I AM SUCH AN IDIOT! SO VERY SORRY IF YOU READ CHAPTER 34 BEFORE THIS CHAPTER! UGH! I MEAN TO SAVE IT AS A DRAFT, BUT MY IDIOT SELF PUBLISHED IT! SO VERY SORRY, PLEASE FORGET ABOUT THAT CHAPTER!!!

Chapter 33

Clint had never felt so free in his life. It was almost as if he could walk on air. Even the ongoing presence of the dull ache in his hand seemed to hurt a little less. He had no doubts at all about anything, and he wasn’t even worried about his brothers. A smile felt like the most natural thing to wear, and not the darkest cloud in the sky could have put a damper on his day.

His walk consisted of mainly praying, thanking God for allowing him to see the light. How had he lasted so many years without making a move to find out what God was really all about? For once in his life, he felt genuine. He felt that he could leave his heart wide open, knowing that it could get broken yet not really fearing that ending.

He was free. Finally free.

That thought brought a smile to his face.

He crossed his arms over his chest and a crinkling sound came from his pocket. He remembered the telegram.

There was one more thing that he had to face.

Pulling the envelope from his pocket, he took the slip of paper from it and took a deep breath before opening it.

Just as he had figured all along. The Carlisle Post didn’t have a Damian Jeremiah working for them.

He crumpled the paper in his fist.

Just when things were starting to look up.

He quickened his step to get back to the ranch. He was going to come clean about everything to Bliss.

He reached the porch and composed himself.

He needed to be calm and smooth about this. Opening the front door, he walked down the hall and appeared in the kitchen. Sherman had returned from checking on his herd and Colt was talking to the women, who were too busy cooking to notice his presence.

He spoke up to get their attention. “We need to talk.”

*****

Bliss looked up at Clint, holding a crumpled piece of yellow paper in his hand and his gaze shifting over the room.

“Where’s Damian?” he asked.

Grace shrugged beside her. “He went riding a few hours ago. Hasn’t been back yet.”

Clint nodded. “Mmm-hmm, I’m sure he’s riding.”
“What is it you wanted to talk about?” Daddy asked.

Clint walked over and pulled a chair out away from the table before sitting in it. Something about him was different, and Bliss could see it in his eyes. She didn’t know if it was the contents of that piece of paper, or something else that had made his whole demeanor change. Whatever it was, there was something in that man’s eyes that changed. It was almost as if they shone, even though he obviously carried some bad news around.

“Read this,” Clint laid the paper out in front of Daddy.

Bliss froze as her father read the paper, his expression growing cloudy.

“What is this?” he asked, his jaw clenched.

“Believe me, I wish it wasn’t true. I got a little suspicious of Damian so decided to do a little checking up on him. I sent a telegram to town with Hawk and this in the response I got,” Clint explained.

“He’s a family friend, Slade. I don’t know what you think he’s up to, but you’re wrong. You’re just wrong,” Daddy pushed up from the table.

Bliss saw the muscle in Clint’s jaw flinch. “Whether you believe me or not, I don’t really care. Just know that as soon as Damian comes riding up, I’m going to leave my prejudice at the door and question him.”

“Don’t you dare,” Daddy shot a glare at Clint.

“Would someone tell what’s going on?” Bliss spoke up.

Both men looked at her, then at the paper, then at each other. Daddy moved to snatch the paper, but Clint beat him to it. He held the paper out of Daddy’s reach and sighed.

“She has a right to know, Sherman,” he said.

Daddy shook his head. “That’s for me to decide.”

Colt walked up behind Clint and snatched the paper from his hand before promptly handing it over to Bliss.

Bliss eyed her father and read the paper, a telegram.

“This is from the Carlisle Post?” She looked up at Clint, who nodded in response.

“I don’t understand. Why would he lie to us?” she asked.

“Maybe because he’s covering something?” Clint offered.

“What are you suggesting?” Bliss asked.

“I… I can’t rightly say. Something about him wasn’t like the rest of the journalists that I’ve encountered. Most of them ask personal questions or something along those lines, but Damian asked the most normal questions. Questions that a journalist would normally know all of the answers to. Another thing was that he insisted on buying my drink when we went to the saloon in Plateau. That struck me as odd. Then all I had was one shot of whiskey - just one - and I was the most drunk that I’ve been in my life,” Clint explained.

“Drunk? You got drunk?” Daddy said hysterically.

“You think he put something your drink?” Bliss asked, ignoring her father.

Clint shrugged. “I don’t really know, I’m just putting that out there.”

“Hold up, you two. Colt? Did you know that he got drunk?” Daddy asked.

Colt grinned. “I think all of Plateau knew.”

Bliss chuckled. “He did sound pretty horrible.”

Clint narrowed his eyes at her. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, you have a lovely singing voice. You said yourself that you sound like a pretty canary bird,” Bliss grinned.

Clint turned blood red. “I refuse to believe that.”

A hint of a smile clung to his words. “Believe it, Mr. Slade.”

“What else have you three been hiding from me?” Daddy asked, accusations blazing in his eyes.

Clint and Bliss exchanged glances. Just then, the sound of an incoming rider interrupted their conversation.

Clint stood and took the telegram from her hand.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” he said.

Daddy didn’t even try to stop him, but seemed more intent on studying Bliss. His eyes penetrated her and she knew he was angry.

Clint left the room and Colt put his hat on his head. “I’ll go with him.”

With every other man gone form the room, it left just Grace, Bliss, and her father.

“Young lady, you better come clean about this. What all went on in town? Why are you keeping secrets from me?” Daddy asked.

Bliss’ temper flared. What was she keeping secrets from him? What a question to ask from someone who kept nothing but secrets from her. She didn’t owe him any kind of explanation.

When she didn’t answer, Daddy grew even more angry.

“Answer me, girl!” he yelled.

Grace set her rolling pin down on the counter with a loud smack.

“Don’t yell at her, Sherman. Of all the secrets you’ve been keeping from her, I don’t blame her for keeping a few from you.”

Sherman shoved a finger at Grace. “You stay out of this. She’s my daughter.”

“And you’re a poor excuse of a father,” Grace said calmly.

Bliss froze, anticipating her father’s anger even more.

Yet nothing happened. He simply grabbed his coat from the back of his chair and walked out of the back door, slamming it behind him.

“I didn’t want to tell him that, but someone had to. He never would have realized it himself,” Grace said.

Bliss swallowed. “What do you think he’ll do?”

“Nothing. He’ll come back and carry on as if nothing happened like he always does.”

*****

Clint walked up to Damian as he dismounted his horse. Colt stood on the front porch, leaned against the railing just in case Clint would need him for something.

“Damian? We’ve gotta have a talk,” he said.

Damian rolled his eyes. “What about?”

“I got a telegram today,” Clint pulled the telegram from his pocket. “From The Carlisle Post.”

Damian’s eyes widened. He shuffled his feet and looked down at the ground. “So? What does that have to do with me?”
“That’s where you work, isn’t it?” Clint asked.

Damian nodded. “Yeah.”

“Maybe you should read it,” Clint gave Damian the telegram.

Damian slowly took the piece of paper and unfolded it. He read the contents carefully and slowly, not saying a thing when he had finished.

“What are you doing?” Clint asked him.

Damian looked up at him. “That’s none of your business.”

“You’re with Joe, aren’t you? You’ve been out to get me the whole time. You’ve been trying to get some information, haven’t you? A map, was it?” Clint took the telegram and put it back in his pocket.

Damian narrowed his eyes. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You know that I do. I had a run-in with Joe. But then I guess you know all about that now, don’t you? Guess you know that I’m related to them, huh? Don’t you fret none, now. If it comes down to choosing between Miss Cooper’s protection and my brothers, I think we both know who I’ll choose. You better watch your step now, Damian. You’re walking on very, very thin ice. It ain’t up to me to run you off this property, but if it was, you’d be burning the breeze right now,” Clint turned and began to walk back to the house.

He stopped and turned back to Damian. “Oh, and don’t forget this. If you so much as touch a strand of hair on Miss Cooper’s head, you’ll be answering to me, and I won’t play nice.

Again, I'm so sorry that I messed up BIG time!!! Please let me know what you think of this chapter!