Chapter 7

Mary managed to satisfy the boys' curiosity without revealing our secret. For the next few days Mary and I tiptoed around each other emotionally, afraid to make any move to regain our earlier intimacy. "David, I really like you. I'm just not sure if I can trust you again." she told me. I'm doing my best to regain her trust and I hope I'm succeeding.

The kids started school three weeks ago and seem to be settling in well. They are getting along better at home too. The biggest conflicts we had were between Shannon and Mike. Both are used to being the boss at home and constantly butt heads with each other. They argue about what to watch on TV, whose turn it is to do a chore, or anything else they can argue about. Sometimes I think if one said the sky was blue the other one would argue it was purple just to start an argument.

Mike came home with a black eye and a note from the principal. It seems he had gotten into a fight after another boy called Shannon a slut. Apparently Shannon was flirting with a lot of the boys at the high school. As she was a new girl, this pissed off the girls who had been the recipients of the boys' attention. They started rumors that she must be a slut to get so much attention and the boy in the middle school had repeated the rumors.

Mary was upset, "Michael Stanton! You know better than to get into fights!"

"But Aunt Mary, he called Shannon a slut!"

"There are other ways to handle these types of situations!"

I broke in, "Mary, sometimes there is no other way. You defend your family or people will run all over you." She glared at me and continued to chew Mike out.

When Shannon got home she was in tears from hearing the same rumors. When she learned about the reason Mike had been fighting, Shannon gave him a hug for defending her. Mary raised her hands, giving up. Then she looked at me expecting me to explain why she was upset. I didn't really see that Mike had done anything wrong but knew better than to argue with the look she gave me. I spoke to Mike about fighting and the reasons for avoiding them. Eventually Mike and I agreed that he shouldn't fight unless someone forced him to. I called the parents of the boy he hit and they apologized to each other. Surprisingly, the two became close friends afterwards.

Like most small towns the news of the fight and the reason for it soon circulated throughout the town. Steve was furious when he heard about the rumor, but he knew it would be better to tell everyone the truth. Steve and his friends made sure to tell everyone what Shannon was really like. Their sisters started hanging around Shannon and the furor died down quickly. The best thing that came out of this is the arguments became more of a game between Shannon and Mike. They still argue but the entire animus in the arguments is gone. Mary and I have been spending time on the porch swing after dinner just talking and learning to trust each other again. I apologized for lying to her and I think she's beginning to believe that I really am sorry.

As the kids make friends they are starting to blend in with the other students at the schools. Shannon went out for cheerleading while Linda joined the computer club. Being in love must agree with Linda because she brings home mostly A's and B's on her assignments. Shannon remains more of the social butterfly, more interested in boys than grades. While she never brings home anything under a C, she also never spends much time on her homework.

Mary and I have been walking around the ranch while the children are in school. We drive into the back area of the ranch nearly every day and walk around to see how the cattle are doing. I find myself beginning to love the landscape around here. Much of the land is dry, as we don't get much rain down here, but we are close enough to the Wallowa Mountains that we get water year around in the streams. This keeps the area around the streams and the ponds green while the light brown valley floor sets off the green mountains in the background. Most of the livestock remains around the water where the grass is so we spend much of the time just sitting by the streams and talking. From what Steve tells me, many of the animals are in the foothills on the summer pastures. It makes a pretty scene with the cattle grazing against the backdrop of the mountains. It's especially pretty with a good-looking woman walking beside you.

I'm surprised at how comfortable I feel around Mary and the kids. I was ready to give up on people when I left San Antonio. Now I feel at peace around them and I can't imagine not having the kids and Mary around. Mary seems to be relaxing more as she gets used to the area as well. She doesn't seem as tense as she did when she first came here. I find myself agreeing with Mary, "I feel free out here. It seemed like I never really fit in when I lived in the cities." The events in Kansas seem like they happened to someone else, but I know that we cannot stay hidden from them forever. I want to tell Mary I love her but I'm afraid of what will happen when someone does find us.

Jim came by today and we talked about the cattle and the range conditions. "Someone's asking about you in town" he told me. "You planning on leasing your land for hunting this year?"

"Not while I've got cattle on it" I replied.

"Man didn't seem like a hunter to me. You have any trouble you left behind?"

"Maybe. I was a peace officer for 19 years in Texas. I didn't always come into contact with the best people. Can't think of anything that would bring somebody all the way out here though." I answered quickly to avoid any further questions. An officer wouldn't ask around, he'd just come out and interview me. I didn't know if this was related to Kansas but I worried about it.

"What's this guy look like? Maybe I'll recognize him from your description."

"Big guy, about 6 foot 2 inches, brown hair and eyes. Speaks with a midwestern accent."

"Doesn't sound familiar" I told him.

We talked for a while longer. Jim told me that he'd keep an eye out for the guy and let me know if he heard anything else. I went back into the house and sat down. Mary must have sensed something because she came over, "David, what's wrong?" I had almost lost her once by lying to her. This time I told her the truth.

"Someone in town's asking about me. It may be trouble."

Mary's face dimmed further, "What kind of trouble?"

"I don't know. The only reason I can think of for someone to be asking questions is the trouble in Kansas. It's possible that it may be connected to when I was a peace officer but I can't see how."

"Should the boys and I leave?"

"Please stay!" I begged her. "I couldn't stand to lose you and the kids. You mean so much to me. If there's any danger, I'll take care of it. I'd rather die than let you get hurt!"