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Authors: Lauraine Snelling
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say.’’
‘‘Thanks. Fawn was aiming to take out her ire on me, but thanks to Ghost and a big tree, I’m fine.’’
‘‘Mad mama, eh?’’
‘‘No gratitude.’’ Opal picked up one of the coyote carcasses. ‘‘You want to carry these or the calf?’’
‘‘Let’s skin them first. Leave the rest out here for the scavengers.’’ Between the two of them they skinned out the carcasses and, rolling the hides with fur side out, tied them behind Rand’s saddle. Buck sidestepped only once, but his ears spoke loudly of his displeasure.
‘‘I’ll put a rope around Fawn’s horns and tie her to a tree.
Then we can catch the calf and put it up in front of you. Okay?’’
‘‘Fine with me, but don’t go giving her the benefit of the doubt. She’d as soon hook you as look at you.’’
Rand roped and snubbed the cow up tight to the tree, ignoring the bawling fight the critter put up. ‘‘Good grief, Fawn, you aren’t a wild longhorn mama. You’re a tame milk cow.’’
‘‘She forgot to read that line on the bill of sale.’’ Opal reached for the calf and caught only air. ‘‘Feisty little thing, aren’t you?’’ She grabbed again and got an arm around its neck. Rand took it from her, and when she was mounted, he laid it across Opal’s lap.
‘‘You better hang on to him.’’
‘‘I will.’’
Together they made their way back to the trail and on homeward, Fawn trotting beside Bay, talking all the way.
‘‘Think we’ve been cussed out in cow language,’’ Opal said when she and Rand were riding side by side.
‘‘Probably a good thing we can’t understand cow talk.’’
‘‘Oh, I think she’s getting her point across.’’
‘‘Just so she doesn’t implant those points into one of us or the horses.’’
Back at the barn they ran Fawn into a box stall and slid her calf in through the door before slamming it in her face as she charged them.
‘‘She always going to act like this?’’
‘‘No. Once she’s in the stanchion, she’ll calm down. Think she’s been too long with the longhorns. They’ve been giving her lessons.’’
‘‘I’m going to work with Missy for a while before supper.’’ She’d not had time to work with the filly for three days.
‘‘Probably not. There’s the bell.’’
Opal groaned. She pulled her rifle from the scabbard, knowing she had to clean the gun before she went to bed. That was one of the rules Rand had taught her. You took care of your horse, your rifle, and your rope, and they’d take care of you.
Ruby thought she should take care of more around the house. But how could Opal build a reputation as a horse trainer if she never had time to train horses?
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘‘I want my mama.’’
Jacob stared at the boy. Was this really his son? When he forced himself to think, he knew there could not be much doubt, considering Joel looked enough like Jacob’s younger brother to make him homesick. And his younger brother was not only too young to have a seven-year-old son, but he had not been the one to make love to Melody.
All Jacob wanted to do was go kill some more firewood.
‘‘I’m sorry. I don’t think she plans to come back.’’ What a cruel monster you are! He squatted down to be eye level with the child. What would my mother do in this situation? First of all, she’d never be caught in such a mess, and secondly, she’d . . . she’d offer food .
‘‘Are you hungry? Have you eaten?’’ he asked the boy.
‘‘Not since breakfast.’’
‘‘I see. I have some cookies and . . . and . . .’’ His mind searched the larder. ‘‘Do you like bread and cheese?’’
The boy nodded. ‘‘But I don’t want to stay here. I want to go with my mother.’’
‘‘Yes, I’d like your mother to come back too, but in the meantime why don’t you come and eat something?’’
The boy hesitated. His brow furrowed in a manner that Jacob had seen on his father all his life and been told he did
‘‘Thanks. Fawn was aiming to take out her ire on me, but thanks to Ghost and a big tree, I’m fine.’’
‘‘Mad mama, eh?’’
‘‘No gratitude.’’ Opal picked up one of the coyote carcasses. ‘‘You want to carry these or the calf?’’
‘‘Let’s skin them first. Leave the rest out here for the scavengers.’’ Between the two of them they skinned out the carcasses and, rolling the hides with fur side out, tied them behind Rand’s saddle. Buck sidestepped only once, but his ears spoke loudly of his displeasure.
‘‘I’ll put a rope around Fawn’s horns and tie her to a tree.
Then we can catch the calf and put it up in front of you. Okay?’’
‘‘Fine with me, but don’t go giving her the benefit of the doubt. She’d as soon hook you as look at you.’’
Rand roped and snubbed the cow up tight to the tree, ignoring the bawling fight the critter put up. ‘‘Good grief, Fawn, you aren’t a wild longhorn mama. You’re a tame milk cow.’’
‘‘She forgot to read that line on the bill of sale.’’ Opal reached for the calf and caught only air. ‘‘Feisty little thing, aren’t you?’’ She grabbed again and got an arm around its neck. Rand took it from her, and when she was mounted, he laid it across Opal’s lap.
‘‘You better hang on to him.’’
‘‘I will.’’
Together they made their way back to the trail and on homeward, Fawn trotting beside Bay, talking all the way.
‘‘Think we’ve been cussed out in cow language,’’ Opal said when she and Rand were riding side by side.
‘‘Probably a good thing we can’t understand cow talk.’’
‘‘Oh, I think she’s getting her point across.’’
‘‘Just so she doesn’t implant those points into one of us or the horses.’’
Back at the barn they ran Fawn into a box stall and slid her calf in through the door before slamming it in her face as she charged them.
‘‘She always going to act like this?’’
‘‘No. Once she’s in the stanchion, she’ll calm down. Think she’s been too long with the longhorns. They’ve been giving her lessons.’’
‘‘I’m going to work with Missy for a while before supper.’’ She’d not had time to work with the filly for three days.
‘‘Probably not. There’s the bell.’’
Opal groaned. She pulled her rifle from the scabbard, knowing she had to clean the gun before she went to bed. That was one of the rules Rand had taught her. You took care of your horse, your rifle, and your rope, and they’d take care of you.
Ruby thought she should take care of more around the house. But how could Opal build a reputation as a horse trainer if she never had time to train horses?
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘‘I want my mama.’’
Jacob stared at the boy. Was this really his son? When he forced himself to think, he knew there could not be much doubt, considering Joel looked enough like Jacob’s younger brother to make him homesick. And his younger brother was not only too young to have a seven-year-old son, but he had not been the one to make love to Melody.
All Jacob wanted to do was go kill some more firewood.
‘‘I’m sorry. I don’t think she plans to come back.’’ What a cruel monster you are! He squatted down to be eye level with the child. What would my mother do in this situation? First of all, she’d never be caught in such a mess, and secondly, she’d . . . she’d offer food .
‘‘Are you hungry? Have you eaten?’’ he asked the boy.
‘‘Not since breakfast.’’
‘‘I see. I have some cookies and . . . and . . .’’ His mind searched the larder. ‘‘Do you like bread and cheese?’’
The boy nodded. ‘‘But I don’t want to stay here. I want to go with my mother.’’
‘‘Yes, I’d like your mother to come back too, but in the meantime why don’t you come and eat something?’’
The boy hesitated. His brow furrowed in a manner that Jacob had seen on his father all his life and been told he did
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