Welcome to Deep Cove

Jack shouldered his pack and continued down the rocky incline. Behind him, his horse picked its way along, slowly. Coming to the end of the spruce trail, he stared into the grassy valley below them. The sun was just setting and the golden dusk almost brought tears to his eyes. He looked across the valley to where a stone house stood, tall and proud amongst the prairie hills. A little stream gurgled past the building and separated the farmhouse from the old barn. Tugging on the reins, he started toward the farm.

He was still fifty yards from the house, when the wooden door opened and a hound dog bounded through the long grass to greet him. He bent to pet the dog – which looked like it might pee in its excitement to see him. His eyes never left the doorway, though, and the woman who stood there shielding her eyes from the dying sun. He heard her gasp, and then she ran to him. He had pictured this moment a thousand times during his incarceration, yet none of those imaginings could ever come close to this.

His wife leapt into his arms and kissed him deeply. He swung her around and around, and now the tears did come. They fell to the grass and he kissed her again, not wanting this moment to end. It did end, though, and she pushed herself up and stared at a second horse and another man, just now coming across the field. A little girl emerged from the house, making her way to her mother. Jack laughed and went to scoop his daughter into his arms.

“What you name?” she asked boldly.

“I’m your daddy, little one,” he said, smelling her hair.

His daughter giggled and pointed at the second man. “What you name?” she asked again.

Jack pulled his wife to him and hugged both his girls fiercely. Forcing himself to release them, he smiled as Rowgar halted and tipped his hat in their direction. “This here is the Chief,” said Jack. “He’s a hero. Stopped the war with Ponce,” he confided to his wife. “He’s also the man that saved me from Gibet.”

Rowgar shook his head and spat into the grass. “Don’t start with your nonsense,” he muttered pleasantly.

Jack laughed and motioned for the house. “Come on, old man, let’s get us a plate of food. Then we can discuss that little cabin you want to build.” Jack turned to his wife and kissed her on the cheek. “Chief and I have some funds coming to us – straight from the king, himself. Chief here wants to settle down and build a little cabin a ways up the creek. Maybe get himself another horse. I think we should buy the whole damn valley and raise a herd of horses. What do you think?”

Jack’s wife brushed her fingers over his cheek and stared into his eyes. “I think you should do whatever makes you happy,” she said. “You never know what tomorrow will bring.”

“Oh I know what tomorrow will bring,” laughed Jack, “tomorrow and the day after that. I’ll be here with my family, where I belong. That much, I can promise you!”

The End