Wish You Well(28)

so smooth the wood felt like glass. Cotton pulled some papers from his briefcase and slid

a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles from his pocket. He slipped them on and studied the

papers for a moment, and then settled back, prepared to discuss them. Louisa poured out

a cup of chicory coffee for him. He took a swallow and smiled. "If this don't get you

going, then you must be dead."

Louisa poured herself a cup and said, "So what'd you find out from them fellers?"

"Your grandson didn't have a will, Louisa. Not that it mattered much, because he also

didn't have any money."





Louisa looked bewildered. "With all bis fine writing?"

Cotton nodded. "As wonderful as they were, the books didn't sell all that well. He had to

take on other writing assignments to make ends meet. Also, Oz had some health problems

when he was born. Lot of expenses. And New York City is not exactly cheap."

Louisa looked down. "And that ain't all," she said. He looked at her curiously. "Jack sent

me money all these years, he did. I wrote him back once, told him it weren't right for him

to be doing it. Got his own family and all. But he say he were a rich man. He told me

that! Wanted me to have it, he say, after all I done for him. But I ain't really done

nothing."

"Well, it seems Jack was planning to go write for a movie studio in California when the

accident happened."

"California?" Louisa said the word like it was a malignancy, and then sat back and

sighed. "That little boy always run circles round me. But giving me money when he ain't

got it. And curse me for taking it." She stared off for a bit before speaking again. "I got

me a problem, Cotton. Last three years of drought and ain't no crops come in. Down to

five hogs and gotta butcher me one purty soon. Got me three sows and one boar left over.

Last Utter more runts than anythin'. Three passable milking cows. Had one studded out,

but she ain't dropped her calf yet and I getting right worried. And Bran got the fever.

Sheep getting to be more bother than anything. And that old nag ain't do a lick of work no

more, and eats me out of house and home. And yet that old girl done worked herself to

death all these years for me." She paused and drew a breath. "And McKenzie on down at

the store, he ain't giving no more credit to us folk up here."

"Hard times, Louisa, no denying that."

"I know I can't complain none, this old mountain give me all it can over the years."

Cotton hunched forward. "Well, the one thing you do have, Louisa, is land. Now, there's

an asset."

"Can't sell it, Cotton. When time comes, it'll go to Lou and Oz. Their daddy loved this

place as much as me. And Eugene too. He my family. He work hard. He getting some of

this land so's he can have his own place, raise his own family. Only fair."

Cotton said, "I think so too."

"When them folks wrote to see if'n I'd take the children, how could I not? Amanda's

people all gone, I'm all they got left. And a sorry savior I am, long past being worth a spit

for farming." Her fingers clustered nervously together, and she stared anxiously out the

window. "I been thinking 'bout them all these years, wondering what they was like.

Reading Amanda's letters, seeing them pictures she sent. Just busting with pride over

what Jack done. And them beautiful children." She let out a troubled sigh, the deeply cut

wrinkles on her long forehead like tiny furrows in a field.

Cotton said, "You'll get by, Louisa. You need me for anything, come up and help with the

planting, the children, you just let me know. I'd be beyond proud to help you."

"G'on now, Cotton, you a busy lawyer."

"Folks up here don't have much need for the likes of me. And maybe that's not such a bad

thing. Got a problem, go down to Judge Atkins over the courthouse and just talk it out.

Lawyers just make things complicated." He smiled and patted her hand. "It'll be okay,

Louisa.

Those children being here with you is the right thing. For everybody."

Louisa smiled, and then her expression slowly changed to a frown. "Cotton, Diamond

said some men coming round folks' coal mines. Don't like that."

"Surveyors, mineral experts, so I've heard."

"Ain't they cutting the mountains up fast enough? Make me sick ever' time I see another

hole. I never sell out to the coal folk. Rip all that's beautiful out."

"I've heard these folks are looking for oil, not coal."

"Oil!" she said in disbelief. "This ain't Texas."

"Just what I've heard."

"Can't worry about that nonsense." She stood. "You right, Cotton, it'll be just fine.