Winter's Refuge
Chapter Eighty-One
JED 'KID' CURRY
Looks like me and Chrissy will be aunt and uncle to two, one of Johnny's and one of Matt's. Pappy talked to me and told me they are goin' to tell the child their father is Lloyd Dent and doesn't want anyone to think otherwise. Doesn't even want us to visit. People might see a resemblance. I agreed; I'll never tell no one how much I understand. Heyes let it slip in prison that he'd laid with Chrissy when they thought I was dyin'. Years later, Lom explained to me that it was for comfort, not passion. Chrissy confessed the same to me. But I told her that Michael and Martha are my children, and I won't hear a word otherwise. I've looked at them closely and there's not a Heyes trait that I see, only Curry traits. And that's normal since my pa and Heyes' ma were brother and sister. They are mine and I will fight anyone who tries to say they aren't. And Janice's child will be Lloyd's child. It will have a good and lovin' home. I just asked Pappy to let me know if there is anything Baby Dent needs.
Lom's supposed to be researchin' the families of Miss Sophie and Miss Deidre. Need to talk to him about this rushed marriage…or maybe that should be a secret, too.
That leaves Marcel Boulanger, the boy near my twins' age, and Emery still not connected to their families. Colin told me marshals are trackin' down both now that we have enough information.
HEYES
It gets quieter here every day. Mrs. Roberts will be going back to Cheyenne with us. Colin said he had word from Dr. Arden that he would help wherever needed. Amelia will travel back with us and her aunt will meet us in Cheyenne. And Mike and Little Johnny will come to Cheyenne, too. The Kid's made up his mind that the boy should stay with Mike Loveland, but Chrissy has a say in it, too.
Miss Sophie and Miss Deidre are both good cooks. Miss Sophie makes real good coffee. The years in prison made me forget I like it strong and black. She makes it that way because she likes it that way, too. Still the dinner table is not as crowded and there's a sadness here, not yet resolved. I want this to end and get back to our family in Cheyenne and then to Phoenix. I won't really feel safe until I'm back there. I crave a quieter life like the one the Kid has given me at the ranch. I've tried to thank him, but he gets quiet and says it's nothing that I wouldn't have done for him.
Miss Deidre told Colin, and me and the Kid, too, that she would like to talk to us privately.
Colin was nodding, almost asleep at the table, but the professional in him made him attempt to sit up straighter to answer the question. "Yes, Miss Deidre, after dinner we'll all talk." But instead of talking, Colin laid down on the couch he called his bed and fell asleep.
LOM
My Susan is amazing. She talks to everyone and thinks the best of everyone. Before we got to Glenwood Springs, she had specific directions to the telegraph office and a caution that the diner serves day-old food as their daily special. She waved goodbye to the conductor and wished him well on his upcoming nuptials.
The telegraph office was not on the main street, but we had no trouble finding it. I held the door open for Susan and was thanked by a quick peck on the cheek.
"We're looking for Mr. Clay MacManus," she said sweetly to the older man behind the counter.
The man studied her. "Who's asking?"
"I'm Susan Porter Trevors and this is my husband Sheriff Lom Trevors of Porterville, Wy." She leaned over and whispered, "The governor sent us with news of your wife."
I saw the look on his face. Looking around the office, he made sure it was empty before he closed and locked the door. Without a word, he motioned us through a curtain to a small apartment in the back.
He closed the curtain in back of us and looked at us with suspicious eyes full of hope.
I wasn't sure of this man; it wasn't the reaction I had expected. "Miss Sophie has been rescued from Devil's Hole," I said and watched the man change in front of me. He sat in a kitchen chair without even looking that it was behind him, put his head in his hands, and cried. "It's over then?" His relief was in the whispered tone of his voice.
"It's over. Can you tell me what happened? Your son told us your wife deserted you," I asked.
"Had to tell Clay that to keep him safe. Didn't want him to go hunting for Devil's Hole and get killed." He looked up at us and stood up. "Sit please. I always have coffee heating when I work here."
"I'll serve it, Mr. MacManus," Susan said.
Heyes would have loved this strong coffee.
"Don't know how much you know. My Sophie was abducted by Mark McWinters almost two years ago. They force me to feed them information on payroll shipments, well, any large money shipments, gold transfers…anything worth robbing that I knew of in Colorado."
"You're still passing them information?"
"Yes, to keep Sophie alive."
"You didn't tell the law?"
"They said they'd kill her very slowly if I did. I do anything to keep her alive. I thought it would end when I read a few months ago that the McWinter brothers had been killed in Brown River. I was traveling to Denver to confess to my superiors when Gene Kindberg, they call him Mean Gene, found me. And it wasn't over. He had her now…and he gave me a lock of her hair and a note in her writing that said, "I miss you." So, I did for him what I did for the McWinters."
He looked at me with pleading in his eyes. "You are sure it's over this time. She's safe?"
"She's safe," I repeated.
"Prayers are answered in God's time. I suppose I'm under arrest, but I would like to see Sophie before I go to prison."
I was thinking how to answer when Susan spoke up. "Mr. MacManus, you did what you needed to do to keep your wife alive. Surely, the judge will take that into account." She only hesitated for a second. "What do you know about the family of Deidre Baer?"
"Deidre Baer?"
"Yes, she was one of the hostages with your wife. She said she was from Glenwood Springs. We're trying to find her family member that operates the telegraph here, probably this very office," Susan said.
He was confused but I could tell his mind was working. "As you must know, I don't normally work in this office. I visit every office. Now I'm filling in while Deidre Art is visiting her mother." He wasn't really talking to us. He was figuring out something in his head. "When did you say Deidre was kidnapped?"
"I didn't, but it was about eighteen months ago."
We watched as he paced around the little kitchen. It reminded me of Heyes' pacing when he was coming up with a plan for a robbery.
"There is no Deidre Baer. Deidre 'Art' is...er, was our telegraph operator here. In Gaelic, Art is a boy's name meaning bear cub. She knows that. We talked about it because my brother's name is Art, not short for Arthur."
Now I was confused. Deidre was the telegraph operator here?
"It makes sense now. Telegrams through here have been erratic. I was told that Deidre was often visiting her ailing parents in Wyoming. Every time I come through here, she's not here. Sheriff, I assume I'm under arrest, but would you accompany me next door to the mercantile. I believe we can clear this up."
"I'll wait here." Susan looked tired, suddenly. As we left, she folded her arms on the table and rested her head on it. And I remembered her delicate condition. Maybe I shouldn't have let her come. But then I've come to understand that no one can talk her out of doing something she wants to do once she has her mind set on it.
It only took a few minutes with Clay MacManus' threatening attitude and my sheriff's badge to get the clerk in the mercantile to admit he had been watching the telegraph office when he could. Miss Art had shown him how, but he wasn't very good at sending telegrams and he admitted to missing a lot of them. From the bottom of his cash box, he pulled out a folded letter and handed it to me. It was from Mark McWinters saying he had kidnapped his wife and if he wanted to keep her alive, he would do just as he asked.
"Wife?" asked MacManus.
"Aww Miss Diedre ain't no one's wife but we was sparkin' in the telegraph office one evening. They grabbed her right after that, and he handed me that letter. She's alright?"
"She's been rescued and is fine. What were you asked to do?" I reassured him.
"That's the funny thing, nothing. Well, not nothing to do with telegrams, just go on vacation or leave town. And each time I was told to do that, you came." He pointed at MacManus.
MacManus slowly closed his eyes. "And each time I was here I received telegrams about gold shipments and passed those telegrams to the gang," he sighed. "They were pretty good at getting what they wanted."
As I told Susan when we got back, "Mark McWinters and MG never knew that Deidre was actually the telegraph operator. They had figured out that Glenwood Springs is a hub for mining trains and their bank was notified in advance when the gold was going to be deposited in their safe. They thought that Deidre's 'husband' was too young and fidgety to be trusted to pass them the information, so they arranged for him to leave and MacManus filled in for a few days every couple of weeks to see if shipments were coming. They trusted him to give him all the information they needed, and he proved he wouldn't betray them. Mark knew what a gold mine he had when he captured Miss Sophie. Her husband supervised all the telegraph offices, knew most of the important shipments. He's been working with them for two years. All the others abducted were just for one or two big robberies that the gang became aware of, like Brown River.
"MacManus informed the gang about the robbery, and they used people like Arnie's brother to get the specifics."
Susan seemed more interested in the man than what he had done when she asked, "What's going to happen to Mr. MacManus? He is such a nice man and so in love with his wife," she argued.
If I were ever on trial, I want a lawyer with the passion of Susan and the belief that people are good.
"He's under arrest but has agreed to stay at and run the telegraph office here until Miss Deidre can come back. He'll spend his nights in jail. I promised he could see his wife before he does time…if he does."
"You mean he'll go to prison like poor Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones?"
I smiled. Susan knew well who Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones really were but still called them the names they had used when first introduced. She had a high opinion of them then and still does.
"It's up to the judge but I'm sure Governor Sanderson will have a benevolent say in it," I explained. Right now, I'm going to send a telegram to his office so all of this can be resolved.
HEYES
The day was pleasant to start. Following the stream a little ways from the cabin, I walked with Mike and the kids, but my mind was on the last four hostages who hadn't heard about their families - Miss Sophie, Miss Diedre, Emery, and Marcel. The waiting is hard for all of them…and us. This is a close group. We can't ever really know what they went through, but me and the Kid have an idea after suffering through prison. I see a sympathetic side of Colin I never saw before. He has a harsh unfeeling side, too.
When the marshals came this time, they were in the room with Colin for a long time before he dismissed them. And they left without waiting for anyone to go with them. I'm not sure what that meant. The Kid shot me a questioning look. All I could do was shake my head and shrug my shoulders as I followed him into the room with Colin.
"We'll all be leaving tomorrow morning for Cheyenne," Colin said in his unfeeling voice. He started to dismiss us but the Kid sat himself down in front of him.
"What did the marshals say?" he asked.
"That we're done. All the relatives have been identified." Again, Colin waved his hand to dismiss us.
Again, the Kid ignored the gesture and leaned forward and said with more authority, "Colin, what did the marshals tell you?" Then he decided to get more specific. "Did they find Marcel's uncle and grandfather?"
Colin looked us over. "Yes, the marshals said it was confidential, but you are the ones we owe for saving their lives…and mine."
My cousin still didn't say anything. He can be quite intimidating by saying nothing, always could. But he's much better at it since being in prison.
"Yes and no. They found Marcel's uncle, or they found his grave. Seems he gave them the information they asked but then rode after them to get Marcel back. He tracked them for over fifty miles. When he caught up with them, they were playing poker in the back room of the livery. Marcel was sitting in a corner on some hay. His uncle had his gun in his hand but had never used it against a man…and couldn't now. One report said Bobby Bell killed him, but three other witnesses, players in that card game and the livery boy, all said it was Mark. Shot him in the head…in front of the boy. Who, by the way, speaks only French in his home. It is a French settlement and most people have held on to their native language. His uncle, being the telegraph operator, spoke both English and French."
I heard the Kid sigh and look toward the closed door. I know he was seeing in his mind the boy, about his son's age, who had seen such violence so young.
In an almost defiant tone, he moved his chair closer to Colin. "Why did Mark and MG keep Marcel and some of the other hostages alive after their telegraphin' relative was killed?"
"Well, a couple had relatives that were still helping the gang line up robberies. Not sure why they didn't kill or just release the hostages when there was no one to blackmail anymore. One theory is that they didn't just want to kill them. The hostages did every bit of work around Devil's Hole from the cooking to digging new latrines and 'other' things. Maybe that's a question for MG at his trial…if you believe he'll tell you the truth."
"So, Marcel's grandfather will meet him in Cheyenne?" I asked.
"Yes, he is older but will take care of the boy. Not speaking much English, he is being escorted there by two marshals who know a smattering of French."
I nodded. "And Emery?"
"We owe you credit for remembering that ad." Colin smiled. "You've come a long way in recovering from prison."
Again, I nodded. Didn't know what to say. Sometimes I want to rush back into my mind and stay there, alone, hiding, calm, safe. Especially at times like this when the violence I'm hearing overwhelms me. Usually I can stop myself, but even if I can't, my safe place is hidden so deep in my memory now that I can't find it. I can feel it sometimes, but I can't go there.
"I was wrong about one thing." Colin continued. "Emery's father, who placed the ad, was not a telegraph clerk. His mother was."
"Was?" asked the Kid, picking up on the word.
It looked like Colin was struggling to stay unemotional. I was glad of that. Showed he was human. Can't hear atrocities like these without feeling something.
"Was." Colin moved in his chair and repositioned his leg on the footstool. "She screamed when Mark and MG entered the office with guns drawn. It was a situation like Brown River. The whole town knew that a government payroll, many months overdue so that it had tripled in size, was coming in sometime soon but no one knew just when. No one except for the bank president and the telegraph clerk. They didn't seem to care if there were witnesses. Another man and a woman were in the office. They quickly slipped into the back room, not sure if the gunman saw them. Emery was sitting at the counter next to his mother doing his homework. Marshals found out he's always been a very bright, charming boy. Anyway, MG, he was one of Mark's enforcers then, grabbed the boy, held him with his hand over the boy's mouth and a gun to his head.
"Need to know when that army payroll's gonna be in your bank," MG growled.
Mark, however, was eyeing Mrs. Walsh and liking what he saw.
"What payroll?"
"Don't try to lie to us, lady, or your son will die right here. Right now."
She started looking through telegrams that were stuck on a nail on her desk. With shaking hands, she kept looking up at Emery and MG.
Mark grabbed the telegrams and nail. "Telegram with the date and time's here?"
"Yes, sir. Don't hurt my son. He's a good boy, a smart boy," she pleaded.
MG laughed as he pulled Emery out the door. Mark followed with the stack of telegrams. "You want to keep your son alive, you make copies of the telegrams about that payroll shipment and any other ones. One of my men will be here every few days to pick them up. Understand?" He looked at the boy. "Could use a smart boy in the Hole to do tasks. Maybe we can raise him to be part of the gang!"
Mrs. Walsh's hands went to her mouth.
"Do you understand?" Mark repeated walking back and grabbing her by the front of her blouse. It ripped, as did her undergarment, and he leered at her exposed breast.
"I understand." She retreated and grabbed her sweater off the back of her chair.
"Good." He looked at her breast again. "Think I just might be the one to come back and I'll want more than telegrams from you. You do want to keep your son alive, don't you?" His free hand caressed her breast. "Yes, I'll definitely return."
Then he left. MG had Emery in front of him on his horse. But as soon as the horses started leaving, Mrs. Walsh ran after them, yelling, "My son, they've kidnapped Emery. Help! Help!"
Witnesses heard Mark mumble, "Too bad," as one he nodded to MG. MG pulled his gun, turned in his saddle, and shot the woman twice. Her last word was a scream, "Emery!"
JED 'KID' CURRY
Colin said he'd try to protect us from hearin' some of the horrors, but we need to know so we can help these people.
"And his pa?" I asked.
"Tim Walsh is a traveling salesman. He came home to find his wife dead and his son gone. And heard the terrible story that had grown in the few days since it happened. He was despondent and sat in the saloon from morning to night trying to drown his sorrows, as they say. Then one day the bank was robbed right after opening. It was the day after the day the army payroll should have been put in the safe. But the witnesses had told the sheriff about what Mark was looking for and what he had said. The payroll was delayed a week and the communication went by messenger, not by telegraph.
"All Mark and his men got was the money in the drawers and about five hundred dollars from the safe. The bank clerks and tellers were all US Marshals because they were expecting a robbery. It was supposed to be a trap, but the outside guard, reports were it was Johnny, saw some marshals sneaking down the back alley. He fired two quick shots, the gang's signal to clear out. And they did. Out the back door with guns drawn and firing. Johnny went in the front door, shooting at anything that moved.
"Two marshals inside the bank were wounded but they survived. One outlaw and his horse died in that alley.
"Tim Walsh saw the brutality of the gang that day. He's not a big man or a brave man but he is a smart man. He put that ad in the paper with all the money he could raise. Clever idea. If any of the outlaws saw that reward, they might just decide to 'find' Emery and bring him home."
"And if he wasn't for that ad, we wouldn't even know his name," Heyes said. He spends a lot of time with the boy and has heard him say a few words. But Emery spends a lot of time in his head. I don't blame him. He's seen too much, and I saw the whip marks on his back.
"His father will meet us in Cheyenne. Heyes, will you help me talk to him?" asked Colin. "You seem to be the only one that can get through to him."
"Poor kids. They didn't do anything wrong. Just happened to be related to the telegraph clerk," I said. "And the ladies, Miss Sophie and Miss Deidre?"
"Your friend Sheriff Trevors and his wife found them both. Turns out Miss Sophie's husband was the key to a lot of these robberies. He supervises all the telegraph offices in Colorado. Has access to a lot of information. He's under arrest and will be brought to Cheyenne. The governor has a hard choice on his hands with this one. Clay MacManus kept helping the gang but did it to save his beloved wife…and he gained nothing financially. But people were injured and killed in those robberies. Is he partly responsible?"
This news hit me hard. Miss Sophie was lookin' forward to bein' reunited with her husband. Prayed diligently about it each day. "Miss Deidre?" I asked.
Colin laughed. "The gang never realized what a mistake they made taking her. She IS the telegraph clerk; she's not married and has no family."
"Huh, she never let on," Heyes observed, and I could tell he was thinkin' about what he had just heard.
Colin described her kidnappin' and what Clay MacManus was forced to do.
Tonight, we had our last dinner together in this cabin. There was a sadness about it as with any endin'. I want to get back to Chrissy and my children and gather them in my arms. But now I look at these people, these new friends, and know I will miss them.
ASJ*****ASJ
Heyes showed Emery the newspaper ad his pa had taken in Mike's newspaper. The boy said nothin' as he read the ad. Then he traced the words with his finger before lookin' up and askin'," Me?"
"Yes, you, Emery Walsh." Heyes pointed his finger at the boy's chest.
Slowly raisin' his head, brown troubled eyes met brown troubled eyes. Emery looked at the ad again. "He was looking for me?"
Heyes nodded. Tears flooded down Emery's cheeks and he reached out and hugged Heyes tight. My cousin looked at me over the boy's shoulder and I saw tears that would not fall glistenin' in his eyes.
HEYES
This morning is hectic. I used to love the last-minute preparation before a well-planned robbery. I remember feeling invigorated, excited those days. But not anymore and not today. There is too much activity and it's loud. I don't like change; it upsets me. Everyone is rushing around getting things done. Miss Sophie and Miss Deidre decided that we leave the cabin cleaner than when we arrived so we're all cleaning.
I hid in a corner of the loft with Emery. He's been very clingy since he found out he's going home. He hasn't let go of the newspaper with the ad his father placed. He's making progress. Last night I heard him reading the ad out loud to himself. When he heard me, he turned and pointed to me, saying, "Heyes." He was silent until now. He found me hiding alone in the loft corner and sat very close to me. "We go?"
"Yes, we'll all leave before noon."
There are a lot of thoughts running around in his mind. I don't know if he can't or won't share them. His back shows that he's been whipped more than once. Pappy took me aside and told me that Red Thompson liked young boys and had abused Emery. That's when the boy withdrew away from all of them and stopped talking. I never touch him unless he reaches out for me first. I wonder what the safe place in a little boy's mind looks like.
The Kid found us there when it was time to leave. We hadn't moved, both lost in our thoughts. But it's time to leave. We have two wagons and seven horses, our own and the string the marshals brought. I'm going to drive the wagon with Colin and the kids, Amelia, Emery, and Marcel. We'll carry most of the remaining food supplies, too. Little Johnny will ride in front of Mike on his horse, Bear. Those two are seldom far from each other. Miss Sophie will drive the wagon with the other ladies, Deidre, Mrs. Janice Dent, and Mrs. Denise Roberts. The Kid will ride Winter's Glory, of course, and Pappy will ride one of the horses the marshals brought. Miss Sophie always tries to see the bright side of things and, as worried as she is about her husband, she is doing that today. She has labeled us the Homecoming Parade! The kids loved the name and took to waving at any wagon we passed. Well, all the kids but Emery. He huddled in a corner of the wagon bed and watched. At our first water stop, I asked if he wanted to ride up on the seat with me. He nodded that he did. And he rode there all the way to Cheyenne.
I'm apprehensive about staying in the governor's house again. He's nice to us and his wife is the perfect hostess, but I see him, and I see prison. He held up our amnesties for years, years of pain and anguish and for me blackness. He was right, though, to make me learn to live in general population for six months to earn my amnesty. If I had left prison when the Kid did, I don't think I'd be alive today…or I'd be back in prison. And I wouldn't have made it without the Kid. He's my rock. Still, the governor intimidates me. I revert to being subservient, which angers the Kid. I have to work on looking the governor in the face while we are here, but I hope that won't be long. I want to…need to get back home to Phoenix.
Jed 'Kid' Curry
Cheyenne means Chrissy, Martha, Michael, and Joy. I can't wait to get there. It's not home, but it is where my family is right now. I let Pappy take the lead in getting all of us to Cheyenne. I could have done it but he does it effortlessly. He's used to being in command.
I showed him where to turn off the road and cut through a back road, the forest, and the fields behind the governor's mansion so we'll approach by the stables. I don't want to draw a crowd. These people have been through a lot and many of them have a long road of healing before them. They don't need people staring at them.
We avoided towns on our way here, but Colin and Pappy rode into one of them and sent telegrams. Colin alerted the governor we were coming. Pappy asked his son to join him at the governor's mansion as soon as possible.
As we approached, my eyes searched for the twins playin' in the backyard. For years I didn't know they existed, now I can't exist without them. A stable boy saw us first and we saw him hurry into the mansion. As we approached, I was startled that we were all rushed into the stables and there we found our welcomin' committee had formed. It was the stable hands, the butler, Governor Sanderson and his wife, and Aiden. In front of them were my twins dancin' around with excitement.
"Papa!" Michael ran to me as I dismounted.
"Uncle Heyes," Martha exclaimed, tryin' to climb up into the wagon.
Thoughts of holdin' my son pushed everything else away for a moment. Heyes helped Emery down from the wagon seat before pickin' up Martha and twirlin' her around in his arms.
Sanderson was tryin' to get everybody's attention. "We brought you in here to avoid any publicity. And to give you some privacy. My butler will show you in small groups into our house. Jed, Heyes, and you two can go on ahead," he said, smilin' at the twins in our arms.
But Heyes looked at Emery. "Give my love to Chrissy and tell her I'll be along to see her. Governor, I'll stay with the boy until he's reunited with his pa." Heyes was lookin' down when he talked. If he hadn't had Martha in his arms, I knew he would have taken a subservient stance. I saw it…and so did Aiden.
Dr. Arden stood on a box. "And I will be examining each of you, starting with you, Mr. Apperson, then Mr. Curry, followed by Mr. Heyes."
He looked directly at my injured shoulder. Hank had done a good job of doctorin' me and Colin and Sophie had taken over at the cabin. Still, I knew that Aiden would cluck over me and doctor me even better.
Expectin' chaos in the house, I was impressed with the order. The hostages were kept together and separate while Aiden examined each of us. Miss Tina stayed in the room when he examined the women.
While he was doctorin' Colin, I motioned to the twins and ran to the stairs to escape. But they stopped at the bottom and walked up the stairs that I was takin' two at a time.
I stopped and came back down, noticin' for the first time their new fancy clothes.
"Mr. Russell said that proper children walk in the house and on the stairs," Martha said as she slowly walked up upstairs.
"Who's Mr. Russell, little darlin'?"
"He's our tutor and he gives us lessons in comportment," Michael added.
"Comportment?"
Oh, Papa, I mean Father, it means proper manners."
I turned and sat on the stairs, lookin' at my kids. I was hurt by the formal name. "Since when am I father?" I asked sternly, looking from one to the other.
"Mr. Russell said that you call someone you respect father, not pa," Martha explained.
I thought for a moment. I was gettin' to not like this Mr. Russell. "I used Pa for mine and Uncle Heyes used Pa for his father. To me, father is too formal. Pas are for huggin'...and ticklin'." I tickled two stomachs and got squeals.
"Papa, stop," laughed Martha.
"That's much better. Now let's go see your ma and sister."
HEYES
The Kid was not back downstairs when Dr. Arden was finished with Colin. I watched as he was settled onto an ornate divan in the governor's sitting room. He looked at me. "Heyes, when the doctor's done with you, Jed, and Pappy, Governor Sanderson would like to meet with us."
"Aren't there families waiting for these people?" I asked.
Colin was the professional governor's aide once again. "Yes, they can wait a little longer."
JED 'KID' CURRY
We ran up the rest of the stairs, only to be met at the top by a tall man with his hands in his pockets. His disapprovin' look told me this was the tutor, Mr. Russell.
"What is going on here?"
I didn't like this man with his air of authority, superiority.
"Mr. Russell, I assume," I said, holdin' out my hand to shake. "Jed Curry, they're pa." The words were more forceful than I intended.
He gave me a limp handshake. I think he would have ignored me if he could have, but instead he looked down his nose at me. I could have squeezed his hand to show my strength, but told myself that wasn't the right thing to do.
Even a step lower than him, I was taller. Refusin' to be intimidated, I stepped up to his level and realized I was takin' my gunfighter stance. I shook it off and tried to smile. "Excuse me, Mr. Russell, please let us pass. We're goin' to visit with their ma."
"Mrs. Curry is resting now and the children's French lesson is in five minutes," he told me haughtily.
I forced a smile but Heyes was always better at fakin' a smile. I looked at the man before answerin', "Mr. Russell, I've been away from my kids for almost two weeks. They're gonna spend the day with me. Ain't goin' to be no lessons today."
"There aren't going to be any lessons today," he repeated.
"That's right. Please let us pass."
"You are not in charge of their lesson schedule, Mrs. Sanderson is. Children, please go to the classroom."
I was confused as the twins stood silently lookin' at us. "Mr. Russell, there ain't no lessons today."
"There aren't any lessons today," he repeated.
"Mr. Russell!" Miss Tina hurried down the upstairs hall toward us. She looked mad, very mad, but I wasn't sure why.
"Yes, ma'am?" the tutor said.
"You are here as a TEMPORARY tutor for the Curry children, not to disrespect their father by correcting his grammar. Your employment here is terminated." I was surprised by the firmness in her voice.
With a repulsed expression, Mr. Russell said, "Fine with me, ma'am. He's nothing but a convict, a gunfighter who doesn't know how to speak English correctly. He employed 'ain't' and double negatives. I was attempting to teach his unmannered children proper English. I do not wish to have it on my resume that I taught an outlaw's children!" He turned and walked down the hall and went into one of the rooms.
Hurt by his words, I looked at Miss Tina, not willin' to see the shame that I imagine is in Michael and Martha's eyes.
"What a rude man," Miss Tina, exclaimed. "I didn't realize I was hiring a bitter, rude man as a tutor. I was just trying to keep these angels busy while they were here."
When she looked at the twins, so did I. I didn't see shame that they were the kids of an outlaw, an ex-convict, and a gunfighter. Just curiosity, and I knew they had questions I would have to answer.
"Let's go see your ma and Joy," I said before the questions in their eyes came out of their mouths.
HEYES
"Heyes, how are you?" Dr. Arden asked me in the makeshift doctor's office he had set up in one of the downstairs sitting rooms in the governor's mansion.
"Just fine, doctor. I wasn't held hostage or nothing."
Ignoring my protests, he listened to my heart. He walked behind me and gently lifted my shirt and clucked. "Heyes, your back's not healing as quickly as I would like. Is someone putting the salve on for you?"
"Sometimes the Kid does."
"Remind him to do it. Saw that he hurt his arm." Dr. Arden changed the subject while picking up a candle and looking into my eyes.
"Bullet. In the Hole."
"Heyes, you still fighting to stay with us, out of your mind?" He sat down next to me and I figured that's what he wanted to ask all along.
"Trying. Mostly." I hesitated before continuing, but this man knew me as well as anyone but the Kid. "Scared of a lot of things. Groups of people, noise all around. I like quiet." I thought for a second before adding, "And I don't like change."
"Any way I can help?"
"Not now, but there's a little boy out there, Emery, who I think is stuck in his mind. His abuse is also what you can't see, sexual I mean. And Mrs. Roberts she's hiding in her head from some terrible things. Would you help them?"
The doctor smiled. "That's why I'm here. Heyes, I'm proud of you making this trip, part of it on your own, knowing you'd be working with a lot of people. And here you are thinking of someone else besides yourself and asking for help for others."
JED 'KID' CURRY
With Mr. Russell gone, Miss Tina turned to me. But I was embarrassed, even if my kids didn't seem to be and pushed them ahead of me into our bedroom. Chrissy looked beautiful. There are times when I just can't take my eyes off of her and this was one of them. She had on a soft yellow frilly, lady's dressin' gown, sittin' in an ornate carved rockin' chair that I didn't remember bein' in the room before. She was holdin' Joy on her shoulder, gently burpin' her.
I hesitated in the doorway, feelin' depressed that I can't give her silky dressin' gowns or my kids the fancy clothes they wore or a tutor. They deserved them, but I don't have that kind of money. With Russell's words echoin' over and over in my brain, I vow to work even harder.