Chapter 26 - Another Interlude

The scene goes briefly back to the cowboys in the cafe.

            “In the comin’ weeks, ol’ Daniel Butler kept a close eye on Caleb.  Caleb could feel his eyes on him every move he made.”

          “You boys doin’ all right over here?” asked the waitress politely, wringing her hands on her white apron.

          “Yes, ma’am,” replied Joe with a smile.

          “You boys want ta get a bite ta eat?”

          “Ya got any o’ that nice pie sitting around?” Boots asked with a grin.

          “We sure do, what is it yer wantin’.”

          “Whatcha got?”

          “Well…let’s see…we got…apple, peach, blueberry, and pecan,” she told him glancing back at the counter.

          “Gimme a big slice o’ that pee-can pie,” Boots told her.

          She looked around the table, “Anything else for ya?”

          “Piece o’ pee-can pie sure sounds good to me,” Joe remarked.  “Why don’t ya bring me a nice big piece o’ that too?”  He grinned up at her.

          “I’d be just fine if I could get some more coffee,” the old man followed.

          She shifted her eyes to Duke, “How ‘bout you, honey?”

          “No ma’am.  I’m jus’ fine.  Don’t need nothin’ else.”  Duke smiled a crooked, childlike smile, and went back to playing with his lighter. 

          The waitress shuffled off quickly, then, in a moment returned to the table with two slices of pie and a tall, shiny coffee pot.  When boots saw her on her way back across the room, he leaned back in his chair, rubbing his stomach and licking his lips.  She sat the plates down and refilled the old man’s cup. 

          A small flame leapt up on Duke’s flint lighter, grazing the side of his finger.  “S**t!” he blurted and dropped the lighter, the flame extinguishing itself. 

          Boots sat up straight in his seat and glared at Duke.  “Boy!  Watch yer language in front o’ the lady!”

          “Sorry ma’am,” Duke apologized, his face turning red.

          She smiled sweetly, “It’s alright.  Don’t bother me none.  You boys, enjoy that pie.  Need anything else jus’ holler.”

          Duke looked back at Boots who was still glaring angrily at him, then  looked back down and began to examine the red spot on his finger.

          Boots dug the fork into his pie and pulled off a chunk.

          The old man sipped his coffee and then continued with his story.  “It became apparent to Caleb that Butler knew somethin’ of him missin’ his son’s birth.  Didn’t know how Butler could know, but jus’ kinda seemed he must know somethin’.”

          “Seems ta me, ol’ Butler might be a sneaky son of a b***h, jus’ like the rest o’ that family,” Joe told him.

          “He sure was too.  The whole bunch of ‘em was,” the old man confirmed.