Pearl River Junction: The Sons of Daniel Shaye

48

The next morning Shaye had breakfast with Thomas and James. He took them to the café Sheriff Cotton had taken him to for the good cup of coffee. Turned out they had the best food in town as well.

“Just don’t tell my wife I come here,” Cotton had said to Shaye. “This is the only place in town that makes better food than she does.”

Shaye swore himself to secrecy and now did the same with his sons.

“I wouldn’t want to get the sheriff in trouble,” James said around a forkful of steak and eggs, “but he sure is right about the food. I don’t know if it’s better than his wife’s, but it’s the best I’ve had in a while.”

“It’s better than your cookin’, I can tell you that much,” Thomas said.

“Oh yeah? Well, when we get back to the ranch, you can do all the cookin’ from now on.”

They fell silent for a moment and then James added, “Uh, that is, if we go back to the ranch.”

“I already told you both” Shaye said, “that we’ll be going back to the ranch, even if it’s just to sell it.”

They ate in silence again for a few moments and then James asked, “How do you feel wearin’ a badge again, Pa?”

“Well, it’s been a while,” Shaye said. “I have to admit I really didn’t like having to talk with the mayor yesterday and I’m not looking forward to talking to the town council half an hour from now. This is the political part of the job I have always hated.”

“But…” James said.

“But it does feel good to have a star on my chest again, even if it is a deputy’s star,” Shaye said. “Been a while since I wore a shirt with the pin hole in it. What about you boys?”

“I like it,” Thomas said without hesitation.

“I thought you would, Thomas,” Shaye said.

“You didn’t think I would, Pa?” James asked.

“I don’t know, James,” Shaye said. “You never seemed to take to the job the way Thomas did.”

“You mean because he’s better with a gun?”

“Not just that,” Shaye said. “Your ma and I just always thought you’d get an education. You have the potential to be better than this—maybe a lawyer.”

“A lawyer?” James asked. “Me? Really?”

“You never thought about it?” Shaye asked.

“Not really.”

“You’re smart enough for it, James,” Shaye said.

“I agree with Pa,” Thomas said. “I can see us both workin’ for the law, James: me outside the courtroom and you inside. You are the smart one. You just haven’t had a chance to use your smarts because you had to pick up a gun.”

James stared at his big brother and asked, “You really feel that way?”

“Sure, why not? You took to book learnin’ more than Matthew and me ever did. I don’t mind admittin’ that.”

“You could still do it, James,” Shaye said. “Think about it.”

“I will, Pa,” James promised.

“What are you gonna tell the town council, Pa?” Thomas asked, changing the subject to something more immediate.

“Nothing,” Shaye said. “It’s up to the sheriff, not me, to make them understand what’s happening—or what might happen.”

“Fellers like that,” Thomas said, “they usually understand what’s happenin’ better than what might happen, don’t they? I mean, I don’t have that much experience, but that’s what I’ve seen in the places we’ve worked in.”

“You’re right, Thomas,” Shaye said. “They just don’t have that much imagination.”

It was very early and there were only a few more diners in the place, so when Riley Cotton appeared at the door, he attracted everyone’s attention.

“Thought I might find you boys here,” he said, taking a seat.

The waitress came hurrying over and asked, “Breakfast, Sheriff?”

“Uh, sure, Connie, why not? Steak and eggs.”

“Comin’ up.”

“Something on your mind, Riley?” Shaye asked.

“Yeah,” Cotton said. “I stopped by the telegraph office and asked the clerk to send a telegram to Highbinder.”

“And? No answer yet?”

“No answer at all.”

“Could be there’s just nobody at the other end,” Thomas suggested.

“I thought of that,” the lawman said, “but the clerk says that his signal is not getting through.”

“Oh,” Shaye said.

“What’s that mean?” James asked. “I mean, I know what it means for the signal not to get through, but what’s it mean to us?”

“Well…” Cotton said. “your pa and I think that the gang may have killed Sheriff Coffey before they left Highbinder.”

“And maybe they disabled the telegraph key?” James asked. “Or maybe that’s all they did.”

“I sure hope you’re right, James,” Cotton said.

“Whataya think, Pa?” James asked.

“If Jeb Collier’s got Vic Delay riding with him,” Shaye said, “that man just looks for reasons to kill people.”

“Is he a fast gun, Pa?” James asked.

“More than a fast gun, James,” Shaye said. “He’s a killer. He likes it.”

“I bet Thomas can take him,” James said. He turned to Cotton and added, “Thomas is fast and he hits what he shoots at every time.” There was pride in James’s tone.

“Thanks, James,” Thomas said, “but I ain’t so high on tryin’ my hand with a fella like that.”

“Smart man,” Shaye said. “You gotta look to avoid gunfights, not get into them.”

“You ever avoid a gunfight, Pa?” James asked. “I mean, in your younger years?”

“Every chance I got, boy,” Shaye said. “Every chance I got.”