Banshee in his usual seat across from Cash. Shadow next to Banshee, my brother-in-law in his cut with his hair still wet from the shower. Bullseye, Thunder, Longhorn, Blaze, and Rogue down the Sharp side of the table.
Wells and Tread at the far end with Coyote—Uncle Roan's man—and two of Cash's brothers.
Whip is on the gate this morning. The prospects are out feeding the livestock and walking the perimeter one more time before they come up for what's left.
I stop in the doorway and Spur stops with me.
I have not seen this many Lyle men under one roof at one time in years.
Pops looks up from his coffee and sees me. His face does something soft. "There she is."
"Pops."
"Come eat, baby girl."
I cross the clubhouse floor and he stands up and pulls me down against his shoulder. Kisses the top of my head. His beard catches on my hair and I let it.
He smells like the soap Marlena buys for the house and the coffee he's already had two cups of.
"You all right?" he asks me, lowly.
"I'm all right, Pops."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure."
He lets me go and I look up at the table at my three uncles.
Cash sees me and his face goes the way Pops's just did. He stands up too. "Dakota."
"Uncle Cash."
He comes around the table and pulls me in. Same hug as the others—short, hard, both arms.
He smells like leather and coffee and something heavier underneath that I think might be the long drive up from yesterday afternoon. "I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner, kiddo."
"You got to me when it counted."
"Yeah."
He holds me a second longer than I expect. Then he lets me go and looks at Spur over my shoulder. "Spur."
"Cash."
"My brother says you handled it."
"Yes."
"Then I owe you a drink."
"You don’t owe me a damn thing. I owe you. Your boys cleaned the barn."
Cash almost smiles. "Then we'll call it even and have a drink anyway."
"Sounds good to me."
Cash claps Spur on the shoulder.
