shrugged. “We’re an island of people in a sea of savage. We need to watch out for each other.”
“Goodness, you really do have a way with words,” Randa praised him.
“No one has ever said that to me before,” Zach said. “If I do, it probably comes from being around Shakespeare so much. His speech is as flowery as a rose garden.”
“There you go again.”
Zach smiled.
Randa liked his teeth. They were white and even. She liked his eyes, too. They were as green as grass and as deep as the lake. She envied Louisa King. Without thinking she said, “Your wife sure is lucky to have you.”
“There are days when she doesn’t think so,” Zach said. “I tend to aggravate her now and then.”
“Doin’ what?”
“Being male.”
“How is that an aggravation?”
Zach looked at her. “According to her and my mother and Blue Water Woman and just about every married lady I’ve ever met, it comes naturally. Men can’t help but rub women wrong, as my ma likes to say.”
“My ma would likely say the same,” Randa said. “She’s always naggin’ my pa about one thing oranother. Do this or don’t do that and land sakes why can’t he ever listen to her.”
“There you have it,” Zach said.
Randa enjoyed talking to him; he was easy to talk to. She gazed into his eyes and then glanced away. “I hope I meet a fella like you one day. I wouldn’t think he was any aggravation at all.”
“There’s only ever one of us. And you might want someone who doesn’t have my flaws.”
“What would they be?”
At that juncture Emala came around the cabin and jabbed a thick finger at Randa. “There you are. I’ve been lookin’ all over for you. Where did you get to, youngun?”
“I went for a walk.”
“Well, don’t go waltzin’ off without you lettin’ us know. We’re not on the plantation anymore. It ain’t safe. Am I right, Mr. King, or am I right?”
“It’s Zach, and you’re absolutely right.” Zach held out the dead rabbit. “Would you do me a favor and give this to my mother?”
Emala curled up her thick lips in distaste. “There’s blood all over it and half the head is gone.”
Zach wiggled the limp body. “Don’t tell me you’ve never handled game?”
“I have, many a time,” Emala said. “But I’ve never liked blood and the butcherin’ can be mighty messy.” She used her thumb and the first finger of her left hand to take the rabbit by the tail. “It doesn’t have lice, does it? Some dead critters crawl with lice.”
“No more than any other animal.”
Emala beckoned and Randa joined her as she made for a shady spot where the other women were resting. “What were you talkin’ to him about?”
“This and that,” Randa answered. “Why?”
“I saw how you were smilin’ at him. I’ve never seen you smile at any man that a way. It better not be why I think it is.”
“He’s nice, is all.”
“The Kings are decent folks. They’re doin’ more for us than anyone ever has and we should be grateful.”
“I am.”
“Then don’t be walkin’ alone with Zach King. He’s a married man. It’s not proper.”
“All we did was talk. Don’t make more out of it than there was.”
“You don’t tell me what to do. I tell you. And I’m tellin’ you that we must be as nice to the Kings as they’ve been to us.”
“Talkin’ ain’t nice?”
“Don’t sass me, child.” Emala scowled. “You’re startin’ to worry me. You truly are. Until we’re settled in and they’ve accepted us more, you’re not to traipse anywhere with Zachary King. You hear me?”
“Accept us more?” Randa repeated.
“We’ve been with them a good long while, what with crossin’ that prairie and comin’ up into these mountains. But that ain’t the same as bein’ neighbors. Neighbors can talk to neighbors anytime.”
“How will I know when I can talk to him?”
“I’ll tell you.” Emala waddled off. “Mind me, you hear?”
Randa frowned. Her mother was always
“Goodness, you really do have a way with words,” Randa praised him.
“No one has ever said that to me before,” Zach said. “If I do, it probably comes from being around Shakespeare so much. His speech is as flowery as a rose garden.”
“There you go again.”
Zach smiled.
Randa liked his teeth. They were white and even. She liked his eyes, too. They were as green as grass and as deep as the lake. She envied Louisa King. Without thinking she said, “Your wife sure is lucky to have you.”
“There are days when she doesn’t think so,” Zach said. “I tend to aggravate her now and then.”
“Doin’ what?”
“Being male.”
“How is that an aggravation?”
Zach looked at her. “According to her and my mother and Blue Water Woman and just about every married lady I’ve ever met, it comes naturally. Men can’t help but rub women wrong, as my ma likes to say.”
“My ma would likely say the same,” Randa said. “She’s always naggin’ my pa about one thing oranother. Do this or don’t do that and land sakes why can’t he ever listen to her.”
“There you have it,” Zach said.
Randa enjoyed talking to him; he was easy to talk to. She gazed into his eyes and then glanced away. “I hope I meet a fella like you one day. I wouldn’t think he was any aggravation at all.”
“There’s only ever one of us. And you might want someone who doesn’t have my flaws.”
“What would they be?”
At that juncture Emala came around the cabin and jabbed a thick finger at Randa. “There you are. I’ve been lookin’ all over for you. Where did you get to, youngun?”
“I went for a walk.”
“Well, don’t go waltzin’ off without you lettin’ us know. We’re not on the plantation anymore. It ain’t safe. Am I right, Mr. King, or am I right?”
“It’s Zach, and you’re absolutely right.” Zach held out the dead rabbit. “Would you do me a favor and give this to my mother?”
Emala curled up her thick lips in distaste. “There’s blood all over it and half the head is gone.”
Zach wiggled the limp body. “Don’t tell me you’ve never handled game?”
“I have, many a time,” Emala said. “But I’ve never liked blood and the butcherin’ can be mighty messy.” She used her thumb and the first finger of her left hand to take the rabbit by the tail. “It doesn’t have lice, does it? Some dead critters crawl with lice.”
“No more than any other animal.”
Emala beckoned and Randa joined her as she made for a shady spot where the other women were resting. “What were you talkin’ to him about?”
“This and that,” Randa answered. “Why?”
“I saw how you were smilin’ at him. I’ve never seen you smile at any man that a way. It better not be why I think it is.”
“He’s nice, is all.”
“The Kings are decent folks. They’re doin’ more for us than anyone ever has and we should be grateful.”
“I am.”
“Then don’t be walkin’ alone with Zach King. He’s a married man. It’s not proper.”
“All we did was talk. Don’t make more out of it than there was.”
“You don’t tell me what to do. I tell you. And I’m tellin’ you that we must be as nice to the Kings as they’ve been to us.”
“Talkin’ ain’t nice?”
“Don’t sass me, child.” Emala scowled. “You’re startin’ to worry me. You truly are. Until we’re settled in and they’ve accepted us more, you’re not to traipse anywhere with Zachary King. You hear me?”
“Accept us more?” Randa repeated.
“We’ve been with them a good long while, what with crossin’ that prairie and comin’ up into these mountains. But that ain’t the same as bein’ neighbors. Neighbors can talk to neighbors anytime.”
“How will I know when I can talk to him?”
“I’ll tell you.” Emala waddled off. “Mind me, you hear?”
Randa frowned. Her mother was always
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