Chapter Two

Francie sat beside her brother, staring at the closed eyes in the face that was much too pale. She wiped away the tear that slid down her face.

"He'll be all right, hon." Her mother patted her shoulder and bent to press a kiss to the top of her head.

"Don't seem right, Ma. It just ain't natural. Not for him. Bein' all quiet and still like that," the young girl whispered, never moving her eyes away from her brother.

"He's wore out. And that comfort tea is workin' on him. That's a good thing. Just stay close by now."

Francie nodded and pulled the blanket up a bit more, tucking it around Jess's shoulders. Anna smiled at the loving gesture. Then a frown replaced the pleasant expression as she silently moved away from the children.

An uneasiness plagued her. She had seen Luke leading the bay into the corral at least a half hour ago. But he hadn't gone into the barn, and he hadn't returned to the house. That momentary haunted look she had glimpsed in his eyes was worrisome. After another quick word to Francie, Anna slipped out the door and made her way around to the back of the small cabin.

He was there, sitting beside the plank he had been working on that afternoon, before Jess was hurt. Bent forward, he stared at something in his hands. She took another quiet step and could view the object. The hatchet. Even from this point she could see the dried blood on it. She forced away the shiver that gripped her, and then tentatively approached her husband.

He didn't look up. Did he realize she was there? Her unspoken question was answered when, without moving, without even raising his eyes from the place they were fixed─on his son's blood─Luke spoke.

"Dang fool thing I did."

She sank down to sit beside him on the small bench, reaching to lay her hand on his arm.

"It was an accident, Luke. You been workin' so hard, sleepin' so little. You're exhausted."

"Ain't no excuse for bein' careless."

"It's a reason for simply forgettin' where a tool was left."

He didn't respond. She watched him, understanding his guilt and not knowing how to help.

Luke rubbed his thumb against the flat side of the hatchet, just beneath the red streak. "How's he doin'?"

"He's sleepin'. I got Francie sittin' with him."

"If he's gonna need… sewed up…" Luke gulped. "…I don't expect you to do that, darlin.' I know ya can. You done it for me. But it's different if it's your boy." He drew in a breath. "And you know my work with a needle and thread ain't worth nothin'. Maybe we can ask Missus Peterson, the Delaney's housekeeper… to stitch it," he said quietly, his voice cracking slightly. "I know she done that for some of the cowhands."

Anna watched his hand nervously clutching and releasing the hatchet's handle. Her eyes moved from Luke's hands to his face, noticing the muscle in his jaw twitch.

He still stared at the hatchet. "Hate that he's sufferin'. Hate that it's due to me."

"Now, don't talk like that, Luke. 'Sides, I don't think it's gonna take stitchin'. The cut's long. But like you said, it ain't too deep. It's stopped bleedin'. And we got it bandaged up tight. I think that'll be enough to hold it closed till it knits itself."

The hot Texas breeze stirred the leaves on the nearby cherry tree. It was the only sound audible as she sat still and watched her husband. And waited. Listening to his soft breaths as the silence, rather than separating them, drew them that much closer together, as it always did.

"I shouldn't oughta done it, Anna."

"Like I said, it was an acci─."

"Nah, I ain't talking 'bout that right now," he interrupted. "I shouldn't oughta said what I said to him."

"What do ya mean?"

For the first time, her husband raised his gaze to meet hers. "He's just a kid. Only seven years old. And I'm tellin' him to keep his hurts to himself."

"Not for now. You're tellin' him that for when he's a man. Teachin' him to be strong for the future."

"I'm teachin' him to deny how he truly feels. Ain't that the same as teachin' him to lie?"

Anna blinked her uncertainty. "But… a growed man in this part of the country has to be mighty strong. That's why you told him what you did. Teachin' him how to keep safe when he becomes a man."

He turned his eyes away from her again. "That's the most of it, I reckon."

"What else could it be?"

Luke stared out into the distance. "Anna, did you ever… did you ever have a feelin' 'bout the future? Like there was some kinda… warnin' maybe… comin' at ya from years ahead?"

"No. I never did. But I remember how your granny used to talk 'bout the way she sometimes got a… per… Oh, now what did she call it? A per… permanooshun… or somethin' like that."

"Premonition."

"Yeah. That was the word she used. She talked 'bout it how you said. Like somethin' comin' at ya to tell ya what the future's gonna be."

Luke drew a deep breath. "For the past couple a' weeks, I been gittin' this strange feelin' 'bout… that somethin's gonna happen. Not soon. But not real far in the future neither. Can see our kids, still young."

"Is it somethin' good… or bad?"

"Can't tell. It's all like a picture that's kinda hazy. Cloudy. Like lookin' through smoke."

Anna frowned in concern.

"It just comes with an uneasy feelin'." Luke smiled ruefully. "I'd like to think that means bein' uneasy in the future 'cause of just needin' to pick between two choices, maybe even real good ones." He glanced at Anna, and she returned his smile.

His expression turned serious. "But the thing is… that premonition feelin' is the strongest… when I look at Jess."

For a moment, a look of fear crossed Anna's face. But she quickly chased it away, unable to face the idea that something bad could happen to one of her children. "Maybe he's the one who'll have good choices to pick from."

"Maybe." But Luke's tone didn't carry the optimism to accompany the words. "I just know that he's gonna have a greater need than most men for bein' strong. For people to believe he's strong." He lowered his voice. "For him to believe it himself."

He bowed his head, again sadly viewing his son's blood. "He's gonna need that faith in his own strength. Gonna need it to protect himself." He paused. "And other folks."

Anna trembled. "Who?"

Luke shrugged and shook his head.

The young parents again sat in silence, troubled looks on both their faces. Finally, Luke raised his blue eyes to lock with his wife's brown. He caressed her cheek, and a slight smile parted his lips.

"Don't worry. Jess is… well, he's special. He's a special boy, Anna. And it's like I told him─and I really believe this─Jess is gonna be a man to be reckoned with. No matter what happens in this mixed up ol' world, Jess can handle it."

She smiled hesitantly.

Luke sighed. "I still wish I wouldn't 'a told him he had to always say 'I'm fine.' When he feels better, reckon I should have another talk with him. Tell him he can be honest 'bout the way he feels."

Anna thought for a moment. "I don't s'pose you need to bother 'bout that. He was hurtin'. You got him through it. But I doubt that he'll actually remember any of what was said."

Luke pondered that. "Yeah. After all, he is only seven. He won't take it much to heart."

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

─end of Part One─