THE OUTLAW'S THANKSGIVING Read Free

would, because she has
me running back and forth all the time.   I’ve got a lot to do today.”
           “Is she a big woman?”
           “No, she’s small, but she won’t budge an
inch on those crutches doc gave her to use.”
           “You want me to carry her in here to the
table?”
           Katie looked at him.   “Do you think you can manage that being
dizzy and all?”
           “I think I make it with her, if she
doesn’t mind it.”
           “Come on,” she said, when he got up and
swayed a little.   “You sure about
this?   I don’t want you dropping my
grandma.”
           He grinned.   If I do, I promise to let her fall on me so she doesn’t get
hurt.”
           “It’s worth a try,” she said, leading the
way into her room.   “Grandma, Markus is
going to carry you out to the table so you can have breakfast with us.”
           “Oh dear, he’s a handsome fellow.”
           Katie laughed.   “Don’t pay any attention to grandma.   She likes all the handsome men around here.”
           “Hello, Grandma,” he said, moving to the
side of the bed.   He bent down and
slipped his arms under her and lifted her into his arms.   “Hold on.   I get a might dizzy at times.”
           “Oh my,” she said, wrapping her arms
around his neck.   “You’re a big man and
so strong.”   She winked at Katie as they
moved by her and into the kitchen.
           “There you go, Ma’am.”   He set her in a chair at the head of the
table.
           “Thank you so much, young man.   It’s nice to be out of that bedroom.”
           “You’re welcome,” Markus said, and walked
over to sit down at his place.   Katie
was refilling his coffee cup.
           “I’ll get breakfast right away.   I have biscuits made and there’s pie, but
I’ll make some scrambled eggs and bacon.”
           “Sounds good.   I haven’t had a home cooked meal in a long time.”
           “Where have you been, young man,” Grandma
asked, sipping at her coffee.
           “Just roaming around.”   He didn’t want to have to answer a lot of
questions, but he was always taught to be polite to women and anyone older than
himself.
           “You look familiar.   I can’t quite place you, but those
eyes.   They’re beautiful, don’t you
think, Katie?”
           “Yes they are.”
           “You know, there’s only two men I know of
that has that color of eyes.   The
Drake’s at the farm next to us.   You
know them?”
           Markus almost choked on the sip of coffee
he’d just taken.   “I don’t think so
Ma’am.”
           “Call me Grandma.   Everyone does.”
           “Thank you, Grandma.”
           “You’re polite too,” she said, as Katie
placed a plate before her and handed one to Markus.
           “Eat while it’s hot.”
           Markus didn’t need to be told twice.   He dug into the food and groaned.   “This is delicious.   You’re a good cook, Katie.”
           “Thank you,” she said, sitting down to
eat.   “I think I am going to bake the
ham today.   That way we can have it for
supper too and I got some cream to make potato salad.   I’ll make the yams tomorrow and some vegetables I canned.   Sound good, Grandma?”
           “Yes it does.   You know, Markus, the more I look at you, I’d swear you were a
Drake.   You know what happened to the
youngest son, don’t you?   It seems he
was wrongly accused of robbing the bank in town.   Matt told me about it before I fell and broke my ankle.   It seems his cousin Butch is the one who
robbed the bank.   Guess Butch got shot
over in the next town trying to rob the bank there a couple weeks ago.   The doctor tried to save his life, but it
wasn’t to be.   Before he died, he told
the doctor and lawman there that he let his cousin, Markus,