Talking to the Choir

"What's eating you, little brother?"

Joe continued to poke at the food on his plate. "Nothing."

Hoss scowled. "Nothing. Ain't 'nothing' puts a man off his feed. "

Joe shoved the plate away. He leaned back in his chair and turned his face toward the ceiling.

"Joe?"

His head came down and his anger went up. "I'm just not hungry. The last time I checked with Sheriff Coffee that wasn't a crime!"

Both men fell silent. So silent they could hear the clock in the great room ticking.

Finally Hoss said, "This got to do with why you didn't head out with Adam and Pa?"

Joe pushed his chair back and rose.

"None of your business, middle brother."

Hoss waited a moment and then rose and followed his brother into the great room.

"What are you trailing me like a pup for?" Joe snapped.

"I don't rightly know how to put this, Little Joe, and a man's got a right to nurse his own grudges if he wants, but it seems like this has something to do with all of us and so I think it is my business."

Joe gave him with that look – the one that had hurt and hope and fear and a fiery determination all rolled into one.

"Was it something Adam did?" Hoss asked. "Or pa? Or maybe me?"

The look shattered. His brother's snort came with a chagrinned smile. "Nah. It's me."

"You?"

Joe looked at the floor. "I let loose with both barrels on Adam last night. Called him all kind of names and tried to mop the floor with him."

"I noticed that there bruise on your cheek."

Joe felt it. "Yeah, he got in a good one." He paused. "It's just that, well, you know how it is. Adam just knows how to get under my skin and then I go off half-cocked..." He hesitated. "I'm afraid this time the powder went off in my face."

"That bad, eh?"

"Yeah, that bad."

Joe stopped. His green eyes went to the door. Hoss's gaze followed just in time to see Adam come in.

Every line in their older brother's body went rigid when he saw Joe. Without a word Adam headed for the stair.

Hoss wasn't about to let this pass. "Adam," he called, "you come down here and talk to Joe."

Adam did not turn, but he stopped with his hand on the newel post. "I have nothing to say to Joe."

"Well, Joe's got something to say to you. Ain't that right, Joe?" Hoss glanced at his brother. Joe nodded imperceptibly.

"And what makes Joe think I would be interested in anything he has to say?" Adam whirled. "He said plenty last night."

When Joe said nothing, Hoss put a hand to his back and shoved him forward. "You go on, Joe."

Slowly, like a man wading through waist-high water, Little Joe crossed over to the stair case. He mumbled something.

"What?" Adam snapped. "I can't hear you."

Joe's body was taut as a bowstring. "I said I'm sorry."

"Well, sorry isn't enough sometimes, baby brother."

"See! There you go again. I'm not a baby anymore."

"Well, you're certainly not a man."

Hoss could see it coming. He jumped forward and caught Joe before he had time to leap the distance between them.

"Hoss, you let me go!" Joe shouted.

"No. No, I ain't." The big man's eyes went to Adam where he stood on the stair. "You know, I sent Joe over here to apologize, but it's you Adam who needs to do some thinking."

"Oh. About what?"

"Joe here. He's eighteen years old, and while that don't make him a man, he ain't no baby anymore. You ever think he'd act more like a man if the man he looked up to did the same thing?"

Adam's jaw tightened. "What do you mean?"

"That maybe if you treat Joe like a man, he'll act like one."

Their older brother's hazel eyes flicked from his face to Joe who was still straining like a colt against the line. He sighed. "Sorry, Joe. You gotta understand. There's a lifetime of years between us. I can still see your ma walking the hall with you in her arms." Adam descended. He placed a hand on Joe's shoulder. "I guess, maybe, I just don't want to accept that you're all grown up."

Hoss felt Joe grow silent. He drew a breath and let him go, hoping Joe was happy with what Adam had said.

Adam held his hand out. "Friends?"

Joe pursed his lips and squinted his eyes and then a slow grin broke across his face. He took Adam's hand.

Instead of shaking it, he used it to flip Adam over and land him arse first on the ground.

Joe grinned.

"No, Adam, not friends. Brothers."