A Wanderer’s Redemption (Silver Lining #2)

Chapter 1

REGGIE

“Damnit, Travis! Don’t you just get sick of the constant wheeling and dealing and nonstop squabbles?”

Travis looks down his nose at me with his normal frown. “Cousin, ever since you returned from Grant’s, you’ve had a stick up your ass.” He motions for the steward to bring another round of drinks.

“This place is driving me crazy; same conversations, same faces, and same routines day in and out. I have started to dread each new dawn because of the day’s constant repetition.”

“That’s business, Reg, you know this. These faces are the ones that secure our future and our families.”

“Yeah, but is this all you want, Travis? A house on a corner, with the kids screaming and yelling while the little woman of the house has the vapors?”

“Reggie, that was the plan I thought we all had until Grant took off. I still cannot figure out what made him stay out there. There is not a single convenience in that part of the country. Nothing but back-breaking work from sunup to sundown, whereas here at least we can breathe a little. Cousin, this life may not be perfect, but we have been blessed with lavish homes and the means to hire others to handle the day-to-day tasks for us. As men of business, we have freedoms and luxuries that many wish they could obtain. The fact that Grant wants to sell all that he has and leave here so that he can put himself in an early grave baffles me.”

“I can tell you one thing, Grant has that we don’t, Travis, and it’s the simple fact that he can breathe.

Depending on which block you’re on, this entire town smells like shit and sickness.

The harbor always reeks of dead fish, rotting cargo, and unwashed bodies.

The females that are being forced upon us at every turn bathe in so much perfume that it takes your breath away.

If you want to know what everyone is cooking, simply walk up an alley and take a sniff.

I constantly feel trapped in a bubble that overwhelms my senses most of the time! ”

“Reggie, are you trying to tell me … it is really that much better in Utah?”

“Yes and no. I mean, compared to here, yeah, you’re right, it is mostly primitive, but the air was fresh, and the silence was unlike anything I had ever experienced.

Not to mention the beauty of the entire area with its snow-topped mountains and bubbling, clear streams. People spoke when they passed you on the road or even a narrow trail, and neighbors helped neighbors.

It was as if I’d left one world and stepped into another.

But I think it was Grant who opened my eyes the most.

Here, in this smoke-filled, dark room full of important peers and the connections everyone wants, Grant was uptight, sharp-tongued, and led with his fists.

Out there he was lighter somehow, even though the workload was much heavier.

He smiled, you know the type of genuine smile you can see light up someone’s eyes.

Then there’s Lauren, the complete opposite of any woman I would’ve picked for him, or ever saw him with, but they were truly happy together.

As I was heading back home, I wondered if he would have ever found that same happiness here.

If Eliza had never run off, would he be sitting here at this table with us, feeling as trapped as I do? ”

Reg, you need to rid yourself of that wandering spirit. You need to come to terms with the life you were blessed with here. Our uncles and fathers did not build up this empire for all of us to go traipsing out West without a care in the world simply because the air is cleaner.”

Before I can say another word, the ma?tre d’ walks up with a small note in hand. “Mr. Kerns, a message was sent for you.”

“Thank you, Thomas. Is a courier waiting?”

“No sir, would you like me to arrange for one?”

I glance down at the note realizing it’s from Mother and then tuck it in my pocket.

“No, thank you, Thomas, but if you would call for my carriage, I would appreciate it.” Downing the last of my drink, I stand up, gathering my things.

I can feel Travis’ eyes on me as he sips his whiskey.

“Family calls, and then I have a meeting with the solicitor at Grant’s place.

I still have not figured out what I am going to do with all his employees. ”

“I believe Grant downsized before leaving because he had no idea how long he would be out there looking for Eliza, so the remaining staff should be small and not a big issue. Give them a few months’ wages and a referral and send them on their way.”

I nod my head before picking up my hat and gloves that I had left on the seat next to me.

For some reason, the sight of the bowler hat, instead of the cowboy hat I wore while traveling, makes me hesitate to put it on.

Once it settles on my long hair, which I refuse to cut just to annoy my mother, I feel like an impostor.

Torn, I keep my head down as I leave the building, even when I hear a few people calling out my name.

As my carriage pulls up, I stand there waiting until the footman puts the steps down, then opens the door.

Settling in the seat, I open the curtain, looking out and watching as people stroll down the paved streets, going about their day.

Most of the women are well dressed, as are the men.

It’s easy to see their wealth openly moving from one end of town to the other as they flaunt their newest dresses and suits.

Then I see the servants who maintain that look for them struggle to get from one place to another behind the scenes.

My mind drifts off to another town, one much simpler than this, its streets more mud than anything, where everyone knows you.

Before I realize it, the carriage is pulling up to the house, and Clifford is opening the door, waiting for me on the front steps.

Exiting the carriage, I walk up the flowered-lined pathway, my thoughts scattered when I hand Clifford my hat and gloves.

Just as he is turning away, I stop him. “Clifford, how long have you been with us?”

“Ten years or better, Mr. Kerns.”

“Do you have a family, a wife waiting for you back home?”

“No sir, my schedule here does not allow for the free time I would need to pursue a wife.”

“I see. Thank you Clifford and excuse me for being so forward in my questioning.”

“Not at all Mr. Kerns, I am here to serve.”

Several maids are working in the hallway as I approach the study, where I know my father is working, and my mother is more than likely reading one of her dime-store novels.

Opening the door, the smell of my father’s pipe and fresh flowers assault my senses.

Mother is instantly on her feet, a huge smile on her still-beautiful face.

Her hair has lightened over the years, and she now has laugh lines around her cheeks, but for her age, she is still a head-turner.

Father, whom I take the most after, has gray in his hair as well as his beard and mustache, but his body and eyes are still sharp, and I swear he sees everything.

Their love for each other is what I know I have always unconsciously wanted for myself, but no one has captured my senses the way that my mother has father.

Father motions to the chair across from his desk.

“Son, thank you for coming so promptly. Please have a seat, we have much to discuss.