OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Blood and Honor in the Wild West", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Wyatt stood at the end of the rails and looked west, where the evening shadows were quickly bringing on the night. His workers had already retired to their tents, preparing their meals over open fires and talking as only laborers could.
To one side, the horses were tethered to a rope line. He would set out guards when full darkness came. Injun raiding parties were always about, and they loved to steal horses. They had no use for engines and railcars, but horses were valuable. Killing off a few white invaders was a good thing by their reckoning. Wyatt didn’t expect trouble. Yet, he knew better than to let down his guard.
After the fiasco that was Percy Walsh, the Denver Pacific Railway had hired Wyatt as the foreman. That meant he had to be at the end of the line in order to see to the work. That was a hardship since it took him away from Maisie. Yet, the job was steady. He earned enough to keep Maisie and his new mother-in-law in a fashion they all enjoyed.
Maisie. He hadn’t been sure about her before he asked her to marry him. He hadn’t brought the best of credentials with him when he arrived in Grand Junction. Their bonding under fire helped, but he wouldn’t have blamed her if she had said no. What woman wants to hitch up with a drunk, washed-up sheriff?
When she said “yes”, he was the happiest he had ever been. When he was hired by the railroad, he knew he had the opportunity to show Maisie what kind of man he could be. The evil that had been inside Ace Rhodes and his brother Isaac was now gone. Wyatt enjoyed a contentment he hadn’t found since before Emily died.
Turning away from the sunset, Wyatt headed for the railcar that was his quarters. He knew his cook would have supper waiting. The food would fill him.
No whiskey.
That had been his rule since he had taken the job. He wasn’t going to stumble into his bed and snore off the effect of alcohol while something bad happened to his crew. He believed in setting a good example. The others would follow his lead.
Climbing into the railcar, Wyatt stopped to look at the purple and blue mountains all around. It was damn pretty view. There was a vastness to the West, a promise that there was room enough for everyone. In the mountains, it didn’t matter if a man was a Yankee or a Rebel. If the man pulled his weight, then he was welcome. If he wanted to quit and ride off, that was fine too. Space, there space aplenty.
In a way, Wyatt was saddened by the railroad. When the line was complete, and a man could ride from ocean to ocean, then there would be men, women, and families crowding the cars. The West wouldn’t be the same.
Was that a good thing?
Wyatt wasn’t one to look behind. Ahead lay his future… ahead.
*****
When the baby kicked, Maisie smiled.
A kicking baby was a sign that the child was healthy. The baby wasn’t due for another month or so, and she would be more than happy to give birth. Doing chores and cooking was twice as difficult with a baby on the way.
“Feeling good?”
She turned to her mother, whose smile was welcome. Ingrid had become the Ingrid of old since Maisie’s wedding. There had been a time when Maisie thought her mother would never laugh again. Those were the dark months after Donny died, after Leo started drinking enough for three men.
Maisie didn’t like to think about those months. She didn’t want to remember the ire that had owned her when she went after Ace Rhodes and his gang.
At times, Maisie almost believed that the burning of Grand Junction hadn’t happened at all. It had been a dream. It was only when she went to the new dry goods store or walked past the revitalized Lucky Dog Saloon that she accepted what had happened. She had chased down Ace. She had wounded him. She had avenged her brother and father.
That was the awful truth.
But that truth had led to Wyatt, her husband, the father of her child. Out of the ashes she had forged a loving tie to him. He had proven to be more kind and attentive than she could believe.
“The flowers look nice.”
On her knees, Maisie turned to Ingrid who stood by the headstone. Maisie had already laid flowers on Donny’s grave. Now, she was taking care of Leo.
“Like the yellow ones?”
“They look right pretty, Maisie. Your father liked yellow flowers. Always said yellow flowers were like sunlight. Made everything brighter.”
“I know you miss him, ma. I do too. Wyatt and me was thinkin’ that if we have a boy, we’ll name him Leo Donald after Pa and my brother.”
“That’s thoughtful, but you don’t have to do that. It’s not like I’m apt to forget.”
“We want to. And it’s not like we would forget them. It’s more we want to remember what we were for them months. We don’t want to backslide into that kind of behavior.”
“I wouldn’t be afraid, if I was you. The two of you have come to grips with whatever that was. You’re going to have a right good marriage. This child is but the first. You got a good man with you. A woman can’t ask for much more.”
Maisie added a last touch to the grave and reached out. Ingrid helped Maisie to her feet.
“You ever think of leavin’ Grand Junction?”
“Sometimes, Ma. Despite all the good around us, I sometimes think it might be best to leave. You know, let all that bad stay behind.”
“I’d like to see the ocean.”
“East or west?”
“West. I’ve heard it’s the prettiest thing ever.”
“Maybe, we can do it. Won’t be long before the railroad is done.”
Arm in arm, Maisie and her mother started for the house. The baby kicked, and Maisie smiled.
“That’s gonna be one happy baby.”
*****
Wyatt looked out the window. The mountains were behind them. Sacramento’s depot was only a few miles ahead. The trip from Grand Junction had been uneventful. At four, Leo had spent most of his time looking out at the passing landscape. He probably would remember nothing but snippets of the trip. That was fine. The family was taking the trip to fulfill Ingrid’s wish.
They were going to see the Pacific Ocean.
“Time to wake him?”
“No, Maisie, not yet. I’ll carry him off the train if I have to. He’s been good. Let him sleep.”
Ingrid’s eyes opened. Wyatt didn’t know if she was waking or just joining the conversation.
“How much longer, Wyatt?”
“Three days. We’ll take the stagecoach this afternoon, spend a night on the trail, and get to San Francisco tomorrow. We’ll have to take horses to the peninsula.”
“What is it called again?”
“Monterey, and it’s supposed to be the prettiest spot on earth.”
“We’ll be camping?”
“I’m afraid so. We might get rooms in Carmel. We’ll have to see.”
Ingrid gasped, and Maisie took her mother’s hand. “Bad?”
“Not too bad. I certainly got three days left in me.”
“We’ll get you there. I got a flask if you need it.”
The ride from San Francisco to Monterey was uneventful. Wyatt was mindful of everything around them. Maisie and Leo rode together. Ingrid managed her own horse. They found a place to stay in Monterey and ventured down to the coast the next day.
The picnic lunch was just enough. Wyatt took Leo to the beach where they tossed rocks into the waves. The water was cold. Swimming was out of the question. Just before sunset, they climbed the cliff to get a better view. They sat in the grass and watched the sun sink, setting the clouds orange and the rocks dark.
Wyatt held Maisie.
Ingrid had Leo in her lap.
“It’s even prettier than I imagined.”
Ingrid’s words said everything Wyatt was thinking. His life was prettier than he could believe.
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Blood and Honor in the Wild West", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Greetings, readers. I hope my latest western story and extended epilogue gave you an adventure worth remembering. I’d be honored if you shared your thoughts below.
A wonderful well written story
This is a very very good story. Just thinking about the first part of the story and what everyone went through, makes you smile.
I will probably read this book more than once. You will want to read this book ASAP. Enjoy!!!
Thank you so much for this wonderful comment! I’m truly happy to hear that the story stayed with you and that the characters’ journey brought a smile to your face. Knowing you’d read it again is an incredible compliment. Thank you for reading and for so warmly recommending the book to others—it means more to me than I can say.
Another awesome story by Austin with lots of aaction to keep you turning pages until the end. The extended epilogue trade the story complete with an awesome ending
Love your books and your writing. The fact of your writing makes
Them seem real. Keep it up .
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m truly glad the stories feel real to you—that’s one of the greatest compliments I could receive. Your encouragement means a lot to me. Thank you for reading and for your continued support.