Atonement by Kyle Alexander Romines

Author:Kyle Alexander Romines [Romines, Kyle Alexander]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781620068175
Publisher: Milford House Press
Published: 2018-06-17T04:00:00+00:00

* * * * *

Christian watched Finley until he vanished from sight.

“You shouldn’t have been so hard on him,” Morgan said.

“You’re right,” Christian said, “but he’s going to get himself killed. I was trying to talk some sense into him.”

“You’re really going to leave?”

Christian considered the threat Charlie made against his boss. “I can’t stay,” he said. He looked Morgan in the eyes. His voice wavered. “A long time ago I did what I thought was the right thing. And I lost everything because of it.” He felt pain in his chest. “I’ve given so much already,” he said. “Lost so much. This isn’t my fight.”

“Before he passed, my father used to ask a question,” Morgan said. “Is a soldier’s work ever done?”

Christian looked away.

“I never did get an answer. He died fighting the Indians.” Morgan reached into his shirt and took out the old pocket watch. It shimmered even under what little light passed through the clouds. The faded bronze was scratched, but there was still something special about the watch.

“This was my father’s pocket watch,” he said. “He carried it with him like it was the most precious thing in the world. By all rights the Indians should have stripped it off him after he was killed, but somehow it was recovered from his body. When my brother and his children passed, the watch came to me.” Morgan flipped it open and watched the hands count down the day. He chuckled. “I always thought I would give it to one of my sons. I planned to give it to Nathaniel when he went off to war. For some reason I decided to keep it until he returned. He never did.”

“I’m sorry,” Christian said.

His boss shut the pocket watch and held it by the chain. He placed the watch in Christian’s hand. “You should have it,” he said.

Christian frowned. “I can’t accept this, Mr. Morgan.”

“You can,” Morgan insisted sternly. “And seeing as you don’t work for me anymore, I reckon you can call me Landon.”

Christian knew better than to argue. The two men shook hands.

“Christian,” he said, offering the only thing he had that meant something.

“It suits you,” Morgan said. “I won’t persuade you to stay if you’ve made up your mind, but I hope I can convince you to spend the night and head out in the morning. I’ll have Rebecca fix something special.”

Christian smiled weakly. “Thank you for everything, sir. You’re a good man, Landon Morgan. I think I’ll take you up on that offer.”

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