by Steven Smith
Mahoney nodded. "We know of a number of groups throughout the state - Blue Springs, Lee's Summit, Harrisonville, Clinton, Springfield, Rolla and St. Louis. I imagine there are other groups out there, but we're not in contact with them."
"You mean you're in contact with the ones you named?" asked Christian, surprised.
Mahoney shrugged. "Not in regular contact. More like irregular as travelers come through."
The mention of travelers caught Mike's attention. "Alex said there are some travelers up from South Carolina?"
Mahoney looked at him cautiously. "We have some friends here from South Carolina," he nodded.
Mike noticed the caution in Mahoney's voice.
"If they're from Murphy Village, my family's place is just up the Savannah River. I'm thinking about trying to make it back to see them and was hoping to talk with someone who knew the current situation."
Mahoney looked at him carefully for a moment before answering, then nodded. "I think they might be able to help you. We'll go see Jimmy here in a bit."
23
Jim swung the saddle onto Ghost's back and reached underneath to pull the cinch strap toward him.
"So, these travelers say they can take Mike back to South Carolina with them?"
Christian swung his own saddle onto the back of the large black gelding he rode. "Yep. How come we're riding instead of taking the truck?"
Jim ran the strap through the ring and pulled it taut. "The sound of engines is starting to bother me."
He paused for a moment, looking out the door of the barn.
"Life is peaceful now, for the most part, even when you're working hard. The sound of an engine ruins that. You can't hear the birds, the wind in the trees or the sounds of children playing. All you can hear is the engine."
Christian chuckled. "You're getting to be even more of a throwback than you were before."
Jim nodded. "Yeah, maybe so."
He looked at his nephew. "Have you ever heard of Mackinac Island?"
"No."
"It's an island up north somewhere, Michigan, I think, where they don't allow cars. I always wanted to go there but never did." He finished tightening the cinch and let the stirrup drop. "Maybe I'll do that here."
Christian looked at him. "What? Not allow cars here?"
"Yep." He pulled the reins loose from the hitching ring. "Keep the peace and quiet around here so a man can hear the kind of things that make him feel good, not irritated."
Christian nodded. "That might be good. What about town?"
Jim shrugged. "Town is different. People want to get around fast, we need to run our trucks and Sean is making those rail buggies. I can't hold the whole world back just because I like peace and quiet, just my little corner if it."
He gave Ghost a cluck and wheeled him toward the door. "Sometimes, just having a small refuge is enough."
Christian dropped his stirrup and untied his reins. "Do you think Mike will come back?"
Jim walked out into the sunshine. "I don't know. A man can find happiness in many different places, but home is always home. I imagine he's going to have a tough choice to make."
"And what if he doesn't?"
Jim shrugged. "Then we'll have friends in South Carolina instead of a friend here."
"It's going to leave a big hole."
Jim shook his head. "No man is indispensable. That's the lesson I was teaching you when I was laying around on my butt all those months."
“But it wasn’t the same.”
Jim nodded. “I know. It was different, but you have to adapt so that different doesn’t necessarily mean worse – at least for the group as a whole.”
He put his foot in the stirrup and swung into the saddle. "Some people like to feel indispensable. It makes them feel important. But it's an unfair burden to put on someone because it implies a disproportionate responsibility on their part toward the group. If someone truly is indispensable, it's a problem the group has allowed to happen, and to its detriment if they lose that person. We'll be fine, and so will Mike, whatever he decides."
Christian walked his own horse out of the barn and stepped up into the saddle. "Still, it will seem strange. He's been an important part of us."
Jim nodded, tipping his hat lower against the sun. "Yeah, it will and yeah, he has. The one thing I wish I had had him do was more sniper training with the top scouts." He turned Ghost toward the trail that would take them to the Samuel's place. "But the real question will be Tracy."
Christian turned his horse to come alongside Jim. "You know about that?"
Jim clucked and heel-touched his horse toward the trail. "Of course. Doesn't everybody?"
Christian touched his horse to catch up. "Well yeah, but I didn't think you did.”
They passed the corral complex and the trailer lot, waving at those they passed before entering the trees.
The shade dropped the temperature several degrees and they allowed the horses their heads as they picked their way along the trail.
"When do you have them starting on the trading posts?" Jim asked over his shoulder.
"Tomorrow," Christian answered, ducking a branch. "We have teams going to each of the locations so we can get them started and finished as soon as possible. The posts and beams have been pre-cut at the mill, so they'll be ready to go when they get to the sites."
Jim thought for a minute, allowing the roll of the horse's movements to relax him. "What do you think about this deal in the city?"
Christian ducked another branch. "They're a solid group with strong leadership and strong common bonds. They were already bound by a lot of shared interests and values, then went through hell together which makes those bonds even tighter. I'd say they're there to stay and will probably be rebuilding a strong community."
"Do you think they're strong enough to keep that area stable?"
Christian thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think so. They're serious people. Nice, but serious. They already went through the worst, and now they seem determined to build up again right where they are. Mahoney said they were born there, grew up there and weren't going anywhere. Plus, they have some contact with other groups outside the city and across Missouri. I'd say they're pretty solid."
They rode for several minutes in silence before coming out of the trees into a clearing on top of a hill from which they looked out onto a broad plain of natural grasses.
Black dots of Angus cattle grazed individually or in groups, interspersed with some polled Hereford and several bison that had been found on an abandoned ranch several miles west.
Jim pulled Ghost to a stop and looked down over the scene below them. "How many do we have now?"
Christian stopped next to him, resting his hands on his saddle horn. "Kelly would have the exact number, but I know it's over three hundred."
Jim shook his head. "It's hard to believe. A little over a year ago, I was standing in line waiting to get a barbecue sandwich and you were goofin' off at that hospital security job. And now this."
Christian nodded. "It seems longer ago than that. A different world."
He looked at his uncle. "What do you think you'd be doing now if this hadn't happened?"
Jim thought for a moment. "Well, I guess I would have just kept puttering around, playing with the kids and chasing Kelly around the house. How about you?"
Christian shrugged. "I'd probably still be at the hospital, waiting to see what I wanted to do next."
"You think you would have figured it out?"
Christian shook his head. "Nope."
"No? Why not?"
Christian looked around the rolling hills and flat bottom land. He nodded. "Because this is it. I never would have found this and everything that goes along with it."
He looked back at Jim. "Would you have?"
Jim shook his head. "Nope. I was trying to, but I never would have. The old world wouldn't have allowed it."
They sat for a minute in silence, each thinking their own thoughts.
"Well," said Jim, heeling Ghost forward, "I guess this thing let each of us find what was right for us."
Christian heeled his horse to follow. "Guess so."
They switch-backed down the hill to the creek on the western edge of the Stonemont property and followed it through the next stand of woods to the Samuel's fence line.
Dismounting, Jim opened a gate, led his horse through, then waited for Christian to ride through before re-securing it and remounting.
"You know, you should let me do those things," said Christian.
"What things?"
"Like getting down to open the gate."
"Yeah? Why?"
Christian thought for a moment about how to put it. "Because you're the senior man."
"Senior man, huh?"
Jim heeled Ghost to get him started back up the trail. "You ever seen what happens to guys my age when they start having other people do things for them?"
"No, what?"
"They start getting old. Next thing you know, they're old. Then they die. You trying to kill me?"
Christian laughed. "I've never thought of you as old."
"No?"
"No. Just well-seasoned."
Jim chuckled. "Sounds better, I guess."
They followed the creek upstream, entering another wooded area that took them to the southern edge of the Samuel's outer barnyard and coming out of the trees about fifty yards from a corral where Becky and Bobby were working with a horse. They walked their horses slowly toward the corral, watching the two, until Bobby noticed them and waved.
"Hi, uncle Chris! Watch this!"
"Uh-oh," said Jim.
Christian looked at him. "What?"
"Half of all broken bones are immediately preceded by some guy yelling 'watch this!'."
They sat their horses and watched as Bobby put his left foot in the stirrup and gently pulled himself up, standing in the stirrup for a moment without swinging into the saddle. He nodded to his mom, who released her hold on the bridle, and slowly swung his right leg over to sit softly in the saddle.
Bobby smiled at them as the horse remained still, then raised the reins a bit and softly clucked.
The horse took two steps backward, then lurched forward and bucked.
Bobby hung on through the first one, but the second buck threw him off and onto the ground, raising a small puff of dust.
Becky stepped between Bobby and the scampering horse while the boy jumped back to his feet grinning and waving to them.
"I'm okay!" he yelled, picking up his hat and cramming it back on his head.
"Well, nothing broken this time," chuckled Christian, stepping off his horse.
"That's the longest I've stayed on!" yelled Bobby as he ran to the rails. "Two bucks!"
"Not bad, buddy," smiled Christian. "You'll have that one broken in no time."
"If he doesn't break his neck first," said Becky, leading the now-docile filly behind her to the rails.
Christian laughed. "Like you didn't do the same at his age. I remember people saying you were crazy."
She smiled. "Only scaredy-cat people."
She ran her hand along the horse's neck and looked back at him. "I don't remember you ever saying it."
"Were you crazy, mom?" asked Bobby, looking a bit concerned.
Becky laughed. "Some said so, honey, but no, I was just energetic." She pushed his hat forward over his eyes. "Like you."
She looked back at Christian and Jim. "What brings you guys over?"
"We just came by to say hi and see how you all were doing," said Jim. "Are your grandparents in the house?"
Becky shook her head. "They went into town for lunch and to check out a few of the new shops."
"We're coming over in a little bit," said Bobby excitedly. "Are Aedan and Brody there?"
Jim smiled and nodded. "I imagine they are, buddy. When are you coming over?"
Bobby turned to his mom. "When are we going over?"
"In a little while, honey. We have to do a few things around here and get you cleaned up."
She looked at Christian. "Naomi and I are going to start working some green-brokes and she invited us to stay for supper. What are you guys doing?"
Christian looked around the barnyard. "We're just making the rounds. We're going to check to the south and west, then come back through town. Do you all need any help?"
Becky shook her head. "We're about to wrap up with this girl, then we’ll do our things and be heading over to your place."
"Did Naomi say what was for dinner?"
She smiled. "No, but I know what's for dessert because I'm bringing it."
Christian smiled back. "What is it?"
"I can't tell you. It's a secret."
"But you're gonna’ like it!" beamed Bobby.
Christian laughed. "I bet I will."
Wheeling his horse away from the corral, he raised a hand and gave it a heel. "Okay, then. We'll see you guys later."
"Don't be late!" Becky called out to him.
"Bye, uncle Chris!" yelled Bobby, stepping up on a fence rail and waving."
"See you later, buddy," Chris answered with a wave as he turned his horse toward the road.
Jim waited a minute before speaking. "That boy sure looks up to you."
Christian smiled. "He's a good boy. Becky's doing a great job with him."
"I'm sure you’re an important part of that."
Christian nodded. "I hope so. I try to be."
He looked over at Jim. "Do you remember when you told me that I could be a good uncle to him until Becky found him the right dad?"
Jim nodded. "Yep. Has she?"
Christian shook his head. "No. Pickings are a little slim now. But that's what I've been trying to do."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "I'm just worried that when Becky does find the right guy, Bobby will be too close to me to let a step-dad in."
Jim nodded. "And what if Becky doesn't find the right guy?"
"That would be a shame. She's a great woman. And Bobby should have a dad who's there all the time for him."
Jim nodded again. "Both are true."
He looked at his nephew. "Do you know what the word father means?"
Christian shrugged. "Sure, it means dad."
"Yeah, sometimes. It also means a man who provides care, guidance and protection to others. Someone held in high regard and looked to for leadership."
"I never thought of that."
"You can't hold back from Bobby just because you're worried that it might someday get between him and a possible step-dad. If Bobby deserves a father in the future, he deserves one now."
Christian thought for a moment, then looked at Jim. "What are you saying?"
Jim looked back at him. "If all you are is an uncle, be a good one. But if you should be a father, be a father."
Becky watched as Christian and Jim rode back into the trees. "Go change your shirt and wash your hands, honey. I'll put her up and be in in a few minutes."
"Aaah, mom, they're just going to get dirty again. How come I have to be clean all the time?"
Becky laughed. "When are you ever clean? Look at you. If you had twigs sticking out of your ears, I'd think you were a tumbleweed!"
"I'm clean when I go to bed," Bobby said defensively.
"Yes, well, I'd like to see you clean every now and then when you're awake."
She cocked her head toward the house. "Go on now, get."
"Oh, okay. But do I have to change my jeans, too?"
She shook her head and smiled. "No, nobody can see your jeans when you're sitting at the table. Go on now."
She watched as he jogged to the house, letting the screen door slam behind him as he went inside, then turned, leading the filly into the barn.
She loved the smells of the barn; the hay, the leather, the horses themselves and even the manure. It all combined into an aroma that spoke of the special relationship between horses and people, and it both stirred and filled something deep within her
.
She tied the filly to a hitching ring, removed the saddle and pad, and began brushing it.
The past year had been so much different than she ever would have imagined. The bad had been intense but short-lived, while the good had been better than she could ever have hoped for. To be living on her family's farm with her mom, grandparents and Bobby seemed almost like a TV movie - safe, happy and in most ways fulfilling.
She thought of her father and wished, as she did so often, that he could be here. He would have enjoyed this life so much and would have loved doing all the things with Bobby a grandad loved to do with a grandson - and from which a grandson benefited so much. Her own grandpa did a great job, but she knew there were gaps going unfilled.
That made her think of Christian, who had done so much for them. Amazingly, his attention to Bobby and concern for her had not waned since he and Naomi had married. Perhaps more amazingly, Naomi seemed to be a full partner in that concern. The mutual affection was warm and comfortable, providing a sense of safety and belonging she hadn't felt except when she was younger and living at home with her parents. She knew that she was fortunate in that regard but was afraid that it would eventually put a strain on them.
She suddenly realized that she was humming. She couldn't place the tune, but it was soothing, and the filly gave a soft blow as it turned its head to look at her.
Replacing the brush on its shelf, she untied the reins from the ring, led the filly into a stall, removed the bridle and forked some fresh hay into the wall rack, then saddled the horses they would be riding to Stonemont.
24
They crested the hill and stopped, looking down on Jamestown.
Jim took off his hat, ran his fingers through his hair and put the hat back on. "Every time I see it, it looks bigger and busier."
"It is bigger and busier."
Jim nodded his head slowly. "Well, that must be why."
Christian chuckled. "Do you think that's a good thing or a bad thing?"
Jim shook his head. "I don't know."
He watched the people working, walking and talking with each other on the streets below. "I read somewhere that the perfect number of people to live in a community was about a hundred and fifty."
