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Welcome, Readers. Today we have a guest who's a bit different than our usual visitors. Hamish Adams is the father of Avonleigh, our heroine in SHAD in the Guns for Hire series. Mr. Adams is an impressive man with the air of one used to being in control. He’s dressed in dungarees and plaid shirt. As he enters, he is removing his western hat—probably a Stetson.
CC: Come in, Mr. Adams,
and have a seat. I'm so glad you're here today so our readers can meet you.
HA: Thank you for inviting
me today, but don't know why you thought anyone would be interested in what I
had to say.
CC: Our readers will be
very interested. You've had such an exciting life. Why don't you tell us about
growing up?
HA: Well, I grew up in the
Scottish Highlands not far from Loch Loman. Sure is pretty country up there but
there just isn’t enough land available to the likes of me. You see, I had my
heart set on being a rancher. Sure was hard to leave my family, but they
understood and gave me their blessing. I'd heard about free land out West so
that's where I headed. Met a man in Texas who told me about this part of the
country in northern New Mexico Territory. I sure am glad. I never saw a place so pretty
and now I live here.
CC: You certainly have a
nice ranch, at least that's what I've heard. As I understand it, some of it is federal
grazing land but some of it is your own land. Is that right?
HA: Yes, ma'am that's
right. My wife and… um … maybe I should back up and mention I met my wife in
Boston. I fell in love with her immediately first time I saw her and she
latched on to me, too. We had a short
courtship, then came West. She was the love of my life. We set up this ranch
and I built a house—of course, it was small, but we were happy there. (Grows solemn
and looks wistfully at the wall for a moment, then shakes his head.) I don't
guess I'll ever get over losing her.
CC: That must have been hard, having a small child and
no wife and trying to get your ranch running. How did you manage?
HA: If it hadn't been for
the Montoya family, I don’t know what I would have done. Lupe and Marcia
Montoya saved me. Marcia took charge of the house and my darling girl. Lupe
continued to help me as my foreman and best friend. As their family grew, they
were like my family. Sure are fine people.
CC: When did your current
struggles start?
HA: When that low-down rascal
Larkin bought the spread to ours. We hadn't had any trouble from that side
until he arrived, then he wanted to buy my
ranch. I refused to sell. You can't tell me that isn't why I got shot in
the back.
CC: Oh no, that sounds
terrible! I'm so glad you survived.
HA: Only because Lupe
heard the shots and came to investigate. He found me lying on the grass and
took me home. I needed a doctor in the worst way, so Lupe and his two sons snuck
me out of the house … oh it’s complicated. They eventually got me to town and the
doctor.
CC: Goodness, that was
fortunate as well as complex. Since you're here today, it must mean that
everything all worked out.
HA: Harumph, not by a long
shot. My darling girl had a confrontation with that Larkin, who tried to hold
her hostage, but she got away. Fellow name of Shad found her and saved her life.
(He chuckles and his eyes sparkle with humor.) Not sure that young man realizes
she has set her cap for him, so he might as well just give up. Seems like a
real nice man, but I told him I'm gonna shoot him when I'm well. He didn't even
look worried. (He stands and gestures with his hat.) Ma’am, I'm afraid you'll
have to excuse me. I see a couple of Larkin’s riders out the window and I sure
don't want them to catch me here. Lupe’s waiting for me out back, so I’ll slip
out that way. Thank you for inviting me.
CC: Thank you for coming,
Mr. Adams. I wish you and your daughter the best of success in getting your ranch
back and getting rid of all those troubles. Well, readers, Mr. Adams has left
the room and is on his way somewhere else. I surely hope he's successful, don’t
you?
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