Jordy tossed his suit on top of Sierra’s crumpled dress at the top of the staircase. Sierra could damn well explain it to the laundry women. He had no idea how the suit would be cleaned or if it could. Attired only in his undershorts, he walked back down the hallway to his room. He paused and peered into Sierra’s room, where she lay in a dead sleep beneath a sheet and light blanket, snorting like a hungry hog. He had left her window open to air out the room, but the odor of vomit still lingered.
In a way, he was glad that the illness had intervened. His willpower had been fading. He would not deny he lusted for this woman, but if something ever happened between them, and that prospect seemed increasingly unlikely, he did not want it to happen like this.
He slipped into bed and dropped off to sleep instantly. Several hours later, he was awakened by an eerie howling sound drifting through his window. At first, he thought it was a lone wolf on the hilltop above the ranch house. Then he remembered Thor. He got out of bed and pulled on his denim britches and a pair of moccasins along with an old cotton shirt. He also grabbed a folded wool blanket from a chair in the corner of the room before heading for the stairway.
It was a balmy night with only a sprinkling of stars in the sky, but a near full moon furnished ample light as he rushed along the path to the cemetery. A stumble might launch him rolling down the slope to the ranch yard but would not plummet him to his death. Thor’s howling was incessant and pitiful, and all the ranch occupants likely heard it. Hopefully, his presence would calm the dog. If he could not coax Thor away, he would stay the night.
When he arrived at Jack’s gravesite, the dog heard him and turned, whining softly as Jordy approached. Thor sat on top of the loose dirt, Jordy noted. He checked the water pan. It seemed to be untouched, as were the food scraps he had left earlier. Now that he thought about it, the dog had eaten little, if anything, since he and Sierra caught up with Jack, and he was certain he had not drunk any water since Jack’s death the previous night. It could have been a longer stretch. Jack had drawn their almost undivided attention.
He knelt and wrapped his arm about Thor and pulled him close. “Oh, Thor. I don’t know what to do, old friend. I know the hurt is almost unbearable. But I love you. Others love you. Life can be good again. Not the same, but good.”
Tears began to run down Jordy’s cheeks, and then he started to sob uncontrollably. “Oh, Jack, I loved you, and I never really told you. I love you, Jack, and I’ll miss you every day of my life.” Thor licked his face as if trying to console him, and then he felt the touch of a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw Sierra had knelt beside him. Still, he could not stop crying. She put her arm about his shoulders and hugged him softly.
Finally, he felt about cried out and began to get a handle on his emotions. Thor had slipped away and now lay on the grave again.
Sierra said, “I woke up and heard Thor howling and then you left. I collected my wits some, and even though I wasn’t sure I would be welcome, I followed.”
“It’s okay. You’re welcome. But I plan to stay with Thor tonight and decide to what to do about him tomorrow.”
She held up a blanket. “I looked out the window and saw you were carrying one, so I found one, too. I would like to stay with you and Thor, if you will let me.”
He saw that she wore a robe thrown over a flannel nightgown now, although she had made the journey barefoot. “We would like to have your company.” He got up and spread his blanket out next to the grave, and she put hers on top. They crawled beneath Sierra’s blanket, Jordy claiming the spot nearest the grave and Thor and rolling over on his side to face the dog, so he could reach out to pet and calm him should it be necessary. For the time being, however, Thor appeared pacified by their presence.
Jordy felt Sierra spoon up against him and throw her arm over his waist. She fell asleep quickly, and this time, thankfully, she slept with a soft purring, which was far better than the loud snoring and snorting he had heard earlier that night. Nice, he thought, before he dropped off.
He awakened before sunrise, having disregarded the hard ground and slept like an exhausted cat. Sierra was still asleep, snuggling against his back. He reached over and stroked Thor. He was not surprised. The old dog had joined his friend, Jack, during the night.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
It was nearly noon and Jordy was astride Buster on his way to San Angelo. He had just left Tess’s house after informing her of the lawyer’s meeting. She had been surprised at the request and consented to have Jordy and the ranch participants stop by with Jack’s double-seated buggy to deliver them all to the lawyer’s office.
Tess had seemed sad but stoic and had brightened noticeably when she told Jordy she was expecting Sierra for a visit that afternoon. Sierra had not mentioned it to Jordy, but he was pleased that the two women seemed to be forming a fast friendship.
He and Sierra had spoken little since their vigil in the cemetery during the night. Just before sunrise, after wrapping Thor in one of the blankets, they had walked in silence from the cemetery to the house. Sierra had suggested he shave and wash up first, since she was going to talk to Consuelo about hot water for a bath as soon
