coffee and nodded. “A few days after Jerome died, the boys started having nightmares.”
Matt shook his head. “They’re young to have lost so much. It’s a good thing they have you.”
She flushed, her skin turning rosy. It wasn’t an idle compliment. Her devotion to the boys was clear, and he respected that.
“Last night I slept in the boy’s room, and I noticed that some branches brush against the window. It made me wonder if that's what gives the boys bad dreams. They scratch, and it sounds like claws on the outside of the house. Seth always dreams of monsters, and I thought to myself that branch sounded just like something bad outside the window. Or it might, to a small boy prone to nightmares.”
Matt pushed his cup and plate aside. “Let's go have a look.”
They walked outside and around the back of the cabin. A tree had blown over in a storm and lay against the cabin, its branches splayed over the roof.
“I never noticed that before. I wonder when that happened,” she said.
Matt walked around and looked at the tree. It was dead, and its brittle branches rested against the wall of the boys’ bedroom.
“I suppose I should feel lucky that it didn't damage my roof,” she said.
“Don't you have a man around that helps you with these things?” Matt couldn't help the irritation in his voice.
Isabelle pursed her lips with clear resentment. “I do have people who help me. I suppose they forgot to walk around the cabin.”
“That's ridiculous. This tree has been dead for months. It should have come down when the cabin was built. It's dangerous to have trees growing so close to a house.”
“Well thank you for the lecture. I'll be sure to keep that in mind the next time I build a cabin.”
Matt growled and turned in the direction of the barn. As he passed the boys, Seth got to his feet and ran after him.
“Where are you going Mr. Hudson?”
“I'm going to tack up Arlo. Want to help?”
“Sure I do. Are you leaving?”
“I'm going to pull down a big tree.”
Seth chuckled. “Can I watch? Is Arlo going to help you?”
“He is. He’s good at pulling down trees.”
“I bet Arlo is good at everything. I bet you are, too, Mr. Hudson.”
Matt glanced down at the boy. “Well, not everything, son, but I know how to pull down trees.”
He tacked Arlo and showed Seth how to bridle a horse. Arlo cooperated, even going so far as lowering his head so Seth could adjust the bridle. When they were done Matt set Seth on the saddle, handed him the lasso and led Arlo back to the cabin.
Matt lifted the boy from the saddle and set him on the ground. “Now we're going to lasso that tree and pull it away from the house so it doesn't make noise at night while you boys are resting. No need to have a tree right up against the house.”
He swung the lasso over his head, and it whistled in the air and landed on the top of the tree where a broken limb jetted out. Next he wound the other end of the rope around the pommel of his saddle. When the rope was tight he told Seth to move away from the horse a bit.
“Think he’s ready, Seth?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, then tell him, Gee Up! ”
Seth grinned and did as he was told. Arlo took a few steps, and the rope tightened. The tree shifted and fell from the side of the house with a crash. Most horses would have shied, but Arlo kept moving forward, dragging the tree behind him. Matt led him further away from the cabin to the edge of the woods. Seth followed close behind.
“All right, son, tell the horse Whoa! ”
Seth did as he was told, and Matt untied the lasso from the pommel and the tree. He put Seth back in the saddle, and they returned to the barn. Matt spent the next hour showing Seth how to groom Arlo. Isabelle walked down to the barn to check on Seth several times. Later that afternoon Matt chopped firewood for Isabelle. If she appreciated any of his efforts she gave no sign.
Ornery woman. She wanted him to leave. She wanted him to stay. A few
Matt shook his head. “They’re young to have lost so much. It’s a good thing they have you.”
She flushed, her skin turning rosy. It wasn’t an idle compliment. Her devotion to the boys was clear, and he respected that.
“Last night I slept in the boy’s room, and I noticed that some branches brush against the window. It made me wonder if that's what gives the boys bad dreams. They scratch, and it sounds like claws on the outside of the house. Seth always dreams of monsters, and I thought to myself that branch sounded just like something bad outside the window. Or it might, to a small boy prone to nightmares.”
Matt pushed his cup and plate aside. “Let's go have a look.”
They walked outside and around the back of the cabin. A tree had blown over in a storm and lay against the cabin, its branches splayed over the roof.
“I never noticed that before. I wonder when that happened,” she said.
Matt walked around and looked at the tree. It was dead, and its brittle branches rested against the wall of the boys’ bedroom.
“I suppose I should feel lucky that it didn't damage my roof,” she said.
“Don't you have a man around that helps you with these things?” Matt couldn't help the irritation in his voice.
Isabelle pursed her lips with clear resentment. “I do have people who help me. I suppose they forgot to walk around the cabin.”
“That's ridiculous. This tree has been dead for months. It should have come down when the cabin was built. It's dangerous to have trees growing so close to a house.”
“Well thank you for the lecture. I'll be sure to keep that in mind the next time I build a cabin.”
Matt growled and turned in the direction of the barn. As he passed the boys, Seth got to his feet and ran after him.
“Where are you going Mr. Hudson?”
“I'm going to tack up Arlo. Want to help?”
“Sure I do. Are you leaving?”
“I'm going to pull down a big tree.”
Seth chuckled. “Can I watch? Is Arlo going to help you?”
“He is. He’s good at pulling down trees.”
“I bet Arlo is good at everything. I bet you are, too, Mr. Hudson.”
Matt glanced down at the boy. “Well, not everything, son, but I know how to pull down trees.”
He tacked Arlo and showed Seth how to bridle a horse. Arlo cooperated, even going so far as lowering his head so Seth could adjust the bridle. When they were done Matt set Seth on the saddle, handed him the lasso and led Arlo back to the cabin.
Matt lifted the boy from the saddle and set him on the ground. “Now we're going to lasso that tree and pull it away from the house so it doesn't make noise at night while you boys are resting. No need to have a tree right up against the house.”
He swung the lasso over his head, and it whistled in the air and landed on the top of the tree where a broken limb jetted out. Next he wound the other end of the rope around the pommel of his saddle. When the rope was tight he told Seth to move away from the horse a bit.
“Think he’s ready, Seth?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, then tell him, Gee Up! ”
Seth grinned and did as he was told. Arlo took a few steps, and the rope tightened. The tree shifted and fell from the side of the house with a crash. Most horses would have shied, but Arlo kept moving forward, dragging the tree behind him. Matt led him further away from the cabin to the edge of the woods. Seth followed close behind.
“All right, son, tell the horse Whoa! ”
Seth did as he was told, and Matt untied the lasso from the pommel and the tree. He put Seth back in the saddle, and they returned to the barn. Matt spent the next hour showing Seth how to groom Arlo. Isabelle walked down to the barn to check on Seth several times. Later that afternoon Matt chopped firewood for Isabelle. If she appreciated any of his efforts she gave no sign.
Ornery woman. She wanted him to leave. She wanted him to stay. A few
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