Pearl River Junction: The Sons of Daniel Shaye

52

Thomas stood across from the café and watched as his brother held hands with Belinda Davis. Initially, when he’d walked past the window and saw them sitting together in the empty café, his impulse was to rush in and interrupt them, find out what the hell James was doing. On second thought, however, he thought he might learn more by just watching. After all, James’s intention was to eat and he might have run into the girl by accident.

So he melted into a dark doorway, folded his arms, and waited.

“I should be getting back,” Belinda said after James had finished his steak. “Riley and Marion will be getting worried.”

If his father and brother were right about her, she probably wouldn’t have cared if they worried. He wondered why he saw a different woman than they did when they all looked at her.

“I’ll walk you back,” he said, standing up.

“That’s not necessary—”

“Yes, it is,” he said. “It’s getting’ dark.”

“All right,” she said, “but I’m paying for supper, remember?”

“But I can’t—”

“Or I won’t let you walk me home,” she said playfully.

“Well…okay…”

Connie came out of the kitchen to collect the money for the meal, wished them both a good night, and locked the door behind them as they left.

Belinda linked her arm in James’s and asked, “Do you mind?”

“No,” he said, “not at all.”

The girl had a good hold on James. Thomas could see that, physically and otherwise. As they started walking, he remained on his side of the street and kept pace. It soon became obvious that James was simply walking her home. Thomas decided to stay with them anyway, since James had been foolish enough to allow the girl to hang on to his gun arm.

“What will your father and brother think?” she asked as they walked.

“About what?”

She held his arm tightly, pressed herself against him so he could feel her firm young breast against him.

“About you becoming my protector?”

“I don’t rightly know,” he said. “I guess I’ll find out, though.”

“What if your pa tells you that you can’t?”

“He’s my pa,” James said, “but I’m a full-grown man. He can’t tell me what to do.”

“I knew that would be your answer,” she said. “I’m so glad we had this talk, James. I feel so much better.”

“I’m glad too…”

Soon it became obvious to Thomas that he wasn’t the only one trailing James and the girl. On their side of the street, about half a block back, he saw a shadowy figure following them as well. There was a full moon out, so when the figure crossed a street and moved away from the shelter of the buildings, Thomas was able to make out that it was a man and that he appeared to be unarmed. For that reason he did not move to intercept him…not yet anyway.

When they reached the house, Belinda released James’s arm and said, “Don’t come up to the porch. I don’t want to get you into trouble before you’re ready to tell everyone.”

“I’ll wait here until you get inside.”

“James,” she said warningly, “before he went to prison Jeb Collier was a hard man. I don’t know what two years in Yuma Prison have done to him.”

“Probably made him harder,” James said. “Don’t worry, Belinda. He’s not gonna hurt you or your son. I promise.”

“I believe you.”

Impulsively, she kissed him quickly, right at the corner of the mouth, then turned and ran up the walk to the house and let herself in. James turned away, his hand to his face where she’d kissed him. Her sweet perfume was still in his nostrils and he thought he could taste her mouth on his. He was so enthralled that he was taken completely by surprise when he was grabbed from behind.