Reclaimed Love: Banished Saga, Book Two Read Online Free Page A

Gabriel muttered.
    “Oh, God, I don’t want to go back down again,” Matthew murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes in despair.
    “Then don’t,” Gabriel said.
    “This is what I do, Gabe,” Matthew said. “Or what I want to be. A hard-rock miner. I—”
    “Hey, Matthew, great job today,” Ronan said as he slapped Matthew on the shoulder and raised his pint to him. “Thought we might lose you as the cage started down, but you did well enough.”
    “It was fine,” Matthew said with false bravado.
    “I hope Liam treated you well,” Ronan said.
    Matthew snorted. “He’s a surly bastard, and I can’t imagine why you’d think he’d be a good partner for me.”
    “Well, I don’t know what else you’d expect. He just buried his best friend last week, and, instead of getting a seasoned miner, he’s saddled with you. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll earn his respect soon enough,” Ronan said. “You’re lucky to be working with him. He has a lot of experience and will teach you what you need to know. Keep your mouth shut and listen, mind.”
    Matthew nodded.
    “How are things for you, Ronan?” Gabriel asked.
    “Fine enough. I’m working on a good drift, so that helps the day go by.”
    “A drift?”
    “It’s like a side channel from the mine shaft, goes off to one side. You carve them out, looking for the vein,” Ronan explained.
    “Don’t you worry about rocks falling on your heads?”
    “A duggan,” Matthew murmured.
    “A what?” Gabriel asked with a shake of his head.
    “Makes you wish you were one of us so you knew what we were talking about, doesn’t it?” Ronan said with a laugh. “A duggan’s what we call a piece of rock that falls on you, and then we have to call Duggan, the undertaker. Only bad things come from falling rock.”
    Gabriel shook his head again at the morbid humor.
    “Where is this Liam?” Gabriel asked.
    “He’s off with his wife and son. He likes to spend as much of his free time with his family as he can, though he does come to the pub for a pint once in a while,” Ronan said.
    Gabriel glanced at Matthew, who continued to look into his drink, as though searching for comfort, and then at Ronan with exasperation. Gabriel cocked his head toward Ronan and pointed his chin toward Matthew.
    “He’ll be fine,” Ronan murmured. “Happens to all of us the first few times down. And I heard what happened to Tim. Bound to shake anyone up.” Ronan cleared his throat, speaking loudly. “How are you, Gabe?”
    “Well enough. I have a lead on steady work that I’ll be looking into tomorrow.”
    “Good for you,” Ronan said. “Think of us while you enjoy the daylight every day,” he murmured with another lift of his pint. Gabriel raised his in salute, wishing his friends could find another way to earn a living.
    “Any word from your lady, Gabe?” Matthew asked, emerging from his stupor.
    “No, nothing.”
    “Well, I am sure a letter will arrive any day now. We’ve only been here a little over a week. Can’t imagine letters traveling so fast,” Matthew said.
    “I’d keep writing her, Gabe,” Ronan said. “She’s one beautiful-looking woman from that photo in your room. One of us should have a chance with a woman such as her.” He winked at Matthew.
    “Her beauty is the least amazing aspect of her. She is intelligent, kind…” He broke off as Ronan and Matthew rolled their eyes and waved their arms about as though conducting music. “If you, when you, meet her, you’ll understand,” he said laughing at their antics. He gave Matthew a nudge in his shoulder, enjoying Matthew’s return to good humor.
    “What do you think of Butte, Gabriel?” Ronan asked as he looked around the bar full of miners, tapping his fingers absentmindedly to the fiddle player’s music.
    “I still think it is the ugliest place I have ever seen. How can people survive in a city with no trees?” Gabriel asked as Ronan shrugged. “And yet, as I