He thumbs his hat at me. “Don’t mention it, but I’d light out fast. That Warden’s a devil.”

I help Arn toward the exit.

He calls to us again. “I’d cover up your face. Not everyone’s as open-minded.”

I lift the bandanna over my mouth and nose. Beside me Arn spits another hunk of blood into the dusty road.

“Come on,” I say, as he leans into me. “Let’s get the hell out of dodge.”

“Don’t say hell.”

I smile as I hustle him onward.

Amazingly, getting through the gate goes more smoothly than I could’ve hoped. I retrieve my gun with no trouble. The clunky vehicle turns over on the first try. When I finally see the town through the cloud of dust in the rear view, I relax a notch. I glance over at Arn, who’s slumped over in the passenger seat. In the red sunset glare, his whole face looks bloody, though I know it’s a trick of the light.

“Don’t worry,” I say, though I’m not sure he can hear me. “We’ll be home in no time. Our luck’s turning around.”

He opens the eye that’s not swelled shut. “Don’t count your chickens. It’s a long way home.”

Chapter Five

Twilight slashes the western sky when I spot our house. In the dark, the dusty white farmhouse stands like a lone beacon. As the tires crunch onto our driveway, a kerosene lamp blazes to life in the upstairs. I kill the engine. Arn’s already swinging out when I reach his door to collect him.

The screen door thwacks as my mama barrels out, her nightgown flowing behind her in the moonlight.

“Riley,” she cries, her hands flying up to her mouth. Then her eyes land on my stepfather. “Oh God.”

She runs through the yard barefoot. Gravel tears at her feet, but she doesn’t bat an eye. She throws her arms around us, sobbing. She smells like home.

The door bangs again and Ethan stumbles out, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He blinks, and then runs down the steps, smashing into us, almost knocking everyone over.

“Dad!” Then he turns his oval face to me. “Riley, you brought him home. I knew you would.”

Tears leak from the corners of my eyes, but my hands are too full of my family to wipe them away.

Slowly we make our way toward the house, touching, hugging. Ethan asks a million questions which no one answers. Auntie’s on the porch, clutching her shawl around her. She shakes her head at me as we pass. “Stubborn girl.” She grips my arms and smiles.

My mama takes my spot under Arn and leads him to the stairs. When they get to the base of the steps, she turns and throws her arms around me again. “Thank you for bringing him home,” she whispers and kisses my cheek. They limp up the stairs.

Ethan’s cold fingers find mine. “Caught a rabbit while you were gone.”

I lead him down the hall to our bedroom. “That’s fantastic, little bud. Did you kill it?”