Snowed In(manxman)

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

“Where did your family live back east?” Turner asked as he and Will trudged through the snow. He’d made sure that Will was plenty bundled up and while the man had complained of too many layers, Turner knew it needed to be done to keep him warm.

“Virginia,” Will replied. “Looking back now I know we were wealthy but my parents never spoke of that or lived extravagantly. We had a simple house and most of the money my father made as a lawyer went to helping families who didn’t have as much as we did.”

Turner nodded at the long explanation. While he wasn’t much of a talker, he knew that Will was and so he figured he’d do his best to give the man the conversation he needed--and it wasn’t like Turner didn’t like to hear Will talk. He happened to like Will’s voice.

Beaux dashed past them, barking and biting at the snow and Will laughed, “He seems to be enjoying himself. I’ve never seen anybody like snow quite that much.”

“He’s a few bushels short of a load,” Turner acknowledged when Beaux tripped and went flipping headfirst into a drift.

Will gave Turner an odd look before looking up at the sky. Turner sighed as he unburied his final trap and baited it. Will had been giving him those odd looks all day. It was obvious he didn’t completely trust Turner nor understand the change in him. Hell, Turner didn’t blame him. It would take time and while Turner was not well known for his patience, he would force himself to wait and keep working for as long as it took.

Turner straightened up and rubbed at his back, “Colorado is a long way from Virginia. What made you move out west?”

“I wanted to see new things and new places,” Will replied, shouldering the sack that held the one mink that Turner had managed to catch. “I told you before I like to live and be happy.”

“What about your family?” Turner wanted to know more. He wanted to know everything.

A smile lit up Will’s face and stole Turner’s breath, “If they were still alive I probably never would have left home. They were amazing people.”

Turner glanced back at Will, “I’m sorry you lost them.”

Will shrugged as he followed along, walking in Turner’s footsteps through the deep snow, “That’s what happens to parents. My father passed away about five years ago and my mother a year after that. I only had one sister that lived past childhood and she’s eight years my senior. We never had much in common and I haven’t seen her in ten years.”

“Sorry,” Turner mumbled, unsure what else to say.

Surprisingly Will smiled, “Don’t be. She’s happily married with a good husband and four healthy children. We’ve sent a few letters to one another.”

Turner wanted to know about the saloon and the brothel in Caudilltown. He wanted to know how Thompson had gotten Will to work for him in that brothel when it was clear that Will hadn’t wanted to. But he couldn’t just come out and ask that. Turner had to figure out a way to learn those things without seeming judgmental or confrontational because both things had caused Will to shut down in the past.

“What brought you to Caudilltown?” he asked.

Instantly Will’s face darkened and Turner regretted the question, “I wanted adventure,” Will snorted, “I got adventure alright.”

“I saw you at the saloon a few times,” Turner admitted. “I noticed you real fast.”

Turner glanced back at Will again and saw the look of confusion on his face, “I don’t remember you.”