bark. He wished he could find a woman willing to dream about him.
They arrived at the Holland farm at twilight. Clay halted the wagon in front of the house as the door swung open, and the twins bounded out, Lucian sauntering behind them.
“Gawd Almighty!” one twin yelled. “You gonna make Miz Warner somethin’ out of that?”
Clay climbed down from the wagon and ruffled the boy’s hair. “I aim to try, but remember, Josh, it’s supposed to be a secret.”
“We ain’t got nobody to tell,” Joe said as he climbed onto the wheel and looked into the wagon.
“Geez, Miz Warner, Clay must like you a powerful lot to make you somethin’ that big,” Josh said as he hauled himself up on the other wheel.
Meg felt her face warm as Clay glanced at her quickly before moving the box across the seat.
“Brought some supplies,” Clay said as he lifted the box down.
“What’d you trade?” Lucian asked. “Grandpa’s watch?”
“It was mine to do with as I thought best.”
“It wouldn’t have been if you hadn’t been a coward. If you’d gone off to fight like the other men around here, you woulda been killed, and the watch, like the farm, woulda been mine.” He hit the box. “I sure as hell wouldn’t have traded it for a sack of flour.”
He stomped away, hitting everything he passed until he was out of sight.
Josh hopped down from the wagon wheel. “I bet that box ain’t too heavy for me and Joe to carry into the house.”
“I bet it’s not either,” Clay said as he handed the box to the boys. “Open your mouths.” He took the sarsaparilla sticks out of his pocket and stuck one in each boy’s mouth. Their eyes widened as they clamped their lips around the gift, mumbling their thanks before heading for the house.
“You get it from all sides, don’t you?” Meg asked quietly.
Clay placed his hand on the granite. “I don’t hardly notice anymore.”
“Why do you stay?”
“It’s my home. I don’t think I did anything that took away my right to live here.”
Meg disagreed. Everyone in the area disagreed. If her plan worked, Clay would eventually realize that he had indeed lost his right to live here. “When will you start working on the monument?”
“I need to get the oxen back to Austin. Then I have a few chores around here to take care of. Guess I’ll start a week from Monday.”
“I’ll be here bright and early.”
“There’s not a lot to see at first. All I’ll be doing is chipping away what I don’t need.” “Regardless … I’ll be here.”
Seven
C LOAKED IN EARLY MORNING DARKNESS , M EG SCURRIED ACROSS the Holland property.
Only three days had passed since she’d last looked upon the red Texas granite, but she couldn’t get it out of her mind. At home, she was listless and distracted. She’d burned the evening meal two nights in a row.
She was tempted to tell her father and Daniel about the monument, but she feared their reaction. Normally, if a father discovered his daughter had been alone with a man, he leveled his rifle at the man and ordered him to marry his daughter. If her father discovered she’d traveled alone to Austin with Clay, he’d level his rifle at Clay and shoot.
When Clay finished the monument, she could explain everything so they’d understand how wise her plan had been. Until that moment, however, the monument and everything associated with it had to remain a secret.
As she neared the shed, excitement raced through her veins with the lure of the forbidden. Holding her breath, she pressed her ear against the door. She couldn’t hear anything move on the other side, but then, she’d expected to hear silence.
She’d planned this excursion with extreme care. She reasoned that Clay needed a day to unload the stone and another to return the oxen to Austin. Perhaps two. He would need at least two days to ride home on the mule. He wouldn’t be back until this evening or tomorrow morning.
She was safe.
She pushed on the door. It creaked
They arrived at the Holland farm at twilight. Clay halted the wagon in front of the house as the door swung open, and the twins bounded out, Lucian sauntering behind them.
“Gawd Almighty!” one twin yelled. “You gonna make Miz Warner somethin’ out of that?”
Clay climbed down from the wagon and ruffled the boy’s hair. “I aim to try, but remember, Josh, it’s supposed to be a secret.”
“We ain’t got nobody to tell,” Joe said as he climbed onto the wheel and looked into the wagon.
“Geez, Miz Warner, Clay must like you a powerful lot to make you somethin’ that big,” Josh said as he hauled himself up on the other wheel.
Meg felt her face warm as Clay glanced at her quickly before moving the box across the seat.
“Brought some supplies,” Clay said as he lifted the box down.
“What’d you trade?” Lucian asked. “Grandpa’s watch?”
“It was mine to do with as I thought best.”
“It wouldn’t have been if you hadn’t been a coward. If you’d gone off to fight like the other men around here, you woulda been killed, and the watch, like the farm, woulda been mine.” He hit the box. “I sure as hell wouldn’t have traded it for a sack of flour.”
He stomped away, hitting everything he passed until he was out of sight.
Josh hopped down from the wagon wheel. “I bet that box ain’t too heavy for me and Joe to carry into the house.”
“I bet it’s not either,” Clay said as he handed the box to the boys. “Open your mouths.” He took the sarsaparilla sticks out of his pocket and stuck one in each boy’s mouth. Their eyes widened as they clamped their lips around the gift, mumbling their thanks before heading for the house.
“You get it from all sides, don’t you?” Meg asked quietly.
Clay placed his hand on the granite. “I don’t hardly notice anymore.”
“Why do you stay?”
“It’s my home. I don’t think I did anything that took away my right to live here.”
Meg disagreed. Everyone in the area disagreed. If her plan worked, Clay would eventually realize that he had indeed lost his right to live here. “When will you start working on the monument?”
“I need to get the oxen back to Austin. Then I have a few chores around here to take care of. Guess I’ll start a week from Monday.”
“I’ll be here bright and early.”
“There’s not a lot to see at first. All I’ll be doing is chipping away what I don’t need.” “Regardless … I’ll be here.”
Seven
C LOAKED IN EARLY MORNING DARKNESS , M EG SCURRIED ACROSS the Holland property.
Only three days had passed since she’d last looked upon the red Texas granite, but she couldn’t get it out of her mind. At home, she was listless and distracted. She’d burned the evening meal two nights in a row.
She was tempted to tell her father and Daniel about the monument, but she feared their reaction. Normally, if a father discovered his daughter had been alone with a man, he leveled his rifle at the man and ordered him to marry his daughter. If her father discovered she’d traveled alone to Austin with Clay, he’d level his rifle at Clay and shoot.
When Clay finished the monument, she could explain everything so they’d understand how wise her plan had been. Until that moment, however, the monument and everything associated with it had to remain a secret.
As she neared the shed, excitement raced through her veins with the lure of the forbidden. Holding her breath, she pressed her ear against the door. She couldn’t hear anything move on the other side, but then, she’d expected to hear silence.
She’d planned this excursion with extreme care. She reasoned that Clay needed a day to unload the stone and another to return the oxen to Austin. Perhaps two. He would need at least two days to ride home on the mule. He wouldn’t be back until this evening or tomorrow morning.
She was safe.
She pushed on the door. It creaked
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