Gift of Hope by Shanna Hatfield

Author:Shanna Hatfield [Hatfield, Shanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-12-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Grady slumped back in the chair, still holding the watch in his hand.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Thane asked, sounding concerned.

“I think I know who the man is.” Grady set the watch on Thane’s desk then looked up at him. “I recognize the woman. I found her a few weeks ago.”

“Found her? Was she…?”

Grady shook his head before Thane could finish his question. “No. She and her children are alive and well. Actually, they live about an hour from the mine. I was riding home the night before the big harvest dance and the snowstorm caught me by surprise. Anyway, I came upon this woman in the woods. She has two children. The oldest is Lily’s age, a boy, then she has a little girl who’s about three. Her husband left her in February, looking for work at a mine, although she doesn’t know which one. He took their only horse and left her at that forsaken cabin to fend for herself.”

Curious, Thane raised an eyebrow. “And you think the man you found is her husband?”

“I do. Although, to be sure, I suppose she’ll need to identify these items.”

Thane stepped into the hallway and hollered for Jack. The boy soon appeared in the doorway with Lily right behind him.

“Run outside and ask Walt to come in here, please, son.” Thane nodded to Jack, then pointed a finger at Lily. “You stay in the kitchen with your mother, young lady.”

Lily looked like she considered arguing, thought better of it, then flounced out of the room.

“I’ll send Walt to fetch Tully. It might be best if you tell him what you know in person.”

“Sure, Thane. I’m happy to do that and will help however I can. I feel bad for Mrs. DeVille. She said I was the first person she’d seen since her husband left all those months ago.”

Both of Thane’s eyebrows quirked upward. “Poor woman. Months of quiet and loneliness with nothing but two little ones for company, and she gets stuck with you?”

Grady grinned at his employer’s teasing. “I went back twice to try and help her. Whoever daubed the cabin didn’t do a good job of it and the wind was blowing through the walls. The roof was leaking, the fence around her chicken coop needed to be repaired. If it wasn’t for the chickens and a milk cow, I think she and the children might have starved. As I mentioned, her husband took their only horse and she was afraid to walk down the mountain with the children.”

“I could understand that. And you’d never seen her before?” Thane asked. They both stood when they heard Jack and Walt approach from the hallway.

“Nope.”

“Howdy, Gaffney,” Walt said, offering a friendly smile and handshake as he stepped into the room.

“Morning, Walt,” Grady said, returning the greeting.

Walt looked to Thane. “What can I do for you, boss?”

“I need someone to hustle into town and bring back Tully. It isn’t an emergency, but I’d like him to speak with Grady before he heads back up to the mine.

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