mastered the art of talking to Natalie. Those first few years they were too young and done in by circumstance to figure out what to say to each other. After that, there were too many mouths to feed and clothes to wash and shoes to tie. And it was just his luck that the only way he’d ever discovered of communing with Natalie usually ended up with more children.
“I’ll wait for you downstairs,” he said, cheeks red, once he finished dressing. Heaven only knew how many children they’d end up having if he and Elspeth started communing . “We can head over to the hotel directly.”
Elspeth finished pulling her dress over her head as he reached the door and caught him with, “Aren’t we going to have breakfast?”
He paused, considering, then nodded. “I’ll toast some bread and make some tea. There’s no time to lose.”
Toast and tea would have to be enough to start things off. Every second that Athos spent away from his children was torture. To her credit, Elspeth was quick to finish dressing and fixing her hair—which hung in one simple braid down her back—and to join him downstairs. Neither of them said anything as they downed their quick breakfast, then headed out.
“I have to make one stop first,” he told her, turning right once he got to the street instead of left, which would have led them up to the hotel. He took her hand and set out at a fast walk. “It’s Saturday, so there’s only one train coming through today, but someone has to be there to unload it.”
They marched all the way down Prairie Avenue to Station Street, then around the corner and a few feet up Main Street until they came to Haskell’s jail. Athos could see that Elspeth was baffled by the stop, but he didn’t have time to explain. He rapped on the door, then pushed it open.
“Trey?” He called into the empty room. There wasn’t even a drunk locked up in the cell. It must have been a quiet night.
A thump and then footsteps sounded from the second floor. A few seconds later, Sheriff Trey Knighton stomped down the staircase on one side of the room…in his long johns. He squinted with sleep and hadn’t shaved. That, combined with the fierce look he wore at being woken up, caused Elspeth to flinch. She had a point. With the vicious scar that cut across Trey’s face, he looked more like he should be in the cell than wearing the star.
But there wasn’t time for introductions or explanations either.
“Trey, I need you to do me a favor.” Athos launched right into his mission.
“Huh?” Trey grunted, rubbing his face. “Athos, do you know what time it is?”
Athos ignored the question. “I need you to keep an eye on the station today and unload the train if it comes in before I get back.”
“Okay.” Trey sounded dubious. “I don’t really know what to do, other than being extra muscle when you need it.” He blinked, eyes widening as he noticed Elspeth standing with hands clasped in front of her by Athos’s side.
“It’s easy. The train’s porter should know what needs to be unloaded in Haskell. All you need to do is move it to the warehouse and not let anyone take anything before I can get back to inventory it.”
“Sure, but—”
“Sorry, we have to go.” One tiny speck of worry lifted from his shoulders. He turned and took Elspeth’s hand again, starting out of the jail.
“Hey, hold on, Athos. What’s going on?” Trey stepped after them.
“Bonneville had some government lady take my kids away,” Athos replied, voice grim and edged with anger. “They’re at the hotel, and I’m going to get them back.”
Trey muttered a curse as Athos and Elspeth rushed back out into Main Street. Athos should have gone back and made him apologize to Elspeth for using language in front of her, but Trey’s gritty streak was the least of his concerns right then.
They charged up Main Street, Athos’s temper growing hotter with each step. It was a stroke of luck that as they passed in front of the bank,
“I’ll wait for you downstairs,” he said, cheeks red, once he finished dressing. Heaven only knew how many children they’d end up having if he and Elspeth started communing . “We can head over to the hotel directly.”
Elspeth finished pulling her dress over her head as he reached the door and caught him with, “Aren’t we going to have breakfast?”
He paused, considering, then nodded. “I’ll toast some bread and make some tea. There’s no time to lose.”
Toast and tea would have to be enough to start things off. Every second that Athos spent away from his children was torture. To her credit, Elspeth was quick to finish dressing and fixing her hair—which hung in one simple braid down her back—and to join him downstairs. Neither of them said anything as they downed their quick breakfast, then headed out.
“I have to make one stop first,” he told her, turning right once he got to the street instead of left, which would have led them up to the hotel. He took her hand and set out at a fast walk. “It’s Saturday, so there’s only one train coming through today, but someone has to be there to unload it.”
They marched all the way down Prairie Avenue to Station Street, then around the corner and a few feet up Main Street until they came to Haskell’s jail. Athos could see that Elspeth was baffled by the stop, but he didn’t have time to explain. He rapped on the door, then pushed it open.
“Trey?” He called into the empty room. There wasn’t even a drunk locked up in the cell. It must have been a quiet night.
A thump and then footsteps sounded from the second floor. A few seconds later, Sheriff Trey Knighton stomped down the staircase on one side of the room…in his long johns. He squinted with sleep and hadn’t shaved. That, combined with the fierce look he wore at being woken up, caused Elspeth to flinch. She had a point. With the vicious scar that cut across Trey’s face, he looked more like he should be in the cell than wearing the star.
But there wasn’t time for introductions or explanations either.
“Trey, I need you to do me a favor.” Athos launched right into his mission.
“Huh?” Trey grunted, rubbing his face. “Athos, do you know what time it is?”
Athos ignored the question. “I need you to keep an eye on the station today and unload the train if it comes in before I get back.”
“Okay.” Trey sounded dubious. “I don’t really know what to do, other than being extra muscle when you need it.” He blinked, eyes widening as he noticed Elspeth standing with hands clasped in front of her by Athos’s side.
“It’s easy. The train’s porter should know what needs to be unloaded in Haskell. All you need to do is move it to the warehouse and not let anyone take anything before I can get back to inventory it.”
“Sure, but—”
“Sorry, we have to go.” One tiny speck of worry lifted from his shoulders. He turned and took Elspeth’s hand again, starting out of the jail.
“Hey, hold on, Athos. What’s going on?” Trey stepped after them.
“Bonneville had some government lady take my kids away,” Athos replied, voice grim and edged with anger. “They’re at the hotel, and I’m going to get them back.”
Trey muttered a curse as Athos and Elspeth rushed back out into Main Street. Athos should have gone back and made him apologize to Elspeth for using language in front of her, but Trey’s gritty streak was the least of his concerns right then.
They charged up Main Street, Athos’s temper growing hotter with each step. It was a stroke of luck that as they passed in front of the bank,
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