First Visit

This is the first chapter of the novel, Shepherd's First Winter. It is available on Amazon; Kindle version or paperback.

Shepherd first set foot on his property in Alaska, early spring, when the ground had not yet thawed completely. He dug a well, cut timber, and cleared a space for his house. He slept in the bed of his truck cradling a rifle.

By mid-summer the cabin was complete; a kitchen and dining room to the left of the front door, to the right a living room, and a closed off bedroom to the rear. There was a loft above the kitchen and bedroom. A fireplace was built from rock gathered from a stream bed and sat in the center of the cabin.

During the entire building phase, Shepherd always had the feeling something or someone was watching. He speculated it may be an animal doing so out of curiosity and waiting for a moment of weakness. He discounted it may be human. His property was three miles from any beaten road and a pathway to his home was constructed only by him; no one else knew of its existence.

Shepherd was never more than 8 to 10 feet from his rifle and if the rifle was not with him he had Colt .45 revolver strapped to his side. For one of the very reasons he moved to Alaska he was now dreading; he did not want to worry or be in fear of others intruding.

This was all prompted by a number of break-ins to his apartment in New York City and a mugging just outside his apartment building by three teenagers two years earlier.

He had enough. He sold his interest in a business, cleared out his savings, and sold his stocks. He told a friend he’d “rather die at the mouth of a grizzly than the gunshot or blade of a thug.”

Shepherd strung barbed wire from tree to tree around the parameter of his cabin. He attached cowbells to sound a warning.

It was a busy summer he had little time to grow and store food. He drove his jeep through the thick bush of the pathway that led to a dirt road and eventually to Ruby.

He loaded with provisions and returned.

Shepherd drove the jeep to the edge of the property. He climbed from the jeep, unhooked the barbed wire, drove past, and hooked it again. Shepherd drove toward the cabin and slowed. A man sat on a stump. A rifle laid across his lap. He was a native.

Shepherd stopped about 50 feet from the man. He grabbed his rifle and swung his legs from the jeep and walked toward the man. The man rose to allow the rifle to fall alongside him as he held it by the butt.

He was a short, stout man with deep valleys etched in his face. His eyes were small and piercing.

“Can I help ya?” Shepherd said.

“I walked this way and needed a place to rest,” the man said. “I was tracking an elk.”

“My name is Shepherd,” Shepherd extended his hand.

The man grasped Shepherd’s hand. “My name is Daniel. You have a fine cabin.”

“Thank you,” Shepherd said.

“You plan on staying the winter?” Daniel said.

“This is my home,” Shepherd said.

“You from New York?” Daniel said.

“The accent?” Shepherd said.

“Yes,” Daniel said, “I went there when I was in the Army.”

“I had to get out of the city,” Shepherd said.

“Ha,” Daniel said, “Little extreme, wouldn’t the Catskills be just as good?”

Shepherd grinned. “It would have taken me two years and a bribe to get a building permit.”

“Yeah,” Daniel said. “Life is simple in that way, but here you got to track your meat. You got meat?”

“Canned,” Shepherd said.“I was too busy building to go hunting.”

“You will have the learn to live from the land,” Daniel said. “This can be a cruel place and unforgiving.”

“Thanks, Daniel,” Shepherd said, “I will remember those words.”

“When I was in New York City, someone said that to me also,” Daniel said.

“Daniel,” Shepherd said smiling. “There is no elk, is there?”

Daniel smiled. “Would you have believed I needed a cup of sugar?”

“Where do you live?” Shepherd said.

“Follow the stream that passes just down the slope to the river and go north,” Daniel said. “I have a house one mile from where the stream and the river meet.”

“Do you have a family?” Shepherd said.

“Wife, two boys, one girl,” Daniel said.

“You came a long way for no elk,” Shepherd said.“Have a meal with me.”

“Well, I am hungry,” Daniel said.

“When was the last time you had hot dogs and sauerkraut?” Shepherd said.

“Once,” Daniel said. “When in New York, a street vendor.”

“My mother has a special way of making it,” Shepherd said. “She adds bits of pork sausage in the kraut. I trapped a squirrel two days ago and made squirrel sausage.”

“How does it taste?” Daniel said.

Shepherd motioned with his head toward the cabin. “Let’s go find out.”

As they walked to the cabin Daniel remarked, “That is good, you have plenty of wood. If you starve, you will starve warm.”

Shepherd looked at him and squinted an eye.

“That is a joke,” Daniel said.

“If not for the possibility of being true it would not be funny,” Shepherd said.

“You will do fine,” Daniel said. “I will see you make it. A rotting body attracts bears.”

A Guest For Supper

Lucille stepped from her apartment for the first time in over a year. Groceries and necessities were always delivered. What led to her self-imposed isolation had little to do with COVID. That came along as a convenience.

Indeed nervousness and anxiety made her quiver inside, however, she was determined to reacquaint herself with old friends. She wanted to see the old neighborhood. The friends she acquired over the years and the young folks who kept her thinking young and challenged her wit, danced in her mind like a grand ball.

In fact, on this first day, she planned to do something she had not tried in quite some time; have a guest for supper.

Her first stop was no more than two doors away from her apartment building, Benson’s Grocery. 

She grabbed a small cart and started down one of the aisles of the small store. She placed several items in the cart. The feeling of actually shopping excited her; seeing, examining, and choosing. 

Closer to the far end of the store the white refrigerated meat counter stretchered the entire width of the store. She pushed towards it excited to see Mr. Benson. “I shall invite him and his wife,” she thought and smiled.

“Next please!” Benson said.

“Hello, Mr. Benson,” Lucille said. “If you had to pick something to eat tonight what would it be?”

“Look, lady,” Benson said, “I don’t have time for twenty questions. I got work to do. What is it ya want? I got chicken on sale.”

Lucille forced a smile. “Yes, I can see you are busy; I’ll take a rump roast.”

He wrapped it, weighed it, marked it, and handed it to her over the counter. 

“He’s a busy man,” she thought. She smiled to herself pushing the cart to the cashier.

“Margie, the cashier,” Lucille thought and smiled. “I’ll invite her.”

Lucille placed the items on the counter. Without looking up, Margie scanned and placed them in bags.

“Can you have these delivered, Margie?” Lucille said.

“Sure, Lucy,” Margie said. “where?”

“Lucille, Lucille Martin, two doors east, two ten.”

“Sure, we’ll have them there in thirty minutes,” Margie said.

“That will be forty-five twenty, Lucy,” Margie said looking out the front window.”

Lucille removed the billfold from her purse and said to herself, “She’s not even sure of my first name. She wouldn’t make a good supper guest. She’d be embarrassed to know my name is Lucille.”

Lucille paid and left. She strolled and stopped occasionally to window shop. “Wanda! At the dry cleaners,” she thought. “She’s such a delight over the phone. I should have brought some dry cleaning. Never mind, I’ll stop and invite her.”

Lucille walked into the dry cleaners. Behind the counter stood Wanda, the cheerful bundle of smiles and joy that brightened up the gloomiest of days.

“Hi, Wanda,” Lucille said.

“Hi, Lucille,” Wanda said not cracking a smile. “Where have you been, Peterson’s around the corner? He raised his prices; now ya comin’ back ta us. Ya know when he opened up they cut my hours.”

“I had no idea,” Lucille said. “I’ve been staying inside a lot lately.”

“You could have had us pick it up, ya know,” Wanda said.

“I just saw no use in sending out when I wasn’t using anything that needed to be dry cleaned.”

“For two years?” Wanda said.

Lucille forced a smile. “It’s been just a little over a year.”

“Seems like two,” Wanda scowled.

“Well,” Lucille said, “I just came by to say hi and cheer you up.”

“Thanks,” Wanda said and smiled with her mouth only. Her eyes could have melted steel. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, I’ll bring some dry cleaning soon,” Lucille said and left the store.”

“My,” Lucille said meandering along the sidewalk, “I don’t think Wanda is in the mood for supper, at least with me.” 

“Oh my goodness,” Lucille thought. Her chest felt free and relaxed. “My sweet sweet Melinda. We’ve been friends since grade school. I was her bride’s maid. She named her daughter after me. She and Robert for a meal; oh my, just like old times. She can catch me up on the ole gang. Those wonderful bridge nights. And the book club. Oh yes, the book club; hours of talk. We never wanted to leave. And Melinda was such a gifted reader. I think she could have been an actress. Robert’s, Robert’s Florist Shop. I loved going there; curious little gifts. My apartment is full of their little knickknacks and gifts; even when there was no need. I always found a place for them or they made such wonderful gifts. I can’t wait to hug her. And Robert, his warm smile and a full mustache, so manly and warm. They are such great fun.”

Lucille opened the door the Robert’s Florist Shop. The tiny little bell above the door tinkled. Familiar odors greeted like a warm fire on a chilly damp evening. 

Melinda sat behind the counter. She smiled and sprung to her feet. “Can I help you?”

“Melinda, it’s me, Lucille.”

Melinda reached for her glasses hanging from her neck. She squinted until they firmly rested on her nose.

“Can I help you?” Melinda said.

“It’s Lucille,” Lucille said. “I’ve come to visit.”

“Visit!” Melinda said. “You could have visited when Robert died.”

“Robert died!” Lucille said. “I didn’t know. I’m so sorry. But you see, I’ve been ill. It’s hard for me to explain but I’ve just been sick.”

“Sick, ha!” Melinda scoffed. “The least could have sent a card or made a phone call. Some friend. Are you in for the friend-to-friend discount we always gave you?”

Lucille’s eyes fell to the counter. To the side, a small hoya plant sat with wilted leaves. Strangely it immediately reminded Lucille of herself.

“How much for the hoya?” Lucille said. “No friend-to-friend discount. I think it will make a wonderful house plant.”

“Just take it and leave,” Melinda said.

“Thank you, my dear Melinda,” Lucille said. Her smile was not forced but as sincere as she felt in a long time. She clutched the plant and left through the door with the little tinkling bell.

Walking back to her apartment building she cradled it in her arm next to her chest. 

“You look only a little neglected. You will make a wonderful guest for supper this evening; just a little water and some conversation, that’s all you need, and you’ll spring back to life.”

The Big Gamble in Paradise; Episode 11

This is the tenth episode of the novel, The Big Gamble in Paradise. It has just been released. This is the second book in the Trace Troy Paradise Series. It can be purchased in the Kindle digital version or paperback. 

Episode 11

  Trace’s alarm rang at 4:00 AM. He dressed, walked out of his cabin, and climbed into the pilothouse. He switched on the instrument lights. Light rain sprinkled against the windshield. He prepared a pot of coffee from the small coffee maker in the pilothouse. He sat in the pilot’s chair and waited for the coffee to brew. A few minutes passed, and the coffeemaker sputtered, Trace poured a cup. He returned to the chair and sat in the darkness with only the instrument lights illuminating the pilothouse.

Since winning the boat this was the only time he felt a degree of calm. No thoughts rushed one against the other. He stopped to wonder what this all meant. He resigned himself to sailing without Sage. The trip to the South Seas was planned but the winning; it was more than luck. It seemed contrived and played out unwittingly by me. Was I meant to come here? Years ago this was where my father sailed. He said he came here for the adventure, to think, and to make enough money to put a down payment on a ranch. Grandpa had enough ranch for half of a dozen ranchers. It was all going to be his anyway. Dad told me I had to go to sea to find myself. He wanted to see and do something only others dared dream about. He never told me much about it, but only said I should do it.”

Thoughts continued. He finished the coffee and walked down the steps of the companionway. Makani dashed around in the galley. 

Trace knocked on Sean’s and  Chuck’s door. “Shoving off in thirty minutes. Shake a leg.” 

Trace passed by the galley. “Make sure there’s coffee.”

“It’s ready,” Makani said.

Trace climbed the stairs to the pilothouse. He flipped on a bow and stern light. He grabbed his cup and walked into the saloon. Sean and  Chuck staggered sleepily in after him.

“How’d you guys sleep?” Trace said as they drew coffee from the urn that sat on a counter between the galley and the saloon. 

They both said fine.

They sat at a table.

“Before we get some sea between us and land, how comfortable are you two with hauling copra,” Trace said. “If there’s any trepidation I want to know now before later. If you’re not good with it, I’ll let Allie before we shove off.”

“We’ve hauled it before,”  Chuck said. “We know how to handle it.”

“I know Allie,” Sean said. “She would not have given you the freight if she didn’t think you could handle it. She trusts you.”

Trace smirked. “She doesn’t know me. She trusts you.”

Sean smirked. “Spence was a drunken gamblin’ fool but he never missed a freight—but missed a lot of payments.”

 Chuck chuckled. “He couldn’t afford to. He owed everybody in every port.”

“If the truth be told,” Sean said, “it wouldn’t surprise me if he isn’t dancing right now in Djakarta or Papua. He got rid of the responsibility of his ship and his debt, all in one night. For certain, he’s not in Australia, he owes too many people back there.”

“Why did you guys stay with him so long?”

“He promised us if we’d stick with him he’d make us partners someday,” Sean said.

“He always had his eye on other boats to buy,”  Chuck said. “He’d buy another and another and make us all equal partners.”

“We believed him at first,” Sean said.

“And he truly believed himself too,”  Chuck added.

“He was a man full of promises with no promise,” Sean said. “Both me and  Chuck are suckers.”

“We liked the guy,”  Chuck said. “He was easy to work for. We didn’t always get paid on time but we got paid.”

“He came by before you found the boat,” Sean said. “He told us you gave him a thousand. He tried to give it to us.”

“We told him to take the money and get as far away from the South Seas as he could get,”  Chuck said. “We knew he was in big trouble; the biggest he’d ever been in.”

“He told us the guy he lost the boat to seemed like a good guy,” Sean said.

“But a greenhorn rookie,” Trace added.

“In so many words,” Sean said.

“It was a strange game,” Trace said. “I had the worst hand I had all night. I wasn’t afraid to lose it all on that hand. I would have only lost what I won. Nothing would have really been lost. To me, it was just a fun evening. Before the night started, I said to myself, this will be the first and last time I gamble. You know, get it out of your system, experience it once. I really think my goal was to win it and lose it all in one night. And you take Spence; that was probably his worst hand of the night and he put everything he had on the table. I guess he saw a greenhorn rookie he could bluff.”

“Maybe you did him a favor,”  Chuck said. “If he’d have won it that night he’d lose it the next.”

“Maybe it was his lucky night,” Sean said. “He lost and lost to a guy who saw to it he wasn’t broke.”

“Players got to know the table,”  Chuck said. “Maybe he knew the table pretty good.”

“What do you guys think of Makani’s coffee?” Trace said.

They raised their cups. “Good. Very good.”

“Let’s keep him happy,” Trace said. “I’ve been on ships where there’s always a guy they pick on.”

“Oh, that’s no problem. The three of us got together and decided it would be you,”  Chuck joked.

Trace smiled and stood. He grabbed his cup. “I’m about to start the engine. So you two toss the lines, and prepare to shove off.”