CHAPTER 15
Mary Jo woke to the sound of what she thought was thunder. She lay still for a few minutes, listening. If it was thunder, the storm must be far away. She saw no lightning. She rolled so that her face was away from the window. It was always like this the first night after Pa left on a job. Every sound awakened her. The difference was that she had trouble getting to sleep. She hadn't seen Barrett in two days. The two men who had been staying with him had left and Barrett was alone, waiting for the logs to be removed. She was concerned and told Ma she wanted to go see if he was all right, but Ma didn't want her to go.
Pa had said to obey his rules as long as she was under his roof, and obeying Ma was one of his rules. Barrett thought it was best for her to stay there for now. Hopefully it wouldn't be long.
Billy Ray's door opened and closed - then the back door. He didn't usually get up at night to use the outhouse. Maybe he was having trouble sleeping too.
She tried to go back to sleep, but she never heard Billy Ray come back in. She got up and put her robe on. She walked across the cold plank floor and knocked on Billy Ray's door. He didn't answer.
"Billy Ray?" she called softly. When he still didn't answer, she called louder. Finally, getting no answer, she opened his door. He wasn't in his room and his night clothes lay on the bed. His boots were gone.
She frowned. Why would he change clothes to go to the outhouse? It was a chilly night…was he sick? She lit the lantern and checked around the house.
She exited the house through the back door and headed to the outhouse. There was no light. "Billy Ray?" she called again - this time much louder. When she got no response, she checked the outhouse. He wasn't there.
She shut the door, her pulse beginning to pound. Where would he go? She checked the barn, but he wasn't there either. She called for him several times, but got no answer. She was beginning to shiver so she returned to the house.
Ma met her at the door with a lamp in her hand. "What's the matter?"
"I can't find Billy Ray. I heard someone go out the back door and I thought it was him, but he isn't in the outhouse and he didn't answer my call."