to his chest, but didn’t awaken. She patted his shoulder, then straightened and let herself out the back door. Uncle John had to be found.
If only she knew where to start searching. She gathered a handful of skirt and headed down a well-worn path through the grass. Intent on the lookout for snakes, she jumped when a loud voice broke her concentration.
“Hey! You let me out of here, you scamp.”
She stopped, lifted her head, and her gaze rested on the weathered outhouse beneath the trees. She shook her head. Surely not. “Uncle John?” How in the world did he manage to lock himself inside the outhouse?
“That you, Robin? Get me out of here, and you best be tellin’ that scalawag to head for the timber.”
Robin hesitated. It didn’t seem proper for her to hold a conversation with a man outside a place like this. “He said he didn’t know where you were. Have you been here long?”
“Let me out. I ain’t gonna keep shoutin’ through this door.”
Robin unlatched the door and stepped back as her uncle roared out of the small building. “How . . .”
“What do you mean—how?” Uncle John stabbed the air with his glasses. “That devil-child did it, that’s how.”
“When he came back with the eggs he said you told him you had some––”
“Did you think I was gonna spell it out for him? A man’s got a right to some privacy, you know.”
“Of course, I know. But how did you get locked in?”
Uncle John dug a red bandana from his pocket and cleaned his glasses with a vengeance. “He came a hollerin’ for me, and I answered him. Then the kid latched the door, that’s how. Said you told him to make sure all the doors was hooked so no wild animal could get in.”
“Yes, I did tell him that, but I . . .”
“Did you think to tell him that if someone was in them buildings he was to leave the doors alone?”
“No, I thought . . .”
“Ya didn’t think at all, girl.” He hooked his glasses behind his ears and jutted his chin. “I yelled at him to get away, but he said he was followin’ orders. You send that kid back out here, and you go on about puttin’ some grub on the table.”
“I asked him if he saw you, Uncle John, and he told me he had not.” She tried to hide the smile that wanted to come. “I’m sure he didn’t understand.”
“Well, I’ll give him that much. He didn’t see me because the door was shut. Send him out.”
“He’s sleeping, and you’re angry. I won’t have you hurting the boy.”
“Him and me have some talkin’ to do out behind the barn. That’s all.”
Their conversation was interrupted when a lone horse and rider thundered from the shadows beyond the timber. Ty. He reined to a halt, and the horse slid in the still muddy ground. “Where’s Jacob?”
“What you doing back already, Ty? Got a lot of damage, do ya?” John patted the horse’s neck. “Got this creature plumb lathered, son.”
Ty dismounted. “Sorry to sound abrupt, John.” He turned to Robin. “Where’s the boy?”
“He’s asleep in the kitchen.”
Ty handed the reins to John. “Mind if I put my horse in your barn, John? I’ll take care of him after I’ve had a chance to visit with the two of you.”
“I’ll take care of the horse. You see that Robin gets back to the house
If only she knew where to start searching. She gathered a handful of skirt and headed down a well-worn path through the grass. Intent on the lookout for snakes, she jumped when a loud voice broke her concentration.
“Hey! You let me out of here, you scamp.”
She stopped, lifted her head, and her gaze rested on the weathered outhouse beneath the trees. She shook her head. Surely not. “Uncle John?” How in the world did he manage to lock himself inside the outhouse?
“That you, Robin? Get me out of here, and you best be tellin’ that scalawag to head for the timber.”
Robin hesitated. It didn’t seem proper for her to hold a conversation with a man outside a place like this. “He said he didn’t know where you were. Have you been here long?”
“Let me out. I ain’t gonna keep shoutin’ through this door.”
Robin unlatched the door and stepped back as her uncle roared out of the small building. “How . . .”
“What do you mean—how?” Uncle John stabbed the air with his glasses. “That devil-child did it, that’s how.”
“When he came back with the eggs he said you told him you had some––”
“Did you think I was gonna spell it out for him? A man’s got a right to some privacy, you know.”
“Of course, I know. But how did you get locked in?”
Uncle John dug a red bandana from his pocket and cleaned his glasses with a vengeance. “He came a hollerin’ for me, and I answered him. Then the kid latched the door, that’s how. Said you told him to make sure all the doors was hooked so no wild animal could get in.”
“Yes, I did tell him that, but I . . .”
“Did you think to tell him that if someone was in them buildings he was to leave the doors alone?”
“No, I thought . . .”
“Ya didn’t think at all, girl.” He hooked his glasses behind his ears and jutted his chin. “I yelled at him to get away, but he said he was followin’ orders. You send that kid back out here, and you go on about puttin’ some grub on the table.”
“I asked him if he saw you, Uncle John, and he told me he had not.” She tried to hide the smile that wanted to come. “I’m sure he didn’t understand.”
“Well, I’ll give him that much. He didn’t see me because the door was shut. Send him out.”
“He’s sleeping, and you’re angry. I won’t have you hurting the boy.”
“Him and me have some talkin’ to do out behind the barn. That’s all.”
Their conversation was interrupted when a lone horse and rider thundered from the shadows beyond the timber. Ty. He reined to a halt, and the horse slid in the still muddy ground. “Where’s Jacob?”
“What you doing back already, Ty? Got a lot of damage, do ya?” John patted the horse’s neck. “Got this creature plumb lathered, son.”
Ty dismounted. “Sorry to sound abrupt, John.” He turned to Robin. “Where’s the boy?”
“He’s asleep in the kitchen.”
Ty handed the reins to John. “Mind if I put my horse in your barn, John? I’ll take care of him after I’ve had a chance to visit with the two of you.”
“I’ll take care of the horse. You see that Robin gets back to the house
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