'I'd like to talk to Connor. Alone.' Anticipating her protest, he gave Cassie's shoulder a quick squeeze. 'Cass, the baby's crying. Why don't you and Emma go see to him?'
'Nate. I forgot.' At her wit's end, Cassie dragged a hand through her hair.
'Why don't you go on?' Devin said, giving her a gentle nudge. 'Con and I are going to take a walk.'
'All right. Come on, Emma, Nate's crying.' But she took a deep breath as she held out a hand for her daughter. 'I expect you to apologize, Connor. You understand?'
'Yes, ma'am.' With his chin on his chest, Connor turned to go outside.
He knew what was coming. He was going to get whipped. His father had always done the hitting away from the house, away where his mother couldn't see and wouldn't know. He'd get a beating now for sure, and it would be worse than anything his father had ever done to him. Because he'd tried to do what was right, and he'd been wrong.
Devin said nothing at all, just walked with the boy across the lawn, toward the woods that bordered it. He chose the path without thinking. The woods were as familiar to him as the town, as his own home, as his own mind. Beside him, Connor walked stiffly, his head drooped in shame, his back braced.
Because he knew he had to gauge his timing, and his moves, Devin resisted the urge to drape his arm over those thin little shoulders. Instead, he led the way down a path and stopped at the cluster of rocks where two soldiers had once met and doomed each other.
He sat, and the boy stood rigid and waiting.
'I'm awfully proud of you, Connor.'
The words—the last he'd expected to hear—had the boy's head whipping up. 'Sir?'
Casually Devin took out a cigarette—the first of a very long day. 'I have to tell you, it's a relief to me. I worry about your mother some. She's had a bad time of it. Knowing you're there to look after things, makes my mind a lot easier.'
Connor's confusion was too huge for him to feel any pride. He stared at Devin, his eyes still wary. 'I—-I sassed you.'
'I don't think so.'
'You're not going to hit me?'
Devin's hand stiffened, hesitated. Very slowly he tossed the barely smoked cigarette on the ground and crushed it under his heel. As he would have liked to crush Joe Dolin.
'I'm never going to raise my hand to you, not today, not any day.' He spoke deliberately, his eyes level with Connor's, as a man would speak to another man. 'I'm never going to raise it to your mama or to your sister.' But he held out that hand, and waited. 'I'm giving you my word, Connor,' he said, when the boy simply stared at the hand being offered. 'I'd be grateful if you'd take it.'
Dumbfounded, Connor put his hand in Devin's. 'Yes, sir.'
Devin gave the hand a little squeeze, tugged the boy a little closer. And grinned. 'You'd have torn right into me, wouldn't you?'
'I'd have tried.' The emotions swirling inside Connor were frightening. Most of all, he was afraid he would cry now and show Devin he was just a stupid little boy after all. 'I never helped her before. I never did anything.'
'It wasn't your fault, Connor.'
'I never did anything,' Connor repeated. 'He hit her all the time, Sheriff. All the time.'
'I know.'
'No, you don't. You only know about when one of the neighbors would call you, or when he'd get so drunk he'd hit her someplace where it would show. But there was more. It was worse.'
Devin nodded. There was nothing else he could do. And drew the boy down on the rocks beside him. 'He hit you, too.'
'When she couldn't see.' Bravery forgotten, Connor pressed his face into Devin's side. 'When she didn't know.'
Devin stared off into the trees, eaten away by a useless anger at what he hadn't been able to prevent. 'Emma?'
'No, sir. He never paid much attention to Emma, because she was just a girl. Don't tell Mama. Please don't tell her he hit me. She'd just feel bad.'
'I won't.'
'I hate him. I'd kill him if I could.'
'I know how you feel.' When the boy shook his head, Devin drew him back, looked deep into his eyes. 'I do know. I'm going to tell you something. I used to fight a lot.'
'I know.' Connor sniffled, but was profoundly grateful he'd controlled the tears. 'People talk about it.'
'Yeah, I know they do. I used to like it, and I used to think there were lots of people I wanted to rip into. Sometimes I had reason for it, sometimes I didn't. Anyway, I had to learn to take a step back. It's important, that step. Now, you figure you owe your father some grief— '
'Don't call him that,' Connor snapped out, then flushed darkly. 'Sir.'
'All right. I figure you owe him some, too. But you've got to take that step back. Let the law handle it.'
'I'm not ever going to let him or anybody hurt her again.'
'I'm with you there.' Studying Connor's determined face, he decided the boy deserved to know the situation. 'I'm going to give it to you straight, okay?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Your grandma got your mama real upset today.'
'She wants him to come back. It's never going to happen. I won't let it happen.'
'Your mama feels the same way, and that's why she sent your grandma away. That was hard for her, real hard, Connor, but she did it.'
'You were helping her. I'm sorry I—'
'Don't apologize,' Devin said quickly. 'I mean it. I know Cassie thinks you should, but we know how things stand. You did exactly right, Connor. I'd have done the same.'
No compliment he'd ever received, no praise from a teacher, no high-five from a teammate, had ever meant more. He had done what Sheriff MacKade would do.
'I'm glad you want to help her. I'll do anything you want me to do.'
That kind of trust, Devin thought, was worth more than gold. 'I need to tell you that they've given Joe work release.'
Connor's face tightened up. 'I know about it. Kids at school say things.'
'They giving you a rough time?'
He moved a shoulder. 'Not as much as they used to.'
Learning to handle yourself, Devin thought with an astonishing sense of pride. 'What I want is for you not to worry too much, but more, I want you to keep your eyes open. You're smart, and you notice things. That's why you write good stories.'
Connor wriggled with pleasure. 'I like to write.'
'I know. And you know how to look at things, how to watch. So I know you're going to watch out for your family. If you see something, hear something, even feel something that doesn't sit right, I want you to come to me. I want your word on that.'
'Yes, sir.'
'Do you have to call me sir all the time? It makes me feel creaky.'
Connor flushed, and grinned. 'I'm supposed to. It's like a rule.'
'I know all about rules.' Devin decided they could deal with that little matter later. 'A man would be lucky to have you for a son, Connor.'
'I don't ever want to have a father again.'
The hand that had lifted toward Connor's shoulder stiffened. Biting back a sigh, Devin ordered it to relax. 'Then I'll say a man would be lucky to have you for a friend. Are we square here?'
'Yes, sir.'
There were those eyes again, Devin thought, filled with trust. 'Your mama's probably worried you're beating me up.' When Connor giggled at the idea, Devin ruffled his hair. 'You go on back now and tell her we straightened it all out. I'll talk to her later.'
