Jake's Angel

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“What? Will not. You go. I want to talk to Mr. Coulter.”

“I’m the oldest and I say you go.”

Jake’s head began to pound. “Whoa there, this isn’t gonna help get me on my feet. Now one of you—you, Nate, is it? Go on over to my pants hanging on that chair over there and pull out a penny from that front pocket.”

“Are you going to flip a coin?” Matt sounded hopeful. At least he’d have a fair chance of winning instead of having to automatically obey his brother. “I call heads.”

“Okay, fair and square and no more squabbling.”

Nate brought the coin over and Jake shifted enough to shake the coin in one hand and flop it atop the back of the other. “Tails all right with you, Nate?”

Nate shrugged. “I guess.”

Jake lifted his hand. “Tails it is. Sorry, Matt, better luck next time.”

Matt scuffed his toe against the hardwood floor, frowning.

“I’ll tell you what though, you can keep the penny for your trouble.”

“I can?” He beamed up at Nate. “I’ll be right back with soap, water and a towel, then.”

Jake rubbed his beard. “And a razor, if you can round one up.”

Nate shook his head as his brother scampered out of the room and down the back stairs to the pump outside. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Your Mama didn’t have to cut that bullet out of my leg, either.”

“Oh, she likes doing that.”

Jake smiled a little, though he was certain Nate had no idea the humor he found had nothing to do with Isabel’s charity. He was wondering if it was taking a knife to a man she liked, or if she liked the danger, the risk.

The fog from his drugged sleep began to fade a little, and he looked around the room. Despite the touches of Isabel’s warmth he’d noticed yesterday, it was sparse to be sure. But it was clean and had all he needed for the time being: a bed, a lamp, a table and a dresser. A dresser with the front of the bottom drawer lying on the floor beside it.

Nate followed Jake’s eyes. “That’s what we came to fix.”

“Well, I appreciate the gesture, but if you think those scrawny little nails your brother had are going to hold that together, you’re mistaken. Don’t you have anything bigger?”