buried and I’m pissed off and I don’t know what the hell to do with it, okay? It’s screwed up, but the only person who came to mind to talk to about it was you.” He paused. “I see know how stupid that was. I’ll just go.”
“No. Stay.” Silas moseyed closer. “As long as you’re here and not lookin’ for revenge, we may as well drown our sorrows in whiskey.”
“Why would you need to drown your sorrows, McKay?”
He locked his gaze to West’s. “Because you ain’t the only one who lost brother. Mine ain’t dead, but he may as well be, because I know in my gut I’ll never see him again.”
Zachariah seemed to take that in. Then he nodded and dismounted.
“I’ll grab the bottle.”
When Silas returned, West had turned his mount out into the corral. He seemed to be studying—and judging—the house, barn and paddock. For once, that didn’t bother him. He’d been so happy to be home after getting dismissed from the jail that he’d fallen to the floor in gratitude.
“You got a flask?” Silas asked.
“Yeah.” West pulled it out of his inner vest pocket.
The lack of weight indicated it was nearly empty. Silas poured the amber-colored booze into the flask and passed it over, keeping the half-empty bottle for himself.
After West took the first pull, he grunted. “As least you got good taste in whiskey, McKay.”
“Silas left it.”
West grunted again.
When it didn’t appear Zachariah intended to start the conversation, Silas did. “You and Mary O’Brien still getting hitched?”
“Yep. Was supposed to happen last week but I just…” He knocked back another glug of booze. “Couldn’t. I needed more than a damn week to deal with losin’ one person in my life before I gained another.” He propped his boot on the lowest rung of the fence. “I’m still marryin’ her. Just not until the end of the summer.”
“At least she ain’t in Dinah Thompson’s situation. My brother broke every promise he’d made to her and left her high and dry.” Silas tipped up the bottle and drank. “But she’s probably relieved he’s gone.”
“You haven’t spoken to her?” Zachariah asked.
“Not really. I’d planned on checkin’ in with her next week. There’s some stuff here Silas bought for her. Don’t know whether she wants it, but I oughta ask.”
“I think folks are surprised she’s stayin’ around here. Mary indicated she’s the type to turn tail and run.”
Silas tamped down his anger and offered a shrug. “No one would blame her after what Zeke did to her.”
In a small voice, he said, “I never knew that side of him. I certainly never saw it when he was with women or I would’ve stopped it, believe me. It sickened me.”
“I don’t believe your intended is familiar with Dinah at all if she thinks that woman would run at the first sign of adversity. She’s much tougher than she appears.”
“You know her well?” West asked in a casual manner that wasn’t casual at all.
This was another one of those situations where he had to tread lightly, reacting as Jonas. “Only from what Silas told me about her and the times I’d seen her assisting Doc. She knows her own mind, that’s for sure.” He took another swig. “Some recent nights…I’ve wondered if this’d all be different if I’d’ve asked to court her like I’d wanted to.”
West choked on his whiskey. “You and the schoolteacher?”
“Ain’t that far-fetched. I’d actually met her in Labelle before Silas had. But after she’d patched him up the first time, she was all he could talk about. I…” Silas felt his cheeks warm. “I let go of any ideas I might’ve had when she preferred my wilder-edged brother.”
“I hear ya. Mary couldn’t stand Zeke when he was alive but now that he’s dead, she’s elevated his status.” He shook his head. “Taken to wearin’ black and explaining how we couldn’t possibly have such a joyful occasion as a wedding in the midst of my grieving. Theatrics and attention for her. In some ways…I think she and Zeke would’ve been a better match than her’n me.”
Silas sensed that Zachariah wasn’t keen on marrying Mary, but he intended to buck up and follow through with it. After meeting her, Silas wouldn’t wish that shrew on his worst enemy—which he was starting to believe wasn’t this surviving member of the West family.
Their conversation lulled and Silas expected Zachariah would take his leave.
But he didn’t.
“Six people attended Zeke’s service. Those six included me, Mary and the priest.” He swiped his hand across