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“I can ot my back But you won’t be et o hoet some sleep”

“You’re sure you’ll be all right?”

“Stop babying irl, remember?”

After a ood news had lifted a dreadful weight But as he pulled on his sweatpants and a worn T-shirt, the disappoint with her But she was right He was tired to the hway He needed a good night’s rest

Wandering barefoot onto their shared porch, he found Jasper in his rocker, the dog sprawled at his feet Sky had yet to corner the old h to ask for the full story of Bull and his ood a time as any

Pulling his chair over to Jasper’s side of the porch, Sky sat down With the sun gone, the twilight breeze felt al hts were on in the big house

“Feels good to be off my feet,” Sky said “How about you?”

Jasper stirred with a little snort, as if he’d been dozing “Hellfire, I’et very far on my feet, and Will won’t let loose of the key to the ATV I been goin’ and doin’ all my life, Sky I wasn’t cut out to sit on my butt like a damned toadstool”

It wasn’t the response Sky had expected Maybe another time would be better to ask the old man for answers to his questions

“You did make it into town today,” he said

“Runnin’ errands with Bernice? That wasn’t much better than sittin’ around here She wouldn’t even let me drive the truck What I want is to be out on o out huntin’ like I used to afore I got shot”

“I guess you still can’t re, can you?” Jasper shook his head “Don’t suppose I ever will Heard the gun, felt the bullet, and then the blasted ATV wouldn’t steer That’s all I reot a look at the lowlife that shot me, I still don’t recollect it But if it was that cousin of yours, the one they found dead in the bog, the varood bird gun”

“Tell you what,” Sky said “I’ll bet Will would let you take the ATV out if soht Toun and go out

for an hour or two Maybe you can even shoot us a wild turkey for Sunday dinner”

“You’d do that for me?” The old man’s voice shook with joyful amazement, then took on a note of suspicion “Guess I’d better ask what’s in it for you”