Wrapped in Rain(39)

I smiled but said nothing. Katie needed to talk, not listen to me. I picked up another lens and realized how much I had missed the sound of her voice. "Got any plans?"

"Yeah." She laughed. "Start over. Put down some roots. Teach my son how to play baseball." She wiped her face on both shirtsleeves, smearing her mascara. I pointed to the bike leaning against the corner of the barn. "We got that in Macon," she said. "Something to occupy his time while I thought of where to go and what to do. I wanted to go where Trevor wouldn't find me." She looked around and attempted a smile. "Looks like I found it."

"How do you know he's not tracking your every credit card transaction now?"

"I had a good lawyer in our divorce, so I have money, but this trip, well ... years ago, I put a little cash in an account in Atlanta. My rainy day fund."

"Looks like it's raining."

She nodded and looked out the back of the barn. "You might say." She leaned back against the door and shut her eyes, letting the breeze fill her lungs. Somewhere, a hint of ripe peaches and burning leaves wafted in and settled throughout the barn.



A few minutes later, Mose walked in with his hands hanging on the corners of his overalls-his best farmer pose.



"Well, hello, little Miss Katie." Mose had never lost his bedside manner. He took off his hat, wiped his forehead with a white handkerchief, and placed his hat across his heart.

Katie stepped out of the stall and stared for a moment before breaking into a big smile. "Mose?"

"Miss Katie, this is not my house, but because I helped raise this boy, I can extend to you a warm Waverly welcome. You stay as long as you need, and longer if you want."

She threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek.

About that time, a little cowboy wearing a plaid shirt, shorts, boots up to his knees, a two-holster belt, and a star pinned on his chest jumped off the front porch. He ran into the barn with a six-shooter in one hand and it cowboy hat in the other. "Mama, Mama, Mama, look!" He pointed at Glue. "That's a horse!"

Mose was the closest. He knelt onto one knee, took off his hat, stuck out his hand, and said, "Pleasure to meet you, Sheriff." Jase drew both guns and pointed them at Mose, who dropped his hat and stuck his hands in the air.

`lase"-Katie knelt next to Jason-"this is Dr. Moses. And that," she said, pointing to our horse, "is Glue."

"Mose," I said, pointing atJase's guns, "be careful. It's not his guns that should scare you. It's hers that ought to put the fear of God in you."

Katie looked at Mose. "He's talking about last night. We were-"

"I know." Mose waved her off with his right hand. "Tuck told me. He's just carrying on because he's never been shot at before. Me, on the other hand, I spent four years in Europe where I got shot at most every day. You take all the aim you want at me."



"Great, take her side," I said.

"Katie"-Mose wrapped one arm around her and an ear-to-ear grin spread across his face-"how would you like some brunch? We tried when he was little, but that little squirt never gravitated toward manners."

"I remember," she said over her shoulder.

"Mose," I interrupted, "don't be fooled. That woman is a wolf in sheep's clothing."

"Miss Katie," Mose piped up, "don't pay that little whippersnapper any mind. If he gets smart, I'll get a switch and we'll find some discipline."

"I'd like to see that," she said, smirking.

Jase approached Glue's stall and stuck out his hand. Glue leaned his head over the gate and tickled Jase's fingertips with his nose, leaving them slimy with spit. I picked some hay off the middle of the barn floor and held it out to Glue. Glue whinnied and gently pulled it out of my hand. Jase copied my gesture, bringing a delightful laugh out of him. It was a sweet sound.

Only thing missing was a petite black woman with a glass eye and dentures, sitting on a five-gallon bucket with her dress hiked up over her knees and her knee-highs rolled down around her ankles. Miss Ella left some pretty big footsteps. They swallowed Rex's.





Chapter 12


THE TWO OF THEM WALKED OFF. KATIE TUCKED HERSELF under Mose's arm and left me standing alone with Jason in the barn.

"You like my horse?"

Jase nodded.

"You want to ride him?"

Jase nodded again, this time faster. "Hey, Mose," I called. "Is Glue working today?"

"Yup. They'll be here this afternoon."

I nodded and looked to Jase. "Wait right there, partner." I returned from the tack room with a hackamore, a dry saddle blanket, and the children's Western saddle I'd been working on. It fit boy and horse perfectly. I set Jase atop Glue, shortened the stirrups one notch, and watched Jase's face light up like a Q -beam as his toes slid into the stirrups. Three minutes later, I led Glue from the stall and we walked out of the barn.

Katie saw us and let go of Mose's arm, acting like she wanted to lift Jase off the horse. "Miss Katie," Mose said, wrapping his arm around hers, "that horse is almost as gentle as the young man that's leading it. Best you come with me and let's eat some eggs. I want to look at those eyes of yours."