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lives lay in the balance. Throwing back the coverlet, she rose from the bed and dressed. Stealing across the floor, she reached into the wardrobe and pulled out the bottle of wine from the corner. She wrapped a shawl around it and crept downstairs, holding the beloved enemy to her heart. The stairs creaked with every step she took.
    Once in the kitchen, she reached for the kerosene lantern from the table and lit it. With its light, she made her way outside to the shed and found a shovel. The three dogs, a mixture of whatever stray mutt spent a few days in Buttercup’s company, pushed each other aside for her attention, which, oddly enough, gave her some sense of ease.
    She resolved to bury the bottle behind the barn where no one would find it. A small hole would do. If Lester produced another bottle, she’d refuse it, even to the point of letting Sylvia know about her husband’s gifts. Bonnie knew she’d been wrong in accepting the wine and even more wrong in drinking to forget her grief, and she wouldn’t continue the ruse any longer.
    She slammed the shovel into the ground and turned over one clod then two. The smell of fresh earth met her nostrils, bringing back a flood of memories of when she used to watch Ben dig worms for his and the boys’ fishing days.
    “Miss Bonnie, are you all right?”
    She nearly fell over the shovel. “Land sakes, Thomas, you frightened me.”
    He reached out and steadied her. “Ma’am, you did the same to me.”
    Bonnie massaged her right temple. “I’m not sure what to say.” The truth? “Can you keep another secret for me?”
    “Yes ma’am. I’ve done so in the past, and you can depend on me.”
    In the shadows, his deep voice, mellowed with age and simple wisdom, gave her more determination to complete the task and admit her wrongdoing. “Remember when you found me some months ago . . . after . . . I—”
    “I remember.”
    She sighed and braved on. “I’m burying this bottle as a way of burying that habit.”
    “I see. Would you like me to do it for you?”
    “No, thank you. This is something I must do. My children need me. This ranch needs me, and I have to be strong.” Emotion crawled up her throat, and she forced it back down. “I depend on you way too much, and that’s not fair.”
    “But you’ve had it hard since Ben passed on.”
    Just the mention of his name caused her to gasp. Oh, how she missed him. “I appreciate your sympathy. But it’s no excuse to take on detestable vices or not make Ben proud of me. I want him to look down from heaven and not worry about poor Bonnie and his children.” She stopped herself before uttering another word. “My, I’ve said far too much.”
    “I understand, and I’ll keep your secrets.”
    “It’s easier to talk in the dark.”
    “You can always talk to me. No one ever hears about it but the Lord.”
    “This ranch never would have made it without you. You’re worth your weight in gold. Tomorrow I want to start learning more about everything you do.”
    “Are you sure? It’ll take lots time.”
    “I’m positive. I want folks to say that I’m just like the rest of my family. I’ll pay you extra for your effort.”
    He laughed lightly. “No thanks. Seeing you take an interest in things is payment enough for me. Me and the Lord been talkin’ about you. Hope you don’t mind.”
    “Not at all. I need all the prayers I can get. And Zack . . .” She took a breath. “He needs prayers too.”
    “Yes, ma’am. He’s had a hard time of it. You want me to leave you alone or wait till you’re finished?”
    “Best wait. Your presence keeps me accountable.”
    When the hole was large enough, she slammed the shovel onto the bottle’s neck and broke it. Glass tumbled into the hole with the wine. She piled dirt on top with a fierce vengeance.
    “I’ll put the shovel away,” he said.
    “No, I need to do this whole thing. All my life, somebody’s been doing things for me that I could do myself.”
    Once