Ford glanced at Hannah as they trudged through the rain towards Wheeler. He recognized the defiant set of her chin and thought, "Here we go again!"
"Hannah, you aren't gonna do something crazy?" He asked.
"Now, why would you think that?" She grinned at him. "Don't worry hon, I learned my lesson; anger gets you nowhere - 'cept maybe deeper in trouble."
As they neared Wheeler, Ford thought it looked like he might just run off. He took a few steps backward but then seemed to change his mind. He straightened his shoulders, standing tall under a blanket of rain.
They stood before him, shoulder to shoulder. Hannah held an umbrella over them both. She took a half-step forward so the umbrella covered Wheeler too.
"Hello, Mr. Wheeler. Ford here noticed you out here. It's pretty miserable out." She held a hand out letting the rain puddle in her palm. "We got a nice pot of chilli and hot coffee, if you are interested."
Wheeler said nothing but Ford sensed his anger building like a tidal wave. He stepped in front of Hannah instinctively .
"Hey, Mr. Wheeler. Cleo caught the late bus. She was kind of upset you didn't pick her up like you said you would. But I told her she doesn't need a new dress for my sake. She looks pretty in everything." Wheeler's eyes, which had been steadily on Hannah, flicked briefly to meet his. "I told her something must have come up at the ranch. I just mention it to let you know she got home alright. Well, and to warn you. She's kind of mad at you."
Wheeler's shoulders relaxed and Ford stepped back and away from Hannah who'd been tugging on his arm and trying to push him aside. She frowned angrily at him now, but he shook his head at her.
"I appreciate the heads up." Wheeler said. He glanced at Hannah with a malicious grin. "Girls can be difficult for a father to manage." His eyes flicked back to Ford. "Oh, sorry. Guess you wouldn't know much about fathers."
Ford drew in a deep breath but said nothing. He turned to Hannah instead, saying, "Lets go."
"He didn't answer yet." She said softly and even though her face was wet with rain, Ford could see the tears in her eyes and understood down to his very core, that she shed them for him.
"What?" Ford's eyebrows knit together in perplexity.
"You didn't say," She said louder, turning and facing Wheeler again. "If you would stay for supper. We've got plenty."
He studied her a long moment and Ford wished he'd brought a gun with him.
"You are so stupid." He said at last. "Marching out here with an umbrella and a goddam child! I could have a gun! I could grab hold of you. I outweigh him and you combined!"
"You could." She said ignoring Ford's pleas to leave, now.
"You think you got some kind of power over me! You got some kind of special wisdom?"
"No. Same wisdom available to anyone. You just got to open the Book and read it." Her voice was soft and calm but her words were like thunder claps rattling Ford.
"You little . . ." Wheeler took a half-step closing the gap that separated him from Hannah with one hand raised but Ford stepped forward just then catching Wheeler's wrist.
"You don't want to do that, sir. Messing with our cattle is one thing but if you lay a finger on her my brother will come after you and when he's finished, her six brothers will finish the job. And don't let size fool you, our littlest one will pick you apart." Ford was surprised to find that standing close to Wheeler, they met eye-to-eye. He let go of Wheeler's wrist. "Now, she's stubborn as they day is long, so you may as well answer now. Do you want to join us for supper or not?"
Wheeler said nothing,no doubt surprised by Ford's forceful tone. Ford found it surprising himself.
"We'll take your silence as a no then. I think you're a fool though, she's the best damn cook on the planet. I suppose it's just as well though, she's pretty obsessive about table manners. You want us to walk you to the truck?"
"Wha . . . Wha . . What?" Wheeler looked as a man who'd been struck.
"The rain. You'll get drenched. We could walk you under our umbrella." Ford explained.
"No. No." Wheeler said and turning abruptly they watched him walk out the drive and disappear down the road. When he was gone from view Ford staggered backwards, landing on his backside in the rain.
"Holy crap!" He said his head in his hands. He looked up at Hannah who had dropped the umbrella. He felt an unreasonable anger wash over him.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked her. He rose out of the mud and picked up the umbrella holding it over her. "Are you determined to have me witness your murder? He's a grown man! He probably weighs 250 pounds! He probably did have a gun on him!" He glared at her but was caught off guard seeing tears gathering in her eyes. He gently placed the umbrella in her hand and stormed away from her, throwing up his hands in frustration.
"Look," He said walking back to her. "I know you are right. I know that but Jesus! Why does it have to be you? Huh? I get it, okay. Let me face him. Let Brian or Adam."
"Ford," She said her voice husky with tears.
He let out a long slow breath trying to slow the beating of his heart which still hammered in his chest. "Goddamnit, Hannah! You're the only mother I've got!" He said ducking his head to hide his tears.
She reached out with soft fingers that curled around his neck, pulling him toward her so that he rested his head against her shoulder.
"Shhh, now. Shhh." She kissed his forehead. "You protected me. He's gone now. I'm safe." He wrapped his arms around her then and the umbrella fell to the ground.
"I'm sorry, Ford." She said. "I didn't think it through. I'm sorry sweetheart. I am." She leaned back from him and studied him thoughtfully. She kissed his forehead again and he released her, wiping his eyes with the back if his hands. He reached down retrieving the umbrella and held it over her again, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She leaned against him.
"I'm sorry too, Hannah - especially for cursing at you."
"Well, the good Lord knows you come by your temper honestly. Still, a good mother would ground you for it." She grinned up at him and he shook his head at her. They began the walk back to the house together.
"I guess I deserve it." He told her. "Besides a grounding is nothing compared what's gonna happen to you when He finds out about this."
"Adam is probably gonna kill me." She grimaced at the thought.
"I bet he will, but I was talking about Brian."
***7***
Ford stepped out of the steamy bathroom dressed in sweats and a t-shirt. It felt good to be warm and clean. He padded down the hall in bare feet. Stepping down the four steps that led to Adam and Hannah's bedroom, he could clearly hear them arguing even though the door was shut. The closed door was part of the new rule; Do Not Disturb. He pushed the door open.
They looked up startled. Hannah sat at the end of the bed dressed in pajama bottoms and one of Adam's henleys. Adam stood in front of her, clearly furious.
Seeing Ford he said angrily, "This has nothing to do with you!"
"Yeah, it does." Ford said quietly.
"Ford," Hannah said softly, but Adam turned sharply to her.
"You stay out of this, girl!" He pointed a finger at her, and Ford couldn't stop himself from laughing. Adam glared at him, and Hannah's eyes opened wide in surprise.
"I never understood it before." He said to Adam. "You would get so mad! I thought you were being unreasonable; unfair." He shook his head. "People are so frustratingly uncontrollable." He said looking up at his older brother and stepping into the room. Adam's entire body slumped and he looked down at the ground.
"I cursed at her, Adam! I stood there in the rain, cursing at her! Can you imagine? Me?" Ford asked with wide eyes.
"Yeah," Adam said with a long sigh looking up at Ford. "I can. She's pretty difficult." Ford nodded smiling at Adam who held out a long arm, and Ford stepped closer as his brother pulled him into an embrace.
"I'm sorry for that time, I was late and didn't call. I'm sorry for not telling you that I felt sick before my appendix burst. I'm sorry for climbing to the tippy top of every tree I ever saw." He said as Adam began to laugh.
"I forgive you." He said as Ford pushed himself away and looked into Adam's eyes.
"I'm really sorry for that time I broke my collar bone. That's was pretty stupid, and must've scared the crap out of you!" Ford said. Adam said nothing but kissed Ford's forehead.
"It was part of the job." He said at last. "You don't have to apologize for being a boy. Dad always used to tell Mom, 'Boys fall down. They bleed. They get bruised. Can't fight gravity.'"
"Yeah. And a headstrong woman is worth all the trouble she gives you." Ford said turning and looking at Hannah. "You can't fight gravity, Adam."
Adam chuckled and patted Ford's cheek. "Go on, now. Brian saved you some chilli. I gotta kiss her, and apologize and you don't want to witness that! You've been through enough today already."
Ford smiled and hugged Adam tightly to him. "I love you, Dad." He said and Adam ignored it for once and hugged him just as tightly back.
"I love you, too, Ford. Thanks for looking out for her." Ford smiled up at his older brother, and turned to leave, but stopped and doubled-back to where Hannah still sat.
"I love you too." He said bending and giving her a kiss. "You are nothing but trouble, Brian is right about that, but I do love you with all my heart." He smiled and with a nod at Adam disappeared out the door.
Adam glanced at Hannah who was wiping the tears that ran down her cheeks and sighing sat down beside her on the bed.
"That's twice he's saved your life today. You are going to have to make him a pretty awesome birthday cake, now." Adam said to her.
"Adam. . . Wheeler wasn't gonna . . ." She began.
"Now, don't start up that business again. I can still switch to furious pretty easily. It's sort of my natural state." He bumped her shoulder with his. She said nothing. "Come on. You didn't expect me not to be angry, did you?"
"No. I knew I was headed for trouble the second I stepped off the porch, and I feel badly for how it scared him. I would never . . ."
"Oh, I know that. You don't have to apologize for that! You love them. I've no doubt of that. You couldn't love them more if they were your brothers."
"They are." She faced him then, and he smiled at her.
"I know. But honey, you can't . . .if he comes around again. Let us handle it. You are right. He doesn't know how to manage forgiveness and mercy. It unsettles him. And he's a drinking man."
"He is?" She looked up surprised. "I didn't smell any . . ."
"Vodka, usually. He's not a happy person. He hasn't been since I've known him. Every now and again they have to go looking for him. Twice he's gone out drunk as can be and headed up into the hills and been missing for days. He nearly got killed by a cougar once."
"I didn't know that." She hung her head. "I'm sorry. I would never, ever have taken Ford out to him, if I had known he might be drunk. I know how drunks can be." She said softly.
He reached over and lifted her chin, so she couldn't hide from him. "I'm so sorry that you do." He kissed her forehead. "So, promise me you won't go chasing him down like you did. Promise me, you'll trust us to handle it."
"I trust you. It isn't that. I'm used to handling things myself."
"You aren't alone any more, darlin'. I keep telling you that!" He said wrapping his arm around her.
"It takes getting used to." She admitted.
"I can imagine, but you are pretty good at making adjustments pretty quickly. I mean, you got used to living here pretty fast." He grinned at her squeezing her shoulder.
"I'm used to fellas running out on me." She said quietly.
"I'm not your father, Hannah Joy, and if he were alive I'd hunt him down today and . . ."
"Adam, hush." She said. "You told Ford you were gonna kiss me." She looked up at him.
"That's right, I did." He grinned at her and pulled her close. They were kissing still when they heard a voice in the hallway.
"Oh, for pity's sake! Close your door! Are you trying to traumatize me?" Brian said reaching into the room and closing the door.
Hannah fell back onto the bed as Adam laughed. "That's it!" She said. "I'm crawling under the covers and staying there."
"Got room for me?" Adam asked with a lascivious grin. "Come on, girl! We're done fighting." He said standing and holding a hand out to her. "You gotta make sure the brothers can see I didn't kill you. And you need to reassure Guthrie and Evan that Wheeler didn't try and kill you. They were pretty convinced they'd never see Ford or you again! So much as I'd like to take you up on your offer to stay in bed forever," He waggled his eyebrows at her, "You got some parenting duties to fulfill."
Rolling her eyes at him, she took his hand and followed him down the stairs to where her brothers waited anxiously for her return.
"It's 8:54." Evan called out.
"Who won?" Guthrie asked.
"Um . . " Evan studied the paper in his hand. "Daniel! No, wait! Crane beat you by two minutes!"
"Ha! Pay up fellas!" Crane crowed triumphantly. His brothers each reluctantly handed him a wad of money.
"Were you taking bets on our fight?" Adam asked as Hannah collapsed into the armchair close to the fire. Guthrie immediately came and sat at her feet. Smiling, she rested a hand on his shoulder.
"I bet it would last 'til 9:22. You sure you aren't still mad at each other?" He asked turning to look up at her.
"Sorry, cowboy." She grinned at him.
"You hungry, Hannah?" Evan asked. "You missed dinner."
"No, I'm worn out!" She sighed. "I'm sorry for scaring everyone, again."
"I told you." Brian said to Adam. "Becky Hallen."
"You marry her, Bri. I'm already married." Adam said sitting on the couch between Ford and Daniel. Ford leaned against his shoulder.
"Becky Hallen's ugly." Ford said.
"Ford McFadden, don't be unkind!" Hannah corrected him.
"She isn't easy on the eyes, Hannah. And for some reason she always smells like corned beef." Daniel said defending his little brother.
"Corned beef?" Crane asked sitting down on the piano bench. "You'd have to get awfully close to know how she smells, wouldn't you?" He grinned teasingly at Daniel.
"Crane, how about you shut up." Daniel said as his brothers laughed.
"Oh, quit fussin'." Hannah said. "Why don't you boys sing something? My nerves are completely shot."
"Your nerves?" Brian's eyebrows raised, and Adam laughed, but Crane turned around and began to play the piano, and it wasn't long before Daniel had picked up his guitar. The house filled with music, and Hannah leaned back in the armchair, one hand on Guthrie's shoulder, as her brothers surrounded her with song. From where she sat, she could see out into the dark night. The rain had cleared and they sky had filled with stars. She thought of Cleo Wheeler and wondered if right now, she wasn't looking up into the same dark sky, praying with all of her young heart that her father would love her enough to never lift a bottle to his lips again. She looked up surprised to see that Adam had crossed to her, sitting beside her in the armchair, his arm tight around her shoulder. He kissed her forehead, and she relaxed into him allowing the voices of her brothers to pull her back away from her dark thoughts, and once again into the warm, comforting embrace of home.