right. We should go up to the house.”
“Where is he?”
“Let’s go up to the house. I’ll tell you what I heard.”
William couldn’t go after his brother, no matter how much he wanted to find him. Unless he was close. He’d be willing to leave David for a day if it meant avenging Anna. He felt torn between the two. He wanted Thomas to pay, but he couldn’t handle the guilt of leaving David alone, so he stayed here.
He stepped up onto the porch as the wheels of David’s chair rolled across the floor inside. He closed his eyes for a moment. It wasn’t a good day. There hadn’t been many in the last week. He kept getting weaker and weaker. He barely got himself out of his bed and into the chair to join them in the morning. His mother told him he didn’t come rolling out before midday some days. He never made it through the whole day. He didn’t even attempt to step out of the chair anymore.
His son had been so daring six months ago. Now, he was left with this. Another sin Thomas would have to pay for.
He took a deep breath and stepped inside. His heart shattered at the sight of his son. Paler than the night before and even thinner. Even from here, William heard his shallow breaths.
He was dying, and William couldn’t do anything to stop it.
He walked over to the boy and set his hand on his shoulder, just a knob under his hand. “Why don’t you go get cleaned up for dinner?”
David nodded and rolled away without saying a word. William turned back around and took the cup of coffee Patrick held out for him. He nodded at the table and all three men sat. “What did you hear?” Patrick asked before William even opened his mouth.
Jacob swallowed and glanced between the two men. “I was up in North Fork the day before last for a game.”
William pushed his chair out from the table. North Fork was just south of the Wind River Reservation. They had driven a small herd of horses to Fort Washakie, on the reservation, earlier that month. Only a little more than an hour’s ride from town, closer to two from here.
Jacob reached out for his arm. “Will, wait. He’s not there. I didn’t see him.”
It took William a few deep breaths to calm down enough so he could sit again. “Where is he?” His words came out as nearly a growl, and his mother’s spoon hit against the pot. His teeth ground together, but he forced himself not to react. They’d been dancing around this issue since he’d brought David here. She didn’t believe Thomas did this. He did. They couldn’t find any common ground.
“I asked the men I played with if anyone had seen or heard something about him. One left Rawlins last week. Said he was there, flashing some money around. He’d come in from Colorado on the rails, he wasn’t playing in the game there. This man said he seemed to be getting drunk as fast as he could and getting mean with it.”
Sounded like Thomas. He could be mean even without the alcohol.
“He never did join the game,” Jacob continued. “Kept on drinking in his corner and didn’t talk to anybody. Just took a wh-” He glanced toward where Will’s mother stood stiffly by the fireplace. “He took a woman up. My friend left a little later and didn’t see him again. I don’t know if he’s still there or not, Will.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Will muttered. He couldn’t go. It would take days to even reach the closest rail stop. The train didn’t come up this far north. It would take even longer if he tried to go all the way to Rawlins on horseback. He held his hand out to Jacob. “Thanks for the information. If you hear anything more, let me know.”
“You’re not going after him?”
William cut his gaze to the room David had rolled into. “I can’t,” he said, a harsh edge to his voice.
“Are you going to stay for dinner?” William’s mother asked Jacob even as William turned away.
“No, Ma’am, sorry. I told Pa I’d be back to finish chores tonight. I have to be going.”
William
“Where is he?”
“Let’s go up to the house. I’ll tell you what I heard.”
William couldn’t go after his brother, no matter how much he wanted to find him. Unless he was close. He’d be willing to leave David for a day if it meant avenging Anna. He felt torn between the two. He wanted Thomas to pay, but he couldn’t handle the guilt of leaving David alone, so he stayed here.
He stepped up onto the porch as the wheels of David’s chair rolled across the floor inside. He closed his eyes for a moment. It wasn’t a good day. There hadn’t been many in the last week. He kept getting weaker and weaker. He barely got himself out of his bed and into the chair to join them in the morning. His mother told him he didn’t come rolling out before midday some days. He never made it through the whole day. He didn’t even attempt to step out of the chair anymore.
His son had been so daring six months ago. Now, he was left with this. Another sin Thomas would have to pay for.
He took a deep breath and stepped inside. His heart shattered at the sight of his son. Paler than the night before and even thinner. Even from here, William heard his shallow breaths.
He was dying, and William couldn’t do anything to stop it.
He walked over to the boy and set his hand on his shoulder, just a knob under his hand. “Why don’t you go get cleaned up for dinner?”
David nodded and rolled away without saying a word. William turned back around and took the cup of coffee Patrick held out for him. He nodded at the table and all three men sat. “What did you hear?” Patrick asked before William even opened his mouth.
Jacob swallowed and glanced between the two men. “I was up in North Fork the day before last for a game.”
William pushed his chair out from the table. North Fork was just south of the Wind River Reservation. They had driven a small herd of horses to Fort Washakie, on the reservation, earlier that month. Only a little more than an hour’s ride from town, closer to two from here.
Jacob reached out for his arm. “Will, wait. He’s not there. I didn’t see him.”
It took William a few deep breaths to calm down enough so he could sit again. “Where is he?” His words came out as nearly a growl, and his mother’s spoon hit against the pot. His teeth ground together, but he forced himself not to react. They’d been dancing around this issue since he’d brought David here. She didn’t believe Thomas did this. He did. They couldn’t find any common ground.
“I asked the men I played with if anyone had seen or heard something about him. One left Rawlins last week. Said he was there, flashing some money around. He’d come in from Colorado on the rails, he wasn’t playing in the game there. This man said he seemed to be getting drunk as fast as he could and getting mean with it.”
Sounded like Thomas. He could be mean even without the alcohol.
“He never did join the game,” Jacob continued. “Kept on drinking in his corner and didn’t talk to anybody. Just took a wh-” He glanced toward where Will’s mother stood stiffly by the fireplace. “He took a woman up. My friend left a little later and didn’t see him again. I don’t know if he’s still there or not, Will.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Will muttered. He couldn’t go. It would take days to even reach the closest rail stop. The train didn’t come up this far north. It would take even longer if he tried to go all the way to Rawlins on horseback. He held his hand out to Jacob. “Thanks for the information. If you hear anything more, let me know.”
“You’re not going after him?”
William cut his gaze to the room David had rolled into. “I can’t,” he said, a harsh edge to his voice.
“Are you going to stay for dinner?” William’s mother asked Jacob even as William turned away.
“No, Ma’am, sorry. I told Pa I’d be back to finish chores tonight. I have to be going.”
William
Similar Books
