The Secret Promise

Chapter Four

Allie set dinner on the table. Seth and their pa started dishing up as she took her apron off and laid it on the kitchen counter. She sat down just as Seth started eating.

"So, word around town is that Lucas signed up to work for Union Pacific and he's leaving town tomorrow with a couple other men that joined up too."

"Yeah?" Mr. Warner asked. "I suppose he's signed on to be a teamster?"

"As far as I know." Seth said between bites of food. "I think Gene Turner and Ben Hudson are a couple of the other guys going."

"I hear it's good money." Mr. Warner said.

The moment they started talking about Lucas, Allie had lost interest and paid no attention to their conversation. Seth was talking all about where they'd be heading in the morning, and about how they'd likely be gone for a few years. He chuckled and looked at her, staring out the window. "I guess you'll be glad when he's gone so he can't pick on you anymore?"

Allie looked at Seth.

Mr. Warner looked at Seth. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, Lucas is always picking on Allie." he shrugged. "Messes with her all the time."

"It's nothing Pa," Allie said softly. "It's just childish stuff is all."

"Lucas Dillan is eighteen years old. He's not a child! What has he been doing?"

Seth still hadn't seemed to grasp the seriousness of the conversation and was still digging into his food though the others had stopped eating. "Usually just stupid stuff like putting frogs in her lunch pail." he said. "But you didn't think she really tripped and gave herself that scar under her eyebrow, did you? That was from when he and Charlie were throwing pine cones at her last year and Charlie decided to toss a rock instead."

Mr. Warner pushed his chair back and stood up. Seth stopped eating and stared up at him. "I mean, I'm sure it was just an accident," he said quietly.

"I'm going to put a stop to this right now!" Mr. Warner snapped. He grabbed his hat and shoved it onto his head as he slammed the front door shut behind him.

"Thanks a lot," Allie said, taking her plate to the kitchen. She'd suddenly lost her appetite. "You've probably just made things even worse. Couldn't just let him leave town?"

"You know, you probably should have told Pa ages ago," Seth once again dug into the food on his plate. "I'm sure he would have taken care of things when they first started. "

"Clint! Good to see you. Come on in. What brings you by?"

"I'm sorry Frank, this isn't exactly a social call. Is Lucas around?"

"Yeah, he's just upstairs." Frank called out and his voice echoed loudly up the stairwell. Lucas came out of his room and trotted down the stairs.

"Yes, Pa?"

"You wouldn't happen to know why Mr. Warner's asking for you, would you?"

Lucas swallowed hard and turned to see Mr. Warner standing just inside the front door. "No. Hello, Mr. Warner," he said, clearing his throat.

"Seth says you've been bullying my daughter," Mr. Warner said.

Mr. Dillan stared at his son. Lucas glanced back and forth between the two.

"Care to explain yourself, young man?" Mr. Dillan asked.

"It started in school!" Lucas blurted out. "Just harmless pranks and stuff!"

"How about that scar under her eyebrow?" Mr. Warner asked. "Doesn't seem all that harmless to me."

"Now, that was an accident!" Lucas said. "We were just throwing pine cones and Charlie tossed a rock at her." He didn't mention having punched Charlie in the face over it. He supposed that wouldn't matter much at the moment.

"You haven't been in school in two years!" Mr. Dillan snapped. "And throwing pine cones at a girl!? I taught you better than that! When's the last time this has happened?"

"Tuesday," Lucas said meekly.

"You're leaving town tomorrow?" Mr. Warner asked.

"Yes sir."

"You're lucky." he said. "Because if you ever mistreat my daughter again, I swear I will drag you out back and shoot you!"

"And if I find out you did, I'll shoot you myself!" his father snapped. "Sorry, Clint. I didn't know."

"Yeah, me neither," Mr. Warner said, opening the door. "Otherwise I would have put a stop to it a long time ago."

"I'll send him over in the morning before he leaves to apologize, if you'd like."

Mr. Warner shook his head. "Not necessary," He said. "She probably wouldn't give him the time of day anyhow. I just wanted to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"It won't. I can assure you of that!"

"Thanks, Frank."

Mr. Dillan closed the door behind him and turned to face his son, standing there with his head hanging. "If I ever find out you've been acting a fool like this again, you aren't going to like the consequences," he said in a low voice. Then, without another word, he walked back to the sitting room where he'd been reading the newspaper, and not another word was said on the subject.

"If that boy, or anyone else does anything like that again, you are to tell me immediately! Do you understand me?" Mr. Warner said the moment he stepped into the house upon his return.

"Yes, Pa," Allie said softly.

"I would have tanned his hide if I'd known he was the reason you got that scar," he said, pointing at her eyebrow.

"I figured he'd eventually get tired of bothering me," she said.

"There's no excuse for a grown man to be treating you or anyone else like that."

"Did you threaten him, Pa?" Seth asked with a grin.

"Yes I did," Mr. Warner replied. "And if I find out it happened again and you either didn't stand up for your sister, or you didn't tell me it happened, I'll tan your hide, too!"

The smile quickly disappeared from Seth's face. "Yes, Pa."

"The two of you had better get to your chores before it gets too late." he rubbed his hand over his jaw. "We have a lot of work to do in the morning."

Seth hurried out to the barn as fast as Allie had ever seen him move before. She walked over to her father as he sank down into his favorite chair in the sitting room. "I'm sorry Pa. I tried to handle things on my own and I figured they'd work themselves out. I should have told you the first time anything happened."

"You've always been independent and self reliant, haven't you?" he smiled. "Just like your Ma."

"Who knew that's what would get me into trouble," she laughed softly. She heard him chuckle as she headed out to do her chores.