them with him.
Jess Chandler owed him more than the rest of the farmers he'd sold to. The crazy crow was a good shot and damn near put a bullet in him last time he'd been out to her place. He'd set her straight today. He'd bring old Savage and the boys. The mutt would attack anyone Elwood commanded him to, and Red could clip a whiskey bottle a hundred yards away. Elwood would love to see that devil woman thrashing on the ground with a chunk of her throat missing or a bullet in her chest.
He peered out the window once more and groaned. There was still no sign of Nora.
"Joe," he hollered. "Joe, come on in here."
The boy had been sitting in the lobby, waiting for Nora.
The shuffle of Joe's feet grew louder as he got closer.
"Yes, Pa. Yes, Pa."
Joe stood in the doorway wearing a blue shirt buttoned wrong and tucked into his denims. His rounded back was more prominent today, and the sadly buttoned shirt did nothing to hide it. His dirty-blonde hair stuck out in all directions, while crumbs from the cookie he'd been eating gathered at the sides of his mouth.
"Look at you." He motioned with his chin. "You're a mess."
He walked toward him.
"Damn it, boy, why can't you clean yourself up?" He raised his hand and the boy flinched.
He chuckled. The kid was afraid him. A rush of excitement bolted through his veins, and he brought his arm back down to his side. Some days he had to show the kid who was in charge. He'd done enough damage that it didn't much matter what he did to him anymore. Joe usually followed the rules, but when he didn't, Elwood had a way of reminding him.
He loved seeing the fear in Joe's blue eyes and the way he'd withdraw whenever Elwood was mad. The kid was useless around the mine, and most days he was locked in his room.
"Do you remember when Miss Rushton said she was stopping by?"
"I like Nora. I like Nora." He swayed his head.
"Yeah, I get that." Elwood went back to glance out the window. Why wasn't she here? He wanted to make sure they had dinner together. "Damn woman."
"Nora's not a damn woman. Damn woman. She isn't a witch, a witch either." Joe stopped, a loud moan came from his wet lips and his eyes rolled back.
Elwood turned from the window. "Ah, hell."
He grabbed Joe's arm, brought him to a chair and shoved him into the rose-colored fabric. He was getting mighty tired of these episodes and considered leaving the kid in the middle of nowhere. Be rid of the invalid for good. Spit dripped from Joe's mouth, and his whole body twitched. Elwood took his time removing his expensive suit coat which he placed neatly on a chair.
"I need a drink." He rummaged through the liquor cabinet.
Joe's arms were rigid, and his fingernails dug into his palms. The front of his shirt was wet, and a high pitched sound hummed from his lips. His boots tapped on the floor and grated on Elwood's nerves so that he knocked over a bottle of Champagne.
"Where's the damn whiskey?" He pulled out a dusty bottle of scotch and decided that would do.
Joe was still in the full effects of his fit.
Not bothered by it at all, Elwood uncorked the scotch, smelled the bottle and poured himself a drink.
The boys crippled legs bounced up and down in perfect cadence. Damn, this was taking forever. When this happened at the mine, he'd make sure he was nowhere near the kid. He downed the alcohol, poured himself another glass and walked toward Joe. He glared at him and gave his leg a little kick. The boy continued to shake, his body stiff.
He'd had enough. Elwood brought his leg back to kick him again, a little harder this time when he heard voices coming into the dining room.
He swallowed the remaining scotch and knelt in front of Joe when a man and woman entered the room.
"Son, come out of it. Daddy's here," Elwood crooned.
"Oh, dear." The woman rushed toward them. "Is your boy okay?"
"He suffers from fits." Elwood frowned and made his eyes water. "I hope he comes out of it soon."
"Oh, you poor thing."
June came into the
Jess Chandler owed him more than the rest of the farmers he'd sold to. The crazy crow was a good shot and damn near put a bullet in him last time he'd been out to her place. He'd set her straight today. He'd bring old Savage and the boys. The mutt would attack anyone Elwood commanded him to, and Red could clip a whiskey bottle a hundred yards away. Elwood would love to see that devil woman thrashing on the ground with a chunk of her throat missing or a bullet in her chest.
He peered out the window once more and groaned. There was still no sign of Nora.
"Joe," he hollered. "Joe, come on in here."
The boy had been sitting in the lobby, waiting for Nora.
The shuffle of Joe's feet grew louder as he got closer.
"Yes, Pa. Yes, Pa."
Joe stood in the doorway wearing a blue shirt buttoned wrong and tucked into his denims. His rounded back was more prominent today, and the sadly buttoned shirt did nothing to hide it. His dirty-blonde hair stuck out in all directions, while crumbs from the cookie he'd been eating gathered at the sides of his mouth.
"Look at you." He motioned with his chin. "You're a mess."
He walked toward him.
"Damn it, boy, why can't you clean yourself up?" He raised his hand and the boy flinched.
He chuckled. The kid was afraid him. A rush of excitement bolted through his veins, and he brought his arm back down to his side. Some days he had to show the kid who was in charge. He'd done enough damage that it didn't much matter what he did to him anymore. Joe usually followed the rules, but when he didn't, Elwood had a way of reminding him.
He loved seeing the fear in Joe's blue eyes and the way he'd withdraw whenever Elwood was mad. The kid was useless around the mine, and most days he was locked in his room.
"Do you remember when Miss Rushton said she was stopping by?"
"I like Nora. I like Nora." He swayed his head.
"Yeah, I get that." Elwood went back to glance out the window. Why wasn't she here? He wanted to make sure they had dinner together. "Damn woman."
"Nora's not a damn woman. Damn woman. She isn't a witch, a witch either." Joe stopped, a loud moan came from his wet lips and his eyes rolled back.
Elwood turned from the window. "Ah, hell."
He grabbed Joe's arm, brought him to a chair and shoved him into the rose-colored fabric. He was getting mighty tired of these episodes and considered leaving the kid in the middle of nowhere. Be rid of the invalid for good. Spit dripped from Joe's mouth, and his whole body twitched. Elwood took his time removing his expensive suit coat which he placed neatly on a chair.
"I need a drink." He rummaged through the liquor cabinet.
Joe's arms were rigid, and his fingernails dug into his palms. The front of his shirt was wet, and a high pitched sound hummed from his lips. His boots tapped on the floor and grated on Elwood's nerves so that he knocked over a bottle of Champagne.
"Where's the damn whiskey?" He pulled out a dusty bottle of scotch and decided that would do.
Joe was still in the full effects of his fit.
Not bothered by it at all, Elwood uncorked the scotch, smelled the bottle and poured himself a drink.
The boys crippled legs bounced up and down in perfect cadence. Damn, this was taking forever. When this happened at the mine, he'd make sure he was nowhere near the kid. He downed the alcohol, poured himself another glass and walked toward Joe. He glared at him and gave his leg a little kick. The boy continued to shake, his body stiff.
He'd had enough. Elwood brought his leg back to kick him again, a little harder this time when he heard voices coming into the dining room.
He swallowed the remaining scotch and knelt in front of Joe when a man and woman entered the room.
"Son, come out of it. Daddy's here," Elwood crooned.
"Oh, dear." The woman rushed toward them. "Is your boy okay?"
"He suffers from fits." Elwood frowned and made his eyes water. "I hope he comes out of it soon."
"Oh, you poor thing."
June came into the
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