Blue Moon Promise by Colleen Coble Page B

grew in Lucy’s throat. No one had ever told her that. Nate’s pride—for she recognized that emotion on his face now—was heady stuff.

TWELVE  
 
    T he warmth of the fire welcomed them. Nate strode straight toward the hall to the bedrooms. Lucy and the children trailed behind him.
    Before they reached Pa’s bedroom, he could hear his father’s voice raised in disgust. “Look at this food, Percy. It’s not fit for man nor beast. Bring me some of that soup I smell cooking. A man needs more than this thin broth! I’ll waste away to nothing.”
    “Doc Cooper thinks you need to shed a few pounds, Boss. This is good for you. He told me not to let you have none of that soup just yet,” Percy said. “Besides, it’s for supper. The meat is still stringy. You gotta wait.”
    Lucy crowded behind Nate to peer into the bedroom. Pa turned his head and saw them at the door. “Give me that spoon.” He snatched it from Percy’s hand. “I’m not so far gone I can’t feed myself. Get in here, all of you. Don’t stand there gawking.”
    Lucy followed Nate into the room and went to the bed. “Can I help you, Mr. Stanton?”
    He waved a hand. “I’ve had all I can take of Doc and Percy treating me like an old woman. Tell me about your day yesterday. How do you like your new home?”
    What would she say? Nate hid a grin as he waited to see if she’d tell his father about the run-ins with the spiders and the wolf-dog.
    “I didn’t get much of a chance to see it until I cleaned it,” she said. “Your son is not the best housekeeper.”
    Nate pulled up a chair and propped a booted leg on it. “She didn’t cotton to Zeke. I had to take him to the back forty and let him go.” He shot her a glance and was gratified to see slight amusement on her face.
    His father huffed. “Good for her. I never did understand why you had a spider as big as a dinner plate wandering around your place.”
    Nate shrugged. “Oh, and Lucy saved my hide when she shot a mongrel wolf aimed straight at my throat.” He would carry that picture of her holding that shotgun the rest of his days. It was about as big as she was.
    Pa sat up a bit straighter. “I told you our Lucy would make you a fine wife, Nate. Sometimes your old dad knows what he’s doing.”
    Nate’s amusement vanished. His pa was determined not to admit he’d had no business finding a wife for him. “We’ve got other problems too, Pa. Rustlers.” Too late he realized he probably should have kept the information from his father. He was so used to reporting to his pa. With his pa’s gaze on him, he had no choice but to tell him what he’d found.
    His father put down his cup. “Rustlers, eh? You find them yet? How many head? You tell Roger yet?”
    “Don’t know how many yet. I think at least a hundred and fifty are gone. And our bull.” Nate shrugged. “I’m going to look around on the way to the feed store though. I didn’t see Roger on the way in. Where is he?”
    “Said he was going to Larson, but I thought he’d be back by now.”
    “I’ll check with Percy,” Nate said. “We’re heading to town after a while. I can track him down there if he hasn’t returned.”
    His father yawned and his eyelids lowered. “Guess I’ll sleep now.”
    Pa’s disinterest told Nate more than anything else. If his father were himself, he’d be climbing out of the bed and going to search for the rustlers himself. “You rest,” Nate said.
    “You didn’t eat your broth.” Lucy fluffed his pillow and helped his father ease back against it.
    Pa seemed already half asleep. His eyelids were half closed. “Stuff’s nasty. I want a man’s meal. Some of that soup Percy’s cooking.”
    Lucy pulled the sheet up around his father’s shoulders. “I’ll try to make you something tastier for supper. Soup’s a little much.” She stepped away. “We’ll be going now, Mr. Stanton. There are some things we need in town.”
    “We’ll be back for the night in a few hours,”