Meredith turn from her brother and move to the open window. She stood casually looking out and breathing slowly. But her stance struck Braden as deliberate.
Braden pulled the deed out. “I can live in the house without owning it.”
Tucker gave his sister a close look that made Braden wonder if the two of them were up to something. “I saw Wily going downriver with Rooster and another man. What’s going on?”
“Rooster’s brother came to get him.” Braden quickly told Tucker what had happened that morning.
“Wasn’t Wily just here last night?” Tucker looked away from his sister, then began to skewer the steaks with a pointed metal spit and hang them over the gently crackling flames in the fireplace.
“He told me he’d sleep in Skaguay,” Braden remembered. “Downstream’s faster than up, and he expected to get home before it got too late.”
Ian nodded. “True enough. Rooster’s brother must have pushed him hard.”
Amy rose from digging around in her bag, and Braden noticed her favoring her ribs. His thoughts went back to Rooster’s house. “Why’d you go up on the roof anyway? You could have fallen off and gotten yourself killed.”
Amy turned and sank into one of Ian’s roughhewn chairs. “I’ve seen people driven half mad by the long winter before. I hoped I could talk some sense into him—talk him into going back down south. He let me pray with him. Then just when we were praying, his brother came as if God Himself had sent help.”
Tucker added sticks to the fire.
“Here’s how it’s gonna be, big brother.” Ian laughed and slapped Braden on the shoulder hard enough that Braden nearly staggered. “You’re taking the claim.”
Braden felt his jaw tighten. “I might be robbing my own brother of a fortune. I won’t do it.”
“Braden.” Ian shook his head, grinning. “There’s no great wealth to be chiseled out’a those rocks.”
Braden didn’t want to take the chance of striking it rich and alienating his brother forever. “I’ll take the claim, but anything I find, we share.”
Ian shrugged. “Sounds fair enough if you’ll agree to the same thing on my claim. I don’t want you digging on Rooster’s claim anyway. I want you digging on mine.”
“I’m not taking half your gold!”
Tucker straightened. “We always work together without much mind to which claim we’re on. It’s safer to stay together, and the isolation of working a claim gets to a man after a while.”
“Like it did Rooster.” Ian’s gaze hardened. “So, I’ll take your deal of sharing, Braden. A three-way split between you, me, and Tucker. And offer you the same deal back on my own claim.”
“I’ll take it.” Braden couldn’t imagine what he’d need gold for. But if he got any, he’d spend it on his brother and Meredith somehow or send it home to Da and Ma. “I need a house, and you need the space.”
“Merry and I will do what straightening we can to your new house today,” Amy said quietly. “I looked inside a window as I climbed up. It needs. . .quite a bit of work.
An understatement if Braden had ever heard one. He remembered Rooster’s man-sized chicken coop. Braden wondered if he’d be the one on the roof next.
Eight
“Have you been inside Rooster’s cabin, Merry?” Amy and Meredith started down the path toward Braden’s new cabin as soon as they’d cleaned up after lunch. Amy thought of the work ahead of them to turn a nest into a home.
The men were long gone exploring Rooster’s claim.
“Oh my, yes. The contents of Rooster’s house will make a year’s worth of kindling. All we have to do is carry it outside.”
“That’s all, huh?” Amy and Meredith exchanged a dry look; then Merry started laughing. The urge to laugh surprised Amy. She’d always been very reserved with people, and she’d spent little time around women her age. There were some in the school, of course, but Amy went home only to the McGraws, who were wonderful to her but were more
Braden pulled the deed out. “I can live in the house without owning it.”
Tucker gave his sister a close look that made Braden wonder if the two of them were up to something. “I saw Wily going downriver with Rooster and another man. What’s going on?”
“Rooster’s brother came to get him.” Braden quickly told Tucker what had happened that morning.
“Wasn’t Wily just here last night?” Tucker looked away from his sister, then began to skewer the steaks with a pointed metal spit and hang them over the gently crackling flames in the fireplace.
“He told me he’d sleep in Skaguay,” Braden remembered. “Downstream’s faster than up, and he expected to get home before it got too late.”
Ian nodded. “True enough. Rooster’s brother must have pushed him hard.”
Amy rose from digging around in her bag, and Braden noticed her favoring her ribs. His thoughts went back to Rooster’s house. “Why’d you go up on the roof anyway? You could have fallen off and gotten yourself killed.”
Amy turned and sank into one of Ian’s roughhewn chairs. “I’ve seen people driven half mad by the long winter before. I hoped I could talk some sense into him—talk him into going back down south. He let me pray with him. Then just when we were praying, his brother came as if God Himself had sent help.”
Tucker added sticks to the fire.
“Here’s how it’s gonna be, big brother.” Ian laughed and slapped Braden on the shoulder hard enough that Braden nearly staggered. “You’re taking the claim.”
Braden felt his jaw tighten. “I might be robbing my own brother of a fortune. I won’t do it.”
“Braden.” Ian shook his head, grinning. “There’s no great wealth to be chiseled out’a those rocks.”
Braden didn’t want to take the chance of striking it rich and alienating his brother forever. “I’ll take the claim, but anything I find, we share.”
Ian shrugged. “Sounds fair enough if you’ll agree to the same thing on my claim. I don’t want you digging on Rooster’s claim anyway. I want you digging on mine.”
“I’m not taking half your gold!”
Tucker straightened. “We always work together without much mind to which claim we’re on. It’s safer to stay together, and the isolation of working a claim gets to a man after a while.”
“Like it did Rooster.” Ian’s gaze hardened. “So, I’ll take your deal of sharing, Braden. A three-way split between you, me, and Tucker. And offer you the same deal back on my own claim.”
“I’ll take it.” Braden couldn’t imagine what he’d need gold for. But if he got any, he’d spend it on his brother and Meredith somehow or send it home to Da and Ma. “I need a house, and you need the space.”
“Merry and I will do what straightening we can to your new house today,” Amy said quietly. “I looked inside a window as I climbed up. It needs. . .quite a bit of work.
An understatement if Braden had ever heard one. He remembered Rooster’s man-sized chicken coop. Braden wondered if he’d be the one on the roof next.
Eight
“Have you been inside Rooster’s cabin, Merry?” Amy and Meredith started down the path toward Braden’s new cabin as soon as they’d cleaned up after lunch. Amy thought of the work ahead of them to turn a nest into a home.
The men were long gone exploring Rooster’s claim.
“Oh my, yes. The contents of Rooster’s house will make a year’s worth of kindling. All we have to do is carry it outside.”
“That’s all, huh?” Amy and Meredith exchanged a dry look; then Merry started laughing. The urge to laugh surprised Amy. She’d always been very reserved with people, and she’d spent little time around women her age. There were some in the school, of course, but Amy went home only to the McGraws, who were wonderful to her but were more
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