was checking on vans and trucks or any suspicious vehicles. The bright moon made his job easy tonight.
All seemed in order. His sweep crossed the Davies' home and he set the glasses down again, thinking of Jo's lips against his—for such a brief moment. She had gone away to college a girl and come back a woman. More importantly, she was speaking to him again.
He remembered the toss of her head when she said, "I don't belong to you." Well, she might not at the moment, but he was sure going to try to change that.
Using his toe, Adam unfolded a camp chair and positioned it closer to the railing. He picked up the flat bone he kept on the windowsill, sat down in the chair, pulled off his boots and began to stroke them with the bone—a trick his great grandfather had learned from a former cavalry officer. It kept the leather's surface hard and smooth—and gave him an excuse to sit outside in the dark, enjoying the stars.
Adam stroked harder. It was time to shake that old man out of his bitterness. He wasn't sure how to do it, but he knew it had to be done to give Johnny a chance.
Johnny with his big plans. He depended upon Adam. Jo's coming back might be the catalyst needed to reach her grandfather. Now that she was older perhaps they would be able to get her to see how unfair the old man was. Her loyalty to her grandfather was blind. Adam would like that kind of loyalty for himself, as it tended to overlook faults—and he had them as well as the next man.
He remembered their kiss—or the slight meeting of lips that Jo considered a kiss. He didn't, but it was a beginning—first to talk, then getting her to offer to kiss him. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
When he wanted something he went after it with a single-minded determination. It had pushed him through school and earned his degree, brought this farm up to par...and all for what? He looked around, realizing he'd planned this part of the house for Jo when he had built his new home two years ago. It was furnished with her favorite colors, things Mike had told him about her. Inadvertently, he hoped. He didn't want Mike to know he was pursuing his sister.
Older than Adam, Mike would tell him it was hopeless, and try to get him to back off. Adam put down his boots and picked up his favorite bridle and started working the bone across the wide brow band. Stroke by stroke, he worked the leather while reality took over. Did he really want to put himself through all the grief of trying to outsmart that old man? The possibility of ever marrying Jo seemed remote.
Jo entered Karen's bedroom and found her sister sitting on the edge of her bed, bare feet swinging, clothed in a summer-weight nightshirt. Karen jumped up to hug her, then stopped to stare at the scratches. "What happened?"
As Jo explained, Karen's mouth dropped in astonishment. "You went to Adam's place?"
"I had to. Don't tell anyone."
"Of course not. Did you see Johnny?”
“No. I didn’t go inside.”
“Do you need any help with the bandages?"
"Would you? I couldn't reach all the spots."
"Sure." She reached over and switched off the TV.
"Would you rather wait until that show's over?" Jo asked.
"No. That's okay." Karen took the bottle of antiseptic from Jo and started to splash it liberally over the long scratch on her back. "You didn't wait very long to get into trouble again, did you?"
It was almost what Adam had said, and Jo grinned wryly. "Never let it be said that I waste any time. Ouch!"
"Sorry. That's deep right there. You're lucky the wire didn't scratch your face, Jo."
"Yes. Just a few spots, but Gramps saw them anyway. His eyes are as sharp as ever."
"You're right. Not much gets by him."
"It's good to be home. I missed Oregon."
"Hold this end of the tape while I cut it. There. Finished." Karen put the first aid supplies on the dresser and wiped her hands on Jo's towel. She smiled at her older sister. "It's great having you back. I could hardly wait. Texting just isn't the same.
All seemed in order. His sweep crossed the Davies' home and he set the glasses down again, thinking of Jo's lips against his—for such a brief moment. She had gone away to college a girl and come back a woman. More importantly, she was speaking to him again.
He remembered the toss of her head when she said, "I don't belong to you." Well, she might not at the moment, but he was sure going to try to change that.
Using his toe, Adam unfolded a camp chair and positioned it closer to the railing. He picked up the flat bone he kept on the windowsill, sat down in the chair, pulled off his boots and began to stroke them with the bone—a trick his great grandfather had learned from a former cavalry officer. It kept the leather's surface hard and smooth—and gave him an excuse to sit outside in the dark, enjoying the stars.
Adam stroked harder. It was time to shake that old man out of his bitterness. He wasn't sure how to do it, but he knew it had to be done to give Johnny a chance.
Johnny with his big plans. He depended upon Adam. Jo's coming back might be the catalyst needed to reach her grandfather. Now that she was older perhaps they would be able to get her to see how unfair the old man was. Her loyalty to her grandfather was blind. Adam would like that kind of loyalty for himself, as it tended to overlook faults—and he had them as well as the next man.
He remembered their kiss—or the slight meeting of lips that Jo considered a kiss. He didn't, but it was a beginning—first to talk, then getting her to offer to kiss him. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
When he wanted something he went after it with a single-minded determination. It had pushed him through school and earned his degree, brought this farm up to par...and all for what? He looked around, realizing he'd planned this part of the house for Jo when he had built his new home two years ago. It was furnished with her favorite colors, things Mike had told him about her. Inadvertently, he hoped. He didn't want Mike to know he was pursuing his sister.
Older than Adam, Mike would tell him it was hopeless, and try to get him to back off. Adam put down his boots and picked up his favorite bridle and started working the bone across the wide brow band. Stroke by stroke, he worked the leather while reality took over. Did he really want to put himself through all the grief of trying to outsmart that old man? The possibility of ever marrying Jo seemed remote.
Jo entered Karen's bedroom and found her sister sitting on the edge of her bed, bare feet swinging, clothed in a summer-weight nightshirt. Karen jumped up to hug her, then stopped to stare at the scratches. "What happened?"
As Jo explained, Karen's mouth dropped in astonishment. "You went to Adam's place?"
"I had to. Don't tell anyone."
"Of course not. Did you see Johnny?”
“No. I didn’t go inside.”
“Do you need any help with the bandages?"
"Would you? I couldn't reach all the spots."
"Sure." She reached over and switched off the TV.
"Would you rather wait until that show's over?" Jo asked.
"No. That's okay." Karen took the bottle of antiseptic from Jo and started to splash it liberally over the long scratch on her back. "You didn't wait very long to get into trouble again, did you?"
It was almost what Adam had said, and Jo grinned wryly. "Never let it be said that I waste any time. Ouch!"
"Sorry. That's deep right there. You're lucky the wire didn't scratch your face, Jo."
"Yes. Just a few spots, but Gramps saw them anyway. His eyes are as sharp as ever."
"You're right. Not much gets by him."
"It's good to be home. I missed Oregon."
"Hold this end of the tape while I cut it. There. Finished." Karen put the first aid supplies on the dresser and wiped her hands on Jo's towel. She smiled at her older sister. "It's great having you back. I could hardly wait. Texting just isn't the same.
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