Free Rosa's Land: Western Justice - book 1 by Gilbert Morris

that divided the big house, and when she saw Faye standing in the foyer she cried, “Faye!” and ran to him.
    He caught her, picked her up, and spun her around. He laughed at her protest then set her down and kissed her cheek. “How’s my best girl?” He smiled.
    “Why didn’t you tell us you were coming? I ought to turn you over my knee and spank you!”
    “You’ve done it before, Mother, but not since I was about six.”
    Eileen was almost weeping for joy. “I’ve missed you so much, Faye. Why didn’t you write?”
    “Well, to be truthful I was a long way from a post office.”
    “Well you shouldn’t have been.” She began to fuss at him to cover her emotions but was studying him carefully. His skin was an even golden tan—something she had never seen before. His hair was long, the clothes he had on were ragged and dirty, and he seemed to have lost weight. There was, however, something new in his expression—the look in his eyes, the set of his lips. Something about him was different. “Well, come into the parlor and sit with me for a while.” After catching him up on news of the family, Eileen asked Faye where he had been.
    “Mother, I wanted to learn how to hunt a little, so I’ve been out in the woods. It was really an interesting experience for me.”
    “Well, I don’t want you going back and doing that again.”
He was heartbroken over that woman. Thank God he’s gotten over her!
    Faye got to his feet. “I really need a bath and a change of clothes.”
    “Yes, you go bathe, change clothes, and lie down. Take a nap before supper. Your father and brothers will be glad to see you.”
    As soon as Faye left the room, Doris came back. “He looks like a different man, Mrs. Riordan. My, he’s so tan! He must have been outside a lot.”
    Eileen said, “Go get Kate. She’s out in the garden. We’ve got to have a fine meal tonight to celebrate his homecoming.”
    “Yes, ma’am, I’ll do that.”
    Kate did a fine job with the meal. She had fixed a large beef roast with potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic, but few noticed it.
    Caleb and his sons were shocked at the changes in Faye and told him so. Leo asked, “How did you get so tan, Faye?”
    “Well, as I told Mother, I decided to learn how to hunt a little bit. So I was out in the woods a lot. I just wanted to travel and see the country.”
    “You look like you’ve lost a little weight,” Leo said.
    “I don’t think so. I’m about the same.”
    “Did you get that woman out of your system, brother?” Max smiled.
    Everyone stared at Faye who did not blink. He said, “You know, Kate makes better meals all the time. I haven’t had a meal this good since I left home.”
    It was obvious that he was not about to discuss his personal life. Suddenly he turned to his father and said, “How have things been going at the factory, Dad?”
    Caleb blinked with surprise. Eileen knew he was surprised at their youngest son’s question, as Faye had shown little interest in the factory before. Caleb finally said, “Going well, son.” Hope lit up his face, and he asked, “Are you thinking about coming to work with me and your brothers?”
    “Not just yet, Dad. I’ve got a few things I need to do.”
    They all retired to the large parlor, and Faye talked a little about the country he had seen but not in enough detail to tell them anything. For the rest of the evening, Caleb, Leo, and Max tried to get Faye to say something about his plans, but he simply avoided their inquiries. Finally Caleb said, “Well, it’s about bedtime. I can see we’re not going to get anything out of you, Faye.”
    “I had a good time out there, Dad.”
    “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Will you come to the factory and see what we’ve been doing?”
    “I’ll be glad to.”
    This pleased Caleb, and he left at once along with Leo and Max.
    “You’ve gotten rather closemouthed, Faye,” Eileen said. “You’re not telling a thing about where you’ve been. It’s