The Unexpected Partner

Chapter 30

Claire was sleeping on the sofa when she felt a hand nudge her shoulder. Being half awake, she brushed it away and continued to sleep. But the hand kept nudging.

Her mind processed that it might be Shane that had come back so she quickly called out his name. "Shane?" When she opened her eyes, she saw that it wasn't Shane standing in the room. It was her father.

"Papa?" She exclaimed, leaping from the sofa.

"Who's Shane?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Claire ignored the blush that was about to creep on her face and smiled widely at her old, aged dad. "Papa, you can walk! And without falling!"

"Yes...yes, I can."

She looked at him and noticed that he was using a cane. It's a start, she thought to herself. "How did you get out of bed?"

"Well...," John looked at the sofa and took a seat on it. "I woke up for the first time in months without my bones aching and I simply got up."

Claire continued to smile from ear to ear. "That's the best news I have heard in a while."

"Yes." John concurred. He set his cane to the side and motioned for Claire to sit next to him. "So, you want to tell me who Shane is?"

Sitting up right, Claire laughed. "He's the man that works with the Sheriff." Of course, she lied. "He was helping us catch the four men who hurt you."

Suddenly, John's face lost all color. He was a very understanding person and he tried to instill that in his daughter as well but there were some things he just could not understand. One of them being why those men decided to pick him.

"Claireen," he started and really got Claire's attention by using her full name. "I got into a poker game with the wrong men, I didn't think they would hurt me or you for some money."

This was the first time Claire and her father were actually talking about it. They had talked about it before, but the wound was still fresh to really get into the details. Now was the perfect time to find out what happened. His father continued, "I always played poker with the other mine workers at the saloons in Cheyenne. They have a bigger one there and more men come. One day, these four men came to our table and in my foolishness, I drank a lot and bet more than I was willing to pay."

"It's not your fault! Those men are ruthless thieves that said you owed them a lot more than what you actually did."

John shook his head. "I can't believe they would do such a thing. But I am so glad that Liliann was able to hire you for a while to help us make us some money. I need to thank her next time I go to the general store."

Claire did not make any eye contact with him. Her dad was still under the impression that she had worked as a dress maker with Liliann, and she still didn't want to tell him that she had worked as a man in A's Saloon. "Oh no father, she was very understanding. I didn't tell her you were unwell, I just told her I needed the money."

"Well...that was very kind of her. How's her brother doing by the way?"

Grateful that the topic was changed, Claire replied, "Oh Grant? He's the same as always: angry yet the best general store owner I've ever seen."

John laughed, imagining the way his old friend had been ever since he had known him. "That's Grant for you."

They laughed together until John started talking more again. "Tell me more about the man who tried to help you. Has he tried to ask for your hand in marriage?"

"Father!" Claire exclaimed, not being able to control the blood from rushing to her cheeks.

"What?" He defended himself. "You would not call out his name when you're sleeping if you weren't thinking about him."