Eat another piece of that chocolate pie, Lucas,” I said with a laugh. “It’s only your third piece.”
He smiled at me and took a swig of milk and forked in another bite. Sitting there with his arm bandaged you would think that nothing had happened.
“Senor Miles, I did not cry when he cut me,” he said.
I reached over and jostled his head and messed up his hair. “You’re quite the little man.”
Looking up I saw Doc Jones enter the restaurant with Trenton. He had been out a couple of times now since Lucas had been hurt. He was a different man, but who wouldn’t be with an ear sliced off and missing an eye? But there was more. He seemed different, not as cocky, but, well, there was something that I couldn’t put my finger on.
“How’s my best patient today?” asked Doc of Lucas.
He reached down and felt his stomach. “Full, senor doctor.” That brought a laugh from everyone, except Trenton.
I got up and grabbed cups for the newcomers and filled them with hot coffee.
About that time Molly came to the table. “Lucas, want another piece of pie?” she asked. That brought another chuckle from the table.
Since the fire, we had moved back to the kitchen. Good thing we didn’t have much. We lost our bed, a table, lamp, and I had a rifle in the shack when it burned. It seemed that Dreg didn’t really want to kill Lucas or he would have either slit his throat or burned him in the shack. It was as Trenton said, they wanted to hurt me.
I knew that didn’t come from the men causing the problem, for they didn’t even know me. It had to be Wray and Ferguson. Since my little altercation with Wray after the killing and robbery he had disappeared. Most likely he was still in town; although he could have moved to one of the camps or even up to Silverton.
“Molly, excuse me, but I’ll take a piece of that pie,” said Doc.
“Sure. How about you Trenton?” He shook his head. She looked at me. “You don’t have to say anything,” she turned and went to the kitchen.
Trenton just sat there swirling his now cold coffee in his cup. I could see his jaw clinch from time to time.
“Lucas, why don’t you go help Molly?” He got up and went to the kitchen taking his plate and glass with him.
“Okay Trenton, out with it.”
“I’m going to kill this man who calls himself Dreg. Then I’ll find Wray.”
“That’s not the way…” I started but was interrupted.
“You say! You don’t know how I feel!”
“We may not be maimed in appearance, but both the Doc and I have had our share of sorrows, suffering, and scars.”
“It’s not the same!”
“Maybe not, but revenge is not the answer.” I had seen what happened to folks that went after revenge rather than justice. If not for God helping that person they would continue to go down deeper into despair and bitterness.
He looked at me, touched the place where his ear once had been and slammed down his cup.
“I had a present for you, but you acting that way I’ll just keep it for another time.”
“What is it?” he asked sarcastically. “An ear you can tie on? Or maybe Doc can stitch it on?”
As he got up he knocked over his chair and bumped into Molly, causing her to drop our pie.