Savage Redemption (3rd in Savage Series)

Chapter Nine

Sometimes you have to step outside of the person you have been, and remember the person you were meant to be. The person you wanted to be. The person you truly are. -Author unknown

 Jack used most of the money he had left to buy himself a horse and saddle from the livery. He missed Buck but his father and brother had relieved him of his favorite horse after they had left him for dead. He stopped by the blacksmith shop and talked to Richard Mitchell about working for him again. Richard had agreed to give him a week to prove he knew how to do the job and if he did good enough he'd give him a job four days a week helping him out.

Jack felt a sense of pride that for once he would have a real job and earn his money the right way. Jack walked down to the mercantile and Ed's eyes widened when he saw him.

"Well I'll be darned if it ain't Jack back again!" he said. "How you been kid?" Jack smiled as he put his forearms on the counter and leaned against it.

"I couldn't have been more miserable if I'd rolled myself in honey and went chasing after bumble bees." he replied. "But things are starting to look a whole heck of a lot better."

"You been out to Hawke and Lily's?" Ed asked with a chuckle. Jack had always been the type to say goofy things. Jack nodded.

"Yeah." he said. "I was actually coming in here because I think I still owe you some money." Ed looked at him with confusion and scratched at his nearly bald head.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. Jack reached in his pocket and pulled out a couple of dollars.

"Before I left down I started a credit and I never did pay ya for it." Ed waved his hand.

"That was five years ago and I'd done forgot about it. You don't have to pay me for that." Jack nodded.

"Yes I do because I didn't forget about it. Now I've done a whole hell of a lot of stealing in my life and I can't make up for all of it but I can sure as hell pay you back so take the money." Ed sighed and nodded and he took the money from Jack's hand.

"Thanks, Jack." he said.

"Hawke tried to teach me wrong from right… I guess it just took a while to sink in." Jack replied.

888

The next morning Jack was up at dawn and sitting on the porch as the sun rose. He had hoped to speak to Allie the night before but she had already been locked in her room. Lily had looked at him questioningly all evening but hadn't questioned him anymore about his scars although he knew she wanted to. Jack had decided that if they did not ask, he was not going to tell.

Jack thought about Allie as he looked out at the heavy fog and breathed in the damp morning air. He couldn't help but wonder whether or not she was really in love with Gavin. She didn't look at Gavin like a woman who was madly in love but maybe that was just because she was too busy being confused or angry that Jack was back.

"There's a lot of work that needs to be done." Hawke said coming out onto the porch. Jack wondered how the Indian still managed to sneak up on him. Jack's senses had grown sharper over the years but Hawke still moved too silently for him to pick up on.

"I was waiting on you to wake up, old man." Jack replied and Hawke chuckled. "What do you want me to do?" Jack asked. He had three days before he had to start work at the blacksmith shop.

"Check traps with me. The woods have been much too silent the last few years."

"Well lets go then, Hawke. We'll see how long it takes before you're begging me to be quiet."