“He was an unconventional man. We'll mourn him and remember him in the way that's most fitting, agreed?”
“Agreed.”
They lapsed into silence.
All the long way into town a warm sun shone on their shoulders and heads while the cold nibbled their fingers and noses. At last, the town came into view. A small collection of flat-fronted, two-story buildings painted garish colors fronted a large body of water. A few pioneer homes dotted the landscape nearby.
Addie directed Jesse down the path to the one cobblestone street, turning left and following the shore along its edge to a tall, slender wooden structure painted gleaming white with brown trim, tucked into the shadow of a great Ponderosa pine. A wooden cross over the entryway identified the building.
Without waiting for Mercury to stop, Ad
