Righteous love is a narrow path by Lewis Pennington

Author:Lewis Pennington [Pennington, Lewis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Silver Lining Publishing
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

By the time they were out of the city, the Black Maria was nowhere in sight. The sounds of sea gulls and sailors were slowly replaced with the harmonious swishing of leaves as a tender wind wisped through the evergreens, Charleston’s sandy soil slowly changing to red clay as the wagon ambled along.

“Mr. Crenshaw, how do you know Boone?”

“If you’ll call me Logan, I just might tell ya,” he said with a wink.

“Sorry, Logan,” she said cheerfully. “How do you know Boone?”

“I’ve done a few jobs for him in the past. Basically, haulin’ cargo from his ships inland. Stuff like that.”

“So you know his boss?”

“Tweed? Yeh, I know him. Can’t say I cotton to him, but yeh, I know him.”

“So you’ve worked for him too.”

“Only once and that’s the way it’s going to stay. In fact, this is the last job I’m gonna do for Mr. Vanderson too.”

“Do you not like Boone or what he does?”

Logan raised his chin and appeared to gaze into his future. “It’s my last job, missy. I’m retir’n.”

“Well, congratulations,” Zoey said.

“Yep. I’m push’n toward seventy years on this earth and it’s time this old crow went home to roost. Me and the wife are settl’n down on a parcel of land down in Texas. A little ranch where my daughter can also raise her baby girl.” The tips of his mustache rocketed up, revealing the smile of a man whose world revolved around his family. “Oh, ya should see that little nugget, Miss Zoey, the most precious baby girl God could ever grace us with.”

“What’s her name?”

“Tabitha Jane. She just turned three. We call her Tabby.”

“I’ll bet Tabby’s got you wrapped around her finger.”

“Wound tight with a hook, line and sinker attached,” he laughed. “She’ll melt yer heart, she will.” He slowly swung his head side to side. “You know she can already count to ten. And soooo happy. If she ain’t giggl’n about someth’n, she’s outright cackl’n loud as her mama. I truly don’t think I’ve heard that sweet child cry more than a dozen times.” He stopped and sighed. “Oh, how I can’t wait to be sitt’n on my front porch rock’n that little gal to sleep.”

Zoey smiled. “Now that’s a picture of happiness everyone should have.”

“Yep. It’s a pure shame everybody can’t have it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that some folks don’t seem to want it. Ya know the type. The ones who got it handed to ’em and all they do is complain or ruin what they been given. Rich folks mainly. Then there’s those who got it ripped from ’em—like Mr. Vanderson—and there’s those who’re only happy when they’re unhappy. You know the type, they’re always—”

“Wait! What do you mean?”

“Just that some folks seem to be born unhappy and—”

“No—you said Mr. Vanderson. What’d you mean when you said he had it ripped away?”

“You don’t know?”

“No.”

“Oh. Well then, I-I don’t know if I should be say’n anything.”

“No, tell me. Please, Logan. I need to know.”

He took a slow breath. “It’s the dang war’s fault is what it is.

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