"Brothers, we need to talk."
"Why d-don't you ever come in and say 'brothers, we have to b-be silent?"
Josh snorted. "He's not too good at that. What do we need to talk about now?"
"Well, it's almost September."
"Noticed that, did you? Was it the return of the rain or the trees starting to turn that clued you in?"
"T-trees," Jeremy answered for Jason. "B-besides us, that's the only thing he ever n-notices."
Both brothers laughed in agreement. Jason sat down at the table while the others continued cooking. "This time it's about both."
"We're already asking about experienced workers for the hardwoods, but it's early yet. I've been inventorying what we have on hand. Which isn't much. We've sold a lot of the seasoned stuff, and some of the green. Well, half-green. What else is there?"
"For one thing, we're going to move the camp down to a lower altitude for the harvesting. We need to look out for a large enough space, considering we have more men now. Where we worked last year wouldn't hold us all, as well as it being a bad idea to reuse the same section too often."
"You think they'll all stay the winter?"
"I want to be ready if they do."
"Look at you, thinking ahead."
"Keeps my younger brother from nagging me about the need to do so. Is that coffee ready?"
"Mm," Josh answered, while Jeremy poured cups for each of them. The table was already set, just waiting for Josh to serve up tonight's meat, potatoes and bread. "We can keep our eyes open and let you know. Right, Jeremy? Here." Josh handed him a filled plate. "Anything else?"
Jeremy put the plate in front of Jason and returned to Josh in time to get his own plate and take it to the table.
Jason waited until Josh came to the table. "The new school session starts September first."
"Oh," Josh said, while Jeremy just made a protesting sound, but no words.
"Changed your mind, Jeremy?" Jason asked kindly. "Do we need to discuss this more?"
"Again," Josh chimed in.
Jeremy shook his head.
Jason let out a breath. "Good. I know it's a bit earlier than we anticipated, but –"
"B-but we ag-greed." Jeremy nodded. "Will it be over sooner?"
"I'm not sure, but I don't think so. What I heard was from September first until Christmas Eve."
"Yeah, it's usually three months," Josh said. "Glad I'm not going."
"That can change," Jason said ominously, but with a twinkle in his eye.
"Well, I don't get paid for teaching the youngers while Teach teaches the older ones. Which is what was happening."
"I appreciate that."
"So what's the problem?"
"How are we going to manage this? Will he stay here and go into town every morning and come back in the evening? Or should we be living in town and you and I be going back and forth? No, Jeremy, you're not going to stay all by yourself every night. I'd like to keep the town on our side as long as I can."
"Maybe he could stay at Lottie's?"
"No, that won't preserve the goodwill, and the mothers would all be offering to take him in instead, and I don't think Jeremy would like that."
"No," Jeremy agreed. "They- they- they try to f-f-fix me. M-make me laugh and b-be silly, or t-talk r-right. Or want me to t-talk t-to them l-like they are M-mama. And they ain't."
"You do know that's because they want to help you, Jeremy? They care about your problems." Jason spoke gently.
"THEY are my p-problems, or th-their d-dumb m-mean kids are. Fix THEM."
"And what happens when it starts getting cold or snows a lot?" Josh mused, thinking ahead. "And getting dark earlier and staying dark later? By the time it gets full winter, we should be staying in town with him, and only working while he's in school – more or less. But before that, he could get back and forth on his own, couldn't he?"
"Yes," Jeremy answered firmly, which made Jason laugh.
"Better have him ride in and use the livery. At least when the weather gets unpredictable. We don't need him getting soaked and getting sick."
"I know how to w-wear coats an' rainc-coats. And I c-could prob'ly get one of those tar b-blankets."
"The tarpaulin is a good idea," Jason agreed. "You could carry one back and forth with you, and your rain gear, too. You'll probably need a lunch pail, too, if we're not going to be in town, and you definitely need new shoes."
Jeremy nodded.
"He oughta have a new school outfit, too," Josh commented. "Or two."
"You think so?"
Josh and Jeremy both thought so, although Jeremy was more reluctant to admit it.
"He needs a haircut, too."
"When doesn't he?"
"H-hey!"
The brothers laughed together.
"We'll make a list, and look into getting it all ready over the weekend," Jason decided, taking a sheet of paper from his own leather-bound notebook that Josh had deemed essential. He listed a few things, then pegged the paper to the wall.
"It is good to be inside four solid walls when the rains come cold." Jason sat back, relaxed. "Do you think we'll need a fire tonight, or be okay with just the stove?"
Josh and Jeremy looked at one another, nodded to one another, and exclaimed, with one voice, "Fire!" as they began to clear the table.
Jason laughed again when he saw that the fire had been laid and was just waiting to be lit.
TOWN
Jeremy stayed close to his brothers when they got into town. It wasn't because he was afraid, like he used to be when people talked to him, and it wasn't because he didn't like people touching him and patting his head like he was a dog.
Well, maybe it was a little bit because of those reasons, but it was really because the town was different. The biggest thing was the old trading post had been torn down and burnt up, (That had been a bad-smelling fire, too!) and a new neat clean store had been built in its place. The store had nicer stuff that didn't smell like hides, and looked clean. There was a man and a lady that took care of it. They had already-made clothes and they sold books for all ages and lots of different candies. Sometimes the lady even made cookies for sale. They would buy fish and rabbits and potatoes and stuff, too. For money, not just trade.
Jason said they'd take a look at the garments, so Jeremy should speak up if he had any preference.
"I p-pr-prefer to n-not g-get clothes," Jeremy said, with dignity.
So why were his brothers laughing at him?
"You'd rather wear – what?" Jason asked. Patiently.
"We could buy you a dress instead," Josh offered. "They have those ready-made, too."
Jeremy sniffed, and decided the real reason he didn't like town was because his brothers acted funny. Like they were kids, or silly, or both.
"You're going to have new clothes, Jeremy. If we can find them here, or if I have to pay someone to fit them and make them for you, you're going to have them. There's not much left from Josh's clothing at your age, and what there is probably won't last long. Now you can choose, or I will." Jason steered Jeremy to where the childrens clothes were and began looking through them. "Or we can let Josh choose."
He laughed when Jeremy glared at him.
Josh started looking at the dresses, holding up a frilly blue one.
Jeremy scowled and turned his back to Josh, and let Jason hold up various garments up to him. "I want to d-dress like an Indian."
"That will be fine, back on the mountain when you're not working. NOT for school and church. Or in town."
Jeremy muttered something that Jason didn't ask him to repeat.
The store-man spoke to Jason. He said, "My Emily can do any alterations you need."
"We can handle it," Jason replied. "But, thank you."
"You Bolts really do like to take care of everything yourselves."
"If we can," Jason answered evenly. "When we can't, we not only accept help, we've even been known to ask for it. Right, brothers?"
"Yeah, sure," Josh answered from the other side of the store.
This time Jeremy and Jason got to laugh at Josh, for agreeing to who-knows-what.
Jason finished with his purchases and asked to have them delivered.
"Now, Jeremy, shall we get our hair cut? If you don't want to, I'm sure Josh could do it for you."
"He p-practices on his own self enough." Jeremy looked up at Jason. "What are you gonna do?"
"Go to the barber."
"Do we got to do it now?"
"It will give you time to get used to it before you come to school."
Jeremy thought that over. "I'll g-go with you," he decided.
"Good."
The brothers walked out, leaving Josh behind. Jeremy looked over his shoulder as they left the store. "He's w-waiting on that g-girl."
"What girl is that?"
"Mary Alice. He likes to touch her hair. And her face. And her hands. S-sometimes her clothes."
"He does?" Jason was startled at the idea. "When does he do all this touching? I'd think someone would object."
"Not HER. And whenever they d-don't think anyone is l-looking." Jeremy grinned. "Almost ever'body at school knows, I think."
"Good heavens." Jason wondered what, if anything, he should say to Josh. He hoped not. Talking to Josh was prickly enough, when it was about everyday things. Surely to heaven Josh had learned a few things on his buying trips? What if it were too few things? Or the wrong things?
He continued to think this over while Jeremy's hair was being cut, and again while his was done. Then he stopped himself. This wasn't his job. Was it?
"Let's get something to eat, little brother. You hungry?"
"Uh-huh."
Jason was laughing at Jeremy for shaking his head,to get the hair that wasn't there out of his eyes, and then laughed harder when he realized he was running his hands through his own no-longer-there hair.
Jeremy looked up at him and laughed, too. It was nice walking down the street with Jason like this. Like he wasn't a CHILD.
Jason saw the thought on Jeremy's face , and barely stopped himself from taking Jeremy's hand. God forbid if he'd try to pick him up!
Joshua was across the street, talking to Mary Alice Cummings, and waved at his brothers. Coincidentally, the blue dress he'd been teasing Jeremy with would make the girl absolutely lovely, and the ruffles would have accentuated her assets well.
Jason shook his head at his own thoughts, as he and Jeremy waited for Josh to join them, which he did after a few more moments with the girl.
"Are we having a late lunch or an early supper?" Josh asked.
"We're having a meal. Cooked by someone who knows how."
"Works for me." Josh whistled while walking down the street, but his eyes were watching the girl who was now gathering a crowd as she talked and laughed.
"Looks like you have some competition."
Josh blushed. "Nah, not really. You didn't see them while I was there, did you?"
"Yeah, they w-were on the st-steps."
"What did you do with Jeremy? Trade him in for a new one? This one looks a lot neater, but he's just as mouthy."
Jeremy stomped on Josh's foot.
Jason laughed.
The brothers went into Lottie's to get their meal and spent the evening with friends, visiting as if they'd been gone for a long time.