“Likewise. I don’t want anything taking me away from my husbandly duties.”
“Speaking of which, have you given any more thought to gathering cattle with Rufus?”
“I have. It’s a good idea.”
She frowned again. “It’s a dangerous idea.”
“A lot of good ideas are dangerous.”
“Not if you go and get yourself killed.”
“I’m hard to kill.”
“The graveyards are full of men who said they were hard to kill.”
“Yeah, well, nobody’s gotten me yet. There’s only one problem.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t have a cutting horse or any gear for that sort of work. I ride down into the Thicket without chaps, I’ll bleed to death.”
“You could talk to old Charles Forester. He was running a good-sized herd before the war, but the Confederacy confiscated every last cow. Last I heard, he hadn’t built another herd.”
Will nodded. “That’s a good idea.”
“Thank you, dear husband. And it might be a better idea than you know. Father used to buy workhorses off Mr. Forester because he did a good job breeding and raising them. They weren’t thoroughbreds, but they got the job done.”
“That’s what I need, a horse to get the job done.”
“Or you could just stay here.”
“Rufus is right, I reckon. Now is the time to get in on the cattle business. Before you know it, the opportunity will pass.”
“But you have money.”
“Correction:wehave money.”
“It’s your money. I didn’t have two dimes to rub together when you came back.”
“Two shall become one. It’s our money now.”
“All right. Our money, then. Whatever the case, we have it. Why risk your life chasing cattle?”
“Because that money won’t last. Even if we only gather a small number of cattle, Rufus and I might still come home with a few double eagles in our pockets.”
“Then bandits might set after you.”
Will laughed. “What’s gotten into you?”
“I told you. I’m worried.”
“Well, stop it. Even the Bible says not to worry.”
“It also says not to judge others, Mr. Bentley.”
“I’m not judging. I’m just reminding you is all. Have faith. Worrying’s the opposite of faith.”
“How do you figure?”
