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“Yeah,” Dora said, “with us!”

“No, ladies,” Shaye said, “I’m sorry to say, not with you. Over to the hotel, you three.”

James disengaged himself from Dora, picked up Matthew’s hat, which had fallen to the floor, and handed it to his brother. Matthew stepped away from Henri and put his hat on. Shaye noticed he was moving kind of gingerly.

“You all right, Matthew?”

“A little sore in the ribs, Pa,” Matthew said. “He hit pretty hard.”

“We’ll take a look at it back at the hotel,” Shaye said, “decide if you need a doctor or not.”

“I’ll be fine, Pa.”

James moved around the room, collecting the remainder of the money that was wagered against Matthew, then turned to look at his father with a smile that died quickly.

“Uh, Pa—”

“I’ll take that, James,” Shaye said. “We can use it to buy some supplies.”

“Oh, uh, sure, Pa,” James said, handing the money over. “That was what we was figurin’, anyway.”

“I’m sure you were,” Shaye said. “Come on, boys. Let’s git.”

Matthew turned and waved good-bye to Henri, and then he and James went out the door, followed by Thomas.

“Won’t be anymore trouble, Sheriff,” Shaye said. “We’ll be gone come morning.”

Stover nodded, but didn’t say a word as Shaye made his way to the door, to follow his sons to the hotel.

24

Matthew bunked with his father that night, so Shaye could check the young man’s ribs. They were sore, but he didn’t think they were cracked or broken.

“Good thing he didn’t hit you twice,” Shaye said.

“He hit pretty hard,” Matthew said. “I figured I couldn’t afford to let him hit me again.”

“Smart lad. Better get ready for bed now.”

There were two beds in the room. They took turns washing with the pitcher and basin on the dresser, then each climbed into their beds after Shaye doused the light.

“Pa?”

“Yes, Matthew?”

“Sorry about tonight.”

“Nothing to be sorry about, Matthew,” Shaye said. “Maybe you learned something tonight.”

“Maybe I did.”

A few moments went by, then Matthew said, “Learned what?” but by then Shaye was snoring.

In the other room, Thomas and James had turned in as well, but neither fell asleep right away.

“Thomas?”

“What?”

“Do you think you’re in trouble with Pa?”

“Naw,” Thomas said. “Pa didn’t seem that upset.”

There was a pause, then James asked, “Do you think Pa will ever talk to us about Ma?”

“Yes, James, he will,” Thomas said. “He’s just not ready yet.”

“When do you think he will be ready?”

Thomas pushed himself up on to one elbow and looked at his brother in the other bed. “Probably when we’re finished with what we have to do,” he answered. “Why, James? Do you want to talk about Ma?”

“All the time.”

Thomas laid back down on his back and folded his hands across his belly. “Okay, James,” he said, “what do you want to talk about?”

“Well,” James said, taking a moment, “do you remember that time when…”

When they met in the lobby to check out and get some breakfast, Shaye said to Thomas, “You don’t look very well rested.”

Thomas waited until Matthew and James had gone outside before he answered.

“James kept me up most of the night.”

“Snoring?”

“Talkin’.”

“About what?”

Thomas hesitated, then said, “Ma.”

Shaye put his hand on Thomas’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about that, son,” he said. “That should be my job. I should be talking to all three of you about her, I guess.”

“It’s okay, Pa,” Thomas said. “I’m the oldest. I can help you with James and Matthew.”

“I appreciate that, Thomas. You’re a good brother, as well as a good son. But if the boys want to talk about their mother, I guess I should be the one to do it.”

“Why can’t we both do it, Pa?” Thomas asked. “And why can’t Matthew and James talk about Ma between themselves? We can all do it, can’t we?”

Shaye clasped his hand on the back of Thomas’s neck and said, “Sure, Thomas, we can all do it.”

Thomas went outside to join his brothers. Shaye stayed behind a moment. He was proud of Thomas for looking out for his brothers, and he hoped that the boys would talk about their mother among themselves. However, talking to them about their mother’s death—that was a father’s job. He knew he’d have to find the time to talk to each of the boys alone somewhere along the trail.

Stepping outside, he saw the boys standing together off to one side. Maybe it wasn’t fair to make them accompany him on his vendetta, he thought. But they had demanded to come, demanded to be deputized. They hadn’t known exactly what they were getting themselves into, but he doubted that any of them would turn back, given the chance.

But perhaps they should be given the chance after all.

“Let’s go, boys,” he said, joining them. “A good breakfast and we’ll be on our way.”

“Can’t wait to put this town behind us,” Matthew said, touching his ribs.

“You did pretty good for yourself, big brother,” James said. “Pretty good for all of us. In fact, it’s the money we won betting on you that’s gonna buy us breakfast—and I’m havin’ a big one!”

They all had big breakfasts and left the café with bulging stomachs.

“Thank you, Matthew,” Thomas said. “That was a fine breakfast.”

“Pa paid for it,” Matthew said.

“Maybe,” James said, “but you earned the money.”

“And got sore ribs for his trouble,” Shaye said. “Maybe I should turn the money over to Matthew.”

“All of it?” James asked.

“Well,” Shaye said, “maybe what’s left after we reoutfit.”

They went to the livery for their horses, then rode to the general store to spend some of the money they’d won. They all came out carrying canvas bags which they tied to their saddles, having split all the supplies evenly between them.

As they mounted up to leave, Shaye noticed Sheriff Ray Stover standing out in front of his office, watching them.

“Wait here a second,” Shaye told his sons. He turned his horse and directed it over to where the sheriff was standing.

“Sheriff Shaye,” Stover said.

“Sheriff Stover.”

“Headin’ out?”

“That’s right.”

Ray Stover looked off into the distance. Shaye knew the man had something to tell him, figured he’d let him get to it in his own time.

Finally, Stover looked up at Shaye, who was patiently sitting his horse. “You want to head toward Oklahoma City.”

“Is that a fact?”

“Well…it’s just a feelin’ I have, ya know?” Stover said. “Kind of a lawman’s feelin’?”

Now it was Shaye’s turn to look off into the distance, toward Oklahoma City. “Yes, I know,” he said. “I’ve had those feelings myself.”

“I figured you would’ve.”

“Thanks, Sheriff.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Shaye turned his horse, then turned it again so he was facing Stover once more. “You know, if you’re lying to me…”

“Yes,” Stover said, “I know.”

Shaye nodded, then turned his horse and rode to join his sons.

25

“Why are we headin’ for Oklahoma City?” Terry Petry asked Ethan Langer. “I thought we had to head north to meet the rest.”

Langer took a moment before answering Petry. Normally he would have either backhanded the man from his saddle for questioning him or just outright killed him. Aaron, he knew, would have killed Petry without a thought. But then Aaron wasn’t having those dreams.