Second Chances
Chapter One
Lucas Bouchard was grabbing his bags while taking one last look around the Queen of Hearts Saloon. As he shut the door behind him, he noticed Constable Nathan Grant coming out of his office at the same time and their eyes met. Lucas quickly glanced away and threw the last of his bags in his car. He had arranged for his heavier bags and trunks to be picked up earlier by coach to meet him at the train depot. Confirming he had all that he needed, he started his car and took off, leaving a trail of dust. Glancing behind, he saw Judge Bill Avery outside watching him too.
Bill was suspicious of him the day he came into town. Lucas being one not to speak of his past, no one knew what to think of him. He was the new owner of the saloon. Not only was it a saloon, but a place for people who were passing through town to rent a room. Later it became more of a social place and soon he hired his friend, a French cook he had sent for from his previous home in New Orleans. Hope Valley was delighted with the menu which caused Bill, who was now running Abigail's Cafe in her absence, very curious. Bill had seen all the deliveries Lucas had but wasn't in town when the big box of fish came. Lucas had hurriedly checked that no one was in his saloon when he dragged the box to the back. There he unloaded the fish into the freezer and then dug down and found what he was looking for, under the ice was a metal box with bundles of money and a revolver. He opened the safe and put the box in it, then put the revolver in the back of the top shelf and locked it with a sigh of relief.
He thought back to the time when Elizabeth Thornton, the beautiful, widowed school teacher that he was attracted to, had fallen victim to a life-threatening situation when she accidentally came to the empty saloon looking for him. Tragically, she wound up being a hostage by some men who were after him. As he entered, he found her sitting at one of the dining tables at gunpoint! It was the men he was hiding from who were blackmailing him. Elizabeth was scared and praying for help as she uttered a cry. Startled by the men, Lucas did as he was told and obediently walked them to the safe, just when he heard a knock on the door. He quickly reached for the revolver, but one of the men kicked it out of his hand. They grabbed the metal box and directed Lucas to answer the door. Thank goodness it was Nathan! His keen sense and training told him there was trouble, so after speaking to an uneasy Lucas, he noiselessly entered the saloon on the second floor and quietly came down the stairs, surprising the criminals from behind and wrestling them down to the floor. Elizabeths' prayers were answered. As they were being handcuffed, she yelled in a rush of emotions asking Lucas what just happened and why. She scolded him, reminding him that her son, Jack could have been an orphan! Nathan was very upset with Lucas too and asked him why he hadn't informed him what Lucas was involved in, so he could be on watch for the safety of the townspeople! Lucas could only apologize to both and checked with Elizabeth to make sure she was all right. Thankfully she escaped without injury. Now thinking back he was grateful this danger was past him.
As he drove past the building that now housed the library, he thought back to the time shortly after that horrifying situation when he was so determined to reconcile with Elizabeth. Being a man of wealth, he had an empty building he had purchased, when buying the saloon, and he surprised her with her dream of a town library. It was even full of books that his mother, an editor, had sent him. Of course, Elizabeth was thrilled. This accomplished his goal to woo the beautiful widow back into his life again. Soon after, he courted her, and was smitten by her beauty and charm. He had no intention of this feeling developing, but he found her delightfully irresistible. It would be different now for Lucas, he thought, as he kept driving. He would miss Elizabeth who was fast becoming a part of his heart, but this time he had to think with his head. She had a little boy and was especially devoted to him, and her students, and he knew she would never enjoy traveling around the world with him and he never stayed in one place for long.
Just outside of town, as he drove past the oil rig, he briefly stopped. He was a silent partner with Henry Gowan operating this rig, but he couldn't trust him. Henry wasn't paying the men their wages on time and Lucas suspected trouble. Henry didn't want him to check the financial books, so Lucas took his concern to Judge Bill. At that point Henry agreed to hand over the books to Lucas. It was then that Lucas came across a letter that was mixed in with paperwork, from Henry's estranged son, Christopher. This prompted Lucas to secretly hire Christopher to spy on his father, as the father and son were on the outs, and he knew Christopher needed money. This didn't have to be the way, but Lucas wanted to know just what was going on with Henry no matter how. What Lucas underhandedly did angered Henry, but luckily it turned out eventually that Christopher and Henry were finally able to reconcile after many years apart. Christopher left to pursue a young girl he met and was very keen on. Henry, having gone through a scary health threat with all the stress, decided it was time to follow his heart too, and check on his good friend, Abigail. Before he left town, he handed over the keys to his office to Mike Hikman, his faithful foreman, and asked him to take care of the business for him as he wasn't sure if or when he'd be back.
His thoughts now snapped him back to reality. Lucas had some regret that the man who gave him a pretty penny for the saloon was on the shady side, and for a brief moment was concerned for the townspeople, but with the money in his pocket he continued to the depot.
The steam from the train was a welcoming sign as he watched with eager anticipation as it slowly turned the bend coming to a full stop. People were getting off and embracing their greeters while Lucas checked that all his luggage and his trunk were loaded to the baggage car. Reassured that all was on board as planned, he watched as the train took off for San Francisco. A smile crept across his face being the gambling traveler he was as he hopped back in his car and took off for the same destination and new beginnings.