it.”
Sophie looked up from her empty mug. “What?”
“How God could spare the life of some drifting hobo, but let a wife and mother's life extinguish like so many candles in the wind.”
“I'm sure your wife was a great woman,” Sophie said.
“Better than him, that's for certain,” Ben growled.
“Did you know him?” Sophie asked.
Ben shook his head. “Not before last night. There were stories about him, though. The men at the tavern like to talk. Kept spreading this folk tale, ‘bout some young fighter who just wouldn't stop coming atcha, no matter how much you laid into him. When I heard I was fightin’ the boy last night, I got anxious to put those rumors to rest for good. Even when he got up after I cracked three of his ribs, heard ‘em snap clear as day, right under my boot. I figured maybe I hadn't hit him as hard as I thought. But once I saw that wound disappear, scar and all…that's when I knew that something divine happened. That boy is blessed. By god or demon, I couldn't tell you, but something wants to keep him around. And I know my Charlotte had a hand in it,” Ben said.
“How do you know?” Sophie asked.
“She told me.” He shrugged.
Sophie fell silent for a moment. “So you think he's good then, right? You think he's a good person?”
Ben shook his head. “My wife is a good person. She would have sinner and savior alike, but I don't know what that boy is, tell you the truth. And honestly, I don't think he does either,” Ben said, his probing eyes watching silently as Jake's chest rose and fell. “But, soon enough, we're all gonna find out.”
Chapter 5
(Jake)
“Wake up, boy!” Ben bellowed. Jake opened his eyes. Ben was standing over him, fully clad in winter gear. “Well, what are you waitin' for? Get up!” Jake looked at the clock.
“It's four in the morning!” Jake protested.
“I know, means we are already late. Now get up.”
“Late? For what?” Jake moaned. He was so tired, and the bed was so warm and soft. He wanted to lie in it until rapture.
“Your friend, that girl, says you two are staying for a while. And if you're going to stay, you're going to work. Food isn't free, boy. Now get up. I need help with some chores,” Ben said. “You'll want to wrap up, it's a subzero morning today.” Ben threw Jake a heavy woolen coat. It was stitched in several parts, and ragged, but very warm.
Tentatively, Jake peeled himself out of bed. How long had he been sleeping? “Where is Sophie?” Jake asked.
“Still sleeping in Mary's room. It's four in the morning. Where did you think she would be?”
“Not out in the freezing cold,” Jake mumbled as he followed Ben downstairs into the den.
There was a fire burning low and slow in the room. Jake walked over to it. He was shivering, covered in goose flesh from head to toe. He snuggled up to the warm embrace of the fire, basking in the heat.
“You like the fire, do you?” Ben asked.
Jake nodded. “It's freezing upstairs.”
“Good. Because if you want it to keep going, we'll have to get more wood. I just hope you're better with an ax than you are in a fight,” Ben said with a chuckle.
Jake didn't have the energy for humor, or even a response. He just kept thinking about the warm bed only feet away.
Ben went into a closet and pulled out two long-handled
Sophie looked up from her empty mug. “What?”
“How God could spare the life of some drifting hobo, but let a wife and mother's life extinguish like so many candles in the wind.”
“I'm sure your wife was a great woman,” Sophie said.
“Better than him, that's for certain,” Ben growled.
“Did you know him?” Sophie asked.
Ben shook his head. “Not before last night. There were stories about him, though. The men at the tavern like to talk. Kept spreading this folk tale, ‘bout some young fighter who just wouldn't stop coming atcha, no matter how much you laid into him. When I heard I was fightin’ the boy last night, I got anxious to put those rumors to rest for good. Even when he got up after I cracked three of his ribs, heard ‘em snap clear as day, right under my boot. I figured maybe I hadn't hit him as hard as I thought. But once I saw that wound disappear, scar and all…that's when I knew that something divine happened. That boy is blessed. By god or demon, I couldn't tell you, but something wants to keep him around. And I know my Charlotte had a hand in it,” Ben said.
“How do you know?” Sophie asked.
“She told me.” He shrugged.
Sophie fell silent for a moment. “So you think he's good then, right? You think he's a good person?”
Ben shook his head. “My wife is a good person. She would have sinner and savior alike, but I don't know what that boy is, tell you the truth. And honestly, I don't think he does either,” Ben said, his probing eyes watching silently as Jake's chest rose and fell. “But, soon enough, we're all gonna find out.”
Chapter 5
(Jake)
“Wake up, boy!” Ben bellowed. Jake opened his eyes. Ben was standing over him, fully clad in winter gear. “Well, what are you waitin' for? Get up!” Jake looked at the clock.
“It's four in the morning!” Jake protested.
“I know, means we are already late. Now get up.”
“Late? For what?” Jake moaned. He was so tired, and the bed was so warm and soft. He wanted to lie in it until rapture.
“Your friend, that girl, says you two are staying for a while. And if you're going to stay, you're going to work. Food isn't free, boy. Now get up. I need help with some chores,” Ben said. “You'll want to wrap up, it's a subzero morning today.” Ben threw Jake a heavy woolen coat. It was stitched in several parts, and ragged, but very warm.
Tentatively, Jake peeled himself out of bed. How long had he been sleeping? “Where is Sophie?” Jake asked.
“Still sleeping in Mary's room. It's four in the morning. Where did you think she would be?”
“Not out in the freezing cold,” Jake mumbled as he followed Ben downstairs into the den.
There was a fire burning low and slow in the room. Jake walked over to it. He was shivering, covered in goose flesh from head to toe. He snuggled up to the warm embrace of the fire, basking in the heat.
“You like the fire, do you?” Ben asked.
Jake nodded. “It's freezing upstairs.”
“Good. Because if you want it to keep going, we'll have to get more wood. I just hope you're better with an ax than you are in a fight,” Ben said with a chuckle.
Jake didn't have the energy for humor, or even a response. He just kept thinking about the warm bed only feet away.
Ben went into a closet and pulled out two long-handled
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