nod to his sons, his voice still calm as ever. “Now, I expect the guilty party to apologize and make nice with that girl. She got plenty else to deal with. Ain’t got a need to be picked on or at by anyone else. One boy scarin’ her and makin’ her cry is more than enough, and I’ll be damned if one of MY boys does it, too. I raised you better than that, and know y’all fuckin’ know better.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Nodding one more time to his boys, “Now, I’ll keep your mama off ya this time, but it happens again, y’all be dealin’ with the both of us.” After a third ‘Yes, Sir’ from his boys, he jerked his head to the door. “Now, git your asses in there and fix whatever it was y’all did. She had better be bright eyed and bushy tailed when y’all get called for dinner, or I’ma knock ya heads together.”
Right before the boys went in the house, Mr. Steele stopped them again. He lowered his voice a bit, too. “Y’all gotta keep in mind, she ain’t from these parts and ain’t got the tough skin y’all used too. Comin’ out of the situation she is on top of it, she gonna be easy to upset. Be mindful ‘bout not only what you say, but how it is you say it, Boys.” Then he added one more thing, knowing that it was going to cut deeper and sink in faster than anything he could ever do to them. “Ya mama raised y’all to be gentlemen. I suggest ya act like it.”
It was then Mr. Steele figured out which one of his boys upset the young lady, because Xander couldn’t meet his eye anymore. Of the two young men, Xander was the bigger mama’s boy, so the thought of disappointing her nearly killed that boy. It was also then he knew that he was right in thinking that saying that would cause more damage than actually whooping the boy’s ass. Xander could take a hit better than his brother ever could; the fact that Xander still competed in rodeos proved that much. Kyle quit the first time he got chunked off a bronco, whereas Xander had been laid up more times than Jim could count and still got back in there near as soon the Doc said he could.
Shaking his head, he jerked his head toward the door. “Go’n, boys. Get it done.”
With a nod, Xander and Kyle went in the house, both avoiding looking at their mama and following the whispered directions to where they would find the young lady.
Jim sat back down at the table, picked up the cards, then resumed the game he and Marshal were playing, ignoring the feel of his wife’s eyes on him. What was said between he and his boys wasn’t nobody business, but he and his boys’.
Chapter 9
Once the two boys got up the steps, Kyle whispered in Xander’s ear. “This is all you, Little Brother. I’ll wait outta sight so mama and Pa don’t see me, but if I gotta fix this mess for you, I’ma be pissed.”
Xander nodded at him and whispered back. “Thanks.” Making his way down the hall to the girl’s room while Kyle ducked into the upstairs bathroom, Xander took a deep breath and knocked on Elizabeth’s door, waiting for permission to go in. Opening the door when it came, he poked his head in to see her curled up in a chair in the corner. He cleared his throat, speaking in a quiet, subdued voice. “Howdy there, Little Darlin’. Can I talk to you a minute?”
Elizabeth glanced over at the door and saw him standing there looking kinda upset. With a light sigh, she nodded her consent. Once he came in, she cocked a brow when he closed the door, but said nothing about it while holding out a hand toward her bed. “You can sit down if you want. I’ve been on crutches before, and I wasn’t a fan of standing.”
Surprised at the offer but thankful for it, Xander went over and took a seat on her bed across from where she was sitting.
Once he was down, Elizabeth shoved the footstool that went with her chair to him, a small smile on her face. “It takes the throb out if you elevate your foot a bit. The higher you have it, the better it feels.” She
“Yes, Sir.”
Nodding one more time to his boys, “Now, I’ll keep your mama off ya this time, but it happens again, y’all be dealin’ with the both of us.” After a third ‘Yes, Sir’ from his boys, he jerked his head to the door. “Now, git your asses in there and fix whatever it was y’all did. She had better be bright eyed and bushy tailed when y’all get called for dinner, or I’ma knock ya heads together.”
Right before the boys went in the house, Mr. Steele stopped them again. He lowered his voice a bit, too. “Y’all gotta keep in mind, she ain’t from these parts and ain’t got the tough skin y’all used too. Comin’ out of the situation she is on top of it, she gonna be easy to upset. Be mindful ‘bout not only what you say, but how it is you say it, Boys.” Then he added one more thing, knowing that it was going to cut deeper and sink in faster than anything he could ever do to them. “Ya mama raised y’all to be gentlemen. I suggest ya act like it.”
It was then Mr. Steele figured out which one of his boys upset the young lady, because Xander couldn’t meet his eye anymore. Of the two young men, Xander was the bigger mama’s boy, so the thought of disappointing her nearly killed that boy. It was also then he knew that he was right in thinking that saying that would cause more damage than actually whooping the boy’s ass. Xander could take a hit better than his brother ever could; the fact that Xander still competed in rodeos proved that much. Kyle quit the first time he got chunked off a bronco, whereas Xander had been laid up more times than Jim could count and still got back in there near as soon the Doc said he could.
Shaking his head, he jerked his head toward the door. “Go’n, boys. Get it done.”
With a nod, Xander and Kyle went in the house, both avoiding looking at their mama and following the whispered directions to where they would find the young lady.
Jim sat back down at the table, picked up the cards, then resumed the game he and Marshal were playing, ignoring the feel of his wife’s eyes on him. What was said between he and his boys wasn’t nobody business, but he and his boys’.
Chapter 9
Once the two boys got up the steps, Kyle whispered in Xander’s ear. “This is all you, Little Brother. I’ll wait outta sight so mama and Pa don’t see me, but if I gotta fix this mess for you, I’ma be pissed.”
Xander nodded at him and whispered back. “Thanks.” Making his way down the hall to the girl’s room while Kyle ducked into the upstairs bathroom, Xander took a deep breath and knocked on Elizabeth’s door, waiting for permission to go in. Opening the door when it came, he poked his head in to see her curled up in a chair in the corner. He cleared his throat, speaking in a quiet, subdued voice. “Howdy there, Little Darlin’. Can I talk to you a minute?”
Elizabeth glanced over at the door and saw him standing there looking kinda upset. With a light sigh, she nodded her consent. Once he came in, she cocked a brow when he closed the door, but said nothing about it while holding out a hand toward her bed. “You can sit down if you want. I’ve been on crutches before, and I wasn’t a fan of standing.”
Surprised at the offer but thankful for it, Xander went over and took a seat on her bed across from where she was sitting.
Once he was down, Elizabeth shoved the footstool that went with her chair to him, a small smile on her face. “It takes the throb out if you elevate your foot a bit. The higher you have it, the better it feels.” She
Similar Books
