Member-only story
Lightin’ Jake walked into the saloon
Like everyone, he had dust on his boots
The dust accumulated by life
Days of herding cattle
Days of farming before Melody died
Days of fending off challengers with pistols
Days of regret
Days of redemption
Days of acceptance
All behind him
All dust of the past
Blowing farther away each day
What little hair still left had gone gray decades before
Constant ache was his only companion
One last whiskey before heading out
Town ain’t no place to die
Jake preferred wide open spaces
Land both beautiful and cruel
That is where the end of the trail would be
Maybe today
Maybe a month
But soon
Jake knew it in his bones
