The Reaper's Song

by Lauraine Snelling

“Katy?”

  “Zeb, you’re awake.” She swallowed the tears that clogged her throat and burned her eyes. “Glory be to God, you’re awake.”

  “Are you trying to freeze me to death, or did you think I was already dead and you were keeping the body from stinking?”

  She could only hear him by bending close. “Zebulun MacCallister, if that don’t beat all.” She kissed him full on the mouth. “Are you hungry?”

  He nodded. “Thought I was hearing the Grim Reaper’s song during the night, but then I felt sure I heard the angels sing. Strange.” The words came slow but they came.

  They both fell silent. A meadowlark greeted the dawn, its liquid notes praising the Creator.

  Metiz glided in the open door. “Ha. He better.”

  Zeb shivered. “Maybe we can get me off the ice now?”

  The old woman nodded. “He get well now. Here, drink this.” She handed him a cup of steaming liquid.

  He sniffed it. “That smells terrible.” But when Katy crossed her arms over her chest, he drank it anyway.

  “Good, now we’ll move you.”

  “Can we sit outside? Or maybe I’ll lie down, but I want to see the sunrise. I feared never to see one again.”

  He bit back a groan when they helped him stand, and with his arm draped over Katy’s shoulders and both women holding him up, they staggered outside. Once they were settled against the icehouse wall, he let out a long, slow breath. “Now, ain’t that the grandest sight?”

  Katy blinked her eyes to stem the tears. “All the colors. Can you imagine such colors?”

  She looked up at her husband, who was staring down at her. “After we dragged you clear out here, you weren’t even watching the sunrise, were you?”

  “No, ma’am. I was watching the greatest gift God ever gave a man this side of heaven.” He leaned his head against hers. “And I plan to keep on thanking Him for you and everything else that He’ll bring my way for the rest of my life.” He paused. “Even if it means going back home and dealing with the law and the Galloways.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  “I know. Just like I knew you’d come for me. Fool that I am, I knew that.” Silence fell for a time.

  Katy thought he’d gone to sleep when he said, “You know what my name means?”

  “No, what?”

  “ ‘From the dwelling place.’ I been far from mine, but now I’ve come home.”

  And Katy knew he meant more than just to her.

  “How long till she gits here?” Manda shifted from one foot to the other.

  “Soon.” Katy peered around Zeb and up the track. No sign of the train yet.

  “My dress itches.”

  “You’ll live.” Zeb grinned down at her.

  “Well, I don’t see you wearin’ no itchy dress.” Manda poked him with her elbow.

  “You be nice to our pa,” Deborah hissed.

  Manda rolled her eyes. And scratched.

  “Manda.” Katy laid a hand on her shoulder. Off in the distance they could hear the mournful whistle of the afternoon train. Harvest had come and gone and now Zeb’s sister was coming to visit. The train chugged and let off steam, its iron wheels shrieking against the brakes.

  “Zeb!” A hand waved from the open doorway before the conductor could even put his stool down.

  Zeb caught her before she could leap off the bottom step and swung her to the ground.

  “My land, she’s pretty,” Manda whispered.

  Zeb introduced Mary Martha to them all and hustled them over to the wagon. “We got friends waiting at the church,” he said as he threw her bags in the wagon bed. “The train was late, so they’re probably all starvin’ to death, waitin’ on the guest of honor and all.”

  “Don’t pay him no nevermind,” Manda said. “He carries on like this all the time.”

  Zeb let out a hoot of laughter. “Come on, horses. Let’s be going.”

  That night after the party broke up, the MacCallisters sat around the table in their own farmhouse.

  “So you recovered from where Lubelle shot you all right?” Mary Martha asked.

  “Almost joined the angel choir, but my Katy here brought me back.” Zeb took her hand in his. “I thought to go on back home with you and stand trial or whatever I have to do.”

  “Whyever for? Lubelle is now a permanent resident of the asylum over to Lamblin. They say she sings to herself and points her finger like she has a gun every once in a while. I can’t believe she got so close to shoot you.”

  “I can’t believe she missed, not at such close range.” Zeb took in a deep breath and let it all out. “You mean I’m really a free man?”

  “That you are.”

  “I been watchin’ over my shoulder so long now, it’s become second nature. Guess it’ll take some learnin’ to get over that.” He smiled at Katy. “But I got me a good woman to help.”

  “Better’n you deserve, that’s for sure, after runnin’ off like you did.”

  Katy patted her hand over a big yawn. “Think I’ll take your son and his mother off to bed now.” She stood, her belly showing round under her dress. She laid a hand on her middle. “Welcome to Dakota Territory, Mary Martha, and watch out for Petar. By the look on his face, I think he got poleaxed when he saw you.” Her laughter drifted off behind her as she left the room.

  “Well, if that don’t beat all.” Zeb looked at his sister. “Mary Martha MacCallister, you’re blushing.”