Read Online Brave the Wild Wind by Johanna Lindsey - Free Book Online
Authors: Johanna Lindsey
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wouldn’t cry because of them, she told herself. She wouldn’t.
The tears were blinding as she reached the stable. She was about to collapse when a child’s voice said, “What’s wrong, Jessie?”
She couldn’t bear for anyone to know, let alone Rachel’s son.
“Nothing’s wrong,” she snapped. “I just got some dust in my eyes.”
“Can I help?”
“No! I’m fine. The watering washed away the dust.”
She walked past him to Blackstar’s stall, but Billy followed. “I didn’t know you were still here.”
“Well I am, aren’t I?”
He was not put off. “Are you going out on the range now?” he asked as she saddled Blackstar. When she didn’t answer, he persisted. “Can I go with you this time?”
“No!”
“But I won’t get in your way, Jessie, I promise I won’t. Please?”
The pleading eagerness in that voice broke through, somehow, and she relented.
“All right.” Then she added sternly, so he wouldn’t think she was easily swayed, “But only this time. You can use that sorrel over there, if you know how to saddle him.”
Billy let out a whoop of delight and ran to the horse. But the fact was, each time old Jeb had showed him how to saddle a horse so he could ride around the valley, Jeb had actually put the saddle on himself. Billy found himself stumped.He couldn’t even get the heavy saddle off the railing, let alone onto the horse’s back. The horse was higher than he was, and so was the railing.
Jessie finished with Blackstar and led him over to where Billy was struggling, shaking her head in amusement. The saddle he was fighting with was an old forty-pounder. Yet there was no other saddle in sight. She had to admit, the kid had determination.
She helped him tug the saddle down from the railing. “Now, together…one, two, three .” They swung the saddle up into place, and Jessie stepped back. “Can you manage now?”
“Sure. And thanks.”
Jessie waited impatiently as he tried to do the girth that was tucked under the saddle. His short arms couldn’t reach it. He finally went around the horse and carried the strap under him, then buckled it too loosely.
“Honestly, can’t you do anything?” she said gruffly as she came forward again to help.
Billy watched her stern expression as she finished the job. He grinned, happy. What she was doing spoke better than words.
“You don’t really hate me, do you, Jessie?”
She looked up, startled. Why was he able to see through her like that? “Of course I do.”
But Billy persisted, still grinning. “I think you like me just a little.”
“Well, that just goes to show how much you know,” she said lightly. She’d meant only to tease, but when she looked at him, there weretears glistening in his eyes. “Oh, Billy, I was only teasing. Honestly. Of course I like you.” He looked relieved, and she added, “But don’t you dare tell your mother I said so, you hear?”
Chapter 8
O LD Jeb was in his glory when he was storytelling, and he had a rapt audience in Billy Ewing. Jessie was amused, leaning back against a railing and watching the expressions on her half brother’s face as he listened to Jeb recount the time he’d come that close to being hanged.
Back at the end of ’63, the Vigilantes of Montana had nearly sent Jeb to Boot Hill. The Vigilantes were formed in Virginia City, a town known to its shame to have been the scene of two hundred murders in only six months. Jeb had simply been mistaken for a member of a large gang. He was tried and sentenced to hang. The only reason he was spared was that the gang member he was mistaken for happened to wander into the crowd, to watch the hanging. As he approached the crowd, he was recognized. It was an experience Jeb loved to talk about.
Jessie had heard it so often, though. She left the stable without even being noticed, so engrossed were the young man and the old one.
She moved on slowly toward the house, stopping at the porch and stretching out on one of the
The tears were blinding as she reached the stable. She was about to collapse when a child’s voice said, “What’s wrong, Jessie?”
She couldn’t bear for anyone to know, let alone Rachel’s son.
“Nothing’s wrong,” she snapped. “I just got some dust in my eyes.”
“Can I help?”
“No! I’m fine. The watering washed away the dust.”
She walked past him to Blackstar’s stall, but Billy followed. “I didn’t know you were still here.”
“Well I am, aren’t I?”
He was not put off. “Are you going out on the range now?” he asked as she saddled Blackstar. When she didn’t answer, he persisted. “Can I go with you this time?”
“No!”
“But I won’t get in your way, Jessie, I promise I won’t. Please?”
The pleading eagerness in that voice broke through, somehow, and she relented.
“All right.” Then she added sternly, so he wouldn’t think she was easily swayed, “But only this time. You can use that sorrel over there, if you know how to saddle him.”
Billy let out a whoop of delight and ran to the horse. But the fact was, each time old Jeb had showed him how to saddle a horse so he could ride around the valley, Jeb had actually put the saddle on himself. Billy found himself stumped.He couldn’t even get the heavy saddle off the railing, let alone onto the horse’s back. The horse was higher than he was, and so was the railing.
Jessie finished with Blackstar and led him over to where Billy was struggling, shaking her head in amusement. The saddle he was fighting with was an old forty-pounder. Yet there was no other saddle in sight. She had to admit, the kid had determination.
She helped him tug the saddle down from the railing. “Now, together…one, two, three .” They swung the saddle up into place, and Jessie stepped back. “Can you manage now?”
“Sure. And thanks.”
Jessie waited impatiently as he tried to do the girth that was tucked under the saddle. His short arms couldn’t reach it. He finally went around the horse and carried the strap under him, then buckled it too loosely.
“Honestly, can’t you do anything?” she said gruffly as she came forward again to help.
Billy watched her stern expression as she finished the job. He grinned, happy. What she was doing spoke better than words.
“You don’t really hate me, do you, Jessie?”
She looked up, startled. Why was he able to see through her like that? “Of course I do.”
But Billy persisted, still grinning. “I think you like me just a little.”
“Well, that just goes to show how much you know,” she said lightly. She’d meant only to tease, but when she looked at him, there weretears glistening in his eyes. “Oh, Billy, I was only teasing. Honestly. Of course I like you.” He looked relieved, and she added, “But don’t you dare tell your mother I said so, you hear?”
Chapter 8
O LD Jeb was in his glory when he was storytelling, and he had a rapt audience in Billy Ewing. Jessie was amused, leaning back against a railing and watching the expressions on her half brother’s face as he listened to Jeb recount the time he’d come that close to being hanged.
Back at the end of ’63, the Vigilantes of Montana had nearly sent Jeb to Boot Hill. The Vigilantes were formed in Virginia City, a town known to its shame to have been the scene of two hundred murders in only six months. Jeb had simply been mistaken for a member of a large gang. He was tried and sentenced to hang. The only reason he was spared was that the gang member he was mistaken for happened to wander into the crowd, to watch the hanging. As he approached the crowd, he was recognized. It was an experience Jeb loved to talk about.
Jessie had heard it so often, though. She left the stable without even being noticed, so engrossed were the young man and the old one.
She moved on slowly toward the house, stopping at the porch and stretching out on one of the
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