The Fire in Ember - DiAnn Mills [67]
“And he’s still stealin’ cattle,” Evan added.
John carefully chose his words. “That brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about. I need to be helping Bob bring this to an end. Would you handle things around here while I’m gone?”
“Of course. What about your arm?” Evan said.
“I’ll be fine. Praise God it’s my left and not my right.” He captured Evan’s gaze. “You need to have a loaded rifle with you at all times—Mark and Aaron too.”
“Maybe I should put off visitin’ the school in Fort Collins until things settle down.”
John shook his head. “No sir. I want you continuing with your life plans. Just be careful.”
“Are you thinkin’ if the shooter missed you once, he might aim for one of us?” Mark said.
With those words, the air grew heavy, almost stifling. One of John’s brothers being the next victim hadn’t entered his mind. “I hope not. Pray not. All of you need to be alert for trouble. Watch the house. I’ll talk to Mama about keeping her rifle loaded too.”
Davis walked toward them with a sloshing bucket of water and two ladles. His small frame made him look younger, and with his freckles and strawberry blond hair, he looked a lot like Mama.
“How much do we say to Davis?” Evan said. “Not so sure he ever got over those outlaws nabbing him five years ago.”
As much as John wanted to keep his youngest brother free from worries and let him remain a boy, the coddling wouldn’t mold him into a man. “You were quick.” He took the bucket from Davis. “We’ve been talking about avoiding trouble and the cattle thieves. You need to hear this too. I plan to ride into town tomorrow, and while I’m gone Evan is in charge. Your brothers are going to keep their rifles loaded in case of trouble. So will Mama. I need you to keep your eyes and ears open.”
“I’ll do whatever you say,” Davis said. “Just like Mama says. She’s not raising boys, she’s raising men.”
CHAPTER 30
John thought he’d never seen a sight so pretty as when Aaron returned from Rocky Falls with Mama … and Bert stepped down from the wagon. Her honey-colored hair clung to her shoulders, and she wore a dress he hadn’t seen before. Maybe Widow Bess had gotten it for her from one of the women at the hotel and saloon.
His insides flipped when she smiled at him and waved. Come to think of it, the last time he’d seen her was in the dark hours of the morning when she ran off. Now she looked rested, and her cheeks had a pink tinge to them. He could barely suppress an all-out grin.
Is this what love is all about? He felt like staring at her forever. Quickly he glanced to Mama, who wore a smile too. His weak knees and the foolish inclinations of his heart nearly gave him away.
All the boys stopped their chores and made their way to the wagon, gathering around Mama and Bert. He made sure he was the last one to state his welcome. No point in everyone finding out how his insides tossed back and forth like a canoe jumping over rapids.
This had to stop. Grown men didn’t behave like this. “Glad you’re back,” he said as calmly as he could.
Bert blushed as red as his face felt. “Thank you. I … I’m grateful to all of you.”
“We voted,” Davis said. “And Mama said John and Evan couldn’t be fussin’ over you. But I don’t know what that means.”
He peered up at Bert with one eye shut to block the sun. “Do you, Bert?”
She grew redder, and John probably did too. Mark snickered.
“I’m sure it was nothing,” Bert said.
John walked to the other side of the wagon. “I’ll take care of the wagon. Davis, why don’t you help me?”
John worked on the shingles with Mark the rest of the afternoon. While he hammered and sawed with one arm, he recalled the circumstances surrounding the shooting that left him wounded and Leon Wilson dead. What had he missed? Once he was back in Rocky Falls, he’d ride out to the abandoned cabin to see if he could find any evidence the shooter might have left behind. The last time John was there, he’d seen two sets of tracks leading to and from the cabin. Those