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tilted her chin.  Squinting one eye, she then slowly turned her head toward the barnyard.  “I think you missed something.” 
    “ Jehoshaphat … the kindling!”  Samuel piped.  Taking two steps at a time, the boy hustled down the front steps and across the yard, scat tering a flock of hens in th e process.  Looking back , he yelled.  “I’ll only be a minute!”
    “Better hurry, son.”  Luke chuckled, pretending to pull out his pocket watch.  “I’m counting the seconds.”
    Jenny suddenly murmured.  “There’s never a day that goes by when I don’t look at Samuel and think of Cole .”
    Luke watched the boy unlatch the barn door. 
    Swallowing hard, he cleared his throat and forced a reluctant smile.  “If I could take it back , you know I would.”
    “I know.”  She returned . 
    Luke watched Jenny lift her delicate chin. 
    She stared after her son behind long lashes, her lips furled into a dour smile.  He noticed her knuckles turn ed white as she gripped the rim of the basket.  The look on her face was nothing less than indignant.  He knew she still blamed him. 
    They all did, espe cially his eldest brother Jude.  
    As far back a s he could remember they had always been in contention.  N ever did they see eye to eye, nor would they ever.  Jude was a relentless thorn in his side, a constant reminder of his own contrition within himself.  Shaking his head, he tried deflecting his deep-rooted though ts of his brother, leaned back and closed his eyes. 
    A cool breeze blew in, rattling a tuft of prairie grass.  Soft and fleeting, the soothing sound dwindled away with the echo of Jenny’s footsteps. 
    It was always like this with Jenny. 
    One minute she was there, and the next, she would up and disappear.  Not one for idle chat, she did not say much of anything, but on those rare occasions when she did, it was usually worth his while to sit back and listen .  Likewise in restless times like now , he’d much rather listen to sweet meek-hearted Jenny than those cat walling cougars he’d drank one too many with while holed up at Belle’s Bordello. 
    Luke opene d his eyes, utterly relieved.  Finally, the one sound he had been waiting for.  In the distance, the swift thud of horse hooves followed by a train of dust and a fast rider.  Jumping from his chair, he took two steps at a time, hustling down the stone walk and up th e drive to greet his brother.
    “What in the hell took you so long?”
    Jake Shelton reared in on his mount.  He cast a wicked smile, his blue eyes flashed bright and amusing as he laughed back at his brothe r who was closest in age to him by a few years.
    “Wouldn’t be much of a gentleman if I divulged every little detail, now would I?”  The sound of his voice was droll, his accent thick with southern twang as he dismounted, holding the reigns.
    “What the Hell’s wrong with you?”  Luke questioned archly .  Kicking a stone, he pointed his finger at his brother.  “I sent you into town to check up on things, not so you could entertain yourself by lifting some fancy skirt!”
    “Calm down, will you? ”  Jake rolled his eyes.  “You of all people should know som etimes a man’s best ally is a little pillow talk.”
    For a moment, Luke stared at his brother registering his lazy smile.  S tepping back, he dropped his accusatory hand .
    “Jake Shelton, you’re depraved, but quite the genius.”  Luke returned, eyeing his brother, he slapped him on the back and nodded his head. 
    “C’mon, Jenny’s got supper on the table.”
     
    After supper, Jenny sat perched on a tree stump, counting stars until she could not count anymore.  The beacons of lights were thick as locust, spattering across the evening sky.  Up there, somewhere, her husband ’s star gleamed down from the heavens.  Though his celestial marker was miles and miles away, she could still sense his pres ence.  Just knowing Cole still lingered made her feel comforted and