"Why, in heaven's name?"
That, of course, was the question that followed my revelation of where I was headed after leaving the cabin on the river. I'm sure that Bret wasn't expecting my answer – Las Cruces – but that's where I was going.
"Because," was the only reply I could give him right now.
"You ain't Pappy, Bart, you don't get to play that card."
"Too bad, that's the only one I got."
He stood up then, Melody forgotten, and grabbed my shirt as I finished buttoning it. "Why? Why do you have to go to Las Cruces?"
"Because there's somethin' that's pullin' me there." I brushed his hand away from my clothes and walked back into the cabin. The cat ran under my bed. She didn't seem to like his reaction any more than I did. He followed me inside, not angry but disturbed.
"Don't. Please, I'm beggin' you, don't go to New Mexico."
"Can you give me a good reason why I shouldn't go?"
He didn't answer me. I picked up my hat and walked out of the cabin, around to where the horses were tied. I saddled Noble and mounted, then rode off into the woods. There was no voice calling me back, nothing to ask me where I was going, and I headed Noble up the hill and away from the river. I needed to get as far away from the cabin and Bret as I could, without knowing why. It was just a feeling that I had – something wasn't right between us, and my brother was the only one that knew what it was. Or why it was. And he didn't appear to be talking.
I wasn't mad at him, but I can't say I wasn't upset with him. I didn't understand what the big secret was. Maybe we'd been spending too much time together. Maybe Bret should go find Beau and visit with him for a while, and let me make this trip to Las Cruces by myself. I wanted him to go with me, but not if it was gonna make him crazy.
I rode for a long time, taking Noble up and away from the river, and before I realized it I'd ridden into Trinity, a little town west of Junction Flats. I really hadn't been paying any attention to where I was going, but now that I was here I might as well take advantage of it. I looked for a saloon, and found a cozy looking little place called Lulabelle's.
Before too long I was playing poker and drinking coffee. That's not what I'd intended to do, but it took my mind off my brother and gave me something else to think about for a while. One hand of poker led to another and before I knew it most of the day had passed. Fortunately I was still on one of those 'I can't lose for winnin' streaks that I'd started off on with Bret, and I was several hundred dollars ahead when I got up from the table.
There was a little café down the street and I stopped in there to eat before heading back to the cabin and the brother I'd run away from this morning. I still didn't know what to do about Bret; I didn't want us to part company on unsettled terms, but after I left Uncle Ben's house I was goin' to New Mexico. If he didn't wanna go with me, he had every right not to.
Noble and I rode back slow, neither one of us in any particular hurry to get back, and it was almost dark by the time I arrived. Bret's black stallion was there, peacefully grazing, so I knew that Bret was still exactly where I'd left him that morning.
I took care of Noble and walked around the side of the cabin and found my brother and my cat both fishing. Melody wasn't really my cat, she was her own cat, but for all intents and purposes she seemed to belong to me. Bret looked up and smiled, and it was the most genuine look I'd seen from him in two or three days. "Hey, there he is. You have a good day?"
"Yep," I replied. "You teach Melody to fish?"
"Didn't have to," he explained. "She's a natural." Just as Bret finished, the cat reached into the river and flipped a small fish onto the deck. She then proceeded to enjoy supper.
"I see. No wonder she was doin' just fine before she wandered into camp."
"Bart." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. It didn't require a reply, and I didn't provide one. I took my hat off and went inside, throwing it on the bed. A few seconds later I heard "Bart" again. I removed my jacket, putting it next to the hat, and went back out onto the deck.
"What?" I asked my brother.
"I'm sorry about this mornin'. I was . . . wrong."
"Yeah. You were."
He set the fishing pole down and stood up. "How about if I make a pot of coffee and we talk?"
"Sure." I had to smile just a little. It had been a long time since I'd answered 'sure' to anything, and Bret used to call it my second favorite word. I thought I saw just a little smile on his face, too.
I cleared the deck of the rocking chair and brought out a blanket that I spread across the rough wooden planks. Might as well sit on something comfortable. Bret came out a few minutes later carrying coffee and handed me a cup, then sat down right across from me. We were back to playing twelve-year-olds again.
He pulled out two cigars and handed me one, then lit it and lit his own. We sat and smoked and drank coffee while the cat decided she was tired and went inside, to join my hat and jacket on the bed. Halfway through the cup, Bret finally spoke. "I can give you a good reason why you shouldn't go to Las Cruces."
"Alright," I told him, "let's hear it."
"Because you're gonna get your heart broke if you go."
XXXXXXXX
"What?"
"You heard me. You're gonna get your heart broke if you go."
I had the coffee cup halfway to my mouth and stopped it right where it was. "Why would you say that?" I gave it a moment's thought, and then added, "Why would you think that?"
"Because."
I shook my head in protest. "Oh no, you don't get to use that as a reason. You wouldn't let me use it." God, the man was stubborn. "Just tell me, Bret. Somethin's been botherin' you for weeks. Don't make me guess what I did wrong anymore, please." I thought he was just gonna sit there again without answering me.
I threw the rest of my cigar out into the river and heard it make a 'splash.' I was about to get up and go in to bed when he finally spoke. "You didn't do anything wrong. While you were fightin' that God-awful infection, you were delirious most of the time. I told you, you invented an entire life in Las Cruces. What I didn't tell you was that you also invented the girl you were about to marry when I came to get you."
