Free Reaper's Vow by Sarah McCarty

finger crooked, remembering Addy’s favorite thing.
    â€œI’ll even pinky swear.”
    The tension that came from that corner was immediate. A pinky swear was a powerful thing, but she had to touch him to pinky swear, and Cole imagined that was a pretty scary thing.
    There was another rustle, the scent of hay intensified, and then a small finger curved around his.
    Damn, how little was she?
    â€œDone.”
    Immediately she slipped back into her corner.
    â€œWhy’s your mommy sad?”
    â€œShe doesn’t want to marry.”
    â€œThen she shouldn’t.”
    â€œI think she misses Daddy, too.”
    That was understandable.
    â€œAnd I’m not always as good as I should be.”
    â€œI’m sure your mom thinks you’re the best thing ever.”
    A little hesitation.
    â€œI try to be good.”
    â€œEveryone slips up now and then.”
    â€œDo you?”
    All the time. He thought it but didn’t say it. Instead, he pointed out, “You just heard me swear.”
    â€œTwo times you said bad words.”
    He nodded.
    â€œYou’re not supposed to say bad words around me. I’m little.”
    Convenient how she trotted that out now when just a minute ago she was threatening him.
    â€œI didn’t know you were back there.”
    â€œMama says you can’t use that as an excuse. How you behave when no one else is around is your character on parade.”
    Lord, her mom sounded like a stickler.
    â€œSpeaking of your mother, is she going to be looking for you soon?”
    There was another one of those silent rustling nods.
    â€œHadn’t you better be getting on home?”
    â€œI can’t go home. The bad man has my house. He’s probably sleeping in my bed.” She said that last as if it would be a permanent contamination. He was actually a bit offended.
    â€œWhy’d they put him in your house?”
    If he’d known he’d be displacing a woman and a child, he would have just slept in the barn.
    â€œMiss Addy said he had to have a house.”
    Addy would say that.
    â€œAnd yours was the only available?”
    â€œEverybody else lives with somebody.”
    So her mother was unattached. Again Miranda’s face flashed through his mind.
    â€œAnd you don’t?”
    â€œNo. I think the dreams scared my daddy away.”
    She’d lost him there. “Dreams?”
    â€œPeople don’t like it when Mommy dreams.”
    From that he deduced her mother had nightmares.
    â€œDo you?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWhat do you do when she dreams?”
    â€œI hold her close and stroke her hair. Sometimes she wakes up.”
    â€œAnd when she doesn’t?”
    â€œThen she screams.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œBad men chase her in her dreams,” she whispered.
    Cole felt that tightening in his gut. “I’m thinking maybe you shouldn’t be telling me this.”
    â€œEverybody knows everything here. Can’t get away with nothing.”
    And there was that fresh bit of resentment.
    â€œYou going to be in trouble when you go home?” he asked.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWell, did you do the wrong?”
    Another silent nod that was indicated by the rustling of hair on wood.
    â€œThen I guess you have to take the punishment when you do the wrong, don’t you?”
    A long sigh. “That’s what Mommy says.”
    â€œYou don’t agree?”
    â€œI hope she makes Uncle G punish me.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œIt doesn’t hurt when he spanks.”
    Cole bit back a laugh. He just bet it didn’t. “Uncle G is special to your mom?”
    â€œUh-huh. When mama’s so mad she can’t talk, she sends me to Uncle G to spank.”
    â€œWhat does Uncle G do?”
    â€œHe gets a real mean face.”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œHe says things in a quiet voice.”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œHe spanks me.”
    â€œBut it doesn’t hurt?”
    She