Something Borrowed

Chapter 10

Josh

The house was silent when he returned. A terrible omen, to be sure. He was searching for signs of life when he rounded the corner to the dining room and ran smack into Melissa.

"You bastard," she hissed in a throaty whisper, shoving him in the chest, eyes sparking with fire. "What were you thinking leaving us alone like that?"

He had no good answer.

"Thought I might bring him home."

"Did you?" she asked, and he knew she was just asking to make a point. She knew damn well he'd failed. He raised his eyebrows and she snorted humorlessly. "Of course not." Then she sighed, her expression softening. "It was good of you to try," she said, putting a hand on his arm. "But we needed you here, Josh. Pa's squirreled away in his office, and Amelia ran off into the orchard."

"What happened?"

"Not much, really," Melissa said, shrugging one shoulder. "Amelia told us the truth, which I assume you already knew." She narrowed her eyes at him and he lowered his own. She sighed and went on. "Anyway, she told us the truth. Pa listened. Then he told her to be gone by morning. Apparently whores have no place beneath his roof."

Josh winced and rubbed his forehead. "I'll talk to him. He's in his study?"

Melissa nodded silently, before shocking him straight into tomorrow by stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. He returned the hug, awkwardly patting her back. "This is terrible," she mumbled into his shoulder. "I'm so... I feel so horrible for her, and I'm so embarrassed. When did he get like this?"

June 23rd, 1850. "I dunno, Lisa," Josh sighed, before pushing his sister away and taking her by the shoulders. "I'm sorry I left you to deal with it alone," he said earnestly, capturing her gaze and forcing a smile. "I'll talk to the old man. Maybe you could go keep Amelia company?"

"She wants to be alone," Melissa said with a heavy sigh, dropping her gaze. "Can't say I blame her."

"Alright, then. I just ran poor Copper all the way to town and back, so he's outside and in a terrible mood. Maybe you oughta take him back to the barn and then let the others out to stretch their legs? I doubt pa'll be outside any time soon."

At that, Melissa's face brightened. She loved those damn horses almost more than he did, and it was one of her greatest gripes that she was so rarely able to sneak in some unsupervised time with them.

"Just promise not to get your head kicked in," he said over his shoulder as she skipped past him. "The old man would skin me alive."

"Oh, you're a regular clown," she said dryly. Then she stopped in the doorway and turned around, one hand on the frame as she met his eye. "Josh..." she trailed off, lowering her gaze to the floor before looking up and skewering him with one of her trademark knowing looks. The ones that made him feel like she was hearing his innermost thoughts and watching his future at the same time.

"What is it, Lisa?" he asked warily, turning fully to face her.

"It's just..." she rubbed her temple with her hand in agitation before dropping it to her side. "Just do your best, okay? She deserves our help." Her meaning was clear. Melissa was always pestering him to put up a fight with the old man. Today, she wanted the opposite.

"Of course," he said with a nod.

"I'm sorry," she said, smiling sadly, and was gone before he could respond.

Squaring his shoulders, Josh turned and strode down the hall to the door of his father's study. It was quiet, but that calm was deceptive. It was quiet the way roiling stormclouds were quiet overhead, right before lashing out with bolts of lightning and cracking thunder.