Wanted

Chapter 28

Apologies for my irregular updates these days. Some chapters just take longer than others until I feel they are ready to be published. If I ever get stuck however, and need a longer break, I let you know. 

They stood silently opposite each other, neither knowing what to say and both equally glad that the other man wasn't too angry. Despite this however, Jeremiah was considering sending Walls away again. Not to invite him to dismount from his horse was all that he'd needed to do for that.

Eventually it was Walls who broke the spell, when he put his hand into his breast pocket and pulled out a letter, bent down and handed it to Jeremiah at the same time as Jeremiah took a step forward to receive it. The dog that had for once been obediently sitting beside Jeremiah jumped enthusiastically forward as well, as if he was trying to get to the letter first, which made the horse a little giddy.

"The postmaster asked me to give this to you. Said you'd been in town once a week waiting for a letter. Two letters within two weeks after years of only having seen you once five years ago, you had him intrigued," Walls said with a hopeful smile, "told everyone who wanted to know that he thought it might be of great importance. The poor man was all worked up, until I took mercy on him and volunteered to take it to you," Walls said sitting back up straight on his horse. In truth he had jumped on the opportunity for an excuse to make the journey.

"Huh," Jeremiah went, taking the envelope of him. He recognised the handwriting and postmark immediately and paled. He had expected it, just not that soon. His friend of course had not heeded his request not to tell his folks back home his whereabouts and that he was still alive. He'd preferred them to think of him as having died in the war than having lived hidden far away from everyone in these mountains all this time.

Jeremiah sighed and sheepishly turned back towards the cabin for a split second, relieved to see that the window of the loft was still closed and covered with the heavy blanket in an attempt to keep the July heat out. Not that this actually had worked, freezing cold at night and sweltering heat during the day the loft was not fit for the purpose he was using it for at the moment. He'd need to think of something else for the boy, Jeremiah thought as he put the letter with the other inside his breast pocket to be opened at a later stage.

"I owe you an apology, Jeremiah," Walls continued.

"Hm," Jeremiah went feeling uncomfortable.

"I should have never brought those men up here. Nathan feels the same. He sends his regards and an apology," Walls said.

"Hm," Jeremiah went again, scratching the stubbles in his face uncomfortably. He needed to shave. In the summer he'd always shaved more often, he found the heat made his skin feel itchy below the hair, but more pressingly his beard had caused Numees a rash on her cheeks.

"No need to apologise," Jeremiah said and he meant it, as he felt it was he who should be apologising. They'd sent him quite literally on a wild goose chase, time that no one could afford to lose, least of all people who lived of the land.

"Is Enkoodabooaoo back?" Walls wanted to know. They had separated after ten days of a fruitless search for the boy, the men from Salesville going back to their town, while the Indian told them he'd continue to go on South.

"He is," Jeremiah replied, "Came back about four weeks ago. Wasn't expecting him to come back so soon to be honest. He had told me he wouldn't be back before winter." Just then Enkoodabooaoo stepped out onto the porch, greeted Walls silently and then walked off towards the horses in the corral.

Jeremiah wished he'd stayed inside the cabin. He wanted to take Walls on a tour of the ranch but wrecked with guilt he didn't like the idea of the boy being left on his own in the cabin. He disliked the idea of bringing Walls inside, with the upset boy hiding above their heads in the loft, even less though.