The Librarian of Boone's Hollow - Kim Vogel Sawyer Page 0,121
breath, scented with the corned beef hash they’d eaten for supper, hit Emmett’s cheek.
Misery twined through his gut. “I didn’t. Not for sure. But I got to thinking. About how much it pleased you to have me working at the mine with you. About how much it upset you when I took the library job. And then Maw said you’d gone traipsing the day it happened, and I wondered if…” He swallowed again. “Well, I wondered.”
Paw scooted some more, and his shoulder bumped Emmett. “I didn’t go there to tear things up. Went to talk to you. To ask if you might change your mind. ’Cause you’re right, I liked havin’ you at the mine with me. Seemed like there wasn’t nothin’ else we had in common, but at least we had that, an’ then it was gone. But you wasn’t there, an’ I got to lookin’ at those books, an’ all o’ sudden it felt like they was what had kept us apart all these years. I reckon I took out my mad on them.” The cloud uncovered the moon, and Emmett got a peek at his father’s remorseful expression. “I’m sorry. It was a fool thing to do. Afterward, I wished I could take it back. But there wasn’t no fixin’ it.”
Emmett put his hand over Paw’s. “You fixed it right now, Paw, by telling me.” It would ease Addie’s mind to know she wasn’t the target. “I like books and book learning. I always have, and I likely always will. It’s a part of who God made me to be. I like books…but I love you. You’re my father. Just because we aren’t alike in every way doesn’t mean we can’t do things together. Like fishing.”
He lifted Paw’s hand and squeezed it. “In fact, since the crickets are bothering us so much, maybe I can catch about half that choir and early some morning you, Dusty, and me can go to Boone’s Creek and catch us a catfish breakfast.”
Paw chuckled. “That sounds good, Emmett. I’d—”
The crickets hushed.
Paw yanked his hand free and sat up. “There’s a horse comin’.”
Emmett heard it, too. But it sounded like more than one. He pushed himself to his feet, and Paw stood beside him. He made out three riders, Bettina on her white mule between the other two. He waited until they were within a few feet and then called, “Bettina, are you all right?”
All three animals stopped. Rifles hissed from scabbards, the sound threatening. Bettina’s form leaned forward, as if she was trying to find him. “Emmett? Is that you?” Her voice quavered and had a nasal tone. She’d been crying.
“Yeah, it’s me and my paw.”
“Whoever’s there, come out where we can see you.”
The authoritative voice didn’t belong to anyone Emmett knew. He and Paw moved out from under the tree. Emmett went to Mule’s side. He squinted up at the other riders. Both men, both wearing Stetson-type hats. They held their rifles with the barrels pointed skyward. “My name’s Emmett Tharp. Over there’s my father, Emil. Who’re you?”
“They’re revenuers.” Bettina spat the title.
“We found this girl up on the mountain.” The man who’d ordered Emmett and Paw to make themselves seen spoke. “You know her?”
“Her name’s Bettina Webber,” Paw answered. “Her an’ her pap live in the cabin on the other side o’ the creek behind me.”
Bettina clamped her hand on Emmett’s shoulder. “They found me sleepin’, an’ they wouldn’t lemme be. Said I must be a bootlegger hidin’ out up there.”
“Bootlegger?” Paw snorted and came up close. “I’ve known Bettina her whole life. She ain’t no bootlegger. She’s a gal who knows the mountain, that’s all. Ain’t no crime in spendin’ a summer night out under the moon, is there?”
The second fellow braced his elbow on his knee and scowled at Paw. “What’re you two fellers doin’ out here in the middle o’ the night? You sure you ain’t runnin’ moonshine?”
Paw laughed as if someone had told a joke. “Pffft. We’re huntin’ crickets.” He slid his hands into his pockets and rocked on his boot heels. “Me an’ my son plan to do some fishin’. Mighty fine catfish in this creek, an’ they like crickets more’n any other bait. Before you come along, we had a good bead on ’em, but now they’ve quit singin’.” He shrugged. “Reckon we’ll head home.”
Emmett took hold of Mule’s reins. “I’ll escort Bettina to her cabin. Since she hasn’t done anything worth being taken in for.”