The Whippoorwill Trilogy - Sharon Sala Page 0,121

than mess with Letty. He knew her well enough to know that the worst was yet to come. He’d seen her in action. She screwed a man to death and hid his body beneath a rotting trapper without turning a hair, then resurrected Eulis from town drunk to reputable preacher in less than twenty-four hours. Someone, most likely Forney, was going to pay for what had happened to her. He was just almighty glad it wasn’t him.

Shorty sighed and then stood.

“I reckon I’ll go check on the horses.”

“I’ll go with you,” Big Bill said.

But before they could move, the door behind them opened. Letty was standing in the doorway.

“Gentlemen, I believe supper is getting cold.”

They stumbled up the steps en masse and then pushed and shoved their way through the door, anxious to get some food before she changed her mind. The dress and under garments Letty had been wearing were as wet as the hair hanging down her back, and still dripping from the hook where she’d hung them. She was wearing a modest nightgown and robe and her feet were bare. But the pot of stew was on the table, as were bowls enough for herself and the hungry men.

Forney ventured a quick glance at the woman before he moved closer. She seemed stable. Nothing like the screaming maniac she’d been after they’d fished her out from under the outhouse. It appeared that she’d not only cleaned herself and her clothes, but the table looked way cleaner than he could remember, so he suspected that she’d scrubbed it down, too. Anxious to regain some control of his own way station, he waved a hand toward the table, indicating that the passengers take a seat.

“Y’all sit. I’ll get coffee.”

“Already made,” Letty said, and lifted it from the stove and set it on the table, too.

“Well then,” Forney said.

Letty sat down, pulling her robe a little closer around her neck, and then put her hands primly in her lap, waiting for them to join her. They did so, each casting a nervous glance toward her before taking a seat at the table.

“Smells real good, Forney,” Shorty said.

Still put out by her bossy ways, Forney sniffed briefly then nodded.

“Just stew,” he said, then took a proprietary step toward the stew pot, grabbed the ladle and began serving it up.

Then he took a pan of cornbread from the warming oven, cut it into hunks and set it on the table. Several sets of hands reached for the pan at once as Letty cleared her throat. They froze, their hands still in midair as Letty glanced at Eulis.

“Brother Howe… maybe you would like to give the blessing.”

It wasn’t a question and Eulis knew it. He took off his hat and bowed his head. Praying still didn’t come easy but he was some better at it than he’d been months earlier. He cleared his throat.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered…”

Letty sighed loudly.

Eulis winced. He’d done something wrong. He just wasn’t sure what. He glanced at Letty who rolled her eyes then frowned. He decided to give it one more try.

“Uh… thank you for the food and the hands that have prepared it?”

He hadn’t meant to end the brief prayer on a question, but it didn’t seem to matter to the hungry men. They all echoed an ‘amen’ then fell to eating like starving pigs at a trough, while Eulis looked at Letty for confirmation.

She nodded primly and picked up her spoon.

He sighed and reached for a piece of cornbread. The stew looked a bit thin, but the cornbread would be good for soppin’ up the juice.

They were nearly done with the meal when something hit the front door with a thud. Letty flinched and then jumped to her feet. She recognized the sound and wasn’t going to be caught sitting down again, no matter where she was.

“What is that?” she asked.

Forney frowned. He was hoping the evening would pass without having to explain what had happened at the outhouse, but it looked as if he wasn’t going to be so lucky after all.

“What was what?” he asked.

Another thud sounded and the door rattled on its hinges.

“That!” Letty said, and pointed toward the door. “That’s what I kept hearing right before the outhouse tipped.”

Forney’s face turned red. “Well now… I reckon that might be ole Rolly.”

Letty reached for the fireplace poker leaning against the wall and approached the door with trepidation.

“Here now, lady… what do you think you’re doin’?” Shorty asked.

Forney jumped to his feet. “You