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“It was.”
“Then we’ll pray for his soul, daddy.” Violet smiled at him.
Lee reached to hold her hand. “Alright, darlin’.”
Later that night as Lee and Hattie settled into their bed, she reached to hold him to her. “Come here, I think you need another hug…”
He smiled, remembering the hug he’d given her that afternoon long ago. “You give the best hugs in the world.”
She settled into the crook of his arm, as he kissed her on the forehead. “I’m sorry Frank died, but I’m glad it wasn’t you. You took an awful chance, fighting him.”
Lee snuggled with her. “Maybe, but I had to…”
Lee looked into her eyes and smiled once more. “Tonight I want you to just undress and let me hold you all night long. No clothes, just you and me snuggled together all night.”
“Is that all?” She lifted a brow.
“After we make love a couple of times.” He smiled, pulling her under him and kissing her all over.
He kept his promise and after they made love several times, he held her through the night close, and they slept.
But when morning came, she got up and dressed and began making breakfast when he came to the kitchen to find her. It was still early; dew was still on the grass as he glanced outside.
Later, after she had the coffee perking on the stove, he spotted her hanging the wash out and was headed her way when a shot rang out and Lee ran outside.
A rider took off and Lee spotted him. He grabbed the shotgun near the back door where he kept it handy. He fired three times, and thought he winged him. Only then did it occur to him what the man was after. He whirled about and his nightmare stared him in the face.
“Hattie…” he screamed, running toward her lifeless form on the ground near the clothes line.
She moved. He thanked God as he threw himself down and on the ground beside her. She’d been shot, but he couldn’t tell how badly. Blood oozed from his hand as he tried to lift her up.
Joe came running up to them and knelt to his knees. “Lord, what have they done?”
“Help me get her inside,” Lee hollered. His eyes were wild, his breathing ragged, as he stared down at her.
She opened her eyes slowly. “Lee…” she cried.
“It’s okay, baby. We’re going to take care of you. We’ll get the doc out here.”
Joe nodded. “I’ll go now.”
“Mama!” Violet ran to her mother.
Lee laid her on the bed and checked the damage. She’d been shot in the shoulder and thank God they hadn’t gone any lower. He busied himself with cleaning the wound as all the kids gathered around her bed. Sam pouched out his lip. “Who did this?”
“I don’t know Sam…but I got an idea.” Lee grimaced. “If you’ll watch things for me, I’ll be trackin’ him now.”
“Who was it?” Sam asked, his brows meeting in a frown.
“Sam, I know you love your sister. I know you want to get who did this. But please, let me handle it. Trust me…” Lee put his hand on his shoulder.
“Even a kid knows you don’t go shootin’ a woman…” Sam wailed.
“I know Sam, and believe me, he’ll pay for this…” Lee promised.
Hattie must have heard him as she moaned aloud, “No…don’t go after him…”
“Sorry honey, I have to. Whoever did this is gonna pay,” he hollered as he grabbed the shotgun and nodded to Sam. “You can’t let people walk all over you.”
