The McEllis Boys

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Thirty-Nine

"Where's Madeline?" Cavanaugh asked as Ian came out and joined he and Andrew on the porch two days later. The women were all gone to school and work.

"She's watching that talking cheese show," Ian replied as he stretched his arms high over his head and then winced at the sound of a car horn in the distance, "Have either of you noticed how loud everything is here?"

"Yeah," Cavanaugh agreed as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"I'm homesick," Andrew whined as he went about cleaning his gun with some oil and rags.

"I am too," Ian admitted. "There's too many rules here. Too much noise. Too much craziness. I miss riding for days. Going town to town. Having that sense of freedom."

"I miss ranch life. It's not the same now," Cavanaugh stated. "They got tractors, four-wheelers and lots of other easy ways to do things. I like doing things the hard way. Really working for it."

"I miss saloons and poker," Andrew chimed in. "I was good at gambling."

All three brothers shared a knowing look, finding camaraderie in their memories of home.

"There are a few things that home didn't have," Cavanaugh finally said softly.

"Bethany," Andrew agreed.

"Nicole."

"Maddy and Leslie."

Silence fell over them for several long minutes, "Maybe we can take them with us." Andrew finally spoke up and Ian and Cavanaugh looked at him as if they thought he was crazy. "What?!" Andrew demanded. "I've heard Nicole say she feels like she was born in the wrong time. Bethany dreams about the past. Maybe they were supposed to come back with us. Maybe that's the way Mary planned it!"

"Leslie hasn't said anything about being born in the wrong time," Ian reminded him.

Andrew frowned, "Yeah, but what does she have here? An abusive husband and no other family of her own. You are all she and Maddy have. If she comes back with us then she'll have you, she'll have three brothers-in-law, she'll have Nicole and Bethany. And she'll have Hallie if Jamison finally settled down with the woman."

"Why are we talking about this like we have a choice?" Cavanaugh asked. "It seems like that crazy old bat does pretty much whatever the hell she wants."

"Yeah, but maybe she'll send us to that cloud place again before she sends us home and we can convince her to see things our way," Andrew said excitedly as he reloaded his gun.

"I wonder when she'll send us back," Ian mused as he flopped down on the porch swing. "I don't want to go if I can't take Leslie and Maddy with me."

Cavanaugh and Andrew nodded, both of them agreeing with their brother. They didn't want to go without their women either. "Guess there's nothing to do but wait." Andrew finally admitted.

Cavanaugh grumbled, "I never have had patience for waiting."

"See maybe that's a lesson you're supposed to learn." Ian said with a grin.

Cavanaugh chuckled, "If patience is what I'm supposed to be learning then I guess we're gonna be here forever."

Andrew grabbed the bag of chips and the soda from beside his chair and stuffed one of the orange triangles into his mouth. Another car horn blasted and all three brothers winced at the sound.

"I don't want to be here forever. Not really," Ian admitted and his brothers nodded in agreement.

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