Page 6 of Texas Splendor
“Why the hell else would my brother have written your name in the dirt before he died?” Duncan demanded.
Why indeed?
Austin sat on the back steps of Dallas’s house and stared at the moon. He rolled his shoulders, grimacing at the pain caused by the movement. After leaving the saloon, he had stopped at the doctor’s house, but the man hadn’t been there. By the time Austin had arrived home, the bleeding had stopped so he’d simply changed shirts. No need to alarm his family. They’d had enough worry the past five years. Besides, he’d survived worse in prison.
He heard the door open and the echo of soft footfalls. Looking over his shoulder, he watched Dee sit beside him on the step.
“You were right. You told me five years was an eternity when a person has no freedom,” he said into the stillness of the evening.
Using her fingers, she brushed the dark strands of hair off his brow. “Not all prisons come with walls. Dallas was the key that unlocked mine.”
Austin shifted his gaze to the canopy of stars, allowing a companionable silence to ease in around them.
“What’s their son’s name?”
“Andrew. We call him Drew,” Dee said quietly.
“I hit his father this evening.”
“I’m not altogether certain Cameron didn’t deserve that.” She placed her hand over his. “But I know how much he loves Becky. I think he may have loved her before you went to prison.”
“That doesn’t make what he did right.”
She sighed. “I know this is difficult for you, but Dallas forgave Houston for taking Amelia from him. Maybe in time, you can forgive Cameron—”
“My situation is completely different from Dallas’s. All he gave Amelia was a train ticket. I gave Becky my heart and five years of my life.”
“Becky offered to testify that she was with you the night Boyd was killed, but you wouldn’t allow it. You can’t blame her now for the years you spent in prison. That’s not fair.”
“Lifeis neverfair, Dee. Having Houston and Dallas for brothers should have taught me that a long time ago, but I had to learn it on my own.” He looked toward the distance. “So much has changed. Everything is different from what I expected it to be.”
“Not everything. Your violin is the same. I kept it for you just like you asked. I was hoping you’d play something for me tonight.”
He glanced at the silhouette of the instrument resting in her lap. “I don’t hear the music anymore, Dee. While I was in prison, it just shriveled up and died.”
He shoved himself to his feet and walked to the barn. He needed to ride, to feel the wind rushing against his face. He had finished saddling Black Thunder when he heard a thump and grunt come from the back of the barn. He strode to the back room and peered inside. Rawley struggled to move a box. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Austin asked.
Rawley spun around, his face burning bright red. “I wanted to get this room cleaned first. Gotta earn my keep.”
Austin leaned against the door frame. “Rawley, you always worked harder than I ever did, and Dallas never kicked me out.”
“You’re blood, I ain’t.” Rawley walked to the worktable and began to put away tools someone else had left out.
“That doesn’t matter to Dallas—”
“Matters to me.”
Austin studied the boy as he straightened the room. “Is that why you didn’t take Dallas’s name when he adopted you?”
Rawley stilled. “I just figured it was best is all.” He peered at Austin. “I’ve always wondered … what did you do to get a town named after you?”
Austin smiled. “I don’t have a town named after me.”
“Sure you do. I went through a town named Austin once.”
“The capital? It’s the other way around. I’m named after it. Our pa named us after towns—” Austin’s mind reeled with possibilities. “Sweet Lord.”
“What?” Rawley asked.
