“Wanna add some shirts to your order, Mr. Shaye?” the clerk asked from behind him.
Shaye stared at the new shirts for a few moments more, then removed his hand and turned to face the man.
“No,” he said, “I don’t think so. I guess I can still get some wear out of the shirts I’ve got.”
2
When Shaye pulled the buckboard to a halt in front of the house, both Thomas and James came out to help unload.
“You boys finish those fence posts?” he asked, dropping down from the seat.
“Yeah, Pa,” Thomas said. “They’re all in.”
“Good,” Shaye said, “then we can start stringin’ this wire tomorrow morning.”
First they took in the items that belonged in the house, then Shaye told James to take the buckboard with the wire to the barn and take care of the team.
“While I’m doin’ that, Pa,” James said, “Thomas can show you your letter.”
As James drove the team away, Shaye looked at his oldest son and asked, “What letter?”
“Rafe brought this out for you today,” Thomas said, producing the letter from his pocket and handing it to his father.
Shaye read the front and said, “Pearl River Junction.”
“We know anybody from there, Pa?”
Shaye thought a moment, then shrugged and said, “Not that I can think of.”
Thomas waited a few moments, then asked, “Are you gonna open it?”
“Is there a pot of coffee on the stove?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, let’s get some and then I’ll open it.”
They both went inside and Thomas poured out two cups of coffee while Shaye sat down at the kitchen table and opened the envelope. Thomas sat across from him and set a cup in front of his father.
“Thanks,” Shaye said. He took a sip before unfolding the letter to read it. It had been folded so many times to fit into the envelope that it took a second or two to open it. Thomas waited patiently while his father read. They’d bought this run-down ranch almost a year ago, and in all that time they’d never received a telegram or a letter. Thomas knew that some of his mother’s family were still out there, but there wasn’t any way they’d have known where to find them.
He watched his father’s face and saw the change in it as he read the words on the page.
“What is it, Pa?”
Shaye lowered the letter and looked at his son.
“Do you know a girl named Belinda Davis?”
“Belinda…” Thomas repeated. “No, I don’t think so. Is that who the letter is from?”
“Yes.”
“Who is she?”
“I don’t know,” Shaye said.
“How did she find us?”
“The letter went to Vengeance Creek first,” Shaye said. “Then it got forwarded here.”
“How’d they know to do that?”
“Once we settled here, I sent word to Vengeance Creek that we were here,” Shaye said.
“Why?”
“Just in case.”
“Just in case…what?”
“I thought…” He paused and tried again. “Well, in case any of your mother’s people wanted to find us.”
“But why would—”
“It doesn’t matter now,” Shaye said, cutting Thomas off. He looked at the letter again, then lowered it as James entered.
“James,” Shaye asked, “did you ever know a girl named Belinda Davis?”
“Belinda?” he said. “Sure.”
“You did?” Thomas asked.
“Come on, Thomas,” James said, “she was that gal in Epitaph that Matthew was sweet on. Pretty little black-haired thing?”
“Matthew was sweet on her?” Shaye asked.
“Yeah, Pa,” James said, “Why?”
“That’s who the letter is from,” Thomas said.
“What does she want, Pa?”
“Well,” Shaye said, “She says she’s not doing too good and wants our help.”
“How?” Thomas asked. “Does she want money?”
“Just says she wants help.”
“So why would she ask you?” Thomas asked.
“Well,” Shaye said, looking at both his sons, “apparently she thinks that I should take some interest in my grandson.”
3
“Grandson?” Thomas asked, aghast.
“Your nephew.”
“Nephew?” James asked, gaping.
Shaye nodded and said, “Little Matt.”
“Pa,” Thomas said, “what are you talkin’ about?”
“This girl,” Shaye said, “claims that she had Matthew’s baby.”
Thomas and James were both stunned. Then Thomas asked, “But…when?”
“She says the boy is two years old.”
They had left Epitaph for good about two years ago. The girl could have gotten pregnant before they left, but…
“But Pa…Matthew?” Thomas asked. “I don’t think Matthew was ever with a girl.”
“James?” Pa asked.
James blushed and said, “Pa, I don’t know. He never told me anything about bein’ with a girl, but…”
“But he did know a girl by this name?’
“Well, yeah…I knew her too, sort of, but…I never thought he…he did anything with her.”
“Why didn’t I know her?” Thomas asked. “Why didn’t I know he was sweet on a girl?”
“No offense, big brother, but Matthew tended to talk to me a little more than he did to you.”
Thomas didn’t argue. More than once he’d lamented the fact that he had not spent more time with Matthew while he was alive.
“James, what kind of girl was she?”
“I don’t know…a nice girl, I guess…”
“A nice girl who got pregnant?”
“I told you, Pa,” James said. “I didn’t know her that well.”
“The question is,” Thomas said, “how well did Matthew know her?”
“Well,” Shaye said, refolding the letter, “I guess we’re not going to get the answer to that question here.”
