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<\/p>\nFor the next six hours, Nola Vance forgot entirely that Garrick Hale had rejected her.<\/p>\n
There was no room for wounded pride beside a feverish child.<\/p>\n
She sent Eli downstairs for every clean cloth he could find and put Clara to work carrying small cups of water from the kitchen. The little girl took the responsibility with grave importance, her bare feet pattering along the hallway while she held each cup with both hands.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Weston fought the water at first.<\/p>\n
His tiny mouth turned away from the spoon, his cheeks flushed crimson beneath damp curls.<\/p>\n
\u201cEasy,\u201d Nola murmured.<\/p>\n
She slipped one arm beneath him and lifted him against her shoulder.<\/p>\n
The baby felt frighteningly light.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s it. You don\u2019t have to like me. Just swallow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eli watched from the foot of the bed.<\/p>\n
\u201cPa tried giving him milk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he do it wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola glanced at the boy.<\/p>\n
He asked the question carefully, as though criticizing Garrick might somehow be dangerous.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d she said. \u201cYour father did what he knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it wasn\u2019t enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola wrung out another cloth and placed it across Weston\u2019s forehead.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes what we know isn\u2019t enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eli\u2019s eyes dropped.<\/p>\n
Something about the expression was far too old for a ten-year-old child.<\/p>\n
Nola noticed.<\/p>\n
She noticed most things.<\/p>\n
That had once been an advantage.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it was a burden.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour mother taught you to care for him?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
Eli nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said I was her dependable one.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pride in his voice lasted only a moment.<\/p>\n
Then came the guilt.<\/p>\n
\u201cI should\u2019ve known he was getting worse.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola stopped what she was doing.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eli did.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are ten years old.\u201d<\/p>\n
His jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I don\u2019t think you do. Ten-year-old boys are supposed to forget chores and tear their trousers and track mud across clean floors. They are not supposed to know how to nurse sick babies.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes flickered toward Weston.<\/p>\n
\u201cMama needed me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure she did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Pa needs me now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean everything is your responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eli looked almost offended by the suggestion.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomebody has to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola recognized those words too.<\/p>\n
She had lived half her life beneath them.<\/p>\n
Somebody has to do it.<\/p>\n
Someone had to keep the accounts.<\/p>\n
Someone had to sit beside the sickbed.<\/p>\n
Someone had to bury the dead.<\/p>\n
Someone had to keep moving afterward.<\/p>\n
People rarely noticed how those four words could become a prison.<\/p>\n
Nola softened her voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, tonight that somebody is me. So go downstairs and eat something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the first time, the corner of Eli\u2019s mouth moved.<\/p>\n
Not quite a smile.<\/p>\n
But close.<\/p>\n
He went.<\/p>\n
By midnight Weston\u2019s fever had begun to lower.<\/p>\n
Not enough to satisfy Nola, but enough that his breathing no longer frightened her with every shallow pause.<\/p>\n
She sat beside the cradle under the dim flame of an oil lamp, listening to the old house settle around her.<\/p>\n
Wind brushed the walls.<\/p>\n
Somewhere downstairs, a door creaked.<\/p>\n
Nola had nearly convinced herself Garrick was still outside with the cattle when she heard heavy footsteps on the staircase.<\/p>\n
He entered without speaking.<\/p>\n
Dust covered his boots and trousers. His shirt was dark with sweat beneath the arms, and his face looked sharper than it had at sunset.<\/p>\n
But his first glance went to the cradle.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow is he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBetter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick released a breath.<\/p>\n
Only then did Nola realize he had probably been holding it from the moment he entered the house.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe drank water,\u201d she said. \u201cThe fever\u2019s breaking, but I want to watch him through the night.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick crossed the room.<\/p>\n
He touched the back of two fingers against Weston\u2019s cheek.<\/p>\n
His expression changed.<\/p>\n
Barely.<\/p>\n
A small loosening around the eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe feels cooler.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick remained beside the cradle.<\/p>\n
For a moment neither spoke.<\/p>\n
Then he said, \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola looked at him.<\/p>\n
The words seemed difficult for him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn\u2019t so painful, was it?\u201d<\/p>\n
He almost smiled.<\/p>\n
Almost.<\/p>\n
\u201cI suppose I deserved that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou deserved worse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat I believe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola leaned back in the chair.<\/p>\n
Her shoulders ached.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got fence posts to reset at first light.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you should especially sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick looked at the sleeping baby.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll sit with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes shifted toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve been traveling three days.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you\u2019ve apparently been trying to run a ranch without sleeping since February.\u201d<\/p>\n
His jaw hardened.<\/p>\n
Nola immediately understood she had stepped too close to something.<\/p>\n
\u201cI manage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you keep saying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola looked around the neglected bedroom, then toward the pile of unwashed clothes, the empty water pitcher and the exhausted child sleeping in the cradle.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Hale, there are many words for what\u2019s happening in this house. Managing is not one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face closed.<\/p>\n
Nola regretted the sentence almost immediately.<\/p>\n
Not because it was false.<\/p>\n
Because truth could still be cruel when delivered carelessly.<\/p>\n
Garrick turned toward the doorway.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll bring more wood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn\u2019t necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said I\u2019ll bring it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He left.<\/p>\n
Nola rubbed her forehead.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have a gift,\u201d she muttered to herself, \u201cfor making friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
Weston made a small sound in his sleep.<\/p>\n
Nola looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou keep your opinions to yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
The baby slept on.<\/p>\n
A few minutes later Garrick returned carrying enough firewood to heat the room for three winters.<\/p>\n
He stacked it silently beside the stove.<\/p>\n
Nola pretended not to notice.<\/p>\n
Then he stopped at the doorway.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can stay.\u201d<\/p>\n
She raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I already was.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean after tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
His gaze remained on the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThirty dollars a month. Like the agency promised. If you still want the work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola studied him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were ready to send me back before I crossed the porch.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat quickly?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick finally looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy son was burning alive in that bed and I didn\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Something raw entered his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola\u2019s irritation faded.<\/p>\n
He continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t expect you to forget how I spoke to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another almost-smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I suppose not.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019ll stay.\u201d<\/p>\n
His shoulders loosened.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor now,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
There it was again\u2014the guarded look.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as you need?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as I choose.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick considered that.<\/p>\n
Then nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cFair enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
He disappeared downstairs.<\/p>\n
Nola remained awake until dawn.<\/p>\n
And when the first pale stripe of morning appeared beyond the window, Weston opened his eyes.<\/p>\n
He stared at her solemnly.<\/p>\n
Then sneezed.<\/p>\n
Nola laughed.<\/p>\n
It surprised her so much she nearly cried.<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
By breakfast, the Hale household had undergone a transformation nobody had authorized.<\/p>\n
Nola found flour in a tin, eggs beneath an indignant hen behind the barn, and a strip of bacon Garrick claimed they had been saving.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cLater.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is later.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at her.<\/p>\n
She stared back.<\/p>\n
The bacon went into the pan.<\/p>\n
Clara climbed onto a chair and watched biscuits rise inside the oven as though witnessing a miracle.<\/p>\n
Eli sat at the table with his hair sticking in five different directions.<\/p>\n
Garrick entered from outside, carrying Weston.<\/p>\n
That image stopped Nola for half a second.<\/p>\n
The rancher held the baby awkwardly but carefully, one broad hand supporting the child\u2019s back.<\/p>\n
Weston had slept through most of the morning and was now awake enough to inspect his father\u2019s shirt buttons.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis fever?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGone,\u201d Garrick said.<\/p>\n
Nola crossed the room and touched the baby\u2019s forehead.<\/p>\n
Cool.<\/p>\n
She allowed herself a breath of relief.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep giving him water today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick nodded.<\/p>\n
Clara suddenly announced, \u201cPapa doesn\u2019t know how.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick looked wounded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know how.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou spilled it on him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat happened once.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eli smirked into his plate.<\/p>\n
Garrick gave his eldest son a warning glance.<\/p>\n
It was the first ordinary family moment Nola had seen since arriving.<\/p>\n
So ordinary that it hurt.<\/p>\n
She turned quickly back to the stove.<\/p>\n
\u201cBreakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n
They ate like people who had forgotten meals could involve conversation.<\/p>\n
At first, only Clara spoke.<\/p>\n
She told Nola the names of the chickens.<\/p>\n
Apparently none had sensible names.<\/p>\n
The large red hen was Duchess.<\/p>\n
A thin gray bird was Reverend.<\/p>\n
One particularly hostile rooster was called Mr. Buttons.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy Mr. Buttons?\u201d Nola asked.<\/p>\n
Clara shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe looks like one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola accepted this explanation.<\/p>\n
Halfway through breakfast, Garrick reached for another biscuit.<\/p>\n
His hand stopped.<\/p>\n
He looked at Nola.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs there enough?\u201d<\/p>\n
The question was quiet.<\/p>\n
Nola understood immediately.<\/p>\n
Food was scarce.<\/p>\n
Perhaps scarcer than he wanted the children to know.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
His gaze held hers briefly.<\/p>\n
He took half a biscuit instead.<\/p>\n
Afterward Nola began inspecting the house.<\/p>\n
The results were discouraging.<\/p>\n
There were potatoes enough for two weeks if used carefully, beans for perhaps a month, a little cornmeal, some flour, six jars of preserved peaches, three jars of green beans, and a crock of something Nola decided had ceased being recognizable as food.<\/p>\n
The smokehouse contained almost nothing.<\/p>\n
The garden had been neglected.<\/p>\n
The root cellar smelled damp.<\/p>\n
The pantry shelves held a disturbing number of empty spaces.<\/p>\n
Garrick found her standing inside it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCounting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know what\u2019s in there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you?\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression said he disliked the question.<\/p>\n
She held up the flour tin.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll need more before the end of the month.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll buy some.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Nola put down the tin.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow bad is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ranch?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick leaned against the pantry door.<\/p>\n
\u201cManageable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola folded her arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve ruined that word for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He rubbed the back of his neck.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a hard winter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo did everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLost cattle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola waited.<\/p>\n
Garrick sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThirty-seven.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her expression changed.<\/p>\n
Thirty-seven cattle was not a bad winter.<\/p>\n
Thirty-seven was disaster.<\/p>\n
\u201cDisease?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStorm?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what happened to the rest?\u201d<\/p>\n
His gaze shifted toward the kitchen window.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola heard something in those words.<\/p>\n
Not uncertainty.<\/p>\n
Avoidance.<\/p>\n
\u201cCattle don\u2019t usually vanish, Mr. Hale.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey didn\u2019t vanish.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome broke fences. Some wandered. Some were found dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sharpness returned.<\/p>\n
Nola let the silence sit between them.<\/p>\n
Garrick looked immediately ashamed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou do that strangely well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApologize after being rude.\u201d<\/p>\n
His mouth twitched. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had practice lately.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was almost humor.<\/p>\n
Nola made a mental note.<\/p>\n
Garrick Hale was not humorless.<\/p>\n
The humor was simply buried beneath several tons of grief.<\/p>\n
She returned to the pantry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is Vernon Crow?\u201d<\/p>\n
The effect was immediate.<\/p>\n
Garrick straightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho told you about Crow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA man at the relay station.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich man?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne eye. Bad cornbread. Worse manners.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat describes half the county.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola closed the pantry door.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said Crow wants this ranch.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCrow wants every ranch between here and the river.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause men like Crow don\u2019t know when enough is enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola heard bitterness.<\/p>\n
But not fear.<\/p>\n
Not quite.<\/p>\n
\u201cHas he offered to buy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThree times.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you refused.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThree times.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs his offer fair?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick laughed without amusement.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would cover the bank note and leave me enough money to move the children into town.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn\u2019t my question.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it isn\u2019t fair.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola watched him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why does he keep asking?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick looked toward the window again.<\/p>\n
Beyond the glass lay dry pasture rolling beneath a white morning sky.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he thinks eventually I won\u2019t have a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
Three days became seven.<\/p>\n
Seven became twelve.<\/p>\n
Nola discovered Hollow Creek by degrees.<\/p>\n
The ranch itself occupied a broad valley bordered by low hills and cottonwood trees. A narrow creek wandered along the eastern pasture, though the late summer heat had reduced it to shallow pools between stretches of exposed stone.<\/p>\n
The land was beautiful in the austere way of places that demanded endurance.<\/p>\n
The house had once been beautiful too.<\/p>\n
Nola saw evidence everywhere.<\/p>\n
Curtains carefully hemmed by hand.<\/p>\n
Pressed flowers between pages of books.<\/p>\n
A faded blue ribbon tied around a bundle of letters.<\/p>\n
Small painted birds along Clara\u2019s bedroom wall.<\/p>\n
Those things had belonged to Miriam Hale.<\/p>\n
Nola learned her name without asking.<\/p>\n
It was stitched onto a sampler hanging beside the stairs.<\/p>\n
Miriam Hale.<\/p>\n
Beloved wife and mother.<\/p>\n
The words seemed insufficient.<\/p>\n
The dead always became smaller in memorials.<\/p>\n
A whole person reduced to dates and descriptions.<\/p>\n
Miriam remained present in subtler ways.<\/p>\n
Garrick still slept on only one side of his bed.<\/p>\n
Clara refused to wear a yellow dress because \u201cMama said she would fix the hem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eli kept a cracked wooden box beneath his pillow.<\/p>\n
Weston sometimes turned his head when a woman sang.<\/p>\n
Nola did not try replacing anyone.<\/p>\n
That would have been foolish.<\/p>\n
Instead, she found empty spaces and quietly filled them.<\/p>\n
She repaired Clara\u2019s dress.<\/p>\n
She sharpened Eli\u2019s school pencils, though there was no school close enough for him to attend regularly.<\/p>\n
She taught Garrick how to cool boiled water before giving it to Weston.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are enjoying this,\u201d he accused.<\/p>\n
\u201cImmensely.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI raised two babies before him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith your wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat still counts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt counts as supervised experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick shook his head.<\/p>\n
But he smiled.<\/p>\n
A real smile this time.<\/p>\n
It changed him.<\/p>\n
Nola noticed.<\/p>\n
Then immediately became annoyed with herself for noticing.<\/p>\n
She had not come west to notice men smiling.<\/p>\n
She had come because she needed employment.<\/p>\n
And because the agency house had become unbearable.<\/p>\n
And because Mrs. Talbott\u2019s comment had not hurt at all.<\/p>\n
That last part was a lie.<\/p>\n
Nola knew it.<\/p>\n
She simply preferred lies that allowed her to keep moving.<\/p>\n
On the thirteenth morning, she found Garrick asleep at the kitchen table.<\/p>\n
His head rested against folded arms.<\/p>\n
A ledger lay open beneath him.<\/p>\n
Sunlight entered through the window and revealed silver beginning at his temples.<\/p>\n
Nola stopped.<\/p>\n
There was something unguarded about sleeping people.<\/p>\n
Garrick looked younger.<\/p>\n
Not thirty-five.<\/p>\n
Perhaps twenty-five.<\/p>\n
Perhaps like the man Miriam had once married.<\/p>\n
Nola glanced at the ledger.<\/p>\n
Then looked away.<\/p>\n
It was none of her business.<\/p>\n
She put coffee on.<\/p>\n
Garrick woke to the smell.<\/p>\n
His head jerked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long was I asleep?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLong enough to drool on your finances.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked down sharply.<\/p>\n
Nola smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m joking.\u201d<\/p>\n
He wiped the corner of his mouth anyway.<\/p>\n
Nola poured coffee.<\/p>\n
\u201cWere you up all night?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNumbers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNumbers don\u2019t improve after midnight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese might\u2019ve.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey didn\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
She placed the cup before him.<\/p>\n
\u201cShow me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ledger.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know accounts?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father ran a general store.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you worked there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the age of eleven.\u201d<\/p>\n
Something crossed her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cUntil I married.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick hesitated.<\/p>\n
He knew almost nothing about her.<\/p>\n
Nola preferred it that way.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour husband was a merchant?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFarmer?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDead, eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick went still.<\/p>\n
Nola instantly regretted the bitterness.<\/p>\n
He closed the ledger.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know what it means.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their eyes met.<\/p>\n
For perhaps the first time, Garrick seemed to understand that the grief in the house was not his alone.<\/p>\n
Nola reached for the ledger.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive me this before we both start saying things we regret.\u201d<\/p>\n
He slid it across the table.<\/p>\n
For the next hour she studied the ranch accounts.<\/p>\n
Then she studied them again.<\/p>\n
Something was wrong.<\/p>\n
Garrick had debts, certainly.<\/p>\n
A bank loan.<\/p>\n
Feed purchases.<\/p>\n
Medical bills.<\/p>\n
Outstanding payment to the blacksmith.<\/p>\n
But the figures did not explain the collapse she had seen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere should be more money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can see that.\u201d<\/p>\n
She turned several pages.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour cattle sales last autumn were strong.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour expenses rose in December.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFeed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pointed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick leaned closer.<\/p>\n
The entry was written in faded ink.<\/p>\n
Twenty-four dollars.<\/p>\n
Then another.<\/p>\n
Thirty-one.<\/p>\n
Then forty-eight.<\/p>\n
Payments spread across several months.<\/p>\n
Each listed only as property assessment.<\/p>\n
Garrick frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cCounty fees.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou paid nearly twice what you did the year before.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey increased assessments.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor everyone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI assumed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNever assume where money is concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick took the ledger.<\/p>\n
His frown deepened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t notice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou had other things happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miriam had already been ill then.<\/p>\n
They both understood without speaking.<\/p>\n
Nola turned more pages.<\/p>\n
Something else bothered her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho collected these?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCounty office.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou went into town?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Collector came here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cName?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick searched his memory.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoyle. Seth Doyle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola sat back.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you received receipts?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re asking a great many questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m finding a great many reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before he could respond, Clara screamed outside.<\/p>\n
Both adults were on their feet instantly.<\/p>\n
They ran through the back door.<\/p>\n
Clara stood near the garden fence pointing toward the barn.<\/p>\n
Eli was beside her.<\/p>\n
Neither appeared injured.<\/p>\n
Garrick slowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
Clara pointed dramatically.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere!\u201d<\/p>\n
A goat stood in the vegetable garden eating what remained of a cabbage.<\/p>\n
Garrick closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
Nola stared at the children.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou screamed like someone had lost a limb.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s eating supper!\u201d Clara cried.<\/p>\n
The goat took another bite.<\/p>\n
Eli began laughing.<\/p>\n
Nola tried not to.<\/p>\n
Then Garrick laughed too.<\/p>\n
It began quietly.<\/p>\n
A low sound, almost reluctant.<\/p>\n
Then Clara laughed.<\/p>\n
Soon all four stood beside the garden while the goat calmly destroyed supper.<\/p>\n
Nola looked at Garrick.<\/p>\n
He caught her gaze.<\/p>\n
For one strange instant, the neglected ranch no longer felt haunted.<\/p>\n
It felt alive.<\/p>\n
That frightened Nola more than she expected.<\/p>\n
Because places could become precious without permission.<\/p>\n
People could too.<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
The next week brought rain.<\/p>\n
Not much.<\/p>\n
Barely enough to darken the soil.<\/p>\n
But the children ran into the yard as though silver coins were falling from heaven.<\/p>\n
Clara danced barefoot.<\/p>\n
Eli tilted his face toward the clouds.<\/p>\n
Even Garrick stopped working.<\/p>\n
He stood beside the barn watching the rain strike the thirsty ground.<\/p>\n
Nola remained beneath the porch roof with Weston on her hip.<\/p>\n
The baby had recovered fully.<\/p>\n
He was rounder now.<\/p>\n
Louder too.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou approve?\u201d she asked him.<\/p>\n
Weston grabbed her collar.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll consider that approval.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick walked toward the porch.<\/p>\n
Rain had soaked his hair.<\/p>\n
He looked younger again.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re getting wet,\u201d Nola said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI noticed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll track mud through my kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour kitchen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt became mine the moment I discovered what you considered washing a skillet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds suspiciously like ownership.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone must establish standards.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick stepped onto the porch.<\/p>\n
Their eyes met.<\/p>\n
Something unspoken had begun happening between them.<\/p>\n
Nola knew it.<\/p>\n
Garrick knew it.<\/p>\n
Neither seemed particularly eager to name it.<\/p>\n
Perhaps because naming things gave them power.<\/p>\n
Perhaps because both had loved before.<\/p>\n
Perhaps because grief could make even hope feel disloyal.<\/p>\n
Garrick looked toward Weston.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe likes you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has questionable judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo does Clara.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Eli?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEli doesn\u2019t like anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI like Eli.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled.<\/p>\n
Garrick hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cNola.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a different weight in his voice.<\/p>\n
She looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI owe you something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMore than thirty dollars?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA better explanation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Miriam.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola\u2019s smile disappeared.<\/p>\n
Rain whispered across the yard.<\/p>\n
Garrick leaned against the porch post.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wasn\u2019t sick when it started.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe became tired. We thought it was Weston. Pregnancy took a lot out of her. Then she started losing weight.\u201d<\/p>\n
His gaze remained on the distant pasture.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe doctor came. Said her lungs were weak. Then he said her blood was weak. Then he said he didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola said nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe gave her medicine. It made her sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat medicine?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid it help?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt first, she said it did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd later?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe stopped wanting food. Said everything tasted bitter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola\u2019s attention sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cBitter?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick looked at her now.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe complained of stomach pain. Headaches. Her hands trembled sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola felt something cold move through her.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid anyone else get sick?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she drink from the same water as everyone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEat the same food?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMostly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMostly?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe doctor gave her tonics.\u201d<\/p>\n
There it was again.<\/p>\n
Nola set Weston carefully into the wooden cradle on the porch.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Bell.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one who refused to come for Weston?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick nodded.<\/p>\n
Nola walked toward the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo look at Miriam\u2019s medicines.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick followed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI threw most away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMost?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere might be something upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
They found the bottles in a cabinet inside Garrick\u2019s bedroom.<\/p>\n
Three empty.<\/p>\n
One containing dried residue.<\/p>\n
Another half full of dark liquid.<\/p>\n
The label had faded.<\/p>\n
Nola held it toward the window.<\/p>\n
She could make out only part of the writing.<\/p>\n
Tonic.<\/p>\n
One tablespoon nightly.<\/p>\n
Dr. H. Bell.<\/p>\n
Garrick watched her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know medicine?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re looking at that bottle like you do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband was sick before he died.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola did not answer immediately.<\/p>\n
The rain sounded louder against the roof.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe worked at a mine,\u201d she finally said. \u201cSilver mine in Colorado.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe became sick slowly. Headaches. Weakness. Trembling. His stomach hurt. He couldn\u2019t eat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick stared at the bottle in her hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think Miriam had the same thing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think similar symptoms can come from many illnesses.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola turned the bottle.<\/p>\n
The residue clung darkly to the glass.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut my husband wasn\u2019t sick from disease.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room seemed to narrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to him?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola\u2019s fingers tightened around the bottle.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mine used compounds for processing ore. Arsenic among them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick\u2019s face emptied.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said the symptoms are similar. That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think someone poisoned her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did not say that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were thinking it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola met his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was thinking that before anyone starts accusing anyone of anything, we need facts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick walked to the window.<\/p>\n
Outside, Clara shouted happily in the rain.<\/p>\n
The ordinary sound felt strangely distant.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiriam was sick six months.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would anyone\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
Nola saw it happen.<\/p>\n
A thought.<\/p>\n
A memory.<\/p>\n
Something he had not considered important until this moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRemember something and decide I\u2019m too fragile to hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n
His mouth tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cNola.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick lowered his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo months before Miriam got sick, Crow came here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola felt the chill again.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe offered to buy the ranch?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou refused.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did Miriam say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wanted me to consider it.\u201d<\/p>\n
That surprised Nola.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe hated the winters.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression softened at the memory.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot the ranch. Never the ranch. But after Weston came, she wanted to be closer to town.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Crow knew that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI refused. He left.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s all?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told me land changes hands eventually whether men want it to or not.\u201d<\/p>\n
She studied his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas that a threat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought it was Crow being Crow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick looked toward the medicine bottle.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow I don\u2019t know what I think.\u201d<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
The rain continued through evening.<\/p>\n
Nola insisted they speak of nothing around the children.<\/p>\n
Garrick agreed.<\/p>\n
But suspicion changed the atmosphere of the house.<\/p>\n
Not dramatically.<\/p>\n
Quietly.<\/p>\n
Every ordinary object seemed to acquire another meaning.<\/p>\n
A cup.<\/p>\n
A bottle.
\n
\nA jar in the pantry.<\/p>\n
Water from the pump.<\/p>\n
Garrick checked the well before supper.<\/p>\n
Nola watched him return through the kitchen door.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
He sat.<\/p>\n
Neither believed good meant anything yet.<\/p>\n
After the children went to sleep, they returned to the ledger.<\/p>\n
Nola searched for medical payments.<\/p>\n
Dr. Bell appeared often.<\/p>\n
More often than she expected.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he visit this many times?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes twice weekly?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cToward the end.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola traced one entry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho paid him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery time?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis handwriting changes.\u201d<\/p>\n
He leaned closer.<\/p>\n
Most entries were Garrick\u2019s.<\/p>\n
But several medical payments were recorded in a neater hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was Miriam.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re certain?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola turned several pages.<\/p>\n
There it was again.<\/p>\n
Miriam\u2019s handwriting.<\/p>\n
Then another strange entry.<\/p>\n
Five dollars.<\/p>\n
S. Doyle.<\/p>\n
Nola tapped the page.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour tax collector.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick looked puzzled.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t remember that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola flipped backward.<\/p>\n
Another payment.<\/p>\n
S. Doyle.<\/p>\n
Ten dollars.<\/p>\n
Then another.<\/p>\n
All during the months of Miriam\u2019s illness.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was she paying him for?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick stood so quickly the chair scraped across the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did Miriam keep papers?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDesk upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
They went to the bedroom.<\/p>\n
Garrick opened the small writing desk beside the window.<\/p>\n
Inside lay stationery, dried ink, sewing thread, receipts and several letters.<\/p>\n
Nola stepped back.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should read them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou found this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey belonged to your wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay.\u201d<\/p>\n
So she did.<\/p>\n
They sorted through the papers.<\/p>\n
Most were ordinary.<\/p>\n
Bills.<\/p>\n
A recipe.<\/p>\n
A letter from Miriam\u2019s sister.<\/p>\n
A list of baby names with Weston circled twice.<\/p>\n
Then Nola found an envelope hidden beneath the desk drawer.<\/p>\n
It had been folded flat.<\/p>\n
No address.<\/p>\n
No stamp.<\/p>\n
Inside was a single sheet.<\/p>\n
Garrick read it.<\/p>\n
His expression slowly changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
He handed it to Nola.<\/p>\n
The writing was Miriam\u2019s.<\/p>\n
If anything happens to me, the papers must not go to Garrick until I am certain. He has enough burdens and will confront the wrong person too quickly.<\/p>\n
Nola read the line twice.<\/p>\n
Below it was another sentence.<\/p>\n
Seth says the old survey was altered.<\/p>\n
Garrick stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat survey?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing about a survey.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola turned the paper over.<\/p>\n
Blank.<\/p>\n
Garrick searched the drawer again.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is Seth Doyle really?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe county collector.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you certain?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick stopped.<\/p>\n
Nola saw realization dawn.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never checked.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know him before he began coming here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen perhaps you should.\u201d<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
They went into Hollow Creek town the following morning.<\/p>\n
Nola had not expected much.<\/p>\n
She was still disappointed.<\/p>\n
The settlement consisted of perhaps forty buildings stretched along a single muddy road.<\/p>\n
There was a general store, blacksmith, feed merchant, church, bank, hotel and a tiny structure with COUNTY OFFICE painted across the window.<\/p>\n
Garrick tied the wagon outside.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll ask badly.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyebrows rose.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have been speaking independently for years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. And look where it\u2019s gotten you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She climbed down.<\/p>\n
Garrick muttered something.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
They entered together.<\/p>\n
The county clerk was a narrow man named Finch who wore spectacles so thick his eyes appeared enormous.<\/p>\n
Garrick placed one of the assessment receipts on the counter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to know whether this is legitimate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finch examined it.<\/p>\n
His forehead creased.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did you get this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy property assessment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick\u2019s voice changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo?\u201d<\/p>\n
Finch adjusted his spectacles.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t ours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola and Garrick exchanged a glance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe seal?\u201d Nola asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cOld seal. County stopped using it almost three years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick placed both hands flat on the counter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is Seth Doyle?\u201d<\/p>\n
Finch blinked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour collector.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have a collector by that name.\u201d<\/p>\n
The office became very quiet.<\/p>\n
Nola felt her heartbeat once, hard.<\/p>\n
Garrick\u2019s voice was low.<\/p>\n
\u201cA man came to my ranch four times last year. Claimed he represented the county.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finch shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cWasn\u2019t us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much do I actually owe?\u201d<\/p>\n
The clerk disappeared into a back room.<\/p>\n
He returned carrying a file.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re current through next January.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPaid in full.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
Finch flipped through the papers.<\/p>\n
His finger stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is strange.\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned the page toward them.<\/p>\n
Payment had been submitted five months earlier.<\/p>\n
Nola read the name.<\/p>\n
Vernon Crow.<\/p>\n
Garrick did not move.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy,\u201d he asked slowly, \u201cwould Crow pay my taxes?\u201d<\/p>\n
Finch removed his spectacles and cleaned them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola could.<\/p>\n
Or at least she could guess.<\/p>\n
Because Crow wanted something.<\/p>\n
And whatever it was, buying Garrick\u2019s debt might give him leverage.<\/p>\n
They left the county office without speaking.<\/p>\n
Outside, wagons rattled through mud.<\/p>\n
Someone hammered metal at the blacksmith.<\/p>\n
Normal life continued around them.<\/p>\n
Garrick stood beside the wagon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to Crow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not giving orders.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I\u2019m preventing a foolish decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe paid my taxes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich means he wants you to know eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I\u2019ll ask why.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd he\u2019ll tell you exactly what benefits him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick\u2019s hands curled at his sides.<\/p>\n
Nola stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiriam wrote that you would confront the wrong person too quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was before\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was exactly this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was my wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t know her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words struck hard.<\/p>\n
Nola did not retreat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is precisely why I may see something you don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick looked furious.<\/p>\n
Then wounded.<\/p>\n
Then tired.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola lowered her voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiriam was hiding an investigation from you.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn investigation?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was paying Doyle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think he wasn\u2019t stealing from her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe he was. But why write his name beside an altered survey?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick said nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if Doyle wasn\u2019t pretending to collect taxes?\u201d Nola continued. \u201cWhat if that\u2019s merely what Miriam told you?\u201d<\/p>\n
His face went still.<\/p>\n
Nola continued carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if she hired him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo do what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFind something.\u201d<\/p>\n
The anger drained from Garrick.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola looked down the road.<\/p>\n
Across from the general store stood a weather-beaten building with a sign reading LAND & TITLE.<\/p>\n
\u201cPerhaps we start with the survey.\u201d<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
The title office smelled of dust and old paper.<\/p>\n
An elderly woman named Mrs. Kemp guarded the records as though they were family heirlooms.<\/p>\n
When Garrick asked for the Hale property survey, she looked immediately interested.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich one?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s more than one?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Kemp glanced at Nola.<\/p>\n
Then back at Garrick.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere shouldn\u2019t be.\u201d<\/p>\n
She disappeared among shelves.<\/p>\n
Several minutes later she returned carrying two documents.<\/p>\n
She spread them on the desk.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are both recorded copies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola leaned closer.<\/p>\n
At first, the maps looked identical.<\/p>\n
The creek.<\/p>\n
The western ridge.<\/p>\n
The Hale house.<\/p>\n
Pasture boundaries.<\/p>\n
Then she saw it.<\/p>\n
One boundary line shifted nearly a quarter mile east.<\/p>\n
Garrick saw it too.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat cuts off the north field.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Mrs. Kemp said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho owns it in the second survey?\u201d<\/p>\n
The elderly woman pointed.<\/p>\n
V. CROW HOLDINGS.<\/p>\n
Garrick\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen was this filed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLast December.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMiriam was alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho authorized it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Kemp checked the record.<\/p>\n
Her eyebrows drew together.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis says you did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never signed this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Kemp turned the document.<\/p>\n
At the bottom was Garrick Hale\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
A signature.<\/p>\n
Convincing.<\/p>\n
But false.<\/p>\n
Nola looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re certain?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know my own hand.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Kemp appeared suddenly uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Hale, there\u2019s something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour wife came here in January.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick seemed to stop breathing.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knew?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe asked to compare the surveys.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Kemp looked genuinely surprised.<\/p>\n
\u201cI assumed she had.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe made me promise not to send any notice to the ranch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick stared at the map.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she say why?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Kemp hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said she needed proof before someone found out she knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola felt the room cool around her.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was the word she used.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she say who?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick reached for the edge of the desk.<\/p>\n
Nola saw his fingers tremble.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiriam died six weeks later.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Kemp\u2019s expression softened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
He did not seem to hear her.<\/p>\n
Nola looked back at the survey.<\/p>\n
A forged signature.<\/p>\n
False assessments.<\/p>\n
Vernon Crow quietly paying legitimate taxes.
\n
\nA man named Doyle.<\/p>\n
Medicine.<\/p>\n
Miriam asking questions in secret.<\/p>\n
The pieces did not fit.<\/p>\n
Not yet.<\/p>\n
But they belonged to the same puzzle.<\/p>\n
Nola was certain of that.<\/p>\n
As they turned to leave, Mrs. Kemp called after them.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Hale?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a packet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat packet?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour wife left one here.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face went pale.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Kemp moved to a cabinet.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said someone might come looking for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola\u2019s pulse quickened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Kemp searched a drawer.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe never said.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then her hands stopped.<\/p>\n
Her expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
The woman pulled the drawer open completely.<\/p>\n
Empty.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick crossed the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was in it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. It was sealed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI kept it here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen did you last see it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Kemp looked toward the office door.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo days ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
They returned to the ranch before sunset.<\/p>\n
Neither spoke much during the ride.<\/p>\n
Nola watched Garrick from the corner of her eye.<\/p>\n
He was doing exactly what she feared.<\/p>\n
Blaming himself.<\/p>\n
She could see it building inside him, silent and relentless.<\/p>\n
When the house appeared across the field, Nola finally said, \u201cStop.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick pulled the horses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are not responsible for what Miriam did not tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n
His jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI should\u2019ve known.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no sensible world in which a husband automatically knows his wife is secretly investigating forged land surveys.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew she was frightened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola went still.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never said that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought she was frightened of dying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick stared over the horses.<\/p>\n
\u201cNear the end, she would wake at night and ask whether the doors were locked.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola said nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe asked whether strangers had been near the barn.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA month before she died.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see anyone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told her the medicine was making her confused.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola heard the guilt inside the sentence.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou believed the doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI dismissed her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou believed the doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI dismissed my wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice broke slightly.<\/p>\n
Nola reached across the wagon seat.<\/p>\n
Her hand touched his.<\/p>\n
He looked down.<\/p>\n
Nola almost withdrew.<\/p>\n
Instead she left it there.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrief rewrites everything,\u201d she said quietly. \u201cIt takes ordinary mistakes and turns them into crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick\u2019s eyes remained on their hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband asked me not to let him go to work the morning he collapsed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola had not intended to say it.<\/p>\n
The words simply came.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said he felt wrong. I told him we needed the money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spent years believing if I had made him stay home, he would\u2019ve lived.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWould he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I eventually learned how much poison had accumulated in his body.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked toward the ranch house.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was already dying.\u201d<\/p>\n
The wind moved dry grass beside the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still remember telling him to put on his boots.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick turned his hand beneath hers.<\/p>\n
Not holding.<\/p>\n
Simply meeting it.<\/p>\n
A small gesture.<\/p>\n
Enough.<\/p>\n
Neither spoke for several moments.<\/p>\n
Then Clara came racing from the porch.<\/p>\n
\u201cPapa!\u201d<\/p>\n
They separated instantly.<\/p>\n
Clara ran beside the wagon.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Buttons chased Eli into the rain barrel!\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe rooster?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is Eli?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the rain barrel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHome.\u201d<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
Eli was not actually inside the rain barrel.<\/p>\n
He had escaped before their arrival, though his wet trousers suggested the story contained some truth.<\/p>\n
Supper was simple.<\/p>\n
Beans.<\/p>\n
Cornbread.<\/p>\n
The last preserved peaches.<\/p>\n
Garrick told the children nothing about town.<\/p>\n
Afterward Nola put Weston to bed.<\/p>\n
When she returned downstairs, she found Eli sitting alone at the table.<\/p>\n
He held something in his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n
The boy closed his fingers.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola stopped.<\/p>\n
She had learned enough about Hollow Creek to distrust that word.<\/p>\n
\u201cEli.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face became stubborn.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n
He did not move.<\/p>\n
Nola sat across from him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou heard us last night.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes widened slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked toward the stairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout Mama.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola waited.<\/p>\n
Eli swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wasn\u2019t confused.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola\u2019s heartbeat changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPa thought she was.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eli opened his hand.<\/p>\n
Inside lay a small brass key.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe gave me this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore she died.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does it open?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eli nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said I had to hide it until somebody came.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola leaned closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat exactly did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
The boy closed his eyes, remembering.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said, \u2018You\u2019ll know her because she won\u2019t be afraid to stay.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola did not move.<\/p>\n
Every sound in the house seemed to disappear.<\/p>\n
Eli opened his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought she meant Aunt June.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola\u2019s mouth went dry.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Aunt June never came.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen the other women came.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ones before me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eli nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey left.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola looked at the key.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you showing me now?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eli\u2019s young face became solemn.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you stayed when Weston got sick.\u201d<\/p>\n
Something cold moved along Nola\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cEli, your mother died months before the agency sent me here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe couldn\u2019t have known me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola reached for the key.<\/p>\n
Before she touched it, the front door opened.<\/p>\n
Garrick entered carrying a lantern.<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
His gaze fell to Eli\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n
The color disappeared from his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did you get that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eli stiffened.<\/p>\n
\u201cMama.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick crossed the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me see it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eli gave him the key.<\/p>\n
Garrick turned it beneath the lantern.<\/p>\n
Nola watched recognition spread across his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what it opens,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Garrick looked toward the dark hallway.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
He said nothing.<\/p>\n
Then he walked to the stairs.<\/p>\n
Nola followed.<\/p>\n
\u201cGarrick.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped halfway up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat key belonged to Miriam\u2019s sewing chest.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why does that frighten you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I buried the sewing chest with her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola stared.<\/p>\n
Behind them, Eli whispered, \u201cNo, you didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick turned.<\/p>\n
The boy stood at the bottom of the staircase.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eli shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cMama changed them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick slowly descended.<\/p>\n
\u201cChanged what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe chests.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola felt the answer before the boy spoke.<\/p>\n
Eli pointed toward the rear of the house.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe made me help her hide the real one.\u201d<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
They crossed the yard beneath a rising moon.<\/p>\n
Eli carried the lantern.<\/p>\n
Garrick carried a shovel.<\/p>\n
Nola carried Weston because the baby had awakened and refused to remain with Clara.<\/p>\n
Clara, naturally, had refused to remain behind.<\/p>\n
The entire Hale family therefore walked through the night toward the old smokehouse at the edge of the property.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is ridiculous,\u201d Garrick muttered.<\/p>\n
Nola glanced at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou brought the shovel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m aware.\u201d<\/p>\n
The smokehouse had not been used in years.<\/p>\n
Inside, Eli moved toward a loose plank in the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick pried it up.<\/p>\n
Beneath was packed earth.<\/p>\n
He began digging.<\/p>\n
Six inches.<\/p>\n
Then twelve.<\/p>\n
The shovel struck wood.<\/p>\n
Everyone froze.<\/p>\n
Garrick crouched.<\/p>\n
Together he and Nola cleared away dirt.<\/p>\n
A small cedar chest emerged.<\/p>\n
The brass lock on its front was tarnished.<\/p>\n
Garrick sat back on his heels.<\/p>\n
For several seconds he could not touch it.<\/p>\n
\u201cMama\u2019s?\u201d Clara whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Nola handed him the key.<\/p>\n
His fingers shook as he inserted it.<\/p>\n
The lock clicked.<\/p>\n
Inside were letters.<\/p>\n
Documents.<\/p>\n
A small notebook.<\/p>\n
And an envelope.<\/p>\n
Garrick lifted it.<\/p>\n
His name was written across the front.<\/p>\n
He broke the seal.<\/p>\n
Nola watched him read.<\/p>\n
His expression moved from confusion to disbelief.<\/p>\n
Then something deeper.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does it say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick did not answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cPapa?\u201d Eli whispered.<\/p>\n
Garrick sat on the dirt floor of the smokehouse.<\/p>\n
He handed the letter to Nola.<\/p>\n
Miriam\u2019s handwriting covered two pages.<\/p>\n
My dearest Garrick,<\/p>\n
If you are reading this, then I failed to solve what I found before my strength left me.<\/p>\n
Please forgive me for keeping it from you. I wanted certainty, not suspicion. I knew what grief and anger would do to you if I was wrong.<\/p>\n
The north field was never Vernon Crow\u2019s concern.<\/p>\n
It was only a way to hide what lies beneath it.<\/p>\n
Nola stopped.<\/p>\n
She looked at Garrick.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat lies beneath it?\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
She continued reading.<\/p>\n
My father once told me the original Hollow Creek deed contained a mineral reservation that disappeared from county records after his death. I thought it was an old family story until Seth Doyle found the earlier survey.<\/p>\n
Someone has been changing property records throughout the valley.<\/p>\n
Not only ours.<\/p>\n
I believe Crow knows, but I no longer believe Crow began it.<\/p>\n
Nola\u2019s eyes moved quickly now.<\/p>\n
Dr. Bell has asked too many questions about Garrick\u2019s plans to sell. I have stopped taking the tonic he gave me. I feel clearer without it, though perhaps it is already too late.<\/p>\n
Please do not accuse him without proof.<\/p>\n
Seth believes the person responsible has access to county records, bank records, and private debts.<\/p>\n
Someone knows exactly which ranchers can be pressured, and when.<\/p>\n
Nola\u2019s throat tightened.<\/p>\n
She turned the page.<\/p>\n
There was one final paragraph.<\/p>\n
And Garrick\u2014if a woman named Nola Vance ever comes to Hollow Creek, trust her.<\/p>\n
Nola stopped breathing.<\/p>\n
The lantern flame moved.<\/p>\n
Nobody spoke.<\/p>\n
She read the line again.<\/p>\n
If a woman named Nola Vance ever comes to Hollow Creek, trust her.<\/p>\n
Garrick stared at her.<\/p>\n
Eli stared too.<\/p>\n
Even Clara seemed to understand that something impossible had entered the room.<\/p>\n
Nola slowly lowered the paper.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat cannot be there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick took the letter.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saw it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe died in February.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI had never heard of Hollow Creek.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick\u2019s voice was barely audible.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen how did Miriam know your name?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nola had no answer.<\/p>\n
Then she noticed something inside the chest.<\/p>\n
A second envelope lay beneath the notebook.<\/p>\n
Unlike the first, it was not addressed to Garrick.<\/p>\n
It was addressed to her.<\/p>\n
NOLA VANCE<\/p>\n
The handwriting was Miriam Hale\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Nola stared at her own name.<\/p>\n
And beneath it, written in smaller letters, were four words that made every question suddenly larger.<\/p>\n
Ask what happened in Colorado.<\/p>\n
END OF PART 2 – LIKE, SHARE AND COMMENT “THE ENTIRE STORY” IF YOU WANT TO READ THE FULL STORY<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For the next six hours, Nola Vance forgot entirely that Garrick Hale had rejected her. There was no room for wounded pride beside a feverish … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5078,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category--trending-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n