now. Not after everything Dante had done.
Deacon sat down in a chair facing Dante. He leant back and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I didn’t come to cause trouble,” Dante said.
“I figured as much. Thing is, seems like trouble comes along with you more often than not.”
Dante didn’t answer that. What could he say? He looked down at his hands, clenched between his knees.
“Jeremiah says you need coal.”
“That’s right.”
“That it?”
The question confused him. “You mean, is that the only reason I’m here?”
“No, I mean is that all you need from town? Just the coal?”
“That, and whatever Cami needs—”
“Aren’s talked to Cami already. He’s got that all squared away.”
Aren. Of course Aren had it covered. Aren was always working to make Dante obsolete.
“Look, we’ll be out of your hair tomorrow—”
“Stop being defensive and listen. Aren and I were already fixing to go to town tomorrow. He’s got stuff he’s got to do with the bank and the merchants.” He waved his hand as if whatever it was Aren was doing was a bit beyond him. “Account things to settle regarding money Zed Austin owed, and something to do with a dowry that ain’t a dowry for Alissa, and the Saints know what else. Stuff he don’t trust me to do right, so he wants to go. We’re also taking about two dozen head in to sell, but Aren ain’t no help at all when it comes to driving cattle, so I have Red and Ronin set to go with us.”
Dante was surprised to hear a ghost of a smile in Deacon’s voice. When he looked up, he found Deacon had relaxed a bit. He was still leaning back in his chair, away from Dante, but he’d taken his hat off. It hung on the arm of his chair.
“With you gone, and Simon and Frances too, Red and Ronin are about the best hands I got, and you know those fools, so you know how sad a statement that is. But they got seniority, and they’re both so damn randy I’m starting to fear for my cows. If I tell them no now, I won’t hear the end of it ’til next spring. That means the only person here to watch the men is Jay.” He smiled a bit, and Dante found himself tempted to do the same. “And we both know he’s soft.”
“So what do you propose?”
“You stay here. Ride those hands. You can be a hardass better than Jay. Keep them in line for me. I’ll take your wagon. Saints know Aren can barely ride a horse to save his life, but he has learned to drive a team a bit. We’ll bring back your coal, and the things Cami needs, and you can have a few days to catch up with your kin.”
It was a generous offer for him to make. Sure, he probably had his own reasons, specifically his desire to not having Dante tagging along with he and Aren for their days away, but nonetheless, he could have been a jerk about it. Instead, he seemed to be trying to make peace.
“I’d appreciate that,” Dante said. “What about Cami?”
“She says Olsa gives her the creeps, but she’d rather stay here with you than spend four more days bumping down the road. So,” he said as he stood up, “we got a deal?”
Dante stood up too, so he wouldn’t have to strain his neck to look up at Deacon. As always, he found himself a bit in awe of the man. He had to force himself to speak. “Deal.”
“Good.” Deacon picked his hat up and pushed it onto his head as he turned to go.
“Deacon?”
He stopped, turning halfway to look back over his shoulder.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. It was Aren’s idea.”
Chapter Five
Simon had felt the weight of Frances’ gaze upon him for two days. Ever since Dante and Cami had left. “Why didn’t he send you?” Frances had asked.
“Because I didn’t want to go.”
Frances hadn’t asked why at the time, just as he hadn’t asked so many times before. The boy never prodded. It was one of the things Simon loved about him. It was why he’d allowed their friendship to grow. But it seemed they’d reached the point in their friendship where evasion was beginning to feel
Deacon sat down in a chair facing Dante. He leant back and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I didn’t come to cause trouble,” Dante said.
“I figured as much. Thing is, seems like trouble comes along with you more often than not.”
Dante didn’t answer that. What could he say? He looked down at his hands, clenched between his knees.
“Jeremiah says you need coal.”
“That’s right.”
“That it?”
The question confused him. “You mean, is that the only reason I’m here?”
“No, I mean is that all you need from town? Just the coal?”
“That, and whatever Cami needs—”
“Aren’s talked to Cami already. He’s got that all squared away.”
Aren. Of course Aren had it covered. Aren was always working to make Dante obsolete.
“Look, we’ll be out of your hair tomorrow—”
“Stop being defensive and listen. Aren and I were already fixing to go to town tomorrow. He’s got stuff he’s got to do with the bank and the merchants.” He waved his hand as if whatever it was Aren was doing was a bit beyond him. “Account things to settle regarding money Zed Austin owed, and something to do with a dowry that ain’t a dowry for Alissa, and the Saints know what else. Stuff he don’t trust me to do right, so he wants to go. We’re also taking about two dozen head in to sell, but Aren ain’t no help at all when it comes to driving cattle, so I have Red and Ronin set to go with us.”
Dante was surprised to hear a ghost of a smile in Deacon’s voice. When he looked up, he found Deacon had relaxed a bit. He was still leaning back in his chair, away from Dante, but he’d taken his hat off. It hung on the arm of his chair.
“With you gone, and Simon and Frances too, Red and Ronin are about the best hands I got, and you know those fools, so you know how sad a statement that is. But they got seniority, and they’re both so damn randy I’m starting to fear for my cows. If I tell them no now, I won’t hear the end of it ’til next spring. That means the only person here to watch the men is Jay.” He smiled a bit, and Dante found himself tempted to do the same. “And we both know he’s soft.”
“So what do you propose?”
“You stay here. Ride those hands. You can be a hardass better than Jay. Keep them in line for me. I’ll take your wagon. Saints know Aren can barely ride a horse to save his life, but he has learned to drive a team a bit. We’ll bring back your coal, and the things Cami needs, and you can have a few days to catch up with your kin.”
It was a generous offer for him to make. Sure, he probably had his own reasons, specifically his desire to not having Dante tagging along with he and Aren for their days away, but nonetheless, he could have been a jerk about it. Instead, he seemed to be trying to make peace.
“I’d appreciate that,” Dante said. “What about Cami?”
“She says Olsa gives her the creeps, but she’d rather stay here with you than spend four more days bumping down the road. So,” he said as he stood up, “we got a deal?”
Dante stood up too, so he wouldn’t have to strain his neck to look up at Deacon. As always, he found himself a bit in awe of the man. He had to force himself to speak. “Deal.”
“Good.” Deacon picked his hat up and pushed it onto his head as he turned to go.
“Deacon?”
He stopped, turning halfway to look back over his shoulder.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. It was Aren’s idea.”
Chapter Five
Simon had felt the weight of Frances’ gaze upon him for two days. Ever since Dante and Cami had left. “Why didn’t he send you?” Frances had asked.
“Because I didn’t want to go.”
Frances hadn’t asked why at the time, just as he hadn’t asked so many times before. The boy never prodded. It was one of the things Simon loved about him. It was why he’d allowed their friendship to grow. But it seemed they’d reached the point in their friendship where evasion was beginning to feel
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