Holy Mother, you near shot my foot off, you damned fool woman!"
"Next time, I won't miss."
Henry sputtered, so mad he looked fit to bust. "Rachel, I swear, I'll give you the hidin' of your life for this."
"Touch her, Uncle Henry, and I'll knock you senseless with a chunk of firewood," Loretta inserted.
"And if she don't do a good job of it, I'll finish it for her!" Amy yelled from the loft ladder. "Good for you, Ma! Give the old wart toad what for!"
Rachel returned the Spencer to the rack. "Well, Henry? It sounds like three to one. You gonna apologize to Loretta Jane or not?" She shrugged. "I reckon you can leave, if that strikes your fancy. But if you're stayin', you'll apologize before you have your breakfast."
Henry doubled his fists, trembling. Loretta moved toward the hearth and grabbed a chunk of wood, just in case she needed it. Amy swung off the ladder, ready to do the same.
"I swear, I don't know what the world's comin' to," Henry rasped. "Women lippin' off and threatenin' a man like they don't got good sense! I could take on the three of you and roll a smoke while I was at it."
"Then make like a frog and hop to it," Amy challenged. "Otherwise, you tell Loretta you're sorry like Ma says."
Henry hesitated, as if he were considering his options, such as they were. "As if I'd really hurt a baby!" he snorted. "If Loretta Jane don't got the sense to know better, then I surely do apologize."
"Accepted," Loretta murmured.
Henry jerked up his left suspender and raked his hand through his hair, looking at the hole Rachel had shot in the puncheon. "What in hell you gonna tell people happened to your floor, missy?"
Rachel smiled. "Why, I'll tell them how quick you got in and fixed it, Henry. We can't have holes in the floor, can we?
"Next time, I won't miss."
Henry sputtered, so mad he looked fit to bust. "Rachel, I swear, I'll give you the hidin' of your life for this."
"Touch her, Uncle Henry, and I'll knock you senseless with a chunk of firewood," Loretta inserted.
"And if she don't do a good job of it, I'll finish it for her!" Amy yelled from the loft ladder. "Good for you, Ma! Give the old wart toad what for!"
Rachel returned the Spencer to the rack. "Well, Henry? It sounds like three to one. You gonna apologize to Loretta Jane or not?" She shrugged. "I reckon you can leave, if that strikes your fancy. But if you're stayin', you'll apologize before you have your breakfast."
Henry doubled his fists, trembling. Loretta moved toward the hearth and grabbed a chunk of wood, just in case she needed it. Amy swung off the ladder, ready to do the same.
"I swear, I don't know what the world's comin' to," Henry rasped. "Women lippin' off and threatenin' a man like they don't got good sense! I could take on the three of you and roll a smoke while I was at it."
"Then make like a frog and hop to it," Amy challenged. "Otherwise, you tell Loretta you're sorry like Ma says."
Henry hesitated, as if he were considering his options, such as they were. "As if I'd really hurt a baby!" he snorted. "If Loretta Jane don't got the sense to know better, then I surely do apologize."
"Accepted," Loretta murmured.
Henry jerked up his left suspender and raked his hand through his hair, looking at the hole Rachel had shot in the puncheon. "What in hell you gonna tell people happened to your floor, missy?"
Rachel smiled. "Why, I'll tell them how quick you got in and fixed it, Henry. We can't have holes in the floor, can we?
( Catherine Anderson )
[ Comanche Moon ]
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