Rustler's Moon by Thomas Jodi

Author:Thomas, Jodi [Thomas, Jodi]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 2015-01-26T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Carter

BY THE TIME Yancy dropped Carter Mayes off at the campsite a quarter mile from the museum, Carter was almost too tired to walk up the three steps into his mobile home.

Mid-October’s wind whispered of winter moving closer, and the old man knew his time in West Texas was almost up for the year.

“You all right?” Yancy yelled from the open window of his car. “Maybe Wilkes’s chicken enchiladas didn’t agree with you.”

“I’m fine. My old bones just ache when the temperature drops. Come sunrise, I’ll be ready to go again.” He unlocked his door, and Watson met him. “My dog will keep me company for the rest of the night.”

Carter watched Yancy drive off, and the night became inky black. He turned on one reading light over his bed and told Watson all about the dinner party. The shaggy old shepherd didn’t seem all that interested.

He stripped down to his underwear, crawled into his blankets and called one of his daughters. He knew it didn’t matter which one because whomever he called would notify the other two. His girls were close, and their main hobby, since their mother died, was worrying about him.

“I’m sorry I’m late, sweetie,” he began. “I had dinner with some friends.”

He closed his eyes and listened for a few minutes. Like her mother, his daughter April had the habit of listing, in order, everything she’d done all day. Finally she ended with a question. “What friends did you have dinner with, Dad?”

“Oh, I know lots of folks here, you know. I’ve met the new curator of the museum, nice girl, and an old fellow I went to school with seventy years ago. You’re not going to believe this, sweetie, but he’s got more maps of this area than I do.”

He wiggled deeper into the covers. “I’m having a great time as always. I swear the canyons get more beautiful every year. Tell your sisters not to fret. I’ve been coming out here so many years half the people in town know me by name. I like to move the RV around now and then so as not to wear out my welcome in one spot.”

He listened to his daughter talk about his grandchildren. All together he had seven granddaughters under ten years old. He called them the seven dwarfs and couldn’t have named all seven if his life depended on it, but that didn’t mean he didn’t love every one.

Almost dozing off, Carter broke into his daughter’s account of her youngest. “I’d better call it a night. I’m tired tonight, but I’m close to finding the cave. I can feel it. Another week, maybe two. After that it’ll be too cold here, and I’ll come home for the winter.”

Carter pulled the covers close around him feeling the season’s change all the way to his bones. “Good night, sweetie. Tell your sisters that I’ll call one of them tomorrow night.” He laughed. “You know, I almost said to tell your sisters and mom that I’ll be home soon.

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