again, Joseph's entire body jerked with the effort to hold the wood upright. "I don't know why you're so mad. I was just trying to come up with a few helpful ideas to—"
Ace swung the sledge again, cutting him off. "That was not a helpful idea. If you'll remember, none of us are even supposed to know John Parrish."
"Well, I was thinking we could contact him with a note in his mail slot like we do for other things."
"Every time we contact him, we run the risk of someone noticing. I only want to do so when it's absolutely necessary," Ace reminded him. "I'd rather not put all our plans at risk, if it's all the same to you. Not that apologizing to the girl isn't important. It definitely is. But there has to be another way."
Joseph shrugged. "I guess we could ask around to see what day she goes to town."
"And then what? It isn't like I have time to sit on the boardwalk in No Name, waiting for her to show. And supposing I did? Out on the street like that, how would I get her to stand still long enough to apologize to her?"
"Maybe we could glue her shoes to the boardwalk," Esa suggested.
"Hell, no. Just toss a lasso over her head and hitch her to a rail until she's heard you out," David called.
Esa laughed. "You ever seen Ace toss a rope? He needs a target big as a barn, and even then he has to stand right on top of it."
Joseph let go of the post and raised his hands. "Okay, you guys, that's enough. It's really not a laughing matter."
"So stop laughing and come up with a suggestion," David challenged.
After checking the post's position with his plumb line, Ace filled the hole full of dirt, packed it, and then kicked the stout length of wood. "She's in tight," he pronounced as he returned the weighted string to his pocket.
Joseph sidled along behind him to the next post that lay waiting. "The way I see it, what you have to do is show the poor girl you aren't a barbarian," he told Ace. "Like maybe present her with flowers or something."
"Ace, packin' flowers on
Main Street
?" David hooted. "God, let me have my box camera handy when that moment comes."
"He could take her candy," Esa suggested.
"That might work." Joseph turned to look at his oldest brother. "We could spruce you up some. Get rid of the gun, put you in a suit. You'd clean up nice."
"And a bowler hat," Esa added. "One of them checkered ones."
Letting the sledge settle at his feet, Ace folded his hands over the carved end of the handle. "I hope you boys are about finished. I don't mind you laughing at my expense, but what about Caitlin? As it stands, she believes her new neighbors are rapists and killers. Maybe that doesn't bother you, but it does me."
Joseph picked up the post. "So what's your idea? Do you even have one?"
Hefting the sledge for his next swing, Ace stood back while Joseph upended the post into the hole. "Well, no two ways around it, I need to make things right with the girl. I like the idea of a public place. She'd feel safer with people around. But how and when? Near as I can tell, she seldom goes to town."
"She attends the community church. They got one of them there preachers who don't cotton to any one religion," Esa explained. "What's that called?"
"Nondenominational," Ace said, shaking his head. "I swear, boy, you sound like a cracker. Your pa would turn over in his grave if he heard you."
Joseph pressed a hand over his heart. "Well, ain't you some pumpkins. Not all of us got our shine by rubbing elbows with the folks at gambling tables, you know."
Ace gave a loud snort. "I got my shine, as you call it, by listening to our mother and trying to emulate her. You would do well to do the same." He glanced back at Esa. "You're sure Caitlin O'Shannessy attends the community church?"
"Leastways, she used to."
"How do you know that, Esa?" Joseph asked.
"By readin' the paper these last five years."
"The No Name Gazette?” Ace asked.
Esa nodded. "While you were following all the important headlines about folks here wantin' a
Ace swung the sledge again, cutting him off. "That was not a helpful idea. If you'll remember, none of us are even supposed to know John Parrish."
"Well, I was thinking we could contact him with a note in his mail slot like we do for other things."
"Every time we contact him, we run the risk of someone noticing. I only want to do so when it's absolutely necessary," Ace reminded him. "I'd rather not put all our plans at risk, if it's all the same to you. Not that apologizing to the girl isn't important. It definitely is. But there has to be another way."
Joseph shrugged. "I guess we could ask around to see what day she goes to town."
"And then what? It isn't like I have time to sit on the boardwalk in No Name, waiting for her to show. And supposing I did? Out on the street like that, how would I get her to stand still long enough to apologize to her?"
"Maybe we could glue her shoes to the boardwalk," Esa suggested.
"Hell, no. Just toss a lasso over her head and hitch her to a rail until she's heard you out," David called.
Esa laughed. "You ever seen Ace toss a rope? He needs a target big as a barn, and even then he has to stand right on top of it."
Joseph let go of the post and raised his hands. "Okay, you guys, that's enough. It's really not a laughing matter."
"So stop laughing and come up with a suggestion," David challenged.
After checking the post's position with his plumb line, Ace filled the hole full of dirt, packed it, and then kicked the stout length of wood. "She's in tight," he pronounced as he returned the weighted string to his pocket.
Joseph sidled along behind him to the next post that lay waiting. "The way I see it, what you have to do is show the poor girl you aren't a barbarian," he told Ace. "Like maybe present her with flowers or something."
"Ace, packin' flowers on
Main Street
?" David hooted. "God, let me have my box camera handy when that moment comes."
"He could take her candy," Esa suggested.
"That might work." Joseph turned to look at his oldest brother. "We could spruce you up some. Get rid of the gun, put you in a suit. You'd clean up nice."
"And a bowler hat," Esa added. "One of them checkered ones."
Letting the sledge settle at his feet, Ace folded his hands over the carved end of the handle. "I hope you boys are about finished. I don't mind you laughing at my expense, but what about Caitlin? As it stands, she believes her new neighbors are rapists and killers. Maybe that doesn't bother you, but it does me."
Joseph picked up the post. "So what's your idea? Do you even have one?"
Hefting the sledge for his next swing, Ace stood back while Joseph upended the post into the hole. "Well, no two ways around it, I need to make things right with the girl. I like the idea of a public place. She'd feel safer with people around. But how and when? Near as I can tell, she seldom goes to town."
"She attends the community church. They got one of them there preachers who don't cotton to any one religion," Esa explained. "What's that called?"
"Nondenominational," Ace said, shaking his head. "I swear, boy, you sound like a cracker. Your pa would turn over in his grave if he heard you."
Joseph pressed a hand over his heart. "Well, ain't you some pumpkins. Not all of us got our shine by rubbing elbows with the folks at gambling tables, you know."
Ace gave a loud snort. "I got my shine, as you call it, by listening to our mother and trying to emulate her. You would do well to do the same." He glanced back at Esa. "You're sure Caitlin O'Shannessy attends the community church?"
"Leastways, she used to."
"How do you know that, Esa?" Joseph asked.
"By readin' the paper these last five years."
"The No Name Gazette?” Ace asked.
Esa nodded. "While you were following all the important headlines about folks here wantin' a
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