Read Online Between Hell and Texas by Dusty Richards - Free Book Online

him.
    After her supper of fried ham, German potatoes, canned corn, biscuits, and butter, she opened two jars of sweet peaches for their dessert. They slept on the living-room floor in bedrolls, and when Chet woke in the middle of the night, the house sounded like a half-dozen saws cutting oak timber. Kathren used the bed in her daughter’s room.
    At dawn, she made them breakfast of scrambled eggs, ham, and hot biscuits with more rich coffee. They all left bragging on her and thanking her for her hospitality. Barr told him they’d take the body back.
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    With pained steps—diving under the wagon the day before had not helped him—he stood beside Kathren in the sharp north wind on the porch and waved good-bye to the crew. She soon hustled him back inside.
    â€œNo coat, you’ll freeze out there,” she whispered, closing the front door behind her.
    He looked hard at her. “I need to get well quicker.”
    â€œI’m not surprised you’d say that, you impatient old man. You wrecked yourself. Now it will take some time.”
    â€œI don’t have that time.”
    She shook her head to dismiss him. “Oh, yes, you do. I’ve watched you put on that ‘I’m alright’ look. You aren’t, and you will simply have to heal.”
    That settled, he spent his awake time rebuilding a saddle for her. Reg came on Sunday and she made a fuss over him. Her daughter rode over, and she, too, tried to spoil the six-foot-tall foreman. The laughter and fun made the day pass faster.
    Late afternoon, Chet went over ranch things with his man. The corn planting was all set. Heck had settled down a lot and Reg promised he had that in hand. When they got to the cattle herding, Reg managed to tell him the Johnson brothers had approached him about taking the—cattle along with their herd. The deal about them was that they needed thirty of the new—horses to have enough mounts for his crew to ride, and needed to pay for them out of their part of the drive’s income.
    â€œYou think those boys can get there?” Chet asked, feeling Reg was serious about the two brothers handling their cattle.
    â€œOh, yes.”
    â€œYou figure out the deal and we’ll do it. We need Kathren’s shipped, too.”
    â€œI’ll include them. Those horses are worth what?” Reg asked.
    â€œI’d think forty dollars a head. With all the work we have in them.”
    He agreed. “They’re going to road-brand in two weeks. They want to leave mid-March.”
    â€œThat’s their call. I’d hold till later in March so I didn’t overrun the new spring growth of grass. If it warms up some earlier, that might be fine.”
    Reg made a grim headshake. “I’ll tell them what you said. They’ve been up there twice and had good results. Most of the steers they plan to drive have been handled enough, they shouldn’t act like deer.”
    â€œI understand. You better head for home. Tell everyone I’m stronger and look to be back. Any trouble?”
    Reg drew his even upper teeth over his lower lip and then spoke. “We’ve had some altercations. But so far we’ve bluffed ’em.”
    â€œSerious?”
    â€œWe’ve got it under control. You keep healing.”
    Chet sat back in the chair. Cold sweat popped out on his face. He had intended to walk Reg out to his horse, but the sharpness of the pain in his body had immobilized him.
    Kathren must have seen his discomfort and stepped in. “Well, let me show you to your horse.” Her arm in Reg’s elbow, Chet watched her show him outside and clap him on the leg when he mounted up.
    Chet saw Reg salute her and gallop off. Damn, he hadn’t wanted to show that to the boy. When she came back in, she closed the door. “It’s got you again?”
    He slumped in the chair. “Guess you saw me going down.”
    She covered him with a blanket. “You