Before he reached the barn, Big Tom stepped through the wide doors and waited.
When Jake stepped down, the farrier said, “I’ll take care of Mars, Jake. You head in and get some chow.”
As he handed his reins to the big man, he said, “Thanks, Tom,” then turned and headed to the house.
His foot had just touched the back porch when the door opened, and Sara smiled as she said, “Your supper is ready.”
Jake returned her smile as he walked through the open door behind her. He closed the door then hung his hat on a peg and stepped to the table where he took a seat.
Sara quickly set his food and coffee on the table before she added a second cup for herself then sat down.
Before he touched a fork or knife, he said, “Everything is set for the burial tomorrow. I didn’t ask for any clergy because my father wasn’t a religious man. and it would seem hypocritical.”
Sara nodded then asked, “Did you get a chance to see the sheriff?”
Jake cut into the pork chop as he replied, “Yes, ma’am. They’ll issue an arrest warrant for Dave tomorrow morning and the sheriff is sending telegrams to all of the law offices in the territory.”
“Do you think that they’ll find him?”
“I’d be surprised if they did. The sheriff asked me if I wanted to put a bounty on him if they don’t find him in a few weeks. What do you think?”
“We should wait to see if they find him. You don’t believe that he’ll come back to the Elk; do you?”
“No. There are too many eyes on the ranch and he’s riding a very easily identified horse. He could trade it somewhere, but I still don’t think he’ll take the risk. There’s nothing for him here anyway.”
Sara just nodded to let Jake enjoy his supper.
_____
After satisfying his stomach, Jake helped to clear the table then said, “I think Charlie will be jealous of your cooking talents, Sara. I know it’s getting late, but I really need to take a bath.”
“I’ll wash the dishes while you wash yourself. I’ll take my bath in the morning.”
Jake kissed her softly before turning and walking down the hall.
He stopped in his bedroom to get some clean skivvies before crossing the hall to the bedroom. After pumping it half full, he stripped and after taking a deep breath, sat in the cold water and erupted in goosebumps.
As he scrubbed off the dirt, which wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been when he’d returned from the long ride, Jake revisited Sara’s question about the possibility of Dave suddenly reappearing on the Elk. While he’d answered it quickly because it seemed logical, he was basing it on how he perceived Dave Forrest. It was that same perception that made him so readily accept Dave’s story about his father murdering his mother.
Dave apparently was a very effective liar, so now Jake had to wonder just how badly he had misjudged the man. He’d also failed to understand his father. Then there was Kay. Was he so easily duped? Ironically, the one person that even he admitted to being difficult for him to comprehend was also the one person he trusted without question. He may never fully understand what Sara is thinking, but he had absolute confidence in her honesty.
He continued to rub the soap over his torso and legs as he attempted to predict not only where Dave would have gone, but what he might do. When he told Sara that Dave had stolen the Martini-Henry, her first question was if Dave intended to kill him. He’d quickly dismissed the notion, just as he had now rejected the possibility of his return. Now he wondered if both of his instant answers were right. It was difficult trying to imagine that Dave would return just to kill him, but he hadn’t believed Dave had murdered his mother for a moment until he saw the toes of his father’s boots at the bottom of that dark hole.
By the time he stepped out of the tub then let the dirty water drain, Jake still hadn’t been able to conceive any reason for Dave to return. As he dried himself with a clean towel, he finally decided that he had to at least allow for the possibility. He’d talk to the men tomorrow morning to let them know. He’d want them all to be alert.
After pulling on his clean underpants, Jake used the damp towel to clean the tub for Sara’s bath, then wrapped it around his dirty clothes and dumped them into the hamper. He picked up his boots, then opened the door before blowing out the bathroom lamp.
When he left the bathroom, he realized that the only light was coming from his parents’ bedroom, so he turned down the hallway and soon reached the doorway.
Sara was tucked under the covers of the big bed and smiled as she said, “You’re going to get cold standing out there in your underwear, Mister Elliott.”
Jake smiled then stepped to the bed, set his boots on the floor and pulled back the quilts. He blew out the lamp and slipped between the sheets and laid his head on the pillow.
Before he could ask Sara why she decided to move into the big bedroom, she slid onto his chest and kissed him which left no room in his mind for anything other than Sara.
