Page 81 of On the Land, We Shoot Straight
Grady turned back at the sound of boots running up and saw Cole tear past him, shouting as he went, “I told her not to go from the front!” And then he was gone too, over the northern horizon after his horse. Charmaine came up to the porch, looking winded and pissed off.
“What’s he gone and done to that horse?”
Grady raised his eyebrows at her and sipped his coffee.
“I reckon he done told you not to approach her from the front.”
She raised her eyebrows right back and then, like she couldn’t help herself, burst out laughing. Grady joined her. Her eyes were dancing, and he remembered what it was he always did love about her—she was always ready to laugh at herself, at the world.
Charmaine leaned over him, took his coffee and finished it.
“Think I might head into town.”
“All right.”
She handed the mug back.
“You want to come?”
“Think I’ll stay here.”
“Yeah,” she said and shifted her gaze to the golden rays of light touching what was left of the wheat stalks. “I think you will.”
She went inside, and Grady looked at where Chloe and Cole had disappeared and said nothing else.
It was near noon by the time Cole came riding in, bareback, Chloe tossing her head about and having a time of it.
“I done told her,” Cole said as he went by Grady working on the new stall. He said it like he’d been preparing in his head for the argument all the way back.
“I’m sure you did,” Grady replied and went back to sliding the slat of oak between the support beams he and Cole had made the day before.
Cole took Chloe over to the pasture and slipped down, and Grady watched from under his brow as she stood and waited for him to open the gate. Damn horse, anyone else and she’d have bolted again. But she strolled through for Cole when he had the gap wide enough for her, then trotted over to Red like she was going to tell him all about her morning escapade.
“Where’d you find her?” Grady asked as Cole stomped back over.
“The far dam,” Cole said. “She made no fuss, just wanted a run, I reckon.”
Grady snorted and shook his head at that.
“She didn’t! I done told her.”
“Ain’t no one accusin’ you of anything,” Grady said and pointed at his tools. “Pass me the drill and get the screws.”
Cole did as he was told, still blustering and wound up.
Grady let him stew for a bit as they got to building the wall.
“Where is she, anyway?” Cole asked after a while.
“Where’s who?”
Cole rolled his eyes. “You ain’t cute.”
“Ain’t I?” Grady grinned at him. “Hold it steadier than that.”
“I am.”
“You ain’t.”
