“A little.”
“You really should have a doctor look at you,” she said.
“How far are we from the nearest town?”
“About eight miles from Laughlin.”
“We made it that far?”
“How far?”
“Maybe fifty miles or so.”
“On that horse? That’s amazing. All right, do you want to try walking?”
“That would be the logical next step, wouldn’t it?” he said, words coming a bit easier now.
He took a step.
Seven
With her help he made it to the kitchen, where two men were sitting at the table. They watched as he made his way across the floor and she helped him to sit.
“Boys, this is Mr.—”
“Lancaster.”
“Mr. Lancaster,” she said. “My name is Kimmie, that’s my brother Zack, and that’s our brother Ryan.”
“How do,” Ryan said. He looked like the younger of the two brothers.
“We’re waitin’ on supper, Kimmie,” Zack said.
“It’s comin’, Zack,” she said. “Be polite to our guest.”
Zack looked across the table at Lancaster. “You on the run?”
“What does that mean, exactly?” Lancaster asked.
“I mean, is the law after you?”
“No.”
“But somebody is.”
“Not exactly.”
“Then what, exactly?”
Kimmie came over and put a plate of food and a cup of coffee in front of him. “Zack, that ain’t exactly bein’ polite, is it?”
“I’m just lookin’ out for my family,” Zack said. “I gotta know who we got under our roof.”
“That’s fair,” Lancaster said.
Kimmie went back to the stove.
“I was ambushed out in the desert,” Lancaster said. “Three men rode me down. My horse took a fall. They beat me senseless, stole everything I had, left me to die out there.”
“And that horse you rode in on?” Zack asked.
“Found it.”
“You took a chance gettin’ up on that bag of bones,” Ryan said.
Kimmie put plates in front of her brothers and then sat down with one for herself.
“He got me here, didn’t he?” Lancaster asked. “He was—I was amazed. He just…kept going.”
“The way he looks,” Zack said, “a bullet would be a blessin’.”
“No,” Lancaster said, “he just needs some care.”
Lancaster put some stew in his mouth. It was the best thing he’d ever tasted, and he wasn’t sure it was because he had just come off the desert.
“This is great,” he said.
“Probably because you ain’t et in a while,” Ryan said, with a grin at his sister.
“Shut up and eat, Ryan,” she said, grinning back at him.
“You gonna go after the men who waylaid you?” Zack asked.
“I plan to.”
“On that horse?”
“I don’t know,” Lancaster said. “When I’m ready I’ll see if he’s ready. Can you take me into Laughlin? I can rest up there, get outfitted—”
“You got any money?” Kimmie asked.
Lancaster looked at her.
“You said they stole everythin’.”
“No,” he said, “I have no money.”
“Then how will you get outfitted?” she asked. “You’ll need a horse and a gun.”
“I have a horse,” Lancaster said.
“We can loan you a better one,” she said, “and a gun. A rifle, anyway.”
“Now, hold on—” Zack said.
“A ride to town is all I really need,” Lancaster said, not wanting to cause dissension in their family.
“Nonsense,” she said. “You’re in no shape to ride to town.”
“You said I should see a doctor.”
“I can care for you for a few days,” Kimmie said. “When you’re strong enough the boys can take you to town and you can see the doc.”
“Kimmie’s a frustrated mom,” Ryan said. “Always motherin’ us, and now you’re in fer it.”
“Hasn’t hurt him so far,” she said.
“And it won’t,” Lancaster said, “if I can get another bowl of this stew.”
“Comin’ up,” she said.
“We only got his word that he ain’t on the run from the law,” Zack said. “I think we should take him to town tomorrow.”
Kimmie brought Lancaster another bowl.
“You’ll have to forgive Zack,” she said. “Since Papa died he’s been trying to fill his shoes. Usually he does a pretty good job, but sometimes he’s just downright rude.”
“Ain’t rude to try to protect my family,” Zack said.
“He’s right,” Lancaster said.
“Well,” Kimmie said, sitting back down, “I believe your story. I don’t think the law would’ve left you afoot in the desert.”
“Kimmie’s got a point, Zack,” Ryan said.
“Shut up and eat, Ryan,” Zack said.
Eight
After supper Kimmie offered to walk Lancaster back to bed, but he asked her to walk him outside instead. When they got out to the porch she sat him down in a wooden rocking chair.
“Used to be Papa’s,” she said.
Lancaster looked around. They didn’t have much beyond the house, just a barn and an empty corral.
“It ain’t much,” she said, sitting next to him in a straight-backed chair.
He looked at her. She was wearing a simple cotton dress that looked homemade, long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her face was weathered, but didn’t make her look old. She just looked like she spent a lot of time outdoors. Over the years, though, it would eat away at her looks.
“I don’t want to cause trouble between you and your brother,” he said.
“No trouble,” she said. “You’ll need a couple of days before you can put your feet into a pair of boots. I have a pair of Papa’s that might fit you. Also some clothes.”
“You’re very kind, Kimmie,” he said.
“You’re just somebody in need,” she said. “I can’t very well turn you away.”
“Yeah, but not a lot of people would offer me clothes, and a bed, and a rifle…”
“Then you ain’t been meetin’ the right kind of people, Mr. Lancaster.”
“Just Lancaster,” he said. “No Mister, and you’re right. I haven’t met the right kind of people. At least, not
