Breaking Jacob (2nd in Breaking Series)

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

"Leaving? Where are you going?" Elizabeth asked Thomas as he stood there with a bag over his shoulder and his horses reins in his hand.

"I figure it's time for me to go see what I can get into," Thomas replied as he looked out over the foggy sunrise.

"I'm gonna miss you, Thomas," Elizabeth said sadly. She stepped away from Brody and hugged Thomas tight.

Thomas hugged her back and felt his throat tighten, "I'll miss you too, Liz." he admitted.

Elizabeth pulled away and busied herself, picking at the flowers of a potted plant beside her, to hide the fact that she was fighting tears.

"You leaving now?" Brody asked.

Thomas nodded, "Yeah. Everybody at the ranch house was still asleep. I'm hoping to have some adventures like you, Brody. Live out of saddlebags and prove how tough I can be."

Brody nodded as he took a draw off his cigarette, "You'll always have a place here if you decide to come back."

"Thanks, Brody." Thomas replied. He mounted the horse and gave a final wave to Elizabeth who was standing wrapped in Brody's arm with tears on her cheeks and he rode away.

He knew he should just leave without stopping in town but he couldn't leave without at least telling Sally goodbye. The streets were fairly empty this early in the morning as he dismounted and hitched his horse in front of Doctor Montgomery's house.

He knocked on the door and waited several long moments but no one came. He knocked harder and he heard footsteps coming toward the door. The door flew open and a ruffled looking Doctor Montgomery stood there in his robe with his gray hair sticking in every direction and his eyes full of sleep.

"It's too early for visitors!" he snapped.

"If ya don't mind doc, I'm getting ready to leave town and I'd like to tell Sally goodbye before I go."

Doctor Montgomery muttered under his breath but moved aside and let Thomas come in, "Make it fast. I'm going back to bed," he muttered and he walked away back up the stairs.

Thomas took off his hat, ran his hand through his thick blond hair and walked into the small room that Sally was in. She was awake and sitting up in the bed with tears on her face, "You're leaving?"

Thomas nodded as he put his hat back on his head, "Yeah. I'm gonna ride around for a couple of years. See what I can see."

Sally squared her shoulders, held her head high and glared at him with enough ice to make him feel suddenly cold, "Are we not good enough for you anymore?"

Thomas sighed, "It's not that, Sally." he assured her. "You're too young to understand..."

"Too young to understand what, Thomas?! Too young to understand that you don't care about any of us and just want to go have some fun?"

"Sally..." he said patiently, after all, she was just a kid.

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child, Thomas!" she snapped. "I know a heck of a lot more than you do!"

"I'll come back one day and visit, Sally."

"No, you won't. You'll go out there and get your fool head blown off. You think you can be like Brody but you can't."

"I didn't come to fight with you, Sally."

"Too bad... What am I supposed to do without you, Thomas? I love you," Sally admitted as a tear slipped down her cheek and she swiped at it angrily.