I gave him a look.“I ain’t never said I didn’t believe in God.I just don’t believe most pastors speak for him.”
“Hmph.I suppose that’s true.And I reckon we could use any protection that’s available.”
We said our goodbyes and set about loading up the mule with our supplies.We’d thought about leaving Poke with Cal and the children, but Miss June assured us she would get a horse for them as soon as she could manage it.They’d need a horse if they meant to farm the land, and the children wanted to keep riding.
We stopped by Cal and Maggie’s place on our way out.
The children, who were playing with the puppy in the field when we arrived, saw us and shouted cheerful greetings, before they noticed the packed mule behind me and Dixie.Their expressions sobered, and they took their time walking to meet us by the house, Teddy running back and forth and yapping with excitement.
We dismounted and hitched the horses and the mule to a shrub, then turned to the children.
The only one of them with a smile on their face was Samuel, whom Peter was leading by the hand.When they got close, the little boy reached his arms out.
“Up!”
Oscar glanced my way and smiled.“Go on.”
I gave Oscar a rueful look then turned to the child.“You want up?”
He smiled even wider.“Up!”
I shrugged and reached down, and the child threw himself into me.I lifted him and held him in the crook of my arm, as he reached out to my chin, blinking his soft eyes contemplatively.
Oscar met my gaze, and he watched me and Samuel, his hands on his hips.“Well, ain’t that one of the sweetest things I ever did see,” he said in a soft voice, nodding.“Suits you.”
The child’s weight was practically nothing, and his fingers on my chin were gentle.I tried to think of something to say in response, but then Peter spoke.
“You’re goin’ then?Truly?”
Lizzie started crying, and Oscar knelt down to her level.“It’ll be all right, Lizzie darlin’.”
“But I won’t ever see you and Onis again,” she sniffed, throwing her arms around his neck.He shot me a desperate glance as he held her close and tried to soothe her.
“Well, that might not be true.Why, I’d love to come back and see you all, see how the farm’s goin’, how tall you and Peter and Sam have got.”
Peter blinked back his tears, although I could tell ’twas a struggle.He was still so young.
“We’ll miss you,” he said, looking at me out of eyes that knew more than they should at his age—more about cruelty and violence and death.Then again, he also knew love and caring and kindness, so there was that.
I put Samuel down and stepped toward him.“I’ll miss you as well, Peter Webster.”
Cal and Maggie had discussed giving the children Cal’s last name, or Maggie’s, but they’d decided ’twould be best to avoid any kind of suspicion regarding Albert’s disappearance by continuing to use his last name.Besides, the children were used to it, and ’twas probably best to avoid further disruption to their young lives.
I held out my hand, and Peter took it to shake, giving me a shy smile.But I pulled him to me for a hug, because boys needed comfort as much as girls, no matter how old they were.He wrapped his arms around my neck and hugged me back.
“I promise we’ll do our best to come back and visit you.Port Essington ain’t that far.Why, Oscar and I’ve traveled more’n twice that distance.”
Peter nodded against my chest.
“Maybe you’d even be able to come to Port Essington someday, when you’re older.We’d always have a spot for you to stay, I reckon.”
“Can I come to Port Essington, too?”Lizzie said, sniffling back her tears and petting Onyx’s broad black neck while the horse tore fresh grass and chewed it, snorting at the flies.
“Of course, you can,” I said, “when you’re bigger and can ride well.You keep practicin’, now, once Miss June gets you a horse.”
“I will.I promise.”She stepped even closer to Oscar’s black mare and pressed her forehead against Onyx’s neck.Now she was missing a tooth, she had a bit of a lisp, which made her version of Onyx’s name sound even sweeter.“Onis, I’m gonna miss you…so much.”
I glanced at Oscar.He frowned and shrugged, the tension in his face showing his reaction to Lizzie’s sorrow at losing her sweet friend.’Twas useless to try to keep an emotional distance from these children.I reckoned we’d stopped trying.
