Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sweat poured down from his forehead over his brow. He took a swipe at it to clear his vision and focused on the job at hand, trying to concentrate after the morning’s fiasco. As the town’s smithy, Robert Adams was often working into the late evening.

It wasn’t that he had to, but it was his job to repair the wagon wheels and other things on time so the folks who paid him could get about their business. The horses needed shoes. Nails were often in high demand, and he had a sister who wasn’t right in the head, and had to be taken care of day and night.

He sighed, then stopped what he was doing for a split second. How was he going to take care of her and do his job without her wandering off through town again?

It wasn’t her fault she was curious. He had tried to send her to school for a few days but she wound up leaving the classroom and wandering out into an open field. The bull in the field almost made mincemeat of her before the local farmer distracted it enough to get her on the other side of the fence.

The townsfolk already knew about her excursions through town and kept an eye open in case she wandered too far, but Robert had to do something. He had hired a young woman to spend a few hours in the afternoon with his sister, but she informed him that she was leaving town tomorrow for New York City to go to nursing school. He didn’t blame the young woman. She wanted to experience a new path in life.

Robert was exhausted. Between trying to care for his sister day and night and working to provide for them both, he barely slept. He had hired numerous helpers but no one lasted.

The door of the shop opened and closed with a bang. He knew right away who it was.

“Howdy, Murphy. What brings you here today?” Robert straightened up from a customer’s wagon wheel he’d been working on and gave a hearty handshake to the reverend and creator of Cooper’s Ridge. If it hadn’t been for Cooper Murphy he’d have never known about his sister’s situation or his parent’s demise since he’d been sitting in a jail cell when it all came to fruition.

“Morning, Smithy.” Everyone in town called him Smithy since he was the town’s blacksmith. He wondered if anyone besides the reverend knew his real name?

Murphy moved his large frame to lean against a pillar. He crossed his arms against his chest and nodded. A gun belt hung low on his hip and he looked far from the preacher in town who stood on a pulpit on Sunday mornings.

Smithy noticed he was dressed for serious business. “You going somewhere?” he asked, curiously.

“Sheriff asked me to accompany him on an excursion a few miles from here. We’ll be meeting a few Rangers and going out as a group.”

Robert ran a hand through his hair. He stretched his back, then moved his neck around, not realizing how long he had stood in one position as he worked. “Between you and the sheriff, I’m sure you’ll be able to squall any trouble that comes this way.”

The reverend grinned. “You got that right.”

Robert shook his head. “I swear you look more like an outlaw than the pastor of our church. I guess that’s why I like it here.”

“Me too,” Murphy told him. “I get to decide what happens in this town. After I’m long gone, I guess things will change. For now this is the way we’re gonna do things.”

“Good. Thanks to you, I have a place to keep my sister safe.” He blew out a frustrated sigh and ran his hand through a patch of dark hair again. “I’m losing my hired help tomorrow.”

Murphy nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I stopped in about. Miss Emily is going back east to become a nurse. There’s a new nursing hospital in New York City opening up. Next time she comes this way, if she does, it will be as a full-fledged nurse.”

“I’m sure a young lady as smart as she is will stay in the city.”

The sheriff nodded. “You’re probably right. What are you gonna do, Smithy? You can’t continue on like you are. I expect you to fall over from exhaustion any day now.”

“It’s that noticeable, huh?”

The reverend nodded. “Sure is. I’m not sure how to help you on this one. Bringing you here to start over was the easy part. You’ll either have to think of something or place her in a poorhouse.”

Robert shook his head. He pushed his fists into the pockets of his pants and began to walk back and forth. “There’s no way I can do that, Murphy. I promised myself she’d never have to know that kind of life. I appreciate all you’ve done for us since our parents died, offering me a place here and a business. I’ve been lucky enough to have this shop as well as my home.”

“Your shop will be paid off in two more months, Smithy. You can use that money to pay for help. I’m sure if you put up a sign at the mercantile and the bank there will be someone who will see it and apply for the job. Even someone just passing through may stay here if you offer them room and board and a small salary.”

“I hate to have to resort to someone else having to care for my sister. No wonder my mother got sick so often. I love Violet but she’s a lot of work.”

“You will feel better about things if you get some help. And I don’t mean for a few hours a day. You need a companion for her so you can work a full day without worry.”

Cooper Murphy was a remarkable man, gifted with a sense of loyalty, duty and kindness from the hand of God. If he hadn’t offered Robert a place to live and work, the chance that he’d have gone back to his old ways was pretty certain. Even though he had already decided that sitting in a jail cell was the last thing he wanted to do, the lure of an outlaw life had come upon him over ten years ago. He just didn’t have the desire before to change his ways.

At least not until Murphy found him in a Dallas jail cell doing time for thirty days for fighting and tearing up a saloon. The other fellows involved were in bad shape, according to the report, which gave him ten extra days on his sentence.

Murphy took an interest in Robert and informed him that his parents had been killed in a fire. Their house burned down and his sister, who had been in school that day, had no idea she no longer had a home. The school teacher was about to place her in the custody of the police when the pastor intervened.

Robert was able to get out of jail under the care of Murphy, who collected his sister and brought them both to Cooper’s Ridge. From there, he had changed his life and used his skills as a blacksmith to own not one, but two properties. He was almost done paying off the shop and he had another year to go on his house. It had turned out to be a pretty stable and good life even if Violet was a handful.

Time had caught up to him now. He was exhausted from taking care of his sister and finding good help to keep her occupied while he worked. Perhaps Murphy was right. He needed a live-in caretaker for her. “I’ll draw up a sign today and post it around town.”

Murphy nodded, then pushed himself away from the post he had been leaning on. He pulled a piece of paper from inside his vest pocket and handed it to Robert.

“What’s this?” he asked, curious as he reached out to take the paper. Robert unfolded it first then sucked in a deep breath. He stared hard at Murphy. “What are you doing?”

Murphy gave him a lop-sided grin. “Your shop is paid off early as far as I’m concerned. You earned it, Smithy. This past year hasn’t been easy on you, but you’ve proven that you can be a responsible citizen. You help to improve this town and to be honest, we need you here. There aren’t too many men who can do what you can as well as you do it. So put that deed away and now you can pay for a helper.”

Robert watched the man walk out of his shop. The shop he now owned, proven by the piece of paper in his fist. He stared down at the wording, his name written in dark black ink staring at him.

He sighed, then looked up. I guess I owe you an apology, sir. I was just telling you how you put too much on me and I wasn’t liking it one bit. I may have even growled and called you a name or two. I apologize God, and hope that’s okay with you. I’m not much of a praying man, but after today, well, that may change as well. Good day to you, sir.