hesitant. “But I promised I wouldn’t tell. Not ever.”
“Some promises can be broken if it’s for a really, really good reason,” Michael reassured him. He couldn’t help wondering if he wasn’t teaching Josh to bend way too many of the values he’d been taught. Maybe these were lessons that should have waited until he was old enough to make the right distinctions about the circumstances. Too late now, though.
Josh regarded him worriedly. “You swear we’ll get to ride the horses?”
“Cross my heart,” Michael said, sketching a cross across his chest.
Josh beckoned him closer. Michael bent down. “Miller,” he whispered. “That’s our last name. Our mom is Naomi Miller.”
“Josh!”
The shout of betrayal echoed across the corral. Neither of them had seen Jamie emerge from the barn. Whether he had heard all of the words from that distance or not, he clearly suspected that Josh was confiding something he shouldn’t.
Before Michael could react, Jamie raced across the ground and tackled his brother, throwing him to the ground, then landing on top of him, fists flying.
For a moment, Josh gave as good as he got, but Jamie was bigger and stronger. When Michael figured the odds were way too uneven, he reached down and snagged Jamie by the back of his shirt. The boy came to his feet flailing at Michael. One punch caught him squarely in the jaw, jarring his teeth. He figured it was no more than he deserved for his role in this.
“Enough!” Grace commanded, appearing out of nowhere, her voice calm but unyielding.
Jamie stilled, but the anger in his eyes continued to cast sparks in Michael’s direction.
“What is this all about?” she demanded, her gaze on Michael.
Jamie and Josh stared at him, clearly wary of what he might say.
“Just a little disagreement,” he said mildly. “Nothing to get excited about.”
“It is not a little disagreement when Josh has the beginnings of a black eye and cuts all over him and you’re rubbing a swollen jaw.” Her gaze landed on Jamie. “Well?”
“I’m not telling,” he said sullenly. He stared pointedly at his brother. “I don’t tell secrets.”
Josh flushed, tears welling up in his eyes.
Michael sighed. The last thing he’d meant to do was cause a rift between the brothers. He knew it wouldn’t last, but for now they were both hurting in ways well beyond whatever physical injuries they’d suffered.
“This is my fault,” he confessed.
Grace stared at him in surprise. “It is? Why?”
“I asked Josh for some information. We made a deal. It was a fair deal, but I should never have put him in that position,” he said candidly. He regarded both boys intently. “I’m sorry.”
“What good’s sorry now that you got what you wanted?” Jamie demanded, not the least bit pacified by the apology.
“He’s gonna get us riding lessons,” Josh said so softly it was barely audible.
Jamie gaped. “That was the deal? You traded our secret for riding lessons?”
“I know how bad you wanted them,” Josh said defensively. “I did it for you.”
“He did,” Michael said. “And I’ll get somebody over here this afternoon.”
“Yeah,” Jamie said bitterly. “And right after that, you’ll turn us in.”
“Nobody’s turning anybody in,” Grace assured him. “This just makes it easier for me to get information.” She regarded Jamie evenly. “I’m a lawyer and I am on your side.”
Jamie continued to regard her with suspicion. “We can’t afford to pay a lawyer.”
Grace returned his look with a solemn expression. “Do you have any money at all?”
“A couple of dollars,” Jamie said.
Josh looked surprised. “You said we was broke.”
“This was for emergencies,” Jamie said defensively.
“Give me one of the dollars,” Grace said.
Jamie balked. “What about the emergencies?”
“Once you give me that dollar, I’ll be working for you. I’ll take care of any emergencies,” she explained.
Jamie still looked
“Some promises can be broken if it’s for a really, really good reason,” Michael reassured him. He couldn’t help wondering if he wasn’t teaching Josh to bend way too many of the values he’d been taught. Maybe these were lessons that should have waited until he was old enough to make the right distinctions about the circumstances. Too late now, though.
Josh regarded him worriedly. “You swear we’ll get to ride the horses?”
“Cross my heart,” Michael said, sketching a cross across his chest.
Josh beckoned him closer. Michael bent down. “Miller,” he whispered. “That’s our last name. Our mom is Naomi Miller.”
“Josh!”
The shout of betrayal echoed across the corral. Neither of them had seen Jamie emerge from the barn. Whether he had heard all of the words from that distance or not, he clearly suspected that Josh was confiding something he shouldn’t.
Before Michael could react, Jamie raced across the ground and tackled his brother, throwing him to the ground, then landing on top of him, fists flying.
For a moment, Josh gave as good as he got, but Jamie was bigger and stronger. When Michael figured the odds were way too uneven, he reached down and snagged Jamie by the back of his shirt. The boy came to his feet flailing at Michael. One punch caught him squarely in the jaw, jarring his teeth. He figured it was no more than he deserved for his role in this.
“Enough!” Grace commanded, appearing out of nowhere, her voice calm but unyielding.
Jamie stilled, but the anger in his eyes continued to cast sparks in Michael’s direction.
“What is this all about?” she demanded, her gaze on Michael.
Jamie and Josh stared at him, clearly wary of what he might say.
“Just a little disagreement,” he said mildly. “Nothing to get excited about.”
“It is not a little disagreement when Josh has the beginnings of a black eye and cuts all over him and you’re rubbing a swollen jaw.” Her gaze landed on Jamie. “Well?”
“I’m not telling,” he said sullenly. He stared pointedly at his brother. “I don’t tell secrets.”
Josh flushed, tears welling up in his eyes.
Michael sighed. The last thing he’d meant to do was cause a rift between the brothers. He knew it wouldn’t last, but for now they were both hurting in ways well beyond whatever physical injuries they’d suffered.
“This is my fault,” he confessed.
Grace stared at him in surprise. “It is? Why?”
“I asked Josh for some information. We made a deal. It was a fair deal, but I should never have put him in that position,” he said candidly. He regarded both boys intently. “I’m sorry.”
“What good’s sorry now that you got what you wanted?” Jamie demanded, not the least bit pacified by the apology.
“He’s gonna get us riding lessons,” Josh said so softly it was barely audible.
Jamie gaped. “That was the deal? You traded our secret for riding lessons?”
“I know how bad you wanted them,” Josh said defensively. “I did it for you.”
“He did,” Michael said. “And I’ll get somebody over here this afternoon.”
“Yeah,” Jamie said bitterly. “And right after that, you’ll turn us in.”
“Nobody’s turning anybody in,” Grace assured him. “This just makes it easier for me to get information.” She regarded Jamie evenly. “I’m a lawyer and I am on your side.”
Jamie continued to regard her with suspicion. “We can’t afford to pay a lawyer.”
Grace returned his look with a solemn expression. “Do you have any money at all?”
“A couple of dollars,” Jamie said.
Josh looked surprised. “You said we was broke.”
“This was for emergencies,” Jamie said defensively.
“Give me one of the dollars,” Grace said.
Jamie balked. “What about the emergencies?”
“Once you give me that dollar, I’ll be working for you. I’ll take care of any emergencies,” she explained.
Jamie still looked
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