Was he concerned at all?
Fretting she snapped at Matthew when he told her he'd seen Hawk. "Yes, I know!"
Matthew watched her carefully. "He'll come see you Ma."
She sighed, trying to calm herself. She was beside herself with worry, and he couldn't even come over and speak with her.
She went back inside and closed the door.
But a half hour later, he knocked on her door. When she opened it, he stared at her for a long moment before speaking, as though just seeing her was enough.
"Hello…" she finally managed.
"Hello," he smiled.
"What….why…why are you here?"
"We're leaving in the morning."
"We are?" She tried not to smile. "How did you explain that?'
"I told them that relatives of yours showed up and wanted you to come back. So I'm taking you to them."
"How clever!" She chuckled.
Matthew waited for him to speak to him. "Matthew, you've grown a foot." Hawk said.
Matthew beamed.
When he saw Jane Ann, he bent to pick her up and whirl her around in the air. "How's my little sweet pea?"
Eve and Matthew stared at each other, "Sweet Pea?"
"It is a flower…" Hawk explained.
"We know…" Eve chuckled.
"The Colonel invited me to dinner and you must pack up what you can. I have brought horses for us this time two for you and one for me. They were wild, but I broke them."
She smiled.
He turned to her now and looked deep into her eyes. "You will be ready in the morning?"
"Yes…"
"Good. I must go; I will see you at supper." He nodded to them and left.
"Hoorah, we are leaving." Matthew threw his hat in the air.
"You're glad?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Well, we better get our things together so we can leave early in the morning." She said happily.
"I told you he'd come."
Eve glanced at him. "You certainly did. You had more faith than I."