Page 5 of Tusks & Saddles
“Let me guess, you couldn’t leave good enough alone and came out here to finish it alone.” Boone tugged the wire taut against the fence. Will’s frown was hard on her face, but she said nothing. Boone considered poking the bear but didn’t. Peace was better the night before the push. There would be plenty of time for them to bite each other along the route. Boone grabbed the other curl of wire and stretched it to the pole. “I’m sorry I’m late. I was trying to get word on my brother.”
“Brother?” Will furrowed her brow, looking up from her coffee bucket that held all their scrap nails, screws, and bolts.
“I saw him at the train station when I picked up Jacobus. Lost him in the crowd.” Boone brushed it off, not wanting to explain he’d actually let Welborn get away. Just like he always did, because Welborn didn’t need a big brother anymore. He was a grown man now, it seemed, and Boone needed to accept that.I lost that chance when I went off to the academy. That was the trade I made to put food on their table and water in their cups.
“I didn’t know you had siblings,” Will muttered softly, finally grabbing another staple.
“I don’t talk about him.” Boone shrugged.
“Not even to Jacobus?” she snorted, shaking her head. “And here I thought you told that boy everything.”
Boone stared at her, even though she wasn’t looking. Her blond hair showing off all the red shadows in it, her eyebrows so perfectly rusty in the torch light. Round face, soft cheeks, button nose, and a single heart shaped freckle under her left eye; all things he’d memorized over the years. Her chestnut eyes flickered up, showing off the veins of amber and gold in them. The words fell out of his throat like air, like she’d lassoed him. “Not everything.”
He was tangled up in this woman. And he sure as shit couldn’t tell his best friend…that he was head over cattle spur for his sister.
“Like what?” she furrowed her brows, eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Other than the brother thing.”
“Like…” he trailed off, struck like the foolish coyotes who stand on the train tracks too long.Think, think of anything to say.This was the longest he had full, undivided attention from Willamina Jones and he didn’t want to squander it. “Like I’ve been watering down his drinks when he comes out with me.”
“What?” Will rocked back on her heel, staring at him bewildered.
“And might have been the reason he thought he could drink more then he should have out in the bog this weekend.” Boone grimaced, tugging the wire tight.
“Why would you do that?” She huffed, lining up her shot with the nail and hammer.
“Because I foolishly thought he would heed my warnin’ about those two fuck-heads,” Boone confessed with a heavy sigh. “Because I know you don’t like him drinkin’.”
Will’s face softened, a hurt expression playing over her features. She grabbed up the bucket and hammer, moving to the last post of the fence. Boone finished wrapping the wire and tugged the first strand across. The wire, as per usual, was just long enough to wrap once around the post. Willamina had an eye for measuring things,knowing the exact amount she’d need for a job. Didn’t matter the material. Fabric, wire, wood, rope, if she told him to get exactly 37 2x4s for a job, he knew sure as the sun would rise that 37 was what he needed.
“Drinkin’ took Daddy,” she spoke so softly, it almost sounded like she was crying. Boone studied her face as she set up another nail. With a hard swallow, she met his gaze. “I thought he’d give up drinkin’ after he died. Like Momma and I. But I think he drinks harder…I’m glad to know he’s not.”
“Not while I’m around,” Boone whispered, tugging the wire tight.
“It’s not fair.” She smacked the hammer against the tiny metal staple, shoving it deep in the post.
“There ain’t much that is.” Boone waited for her to finish hammering. It took her a minute as she missed twice. Then, after a sharp inhale through her nose, she hit her mark the third time. He moved to grab the other strand when a hand grabbed him by the sleeve. Boone froze, glancing over his shoulder at her.
“Does…no, it ain’t my place to ask.” She took a broken breath, shaking her head.
“Ask it.” Boone twisted, the one line of barb wire and a fence post the only thing between them. The torch was forced to float up and over his head, leaving her body in gorgeous rivulets of amber light and shadow. She stared up at his face, face hard set…but there was something fragile about it. Something close to shattering.
“If Jacobus were hurtin’ himself…if he was drinkin’ too much, would you stop him? Would you tell me if he was?” Her hand never left his sleeve, clinging onto it with desperation.
“I wouldn’t have to tell you,” Boone softly plucked her fingers off his shirt, cupping her gloved hand in his. “I wouldn’t let him go too far.”
“I know, you take good care of him. At least someone does,” she rolled her eyes, taking back her hand to point a finger in the direction of the wire. “Go on, let’s finish this fence.”
He arched a brow at her. “You take care of him, Will.”
“Not anymore. Jacobus don’t want to hear nothing from me. Not since the big and mighty Boone came to town. He traded in the claws for tusks, or whatever,” she huffed, jabbing a finger at the wire once more. Her demand was clear from the way she put her other fist to her hip. When he didn’t move, she threw her hands out to the side. “All I’m sayin’ is at least he’s got you, okay?”
“You both do.” He flashed her a self-assured smirk, striding to the other wire and pulling it toward her. When he returned to the post, she was glaring at him. “What?”
“Yeah, uh-huh, sure,” she sneered.
“What?” he laughed, pulling it tight around the post.
“Fuck you, hold it still.”
