Landon glanced at Sister, who was busily stirring the eggs. “Yes, ma’am?”
“You gon’ go be with him forever and leave me here alone, you think?”
His heart said he was in love with Adam, but Landon said what he knew to be true. “Sister, I ain’t never onced left you. Never once for always. I will take care of you ’til the Rapture.”
They were twins. He wasn’t about to leave her with no way to take care of herself, and he needed to see her face. Half of him was missing when she wasn’t there.
She seemed relieved, the lines around her dark eyes relaxing, and she found a smile for him. “You think your man will like me?”
“Why wouldn’t he? You’re…” He searched for the right word, but fuck if he didn’t know one. “Laurel.”
She laughed, whacking him with one hand. “Uh-huh. Tell me about him.”
“Oh, lady, he’s fine. Tall and strong with these eyes like chips of rock and he can ride…” He sighed, seeing his cowboy up in the saddle, moving like Adam was one with the horse, like the wind itself.
“I knew he had to love horses.” She grinned, eyes dancing.
“He’s a cowboy. A real cowboy, not just a bull-rider.”
“Oh, Bubba. You have it so bad.”
He put down the tack he’d been repairing for Albert and stared over, serious as a heart attack. “He’s it, Adam. For me. I been dreaming on him my whole life. I ain’t sure I’m his one. I fear that was Mr. Beau.”
Laurel shook her head, dark hair all wild and loose. “Mr. Beau was made to comfort Sammy in the black times, Bubba. I know that.”
Landon shrugged. “Sure. I know that, but we don’t know God, not for true. I think maybe he has a mean streak, giving people to the wrong folks. Mr. Beau is a good man, a Cajun.”
“Maybe your man, he just is a little stupid, eh? Maybe he got him some Cajuns crossed.” Laurel put her spoon down, came to him with open arms, hugging on him hard. “God ain’t mean, not a bit. The Devil, he’s a trickster and a liar and he fools folks, but God loves Him us. I know that.”
“I want to believe that, Sister.” He rested his head on her, eyes closing.
“Then quit fighting it and do so.” She patted his back, her hands warm, and he could see why people came to her for thehealing. Her touch felt soothing, and her voice held the surety of an angel who’d seen God’s face.
“Witchy woman.”
“Yessir, and thank God for it. Someone got to keep you boys whole.”
“Mmm.” He hugged her tight, absorbing some of her strength. “We need to get back to cookin’.”
“Yep. Need to make a soft cake for Auntie down the road. We got to pray over her bad tooth. I think it’ll take the both of us.”
He wrinkled his nose. Tooth stuff was always smelly. Still, he always helped when he could. “All right.”
“You’re a good man, Bubba.”
“You think so? I ain’t… You know I ain’t as book learned as all them boys I ride with.”
“Pshaw.” She put a hand over his heart. “You got all you need right here.”
“I sure hope so, Sister. I surely do.”
Laurel nodded, her eyes twinkling. “That man of yours better hope so, too, or I’ll put a curse on his cigar, huh?”
“I bet you would. Love you, Sister.”
“Uh-huh. Always.” She moved away, back to stirring and flipping things. It was time to go check on his pig.
Lord have mercy.
