My apologies
to whomever actually owns the movie by this name, but it was too good to
pass up.
Yours, Mine, and Ours
Chris stared at Ezra in shock. “Are you sure, Ezra?”
Ezra smiled sadly, “Chris, I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life. The six of you are my brothers, the family I longed for while Maude hauled me around the world. Granted the life we live isn’t the safest in the world, but it is satisfying and important. I don’t want to take the chance of something happening to me and you getting left out in the cold. You hold my power of attorney also, incase some thing should lead to my being incapacitated.”
Chris nodded his agreement, “I understand. Well, the boys will be here in another hour, why don’t I go fire up the grill and we can have steaks?”
“That, Mr. Larabee, sounds like an excellent idea,” Ezra said.
“Ezra, if you go back to calling me to calling Mr. Larabee all the time, I’m going to kick your ass,” Chris growled at his undercover agent.
Ezra smiled happily, “Sure, Chris.”
<<<~7~>>><<<~7~>>>
After everyone arrived and they had eaten, Chris and Ezra explained everything that had been arranged, letting them give suggestions and make comments.
“What ya’ going to call your place?” JD suddenly asked.
Chris and Ezra looked at each other in surprise; that was one thing that they hadn’t discussed yet.
“We hadn’t talked about that yet, JD. Have any ideas, Ez?” Chris said.
“Actually, Chris, I had thought that you would wish to retain the name of your family’s land,” Ezra hedged.
“Not really, besides this is a joint venture. The name of the ranch should have meaning to both of us.” Chris told him.
Ezra mentally debated with himself. If Chris took this the wrong way, the backlash could destroy every thing. “I was thinking that the seven of us have become a family, so Larabee’s 7 might be appropriate.”
Ezra’s six colleagues sat quietly for a few moments, thinking it over. Ezra wanted them all to have at least a small part of their venture. Chris liked the idea, but it needed a slight change.
“That’s pretty good, Ezra, but not quite right.” Chris nodded for a moment, before brightening as an idea came to him. “How about Larabee and Standish 7? Or just L & S 7, for short. We’re equal partners, if my names on the thing, so is yours. Isn’t that right, guys?” Chris looked at the men sitting around them for confirmation. When everyone nodded, he looked back at Ezra for his reaction.
Ezra just smiled, “That sounds good, Chris.” Lifting his beer, he saluted the other man. After he finished taking a drink, he continued, “The brand should be easy.”
“What do you mean?” Buck asked.
“Here, let me show you,” Ezra said as he grabbed a piece of scrap paper and a pen. Within a few minutes he turned the paper around and showed them what he had drawn. On it an L sat on top of the S with the 7 connecting both. It was both straight forward and complex, just like the personalities of the two men starting out on this venture. It was perfect.
