{"product_id":"reillys-luckisbn-9780307914842","title":"Reilly's Luck","description":"Val Darrant was just four years old the snowy night his mother abandoned him. But instead of meeting a lonely death, he met Will Reilly—a gentleman, a gambler, and a worldly, self-taught scholar. For ten years they each were all the family the other had, traveling from dusty American boomtowns to the glittering cities of Belle Époque Europe—until the day Reilly’s luck ran out in a roar of gunfire. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But it wasn’t a gambling brawl or a pack of thieves that sealed Will’s fate. It was a far more complex story that Val would soon uncover—one that would bring him face-to-face with the one person he least wants to see: his mother. With the help of a beautiful, street-smart rancher and the woman who was Will Reilly’s lost love, Val must close this last cruel chapter of his past before he can turn the page on an uncertain future.\u003cb\u003eLouis L’Amour\u003c\/b\u003e is the only novelist in history to receive both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. He has published ninety novels; twenty-seven short-story collections; two works of nonfiction; a memoir, \u003ci\u003eEducation of a Wandering Man\u003c\/i\u003e; and a volume of poetry, \u003ci\u003eSmoke from This Altar\u003c\/i\u003e. There are more than 300 million copies of his books in print.\u003ci\u003eChapter One\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    It was dark and cold, the only light coming from the crack under the ill-fitting door. The boy huddled in the bed, shivered against the   cold, listening to the low mutter of voices from the adjoining room.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Outside everything was buried in snow. The window was thick with   frost, shutting out what light there might have been. Once he heard   boots crunch on the snow as a man walked back from the street.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Suddenly Ma's voice lifted, strident and impatient. \"I've got no time   for the kid! Now you get rid of him! Let one of those farmers have   him. They all seem to want kids. Lord knows they have enough of them.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Then Van's voice, quiet, even-tempered as always. \"Myra, you can't do   that! He's your son. Your own flesh and blood.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Don't be a fool! There's no place in my life for a kid.\" After a   moment of silence, she added, \"What kind of a life could I give him?   Batting around from cow town to mining camp? Get rid of him, Van.\"   Her voice rose sharply. \"You get rid of him, or I'll get rid of you.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Is that all it means, then? I knew you were a hard woman, Myra, but   I thought I meant more to you than that.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"You're a fool, Van. Without me, you'd be cadging for drinks around   the saloons. You take him out of here right now, and get rid of him.   I don't care how you do it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The boy tried to huddle into a tighter ball, tried to shut his ears   against the voices, to close out the growing terror.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"All right, Myra. I'll see to it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    There was a mutter of voices again, and then he heard Ma go out,   listened to her retreating steps as she walked along the path toward   the street. For a few moments there was silence, then the faint clink   of glass in the next room; the door opened, letting a rectangle of   light fall upon the bare plank floor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Val? Are you awake? We've got to get you dressed.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"All right.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Anything was better than the cold bed, but he dreaded going out into   the night, and dreaded more whatever was to come. He liked Van, and   he trusted him. Sometimes when they talked Van referred to themselves   as the two V's.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Van was slim and tall, with a sort of faded elegance; there was a   puffiness around the cheeks, and an ever-present smell of whiskey;   but his easy good manners never failed him, and Val admired him for   that, and for the stories of his boyhood that he often told Val when   Ma was not around. She detested hearing Van talk about anything that   had happened before they met, and would not tolerate any mention of   his family or the schools he had gone to. His family had been   wealthy, and the schools had been good schools.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Van struck a match and lighted the lamp. In the light, the bare room   looked even more bleak and empty, even emptier than the rooms on the   farm where he had stayed until a few weeks ago.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    It had been cold there, too, although there was usually a fire in the   fireplace, and the farmer and his wife had been kind. Then the   farmer's wife had become ill and nobody had any time for Val.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    When he was dressed, Van took him into the other room. The boy rubbed   his eyes against the stronger light, and then the outer door opened   again and Myra came in. She did not look at him or speak to him. All   she said was, \"Get him out of here.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Van shrugged into his buffalo coat, and then he picked up Val and   carried him to the door.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    There Van hesitated. \"He's only four years old, Myra. Can't you-?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Get out!\" her voice was shrill. \"And close the door after you!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Myra, I'll say he's mine. Nobody will know-\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Get out.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    It was icy cold in the barn. Van saddled his horse, lifted the boy to   the saddle, and mounted behind him. He hesitated again, holding the   boy to him and waiting while Val wondered when he would start. At   last he touched his heels to the horse and they moved out of the   barn. Van turned the horse to reach over and push the door shut, then   they moved away toward open country.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Wondering, Val snuggled down inside Van's buffalo coat. Why were they   going that way? There was nothing out there but open plains, but he   trusted Van, and in the warmth against him he closed his eyes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    They had been riding for several minutes when suddenly Van swore, and   wrenching the horse's head around, he turned back upon their trail.   Snow was already covering their tracks, and it was bitterly cold.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Are we going back, Van?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"No, Val, we can't go back. At least you can't. We're going visiting.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    When the lights of the town could again be seen, Van said, \"Do you   remember Will Reilly! I think you'll be staying with him tonight.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Val did remember him, a tall, wide-shouldered young man, not much   older than Van, but somehow stronger, more forceful. He was a man who   rarely smiled, but when he did his whole face seemed to light up. Val   not only remembered him, he liked him. Maybe more than anybody, but   he could not have said why that was so.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    By the time they reached the hotel Val was chilled to the bone. Not   even the heavy buffalo coat could keep out the bitter cold. Van tied   the horse to the hitch rail, and carried Val inside to the stairs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The clerk looked up. \"Mister, you'd better not leave that horse out   there. It's forty below.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"I'll only be a minute.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    They went up the stairs and down the carpeted hall. Van stopped and   rapped at the door. When the door opened a wonderful warmth came out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Will, I've got to ask a favor.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Will Reilly stepped back and let them come in, closing the door   behind them. The chimney from the huge fireplace in the lobby came   right through this room, accounting for the heat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Reilly was in shirtsleeves and vest, and a gold watch chain draped   from pocket to pocket of the vest. \"What is it, Van? You know I'm   expected downstairs. Couldn't this wait?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"It's the kid, Will. Myra told me to get rid of him. He's cost her   plenty in the past few days, and she told me to get rid of him or not   come back.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"All right, take my advice and don't go back. If you need a stake   I'll give you the stage fare to Denver and enough to make a start.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"At what? Thanks, Will, but no . . . no.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Well? What do you want me to do?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Keep the boy until morning, will you? I couldn't think of any other   place to take him, and the boy likes you.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"What do you think I am, a nurse? All right, put him down on the bed,   but you be almighty sure you come back to get him in the morning, d'   you hear?\" Then more quietly he added, \"She's a fool. That's a mighty   fine boy there.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Van put Val down on the bed and helped him undress; then he covered   him up. The warmth of the room after the cold Montana night made him   very sleepy. It seemed as if he had been cold as long as he could   remember.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    There was a moment or two of subdued talking, then the door closed   and Val heard the sound of footsteps going away.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Val opened his eyes and peeked at Will Reilly as the gambler combed   his black hair, and buckled on his gun belt and holster. He caught   Will's eyes in the mirror and quickly closed his own.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"All right, Val. Quit faking. I know you're awake.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Val opened his eyes and Will grinned at him in the mirror. Then Will   came over to him and gently ruffled his hair. \"You go to sleep, boy.   You'll be all right here.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Reilly picked up a small holster with a derringer in it and buttoned   it at a special place inside his belt. \"A bit of insurance, Val, boy.   We live in a harsh world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Always give yourself an edge, boy. You may never need it, but it   saves a lot of worry. Learn to depend on yourself, and if you expect   nothing from anybody else you will never be disappointed.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    He sat down on the bed beside Val. \"Remember this, son. You are all   you have. Learn . . . learn everything you can, then you will always   know a little more than they think you know. Most people in this   world are out to take you. It isn't always their fault, but it is the   way they live. If you know that, and make allowances for it, you   won't go far wrong.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    He got up and reached for his coat. \"I am a gambler, Val, and I'll be   gone most of the night. If you want a drink there's water in the   pitcher and a glass beside it. But you can rest easy-nobody will   bother you here.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    After Will left the room, Val lay awake only a few minutes, studying   the flowered wallpaper. A dresser with an oval mirror stood against   one wall, and there was a huge old wardrobe filled with clothes . . .   Val had never seen so many. Will Reilly had more clothes than Ma.   Several pairs of polished boots and shoes were on the floor of the   wardrobe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    There was a Winchester standing in the corner, a rifle that had seen   much use, by the look of it, but a rifle that had been cleaned and   cared for. There was a big black trunk against another wall.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    It was broad daylight when Val opened his eyes, and Will Reilly was   sleeping in the bed beside him. Will lay on his side with the holster   near his hand, the pistol grip only inches away. Carefully, Val eased   from the bed so as not to disturb the gambler.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    On a stand near the window were six books, all much worn. Val picked   up one of them and turned the pages, but he was disappointed to find   no pictures. Then he went to the window and looked out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    He had walked that street several times with Van, but never with   Myra. She had not wanted anyone to know he was hers . . . if he was.   Val had never been sure about that, but it might be that he just did   not want to believe she was his real mother.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e     From up here the street looked very different. He could look right   down into the wagons, and if they were not covered by canvas tarps he   could see what was in them. He had never been able to do that before.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The men standing in front of the stage station wore buffalo coats or   mackinaws, and most of them had earflaps. He could see their breath   in the still, cold air. One of the men turned his face toward Val-it   was Van. Just as Val saw him, Ma came from the stage station and got   on the stage, scarcely waiting for Van to help her in. Van gave one   quick look toward the hotel, then followed her into the stage.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The door closed, the driver cracked his whip, and the horses lunged   into the harness and went down the street with a rush, turning the   corner at the bottom of the street and disappearing from sight.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Val stood staring after it, feeling queer. They were gone. Van had   left him behind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Until a few days ago he had seen Ma only a few times. He had lived   with the people on the farm, and once in a while Ma came out to   visit, and once she brought him some candy. She would sometimes pat   him on the head, but she would never listen to anything he wanted to   tell her. Then she would leave again, very quickly. He seemed to   remember other people in other towns.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Then a few days ago a black shiny carriage had come to get the lady   where he lived, and there were other people too, all wearing black,   and after they had all gone away the man brought Val into town and   left him with his mother.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    He was standing at the window now, staring after the stage, when he   felt eyes upon him, and turned around.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Will Reilly was lying awake, hands clasped behind his head, watching   him. \"What do you see, Val?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Wagons. Lots of wagons. I can see right down into them.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Will indicated the book Val had taken. \"Did you like it?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"There weren't any pictures.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Will smiled. \"I suppose pictures are pretty important in a book.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Anyway, I liked to hold it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Will Reilly gave him a thoughtful look. \"Now, that's interesting. So   do I. I have always liked the feel of a good book. It's like a gun,\"   he added. \"When a man opens a book or fires a gun he has no idea what   the effect will be, or how far the shot will travel.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    He sat up. \"I'll get dressed and we'll go downstairs for breakfast.   Van will be coming for you.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"They aren't coming.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Will Reilly glanced at him sharply. \"What do you mean?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"They went away. I saw them.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Oh?\" Then, realizing the boy's position at the window, he said, \"You   saw the stage leave?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Yes, sir.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Well, I'll be damned.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Will Reilly dressed slowly and with care, trying to hide his anger.   That would be like Myra. Like Van, too. Van had been dodging   responsibility all his life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    He looked at the boy, who was dressing slowly, clumsily. \"Did you go   anywhere before you came here last night? I mean, did Van take you   anywhere else?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Val pointed toward the wide-open plain. \"We rode out there, a long way out.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Out there? In this kind of cold? Could the first idea have been to   abandon the boy, leave him to die in the cold? At forty below that   would not have taken long.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Did Myra know he was alive, then? Will considered that, and doubted   it. If Myra had planned for the boy to be abandoned-and she was just   the woman who could do it-Van would never dare tell her what he had   actually done.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Will Reilly swung his gun-belt around his lean hips. His anger at   being left with the boy was gone. It was far better that they had   brought the youngster here than to leave him out there to die. But   was it, really? What kind of a chance did the boy have?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Will Reilly's own beginning was scarcely better, and he had survived.   How he had done it was not pleasant to remember, but he had survived.   Did this boy have the guts it would take? Could he be tough enough,   resilient enough, and wily enough to make his way? Will turned and   looked thoughtfully at him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    There was a lost and wistful look about him, but there had been no   tears, at least there were no traces of any now. He looked-well, he   looked pretty much as Will Reilly might have looked at that age.","brand":"Random House Audio","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304156975333,"sku":"NP9780307914842","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780307914842.jpg?v=1730756490","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/reillys-luckisbn-9780307914842","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}