The McEllis Boys

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

"Well, one thing is for sure, we're going to have to go to town and get groceries," Nicole said with a sigh the next morning as she threw the now empty egg carton in the garbage. "I didn't realize four men could eat so much."

Nicole turned and laughed when she realized that none of those men were still listening to her. They had eaten, left their plates on the table and were now filling her living room as they flipped through the television channels.

The television had been quite a shock for them. Andrew and Jamison were the most entertained by it. Ian had nearly shot it, though Nicole was grateful that Cavanaugh had managed to stop him and keep her flat screen from meeting the same fate as her alarm clock.

She sighed, marveled at how men from the 1800's were just as enthralled by television as men from the 2000's and turned to wash the dishes currently piled up by her sink.

Steaks, potatoes, corn and biscuits for dinner last night and an entire carton of eggs and two boxes of bacon for breakfast had used a lot of dishes and emptied her refrigerator.

At least Cavanaugh had finally wanted to eat though. He had seemed to enjoy her dinner and breakfast more than he had the boxed macaroni and cheese at lunch the day before. She had pretended like she was cooking for her now deceased grandfather who had always wanted everything homemade and it seemed to have worked on the picky cowboy.

She got the dishes stacked and was filling the sink with hot soapy water when she was suddenly aware of someone standing beside her. She turned and saw Ian standing there with his hands in his pockets.

"You walk quiet," she accused. "I didn't even hear you come in here."

"I guess that's just one of those things that come with being an outlaw," he replied with a shrug.

Nicole's eyes widened as she began scrubbing the dirty plates, "An outlaw? You were, are, an outlaw?"

"I was. Before my mama died she asked me to change my ways. Apparently the way I was living let her down."

Nicole could hear true regret in his voice and it tugged at her heartstrings, which had always been overly sensitive and prone to helping those in need, "So when you say outlaw.... What exactly did you do?" she asked, wondering if she had a murderer standing next to her right now. She kind of wished he'd get those big hands wet and help her rinse but clearly he was only here for moral support.

"I didn't murder nobody if that's what you're asking. I just took things that weren't mine from time to time." Nicole glanced at him and raised her brow. He gave a sheepish grin and shrugged, "Okay, all the time."

"So you're an outlaw and Jamison a U.S. Marshall; I'm sure that made for awkward family get-togethers."

Ian laughed as he propped his hip against the counter and stuck his thumbs in his pants pockets, "We didn't have family get-togethers. Actually it had been a good eleven years since we'd all been together but, yeah, it made it pretty damn awkward when Jamison and I would run into each other."

"Eleven years is a long time," Nicole stated.

"Yes'm. I was the third one to leave home and I fell in with the wrong sorts I guess. Andrew he did too. Though he never did steal nothing, he just liked to drink, gamble and well.. Uh.."

"Have his way with saloon girls?" Nicole asked, enjoying the awkward smile on Ian's face. It made him seem more human and less polished and perfect.

"Yes'm," Ian replied with a grin. "Jamison is the oldest and he left first about eleven years before our mama died, bound and determined to be a ice cold lawman who didn't need anybody. Cav left next. He met a woman and left to go set up a home near her family."