“Me too.”
Spooning string beans onto his plate, Cade could feel Zoe’s eyes on him. He knew how she felt about guns, so the subject was a delicate one. “You both need to be older before you shoot a pistol, but I’ll show you how to handle a shotgun.”
Zoe ladled gravy over her potatoes. “At their age, why do they have to know how to shoot any gun?”
“They need to know, Red. Boys turn into men. Men feed their families.” He winked at the males.
Zoe passed the butter. “I saw that.”
Grinning, he reached for another biscuit. “Remind me to have a discussion with you about men being men.”
Without looking up, she said, “I know about men being men.”
He bit into his chicken. “What is it with you and guns?”
Brody craned his neck in Cade’s direction. “Ma said she’s been like that ever since Jim got shot in that bank holdup.”
Cade switched subjects. “You gonna eat all those potatoes? Pass a few to me.”
Seth Brighton was mending harness when Cade drove into his barnyard early Wednesday afternoon.
He swung down from the buckboard, and the two men shook hands.
“Well, I declare. Cade Kolby.” Seth grinned from ear to ear. “We heard you were back.” The man’s eyes moved to the pine box lashed to the wagon bed. “What you got there? A man with a price on his head?”
Cade fell into step with the younger man as they walked toward the house. A couple of towheaded kids played in a dirt pile near the back.
“It’s Hague Pearson. He was shot and killed in Suffox County. I’m picking up the body for Pop.”
Seth shook his head. “That’s too bad. Hague never caused no trouble around here. Kept to himself.”
“That’s what I hear. By the way, one of your hogs was out. A couple of your boys helped me chase it back into the pen.”
“That’d be Eddie Lee and Bruce. They’re a big help. Storm blew the fence down, and the hogs got loose,” Seth said as they climbed the steps to the porch. “Sure was sorry to hear about John and your sister. They were good people.”
“Yes, they were.”
“Say, I’ll bet you’re parched. How ’bout a glass of lemonade? Got some cooling in the spring.” He raised his hands and called to one of the kids, “Jimmy! You go on down and fetch the lemonade!” He turned back to Cade. “For a boy jist gettin’ over the measles, he can run like the wind.”
“I can’t stay, Seth. The business in Suffox County took longer than I thought, and I still have one more stop. I’d like to get back before dark, but I wanted to talk to you.”
“Then maybe we’ll just sit in the shade a spell.” Seth ushered him to a chair on the side porch. “Sue Ann,” he called, “you run in and check on your mama.”
Seth settled in the seat next to Cade’s. “Guess I know what you’re here about.”
“Pop said you and your wife were interested in taking in Addy and John’s children.”
“We sure are. That’s a fine bunch of kids. John and I were friends a good many years.”
Jimmy returned with a jug. He sat it down and ran up on the porch to stand in front of Cade. “Are you Will and Brody’s uncle who shoots bad guys?”
Seth took the lemonade and set a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You go on back and play, son. Your pa’s talking business.”
When the boy was out of earshot, Cade said, “I want to get the children settled as soon as possible.” The man’s children appeared happy and well cared for. Pop was right. The Brightons would provide a good home for the kids. In time they would love it here. Seth and Bonnie could give them what he couldn’t. A ma and a pa.
Seth shifted in his chair. “Could be a few weeks before we’re able to take them. Bonnie needs to get back on her feet.”
Cade frowned. “Is your wife ill?”
“Come down with a fever during the night.”
When the young man’s face sobered, Cade wondered how high of a fever.
“We’re expectin’ it’ll pass real quick.”
“You want me to send
Spooning string beans onto his plate, Cade could feel Zoe’s eyes on him. He knew how she felt about guns, so the subject was a delicate one. “You both need to be older before you shoot a pistol, but I’ll show you how to handle a shotgun.”
Zoe ladled gravy over her potatoes. “At their age, why do they have to know how to shoot any gun?”
“They need to know, Red. Boys turn into men. Men feed their families.” He winked at the males.
Zoe passed the butter. “I saw that.”
Grinning, he reached for another biscuit. “Remind me to have a discussion with you about men being men.”
Without looking up, she said, “I know about men being men.”
He bit into his chicken. “What is it with you and guns?”
Brody craned his neck in Cade’s direction. “Ma said she’s been like that ever since Jim got shot in that bank holdup.”
Cade switched subjects. “You gonna eat all those potatoes? Pass a few to me.”
Seth Brighton was mending harness when Cade drove into his barnyard early Wednesday afternoon.
He swung down from the buckboard, and the two men shook hands.
“Well, I declare. Cade Kolby.” Seth grinned from ear to ear. “We heard you were back.” The man’s eyes moved to the pine box lashed to the wagon bed. “What you got there? A man with a price on his head?”
Cade fell into step with the younger man as they walked toward the house. A couple of towheaded kids played in a dirt pile near the back.
“It’s Hague Pearson. He was shot and killed in Suffox County. I’m picking up the body for Pop.”
Seth shook his head. “That’s too bad. Hague never caused no trouble around here. Kept to himself.”
“That’s what I hear. By the way, one of your hogs was out. A couple of your boys helped me chase it back into the pen.”
“That’d be Eddie Lee and Bruce. They’re a big help. Storm blew the fence down, and the hogs got loose,” Seth said as they climbed the steps to the porch. “Sure was sorry to hear about John and your sister. They were good people.”
“Yes, they were.”
“Say, I’ll bet you’re parched. How ’bout a glass of lemonade? Got some cooling in the spring.” He raised his hands and called to one of the kids, “Jimmy! You go on down and fetch the lemonade!” He turned back to Cade. “For a boy jist gettin’ over the measles, he can run like the wind.”
“I can’t stay, Seth. The business in Suffox County took longer than I thought, and I still have one more stop. I’d like to get back before dark, but I wanted to talk to you.”
“Then maybe we’ll just sit in the shade a spell.” Seth ushered him to a chair on the side porch. “Sue Ann,” he called, “you run in and check on your mama.”
Seth settled in the seat next to Cade’s. “Guess I know what you’re here about.”
“Pop said you and your wife were interested in taking in Addy and John’s children.”
“We sure are. That’s a fine bunch of kids. John and I were friends a good many years.”
Jimmy returned with a jug. He sat it down and ran up on the porch to stand in front of Cade. “Are you Will and Brody’s uncle who shoots bad guys?”
Seth took the lemonade and set a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You go on back and play, son. Your pa’s talking business.”
When the boy was out of earshot, Cade said, “I want to get the children settled as soon as possible.” The man’s children appeared happy and well cared for. Pop was right. The Brightons would provide a good home for the kids. In time they would love it here. Seth and Bonnie could give them what he couldn’t. A ma and a pa.
Seth shifted in his chair. “Could be a few weeks before we’re able to take them. Bonnie needs to get back on her feet.”
Cade frowned. “Is your wife ill?”
“Come down with a fever during the night.”
When the young man’s face sobered, Cade wondered how high of a fever.
“We’re expectin’ it’ll pass real quick.”
“You want me to send
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