A little before six, Jeff and Becca arrived. Becca brought some sweet rolls and promptly made a pot of coffee at the jail.
"You sure you are up to this?" Harry asked.
"I'll be fine, especially with Becca to keep me company. I'll lock and bar the door when you leave. Is the back door locked and secure?"
"Yeah, I just checked on it. Everything should be fine. If you do need me though, have Becca slip out the back and come over to Ma's."
"I'll do that. Can Becca give them a roll?" Jeff pointed to the men in the cell.
"Why not? See you in a bit then." Harry grabbed his hat off the peg and nodded to Becca.
When he arrived at Ma's, she was putting the food on the table. It was just the two of them, and he was glad. He rarely got to talk to his mother alone these days. She always prepared the meals for her boarders, and there were usually some stragglers who came in for a bite.
He quickly hung his hat, gave her a peck on the cheek and sat down.
"Who is watchin' the jail?" Ma asked as she poured his coffee.
"Jeff and Becca. They're locked up tight as a drum, with instructions not to let anyone in, so things should be quiet," Harry said with a long sigh. "Jeff has his shotgun in his lap. You know he's hurt worse than I first thought."
"I know, Becca said a nerve was damaged and that's why he's having a hard time grabbing hold of things. I'm glad he's there though. He was getting so restless Becca was going crazy too. It's been a while since we sat down together at a table." She brought the chicken fried steak and potatoes to the table.
Harry was licking his lips the minute he saw the size of the steaks.
"Kind of a treat, isn't it?" Ma smiled and finally joined him. She offered a prayer, as always, and they began passing each other the food.
"You been feelin' all right?" he asked off-handedly.
"Pretty good. A woman my age naturally has a few aches and pains, but nothing unusual or that bad."
Harry knew his job worried his Ma, but he chose this life and she had accepted it. Still the strain was always there between them about it.
"So where is everybody?" he asked.
"The church had an afternoon social. All the girls and some of my men boarders went. Only one here is Lefty."
Harry crooked his head. "Lefty. I haven't seen him in ages."
"And you won't neither. When his wife was kilt, he went to drinkin'. He'll be leavin' any minute for the saloon," Ma informed him.
"So Dillon took Jo Ella to the church social?"
"Yep, he did. I didn't figure you would get around to asking her, bein' so busy and all with all that bunch in jail."
"The hazards of my life, Ma." Harry tried to laugh it off.
"She'll be home early, I’m told."
Harry shrugged. "I'm sure Dillon has claimed her heart by now. As fast as he works on a woman, she doesn't have a chance when he wants her." He managed the king size steak his mother had cooked special for him, but he nibbled after that.
"Sounds like you have a full house here." Harry said, trying to change the subject.
"Yeah, the stage came through with a bunch the other day."
Someone descended the stairs, and Lefty, a thin little man with a big mustache came strolling through the kitchen. He was well dressed, but anyone could smell the liquor on him.
"Lefty, see you don't drink too much," Ma instructed.
"I'll try not to, Ma." He tipped his hat to her.
After he left Harry and his mother talked about his catching the robbers and stopping off at Mae's. Ma and Mae used to be great friends, until Cole got so ornery. That's about the time Mae quit coming to town.
"When Mae took up with that Hinny fella, we just hardly spoke after that. Probably a good thing, I wouldn't have been able to keep my mouth shut."
"I thought it was Cole that had the two of you not talking."
"Nope, it was Hinny. I told her he wasn't any good. She wouldn't listen. Said she was lonely. I guess she still is up there on the hilltop." Ma scoffed.
"Yeah, but she's made a right nice place, Ma. She has that place really looking good. And you know it wasn't Hinny who did it."
Ma nodded. "That's for sure."
After a while, Harry asked. "So, does Jo Ella know I'm gonna be here while she takes a bath?"
"Yeah, I told her. She said she was glad she could have some privacy."
Harry smiled.
"Why don't you tell her how you feel, boy?" Ma asked.
"Boy? Mom, I'm twenty-seven years old. When are you going to stop calling me boy?"
"Stop stallin' and answer me." She frowned.
"A lot of reasons. The first one being Dillon himself. If she cares for him, there isn't any use in my saying anything. If she don't, maybe I will. But my life is not the kind a bride wants. She wants stability, comforts of home, and family. What would her life be sitting around waiting to see if I got shot up or not?"
"A woman needs a choice."
"We'll see."
"Harry, it's time you considered taking a woman. Don't you want to give me grandchildren?" Ma cried.
"Sure I do, but…"
"But nothing. Tell the girl how you feel," Ma pleaded as she put her hand over his. "You'll regret it later, if you don't."
"I'll talk to her, Ma. But if she wants Dillon, I'm not going to complicate things by saying anything."
"You give up too easily."
Harry stood and went to the back door to stare out over the land. It was peaceful tonight, the way he liked it. "I guess what it boils down to is… I don't want her if she wants Dillon. She came here to make a good life. If that good life is with Dillon, then so be it. He does have the means to take care of her proper. Whether he will or not remains to be seen."
Ma shook her head. "But a woman don't know how you feel unless you say something, son."
"We'll see." Harry sighed. "That old livery stable sure needs painting."
"Quit changing the subject," Ma barked.
"Let it go, Ma. I know how you feel."
"But you don't know how she feels, do ya? All I'm saying is find out!"
"All right, Ma. I'll find out. I guess I don't have to worry about Dillon so much tonight then, if he's at the church social."
"That's true. So relax. I'm gonna cut the apple pie I made for us now…"
~*~
Jo Ella came in about an hour later. Harry took one look at her and decided she'd been thoroughly kissed by Dillon. Her cheeks looked flushed, and her hair was a little mussed.
When she saw him, she stared for a long moment. "I didn't expect you until later," she said almost breathlessly.
"Ma asked me to supper. I never turn her down." He smiled woodenly, trying to act unaffected. "How was the social?"
"It was nice. We had plenty of food. There was music and we all danced a bit. The reverend is trying to raise money to put a new roof on the church so everyone was chipping in as much as they could."
"Joe's been raising money for that for quite a while." Harry laughed.
"I was wanting a bath. Will you be around?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Good." She started to leave.
"Come join us and have some apple pie," Ma invited.
"Oh, that sounds nice. All right." She put her small bag down and her shawl and joined them at the table.
"You didn't stay very late," Harry acknowledged.
"No, I didn't." She met his gaze.
"Ma, you outdid yourself with this pie." Harry cleared his throat and smiled at his mother.
"She promised to teach me how to make one," Jo Ella added.
"And I will, when you have some time."
Jo Ella flushed again.
"If a girl that pretty had time on her hands, you'd wonder why." Harry commented.
Jo Ella looked at him again then began excusing herself and went upstairs.
"I'll put some water on for your bath, dear," Ma yelled up the stairs.
"Thank you."
"Harry, you've got to tell her how you feel."
"Ma, don't push me."
"A fella can wait too late, you know."
He nodded, still able to smell the light cologne Jo Ella wore. Jasmines and lilacs, he'd never forget that.