Chapter 4
Josh woke up bright and early Tuesday morning at 6:00 a.m., and he was so excited about spending a new life in Paradise.
After he showered, he went into his kitchen and ate a huge breakfast to help clean out his refrigerator.
Josh then bagged all his perishables from the kitchen and threw them in a nearby restaurant dumpster. He also turned off his cable and terminated his cell phone contract.
It was now 9:30 a.m., and Josh was dressed up in one of his western outfits. He turned off all the water and unplugged all his appliances, and locked his house, and then headed south on the Florida Turnpike.
Josh pulled into the Employees Parking lot of the mansion at 11:56 a.m. and parked his car where there were three other cars, and a pickup truck also parked.
He got out of his car with his cowboy hat, with cloth suitcase, and cloth bag in hand while he walked to the mansion.
Josh entered the foyer of the mansion and saw Sara Cooper, in plain light blue western dress, laced up brown boots, while she waited by Linda Bronson, a thirty-two-year-old cute chubby woman in a plain brown western dress and laced up brown boots. Both ladies looked excited about living in Paradise while they waited by the counter.
“Hi, Josh,” Anita called out from behind the counter with sparkles in her eyes.
“Howdy Anita,” Josh replied in a cowpoke tone.
On the wall behind them was a clock that chimed the second; the hands met at high noon.
Josh walked up to the two ladies and removed his cowboy hat. “Good day, I’m Josh Bryant,” he greeted them, still using his cowpoke tone.
“I’m Sara Cooper.”
“And I’m Linda Bronson.”
Charlie entered through the rear doors of the foyer dressed in old western attire and a cowboy hat.
“I see everybody showed up,” he said while he walked over to Josh and the ladies.
“Now, if I can have your application forms, I’ll process them into the computer,” he said while he held out a hand.
Josh, Sara, and Linda all handed Charlie their completed forms.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Charlie told them, then he walked behind the counter and opened the door that led to a small office.
While Charlie was in the small office, Anita had love in her eyes while she stared at Josh, which started making him feel uncomfortable.
Five minutes later, Charlie came out of the small office and walked back over to everybody. “I did background checks, and everybody looks honest without a major criminal record, and I also got you in our system,” Charlie said while he stopped at Laura and had a smirk while he discovered her minor arrest record. He walked over and looked at Josh and Sara and looked over their attire. “Are you all ready for a life in Paradise?” Charlie asked with a huge smile.
“You bet!” Josh replied.
Sara and Linda nodded in agreement with huge grins.
“That’s great. Now I have to check for your cash, weapons, or other electronic devices,” Charlie told them.
Charlie frisked Sara, checked her cloth suitcase and then she showed her a cloth bag with the cash.
Charlie frisked Linda, checked her cloth suitcase, and found an iPhone. “Paradise can’t be the old west with electronic devices. You’ll get this back if you decide to leave,” Charlie said then placed her iPhone on the top of the counter.
“I’m sorry, I forgot,” Linda said.
“That’s okay, my dear,” Charlie replied while he checked out her cloth bag with the cash.
Charlie frisked Sara, checked her cloth suitcase and then she showed her cloth bag with the cash.
“Everything looks in order. Now, you’ll make your payment once you arrive in Paradise. So if you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to your new life,” Charlie told them with a warm smile.
Josh, Sara, and Linda grabbed their cloth suitcases and followed Charlie through the foyer to the rear door.
Anita watched while Josh left, and she had sweet thoughts of marrying him in the future and bearing his children.
Josh, Sara, and Linda followed Charlie while he walked through the courtyard and walked around to the other side of the Train House building.
Charlie opened the back door to the Train House, and they all entered the electrical room.
Inside the room, Rodney Worley, a forty-five-year-old man with shoulder-length brown hair, waited inside by the glass booth wearing old western attire and a cowboy. He was a cousin to Blaine and Charlie Fisher and donated $100,000 for the construction of the land of Paradise.
Charlie closed and locked the door then looked at Josh, Sara, and Linda. “That’s our stagecoach driver, Rodney Worley. He’s going to help me transport you to Paradise since the booth will be a tight fit with your suitcases,” Charlie told them.
“I’ll take the ladies first,” Rodney said and motioned for Sara and Linda to join him at the booth.
Rodney opened up the front booth door, and Sara and Linda entered with their suitcases. Rodney joined the booth and closed the door behind him.
Josh and Charlie watched while bright lights filled the glass of the booth like fireworks.
A whirring sound filled the inside of the booth.
The entire booth vibrated.
Then psychedelic colors filled the glass of the booth.
The glass booth started spinning.
Sara, Linda, and Rodney cringed in pain while the booth spun.
The spinning of the booth dissipated.
The psychedelic colors in the glass dissipated.
The vibration of the boot dissipated.
The lights from the glass dissipated.
Josh and Charlie saw that the booth was empty.
“They’ve arrived, and it’s now your turn,” Charlie told Josh then walked him to the glass booth.
It was its typical beautiful sunny blue sky in the land of Paradise.
Sara and Linda waited by the stagecoach with their suitcases while Rodney climbed up and sat down in his small wooden bench seat.
Josh and Charlie walked out of the cave and headed to the stagecoach.
Charlie opened up the stagecoach door. “Ladies,” he said in a polite tone.
Sara climbed inside the stagecoach with her suitcase and Charlie assisted.
Laura climbed inside the stagecoach with her suitcase and Charlie assisted.
Josh climbed inside stagecoach with his suitcase and Charlie closed the door.
Charlie leaned into one of the opened windows of the door. “Now, there’s an Indian camp over there,” Charlie said while he pointed in the direction of the Indians. “But don’t be alarmed, we have pistols, the Indians don’t, but they’re friendly and leave us alone,” he added.
Inside the stagecoach, Sara and Linda sat across from Josh. They looked worried about remembering those cowboys and Indian movies they’ve watched on TV.
“I forgot about the Indian camp,” Josh said while he looked out the window and saw the Tee Pee’s off in the desert.
“He did say they were friendly,” Linda added while she and Sara also saw the Tee Pee’s off in the desert.
“The old west wouldn’t be the old west without Indians,” Josh said.
“Plus, he said they don’t have any guns,” Sara added.
Josh and Linda nodded in agreement, and they all felt safe with Indians living in the land of Paradise.
Charlie had a smirk while he climbed up and sat next to Rodney in the driver’s seat. “Let’s head to Paradise,” he told Rodney.
Rodney grabbed the reins. “Yaaaa!” he called out while he snapped the reins.
The stagecoach bucked while the horses took off and headed down the dirt trail.
Sara, Linda, and Josh all looked out their windows while the stagecoach rode down the dirt trail.
“I’m really looking forward to a simple life here in Paradise,” Linda said.
“I figured I would stay for a couple of years. I thought it would be a new adventure,” Sara added.
“I plan on staying for about three years. Unless I find a sweet woman to settle down with,” Josh replied while he looked at Sara and Linda.
“That’s a change from the guys I know,” Linda replied.
“Tell me about it. That’s the main reason I wanted to getaway. My husband divorced me and ran off with a twenty-one-year-old skinny woman,” Sara responded while her eyes welled up a little recalling that heartbreaking experience.
“I was about to get fired from my job, and when I was going to propose to my girlfriend, I caught her with a coworker,” Josh told the ladies while his eyes welled up a bit.
Sara and Linda felt sorry for Josh.
“I’m not in the market for another man, but I hope you find someone in Paradise,” Linda said with a comforting smile.
“I’m not either, but I also hope you find someone special,” Sara added with her comforting smile.
“Thanks,” Josh replied, then the whistle of the train was heard.
They all looked and saw the old western train while it rolled down the track in the desert with train engineer Elmer working the engine.
They watched and saw the “Paradise Express” name on the passenger car with four people inside, while it rolled down the tracks.
“This place is so cool!” Josh said while he watched the Paradise Express roll down the tracks.
Sara and Linda both nodded in agreement while they watched the Paradise Express roll down the tracks.
Sara, Linda, and Josh checked out the Saguaro cactus, scrub brushes, and other desert vegetation.
Then Sara looked concerned. “I wonder if they have rattlesnakes out in the land of Paradise?” she asked Linda and Josh.
They all looked out in the desert for signs of the slithery creature.
“I hope not. I can’t stand snakes,” Josh said while he continued to look out his window.
A little while later, the stagecoach was down the dirt trail and in the forest full of pine and oak trees. There were some visible stumps where they were cut down for the sawmill to build the town.
Then suddenly, gunfire from a pistol was heard, and it caused Sara, Laura, and Josh to jump startled.
“What’s going on?” Linda asked, a little scared.
“An Indian attack?” Sara asked a little scared.
They all looked scared, then it dawned on Josh. “Charlie did state that the Indians don’t have guns,” he told the ladies.
Then more gunfire from two pistols was heard, and Sara, Linda, and Josh looked scared to death.
“Whoa!” Rodney yelled out while he pulled back on the reins.
Sara, Linda, and Josh almost fell out of their seats while the stagecoach came to a quick stop.
“I hope the Indians didn’t steal some guns, and we’re going to be scalped!” Josh said while he ran a hand through his hair.
The door to the stagecoach suddenly opened, and four cowboys, Dale, Butch, with a face full of acne scars, Tim, and Billy, all wearing black shirts, black pants, and black cowboy hats stood outside with both of their Colt 45 pistols drawn.
“Get out!” Butch yelled at everybody inside the stagecoach.
Josh, Sara, and Linda looked at each other in disbelief then they looked at the four cowboys.
“He said, get out!” Billy yelled while he cocked his Colt 45 pistols.
“Bring your bags of cash!” Dale added while he cocked his Colt 45 pistols.
Josh got out, then was the gentleman and assisted Sara and Linda out of the stagecoach.
They stood by the stagecoach door and shook a little in fear.
“Give us those bags of cash!” Dale yelled.
Butch walked over to Linda and glared into her eyes.
Linda’s hand trembled while she held out her bag of cash.
Butch snatched the bag out of her hand and moved back to his four buddies.
Tim walked up to Sara and glared in her eyes.
Sara’s hand trembled while she held out her bag of cash.
Tim stayed there, gazed into Sara’s eyes, and he moved closer to her face.
She cringed as Tim’s breath was horrendous, and she moved away.
Tim grabbed the back of her head, forced her lips to his, and he kissed her.
Dale walked up to Josh while he held up his bag of cash.
Dale snatched the bag out of Josh’s hand and stepped away.
Josh looked and saw Sara while she tried to push Tim away from her lips, but he continued to force a kiss on her.
He moved away from Sara, and she immediately slapped him across his face. Tim got pissed, and he slapped Sara across her face. Tim went to hit her again, but Josh jumped in and instantly grabbed his arm.
Tim got furious and whacked Josh across his forehead with the butt of his pistol handle.
Josh dropped to the dirt unconscious.
Dale, Tim, Butch, and Billy all had smirks on their faces at the sight of Josh on the ground.
They ran off and jumped on their horses.
“Yaaaa!” Billy yelled out, and the four cowboys raced their horses down the dirt trail toward the direction of Paradise.
Linda and Sara knelt down to Josh’s aid.
Charlie and Rodney got down from the stagecoach and walked over to Sara and Linda.
They looked down at Josh, still unconscious in the dirt.
Sara looked up at them and was upset. “Why didn’t you help stop those robbers?”
Charlie and Rodney picked up Josh by his arms and legs then placed him inside the stagecoach.
“It’s how you make your payment, old western style. One of the cowboys was probably drunk,” Charlie told the ladies.
“It’s all a show to give you that old western feel,” Rodney added.
“This forced kissing and hitting have never happened in the past. I’ll bring it up with the Marshall, and he’ll send that cowboy out of Paradise since we have strict laws against violence,” Charlie told the ladies.
Sara and Linda felt better with his explanation.
“Let’s get back in the stagecoach and head to Paradise,” Charlie said with a warm smile.
He assisted Sara and Linda in the stagecoach and closed the door.
Charlie and Rodney climbed up the stagecoach and sat back down in the seat.
Rodney grabbed the reins. “Yaaaa!” he yelled out, and the horses pulled the stagecoach down the dirt trail.
Inside the stagecoach, Sara and Linda looked at Josh, who lay in the seat across from them still unconscious.
“I’m wondering if I made a mistake coming to Paradise?” Sara said to Linda.
Linda thought about Sara’s comment for a few seconds while she looked at Josh. “This could be a fluke like Charlie stated. He said they’ll make that cowboy leave Paradise,” Linda replied.
Charlie and Rodney heard Sara and Linda’s conversation down below, and they both had smirks on their faces while the stagecoach raced down the dirt trail.
Later that day, the stagecoach pulled into Paradise on Paradise Lane.
Sara and Linda looked out the stagecoach windows and saw that all the building of Paradise was of wooden construction with siding exteriors. At the front of each building was an elevated wood plank sidewalk with hitching posts. The buildings were not painted, and the wood was allowed to weather for its natural color.
The stagecoach drove up and stopped at Doc Holloway’s Office building.
Charlie and Rodney climbed down from the stagecoach and walked over and opened up the door.
“Welcome to Paradise Ladies. If you, please exit the coach, we’ll take Mister Bryant to see Doc Holloway, and then we’ll escort you to your rooms,” Charlie said in a polite tone.
He assisted Sara and Linda out of the stagecoach, then he reached inside and placed their suitcases on the dirt street.
Then Charlie and Rodney got Josh out and carried him by his arms and legs to the doctor’s office.
The inside of Doc Holloway’s Office had the main room, an examination room, and two bedrooms for the patients.
Jenny Burns was a twenty-five-year-old beautiful brunette with brown eyes in an old western nurses dress.
She heard a bang on the door, walked over, and opened it.
She moved aside while Charlie and Rodney carried Josh inside.
“What happened?” Jenny asked while she looked at Josh.
“Tim was a little too drunk and roughed up one of our new guests,” Charlie told her.
“Doc Holloway isn’t here at the moment, but you can place him in that room,” she said while she walked them to a small bedroom.
Charlie and Rodney carried Josh into the bedroom and plopped him on the bed.
Jenny watched while they walked out of the room and headed to the front door.
After they left the office, Jenny walked into the bedroom to check out Josh.
Back on Paradise Lane, Charlie walked over to Sara and Linda while Rodney climbed back up to his seat on the stagecoach.
“Yaaaa!” Rodney called out while he snapped the reins, and the horses pulled the stagecoach down Paradise Lane.
“Follow me, ladies,” Charlie told them while he picked up their suitcases and walked down Paradise Lane. The two ladies followed Charlie and were impressed; he acted like a gentleman and carried their suitcases.
“I think I can get used to this way of life,” Sara told Laura.
“It’s been a long time since I had a man act like a gentleman,” Laura replied.
Sara nodded in agreement with Laura’s statement.
A little while later, Charlie walked Sara and Linda to one of the seven Paradise Hotels located on both sides of a side street called Fisher’s Lane. This hotel was called Fisher’s Lane Hotel #3 and was a one-story wooden building with six rooms. There was another side street on the other side of town called Blaine’s Lane, where there were seven hotels located, and each one was a one-story wooden building with six rooms. Behind each hotel were located two wooden outhouses.
A little while later, Sara and Linda were in their rooms, which was a nine-foot by ten-foot room with a single bed, chair, dresser, and a stand-alone closet. It was a simple room for a simple lifestyle.
Sara settled into her room and relaxed until it was time for supper at the Paradise Dining Hall.
Laura also settled into her room and relaxed until it was time for supper.
Later that night, the sun had already disappeared, and the sky was full of twinkling stars with a bright full Moon.
Kerosene lanterns lit up all the streets and buildings of Paradise.
Inside the bedroom of Doc Holloway’s Office, Josh lay in the bed, still unconscious in his clothes with a huge goose egg on his forehead.
Jenny walked into the room and looked over Josh to make sure he was okay.
Josh stirred in the bed, and his eyes slowly opened. He looked around and was groggy, dazed, and confused. His eyes lit up the second he saw Jenny looking down at him. “Are you an Angel?”
Jenny chuckled over his question. “No. You’re alive and in Paradise.”
Josh cringed in pain with a throbbing headache. “Oh yeah. They robbed and beat me, and I have a pounding headache,” he said while he felt the goose egg on his forehead.
Jenny touched Josh’s shoulder. “You need your sleep. Let me give you some pain medicine to help you,” she said, then she turned around and headed to the door.
Josh watched with interest while Jenny walked out of the room and headed to a medicine cabinet in the main room.
A little while later, Jenny walked back into the room with two pain pills and a glass of water.
She gave Josh the pills and water, and he immediately swallowed the pills.
“My name is Josh Bryant, and I just arrived in Paradise.”
“I’m Jenny Burns, the town nurse. Larry Holloway is the town doctor.”
Jenny walked over to a stand-up closet and opened the door, and removed a blanket.
She walked back to Josh and covered him. “Get some sleep, and I’ll see you in the morning,” she said, then blew out the Kerosene lantern in the room and closed the door when she left.
Jenny went into the extra bedroom and closed the door as she used this room when a patient stayed in the other bedroom.
She then got undressed and wore a long nightgown.
She got under the covers and started to think about Josh, as she was interested in him.