the day without a good meal inside him. I swear,’ she added, ‘you could tell him Geronimo was on the warpath again and he’d say, “Please, Ingrid, not before I’ve eaten”.’
Lawless smiled. ‘I feel the same way about coffee, ma’am.’
‘In that case, I’ll be sure to have a cup waiting for you.’ She turned away, took a few hesitant steps and then looked back at him. ‘You’re leaving us today, aren’t you?’
His tight-lipped silence confirmed she was right.
She hesitated, teeth torturing her lower lip, then said: ‘I know it’s none of my business, Mr Lawless, but may I ask what yourreason is for going so soon?’
‘Got things to do.’
‘Things?’
He nodded.
‘In Arizona?’
‘Yes. How’d you know?’
‘Sven told me. Last night before we went to sleep. Said if Joey hadn’t shot your horse, you’d be in Arizona by now.’
‘I meant, about my leaving?’
‘Oh-h … I … It was something my daughter said.’
‘Raven?’
‘Yes. She’s only a child but she’s very astute that way. I don’t know why, certainly neither Sven nor I are intuitive … but Raven, well, she’s always been able to sense how people are feeling.…’
Lawless didn’t doubt that.
‘I wish you wouldn’t,’ Ingrid said.
He frowned, surprised. ‘You asking me to stay?’
‘Y-yes … Not for me, you understand – for my husband.’
‘Go on.’
‘Last night was the happiest I’ve seen him in weeks, months even.’
‘What’s that got to do with me?’
‘Well, it’s hard to explain, but.…’
‘On account of his penchant for male company?’
‘Penchant?’
‘His love of.’
‘Oh. Yes … you could put it that way.’ She studied him for a moment, wondering who he really was and where he was from, then lowered her eyes and ran her fingers gently over the eggs.
‘I wouldn’t worry about that anymore, ma’am. He has the boy now. He’ll be fine.’
‘I hope so. It’s just.…’
‘What?’
‘He so admires you, enjoys being with you, having you aroundto talk to and … I mean … you see it’s a man’s company he needs, not a boy’s. It seems to fire him up. Last night he was talking how he wants you to help him fix things up around here. Of course he’ll pay you. It won’t be much but— Do you really have to leave today?’ she pressed. ‘I mean couldn’t you stay a little longer – just a few days even?’
He looked into her upturned face, her pleading blue eyes, and saw nothing but trouble ahead. But despite the warning, he heard himself say: ‘A few days?’
She nodded, willing to accept any offer that would keep him there.
He shrugged. ‘Reckon I can do that.’
‘Oh, that’s wonderful. Thank you, Mr Lawless.’
‘Ben.’
‘Of course – Ben. And please, call me Ingrid.’ She frowned, suddenly worried, said, ‘You won’t say anything to Sven about—?’
‘No,’ Lawless said. ‘Not a word.’
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
After breakfast, Lawless helped Sven nail down the loose boards in the barn. A few had rotted beyond repair. With no spare wood available to replace them and Sven’s credit in Santa Rosa all dried up, Lawless suggested they use the fencing from one of the two corrals, keeping the other intact for the horses. Sven was delighted by the idea and they soon had enough wood to repair not only walls of the barn, but a small leak in the roof as well. ‘By golly,’ he exclaimed when they were finished. ‘Will Ingrid be surprised when she sees what we’ve done!’ He slapped Lawless on the back, adding: ‘We make a great team, you and me.’
Lawless grinned, warmed by the big Norwegian’s enthusiasm. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt as happy and relaxed as he did now. But at the same time he knew it couldn’t last, not with the way he felt about Ingrid, and he warned himself not to get too comfortable or content.
After they finished repairing the roof, they climbed down to the hayloft and collected all the old junk
Lawless smiled. ‘I feel the same way about coffee, ma’am.’
‘In that case, I’ll be sure to have a cup waiting for you.’ She turned away, took a few hesitant steps and then looked back at him. ‘You’re leaving us today, aren’t you?’
His tight-lipped silence confirmed she was right.
She hesitated, teeth torturing her lower lip, then said: ‘I know it’s none of my business, Mr Lawless, but may I ask what yourreason is for going so soon?’
‘Got things to do.’
‘Things?’
He nodded.
‘In Arizona?’
‘Yes. How’d you know?’
‘Sven told me. Last night before we went to sleep. Said if Joey hadn’t shot your horse, you’d be in Arizona by now.’
‘I meant, about my leaving?’
‘Oh-h … I … It was something my daughter said.’
‘Raven?’
‘Yes. She’s only a child but she’s very astute that way. I don’t know why, certainly neither Sven nor I are intuitive … but Raven, well, she’s always been able to sense how people are feeling.…’
Lawless didn’t doubt that.
‘I wish you wouldn’t,’ Ingrid said.
He frowned, surprised. ‘You asking me to stay?’
‘Y-yes … Not for me, you understand – for my husband.’
‘Go on.’
‘Last night was the happiest I’ve seen him in weeks, months even.’
‘What’s that got to do with me?’
‘Well, it’s hard to explain, but.…’
‘On account of his penchant for male company?’
‘Penchant?’
‘His love of.’
‘Oh. Yes … you could put it that way.’ She studied him for a moment, wondering who he really was and where he was from, then lowered her eyes and ran her fingers gently over the eggs.
‘I wouldn’t worry about that anymore, ma’am. He has the boy now. He’ll be fine.’
‘I hope so. It’s just.…’
‘What?’
‘He so admires you, enjoys being with you, having you aroundto talk to and … I mean … you see it’s a man’s company he needs, not a boy’s. It seems to fire him up. Last night he was talking how he wants you to help him fix things up around here. Of course he’ll pay you. It won’t be much but— Do you really have to leave today?’ she pressed. ‘I mean couldn’t you stay a little longer – just a few days even?’
He looked into her upturned face, her pleading blue eyes, and saw nothing but trouble ahead. But despite the warning, he heard himself say: ‘A few days?’
She nodded, willing to accept any offer that would keep him there.
He shrugged. ‘Reckon I can do that.’
‘Oh, that’s wonderful. Thank you, Mr Lawless.’
‘Ben.’
‘Of course – Ben. And please, call me Ingrid.’ She frowned, suddenly worried, said, ‘You won’t say anything to Sven about—?’
‘No,’ Lawless said. ‘Not a word.’
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
After breakfast, Lawless helped Sven nail down the loose boards in the barn. A few had rotted beyond repair. With no spare wood available to replace them and Sven’s credit in Santa Rosa all dried up, Lawless suggested they use the fencing from one of the two corrals, keeping the other intact for the horses. Sven was delighted by the idea and they soon had enough wood to repair not only walls of the barn, but a small leak in the roof as well. ‘By golly,’ he exclaimed when they were finished. ‘Will Ingrid be surprised when she sees what we’ve done!’ He slapped Lawless on the back, adding: ‘We make a great team, you and me.’
Lawless grinned, warmed by the big Norwegian’s enthusiasm. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt as happy and relaxed as he did now. But at the same time he knew it couldn’t last, not with the way he felt about Ingrid, and he warned himself not to get too comfortable or content.
After they finished repairing the roof, they climbed down to the hayloft and collected all the old junk
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