Only 06 - Winter Fire

heard her when I sat on her,” Conner called through the wall. “I didn’t know she knew so many cuss words. Hell, I bet even Big Lola couldn’t—”
    â€œ Conner Lawson ,” Sarah said in a threatening tone.
    Laughter floated back, further outraging his sister.
    â€œMust have been something to hear,” Case said neutrally.
    Red burned brightly on her otherwise pale face. Then she saw the faint upward tilt at one corner of his mouth.
    Suddenly she was laughing too, almost dizzy with relief that Case was all right, Conner was all right, everything was all right.
    For tonight, at least, they were safe.
    â€œI didn’t know I knew that many words, either,” she admitted.
    The corners of his eyes crinkled.
    She smiled wryly.
    â€œI must have been a sight to behold,” she said, “cussing a blue streak while that overgrown boy sat squarely on top of me.”
    â€œWhen you do a man’s job, you aren’t a boy anymore.”
    Her smile faded as she thought what it must have been like for Case at fifteen during the war—and for him tonight, fighting a different kind of war in the dark.
    Come dawn, we’ll have some shovel work .
    But his eyes said more. They said that death took a price even from the victorious.
    Sarah turned aside, dipped water from the bucket with a tin cup, and poured it into a battered tin bowl. Silently she took a clean rag from a reed basket. When the rag was thoroughly wet, she squeezed water from it and walked back to Case.
    He watched her with eyes turned to shadowed gold-green gemstones by the lantern light.
    Blood slowly welled from a shallow cut on his forehead. Small, bright drops gathered in his left eyebrow,curved around his eye, and ran down his cheek like scarlet tears.
    â€œThere’s no need—” he began.
    â€œThere’s every need,” she countered instantly.
    It would have been easy for him to turn aside, to refuse the small service she offered.
    He did not. He sat and let her care for him as though it was his right.
    And hers.
    Silently she bathed his face with cool water, washing away the dirt and the red tears.
    The shadows in his eyes remained.
    I wonder if anything could wash them away , she thought unhappily.
    â€œAre you sure you aren’t hurt?” she whispered.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œI was so afraid for you when I heard the second round of shots. And the third. And then the silence. The silence went on forever. Like death.”
    â€œSarah…”
    But no words came to Case that would erase the memory of stark fear in her eyes.
    She had been afraid for him, as though he were family instead of a wounded stranger passing through.
    Gently he pulled her into his lap.
    â€œYour wound,” she protested.
    He settled her so that she was sitting on his right thigh. Then he held her and stroked her unbound hair.
    She gave a broken sigh and leaned against him. For a time she fought the emotions welling up within her, making her throat tight and her eyes burn.
    Then suddenly, silently, she wept, releasing emotions that had been dammed up for too many years.
    He caught her tears on his fingertips and wiped them away. Dust he had picked up fighting for his life in the clump of big sage turned dark red on her face, marking the passage of his hand.
    Tenderly he took the rag she had been using on him, shook it out, and found a clean corner to wipe the red dust from her face.
    Tears welled up faster than he could wash them away.
    â€œI’m sorry,” she said finally.
    â€œWhat for?”
    â€œI—can’t stop—crying.”
    â€œNobody’s asking you to.”
    â€œBut—but I don’t—don’t cry—ever.”
    â€œI won’t tell anyone if you won’t.”
    She made a sound that could have been a laugh or a sob or both together.
    And then she simply wept.
    â€œIt’s not fair,” she said after a time.
    â€œWhat isn’t?”
    â€œThat you had to go out there and—and—”
    â€œBetter me than Conner,” Case said. “He doesn’t have the patience yet.”
    â€œP-patience?”
    â€œThat’s what all the silence was about. One of the Culpeppers was trying to wear out my patience.”
    â€œWas it Ab?” Sarah tried to keep the hope out of her voice, but couldn’t.
    â€œNo. But he was canny. Those Culpeppers might not be much when it comes to kindness or decency, but they’re