Silver Creek - G.L. Snodgrass Page 0,17

been four years,” he replied. “I imagine he’s grown a bit since I left. But you know Jacob. The boy has a nose for trouble. I swear there were times I thought Zion would lose his patience with the boy.”

“He worshipped the ground you walked on,” Rebecca said with a smile. “When we would talk. It was always about you and what a great big brother you were.”

Luke looked down at the ground and shook his head. “I sent them a letter telling them where I was going and that I would head home after I got you your ranch back.”

“Luke,” Rebecca sighed as she glanced over at him then put a hand on his arm, “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have asked you to help. I didn’t really think it through. I was so angry and so afraid. But now, It just doesn’t seem worth it.”

“Becky,” he said as he put a hand over his and smiled which sent a tingle up her arm. “We’ve had this talk,” he said with a comforting smile. “It can’t be stopped. Not now.”

Once again, she felt a sadness fill her as they continued to walk. Not only for the awkwardness between them, but because if anything bad happened to Luke, she knew she would blame herself for the rest of her life.

Turning, the pair continued down. The seconds crept by and with each step they grew closer to her and Helen’s home. Desperately, she tried to think of something to say, anything to bring them closer. Then she became upset that he didn’t say anything. Couldn’t he feel this strangeness? Why didn’t he do something to stop it?

She was about to mention something about the weather when he suddenly took her arm and helped her down the steps off the boardwalk. A trill of excitement shot up her arm again. Would it always be like this? She had gone up and down these steps every day to and from Helen’s restaurant without assistance. But to have Luke help her seemed so right.

A disappointing sense of loss filled her when they reached the street level and he dropped her arm.

Now that awkward silence was replaced with a memory of him touching her.

Once again, they turned to start walking. Then, quicker than she could ever anticipate, they reached her home. She took a deep breath and nodded, indicating her home. Her heart fell. The building was nothing more than a two-room shack made of gray weathered spilt shakes. It was easy to imagine him growing up in a large ranch house. And he’d said he’d come from Virginia. What had the houses looked like there?

Suddenly, the thought of Luke accompanying a southern bell to a ball raised a jealousy that surprised her. She wanted to tear the hair from this imaginary woman’s head.

“I’ll wait until you’re safe inside,” he said as he indicated the door. “This town ain’t the kindest place.”

Rebecca laughed. “No one bothers us. They know if they did they’d never get any of Helen’s cobbler.”

Luke frowned down at her. “That didn’t seem to stop that Felton fellow.”

She felt the color drain from her face. “No, it didn’t. And thank you. I don’t think I told you.”

His wide shoulders shrugged in dismissal as if getting into fights with tough men was of no concern. Once again the anger flashed inside of her. See, this was her entire point. The man didn’t realize what was important.

Forcing the anger down she took a calming breath and asked, “What are your plans?”

He looked north, “I thought I’d ride out to the Circle B …”

“What?” she gasped. “Are you crazy? You’ll be riding into a snake’s nest.”

“Maybe,” he said as he once again looked down at her. “But I got to start somewhere.”

Rebecca sighed heavily, making sure that he heard her and knew she was not happy. “There is nothing I can do to change your mind about all this. Is there?”

He shook his head, “No, I don’t think there is.”

Her heart ached at what she knew might happen. Without thinking, she reached out and touched his shoulder. “Promise me. You won’t get killed. Not tomorrow. Not ever.”

The corners of his lips turned up into a slight smile. “You know that’s not how it works. Especially not in this country.”

Her shoulders slumped, she couldn’t have expected him to answer any other way.

“But,” he continued, “I can tell you. I didn’t survive four years of war to end up dying in the Nevada desert.”

Without thinking she rose