Winter's Refuge
Chapter One Hundred and Two
HEYES
The Kid did good accepting his award. I had warned him to be gracious, but I don't think I needed to tell him that. Or maybe I did. The watch from Bremerton was a surprise. It was very expensive and must have cost the old miser a pretty penny.
But now me and the Kid have to face Sheriff Birde and Mr. Robinson. They joined us in the front of the room. I waited for them, but I wanted to hide and not face them. Authority can still unnerve me. But I didn't run. I stood in back of the Kid instead. His back was straight and his head held high. He was looking right at the men approaching. He seems brave and strong. And he is brave and strong, but now I know he's also scared.
But Frank is smiling as he introduces me to Mr. Robinson, the bank president. "Heyes, this is Palmer Robinson. Mr. Robinson, meet Hannibal Heyes."
I shook hands with him. My words haven't left me, but I prefer not to say anything.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Heyes, and I must say I'm glad you and Mr. Curry were on our side this time." He seemed to think that was funny and laughed heartily. Me and the Kid didn't laugh.
Frank broke the tension. As he handed an envelope to the Kid, he was smiling. "Here's the ransom for those three would-be bank robbers. And for the other two they caught at the hideout. The marshals picked them up but they can't accept rewards, so it goes to you."
The Kid looked at the envelope as if it would bite him. I took it saying, "Thank you."
"Don't like to take bounty money," the Kid grumbled.
I knew what to say and my words came out easily. "Better us, Kid, catching them alive and unharmed than one of those men who like the 'dead' part better in dead or alive."
He looked at me sharply but then smiled at my smile. And I knew he was proud of me getting a slice of my silver tongue back.
An idea occurred to me. "Frank, I know marshals can't collect rewards, but can ex-marshals?"
Frank nodded. "Yes, please share the rewards with Ken Josephs as you see fit."
Mr. Robinson coughed to get our attention. "And I would like to talk to you about patenting your new lock. It certainly stymied the thieves."
Looking to me, the Kid shrugged his shoulders. I felt confident; I knew what to say…the truth. "Mr. Robinson, the prototype the Kid put in your safe is one of a kind. It can't be mass produced. It wouldn't take long until everyone knows the trick of three locks with two keys."
Robinson looked upset but I had an idea. "Sir, although this is a one of a kind does not mean we can't produce other unique protections for safes."
"I'm listening," said Robinson.
"A lawyer could tell if they could be patented, but to be effective no two can be alike."
Robinson smiled. "And you have enough ideas for these?" he asked.
"I have the ideas, but they take time to design, build and test. The Kid and I have a horse ranch to run, and the Kid is the only blacksmith in the county," I said.
"And the best in the state," Frank added.
But Robinson was considering what I said. "I see your point, Mr. Heyes. If I told my fellow bank presidents about how my lock works, then word might leak out and…"
"And then it would be vulnerable," I finished his sentence, his thought.
"But if I were to say a robbery in my bank was thwarted by…by…" He looked at me.
"Thwarted by Curry and Heyes Bank Protection Services." I smiled and crossed my arms and looked at the men around me.
"Heyes and Curry Bank Protection Services," the Kid corrected me with a grin. I could tell he was proud of me for the way I handled this….and I was proud of me, too.
JED 'KID' CURRY
Chrissy and Auntie made a big deal of the framed award and I had to hang it in the living room right away. It was kind of cute. I showed Chrissy the watch when we were alone later that night. It's too expensive a watch for an ex-convict to carry. Someone might think I stole it.
"Papa, are you taking us to school tomorrow?" Martha asked. I hadn't planned to, but Chrissy nodded at me.
"Sure, if you want me to."
"Good," Martha answered. "We like when you take us."
"The other kids all call you their hero, you know. You might be their hero but you're our pa and that's better," Michael finished for his sister.
Auntie was finishin' up in the kitchen but before she left, she came over and put a hand on my shoulder. "Jed, I don't know if I ever told you, but you're a very special man and I'm proud to be part of your family."
"We think you're pretty special, too," was all I could think to answer. I know I don't handle that kind of praise good. But I guess I said the right thing because she patted me twice on the shoulder before tellin' the twins to get ready for bed and leavin'.
Joy was playing with wooden blocks Juan had made for her in the livin' room while Heyes was absorbed in a new book.
"Jed sit. Heyes sit here now," Chrissy demanded, and we both sat at the kitchen table as directed.
Chrissy dumped a stack of envelopes on the table. "Breeding requests," she said. "Too many breeding requests."
She sat across from us and turned a calendar around so we could see it. "There's no more room. We have three studs, but only two breeding areas. Can we build a third? Can we handle more mares at a time? Every date is taken for the space we have. I even added a short session before we planned. That means Mr. Knight's mares will not be the first ones here." She talked while lookin' at the calendar as if talkin' it out herself. I was smilin' because she was usin' complete sentences.
"Chrissy?" Heyes asked softly.
"Yes?"
"All your words are back."
She smiled that smile that still makes my heart leap. "Happened slowly. Only when I'm here, safe with family. I hope I keep my words when the owners start to bring these horses. Now, back to our problem. Can we expand to handle three mares for breeding at a time?"
I knew I was getting' a glimpse of the Chrissy McWinters that ran Winter's Refuge with help from Jose Ortiz. She was young when her ma died and her pa started drinkin', leavin' her with five younger brothers and a horse ranch to take care of. Jose knew horses and Chrissy handled the rest. I've been waitin' to see this Chrissy again.
I realized I missed some of the conversation as Heyes stood up. "I'll get him right now," he said.
"Juan," Chrissy said with a laugh. "I knew you weren't listening."
Takin' advantage of our minutes of privacy, I walked around the table, took her in my arms and kissed her deeply. "Do you know how much I love you, Chrissy Curry?"
"Not as much as I love you, Jedediah Curry," she answered. She blushed as Juan and Heyes entered while she was still in my arms. "Work to do now," she said to all. "Cuddle later," she whispered.
Once Juan confirmed that they could expand the stable and breedin' paddock to have three mares at once, the rest sorted itself out. We have three studs - Fall's Legend, Summer's Song, and Fall's Whisper. Chrissy already had scheduled anyone who was returnin' and if they requested a certain stud. I was glad to see that it didn't include anyone from the Circle E Ranch. Their foreman had tried to capture Chrissy for the reward. I don't want them back. We opened the nine letters that had come today. Chrissy added them to the list and then we reviewed the letters. Two seemed insincere, includin' they'd want to have fast draw lessons from Kid Curry. Chrissy put them in a pile where she'd write polite 'sorry we have no more spaces available' letters. The others would get letters with time, date, and price.
Chrissy looked at me with a teasin' look on her face. "This year when I sign Mrs. Jedediah Curry, it'll be the truth."
Heyes looked confused. It's so hard to remember that he wasn't always here livin' with us. He'd spent eight more months in prison and then his first six months here he'd been under the conditions of probation. I'd let my mind wander again and Chrissy was explainin' how she'd signed the letters last year as Mrs.
"Jed, mail these when you take the twins to school tomorrow," she asked, handlin' me a stack of letters. "The rest can go the next day and anymore that arrive, well, we just don't have any more room."
I looked at the names on the envelopes. I recognized The Box Hickory and Double Bucket ranches. "Who's Mary O'Donahue? What ranch is she from?"
Blushin', Chrissy grabbed the letters away from me. "Friend," she replied. And with that letter now in the middle of the stack she handed them back to me
"Good job done," said Heyes, standin' and goin' to the stove to pour himself a cup of coffee.
Chrissy looked at a list she'd made. "Time for Matt's next visit next week."
"How did time go so fast? Well, I'm sure it didn't go as fast for Matt."
Juan answered her. "If it's all right, Jed, I'd like to go with you to see Matt and then go on to Winter's Refuge to see my pa. In Paul's last letter, he said his health was failing."
"Glad of the company but you don't have to visit Matt"
Juan cut me off. "Matt and me, well, all the McWinters and Ortiz boys, grew up close when we were little. Matt's my brother Paul's age. They were inseparable until Mark led his brothers in the wrong direction. My ma and pa could see what was happening and kept us close working with the horses and studying. But I thought Matt was always a good guy when Mark wasn't around."
I nodded. "Like I said, glad for the company."
HEYES
I'm glad that Juan is going to the prison with the Kid to visit Matt. It's been on my mind. He shouldn't go there alone. Chrissy can't travel in her condition. Dr. Arden is seeing patients again but not healed enough to travel. Miss Denise hovers over him all the time making sure he doesn't overdo it. I was worried that the twins going there after school would be an extra burden, but they seem to enjoy having them around.
Now that Juan's going with the Kid, I don't have to try and go with him.
JED 'KID' CURRY
Me and Juan rode to Bridgeport on a cold mornin' but still I could feel the hint of spring in the air. After Arizona, I cherish the cold of winter and the promise of spring. It lifts my heart and I try to enjoy every minute of it. I don't tell anyone but inside of me, I'm afraid prison lies in my future. But not now. Now I'm enjoyin' the crisp smell of the trees after a rain. We stopped at Mike Loveland's newspaper office while waitin' for the Cheyenne train. We were greeted warmly. And I noticed something different.
"Mike, you won a journalist award? Congratulations!" I said, studyin' a new plaque on the wall. Then noticed another one to its right. "Two! This one is national?"
"Yeah, been sending some articles to a New York literary agent that read my paper on his way west. He's been selling it to newspapers there and even magazines. And a couple won prizes. One was for the beauty of Nebraska, Wyoming, and Colorado. Proud of that one."
Followin' him to the back room, I saw Mikey peacefully sleepin'. Well, if not peacefully, happily. In his sleep, he was smilin' and wavin' his hands as if tryin' to catch somethin'. I never told Juan Mikey's story. He doesn't need to know.
Mike bent over and gently picked up the toddler. He is one of the biggest men I've ever met, and the boy looks small in his arms. But he's so gentle and lovin' with his son, I'm glad they're together. The boy wiped his sleepy eyes. I smiled as he looked at me. Holdin' out his arms to me, he yelled, "Unc Kid!"
Laughin', I took him from his father and hugged him twice. Heyes had taught him that name and since we all laugh when he calls me that, he enjoys usin' it.
Our visit was short and soon me and Juan were on the train to Cheyenne…and then the Wyoming Territorial Prison.
"Jed, you're very quiet," Juan commented. I realized I had been starin' out the train window but no seein' nothin'.
"Thinkin'. You ever been to that prison?"
Juan shook his head. He's been lost in his own thoughts since we got on the train.
"Of course, you haven't. It's a soulless place. If I haven't already said it, thank you for comin' with me," I told him.
"Well, I was wonderin' if you, maybe, can come to Winter's Refuge with me." Juan did not look at me when he spoke. "Got a telegram when we were in Bridgeport. Rudy's coming home from college and my ma asked if Chrissy can come. I know she can't but maybe you can stand in for her?"
"Of course, but your parents will think I'm a poor stand-in for Chrissy. They don't like me much."
Turnin' to look at me, Juan half smiled. "Since Pa got his amnesty, you're their hero. They'll understand that Chrissy can't travel right now."
"How bad's your pa?"
"Paul's telegram said it was really bad."
"They got a doctor to replace that quack Dr. Lewis?" Like mine, his mind went to the last time we had seen Dr. Lewis. Juan's skill with a knife had saved Chrissy's life then.
"Yeah, young guy. Paul says he's good."
Takin' a deep breath, I just said, "That's good. I'd send a telegram to Chrissy and Heyes when we got to Cheyenne and tell them I'll be delayed.
HEYES
Glen filled in for the telegraph operator today. He brought one back to Phoenix from the Kid. It just said he would be delayed a few days getting home…he didn't say why. It was sent before he went to visit Matt, so it wasn't about their visit. I know the Kid can handle himself. I told Chrissy that. She smiled but I don't know if she believed that. We'll both worry about him.
At Phoenix we're busy getting ready for the three mares coming in a week. But Chrissy's working too hard, doing too much. She's got an appointment with Dr. Arden later today. Auntie was going to go with her, but I think I'll go with them. Chrissy's last baby, Joy, came early.
Me and Arnie are doing most of the building out of the stables today. When Auntie brought us out lemonade, I stopped working and went to get ready to go into Three Birds with the ladies.
JED 'KID' CURRY
As me and Juan rode out to the prison, I tried to hide the dark cloud that descends on my soul when that ominous buildin' comes into view. But I didn't need to try. He was in his own dark world worryin' about his pa and his family. He was quiet. I would have preferred light conversation to keep my mind busy, but I understood his silence.
So, my mind has gone back to the night I was imprisoned here. Was it worth it? Of course, it was, and I would do it again, even knowin' what would happen. My mouth became dry rememberin' the thirst and the poisoned water in the cell with me. The intense thirst comes back often, usually in my dreams…that turn into nightmares. With the thirst, the memories return, even though I'm awake. The horse I rented in Cheyenne needs little direction which is good because I can't control the shakin' from the pain that I hide all the time.
"Jed, you alright?" Juan's voice seems far away. The vision in my mind of the whippin' post at the prison has my attention as I await the burnin' rippin' of the next stroke.
I tried to relax my muscles to try and lessen the joltin' pain.
"JED!" Juan's scream sounded scared, confused.
And suddenly my nightmarish daydream ended. My hands were still shakin' a bit but I concentrated and bringin' my horse to a stop before I looked at Juan.
"Jed, what's wrong?"
Takin' a deep breath, I focused on the trees at the side of the road. I could hear the stream off to our left. "Good now."
He was lookin' at my legs that were still tremblin' a little. "You sure? We could rest here for a few minutes."
I unhooked my canteen and drank until the water was gone. And my fierce thirst was quenched. "I'm sure. I let that black monster overwhelm me. Glad you're here with me."
It took a minute, but Juan smiled. "Don't take this the wrong way, sir, but it's good to see you're human like the rest of us."
I must have given him a puzzled look because he continued, "Jed you are the best man I know…and I'm aware of your background. You're my hero. You saved me from the mercantile fire when I was sure I was going to die. You always do the right thing for your family and friends, including going to this prison to save Heyes' parole…and it almost killed you. You have every right to be scared of that place. I'm scared of it, and I've never been inside."
"Not scared," I stopped him quickly. He looked hurt and I thought about the conversation. "Apprehensive," I added to soften my response. "And I am glad you came with me."
HEYES
I paced the waiting room while Chrissy was in with Dr. Arden and Miss Denise.
Auntie is sitting calmly bending over her needlework. "Heyes, sit down. Chrissy's fine."
Smiling, I sat down next to her. And jumped up and started pacing again. I thought about Chrissy, the breeding season, and my trip to North Dakota. I vowed to myself when I was in prison that I'd find the family of the man I killed and make sure they were alright. I don't have to. I killed him in self-defense. Still, I feel some guilt over what I took from them. From the newspapers in Mike Loveland's back room, I learned that James Daniel Samuelson had two wives that hadn't known about each other, and each had two kids. And I was going to find them both. Not sure what I'm going to do or say but I feel I need to do this. And do this alone.
JED 'KID' CURRY
I steadied myself as we approached the prison. Even the shadow of the prison is ominous. I pushed my shoulders back and held my head up high as I said, "Thank you, sir," to the trustee that took our horses.
The outside stairs always try to stop me, make my legs heavier, but I pick my knees up higher so I climb faster. The knocker echoed inside before the door opened. "Jedediah Curry and Juan Ortiz to visit with Matthew McWinters," I told the unsmilin' guard.
He pointed at the basket on a skinny table, and I put my gun and gunbelt in it. I'd told Juan he'd have to give up his knives…all of them…before we moved past the entry way. The guard showed no expression as each of five knives were pulled from their hidden sheaves and dropped in the basket. I handed him the box I had brought for Matt.
"The warden left a note for you, Curry." The disdain in the guard's tone caught Juan off guard.
But I took the letter, read it, and breathed a sigh of relief. I'd forgotten the warden wanted to meet with me and Heyes about prison discipline. The letter asked for our indulgence to delay the meetin' until next time we visited convict McWinters.
"Tell the warden..."
The guard produced paper and a pencil and pointed to the side table. "You can write, can't you?" Ignorin' his comment, I wrote that I understand things come up and we'd talk to him next time and signed it Mr. Curry. I sealed it in the envelope provided and the guard put it in his pocket.
"This way." He nudged me with his rifle. I wanted to object but just walked straight ahead. The quiet walls were closin' on me. I should have let Juan go first so I could see his back. Now all I see is encroachin' darkness ahead of me… and fear.
"Hurry along, convict...I mean, Mr. Curry," the guard said. "Sorry, habit," he added but I know his words had been intentional from his slight chuckle. "Stop right there." The guard unlocked the door on our left. He stepped in the room and lit a dim lamp on the wall. "Wait in here."
He locked the door when he left and we were alone in the dimly lit, windowless room. There was an oval table and four old wooden chairs…and no air. I pushed the panic down inside me and sat at the table.
"Jed?" Juan sat next to me, but I stared at the door. I heard the familiar sound of a shackled man approachin' but not the sound of them bein' removed.
When the door opened, Matt, restrained hand and foot, shuffled in. And stood still at the head of the table.
"Fifteen minutes exactly." The guard slammed the door.
Matt looked beyond me at Juan then at me but said nothin'.
Standin', I went to Matt and gave him an awkward hug. "How you doin', Matt?"
He just looked at me.
"You are allowed to talk freely in here, Matt. We're alone."
He looked up to a slit in the wall near the ceilin'. I nodded. The guard might be listenin' in the next room. I repeated, "You can talk to us freely. How you doin'?"
Matt sat down on my pulled-out chair. "You Juan or Rudy?" he asked.
"Juan. Rudy's in college in Colorado. Paul's running Winter's Refuge."
For the first time I saw emotion on the prisoner's face. "Good. I'm glad. Thanks for comin'." He slowly turned to me. "How's Chrissy? Baby here yet?"
"She's doin' good. Baby's got more than six weeks or so still."
A piercin' scream came from somewhere outside the room.
"Word came around that an inmate named Declan Vance tried to kill another inmate, Lional Isaac. That's Vance at the whippin' post now. Warden didn't know where to reach you or he would have told you not to come." Matt explained.
"Lionel 'Arizona' Isaac?" Juan said quietly.
"You know him?" asked Matt.
"He and Vance were sent to work at Phoenix as parolees. Tried to rob Jed," Juan explained.
Matt looked alarmed so I spoke quickly. "Heyes stopped them, and they were back here the next day. Parole board didn't bother to check that they were from feudin' gangs."
Matt nodded. "Lots of gangs in here." He nodded. "And thanks for hiring that lawyer, James Charwick. He was here last week. Gonna try and get my sentence reduced. He's workin' on gettin' life changed to twenty years first. He has enough evidence to get that done in the next six months. Doesn't sound like much but it means there's an end to this. Said it might take a while for anything less until McWinters isn't considered a vile name. But he has hope and now so do I."
"Chrissy's idea. Brought you a box of food, a book, and a sweater that Auntie helped Chrissy knit."
"Auntie?"
"Mrs. Diane Frances Clark, a widow who came to take care of the twins and became family," I explained.
"Good, Chrissy needs family around her," Matt said. "I think I told you that before?"
Another scream pierced the walls of our room. Without thinkin', I grabbed the table to steady myself. The memory of the cat o' nine tales tearin' my back open was vivid.
"Easy Jed." Matt laid his shackled hands in my arm. "Even in the silence here, the inmates talk. You're a legend around here."
"Legend?"
"They didn't break you." Matt sounded so proud of me. "I know Chrissy's worried about me. The lawyer, Mr. Chadwick, said as much. She was right to worry, I think. This place adds a weight to my soul and the thought of being a lifer makes that near unbearable. But Mr. Charwick gave me hope when he talked to me. Thank her."
"I will. Just keep your nose clean. Do I see the remnants of a black eye?"
"Hard to avoid it. Everyone wants to prove how tough they are by fighting a McWinters."
"And you feel you have to obliged them?" I asked harshly.
Matt looked at me with eyes the same color as Chrissy's and grinned. "Try to avoid it but growing up with Mark as a brother, I know how to fight. But now the fighting focus is on the Iron Mountain Gang versus the Irish Boys and I'm less of a target."
"Been there. Spent my first few months fightin'," I answered. "And in Yuma's version of the dark cell…that one had snakes."
Juan was listenin' intently. I never talk about those days, months, years.
"Heard that." Matt was more relaxed now. "Could use another blanket. There more jerky in that box?"
"Yeah, plenty of it." A hard knock came at the door and Senior Guard Mays entered right after.
Matt jerked to his feet and looked down.
"Thought I'd give you a report on Convict McWinters," he said matter of factly. Noticin' Juan he asked, "Who's this?"
"Juan Ortiz, sir. A friend of Matt's."
"A childhood friend," I added, not wantin' Mays to get a negative impression of Juan.
Mays nodded and proceeded to ignore Juan. He looked at me. "Matt's obeying the rules. Not causing problems. He's working in the broom factory. His work is adequate. His library privileges have been extended."
I nodded, tryin' to figure out what Mays was not sayin' but two other guards entered, interruptin' my thoughts.
"Follow me, convict," one ordered.
With only a nod to me, Matt followed the guard and the other trailed behind him.
"I'll escort you out, Curry. Excuse me, Mr. Curry." Senior Guard Mays smiled. "Yes, we were listening and yes, you are a legend around here."
I stopped in the doorway. I could smell the gloom of this hall. My feet refused to move forward. I felt Juan's hand on the back of my shoulder and that gave me the confidence to walk. I followed Mays but felt invisible shackles on my ankles. I hadn't let them hold me back in prison and I forced myself to take long strides now.
"Matt's box will be in his cell. I personally inspected it."
"Thank you." I fought the urge to call him sir. In silence, me and Juan picked up our weapons. Before we left, I turned face to face with Mays. "Thanks for keepin' an eye on Matt. He been startin' fights?"
"No, but he knows how to finish them. Few of the others dare to take him on now."
Juan stopped me as we were climbin' on our horses.
"Jed, just what did you do to become a legend? You were only here one night."
"I survived."
ASJ*****ASJ
Juan was talkative as we took the train toward Winter's Refuge. He remembers good times growin' up with the McWinter brothers.
"They weren't bad then. I considered them all my friends."
"Even Mark McWinters?" I'd never heard anything good or moral said about Mark.
"Yes, even Mark. Blame his pa for the evil streak in him. Anything went wrong, he always blamed Mark."
"But Matt's the oldest."
"Matt's weak, a follower, and his pa knew it. Mark was always the leader. And like I said, anything went wrong, big or little, their pa blamed Mark and used his belt on him behind the woodshed. Only one who could make him stop was Chrissy. She weren't afraid of her pa. Used to get right in his face and tell him to leave when he was drinking."
Juan kept talkin' but I was lost in thought picturin' a young Chrissy defyin' her pa. She had an inner strength about her even when she was healin'.
HEYES
Finally, the doctor's exam room door opened, and Dr. Arden followed out an obviously upset Chrissy. She turned to him.
"With twins, I worked in prison gardens every day, ten hours. then give birth. I fine. Babies fine," she said defiantly, stomping her foot.
"Yes, I know. But each time is different and this time you must go on bedrest," the doctor answered calmly. "If you do everything, you should be fine. If you don't, that child may come too early and…"
Auntie grabbed Chrissy by the arm to make her look at her. "If the good doctor says Chrissy must go on bedrest, I will guarantee that happens."
