“Look here, Paul-Edward, I ain’t tryin’ t’ put you out or make you break your promise t’ Mitchell. I’m jus’ tryin’ t’ do for myself and for my child.”
“You’re not going to change your mind?”
“Nope, I ain’t.”
“Then what about the baby when it’s time? Who’s supposed to help you through that? It’s best you’re home with your folks.”
“You forgettin’ Ma Jones jus’ a few miles from here? All I gotta do is send for her.”
I sighed again.
Caroline waited, as if seeing whether or not I would say more on the matter. When I didn’t, all she said was “You comin’ t’ get yo’ breakfast?”
“I’ll be in.”
She nodded and left. After a few minutes I followed her. I figured to leave the rest of my talking up to Caroline’s family. I figured if anybody could persuade Caroline to leave this place, the Perrys could.
In the days following Mitchell’s death while I was away hunting Digger, a number of people had come by offering their condolences to Caroline. Among them, I was told, were Charles Jamison and Wade. A day after my return, Filmore Granger and Harlan came to the forty, but offering condolences wasn’t what was on their minds.
“Understand that boy Mitchell up and got himself killed,” said Filmore Granger as he and Harlan stood with me near the creek.
“He was killed,” I said flatly.
“Heard a tree fell on him.”
I nodded to that, and that was all. I didn’t add anything about Digger.
“Well, he was a good worker.”
At least he gave him that.
Filmore Granger glanced around the clearing, then out toward the woods beyond the fields. “You still got quite a bit of cutting to do. How you expecting to get all my trees down without that boy?”
“It’ll get done,” I said.
“You got seven months, no more.”
“I understand that.”
“Long as you do.”
Filmore Granger was silent a moment as he looked past me toward the cabin. “Who are all these people?”
I glanced around. Rachel Perry and Callie were hanging wash. Sam Perry and Hugh were leading the mules with a load of logs to pile them on the bank of the Rosa Lee. “Mitchell’s family,” I answered, and that was all.
Filmore Granger grunted. “Where they from? Don’t seem to know any of them.”
“They’re not from around here.” I told him nothing more.
Filmore Granger stared curiously at the Perrys. “They planning on staying?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well . . . long as my trees get cut.”
“There are logs ready now, if you’d like to run them down the creek.”
Filmore Granger gave me a hard look. “I’ll come get them same time as always.”
I nodded. It was up to him. My look said it all, and I knew he didn’t like it. He and Harlan mounted their horses. “Just make sure the number of logs you’ve got for me is the same as always,” he said. “I won’t stand for a run being short, just because that friend of yours is dead.”
“It won’t be,” I said.
Filmore Granger spurred his horse, and he and Harlan rode away. I stood staring after them, thinking on Digger. Sam Perry came over and joined me. “Understand from Caroline that there’s the boss man own this place.”
“Not for long,” I said. “We’ve got seven more months, then it’s ours clear.”
“You gonna be able to cut all the trees ya need?”
“Yes, sir, I’ll get it done.”
“Wit’ jus’ you and Nathan and Tom Bee?”
“It’ll be hard,” I admitted, “but it’s been hard before. Mitchell and I, we can—” I stopped myself and there was a long silence between Sam Perry and me.
Finally Sam Perry said, “That’s right, son. You ain’t got Mitchell no more.” He laid his hand on my shoulder. “But I believes ya get it done. I believes ya will.” He took his hand away and sighed before looking out toward the cabin. “Jus’ wish we could stay on here and help ya with it.”
“Your helping these last few days while my mind was off elsewhere has already helped save the place. With what Mitchell, Tom Bee, and I had already cut, we’ve got enough now for the creek run.”
“S’pose that boss man be happy ’bout that.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I get the feeling sometimes he’d like nothing better than for me not to live up to that contract we signed now that he’s already gotten the bulk of his trees. He’s getting his timber money from the lumber company. He’s getting a clear field for planting too. He’d probably like nothing better than to take back the forty, but he won’t, because I’m going to live up to that contract. Every tree he’s marked will be down before the date we set.”