“Don’t be stubborn. If nothing else, you’ll need help rounding up those pigs. Now, I’ll let you alone for a few hours, but I’m not going to let you starve. As my ma would have said, don’t deny your friends the blessing of helping you out.”
She couldn’t argue with that. Wouldn’t it be sacrilegious or something? Besides, Crockett’s ma was the sweetest, smartest woman she’d ever known. He walked down the trail and unhitched his flashy paint horse from a tree. After swinging up into the saddle, he looked her way, raised his hat, and waved. Jane waved back, and he turned the horse and cantered away. She let out her pent-up breath and turned around. The black heap where the house had been was still putting off wisps of smoke.
Chapter Two
The sun was heading downward when Crockett drove the ranch wagon back into the Haymakers’ yard with two of his sisters-in-law on the seat with him. Another wagon sat before the barn. Jane, her brother, Ben, and two other men were poking about the rubble from the fire. Crockett recognized both men: The owner of the ranch beyond the Haymakers’ and one of his hired men.
“How terrible,” Emma murmured beside him.
“Yeah, they don’t have much left.”
Jane looked up and walked slowly toward them. “Hey.”
“How are you doing?” Crockett asked.
She shrugged. “Ben came home a little while ago. He was pretty upset when he saw the mess. But Mr. Allen and Jerry were here, and they calmed him down some.”
“Where’s your pa?” Crockett asked.
“Yonder by the corral fence.”
Crockett saw Boyd then, sitting on the ground, leaning back against the gate. His right arm was hitched up in a gray cloth—an attempt at a sling, he guessed.
“Is he hurt?”
“Some minor burns on his hands, and he says he hurt his arm bad.”
Probably so bad he couldn’t help with the work, Crockett thought, but he didn’t say anything.
“I don’t know if you’ve met these ladies.” He looked at his brothers’ wives. “This is Emma, who’s married to Hays now, and Annie, Travis’s wife. Ladies, this is Jane Haymaker.”
“I remember Jane from school,” Annie said.
Jane nodded. “Nice to see you.”
“Hi, Jane,” Emma said with a sweet smile. “I think I’ve seen you at the church once or twice. My father is the pastor.”
Jane’s face flushed. “We haven’t gotten to services much lately.”
Annie smiled ruefully. “I’m awfully sorry about the fire. We’ve brought you a few things.”
“That’s nice of you,” Jane said. She glanced toward the wagon bed, where they had packed blankets, food, and a few other items Crockett thought might be needed.
Crockett climbed down and helped Emma and Annie. Emma was in a delicate condition, but of course nobody would talk about that. Still, he was extra careful making sure she reached the ground without mishap.
“Crockett said you wouldn’t come stay at the house,” Emma ventured. “Are you sure—”
“We’ll be fine,” Jane said. “But we appreciate what you’ve done.”
Crockett reached for a bundle of blankets. “We’ll do more than this. I’ll speak to Mr. Allen, since he’s here. I reckon we can get a bunch of neighbors to come help you rebuild.”
“Oh, well…” Jane looked around with huge eyes. “We won’t be ready for a while.”
“It will take you a while to get organized,” Annie agreed.
Emma picked up a bundle from the back of the wagon. “We put in a few clothes, along with blankets and some food. I think the skirt Annie brought might fit you, and I put in a shawl and some other personal things.” She cast a quick glance at Crockett, and he felt his face heat.
“I’ll see if Ben can give me a hand unloading.” He hurried to the site of the house.
Ben turned to meet him. Ash covered his clothes and hands, and hair stuck to his sweaty face.
“Crockett. Jane told me you helped her this morning. Thank you kindly.”
“Glad I was able.” Crockett shook his head. “I wish I could have done more, Ben.”
“Well, that’s just … how it is,” Ben said. “We ought to have known better than to leave Pa alone in the house for an hour with the stove going.”
“Did he say how it got started?” Crockett shot a glance across the yard, but Boyd was still sitting against the fence post, and his eyes had slid shut.
Ben sighed heavily. “Just that when he went to stir up the fire, it got away from him. Stuff happens to Pa.” He looked bleakly at Crockett.
“Yeah. You get those pigs back yet?”
Ben shook his head. “I caught Jane’s horse a little while ago. I turned her out after I took the saddle and bridle off. If we put her in the barn, she’ll just breathe smoke and ash all night. I hate even to keep her cooped up in the corral.”
“She might be better off out away from the house,” Crockett agreed. “What about you folks? The invitation to stay at our place still stands.”
“We’ll stay here, thank you.”
“You’ll breathe smoke and ash, too.”
Ben looked over his shoulder. “Jane thinks we ought to bed down up at the cave tonight. The air’s a lot better up there. She took some sacks and blankets from the barn up to sleep on.”