Redemption In Red Desert: A Clean Western Historical Romance Novel

by Ember Pierce

  * * *

  The bottom of the note added that he would get paid extra for his farrier services that night.

  * * *

  Grabbing the supplies he needed for the job, Kristian headed for the stall Duke had specified. Funny, he thought, that he wished Bonny were there to help him.

  * * *

  The two of them had become quite a team. That was yet another reason that he felt bad about lying to his wife and parents.

  * * *

  He and Bonny did need a proper house, though, so that part of his story wasn’t a lie. Once they decided to add children to their little family, they would need much more space than the old bunk house would give them.

  * * *

  As soon as he paid Graves off, he would begin saving for the house. Then, once he’d earned that money, he would quit the livery and only work on the ranch.

  * * *

  As he lifted the horse’s hind leg and rested it upon his knee, his mind drifted to the first time Bonny had helped him with the shoeing.

  * * *

  She had been eager to help and to learn a new skill. He admired that about her. They had the chance to really talk that day, and it was the first time he had known that the whole marriage would work out.

  * * *

  Yes, there would be challenges, but everyone faced obstacles. It was the way they overcame them, hopefully together, that would define them in the long run.

  * * *

  The horse cooperated with him and the shoeing went quickly, though he knew it would have been more fun with Bonny.

  * * *

  As he put the equipment away and got out the rake to start mucking out the stalls, Kristian mused to himself about how much more he thought about Bonny each day when he was away from her.

  * * *

  He hoped that she would understand his reasons for lying.

  * * *

  Hal Mills came in around nine o’clock, leading his horse. “Hiya, Kristian,” he said. “Betty’s shoe came off on her left hind leg.

  * * *

  “She took a nasty tumble when we were riding out in the pasture. Do you think you could fix it tonight?”

  * * *

  “I can take a look at her now,” Kristian confirmed. “If it’s too much to do tonight or if her hoof is hurt, it’ll have to wait until tomorrow when Duke comes in.”

  * * *

  “Sure, sure,” Hal agreed.

  * * *

  While the other man took a seat in one of the chairs scattered around the large open area of the livery, Kristian got back out all of his supplies.

  * * *

  Betty stood still while Kristian lifted her leg, but when he moved to take the first nail out of the shoe, she whinnied and danced away from him.

  * * *

  “Hal,” Kristian said, keeping his voice as calm as he could. “You’re going to have to hold Betty’s reins while I work.

  * * *

  “I think she might have hurt her hoof. She’s acting too skittish for me to work on alone.”

  * * *

  “Whatever you need me to do,” Hal said.

  * * *

  The other man came to hold his horse steady, and Kristian went back to work. He managed to get the shoe off without any more fuss from the horse.

  * * *

  Luckily, he was able to see that Betty had not actually hurt her hoof. That made his job a whole lot easier.

  * * *

  By the time he had finished with the horse, it was almost time for his shift to end.

  * * *

  Hal paid with cash, thanking him profusely. When he had gone, Kristian began the lock up routine for the night.

  * * *

  After he was sure that the horses were fed and watered, the stalls properly mucked out, and all the cash locked in Duke’s safe, he took the key for the front door to lock the building up tight.

  * * *

  Having the responsibility of keeping the livery safe made Kristian feel good about the choices he was making. Surely, he could pay back Graves and get on with the rest of his life, make John proud.

  * * *

  The night air felt cool against his skin as he stepped out onto the street. Kristian paused, looking first one way, then another to make sure there was no sign of Graves.

  * * *

  So far, Kristian had managed to avoid his creditor, but he knew his luck wouldn’t hold out forever.

  * * *

  As he headed down the street, he was weary, but he also had a spring in his step as he started home. He was halfway down the street when he heard someone calling his name.

  * * *

  For a second he froze, thinking Graves had found him, but then he realized he recognized the sound of the voice.

  * * *

  He turned. “Jock! It’s good to see you!”

  * * *

  Jock Miller, his old pal, ambled down the street toward him. “Kristian, I haven’t seen you in so long. What have you been up to?”

  * * *

  Kristian and Jock had a long history together. They had played together as children. Then, they had worked on their fathers’ ranches together.

  * * *

  By the time John died, Jock was as close to Kristian as his brother had been, but where John had been a good influence, Jock had been a bad one.

  * * *

  At the height of Kristian’s carousing, Jock had been his faithful sidekick. The two of them had lived it up in the saloon, drinking and gambling, sometimes for days at a time.

  * * *

  They’d had some scandalous things happen to them, like the time they had woken up in corsets, tucked in the hay with the Old Man Truman’s prize-winning cows.

  * * *

  Kristian tried not to think about those times too much.

  * * *

  “Just working and being married,” Kristian responded with a smirk. “What about you?”

  * * *

  Jock leaned against a nearby hitching post and crossed his arms over his chest. “Same old thing. Oh, but I got a job at the Q Bar S ranch.

  * * *

  “Good wage, and we knock off earlier than normal so I can get to the saloon earlier. We miss you there.”

  * * *

  Kristian felt a twinge of nostalgia. He did miss his drinking and gambling days with Jock. There were certain things about those days that he would never experience again.

  * * *

  Now that he had Bonny, though, he wasn’t sure if he ever wanted to experience anything like that again.

  * * *

  “You should come grab a drink with me tonight,” Jock said.

  * * *

  The offer was so tempting, Kristian could almost feel the delightful burn of whiskey on the back of his throat. His mouth watered and he contemplated saying yes.

  * * *

  Then he thought of Bonny waiting for him back at home, sitting by the fire, sewing or crocheting. He loved watching her at night by the warm glow of firelight, while she thought he was whittling or mending.

  * * *

  She was so unassuming, and she would probably be lonely. There was no way he wanted to delay getting home to her.

  * * *

  “Sorry, Jock, I can’t.”

  * * *

  Jock’s jaw dropped open. “What? Why not?”

  * * *

  Kristian let out a chuckle. “I’m serious. I can’t tonight. I’m really tired. I had a long shift at the livery tonight.”

  * * *

  As soon as he said it, Kristian knew that it was true. He could feel the fatigue dragging down on him, and suddenly all he could think about was crawling into bed.

  * * *

  The summer night had cooled nicely, but it was still warm enough to feel like velvet against his skin. Had he ever noticed a summer night before?

  * * *

  His mind was wandering. That was another sign to him that all he wanted to do was go home.

  * * *
>
  “You can sleep when you’re dead,” Jock said. “One drink won’t take too long.”

  * * *

  One drink would lead to more drinks. Kristian knew he was weak, even though he resolved to try his best.

  * * *

  He knew that his best wasn’t good enough. Jock ribbing him was fine, but something about it rubbed Kristian the wrong way.

  * * *

  “I have to get some sleep,” Kristian said. “Work starts early on our ranch.”

  * * *

  “You work for your dad,” Jock reminded him. “You don’t think that he would let you sleep in a little in the morning, skip a few chores?”

  * * *

  Kristian laughed so hard that he nearly choked on his own spit. “Have you met my father?” he asked.

  * * *

  “Yeah, okay, maybe you’re right,” Jock agreed, joining in the laughter.

  * * *

  How many times had Kristian complained about his father at the saloon? How many people had heard him bad-mouth him?

  * * *

  Had John heard that before he died? Did his father know?

  * * *

  The questions pounded against his temples, and his laughter died on his lips. Could he have really been so callous and careless?

  * * *

  Had he ever really believed anything he had ever said while he was drunk?

  * * *

  Jock didn’t seem to notice that Kristian had grown serious; maybe he had already been drinking. Kristian looked around the street.

  * * *

  He was just about to say that he had to go when there was a ruckus coming from the saloon, and before either man could say anything more, a crowd spilled out into the street.

  * * *

  Two men were at the center, fists flying, curses spewing from their mouths. Kristian stared at a remnant of a person who he didn’t recognize anymore.

  * * *

  “Yeah, I’ve got to get home,” Kristian said. “I appreciate the offer. I’ll see you around town.”

  * * *

  Jock’s face fell, and Kristian could tell that he was disappointed. For a second. he felt bad, but he felt his resolve strengthen.

  * * *

  John would have been proud of him for walking away. He watched Jock walk toward the crowd that had gathered around the men punching away at each other on the ground.

  * * *

  The men were already running out of steam. At one time, Kristian would have been right at the front of the crowd, egging them on.

  * * *

  Now he just wanted to get as far away from them as he could.

  * * *

  The road home felt long that night, but as his feet took him closer to the people he loved, he felt more sure of himself. That was a new feeling for him.

  * * *

  He wondered if John had felt this way. As he continued to walk, Kristian wondered what his brother had really thought of him.

  * * *

  John had always been supportive, but he had probably been disappointed when Kristian had drunk and gambled away most of his time.

  * * *

  All that was changing, though. He would pay back Graves and save for that house he intended to build for Bonny.

  * * *

  Tonight was the proof he had needed that he was changing. Saying no to Jock was a huge step for him, and Kristian couldn’t help but be proud of himself.

  * * *

  He stepped onto the ranch with a huge smile on his face and stared toward the horizon. There was a possible solution to this problem—a solution that might be reached rather quickly.

  * * *

  He had the skills. He certainly knew horses, and he could track people. He knew horses a great deal better than he knew cards, that was one reason he got himself in such a financial mess.

  * * *

  Now that he was off liquor, he was seeing things a bit clearer than ever before. These little jobs here and there were not going to clear up his debts and allow him to start his life anew with Bonny.

  * * *

  And that was his goal. A new life. Free from debt. Free from alcohol. Free from the mental yet very real bars that had him jailed.

  * * *

  He thought of his holster at the house. Like most men in the west, he knew how to use a gun. He was a good shooter and he was a good tracker.

  * * *

  He also knew the area. He had been born here and he knew the country. He could the trees, the hills, the lakes, and everything else in the territory.

  * * *

  He used to be as quick and skilled as any Indian on the trail. Then, the poker and the bottles undercut his skills, but he was still good. A little practice and he would be even better.

  * * *

  And this path was legal. He wouldn’t get into debt. And he’d be doing the state a service. It wasn’t like he’d be robbing a bank. And no one would have to know.

  * * *

  He could make an excuse to leave town for a few days. He nodded. Bill Clinkers, over in Jasper County, had an open invitation to show him a good horse.

  * * *

  Before the whisky and the poker, he was always in the market for prime livestock. He hadn’t seen Bill for a while, so the man wouldn’t know about the debts and the bad poker and the too many nights spent drinking.

  * * *

  It would take about two days, maybe three, to get to Bill’s place, take another day to look at the horse and discuss the stock and the alleged sale, and another two or three days to get back.

  * * *

  That gave him more than a week. Not enough time for his parents or Bonny to get suspicious.

  * * *

  And after five days, his problems might be over. He didn’t want Bonny to know, nor did he want his parents to know.

  * * *

  But they wouldn’t have to. He would just clear his debts from the table and then go his merry way.

  * * *

  He wouldn’t even have to clear off all the debts. If he handed out two hundred dollars, O’hara would probably be satisfied to let the other hundred go for a while.

  * * *

  If he got two thirds of the money, he might be lenient about the rest of the debt. After all, Kristian had made a payment.

  * * *

  But that was one thing he had to check and make sure of. He had said he owed three hundred dollars, but that was a guess.

  * * *

  In his alcoholic shape, he hadn’t kept tabs. Even if he did, if he tried to add them up, he would have made mistakes.

  * * *

  He’d add twenty and twenty together and come up with three hundred and eighty five dollars and a couple of cents.

  * * *

  He needed a definitive number. Then he would know the precise amount he needed to get out of debt and state the new life with Bonny free and clear.

  * * *

  He took a deep breath and walked a few steps forward, staring at the horizon. He coughed and walked in a circle.

  * * *

  Being sober was tough, he thought. He had thought he’d gotten the hang of it. But now, faced with a serious and dangerous issue, he was thinking about a drink.

  * * *

  And a drink was the last thing he needed at a time like this. He needed sober reasoning and calm, tough thinking.

  * * *

  If he succeeded in what he was pondering, then just one job would free him from debt. It would be dangerous, but not illegal.