fidgety, so Vin bet him a dollar that he couldn’t do this.”

“And Ezra and Buck couldn’t stay out of it,” Chris guessed.

He grinned. “Nope. Oh, looks like we got a winner.”

OW

It had surprised everyone when Ezra suggested going swimming. A respite from the sweltering heat was more important than dignity sometimes, he’d said, and everyone had quickly agreed.

Chris managed another surprise, producing a length of stout rope and edging out onto a tree limb to tie it off, allowing it to dangle.

“YeeHaw!” Buck shouted. Taking a running jump he grabbed the rope and swung over the water, landing with a mighty splash.

Grinning and whooping, the others quickly followed his example.

For one afternoon everyone laughed and played, releasing the burdens of adulthood and becoming boys once again.