Chapter one
“What were you thinking?” Chad Mason winced as his boss threw his hat down onto the table at their hideout. “Shooting an old man? You’re gonna swing now, Mason”.
“He was going for his gun, Boss,” Chad said.
Boss guffawed. “You jump at your own shadow. The old man didn’t even have a gun, you dim-wit!”
Chad huffed. Just then, his two partners, Shane and Perry entered the room.
“The horses are put up, Boss,” Shane said, walking to the table and leaning over the pile of money there.
“Fine” Boss growled. He rubbed his forehead with his hand.
“I’m sorry, Boss,” Chad said.
Boss took a long swig from the bottle of whiskey on the table. “Tell yourself that when you’re hanging by the neck ‘til dead”.
*****
Millie Williams sighed as the last person disappeared from the scene of her father’s burial. She stared at the grave.
“What am I going to do now, God?” she asked into the thin air. “I have no money and no way to live. I thank You for taking him quickly, but I didn’t have time to prepare”.
She sighed again and touched the wooden cross that boasted her father’s name. “Bye, Papa”.
Though her heart was sore and aching, she knew that her father was having a happy reunion with her mother and that he was in a better place. In a way, she was jealous. Her father had probably felt the comfort of God’s nail-scarred hands around him, welcoming him into the place of no more sorrows. She began her descent down to the Lucky Hearts Orphanage where there were refreshments for those who had attended the funeral. Millie like that the owner, Texiss Peirce, had changed the name when she got married. Used to, it was called “Lonely Hearts” and that didn’t sound very hopeful to Millie. She mounted to stairs where Texiss, a good friend of hers, was awaiting her. Texiss put her right arm around her, the left arm having been amputated three years ago when an alligator attacked her.
“Are you okay?” Texiss asked.
Millie nodded.
Texiss smiled. “He’s in a better place now”.
“I know” Millie smiled. “I guess I’m just feeling sorry for myself”
“Well, that’s expected. Just don’t let yourself get depressed. I did that when Brandon died and it was terrible. Whenever you get to feeling bad, come see me. It’s better for you”.
“Thank you Texiss,” Mille said.
“Let’s go inside” Texiss led her inside.
Millie looked around the room at all the familiar faces, her eyes landing on Texiss’ husband, Cameron, by the window holding their little girl as the baby’s little eyes drooped closed.
Caroline Peirce was born six months ago, and Millie had never seen a more devoted father than Cameron. He hardly ever let his little girl out of his sight, and Texiss was grateful for the respite sometimes.
“They look so sweet,” Millie said to Texiss, motioning over to the father and daughter.
Texiss smiled. “I could watch them forever. Sometimes I’ll just sit and watch him with her. I can tell he’s trying to not be the father he had when he was young”.
Millie knew about Cameron’s abusive stepfather, and she didn’t blame him for trying to right that wrong.
“You’re both doing wonderful by her from what I can see” Millie said.
“Thanks, Millie. Let’s grab something to drink”.
*****
“Please, Mr. Miller. I need this job” Mille felt like grabbing the man by the collar and shaking him.
“I can’t afford anyone right now, Millie. I’d love to help, but I can’t” the man, about her father’s age, went on stocking the shelves. It had been nearly a week since her father’s funeral, and she still hadn’t found a job.
Millie sighed. An older man in the corner was pinning an advertisement on the corkboard there, and was studying her. Millie smiled at him, hoping he’d quit staring at her.
“Do you know anyone else needing some help? I’ll plow a field if I have to” she asked Mr. Miller.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything,” Mr. Miller said.
“Thanks” Millie walked out of the general store and walked across the street to the newspaper where Cameron worked, the place her father used to own before he died. A little bell rang as the top of the door hit it, signaling her arrival.
“Millie?” Cameron walked from the printing room out back.
“Hey, Cameron” Millie smiled. She sat in the chair across from the desk in the corner.
“No luck?”
Millie shook her head.
“Well, something will turn up, I’m sure” Cameron said.
Millie wished there was someone there to tell her what to do. She hated making her own decisions, out of fear that she would make the wrong one. Her father had always been wise and knew exactly what was best.
The bell above the door jingled again, and the new Marshall Avery entered. He had been in Casden scarcely a year, and already he had done them so much good.
“Sheriff” Millie stood, hoping he and his deputies had found her father’s killer. She had tried not to concern herself with revenge, but sometimes it became impossible to harness her hostility toward the robber.
“I tracked them nearly out of the county, then they went through a river and we couldn’t find their trail again. I’m sorry, Millie, but it’s been a week of looking” Sheriff Avery twisted his hat in his hands.
Millie sighed and nodded. She understood the man’s reasons.
The sheriff left, and left Millie forlorn. She just about had her mind made up that she would go after the killer herself and collect the reward. She had five dollars left to her name with no means of earning anything. She sighed again and took a few steps toward the door.
“I’m taking a walk, I think” she mumbled before opening the door and stepping out. The wind beat against her as she started walking west.
*****
Trey Shannon took the steps up to the door of his home two at a time, anticipating seeing his son after over a week away. He twisted the knob and pushed the heavy door open, the hinges screeching in protest.
“Anna?” He called.
No answer.
“Anna!” He said louder.
Still no answer.
“Mr. Shannon? Is that you?” The cook, Mariah, came from the kitchen.
“Where’s Anna?” Trey asked the middle-aged woman.
“She--well, she quit, sir” Mariah said.
“Quit? You mean as in leaving?” Trey narrowed his eyes at Mariah.
“Yes, sir. She said that she was tired of playing nursemaid to a boy who’s own father didn’t care enough about him to spend any time with him” Mariah explained.
“She knew I had work when she took the job!” Trey said.
“Seems she changed her mind. I’ve been takin’ care of the kid since Tuesday. Sure am glad to see you back” Mariah said before walking back to the kitchen.
Trey walked up the winding mahogany staircase to the second story, then down the hall toward the nursery. The airy room’s only light was the sun coming through the window and casting faint rays over the polished wood floor. A crib sat in the far corner, containing his two year old son, Quinn. Trey made sure his boots didn’t make too much noise as he walked to the crib and leaned over the edge. His son had a peaceful look about him as he lay there, his little chest rising and falling with each breath he took. Trey stood there, realizing just how much he had missed his little guy, and gently stroked the little boy’s blonde curls. Quinn began to stir, and Trey picked him up and went to stand by the warmth of the window. The sun reflected off of Quinn’s flawless cheeks, reminding Trey of the baby’s mother. He looked just like her.
As Quinn snuggled against his chest, Trey decided that he needed to spend more time at home. His work could wait while he caught up on his fatherly duties, including finding another nursemaid for Quinn.
*****
Clouds gathered in the distance, causing Millie to turn back toward town. Her short walk had turned into a long hike through the swampy terrain and she had wasted too much time as it was. Her stomach rumbled, and she realized that she hadn’t eaten a thing all day. Trying to push the feeling aside, Millie directed her thoughts to another subject. If she didn’t find work soon, she didn’t know if she could even have the money to buy food. Though, Millie knew that Texiss and Cameron wouldn’t let her starve to death, she felt a need to fend for herself.
“Lord, if life is supposed to be so difficult, can I at least have a direction to go? I feel stuck”.
Once back in town, Millie walked past the orphanage and saw Cameron leave through the back door and head off somewhere in the woods. Millie sighed. He and Texiss had probably argued again. They were always squabbling about something, but they usually made up in a matter of hours.
Millie, however, never planned to have that problem. She would most likely end up an old maid, as there were scarcely any men left in the world she could ever fall passionately in love with. She had too much experience with unreliable men and didn’t plan to make that mistake again.
*****
Trey stared at his overseer, his mouth gaped open. The older man stood in front if his desk, beside him a young lady who looked barely out of school.
“Clayton? Who is this young lady?” he asked.
Clayton smiled and motioned to the lady. “Miss Andria Bowers. She’s here about the nursemaid position” he explained.
Trey nodded. “I see”.
Andria held out her hand, palm down. Trey hesitantly took it and shook it awkwardly. She looked confused.
What did she expect him to do with it?
“I’m Trey Shannon, as you already know” Trey smiled.
“Nice to meet you, sir” Andria spoke with a strong British accent.
“Do you have any references?” Trey asked the first thing that came to mind. He didn’t feel right having such a young lady caring for his son while he was gone.
“I have myself a younger brother that I practically raised. He turned out fine, if I do say so myself” Andria answered.
Trey nodded slowly.
“Well, I’m afraid I’ve changed my mind about hiring a nursemaid right now. I’ll have Clayton get ahold of you if I change my mind” He forced a smile.
After Clayton saw Andria out, the man came back to Trey’s study.
“I don’t wanna know where you found her, Clayton. But why did you bring HER here?” Trey asked.
“There aren’t very many women around here willing to be a nursemaid, sir” Clayton said.
Trey stared at the man. “Well, Clayton. You’d better start looking hard. I have to leave again in two weeks, and I’m not leaving Quinn by himself”.
Clayton nodded and turned to walk out.
“Clayton” Trey stood and leaned on his knuckles on his desk. “You like this job, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir”
Trey nodded. “Remember that”.
*****
Millie held her father’s hand, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Quitting already?” he asked.
“There’s no way for me to find them, Papa” Millie said.
“You’ve never let that stop you before” her father said.
“What can I do?”
Her father’s breath grew ragged. “Avenge me”.
With that, his last life-giving breath escaped his body, and his hand fell from Millie’s fingers.
She jerked awake, her chest rising and falling with the speed of a galloping horse.
“Papa” she whispered, feeling her heart breaking.
Tears accompanied her sobs all night long as the words echoed in mind.
“Avenge me”