The Whippoorwill Trilogy - Sharon Sala Page 0,154

was right.

“Aren’t you about done there?” she said.

Eulis dobbed the rag back into the basin.

“I haven’t washed my dingus yet.”

Morris froze. He wanted to look at Sister Leticia but was afraid to.

“Do it and be quick about it,” she said, and then added. “There’s not much of it to wash so it shouldn’t take all that long.”

“You don’t have need to malign my manly parts,” Eulis muttered.

“I simply stated the truth,” Letty countered.

Morris stood abruptly, looking frantically from the preacher to the sister and back again. Neither one of them seemed the least bit bothered by what they were doing, but he couldn’t believe he was hearing this conversation, let alone standing in the room with them.

“I believe I’d best wait outside,” Morris said.

“Good idea,” Letty said. “Brother Howe will be joining you once he’s done.”

“Dang it, Sister, I was planning on taking me a rest. I’m still right sore,” Eulis said.

“I like to do my washing alone,” Letty said.

Eulis slapped the rag back into the water and then began sloshing it up and down his spindly legs.

“I might say the same, but I reckon it wouldn’t do me any good.”

“All you had to do was say so,” Letty said, picked up her skirts and sauntered out of the barracks as if she was trying to sidestep a pile of shit.

Morris shifted nervously. The preacher had as good as asked them all to leave, but if he did, that meant he would be on the porch alone with Sister Leticia. He wasn’t sure his body could take any more abuse.

“I suppose I should give you some privacy, too,” Morris said.

Eulis nodded.

Morris sighed.

“Uh… I’ll just uh… be right outside.”

He nodded again as he dug the wet rag into one ear and then the other.

“Let me know if you need anything,” Morris added.

Eulis didn’t answer and Morris was left with nowhere to go but out.

Letty was sitting on a bench to the right of the door with her arms folded across her chest; her eyes squinted slightly against the glare of the setting sun.

Morris closed the door quietly behind him and chose a seat on the bench to the left of the door, fidgeting some with his collar and his coat while keeping a wary eye on the Sister.

Letty knew he was there, but for the time being she chose to ignore him. Besides, it was hard to look at the man and not laugh. What with his black eyes and the bandage on his nose, he looked a whole lot like a raccoon.

She leaned against the outer wall of the barracks and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the fort, and wondering why Eulis was so spooked, and wondering where they would go from here. Even though it was a bit unsettling not to know where their next meals were coming from, or if they would find a place to set up a preaching session, it was still better than dancing with drunks and sleeping with men for money.

Morris, on the other hand, couldn’t relax. All he wanted to do was hawk his wares at the Sutler’s store, then catch the next stage heading east. Being self-employed had seemed like a fine thing when he’d started on this trip, but that was two months ago. He wanted to go back to civilization where women still fainted at the sight of a mouse, and tended to their men with unswerving devotion. The women out here were far too hardy and independent to suit him.

Then he glanced at Sister Leticia. In his estimation, she was a prime example of what a woman should not be. Outwardly, she seemed feminine enough, but there was something else. He frowned. He couldn’t put his finger on exactly what it was, but she was different. He didn’t know a woman who would have knowingly gone into a room where a man was bathing, but she had. What was that all about? Even more confusing, who were they? They weren’t like any religious people he’d ever known. But then he looked out onto the parade grounds to the mounted soldiers coming and going and the unseen dangers of the land beyond and decided that nothing was normal out here, including the people.

At that point, the door between him and Sister Leticia opened. The preacher came out.

“I’m done, Sister Leticia.”

Letty got up. “Thank you, Brother Howe.” She glanced at Morris on her way into the barracks. “I won’t be long.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Eulis sat down on the bench that