Read Online Homespun Hearts by Kirsten Osbourne, Pamela Morsi, Caroline Fyffe - Free Book Online
Ads: Link
“Smokey said I could eat it for supper.”
Chapter Twelve
R iding toward Faith’s wagon at a lope, Luke saw the growing commotion. He plunged into the herd, shouting at the cattle, trying to get through.
Faith had taken one look at the snake Colton was swinging around and collapsed onto Francis, draped across his lap like a worn rag doll. Startled, the youth fumbled to remove her, not knowing where he should or shouldn’t put his hands. She moaned. As she rolled facedown into the youth’s lap, he wriggled from under her like a scalded cat.
Trying to sit up, she brushed the hair from her face and looked around groggily. “What ha…?” Her gaze found the scaly reptile Colton still held high in the air, and she promptly crumpled back to the seat.
“Put that thing away!” Luke shouted as he arrived. He climbed straight from Chiquita onto the wagon seat. Scooping Faith into his arms, he carried her into the back of the conveyance and laid her down.
Dawn began to cry. Faith struggled to get up, to go to her, but Luke gently pushed her back. “I’ll get her,” he said. “Lie here for a minute or two until your color comes back. I’ll take care of her.” Luke couldn’t miss the I-told-you-so expression as she gazed back at him. Regardless, he was thankful the boy hadn’t been hurt worse.
He looked over at the crying baby, red-faced and arms waving. Something warm snaked through him, something soft and tender. He couldn’t hold back a smile. “Don’t cry, little girl,” he crooned. Bundling the infant in his arms, he climbed toward the front and stepped out onto the seat. The look on the cowhands’ faces bespoke their grave concern.
“She gonna be all right?” Smokey asked, obviously contrite. He’d taken the snake from Colton and put it back into his saddlebag.
Luke bounced and jiggled the tiny infant in his arms, trying to get her to stop crying. Dawn just cried all the harder.
“Think so,” he said over the infant’s screams. “What am I supposed to do with her?”
Everyone else’s eyebrows shot up in question. Smokey and Francis looked quizzically at each other. Luke realized he’d get no help from them.
“How about you, Colton? Got any suggestions?” Up until now the boy had sat quietly on the back of Smokey’s horse. Now that Luke asked him for advice, he seemed to soften.
“Well, Ma always checks to see if she’s wet first. Have ya done that?”
“No, I haven’t. You want to come show me how?”
“No, sir.” Colton wrinkled his face and looked the other way.
Luke held the squirmy, screaming baby between the crook of one elbow and his hand. Her face was beet red, and he wondered just how long she could keep this up before they all went deaf. Slowly, he lifted the diapering cloth from around one pumping little leg and peeked inside. “Well, here lies the problem.”
“She bogged down?” Smokey asked.
“If that wasn’t the problem,” Colton professed loudly, “Ma would try feeding her.” His cocky little smile had returned. “Good thing you ain’t gunna try that.” The boy laughed and slapped his leg, exciting Smokey’s skittish mount. “I’d sure like to see you try.”
“Quiet,” Smokey said. “Luke needs ta concentrate.”
“I’m fine now,” Faith called from inside. “Bring her back. Colton’s right, she needs to be fed.”
“Fine, then,” Smokey announced, as if he’d been the one to come up with the solution. “Everybody’s hungry. Me and Colton will head over to the chuck wagon. I’m sure Lucky will be glad to see we brought some fresh meat to add to the menu."
A fter the evening meal , some of the men drifted off to their bedrolls early, but most lingered around the campfire, smoking and swapping stories. Colton’s rattlesnake tale was a favorite and the men had him repeat it again and again.
Faith sat close to the fire with a sleeping Dawn nestled in her arms. After everyone had their fill of supper, Lucky came around with healthy
Chapter Twelve
R iding toward Faith’s wagon at a lope, Luke saw the growing commotion. He plunged into the herd, shouting at the cattle, trying to get through.
Faith had taken one look at the snake Colton was swinging around and collapsed onto Francis, draped across his lap like a worn rag doll. Startled, the youth fumbled to remove her, not knowing where he should or shouldn’t put his hands. She moaned. As she rolled facedown into the youth’s lap, he wriggled from under her like a scalded cat.
Trying to sit up, she brushed the hair from her face and looked around groggily. “What ha…?” Her gaze found the scaly reptile Colton still held high in the air, and she promptly crumpled back to the seat.
“Put that thing away!” Luke shouted as he arrived. He climbed straight from Chiquita onto the wagon seat. Scooping Faith into his arms, he carried her into the back of the conveyance and laid her down.
Dawn began to cry. Faith struggled to get up, to go to her, but Luke gently pushed her back. “I’ll get her,” he said. “Lie here for a minute or two until your color comes back. I’ll take care of her.” Luke couldn’t miss the I-told-you-so expression as she gazed back at him. Regardless, he was thankful the boy hadn’t been hurt worse.
He looked over at the crying baby, red-faced and arms waving. Something warm snaked through him, something soft and tender. He couldn’t hold back a smile. “Don’t cry, little girl,” he crooned. Bundling the infant in his arms, he climbed toward the front and stepped out onto the seat. The look on the cowhands’ faces bespoke their grave concern.
“She gonna be all right?” Smokey asked, obviously contrite. He’d taken the snake from Colton and put it back into his saddlebag.
Luke bounced and jiggled the tiny infant in his arms, trying to get her to stop crying. Dawn just cried all the harder.
“Think so,” he said over the infant’s screams. “What am I supposed to do with her?”
Everyone else’s eyebrows shot up in question. Smokey and Francis looked quizzically at each other. Luke realized he’d get no help from them.
“How about you, Colton? Got any suggestions?” Up until now the boy had sat quietly on the back of Smokey’s horse. Now that Luke asked him for advice, he seemed to soften.
“Well, Ma always checks to see if she’s wet first. Have ya done that?”
“No, I haven’t. You want to come show me how?”
“No, sir.” Colton wrinkled his face and looked the other way.
Luke held the squirmy, screaming baby between the crook of one elbow and his hand. Her face was beet red, and he wondered just how long she could keep this up before they all went deaf. Slowly, he lifted the diapering cloth from around one pumping little leg and peeked inside. “Well, here lies the problem.”
“She bogged down?” Smokey asked.
“If that wasn’t the problem,” Colton professed loudly, “Ma would try feeding her.” His cocky little smile had returned. “Good thing you ain’t gunna try that.” The boy laughed and slapped his leg, exciting Smokey’s skittish mount. “I’d sure like to see you try.”
“Quiet,” Smokey said. “Luke needs ta concentrate.”
“I’m fine now,” Faith called from inside. “Bring her back. Colton’s right, she needs to be fed.”
“Fine, then,” Smokey announced, as if he’d been the one to come up with the solution. “Everybody’s hungry. Me and Colton will head over to the chuck wagon. I’m sure Lucky will be glad to see we brought some fresh meat to add to the menu."
A fter the evening meal , some of the men drifted off to their bedrolls early, but most lingered around the campfire, smoking and swapping stories. Colton’s rattlesnake tale was a favorite and the men had him repeat it again and again.
Faith sat close to the fire with a sleeping Dawn nestled in her arms. After everyone had their fill of supper, Lucky came around with healthy
Similar Books
