Devil’s Claw

“Dad,” Butch was saying. “Here she is-the girl of my dreams-Joa

Donald Dixon turned away from the grill with its layer of thinly sliced beef, looked at Joa

Despite the fact that it a

“Right you are,” he said heartily, slapping a beefy, snow-white, shorts-clad thigh. “I do believe my mother used to tell me the same thing. I just didn’t pay any attention. Have you met Maggie yet?”

Hearing the Chicago twang in his voice-the hard-edged vowels-Joa

“No,” she said in answer to his question. “I just now got here.”

“Well, by all means go over and be introduced. She’s really looking forward to meeting you. She hasn’t talked about anything else ever since we left Chicago.”

Taking a deep breath and following Butch’s lead, Joa

Margaret Dixon held out her hand. She smiled a thin smile. “How do you do. Glad to meet you, Joa

Joa

“I’m sure Joa

For months Butch had been hinting to Joa

Never one to retreat from a battle, Joa

“So how do you like Cochise County so far?” she asked as evenly as she could manage.

“It is warm,” Maggie replied. “I’ll say that much for it, and it’s so dry here. My skin feels like it’s going to turn brittle and break off. I’m used to a lot more humidity. My mother and her second husband retired out here,” she continued. “They bought a place up in Sun City. That’s how Butch ended up coming out here years ago. But as far as I’m concerned, I could never see what it was about the desert that appealed to my mother so much, and it’s such a long way from home. And now that Donald’s retired from the post office, we prefer to spend our winters in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Ever been there?”

Suddenly the idea that Arizona was a long way away from both Chicago and Hot Springs, Arkansas, held some appeal for Joa

“So how do you like being sheriff?” Maggie Dixon continued without bothering to wait for an answer. “That sounds like a difficult job for a woman. And isn’t it dangerous?”

“At times, it’s a difficult job for anyone-man or woman,” Joa

“Well,” Maggie said, shaking her head. “From what Butch writes about you and says on the phone, I can tell he’s very proud of you. But you won’t keep doing this, will you-I mean after you’re married?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well, you know how it is. It’s the man’s job to support his family. And then, if you got pregnant…”

Butch got up abruptly. “I think I’ll go see if Eleanor needs any help,” he said, leaving the battle of the picnic table under Joa

Maggie turned and watched him go. “Now I suppose my son will be mad at me,” she mused. “He’s always accusing me of being nosy. But these are the kinds of things people need to talk about before they get married, not after. And I’m sure that’s the mistake Butch made before-the other times he got married. He went into those relationships with no idea at all of what he really wanted. Of course, the first time, he and Debbie were both much too young. And with Faith, I don’t think either one of them thought ahead very much, either. Faith’s a very nice girl,” Maggie added. “We still stay in touch from time to time. I’m sure you’d like her. She and her husband just had their second child-a little boy. I meant to mention that to Butch.”

Months earlier, about the time Butch had asked Joa

Don’t bother telling him, Joa

“Well?” Maggie asked. “Are you?”

Her tone implied that there was an unanswered question lingering in the air, one Joa

“Am I what?” Joa

“Are you and Butch pla

“Come and get it while it’s hot,” George Winfield a

“Let me give you a hand, Maggie,” Don Dixon said, stopping by the table to help his wife rise from the picnic bench. While Don led Maggie into the house, Eva Lou stood up and wordlessly gave Joa

“Are you all right?” Butch whispered near her ear a few moments later. “Would you like something to drink?”

Joa

Butch shook his head. “I can’t believe she said that-the third one’s the charm. She’s something else, isn’t she?” he added. “It’s like that old saying about how absence makes the heart grow fonder. When I’m not around her, I always end up convincing myself that my mother can’t possibly be as bad as I remember. Then, once we get within shouting distance of one another, it all comes back to me. Believe me, it’s no accident my grandparents wound up retiring to Sun City. I’m pretty sure my stepgrandfather was looking for a way to get away from his stepdaughter. I don’t think he or Grandma were the least bit unhappy that Mother hated Arizona. It seemed to suit both of them just fine.”