Just Dessert

by Heather Gray

  Clive rattled off, "You," he pointed to Gramps, "Grady, Bobby, Mary and I all know how to shoot. Make sure we each have a loaded weapon. There needs to be a lookout on each side of the house watching for anyone that might approach. Upstairs windows would be best. Better vantage point to see, and better chance to get a clean shot. If you have an interior room upstairs, the young'uns and Mrs. Wilkes could stay in there."

  Grady and Gramps exchanged looks, and then Gramps spoke up, "It's a good plan. Girls," he said to Lizzie and Gigi, "go help Mrs. Wilkes pack some food into a basket to bring upstairs. Everyone else," he said as he waved to the rest of them, "go upstairs and pick a room with a window. Make sure we're all facing in different directions so all sides of the property are covered."

  As everyone began to do as they'd been told, Gramps spoke up again, "One last thing," he said, staring at Clive, "I don't want bloodshed on my land if it can be helped. Someone approaches, you fire a warning shot first. If they don't turn away, you shoot to wound. Don't take a kill shot unless someone is trying to break into the house."

  Clive stiffened in response to the words and seemed like he wanted to argue, but he held his tongue and was the first up the stairs to pick his window. He chose the window facing the drive, where the action would most likely come from and directed Mary into a back room, the least probable side of the house to see any trouble.

  ****

  The afternoon wore on. Mrs. Wilkes, along with Gigi and Lizzie, moved around throughout the upstairs, playing in different rooms, exploring different chests and dressers and long-forgotten treasures. Mary appreciated the way Mrs. Wilkes transformed it into an adventure for the girls. While both Lizzie and Gigi were aware something was going on, Mrs. Wilkes kept them so occupied and entertained they never had a chance to worry or question the other adults about it.

  Mr. Wilkes made sure everyone was coordinated and had enough ammunition. He took turns spelling each of the lookouts so they could have a chance to move, stretch or get a bite to eat if they wanted. When Mr. Wilkes relieved his grandson, Grady came into the room where Mary was stationed. "How is everything in here?" he asked, settling into a large comfortable-looking chair in the room.

  "You mean, how is everything back here where no one would ever think to approach the house? Grand," she answered drily.

  Grady smiled at her and said, "You know Clive only wants you to be safe, right? He didn't mean it as an insult."

  "I know, and I don't mind. It's important for the boys to be able to act like men."

  "That's quite an insight there," Grady complimented, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

  "Don't give me more credit than I deserve. I've barely figured that out in the last day or two. Still not quite sure what it even means." Mary shook her head in frustration, "I'm doing the best I can with those boys and hoping I don't mess them up too much in the meantime."

  "I'm not."

  "Not what?" asked Mary.

  "I'm not giving you more credit than you deserve." Mary, not sure how to take the compliment, turned to stare at him. He lifted an eyebrow as if daring her to challenge. "You'd better keep an eye out that window. Wouldn't want anyone sneaking up from the back of the house," he said with a glint of humor flickering in his grey eyes. She returned her eyes to the window, but in truth she was watching his reflection rather than the land behind the house. After a moment of silence, he changed the subject, "It was nice Bobby wanted to come to church today. I'm sorry the day ended up like this, though."

  "My letting him go doesn't mean I agree with his being there. This is part of that letting-him-be-a-man thing I'm learning to do."

  Chapter Nine

  Grady was starting to think there was no way he was going to win with this woman. Casting his eyes around the room they were in, he jumped up to grab some dirty laundry off the floor and stuff it in the hamper. He hoped Mary was too busy with her job staring out the window to have noticed the messy state of the room. No such luck. "Someone around here sure is a slob," she said with a teasing lilt to her voice.

  "Would you believe its Gramps?" Grady asked with a smile.

  "Nah. Can't imagine him leaving a mess like this for his wife to clean up." The warmth in Mary's voice caught Grady off-guard. She was usually so prickly with him. He wondered if this was the Mary that her brothers and sisters normally saw. If it was, he could understand their loyalty to her.

  Holding his hands up in mock surrender, he said, "All right, you've got me. I'm a born slob. My mother's been trying to break me of it since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I doubt I'm going to be changing my ways now."

  "I sure do pity your wife," Mary said with a smile, her attention on the great outdoors rather than on Grady. Had she been looking at the man behind her, she would have seen the cloud passing over his features at the mention of a wife for him. He exited the room without another word.

  Many people had teased Grady about finding a wife over the years. He'd been helping out on his grandfather's cattle ranch in Texas for as long as he could remember. The hands had razzed him about finding a wife since before he'd been old enough to understand why any man would want to saddle himself to a woman. Joking with one another is how men pass long days on the range and long nights under the stars. It had always made him feel accepted. They'd goad him about things besides marriage, too, and in all honesty, he'd delivered more than his share of friendly harassment, too.

  Why, then, did it irk him to hear Mary mention his finding a wife?

  ****

  Dusk was settling over the homestead as a rider approached. Though Grady was the one currently facing the drive from which the rider came, Clive was the first to yell out, "It's a deputy!"

  Gramps and Grady went down to see what the deputy needed. They left everyone else upstairs to continue keeping watch. After a few minutes, the deputy swung up onto his horse and headed back down the drive. Grady and Gramps talked a bit more before they called everyone to come downstairs to the living room.

  Mrs. Wilkes sat on the couch with Lizzie and Gigi on either side of her, cuddling up close. Mary sat on the couch as well, her hand resting on Gigi's back as the girl squeezed in tight under Mrs. Wilkes' arm. Bobby sat in a chair next to Mary, but Clive remained standing, arms crossed. Grady saw the familiar challenge of a boy wanting to be recognized as a man in Clive's face and, rather than engage it, chose to sit in a chair on Lizzie's other side. From his vantage point, he could better see Mary. With each glance she cast at Gram and the girls, her eyes became darker until they resembled murky pools, the kind whose depths concealed hidden dangers. Gramps stood by the front door and told them what the deputy had said.

  "Someone placed an ad a while back, and it brought a lot of strange men into town," Gramps addressed the group. "Today some of those men attempted to rob the bank. The sheriff set a trap for them. It looks like all the thieves have been captured."

  "If anyone else was involved, they've likely high tailed it right on out of town." Gramps paused to take a deep breath before continuing. "The school teacher's wife's brother has been shot and seriously wounded. Other than that, there don't seem to be any major injuries. The sheriff doesn't expect there to be any more trouble today, but he wants everyone to stay on guard for another day or two."

  Gramps took another deep breath and ran a hand through his thick grey hair before saying, "Mary, we'd like you and your brothers and sisters to stay the night." Mary sat up straight and started to protest when he added, "We're neighbors, and we need to look out for each other. I want to keep someone on watch all night, so we'll have to do shifts. We probably won't need it, but I don't want to take the chance. My family is precious to me, and I don't want to put their lives at risk by being overconfident."

  When Mary again started to protest, Gramps looked directly at Clive and told him, "You convince her, son. I won't take no for an answer." Then Gramps walked out of the room.

  Grady watched Clive. The younger man appeared both uncertain and defiant
at the same time. Finally the boy nodded and then said to Mary, "He's right. Neighbors take care of neighbors. They done a lot for us over the last few years and never expected nothin' in return. Bobby and I can sit watch tonight to help. Then we won't owe them."

  Not sure he liked the boy's logic, Grady nevertheless decided to accept it. Speaking to his grandmother, he said, "Why don't you and the girls go make some supper? Bobby, you and I will see to the livestock. The cows will need milking. We'll bring two guns and one of us will stand watch while the other works."

  Lizzie began chewing on her lower lip, sending pleading looks to both Mary and Bobby. Grady was pretty sure he knew what was on the girl's mind. Not sure how best to handle the delicate situation, he added, "If you have any livestock that need tending, we'll take care of them as well." Grady had kept his focus on Bobby while he spoke, but he couldn't miss the way Lizzie relaxed at his words. Or the way Clive tensed. There really was no pleasing this family. At least, not until they learned to stop hiding things and trust him.

  Biting back a wave of irritation, Grady grabbed his shotgun and told Bobby, "Let's go."

  ****

  Once all the animals were tended, including the Fitzgerald children's hidden cow, Bobby and Grady headed back to the house. As they came through the front door, the smell of pork chops made both their stomach's growl. "That smells delicious, ma'am," Bobby said, rubbing his stomach.

  The family quickly gathered around the dining table to eat. Gram smiled and said, "James, dear, why don't you bless the meal."

  Gramps held his hands out to the people seated on either side of him. Confused, Mary glanced at Grady in question. "Gram and Gramps like to hold hands while they pray." While each of the Fitzgeralds reached for the hands of their neighbors, only Gigi seemed comfortable with the whole idea. Mary, who found the concept completely foreign, was thankful that her brothers were on either side of her. She wasn't sure she was ready to find out what it felt like to hold Grady's hand. Clive, for his part, didn't say a word, but the look on his face spoke volumes. As he reached for Mr. Wilkes' hand, his eyes twitched and his face turned red. Looking like the young boy he'd once been long before Ma's death, he cast a familiar glance at Mary, the same look he used to give her when Ma would tell him it was time for a bath. If eyes could speak, his would be shouting, "Save me!"

  As Gramps bowed his head to pray, Mary observed the people seated around the table. Clive and Gigi were watching her, but both Lizzie and Bobby had bowed their heads. Feeling like she'd already lost the battle to keep them, she felt tears push against the backs of her eyes. She liked Mr. and Mrs. Wilkes well enough, and Grady was growing on her, but it wasn't fair that these people should come into their lives and so easily win the affections of her family.

  Her heart clutched in her chest as she remembered the way the girls had cuddled up to Mrs. Wilkes in the living room. Mary could remember squeezing up tight next to Ma like that. Ma's comforting arms had never failed to make her feel safe and protected. She'd always known she was loved when Ma was alive. Since Ma's death, her family made her feel loved, especially Lizzie and Gigi – who were naturally more affectionate than their brothers. Seeing the girls pour all their affection out on Mrs. Wilkes, however, had shaken Mary more than she wanted to admit.

  Swallowing down her emotions so they wouldn't show on her face, Mary greeted everyone with a smile after they said their amens. Food was passed around the table. Her portions were sparse, but she didn't much feel like eating. Mary wanted to go to bed and wake up at home with her life the way it had been a couple of weeks ago, everyone depending on her while she fought hard to provide for and take care of them.

  Chapter Ten

  Mary got the girls tucked in for the night then joined them. Gram and Gramps retired with strict instructions for someone to wake them if they were needed.

  Grady, Bobby, and Clive worked out a rotation for keeping watch. It was nice enough outside that they'd keep watch from the front porch. They could see anything approaching from three sides of the property and would likely hear anybody approaching from the back. The door and windows on the back of the house were closed up tight.

  Clive and Bobby were going to take the first watch. Grady stretched out on the couch to doze. After a few hours, Clive woke him and told him it was his turn to keep Bobby company. In a few hours, Bobby would trade out with Clive. This way they could always keep two people on watch so there'd be less chance of anyone falling asleep on the job.

  Grady got himself some coffee and went out onto the porch with Bobby. He was tired. A couple hours of sleep didn't seem like quite enough. He'd been looking forward to this time alone with the younger Fitzgerald brother, though, and didn't aim to miss the opportunity to have a heart to heart with Bobby.

  Stifling a yawn, he jumped right in, "So, bank robbers shooting up the town notwithstanding, what did you think of church?"

  "I don't know," Bobby answered. Grady heard sincerity rather than deflection in the boy’s voice, so he pushed on.

  "You've got to have some kind of opinion. Don't worry about hurting my feelings. Just tell me what you thought, or ask if you have questions."

  Bobby sighed and then said, "I don't understand most of it. Sit for this. Stand for that. Everyone knew what they were supposed to do, except me. I kept sitting when I was supposed to stand and standing when I was supposed to sit."

  With a smile, Grady commented, "Churches are funny like that. Like families, they have their routines. Some families don't pray at mealtime. Some pray silently, while others pray out loud. Some families even hold hands while they pray. We all have our own little idiosyncrasies. Churches are the same. You'll get used to it in a week or two. I'm more interested in what you thought of the sermon before it got interrupted."

  "I didn't understand much of it," was all Bobby said.

  Grady had been in church his whole life. He could remember being bored in church as a little kid, but even then, he'd understood what was being talked about. Probably because he'd been hearing it for years by the time he was Bobby's age. "Maybe I can help. Do you have questions about what you heard?"

  "Okay, but first, tell me this," Bobby said, his blue eyes clouded with worry. "If I decide I'm not going to believe the things you believe, are you going to stop helping my family?"

  Taken aback, Grady asked, "What makes you think I would?"

  When Bobby blushed brightly enough for Grady to catch it even in the moonlight, he figured the boy must be uncomfortable. He was prepared for silence and was surprised when Bobby spoke. "The pastor said something about how people shouldn't associate with others who don't believe the same way. Being equally yoked, I think he said."

  Understanding dawned, and Grady answered, "That part was about marriage. A believer shouldn't marry an unbeliever. It makes things complicated when it comes to getting along and raising children. That's all." After a pause, Grady continued, "I'm not going to stop helping you or your family because you believe differently than me. Have you believed the same things as me up to this point?" Bobby's red hair lifted in the breeze as he shook his head. "I've been helping you, though, and asking you to help me – right?" The boy nodded, and Grady went on, "That won't change. I wouldn't be a very good friend otherwise, would I?"

  "Is that what we are then? Friends?" The vulnerability in his eyes squeezed Grady's heart in much the same way Lizzie's reaching for his hand had done.

  "I'd like to think so," he answered, his words unhurried. "So, did you have any other questions about this morning?" Grady was disappointed when the boy shook his head no, but he tried not to show it. "If you think of any, you know where to find me. I won't pressure you. And if you want to go with us next week, we'd be glad to have you."

  "Sure enough," Bobby said before settling back into his own rocking chair. He propped his feet up on the edge of the porch railing, and Grady wondered how on earth he could be comfortable.

  A while later, after a spell of silence, Bobby asked, "Why do you pray?" />
  Grady smiled. He'd been willing to let it go, but he'd inwardly hoped the subject hadn't been dropped for the night. "Well, lots of reasons, I suppose. Different reasons at different times. Let me ask you this, why do you talk to Mary? Or Clive? Or the girls?"

  "They're kin. I have to," Bobby said drily. Then he added, "Because I want to. Sometimes because I need to. Maybe when I have something to say. Why?"

  "Gram and Gramps are my family here. If I never talked to them, or listened for that matter, we wouldn't really know each other. They've learned a lot about life and different things I've never experienced. Unless I talk to them, how can I possibly learn from them? Sometimes when I don't know what to do, I like to talk things over with them. Or if I want to do something, and I'm excited about it, I want to tell them. They're family, and I want to share my life with them. Make sense?"

  "Yeah," Bobby said, curiosity in his voice.

  "Well, it's like that with God. He wants to be a part of my life, and praying is how I talk to Him. If I don't ever talk to Him, I won't know Him very well, will I? What if I only ever talk to Him when something bad is happening? That's not fair, either, is it? So I talk to Him all the time because I want the two of us to have a good relationship. Like you with your brother and sisters."

  "Does He ever talk back?" Grady could hear the trepidation in Bobby's voice and tried to hold back his grin. The boy needed to know he was being taken seriously.