Tannin walked beside Bethy and studied her carefully.She was thinner than he’d ever seen her.She looked tired while her hair looked dull and dry.Her clothes were dusty and she had bare feet, a fact he didn’t notice until now.Then he looked at the small boy she carried.He must be about three or four by now and his hair matched his mother’s, blonde.The child had curls on the back of his head and he kept looking all around as they walked.But it was his eyes Tannin stared at.
They were Hogan green, a shade only his family had.Most green-eyed people really had a soft hazel color but the Hogan family had a sage green color.They got it from their great grandfather, Pierce Hogan.Micah had those same eyes.His face looked small and narrow, just like his mother and he was small for his age, that much Tannin could see.
But the longer they all walked the more questions he had.When Bethy stumbled, Tannin’s hand was right there to steady her.He finally shook his head and reached out to take Micah from her arms.“You’re exhausted.Let me carry him for a while.”
Bethy looked at him as if she wanted to protest but Tannin didn’t allow her to refuse.He simply took the little boy out of her arms.
Micah’s eyes got huge in his small face but he didn’t say anything either.He just settled down in Tannin’s arms and the walk continued.
An hour later...
When she saw Maudie’s big mansion come into view Bethy almost started crying with utter relief.She knew she and Micah would be safe here.Maudie had always been a refuge for many in the swamps with her healing and her generosity.This was a well-known fact throughout the swamps.
Then suddenly she saw large men come pouring out of the mansion and she began to breathe hard.She turned her head and asked the group, “Who are they?”She felt afraid of the men.
Tannin paused to look over at her.“Bae, they aren’t gonna hurt you.You know most of them, they’re my brothers and cousins and that big guy is King.Don’t you remember King?”
Bethy swiped at the tears on her face and studied the men standing on Maudie’s porch carefully.She finally sighed.“I’m sorry, it’s just I haven’t seen anyone I used to know for so long and hell, everyone has changed so much.”
“Yeah well, we’re gonna talk about that,” Tannin growled as he looked frustrated.He escorted her forward.
Maudie pushed through the line of men standing there.She paused, then studied Bethy carefully.“Bethy?Girl, is that you?Really you?”
Bethy nodded.“Yeah, Ms.Maudie, it’s me.”
Maudie rushed down the steps and embraced Bethy in a hug so fierce Bethy just closed her eyes for a moment.Then she released her but took hold of her shoulders and stepped back so she could view her whole.Maudie looked from the top of her head to her bare feet.“Sha, what did dat man do to you?”she asked softly.
Bethy burst into tears and just hugged Maudie again.“Oh Ms.Maudie, it’s been so bad but I couldn’t say anything.He would have hurt Micah if I said anything.”
“Micah?”Maudie asked.“Who be Micah?”
Bethy turned to Tannin and motioned with her arm.“This be Micah, he’s my son.”
Maudie turned to look at the child in Tannin’s arms.“Oh my...”she whispered.She went over and looked at Micah.She reached out to run her fingers through his hair and just shook her head.Then she looked back at Bethy and whispered, “Your daddy is a beast of a man, idn’t he?How could he raise his fist to someone as small as dis?”
Bethy shook her head.“He blamed me for getting too friendly with Tannin.He told me when I grew up I was promised to another man.He said that I had no reason to have feelings for a Hogan and that I should know better than to spread my legs for swamp trash.”She shook her head.“But I told him the Hogans weren’t trash and that I loved him.”Bethy looked shattered.“That’s when he told me I had no say about it.He said this deal had been made before I was even born.Then a few weeks later I found I was carrying Micah and my dad got so mad.He said I screwed things up and now we would never get out of this swamp.He threatened me and the baby and for almost five years I couldn’t leave his sight.”
“How did you get away from him today?”Colt wanted to know.
Bethy shook her head.“I’m not sure.We got company late last night and Pa had a few more than usual drinks and he wasn’t up at dawn.When I checked on him, he was snoring away so I took Micah and I just ran.But he must have heard me running away and he started to follow us.I just kept running.I knew if I went back or he caught me he’d be so mad he’d really hurt me.”She still looked frightened.“I thought he was closing in on us and hid in some thick brush then the Hogans found us.”
“Your daddy didn’t see you and started running in the other direction,” Colt explained.“That’s when Tannin and me climbed down the tree and Tannin found you.”He looked up at the group to add, “We started home again.We didn’t find any other people out there.”
Maudie turned quickly and ushered Bethy toward her front door.“Mais, let's get these two inside and take care of them.They won’t be living with Leroy Mathias no more.”
Bethy seemed to sag even while on her feet.She weakly moved up the steps, but she turned her head and watched as Tannin remained behind her all the way to the front door.He also walked behind her all the way down the hall.
Finally, when Bethy was sitting on the edge of Maudie's bed, he settled on the chair beside her and reached out to tip her chin up to face him.“I can see that Micah is my son.”
Bethy closed her eyes and tried to explain, “I couldn’t tell you before because my dad wouldn’t let me.”She paused to open her eyes.“I also didn’t want to trap you, if you were gonna stay I wanted you to stay for me not because I was carrying.Then after he was born it was too late, you were long gone.”
Tannin leaned forward and he kissed her lips gently.
Micah squeaked as he was trapped between them.
He broke the kiss quickly and looked down at the boy sitting on his lap.He studied him for a long moment then raised his head to Bethy in awe.“He’s really mine?”
Bethy nodded.“Just look at those eyes of his.I felt like I was looking at your eyes all the time.And I ain’t been with no one else.”
