to keep from laughing. “I suppose he fell?”
“No. I hit him in the mouth with a flashlight. It was
necessary.”
I sighed, stared up at the heavens, begged for patience.
When I looked back down, Jesse was grinning at me. “God, I
have got to paint you with that look on your face. That’s like
the tenth time I’ve seen it.”
“Did the kids in the Honda call 911?”
She looked at me then. “Sadie called, the kids in the
Honda called, Jesse Clayton Senior called.”
Marathon Cowboys | Sarah Black
51
The Original had his arm around Sadie. “You come on
back to the house with me.”
“She can stay in my room,” I said. I was starting to
wonder how many grandkids were going to show up.
The Original shook his head. “Her cousin wants to help
out so much, he can do something useful. She can stay in
his room.” He waited until the deputy climbed back in the
car and rolled down the alleyway. “Jesse, if you so much as
put one finger on that shotgun, I am going to beat your sorry
ass. Talking to you is like talking to a God-damned brick
wall. I told you no. What did you not understand about
that?”
Jesse looked at me for help, but I just held up my
hands. He put his hands on his hips. “Mary took it away
from me.”
“Thank you for keeping this shit-for-brains grandson of
mine off death row for killing another idiot with my shotgun.”
I hadn’t known him long, but the old man was ready to spit
nails, anybody could see that.
Sadie pulled her robe closed, held the fabric together at
the neck. “Granddad, I’m gonna stay here with Mama. As
long as he’s in custody, I’m okay, right?”
“Yes, darling. They’ll call before anything else happens.
But you come on over to my house in the morning, we’ll talk
about what’s best to do.”
“Okay, Granddad.”
After she had been bundled back into the house, The
Original turned to look at Jesse. I started walking back to my
truck.
“Did you hit that boy, Jesse?”
Marathon Cowboys | Sarah Black
52
“Yeah, I did. It would have been better if I could have hit
him across the mouth with the shotgun. All I had was the
flashlight.”
I glanced back at them. “He deserved it,” I told the old
man. “He had a smart mouth. If Jesse hadn’t popped him, I
was thinking about dislocating his shoulder.”
No one had anything else to say. When we got to my
truck, Jesse slid into the middle, and The Original climbed
in after him and shut the door. When we got back to the
house, we all three made for the kitchen and took seats.
Then Jesse got back up and put on a pot of coffee.
The Original looked at me a long time. “Why did you let
that idiot boy drag you into another piece of trouble? I know
full well who is responsible for this and who was responsible
up in Alpine.”
Jesse turned from the coffeepot. “Granddad, that’s not
fair.”
The Original pointed a bony finger at him. “You just
keep your peace.” He looked back at me. I don’t know if he
was expecting some kind of answer, but I wasn’t sure I had
anything to say.
“You wouldn’t expect me to let him go by himself?”
“No, I guess not.” He turned to Jesse. “Son, can’t you
see that Lorenzo has got things to do? He came down here
for something and you’re just sweeping him up in all your
nonsense and distracting him from his work!”
Jesse looked at me, his eyes troubled. He rubbed along
the angle of his jaw. “Mary, I didn’t mean….”
“You didn’t do anything. Jesse, you mind if I talk to your
Granddad in private?” They both looked startled, and Jesse
Marathon Cowboys | Sarah Black
53
nodded, went out of the kitchen with another long look at
me.
“Mr. Clayton, if this isn’t a good time for me to be here, I
can always find another….”
He was shaking his head. “No, sir. You and I made an
arrangement, and I want to stick to it. But I’m worried, son.”
He looked at me a long time then, his eyes such a
“No. I hit him in the mouth with a flashlight. It was
necessary.”
I sighed, stared up at the heavens, begged for patience.
When I looked back down, Jesse was grinning at me. “God, I
have got to paint you with that look on your face. That’s like
the tenth time I’ve seen it.”
“Did the kids in the Honda call 911?”
She looked at me then. “Sadie called, the kids in the
Honda called, Jesse Clayton Senior called.”
Marathon Cowboys | Sarah Black
51
The Original had his arm around Sadie. “You come on
back to the house with me.”
“She can stay in my room,” I said. I was starting to
wonder how many grandkids were going to show up.
The Original shook his head. “Her cousin wants to help
out so much, he can do something useful. She can stay in
his room.” He waited until the deputy climbed back in the
car and rolled down the alleyway. “Jesse, if you so much as
put one finger on that shotgun, I am going to beat your sorry
ass. Talking to you is like talking to a God-damned brick
wall. I told you no. What did you not understand about
that?”
Jesse looked at me for help, but I just held up my
hands. He put his hands on his hips. “Mary took it away
from me.”
“Thank you for keeping this shit-for-brains grandson of
mine off death row for killing another idiot with my shotgun.”
I hadn’t known him long, but the old man was ready to spit
nails, anybody could see that.
Sadie pulled her robe closed, held the fabric together at
the neck. “Granddad, I’m gonna stay here with Mama. As
long as he’s in custody, I’m okay, right?”
“Yes, darling. They’ll call before anything else happens.
But you come on over to my house in the morning, we’ll talk
about what’s best to do.”
“Okay, Granddad.”
After she had been bundled back into the house, The
Original turned to look at Jesse. I started walking back to my
truck.
“Did you hit that boy, Jesse?”
Marathon Cowboys | Sarah Black
52
“Yeah, I did. It would have been better if I could have hit
him across the mouth with the shotgun. All I had was the
flashlight.”
I glanced back at them. “He deserved it,” I told the old
man. “He had a smart mouth. If Jesse hadn’t popped him, I
was thinking about dislocating his shoulder.”
No one had anything else to say. When we got to my
truck, Jesse slid into the middle, and The Original climbed
in after him and shut the door. When we got back to the
house, we all three made for the kitchen and took seats.
Then Jesse got back up and put on a pot of coffee.
The Original looked at me a long time. “Why did you let
that idiot boy drag you into another piece of trouble? I know
full well who is responsible for this and who was responsible
up in Alpine.”
Jesse turned from the coffeepot. “Granddad, that’s not
fair.”
The Original pointed a bony finger at him. “You just
keep your peace.” He looked back at me. I don’t know if he
was expecting some kind of answer, but I wasn’t sure I had
anything to say.
“You wouldn’t expect me to let him go by himself?”
“No, I guess not.” He turned to Jesse. “Son, can’t you
see that Lorenzo has got things to do? He came down here
for something and you’re just sweeping him up in all your
nonsense and distracting him from his work!”
Jesse looked at me, his eyes troubled. He rubbed along
the angle of his jaw. “Mary, I didn’t mean….”
“You didn’t do anything. Jesse, you mind if I talk to your
Granddad in private?” They both looked startled, and Jesse
Marathon Cowboys | Sarah Black
53
nodded, went out of the kitchen with another long look at
me.
“Mr. Clayton, if this isn’t a good time for me to be here, I
can always find another….”
He was shaking his head. “No, sir. You and I made an
arrangement, and I want to stick to it. But I’m worried, son.”
He looked at me a long time then, his eyes such a
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