"Mornin', Chris," said Vin, shouldering his way past the just-awakened team leader. He was followed immediately by Ezra, JD, Nathan, and Buck, all carrying sacks of groceries.
"What're you doing?"
"It's Easter," said JD.
"So? What does this have to do with me? This isn't yet another let's-make-him-celebrate-a-holiday plot, is it? Because if it is, I want no part of it."
"Yes, you do," Buck corrected him.
Chris watched helplessly as each of them unloaded the bags.
"Now, let's see..." said Buck. "Eggs, dye, glitter,...JD, what're these?"
"Special crayons. You put it on the places you don't want the dye to be."
Buck paused and sighed. "A chocolate rabbit?" He pulled it out of the bag and held it up, looking at JD incredulously.
"That's for me. And why not? Chocolate's chocolate."
Buck shook his head. "Oh. Chris, you got any small glass bowls?"
In spite of himself, he said "Use the big shot glasses."
Buck nodded and pulled them down from the cabinet. Nathan started to boil a pot of water, as Ezra continued to pull a ham and other food out of the remaining bags. Chris looked at all the activity around him and the several large cartons of eggs stacked on his counter.
"Do I have ANY say in this?"
"NO," came a chorus of five voices.
"And just what do you plan to do with these? Because I'm not bringing 6 weeks of egg sandwiches to work."
"Josiah's bringing Billy Travis and some of the younger kids over in the youth center van." Vin grinned. "Relax, Chris, you agreed to this."
"I what? When?!"
"I said, 'Wouldn't it be a great idea to have an Easter egg hunt for the kids' and you said 'yes it would' and then I said, 'Great, then we'll do it,' and then you said-"
"I did NOT say 'on my ranch.'"
Ezra grinned. "Oh, now, Chris, we knew you wouldn't say 'no.'"
"I gotta stop being so predictable," Chris grumbled. "What's all this?" he asked, indicating the ham. "Are we feeding them, too?"
"Heck, no," said Vin. "They're eating over there. They're just coming here for the egg hunt."
Chris just shook his head. "Well, save some of that for Josiah, then."
"JD, what are you doing?" asked Buck suddenly.
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm coloring the eggs."
"Well, for Lord's sake, yer makin' a mess all over ever'thing. Ezra, Nathan, get over here and lend a hand before the kid here messes it all up."
Chris sighed in surrender and joined them. Once that project was done, the six men hid the eggs outside around the back of the house.
"Not up there, Buck," said Chris. "They're just kids. Short people, remember?"
Buck smiled. "Gettin' into it at last, are ya?"
"Gettin' it over with."
Buck shrugged and placed an egg behind a potted plant.
When all the eggs had been hidden, dinner was just about ready. Ezra offered a flowery grace as they dug into the home-cooked meal. They had just finished when they heard the sound of a motor followed by the shrill voices of children.
"Just in time," said Vin as he hurried to meet Josiah out front. "Take 'em 'round the back."
Josiah nodded. "This way, kids!"
In minutes, the yard was overrun with laughing, screaming children. Chris stood by the door with his team, watching them.
"You know," he said thoughtfully, "it's good to hear the laughter of kids again. I dunno. Just seems fittin'. I didn't realize how much I'd missed it."
Ezra and Buck looked at him.
"Happy Easter, Chris," said Ezra softly, as he watched the children darting across the lawn.
"Hey, Chris!" Billy called to him. "Look what I got!" He held his basket over his head. It was nearly full. "Did you do this when you were little?"
"Yeah," he grinned. "We used to have an egg toss, too."
"Egg toss?"
"You'd throw it to someone and try not to break it."
"Like this?"
Before anyone could say anything more, a brightly-colored egg sailed through the air. Chris opened his hands to catch it and almost succeeded. To his surprise, the egg broke in his hands, splattering yolk all over the front of his shirt and onto his face and hair.
Everything went quiet as everyone, grown men and small children, stopped to stare. And waited for the explosion.
Chris looked a bit dumbfounded for a moment as Billy looked downright scared. Finally, the corners of Chris's mouth quirked and he began to laugh.
"Yes, Billy, something like that. Not exactly like that."
"JD!" Buck slapped him on the shoulder. "You're supposed to BOIL 'em first!"
"Well, I guess I forgot! And why does it always have to be ME? YOU could just as easily have-"
Any further exchange was cut off as raw eggs began flying at the seven men.
"Should we take cover?" asked Ezra.
"YOU guys brought this upon me, so you can just stay right here and take it," Chris ordered. He pointed to his team. "Kids, chocolate rabbit to the one with the best aim!" He winked and stepped away from the others. "I'll hose you down later. Happy Easter, boys!"
The six groaned as a last barrage flew toward them.
The End
