The Doctor Gets a Visitor V
by: E Walk

(© 2007 by the Author)
Editor Radio Rancher

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...


Chapter 37

Here Comes the Bride

Beau was wound up again on Wednesday morning; he was running with more friends than usual.  After breakfast, Beau took his group to the new warehouse when all of Mrs. Gleason’s furniture began to arrive.  The guys put the art work aside and after all of the shipments had been put away; Beau locked up and called Mr. Carstairs.

Carole Anne had taken S.Z.Q, Becca and Jen and they got their hair styled.  They picked up Mrs. Gleason and they went shopping for the dresses for the first wedding.  Dylan had spent most of the day with the Five Star Yard Company.  At three o’clock he pulled into the parking area at the Shoppe with Clay and Chip.  He collected Berto, Steve and Beau and they went to get their hair styled.

Everyone gathered at Ben and Josh’s after dinner and everyone was swimming when the phone rang. Beau answered, “Oh hi Mr. President … Yeh, Steve and Jen are drunk from all of the alcohol and the drugs.”

Steve grabbed the phone, “Dad and Mom, don’t believe a word he’s saying.  If we had any of those things, we would probably be hitch-hiking back to D. C. because Beau kicked us out. …  We’re so underfed and we aren’t permitted to go to any of the fast food joints.  The people here are so cold and they never let us do anything.  They won’t even talk to us.”

Jen took over, “Dad and Mom, these people make us go to work everyday.  We don’t have any friends.  Oh by the way we can’t come home until after the third wedding, if then.  These people treat us like poor orphans.”

Jen handed the phone to Beau.  “Hey Mr. and Mrs. Turner these kids of yours are turning into rednecks.  I can’t control them anymore.  Don’t be surprised if you don’t know them the next time you see them. … Oh, you’re going to come to our small city for the wedding? … Do you want us to make sleeping arrangements?  … Tell you what, just put your ugliest clothes on and well call you Uncle Ned and Aunt Rachael.  We’ll help you get settled when you get here. … Now don’t even pretend to know the twins. … They are enjoying being bratty teenagers like the rest of us. … We’ll only tell a select few people that you are coming.”

Beau and Steve closed the pool and everyone evaporated into space.  Everyone was tired.

Thursday was almost a normal day.  Beau arranged for the President and his wife to stay with us on Saturday night along with the Secret Service men.

At work, Mr. and Mrs. Weaver took Beau to visit two more houses that were going to be sold.  They bought the furnishings,  and they made arrangements for the items to be picked up.   Beau was gracious to the two sets of occupants but he had made up his mind to not get involved emotionally.

When they got back to the Shoppe, Beau was on a high.  He made sure that everyone was working.  Everyone but him had made a sale.  

During the afternoon Dylan’s Grandparents arrived with Aunt Nan and they were staying with Mrs. Tillison.  Dylan and Carole Anne took them to the Shoppe with Mrs. Gleason and Mrs. Tillison.  They went through the new warehouse with Beau and Becca and picked out the furnishings for Dylan and Mrs. Gleason’s new houses.  The two young people labeled everything that was selected.  Dylan and Carole Anne had let Mrs. Gleason have first choice.  Beau carefully guided her.

Mr. and Mrs. Morrison insisted that they take us out to a restaurant for dinner.  After everyone was showered we went to The Gas Lamp for dinner.

After dinner, Jeff took S.Z.Q. and Beau to the church to practice the songs they would be singing.  Everyone else had gone back to Ben and Josh’s and the Turner twins and the other young people had opened the pool.

By nine o’clock everyone had left and Beau and the people all went to bed.

On Friday morning, Beau had everyone up and working.  Beau was so into work at the Shoppe when Mr. Carstairs arrived.  Beau said, “Sir, I am not sure what we have, but you get 10%, I get 1%, and the Shoppe gets 1% and Mrs. Gleason get 88%.”  Beau made arrangements for Mr. Carstairs to pick up the things on Monday.

On Friday there was the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner.  Mr. and Mrs. Morrison, Dylan’s parents, had elected to stay in a motel.  Senator and Mrs. Gordon were staying at the Johnson’s house.

The rehearsal went smoothly.  Chip and Clay were both going to be ring bearers with no flower girl.  The rehearsal dinner was at the club.  Dylan’s mother tried to take charge and Beau politely reminded her that she and her husband hadn’t paid for anything and told her to sit back and let Dylan and Carole Anne run the show, since it was their wedding and not hers.”

Chip and Clay spent most of the evening with the Gordon’s, Dylan’s grandparents and Aunt Nan.  The guys treated them like royalty.

The Robinsons arrived and were staying with Eric and Linda. 

Saturday morning arrived and the President made a speech at 10:00.  The Turners arrived at our house at about 11:50.  Tommy and Jeff helped the Turners and the two agents get settled.  Jeff had fixed a light lunch which we ate and Jeff left for the church.

The Turners and the secret service men went to the church with Tommy and me.  No one picked up on who the Turners were, and Steve and Jen ushered us to the seat behind where the Gordons would be sitting.

When it came time to usher the parents down the aisle, Berto and Becca ushered the Morrisons down the aisle.  Beau and S.Z.Q. then ushered the Gordons.  Everyone was in place when Chip and Clay came down the aisle carrying pillows with a ring.  They took their place and Dylan came from the side.  Carole Anne, in a very stunning simple dress, came down the aisle carrying a single carnation.

The service went smoothly and Beau and S.Z.Q. were the highlight of the service.  The sanctuary was filled with people.

At the reception, the twins ignored their parents until Beau arranged a place and a time for them to get together without anyone realizing what was happening or who the players were. 

The twins told their parents that they were having the time of their lives.  “Please don’t make us go back to Washington, D. C.   These people treat us just like we are one of them.  They sure don’t bow down to us.  They make us work hard just like they all do, and we are making money even though we never get to spend any.”

On Sunday morning, Father Wanamaker came forward at the end of the service and said, “Since Beau and Jeff are going to be gone for the next two weekends, they are going to do the closing.”

Jeff and Beau went forward.  After church, everyone went to the club for lunch.  Mitchell and Barbee took care of everyone.  After the meal, the President and his party took off.”  Mr. and Mrs. Grandpa and Grandma Morrison took care of the bill and gratuity.  Dylan’s parents were complaining that no one had let the guests know that the President was in attendance.

Beau put his finger in their face and said, “We were protecting their children.  We did not want to expose them to any adverse publicity.  We don’t care about our social images, like you apparently do.  It’s too bad that your new grandson already doesn’t like you very much.  He recognizes that you are both phonies, so stop interfering in Carole Anne, Dylan and Clay’s lives.”

“If they need your help, they will ask, but between the three of them, they have more money than you would know what to do with.  Now, I suggest you go back to Des Moines and stay out of the way at the wedding service in Des Moines since you can’t begin to pay for anything.”

Dylan pulled Beau out of his parents’ faces.  “Beau, they were spoiled by the good life and now it is over.  I am sure they understand that none of us have any respect for them what so ever.  I am just afraid that they will try to make everyone think that what is going to happen is because of their doing.  I already have asked the Robinsons and Aunt Nan to do some damage control.”

Everyone went back to Josh and Ben’s and the pool was opened.  Dylan’s parents left, but the older Morrisons and Aunt Nan and the Gordons were overwhelmed by everything that had happened.

Rick and Will said, “If all these people come to the dude ranch, there is no way that everyone will fit into the church.”

Beau held the two guys close and said, “Guys, we’ll worry about that when we get there.  We could always have an outdoor wedding on horseback.”  Beau challenged.

The two guys took off to go back to Estes Park after everyone hugged them. 

The next week went smoothly.  The new medical facility opened on Tuesday and all of the doctors and staff were in place.  There was a big article on the clinic’s opening in The Fremont Times. 

Beau and the other young people worked very hard all week but still managed to make some time for fun.  On Thursday about three o’clock, all of the players in the wedding left for Des Moines.  The rest of us were going to join them on Friday and Saturday.

This time it was to be a big fancy wedding in a big church.  It just so happened that the President was making a speech on Saturday morning in Des Moines.  The Gordons had arrived on Thursday and were staying with Aunt Nan.

Beau and his friends all went to the Morrison Manufacturing Company and Beau introduced them to all of his friends.  Jeff was so impressed by how much respect and love they demonstrated for Beau, Dylan and Carole Anne.

The Morrisons took everyone to the remodeled snack bar and they almost filled the facility.  Beau had everyone take their food into the courtyard so the regulars could eat.  All of the people kept coming up to Beau and talking.

We had a light snack and they went to the rehearsal and then to the Club for the rehearsal dinner.  Beau didn’t interfere with Dylan’s parents and let them pretend like they were the hosts.  Everyone else in the room knew it wasn’t true.  After the dinner, everyone went to their assigned accommodations.  Father Wanamaker and Roddy and Jeremy were staying with the Robinsons.

 Jeff and I were staying with the elder Morrisons with the guys and gals.  They had made two sleeping rooms.

On Saturday morning, Beau and Becca had made breakfast for everyone.  It took a while to get everyone through the showers.

The people started to arrive from Fremont and we all assembled at Dylan’s grandparents’ house.

The President was making a big speech in Des Moines at a big luncheon.  The Turners left the luncheon and arrived at the wedding.  Spencer and Roddy ushered them to their seats behind the Gordons.

The wedding went as planned and the Fremont people and the Turner twins wowed the people.  Again, the stars were Beau and S.Z.Q. and the two ring bearers. 

The Morrisons had arranged a reception at a private reception hall with a catered buffet meal.  The gifts and envelopes were starting to add up and Beau whispered.  “Carole Anne and Dylan, at this rate you are going to be 65 before you get all of the thank you notes written for all these unwanted gifts.  Hey, we can have a humongous garage sale and see how much we can raise for Clay’s and his sister and brother’s college fund.”

The Turners took off after the meal and they had several dances.  They made it known in no uncertain terms that Steve and Jen had to go home after the next wedding.

After the guests had left the reception, those who were left went back to Dylan’s grandparents’ house.  The next morning we went to church and Beau and Jeff were blindsided again.  The congregation let them know they appreciated their talents.

The next week went smoothly and everyone was busy as normal.  Carole Anne and Dylan left with the people in the wedding party on Wednesday after lunch.  The rest of us were going to go by plane on Friday, since Jeff wasn’t going to be playing, he was going with the rest of us.  Rick was going to be playing the piano.

When we got to the ranch, we found that we were being housed in two bunkhouses.  The young ladies had one and the rest of us had another.  The older ladies had the manager’s and Rick’s bunk house.  The grandparents and Aunt Nan were staying in the main house with Dylan and Carole Anne.

The Gordons had the Turners and the younger Morrisons staying with them.

On Saturday morning after Beau had said hello to everyone, he went for ride on Midnight with Chip and Clay.  The three guys were having a great time.  They came back and got ready for the wedding.  Everything went very smoothly and Cookie had arranged for a chuck wagon meal for the reception.  The church was packed.

After the reception dinner, the President and his wife left to go back to D. C.  They took Steve and Jen with them so it was a rather quiet group.  The young people were on a down now that the Turner twins had left.  After going to the early service at the church, everyone departed for their homes except for Carole Anne, Dylan and Clay.  They were going to spend several days at the ranch before they flew to Texas to visit S.Z.Q.

Beau went to another art auction with Mrs. Tillison and Mrs. Gleason.  Mrs. Gleason’s artworks sold for better prices than anyone ever thought.  Mrs. Gleason was going to collect a nice reward.  Beau was more than happy with his 1% fee as were the Weavers and Coopers.

The young people were getting ready for school and working as much as they could since they would only be able to work a few hours a week at the Shoppe when school started.  Mrs. Tillison decided that she should take some of us to The Tumbling T. Ranch for a visit.  Jeff and I elected not to go as did Ben and Josh.   So Mrs. T. took Beau, Berto, Denny, Rebecca, and Mrs. Gleason.  She also included Chip, Spencer, Jeremy and Roddy.  She rented a plane and they flew into Austin.

They were surprised when they were met by the Gordons and the President and Mrs. Turner and the twins.  They all went to S.Z.Q.’s ranch where they had a good old fashioned barbeque.  After dinner, S.Z.Q. showed everyone around her ranch where she raised livestock for the rodeo circuit.  Beau took a liking to one particular horse whose name was El Diablo because he threw anyone who tried to ride him in less than five seconds.

Beau talked to El Diablo for a few minutes and climbed on El Diablo bareback, and away they went.  When they got back, Beau nonchalantly climbed off, and rubbed El Diablo down.

S.Z.Q. lit into Beau, “You probably ruined El Diablo from ever being used in the rodeo circuit again.  He’ll never be the same.”

Beau said, “Don’t even believe that.  The only persons who will ever ride El Diablo are Clay and me.  Anyone else who tries will be thrown as fast as El Diablo can do it.”

Beau spent the weekend riding with Clay, Rebecca and El Diablo and the other horses and ponies.  The rest of the people, except for Spencer, spent a lot of time at the S.Z.Q. ranch.  Spencer took the opportunity to get to know the Tumbling T. ranch people and how they operated.  He made some suggestions to Mrs. T. and they met with the ranch manager.  At first the manager was non plussed, but when he had time to think about what Spencer had suggested, he relented.   Spencer had a natural instinct for the management of livestock and crops.

On Sunday night, Mrs. Tillison had a huge buffet at her ranch.  The Robinsons and Smiths had arrived so there was a big crowd, since they also brought Dana, David, and Candy.   There was a natural lake on Mrs. Tillison property and everyone went swimming.

The young people were all split between the three ranches.  But they all managed to meet at the lake at the appropriate time.

On Monday, Beau, S.Z.Q. and Clay were going to be in a rodeo.  When the announcer announced that Beau and El Diablo would be doing the National Anthem, there was a stunned silence.  The people knew that El Diablo had a reputation for being the meanest bucking horse on the circuit.  When they arrived in the stadium, Beau was riding El Diablo bareback and was holding an American flag.

Beau had El Diablo kneel and Beau sang the national anthem.  Beau and El Diablo raced out of the arena as the crowd applauded, showing their approval.  Beau took El Diablo to get ready for the bareback riding event.  Beau whispered, “No one but me and Clay can ride you.  Everyone else has to go down as fast as possible.”

El Diablo threw the two riders who tried to ride him in less than five seconds.  After intermission, El Diablo came into the arena with Clay on him.  Beau jumped behind Clay and held Clay as they got ready for the barrel riding event.  At the starting sound, they rode through the barrel course in record time. 

Beau jumped down and caught Clay.  They came out of the arena after El Diablo bowed to the crowd.

They came back to Fremont on Tuesday morning, since Mrs. Gleason and Carole and Dylan were closing and moving into their condominiums.  There were only two more weeks until school started.

Josh, Ben and Mrs. Tillison decided to take the group to Chicago to go see  two baseball games and a professional football preseason game.  Mrs. Tillison had spared no expense and we were staying at the Palmer House Hotel which was right downtown.

We all had a great time at the Cub’s and White Sox’s games.  Most of the young people were overwhelmed by the Bears‘ game.  We all had great time at the Chicago Art Institute and Air and Space Technology Museum.

When the people got home, everyone, especially Beau, was waiting for school to start.  It seemed like all anyone did was to work and make money.  They had gotten Mrs. Gleason and Carole Anne, Dylan and Clay settled into their houses.  Clay was now known as Clay Morrison.  The Morrisons all came to the adoption hearing as did Mr. and Mrs. Gordon.  S.Z.Q. had started school so she wasn’t able to come.  After everyone departed, school was about to start.

To be continued...

Feedback always welcome:     

Editor's Notes:

Wow, that was a truly exciting chapter.  I knew Beau could ride El Diablo.

Horses are a lot smarter than people give them credit for.  Most of them will respect you if you respect them.  I love the way that Uncle Ed puts pictures in our heads when he tells the stories. I can see the weddings as clear as if I had been there. Thank you once again for a wonderful chapter.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Posted: 03/07/08