you.”
Clay suspected Sophie said it mainly to offer comfort to an unhappy man, but even as she said it, he knew it was true. Cliff had been his best friend. Cliff would have wanted to know his twin brother.
Sophie added, “ Loneliness isn’t the right word exactly. It was more like he had a way of being alone even when he was surrounded by people. He kept everyone at arm’s length.”
From the sad way she said it, Clay wondered if “everyone” included her.
“So you’re not our pa?” Sally asked with a downward droop to her mouth.
Clay looked away from Sophie to the little girl who’d offered him unconditional love from the first moment he’d opened his eyes. He squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry, no, I’m not.”
A sudden burst of clarity in his befuddled brain made him think of something else. “I’ll tell you what I am, though. I’m your uncle.” He felt a wide smile spread across his face, and even as a single tear ran down the little girl’s face, a shy smile bloomed on her lips.
“My uncle?” she said with wonder in her voice.
“Yeah! I’m your uncle Clay. I didn’t even know I had a niece, and here I have four of them. I like the idea!”
“I do, too.” Sally nodded and swiped an arm across her cheeks to dry her tears. “Are you going to stay around then?”
Clay sat up and looked from one girl to the other. His eyes paused on Laura, and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the cheerful little girl. Then with a shake of his head that made his stomach lurch from the pain, he remembered why he’d come here to begin with. A hundred more details washed aside the joy of finding a family, when hethought he was the last. He’d known Cliff was dead. He’d heard about the lynching. He reached for his breast pocket, searching for the star the Texas Rangers had pinned on his chest when he’d accepted this one and only assignment he’d ever do for them. Not only was there no star, there was no shirt.
Vigilantes were terrorizing this corner of Texas. When Clay had heard about Cliff, he’d gone looking for justice, and he’d gotten a star. But where was it? He remembered taking it off and tucking it in his saddlebag before he’d ridden up to that campfire last night. Then he remembered how the campfire had been attacked and they’d all scattered. And he’d been pursued.
He said firmly to Sally, “You bet I’m gonna stay around. I heard about Cliff, and I came to see what happened.” For now Clay didn’t mention the Rangers. “I didn’t even know he’d gotten married and had a family.”
Clay’s eyes traveled to Sophie. She was a pretty little thing. And she was even sweet-smelling now. “Is there a mule around here somewhere?”
Before anyone could answer him, Sally announced, “We’re your family now, Uncle Clay. Our pa used to do all kinds of things with us girls and with Ma. Now you can do all those things.”
All the things Cliff had done with Sophie. Clay looked at her. Their eyes caught and lingered for a second too long. Sophie looked away first. Clay forced himself to forget about the charged moment and turned back to Sally. “You are, for sure, my family now.”
It sounded like he was staking a claim. Or making a vow. And that suited him right down to the ground.
“Let’s see if we can get you up and into the house,” Sophie said, rising to her feet. “We have breakfast ready.”
The girls all grabbed hold, but he was steady on his feet this time. They’d delivered all the shocks while he was still sitting. He walked slowly to the house with Sally on one side, Sophie on the other, Mandy following, and with Laura and Beth running ahead.
Clay marveled again at being surrounded by so much femininity.The gentle touches and worried looks. The soft cooing sounds of concern. He’d grown up with only his pa around. Luther and Buff most times, and a dozen others who had come and gone. He’d rarely seen a woman, and until the war, he’d never seen a child,
Clay suspected Sophie said it mainly to offer comfort to an unhappy man, but even as she said it, he knew it was true. Cliff had been his best friend. Cliff would have wanted to know his twin brother.
Sophie added, “ Loneliness isn’t the right word exactly. It was more like he had a way of being alone even when he was surrounded by people. He kept everyone at arm’s length.”
From the sad way she said it, Clay wondered if “everyone” included her.
“So you’re not our pa?” Sally asked with a downward droop to her mouth.
Clay looked away from Sophie to the little girl who’d offered him unconditional love from the first moment he’d opened his eyes. He squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry, no, I’m not.”
A sudden burst of clarity in his befuddled brain made him think of something else. “I’ll tell you what I am, though. I’m your uncle.” He felt a wide smile spread across his face, and even as a single tear ran down the little girl’s face, a shy smile bloomed on her lips.
“My uncle?” she said with wonder in her voice.
“Yeah! I’m your uncle Clay. I didn’t even know I had a niece, and here I have four of them. I like the idea!”
“I do, too.” Sally nodded and swiped an arm across her cheeks to dry her tears. “Are you going to stay around then?”
Clay sat up and looked from one girl to the other. His eyes paused on Laura, and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the cheerful little girl. Then with a shake of his head that made his stomach lurch from the pain, he remembered why he’d come here to begin with. A hundred more details washed aside the joy of finding a family, when hethought he was the last. He’d known Cliff was dead. He’d heard about the lynching. He reached for his breast pocket, searching for the star the Texas Rangers had pinned on his chest when he’d accepted this one and only assignment he’d ever do for them. Not only was there no star, there was no shirt.
Vigilantes were terrorizing this corner of Texas. When Clay had heard about Cliff, he’d gone looking for justice, and he’d gotten a star. But where was it? He remembered taking it off and tucking it in his saddlebag before he’d ridden up to that campfire last night. Then he remembered how the campfire had been attacked and they’d all scattered. And he’d been pursued.
He said firmly to Sally, “You bet I’m gonna stay around. I heard about Cliff, and I came to see what happened.” For now Clay didn’t mention the Rangers. “I didn’t even know he’d gotten married and had a family.”
Clay’s eyes traveled to Sophie. She was a pretty little thing. And she was even sweet-smelling now. “Is there a mule around here somewhere?”
Before anyone could answer him, Sally announced, “We’re your family now, Uncle Clay. Our pa used to do all kinds of things with us girls and with Ma. Now you can do all those things.”
All the things Cliff had done with Sophie. Clay looked at her. Their eyes caught and lingered for a second too long. Sophie looked away first. Clay forced himself to forget about the charged moment and turned back to Sally. “You are, for sure, my family now.”
It sounded like he was staking a claim. Or making a vow. And that suited him right down to the ground.
“Let’s see if we can get you up and into the house,” Sophie said, rising to her feet. “We have breakfast ready.”
The girls all grabbed hold, but he was steady on his feet this time. They’d delivered all the shocks while he was still sitting. He walked slowly to the house with Sally on one side, Sophie on the other, Mandy following, and with Laura and Beth running ahead.
Clay marveled again at being surrounded by so much femininity.The gentle touches and worried looks. The soft cooing sounds of concern. He’d grown up with only his pa around. Luther and Buff most times, and a dozen others who had come and gone. He’d rarely seen a woman, and until the war, he’d never seen a child,
Similar Books
