Pearl River Junction: The Sons of Daniel Shaye

51

Thomas found James checking doorways a few streets from the sheriff’s office.

“Are you working your way toward or away from the office?” he asked his brother.

“Away,” James said. “Sorry, but I did the other side of the street already.”

“No problem,” Thomas said. “I can use the walk. It’s gettin’ dark, brother. You better get somethin’ to eat and head back to the hotel. You’re gonna need a lot of rest for tomorrow.”

“I was plannin’ on eatin’ anyway,” James said. “I guess Thad’ll be up all night?”

“Yep,” Thomas said. “He says he don’t mind stayin’ up most of the night.”

James was fidgety. He wanted to get over to the café before Belinda decided he wasn’t coming and left.

“What’s wrong with you?” Thomas asked, noticing. “You look antsy. You’re not gettin’ nervous, are you?”

“I’m not gettin’ nervous,” James said, slapping his big brother on the back. “I been nervous for a while.”

“Pa would say that makes you a smart man,” Thomas said, “but we already agreed on that, didn’t we?”

“I’ll see you in the mornin’,” James said. “Try not to wake me when you come in.”

“I’ll walk soft,” Thomas promised.

James entered the café. It was open late and Belinda was the only customer. She was talking with the waitress when he approached the table.

“This the fella?” the waitress asked.

“This is him, Connie,” Belinda said, “and he looks hungry.”

“You were in here this morning, weren’t you?” the middle-aged woman asked. “With two others?”

“My father and brother.”

“You had steak and eggs. Ready for a steak tonight?”

“Sure,” James said. “Thanks.”

“Sit down, I’ll bring some coffee. Belinda?”

“Just coffee and a piece of pie, Connie.”

Connie nodded and went to the kitchen. James sat down across from Belinda, placing his hat on an adjacent chair.

“Thank you for coming,” she said.

“Somehow it didn’t seem right not to.”

“James,” she asked, “do you believe that Little Matt is your brother Matthew’s son?”

“I—I just ain’t sure, Belinda. I’m sorry.”

“That’s all right,” she said. “I knew it would be a hard sell if your pa didn’t recognize the resemblance right off.”

“The only resemblance any of us can see is the baby’s size,” James said. “He’s a big boy.”

“That he is.”

“What about this other man, Jeb Collier?”

“What about him?” she asked. “He’s no good. He’s a thief and a liar. They should have kept him in Yuma Prison.”

“What I meant was,” James said, “was he a big man?”

“Are you asking me if Jeb Collier is really my son’s father?” she asked.

“I guess I’m askin’ if there’s a chance.”

She frowned and looked away.

“You’re not sure, are you, Belinda?” James asked. “You’re not sure who the father is.”

Belinda looked across the table at James. Already this conversation was not going as planned. She didn’t want to think of Jeb Collier as her baby’s father. She wanted to steer the conversation in a direction that would benefit her.

Connie came out of the kitchen carrying a large plate and a smaller one. She set them down and then went back for the pot of coffee and two cups.

“Thank you,” James said.

“You folks take your time eatin’,” Connie said, “I’m just gonna close the kitchen down.”

“Thanks, Connie.”

She went back to the kitchen and James cut into his steak. Belinda thought that maybe Connie’s interruption would help her get the conversation back on the right track.

“The only thing I know about Jeb Collier is that he’s coming here and he’s going to bring trouble. I need protection.”

“My protection?”

“I was hoping it would be the protection of you, your father, and your brother,” she said. “I was hoping you’d want to protect Little Matt.”

“Belinda,” James said, “my pa, my brother, and me—and the sheriff—we want to protect the whole town.”

“That may be,” she said, “but the whole town doesn’t have as much to fear from Jeb as I do.”

“And why’s that?”

“Jeb loved me once,” she said. “He’s not going to let me go so easily.”

“You think he’s comin’ ’cause he wants you back?”

“He wants to know if the baby’s his,” she said.

“How will he be able to tell any better than we can?”

“He won’t,” she said, “but if he decides it’s his, he’ll want it just because.”

“And if he decides it isn’t his?”

She sat back in her chair, stared at him, and hugged herself as if she’d just been overtaken by a chill.

“If he decides it’s not his, he’ll kill me for having a baby with another man.”

James knew that his brother and father not only didn’t believe Belinda when she said her son was Matthew’s, they also didn’t like her. But he didn’t see how he could possibly leave her to her fears that Jeb Collier might kill her.

He reached across the table, placed his hand over hers, and said, “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Belinda—whether you’re the mother of my brother’s child or not.”

She turned her hand over and clasped his. “You have no idea how comforting that is to me, James.”