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“That is untested,” James said. “You don’t know what he might do if a couple of scoundrels showed up at his door looking for one of you ladies.”
“We’ll keep that in mind.” Mathias’s eyes had widened, and I could see him thinking through everything James had said.
“Where are you from?” I asked.
“Oklahoma. We’re here visiting our aunt,” Mathias said.
“Not visiting exactly,” Boone said. “We don’t know if we’ll go back. There’s nothing but dust. That’s all we had left. Our folks passed away a few months back.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Thank you,” Boone said.
“The farm’s gone,” Mathias said. “Not much there for us now.”
“Our father and his father before him worked that land,” Boone said. “We won’t have that privilege.”
“Do you need work?” I asked. These poor men, leaving their home. Chased out by the dust storms.
“We sure do,” Boone said. “You know of any?”
“I’ll speak to my father,” I said. “If there’s any work, he’ll know about it.”
“We’d sure appreciate it,” Mathias said. “This place doesn’t seem as bad off as some of the other places we’ve been.”
“We’ve been spared the kind of troubles you’ve seen,” I said. “But there are some who’ve needed some help.”
“We take care of our own,” Delphia said.
I glanced over to see James peering at me as if I were of great interest to him. Our eyes met for a second. A spark flickered in those blue eyes that sent a wave of desire through me. I turned back to Mathias and Boone. “Would you two care for some chicken? Our Lizzie makes the best there is.”
“We’d be much obliged.” Boone’s face looked like a child at the sight of Christmas candy, I thought, humbled. I took so much for granted.
“Are you sure you have enough?” Mathias said. “We don’t want to take your food.”
“There’s plenty,” I said. “It’s best if someone eats it up. In this heat, it won’t last long.”
The next few minutes I spent fixing plates for them. James opened bottles of cold beer for everyone, and we spent a pleasant time getting to know the brothers. We quickly learned that their elderly aunt was one of the women Mama dropped in to check on at least once a week, taking food and making sure she was all right. She was quite elderly and feeble. Mama had worried about her living alone. I told the brothers as much.
“She’s our great-aunt,” Mathias said. “Never had a husband or children. She was glad to take us in, but we’re worried we’re making things even harder for her.”
“We’ve started a garden,” Boone said. “Big ol’ fat tomatoes are ripening. We’re hoping to help her more than she’s helped us. We got nothing left but her, and she’s got nothing but us.”
“I’m sure you will,” Delphia said, speaking for the first time in a few minutes. It wasn’t like her to be so quiet. “That’s what family is for.”
At this point, James stood and offered me his hand. “Come on, Addie. Let’s take a swim. Anyone else want to join us?”
The Jefferson brothers declined, as did Delphia. I leaned close to ask her if she minded being left alone. “Go ahead,” she said. “I’ll stay here and watch our things.”
My bathing costume was on under my cotton dress. The fabric was sticking to my back. I could already feel the coolness of that river on my skin. “Come on then, James.”
We walked to the edge of the grassy cliff. A rocky trail led down to a sandy beach. Bathers swam and splashed in the water. I took my dress off and hung it on a birch tree branch. James did the same with his pants and shirt and placed them next to my dress. They were a nice couple, those empty clothes, I thought.
James’s muscular chest and shoulders were slightly freckled. His arm and chest hair were lighter than the copper tones of his thick waves. I glanced down at his legs. Muscles and more fuzz. What would it be like to run my nails through it?
I shook my head to dispel my far-from-virtuous thoughts. “You want to jump in or wade?” I gestured toward the hill where mostly children were jumping into the water.
“You want to jump?” He looked a little unsure for a moment. “I’ve never done it before, so you go ahead.”
