Mike giving him a crooked grin. “You hear ’bout Nate and them, Win? His woman done had triplets this morning.”
“No shit? I thought twins, but triplets is scary.”
“Two girls and a boy. Babies are going to be in Presbyterian for a bit, but they’re doing good. Nate’s fixin’ to drop his teeth, though. They wasn’t thinking there was a son hiding in the mess.”
“No kidding? Well, I’ll say a prayer for them.” This was how Win got most of his information about the town—chatting.
“Pastor Brown is putting a collection together for them at First Baptist.” Kelly put his coffee and sweet down in front of him. “I know they need clothes and another crib for sure.”
“I’ll stop by, then.” He sniffed the scone. Mmm. Cinnamon. He wondered suddenly if Sage liked scones.
Hell, had Sage ever even had one?
“Can I get another scone to go, hon?” he asked. He wouldn’t be able to deliver it until late in the evening, but he’d bet Sage wouldn’t mind.
“Surely can.” She refilled him. “Man, I’m ready for this summer to be over.”
“Too hot for you?” She’d tell him if it was something else.
“God, yes. And then there’s the TV—everyone’s going on and on about fall. It’s not going to be fall here ’til Thanksgiving.”
“I hear that. Maybe not even that, if it stays like it has.” He grinned, always happy to jaw about nothing.
“Don’t say that, now.” She sighed. “I’m thinking about packing up, moving somewhere with snow.”
Right. Like Kelly was going up north. That girl was Texas, born and bred. She had the helmet hair and sparkly tank tops to prove it. He grinned, shaking his head. “Uh-huh.”
“Don’t you laugh at me, now… you butthead.”
The bell above the door jangled, and Ellen Redding came in, tote bag dangling off one arm, and nodded at the girls and him. “I’m meeting June, honey.”
“Of course you are, it’s Tuesday. You want iced tea?”
“I do, thank you.”
Win smiled. “Morning, ma’am.”
“Morning, Win.” She grinned and gave him a wave. “Mike. Terry.”
The old cowboys nodded as one, both of them sipping their coffees. Win wasn’t sure if it would give her problems if he asked how Sage was….
“How’s Sam doing, honey?” Kelly brought Ellen her tea.
“Better now that Sage is home helping. It’s a lot of work for an old man.”
“I’m sure Sam is glad of it.” Kelly patted Ellen’s shoulder.
“He is. I am too, you know? I missed his face.”
“Well, of course you did. He’s your son.”
Win hid a grin, his relief probably completely out of proportion. He’d known there had to be other people who didn’t think Sage was a demon. Hell, the entire town knew what happened, or at least a version of what happened.
There were times when it was better to let folks believe what they believed. Then there were times to fight it.
Mike sighed softly. “Poor gal. That boy of hers broke her heart. I was glad to hear that he came to make things easier on her.”
“He seems like a decent sort, actually,” Win murmured, putting a bug in the guys’ ears.
“He cowboys up. Rode fence and fed for me last week when I was down in the back.” Terry shrugged. “Shit happens. He did his time.”
Well, good. If the old cowboys approved of Sage, he’d have some allies when he needed them.
Of course, old cowboys tended to fall on the other side of the law, if the shit hit the fan. There was a little… moral flexibility there. They would call it the cowboy code or some such.
“You want a warm up, guys?”
Two coffee cups were held out, and Win grinned, pushing his over too. Might as well have one more while his radio was quiet.
For the first time all day, he felt like he was home.
C HAPTER T EN
G OOD L ORD and butter, Sage was sweating like a whore in church. Daddy’d set him to digging out some pipe running out from the house to the meter so Rick Martin could come lay copper in the morning. That
“No shit? I thought twins, but triplets is scary.”
“Two girls and a boy. Babies are going to be in Presbyterian for a bit, but they’re doing good. Nate’s fixin’ to drop his teeth, though. They wasn’t thinking there was a son hiding in the mess.”
“No kidding? Well, I’ll say a prayer for them.” This was how Win got most of his information about the town—chatting.
“Pastor Brown is putting a collection together for them at First Baptist.” Kelly put his coffee and sweet down in front of him. “I know they need clothes and another crib for sure.”
“I’ll stop by, then.” He sniffed the scone. Mmm. Cinnamon. He wondered suddenly if Sage liked scones.
Hell, had Sage ever even had one?
“Can I get another scone to go, hon?” he asked. He wouldn’t be able to deliver it until late in the evening, but he’d bet Sage wouldn’t mind.
“Surely can.” She refilled him. “Man, I’m ready for this summer to be over.”
“Too hot for you?” She’d tell him if it was something else.
“God, yes. And then there’s the TV—everyone’s going on and on about fall. It’s not going to be fall here ’til Thanksgiving.”
“I hear that. Maybe not even that, if it stays like it has.” He grinned, always happy to jaw about nothing.
“Don’t say that, now.” She sighed. “I’m thinking about packing up, moving somewhere with snow.”
Right. Like Kelly was going up north. That girl was Texas, born and bred. She had the helmet hair and sparkly tank tops to prove it. He grinned, shaking his head. “Uh-huh.”
“Don’t you laugh at me, now… you butthead.”
The bell above the door jangled, and Ellen Redding came in, tote bag dangling off one arm, and nodded at the girls and him. “I’m meeting June, honey.”
“Of course you are, it’s Tuesday. You want iced tea?”
“I do, thank you.”
Win smiled. “Morning, ma’am.”
“Morning, Win.” She grinned and gave him a wave. “Mike. Terry.”
The old cowboys nodded as one, both of them sipping their coffees. Win wasn’t sure if it would give her problems if he asked how Sage was….
“How’s Sam doing, honey?” Kelly brought Ellen her tea.
“Better now that Sage is home helping. It’s a lot of work for an old man.”
“I’m sure Sam is glad of it.” Kelly patted Ellen’s shoulder.
“He is. I am too, you know? I missed his face.”
“Well, of course you did. He’s your son.”
Win hid a grin, his relief probably completely out of proportion. He’d known there had to be other people who didn’t think Sage was a demon. Hell, the entire town knew what happened, or at least a version of what happened.
There were times when it was better to let folks believe what they believed. Then there were times to fight it.
Mike sighed softly. “Poor gal. That boy of hers broke her heart. I was glad to hear that he came to make things easier on her.”
“He seems like a decent sort, actually,” Win murmured, putting a bug in the guys’ ears.
“He cowboys up. Rode fence and fed for me last week when I was down in the back.” Terry shrugged. “Shit happens. He did his time.”
Well, good. If the old cowboys approved of Sage, he’d have some allies when he needed them.
Of course, old cowboys tended to fall on the other side of the law, if the shit hit the fan. There was a little… moral flexibility there. They would call it the cowboy code or some such.
“You want a warm up, guys?”
Two coffee cups were held out, and Win grinned, pushing his over too. Might as well have one more while his radio was quiet.
For the first time all day, he felt like he was home.
C HAPTER T EN
G OOD L ORD and butter, Sage was sweating like a whore in church. Daddy’d set him to digging out some pipe running out from the house to the meter so Rick Martin could come lay copper in the morning. That
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