West

"Well." His attention was on the crowd. I had no trouble believing he wasn't one who liked crowds or who knew how to handle his sudden fame in the small town. "Would you care to join me for supper?"

"We're married. Aren't you supposed to order your poor little wife around?"

He chuckled, a flare of genuine warmth crossing his features before it disappeared. "I can. Thought I'd ask first."

"I'd like that," I said, unable to help my smile. Just don't be the bad guy. I almost sighed. "We can talk tonight," I added. I didn't have much more time to win him to my side and help me stop the native twins.

"Deal." He offered me his hand.

Together, we walked behind the wagon through the property, trailed by half the town, to a small plot on the backside of a hill in a graveyard. There were five headstones present already with John's grave dug out.

Grateful for the veil, I did my best not to cry too much. I was spent from the night before and just a little afraid of drawing the attention of Philip, who was always within about four feet of me.

I moved away from Taylor to go to the casket. The assault of memories from the townspeople hit me like a stiff wind.

Don't faint. It took a moment for me to steady the foreign, swirling images and emotions in my head. I moved to the far side of the casket, where only the memories of two people were able to reach me instead of the dozen that nearly drowned me.

And then there were the rest. I turned to face the other tombstones in the peaceful, well-kept family cemetery.

The dead were talking again. Most were too faint for me to make out, and only one appeared to be … unhappy, as Fighting Badger might say. This one was close and, judging by the power of the whisper, somewhat … fresh.

Who would've been buried recently in the family graveyard? I resisted the urge to step towards the whisper. There was no grave where it came from.

"Miss Josie," the preacher said.

Realizing everyone was watching me, I focused on John's casket and bent to lay a wreath of flowers on it. Taylor's arm was around Nell, who wept hard enough for her shoulders to quake.

As selfish as it seemed, I was grateful not to know that kind of pain. I ached for John more than I should, but Nell had no closure with him at all after years spent pining for him.

The preacher began speaking once more. The casket was lowered, and I whispered a final farewell and thank you to the man who showed me what it was like to have a father, even if only for a few days.