Eyes of Eagles by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone [Johnstone, William W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2016-06-14T04:00:00+00:00

Twenty-three

Jamie put the fight behind him and concentrated on living. He told Sam and Sarah, Swede and Hannah, Moses and Liza, Wells and Sally, and of course, Kate, what had happened, once, and then he would speak no more of it. He learned that three of those taken to the doctor at Nacogdoches had died, one before reaching there, and that Hart Olmstead and sons were gone back to Louisiana, Waymore Newby with them.

Jamie put all that out of his mind and settled down to the chores of everyday living on a rapidly growing farm. Young as he was, Jamie had to sit down to stop the dizziness in his head when Liza and Hannah and Sarah and Sally came out onto the newly built porch one day with the news. Jamie was the father of triplets. Matthew, Megan, and Morgan.

“Boy,” Moses said, putting an arm around Jamie’s shoulders. “This has got to stop!”

Jamie numbly nodded his head.

“What are you, twenty-one or twenty-two years old and already the father of seven?”

“Seven,” Jamie said, his voice weak. “Seven?”

“Son,” Sam said. “When Kate allows you close to her again, which I hope won’t be for a couple of years, and you feel amorous, go jump in the creek, will you?”

“Bayou,” Jamie automatically corrected.

“Whatever!” Sam said.

“Maybe separate bedrooms?” Wells mused aloud.

Jamie gave him a dirty look.

“Or a bundlin’ board,” Moses suggested.

Jamie sighed and took the good-natured ribbing.

“Hell, he’d just climb over it,” Swede said.

“He won’t for a long time,” Sarah said, joining the men. “These were hard birthings for her, Jamie. She’ll be all right. But she’s got to rest and rest plenty.”

“But she’ll be all right?” Jamie asked, anxiety in the question.

“Yes. I’m as sure of that as I can be.”

“I had a dog once,” Swede said. “She gave birth to nine puppies. All of them lived. And her with only eight teats. You should have seen her moving those pups around from teat to teat. I guess Kate will have to...” He caught himself and fell silent, glancing up at Sarah. The look she gave him would have withered a cactus.

Swede covered his mouth with a big hand and blushed from his nose to his toes.

Jamie stood up. “Can I see Kate and the babies?”

“Oh, yes,” Sarah said. “But only for a brief time.” As Jamie walked toward the house, Sarah sat down beside her husband and he put an arm around her shoulders.

“Was it bad, love?” he asked.

“Very bad. I don’t think she should have any more children. And Hannah and Liza agree.”

“What does Kate say?”

Sarah shook her head. “She says that’s nonsense. She says she wants nine children, and nine children she will have. Sam, Jamie and Kate are not much more than children themselves! What are they going to do?”

Sam looked at all the little MacCallisters running around, in the front yard. They all looked alike: fair-skinned, blond hair, and blue eyes. “Kate is as hardheaded as Jamie. And in her own way, just as strong.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.

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