“Because Papa, she hated me and didn’t want me to have any kind of happiness. She hated mama because you loved her. She threatened to have me put in the insane asylum if I didn’t do what she said. She never gave me any of your letters. A few weeks back she took the money I had put away. As I got older I wasn’t afraid of her anymore. I went in her room to demand it back and it was then that I found these letters.” Charlene’s hand came up to touch the sapphire necklace. “She had also taken mama’s necklace. I found that with the letters.”
“Sweet Jesus,” he muttered. “I knew she was all fired up about Katie and me leaving but I never thought she hated us so.” He searched her face. “I swear I would never have left you there if I thought she wouldn’t be straight up with you. I sent her money to put you on a train to come live with me a few years after I got here. She wrote back and said you were doing so well in Fulton and had so many friends that you didn’t want to come live with me. I was so dang stupid I believe it.” He took his fist and hit one of the logs.
Charlene grabbed his arm. “Papa, please stop.”
“I’m surprised I can tell the difference between dung and wild honey.”
Charlene’s concern turned to amusement, chuckling. “I’m glad you can or I won’t be trying any of your honey.”
Amos looked at his daughter. “I’m so glad you found me.” She stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. He turned to Jim and grabbed his hand. “Sheriff, can’t thank you enough for bringing my little girl to me.”
Jim shot Charlene a look that said volumes. “My pleasure, Amos. Glad to do it.” Jim put Amos’s rifle against the house, taking a last look inside. “I’ll get your bag Charlene, if you’re sure you want to stay. Uhm, Amos, is there room for the both of you?”
Amos flushed at the question. “Charley, maybe you should go back to town for a few days while I get things tidied a bit here.”
“Absolutely not,” she said, walking to Queenie and retrieving her bag. “I can help with that. Thank you for showing me the way, Sheriff. I will be just fine.”
It was obvious Jim was leery about leaving, but her final words left him no choice. He got on his horse and rode away. At the bluff, he turned back around for one last look. The tears in her eyes would stay with him for a while. He wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her for all those years of hurt she suffered alone with nobody by her side. He couldn’t see her. She must be in that pigsty of a house. Jim would give her tomorrow but he would be back the day after. If she needed protection or help, Jim would be the one to provide it.
Chapter FIVE
Amos’s cabin was worse than Charlene ever imagined. The inside was one large room with a closed door on the far wall. There was a rusty old wood burning cook stove against one wall. Where the pipe went through the ceiling, light could be seen almost all the way around. A table sat by the other wall with one chair. Another chair, with a broken leg, lay on the floor. A wooden shelf next to the table had two metal cups and an oil lantern, and an ancient looking pistol. The only things on the shelves was a pouch of tobacco, bullets, dirt, and mouse droppings.
A cot with blankets hanging off of it was located right by the closed door. Clothes were strewn all around it. There was a cupboard with one door, hanging by a hinge, and a large rusty bowl sat atop it. The floor was covered with so much dirt, Charlene wasn’t sure if there was a wood underneath her feet or not.
“I can still take you back to town for a few days while I get things ready here.” She turned to her father. Even under the dirt and leathery skin, she saw he was blushing. “I don’t usually have people calling,” he said sheepishly. “Fact is, I just didn’t care.”
Charlene put her arm through her father’s. “We have found each other now, Papa. I’m not letting you get rid of me again.”
“That won’t happen, Charley.”
Charlene pointed to the closed door. “What’s that door lead to, Papa?”
Amos walked her over and turned the handle. It was dark and smelled. Amos went to the window and unhinged a shutter. Light spilled in. There was a bed, made perfectly with a colorful quilt and pillow. A large chest sat at the end of the bed. A chest of drawers caught her eye. On it stood a pink flowered china bowl and matching pitcher. Next to that was a small picture. When she picked it up tears flooded her eyes. Her father was sitting on a chair with Charlene on his lap, looking stern. Her mother was standing behind him, smiling down at Charlene who was holding her hand up to her mother.
Her father stood behind her. “You were three years old there. Your mamma took special care of that picture.”
Charlene put the picture back, touching it tenderly. She wiped a tear away turning to face her father.
“I had this room ready for you a few years after I got here. I left it this way all these years. When Lucretia said you had died, I shut it up and haven’t been back in. I couldn’t.”
“It’s a lovely room, Papa. I want this to be my home and I want us to be a family.” She pushed her father out the door, shutting it behind her. “But we aren’t going to live like this. We have lots to get done before the sun sets.” Rolling up her sleeves she put her hands on her hips. “Do you have a big barrel outside that I can boil water in. We have a lot of washing to do and you need to bathe also.”
“You were a sassy little thing as a young’un. I see it’s hung on through the years!” He winked as he walked out the door. He started a fire down by the creek, then filled a metal tub with water and waited for it to start boiling.
Charlene brought what few clothes she could find. “Pa, where are all your clothes?”
He looked at what she had. “That’s them.”
“There’s only a pair of long johns, one pair of pants and a shirt that has more holes in than not.”
“Yep, that’s them. I do have a few things in a chest, but they were too good to wear, plus I never needed to show off for anyone around here.”
Charlene dropped the clothes into the water and marched back to the house. A few seconds later she came back with the blanket that was on the old cot. “I need those clothes, too.”
Amos’s eyes popped open wide. “Girl, have you taken leave of your senses? I can’t stand around in the all together.”
“Pa, I need those clothes. I’ll turn my back while you take them off. You can either wait til I’m done washing your things then get yourself in here or, if you’ve a mind, go jump in the creek.”
He scratched his beard and muttered under his breath. “Well turn yourself around whilst I get shucked of em.”
“Pa,” Charlene yelled as he started to stomp off, “don’t forget some soap.”
It didn’t take long to wash Amos’s clothes. She laid them across bushes to dry, making a mental note that a line of some sort would have to be made. Charlene’s next task was taking on the cabin. It was mid afternoon and her stomach was growling. It had been an hour since she had seen Amos. Glancing down the stream there was no sign of him. Shrugging her shoulders she wiped her forehead and started in. Armfuls of burnable trash were carried outside and placed in a pile to be burned. A few times Charlene had to swallow a scream as mice ran by her hand. She took a tin cup and got water from the stream. Wetting an old rag she had found Charlene tried cleaning the sparse pieces of furniture. Though it was not perfect, it was livable. Now Charlene was ready to tackle the floor. Charlene squealed with delight when she found a floor of wood underneath all the debris and the next instant was emitting a blood-curdling scream and running to the back of the cabin.
Seconds later Amos came running through the front door with his rifle in hand. He had started getting dressed and was only able to get on his long johns. “Charley, what is it?” His face was pale and his chest was heaving.
Charlene was visibly shaking. She pointed to the door and her voice was trembling. “O..o..ver there, in the c..corner.”
“What!”
“No, Papa!” Charlene grabbed his arm when he started over to investigate. “There’s a
snake. It’s in the house!”
Amos pried her hands off his arm. “Charley, honey, let me go look.” He took the broom and swept the leaves and dirt away. From the corner, a six-foot snake slithered toward him. Amos leaned down on one knee and picked it up. “Oh Shamus, did Charley give you a fright?” He got to his feet and turned to his daughter. “Charley, this here is Shamus. He’s lived here since I got here.”
“Out!” Charlene said, back tight against the wall.
“Now hold on. Shamus keeps mice and other snakes away. He’s a right fine fellow to have around.”
“He will have to keep them away from outside. I mean it, Papa. No snake is living in this house!” Her voice still trembled.
“You heard the boss, Shamus. Out you go.”
Time got away from her. The floor was swept and mopped. Even the stove was scrubbed clean. She stood in the doorway and smiled at all she had accomplished. Everything was as clean as she could make it. She looked at the shredded curtains and told herself she would use the last of her money for some material. The door also needed to be fixed but they would just have to make do.
The sun was starting to set in the west when a smell in the air had her stomach complaining again. She walked around to the back and saw her father had started a fire and was cooking fish he had caught and potatoes were boiling in a pot. She stopped. Was she hallucinating from hunger? Amos’s beard was gone. He was completely clean shaven, with several nicks here and there. His hair, after being washed, was light brown and tied in the back with a piece of rawhide.
“Hope you’re ready to grease your chin with some fish and spuds.”
She put her arms around him and hugged him tightly. “Now this is the man I remember.”
Chapter SIX
Jim was going through some old wanted posters, trying to clean out some of his files. Sally had come with him and was playing with some wooden animals in one of the cells. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, tottering on the back two legs. He just didn’t seem to be able to concentrate. It was a pair of blue eyes that had his insides a jumbled mess. Amos Lehman was her father – her pa! Besides wanting to crawl under a rock for thinking what he did, he wanted to wring her neck for letting him think that! Jim had taken her out there the day before yesterday. Was she okay? Where did she sleep? Did he have anything for her to eat?
The door to the jail opened and Lance James walked in. He was a good sized man in his late fifties and the owner of The Silver Dollar. He won it two years ago when the previous owner had been drinking and lost it in a game of High/Low.
“Morning, Lance. What can I do for you?”
Lance glanced at the girl and said, “I have a few things to talk to you about but..” he nodded toward Sally.
“Sally,” Jim called, “I have sheriffing business here. Why don’t you go get some stick candy, then head on home. Maggie wasn’t going anywhere today.” Maggie was a widow woman who lived here when Jim first arrived and Sally was an infant. She has been watching her ever since. Sally gathered her animals and glared at Lance as if blaming him for interrupting her play.
“What’s the problem?” Jim asked
“Couple of miners came in last night and got in a fight and broke some of my chairs.”
“Slim was here. He didn’t say anything to me about trouble.”
“I don’t like running to you or your deputy every time there’s trouble. I’ve hired me a man to handle trouble makers in my place.”
“I hope I’m not going to be sorry about that.”
“It’s not just that, Jim. When these women, or brides, whatever you call them, get here and start marrying up with these men, my girls are going to suffer. I’m going to start losing a fair amount of money.”
Jim put his boots up on the desk, crossed his arms, and pushed his hat back on his head. “I know the men that visit with your girls, and most are married. I’m not thinking you’ll have to sell.”
“You’d best be right.”
Jim stood and walked outside, Lance behind him. A wagon was coming down the road. The beating of his heart picked up when he recognized Charlene.
“I’d give six months profit for that pretty little minx.” Lance took a step backward when Jim turned to him. Fury radiated from his brown eyes.
“You’d do well to stay away from her.” The words were spoken softly.
Lance smirked, his eyes wide, put a hand up in surrender. “I think I see how it is.” Whistling, he walked away
Charlene smiled as the wagon ambled by. “Sheriff,” the man sitting next to her said.
Jim’s mouth dropped open. It was the first time he even noticed someone else on the wagon. “Amos?” Charlene’s quickly put her hand to cover her mouth but her giggle floated through the air.
They pulled up next to Radcliff’s Sawmill. “Papa,” Charlene said jumping down from her seat, “We need to go to the Mercantile after we get the wood. We need to get some material so I can make you a few shirts and some curtains.”
“Charley, I don’t need no more shirts.”
From where Jim stood he could hear every word. He hooted with laughter when she put her arm through Amos’s and replied, “I beg to differ, Papa. Your shirts have more holes than material.”
“I don’t see anything so funny, sheriff,” Amos grumbled, walking into the saw mill.
“I see I was worried for nothing. You seem to have everything under control.”
“You were worried? About me?”
“Yeah, I was. Would he feed you? Did you have a place to sleep?” They both stood there, silently staring into each other’s eyes.
“Sheriff, you think you might help me load this wood instead of standing there like some dang fool.”
Jim groaned and hurried to help Amos with the wood. “Adding on?” Jim asked, trying to ease his embarrassment.
“New door. She don’t care much for critters coming in through a closed door.”
Jim looked Amos up and down. “Appears she didn’t care for other things as well.”
He rubbed his chin. “That was all my idea, son, though she did seem to take to it.”
“You look like a young man, Amos. With all these women coming in, maybe you should be looking for a wife your own self.”
“That’s what I told him,” Charlene said, blue eyes sparkling with pride. “He’s handsome and still young enough to have a happy life.”
Amos grabbed Charlene around the waist and lifted her up on the wagon. “I just got my daughter back. Don’t need no wife to mess it up. Thanks for the help, Sheriff.”
“Hold on,” Jim said, holding the reins of the horse. “Day after tomorrow, Sunday, we’re having a town picnic. A celebration of sorts with the brides and the miners and whoever else wants to join in. It’s starting right after church.” He looked at Charlene. “I sure wish you’d come. Most of the town will be there and you can meet everybody.” He forced himself to tear his gaze away from Charlene and look at Amos. “What do you say?”
“I’m not much for socializing,” Amos muttered, but when he saw his daughter deflate a bit, he relented. “But I guess we can try to make it.”
Charlene lit up. “We’ll see you Sunday, Jim.”
The wagon pulled in front of the Mercantile. Mona Brinks hurried out, ooing and awing about how well Charlene looked in the pants she bought at their establishment. Then taking a double look at Amos, she came over to get a closer look. “Amos Lehman?” She waddled around to get a better look. “I heard somewhere that you were this young lady’s father. Looks like she’s jumped in with both feet. You look like a new man.”
Amos blushed scarlet red. Wasn’t long before Clara Howard peeked her head out of the boarding house. She noticed Charlene and came over to see what was going on. “Land sakes,” she said, hands on her hips, “this can’t be the same man who comes to town and barely talks. You look twenty years younger, Amos.”
Amos looked at his daughter but she was just smirking. He made an excuse of needing to see Jo
hn Kurtz over at the livery and made a hasty escape. Charlene had been surprised when Amos gave her money to buy whatever she needed. “Pa, I have some left over money. I don’t want you hard pressed for other things you might need down the road.”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. You’ll get those wrinkles on your brow and I won’t be able to marry you off.” Though Charlene tried to act insulted at his comment she started to giggle and they laughed most of the way to town.
Charlene said goodbye to Mona and packages in hand went to find her father when a whirlwind came rushing up behind her. “Hi!” said an excited Sally. Her blonde hair was sticking out every which way. “I remember you cause you’re the lady that wears pants.”
“And I remember you,” laughed Charlene. “You’re the sheriff’s daughter.”
“Where you going?” Sally asked, automatically taking her hand.
“I’m going to the livery. I’m looking for…”
“Charley, you finished with that hen fest?” Amos asked. “Is it safe to go pick up our wagon?”
Sally was wide-eyed looking at Amos. “Is this man going to be your new husband? He looks kinda old. Is your name Charley? What kind of name is that for a girl? Charley is a boys name?”
“Sally!” Jim marched up behind her. “Why aren’t you with Maggie?”
“She’s at the bakery. I saw the lady in pants and wanted to talk to her. Why do you have the mad face, Daddy?”
Charlene quickly turned her face away so Jim wouldn’t see her laughing. She got down on one knee if front of the inquisitive little girl. “This man is my father, Sally. My name is Charlene and he has always called me Charley.”
“Oh! Are you an old maid, then?”
“Sally Anne Hawkins!” Jim grabbed his daughter’s hand. “You apologize this second!”
The Sheriff and the Miner's Daughter (Sweethearts of Jubilee Springs Book 4) Page 3