The Lone Texan. Lass Small

interpreted the gibberish quite easily. The boy was too young with words to correct them.

      Lu said, “We have to go.”

      It was some pang for the two women to watch Ellen carefully rise from the floor. She smiled at the kids. They touched her knees and thighs and said, “Come back.” And the little boy said earnest things no adult understood. His fittler sister just watched.

      The two women, Lu and Ellen, went out of the house, returning the calls of goodbye that they all said, and they went back to the car.

      Since they were out, Lu took Ellen to show her Rip’s house where she was...uh...shacked up?

      She laughed. And Ellen did smile. But Ellen was remembering how much she’d missed her lover when he’d abandoned her.

      

      After their short view of Rip’s place, the two women went to the grocery store there that not only sold food but shared all the gossip. And the fact that the Keepers’ fragile guest was there awed them all. Lu took it in amused stride.

      Mrs. Keeper had commanded Lu to take Ellen to the grocery store. Everyone would be so curious and they’d all find all sorts of excuses to come out to the house. Mrs. Keeper just did not have the time to give teas for all those people! Having the locals see Ellen at the grocery would soothe their curiosity.

      It was just lucky that Lu Parsons’ brother and his new wife were on their honeymoon. The Keepers’ town thrived on gossip.

      Three

      Ellen was brought back to the Keeper house by Lu. It was obvious Ellen was just about at the end of her strength. It was Ciggie who was at the door first, and she simply took Ellen along to her room, helped her strip and put her naked into bed. She insisted the fragile one drink most of the water in the fresh glass. Ellen did. She handed the glass back to Ciggie. She was asleep in no time at all.

      The fact that Ellen was so vulnerable shocked everybody. They’d really just thought she was skinny and grieving. They thought it was primarily attitude. They hadn’t realized how far down she’d gone physically.

      Mina called Ellen’s doctor. When he was free, he returned the call. They discussed the whole situation.

      It was rather late that day when Tom came from a distant check on what was where. His mother updated Tom. He went to Ellen’s room and with only one tap, he silently opened her door. He looked inside. She slept. He went over to her bed and watched her sleep. She was flat out. She was exhausted.

      But—

      Tom found his body wanted to be in her bed with her. How stupid of it. The woman was strained to the core. How could he be that intrusive? Intrusion was what he had in mind.

      There was no excuse, at all, for Tom to do anything. He could cough, or clear his throat, or touch her or speak to her. While she was as zonked as she could be, he knew full well that he must not do any of those things. He had to leave her be. She was overextended. He needed to leave her alone and let her sleep until supper time.

      But he stood and watched her possessively. He couldn’t remember one of the women who’d come to the Keeper Place who had caught his glance as seriously as Ellen did. She made his dreams vivid and sexual. This morning he awoke to a bed that was about torn apart.

      How come one woman could do that to a man? He’d lusted for other women. But not with the gentle hunger he had for this one. She’d probably tell him to run along home to his mama and behave himself.

      This was his home. He was in charge.

      That meant that he had discarded the fact that his mother and father ran the Place and were obeyed by the crew without any question at all. How come he felt he was—in charge?

      It was this fragile, soul-shaking woman. She made him feel thataway. He’d wanted other women, but it had never been as serious as this want was.

      Maybe it was because he’d never seen one in bed before he’d been in there with them? Was it simply the damned old body hunger? Then if that was so, why was he so quiet and why was he just looking at her sleep-closed face?

      Why hadn’t he thought about her body being in those silks she probably wore like just about every other woman he’d known? He hadn’t even thought of it. He’d just known she was asleep. And not being awake, he could look his fill of her face.

      Then his vulgar libido wanted to lift the blankets back and look at her body. What was she wearing under those covers thataway? He wanted her nude and raw. He wanted to take off his boots and clothes and even his hat and just get in bed with her and—soothe her. Mmm-hmmmm. That’s what he wanted.

      When Tom exited Ellen’s room, by some miracle there was no one in the hallway. It was silent and empty.

      It was almost time for the evening dinner gong. Tom went thoughtfully to his room and stripped easily. His sex, which he referred to as Hunter, leaped free of Tom’s underwear, and Tom had several unkind things to say to something so strained.

      

      Ellen didn’t rouse from her dead sleep until Mina Keeper went in and told her kindly it was time for her to waken.

      Ellen’s eyes slitted open. She blinked slowly and moved her eyes around to figure out where in the world she was. She asked, “Mrs. Keeper?”

      Mina gently said, “You’re here with us.”

      Slowly, Ellen commented, “I haven’t slept like that in a hundred years.”

      Mina’s eyebrows lifted a tad, and she then had the audacity to comment, “I hadn’t known you were older than L”

      Ellen blinked slowly and her smile began. “I really slept.”