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T wenty

“You know, it’s the strangest thing that you’ve come in here searching.” The lanky older man sat behind a solid-oak desk in the land office in Cornerstone, California. He had on a threadbare black suit and wore gold, wire-rimmed glasses. His bushy mustache was as gray as his perfectly trimmed hair.

“Why is it strange?” Brody and Ellie, along with Mayhew, had come to this land office first in their search. Knowing where Grandpa’s cave was, they decided if Grandpa MacKenzie’s property was near the cave, or the area west on the map, then Cornerstone would be the nearest town.

“I had a couple of men in here not long ago, one of ’em dressed all fancy. Like you, sir.” He tipped his bald head at Mayhew.

Mayhew looked down at his clothes. Brody glanced at him, then looked back at the land agent.

“When was this?” Brody asked.

The man shrugged and seemed to look back into the past. “This month, I reckon. Like I said, not long ago.”

That was around the time Loyal Kelton and his partner Sonny Dykes, two men now in prison, had attacked and shot Brody. And Loyal had indeed been dressed fancy.

“Do you remember what they were looking for?” Brody very carefully didn’t look at Ellie or Mayhew, trying to act calm. “We may know these men. If they found what we’re looking for, we can maybe go talk to them about it.”

“They didn’t tell me nuthin’, but I didn’t like the way they acted, and we don’t get many folks buying land out here. So I remember ’em. And I didn’t trust the one in the fancy suit. I do think they found what they were lookin’ for. It was in one of them far drawers, toward the bottom.”

Brody glanced at the chest of drawers and sighed as he thought of all the work it’d take to rifle through them.

“What order are they in?” Ellie asked, the very picture of good manners and pretty, fluttery eyes.

Good luck to her.

“First claimed is first filed,” the man answered.

“Not alphabetical?” Mayhew the orderly banker sounded affronted.

“Nope.”

“Are they all land purchases?” Brody asked. Maybe they could cut the job down if claims and purchases were separated. Of course, they didn’t know if Grandpa’s land was a mining claim or a land purchase. Homesteading had come much later.

He shook his head. “Mining claims and land purchases are mixed together. First claimed, first filed,” he repeated.

“We don’t know the year your grandpa filed.” Ellie shrugged. “But it was thirty years ago or more. Let’s start with the bottom drawer and work our way up.”

Mayhew, very wise and polite for an old curmudgeon, said, “Thank you, sir.”

The three of them moved to the chest of drawers, pulled out the bottom one, and dug in.

* * * *

“Are you certain you don’t remember me? You were almost five when you ... uh, left.” Maddie seemed utterly shocked that Tilda hadn’t remembered her.

“I’m sorry, I really am. But I think Ben kept memories of me alive for you. There was no one to do that for me, but somehow having a twin sister feels...” Tilda shrugged. “Well, it feels right to me. I’m glad you’re here, Maddie.”

Once again, Maddie burst into tears.

Josh looked at Tilda and shook his head.

“So, Mr. Cabril,” Tilda began, shifting her attention to the other interloper at the supper table.

“Please, can’t you call me ‘Father’?”

The table wasn’t full tonight. Michelle never returned.

Rick, Gretel’s husband, had come to the back door and whispered something to Zane, then left.

And the MacKenzie boys, who’d been eating their meals here in the house, hadn’t come in after their arrival.

Tilda knew good and well that everyone was back and that they were all looking at those artifacts.

After the meal was served, Gretel left.

It was Josh, Zane, Tilda, and the family she didn’t even know she’d had.

Zane hadn’t told anyone what Rick had said.

Tilda thought that was wise, but Michelle not coming back told its own story.

She was studying what they’d found. Even Annie and Caroline weren’t here, and neither was Cord.

They were having all the fun. Tilda would prefer to spend her time looking at old armor, too.

Besides that, she was almost rabid with curiosity about what Cord’s map might lead to and how soon they could go treasure hunting again.

“Mr. Cabril,” Tilda said more firmly. “With my identical twin sitting here, claiming you as her father, I feel almost certain that you are in fact my father, too. But I’m finding it difficult to think of you as such. No, I can’t call you Father. Not yet. Maybe never.”

Her father’s shoulders slumped, but he didn’t protest.

“It’s been a long day for us, Carl.” Josh wasn’t calling him Father either. “And it’s getting late. We have a couple of hired hands who’ll ride with you into town. We can send them in tomorrow to escort you back to the ranch if you wish.”

“I’m not done talking to Tilda yet.” Carl’s hands fisted on the table.

The meal was long done. They’d even cleaned up the kitchen while Carl talked and Maddie sat, with neither of them offering to so much as wipe off the table.

“We’ve been talking for about three hours now.

..” Tilda tried to force the word Father past her lips and just couldn’t do it.

She was angry about the way she’d been “lost” and wasn’t able to get over it.

She thought of her childish longing for a family and how her adoptive parents, the Muirheads, had worked her so hard and treated her so coldly.

She had dreamed of a family finding her and taking her home.

Now it was too late for those childish dreams. But it didn’t mean, if she could ever trust them, she couldn’t come to care about them. Eventually.

“It’s late. You don’t want to be riding after dark, and I’m ready to .

.. to...” Tilda hesitated, thinking of going to bed for the night with Josh.

“You need to head out now. And I’m a teacher here.

I have work tomorrow. If you come back about three o’clock in the afternoon, we can talk again for a few hours.

It’s been interesting, even fascinating to spend this time with you, but for now, please go on to town. ”

She could’ve tacked on Father at the end of her statement, but instead she gave her head a mental shake, wondering if she’d ever be able to jar that word loose.

“Are the boys sleeping upstairs tonight, Zane?” Josh asked as he rose from the table.

“Yep. They’re staying with us until Brody gets back.”

“Do you mind seeing our guests out? Tilda and I are exhausted, and she’s still a little battered from jumping off a train.”

Father flinched. Maddie looked stricken.

Tilda took her own turn, giving Josh a dry look.

He took her hand. “We’ll take the housekeeper’s apartment. We might move in there permanently. I wonder if we should have Jilly build us our own house.”

Zane said, “Jilly likes to build. She may get the idea herself, and we might not be able to stop her.”

Josh tugged on Tilda’s hand, and they headed for the back rooms.

Tilda stopped and looked back. Her father and sister both appeared dismayed as they watched her go. She said, “I’ll see both of you tomorrow at three.”

They left the kitchen to the sound of scraping chairs and Zane saying, “This way out, folks.”

They reached the housekeeper’s apartment. Once inside, Josh closed and locked the door. “Well, that was mighty strange,” he said.

Tilda turned to look at him. “I suppose that sums it up nicely. A twin sister. Yep, strange for sure.”

“It sounds like he’s a rich man. I wonder if you should be nicer to him. Maybe he’d divide his vast wealth with you.”

She swatted him on the chest. “Hush now. I don’t want his money.” Then she caught the front of his shirt in a tight grip. “I don’t mind getting to know them, but you’d better keep your promise and not let him take me.”

Josh leaned down and kissed her right smack on the lips.

He straightened and smiled. “I wouldn’t let him take you for a Spanish ship full of doubloons, Mrs. Hart.

You’re my wife, and you’re not going anywhere.

You can say I’m doing it for you and how I’m a hero and such, but the truth is, I want to keep you so badly, you’re never gonna escape me. ”

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him back. “That sounds just fine. Thank you.”

“You know, Wife, we’ve been married for some time now, and we haven’t yet acted like married folks.”

“We’ve slept in each other’s arms every night since the wedding. That’s a very married way to act. Or so I’m told.” Tilda gave him a little grin.

“The first night, you were so battered I was afraid to touch you.”

“Fair enough. And I hurt too much to let you touch me.”

“Then we went on a treasure hunt and slept on the ground, with two mostly grown boys and Cord sleeping across the campfire from us.”

“And yet we shared a bed. Again, very married.”

Josh pulled her into his arms. “How are you feeling now?”

“Much improved, thank you. But, Josh, don’t you think we should talk for a while about what we’re going to do about my father and sister ... my brother, too?”

“I don’t want to talk anymore tonight about my brand-new in-laws.”

“Then what are we going to talk about?”

“How about we do a lot less talking.” He kissed her and guided her toward the bedroom. “And a lot more being married.”

She came along willingly.