Chapter 31: The Terms of Staying

"Yes," I said.

I said it loud enough for the long table to hear.

Kit's face crumpled, and she laughed and cried at once, and Lottie woke up in her arm and said, "Hat?"

Half the church women started crying, and the old cowhand blew his nose into a bandana, and the sheriff looked at his potato salad.

I took the child from Kit and held her against my shoulder, and she patted my face with a sticky hand.

Jesse stood at the end of the table and didn't say a word.

He just watched me, and he hardly breathed.

I let him watch.

We drove home after midnight in two trucks.

Kit and Lottie went to the bunk house.

I put the horses up, and Jesse helped me, and neither of us spoke.

When the last stall was latched I walked out and sat on the porch swing.

He stood at the bottom of the steps with his hat in his hands.

"Come sit," I said.

He sat beside me.

The swing creaked, and the cattle moved in the dark pasture.

"I decided on the lawn, when Lorna stood up," I said.

"What did you decide?"

"I want to say it in order."

"All right."

"One. I stay on this land. My name is on the deed and it stays there."

"Yes."

"Two. You don't go back to Ward's job."

"All right."

"If Lorna offers you the manager's work, you take it as a hired man with a contract. And I read the contract."

He laughed, low.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Three. No more secrets, and I mean the small ones. If your truck breaks down, I'm hearing about it before the mechanic."

"I haven't got a truck."

"Then you borrow mine, and you tell me why."

"Yes."

"Four." My voice caught. "If I want to say no on any day, I say it, and you don't sulk, and you don't ask why."

"I'll never ask why."

"That's the one that matters."

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