Read Online Sourdough Creek by Caroline Fyffe - Free Book Online Page B

darn cat was going to be the death of her yet.
    Cassie rose to her elbow. “Here kitty, kitty, kitty,” she softly called to their pet.
    Right before her eyes the golden orbs seemed to take flight into the sky. A heart-stopping snarl shattered the stillness, causing all the horses to snort and squeal in unison.
    Cassie’s scream ripped through the darkness. In turn, Josephine shrieked hysterically and reached for her. Scooping her up, she dashed over to Sam’s side of the fire and fell down beside him on his bedroll.
    “Mountain lion,” he yelled over the roar of his gun. He shot another round into the air.
    Cassie was a shivering ball of fright. Josephine was crying and holding tight. She couldn’t stop herself and took hold of Sam’s trousers as he stood. The thick stench of gun powder burned her lungs. He tried to take a step but was stopped by her grip around his leg.
    He knelt. “It’s long gone.” The horses snorted again nervously, milling around.
    “I need to check the horses,” he said. “We’ll be sore put out if they get loose and run off. I’ll be right back.”
    “We’ll go with you.”
    “Cassie, the mountain lion is clear over the other side of the Sierra Nevada by now.”
    Her teeth wouldn’t stop chattering. Josephine was silent, but her grip on Cassie’s arm was fierce.
    He took one step and stopped. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
    A swirl of thankfulness for Sam’s protection moved through her as he walked away. He was such a good man. Nothing like the men her mother had warned her about. She was safe with him, and so was Josephine.
     
    Returning, Sam found Cassie and Josephine’s blanket moved from the other side of the fire. Placed neatly between his bedroll and the now crackling flames, their blankets touched his, and looked like one big bed. Josephine was already curled up in it, fast asleep. Cassie added wood to the fire and now it was blazing.
    “The horses are all right, then?” Cassie sat atop her side of the blanket, with the fire to her back.
    “Yes. Just a bit spooked. I’m grateful for the hobbles.”
    Moments passed. Sam stood, wondering what to do.
    “This isn’t necessary, you know,” he offered, gesturing to the new sleeping arrangements.
    Cassie held her finger to her lips, looking at her little sister. “Do you mind? Josephine insisted on it. She’s frightened to tears.”
    Josephine, Sam thought, looked pretty darn relaxed.
    “Uh…I see.” He fidgeted and repositioned his saddle next to his bed. Once settled on his bedroll, he stretched out on his side, facing Cassie, with only Josephine between them. He cupped his head in the palm of his hand and smiled. “You should get back to sleep.”
    “I will.”
    “Be careful your blanket doesn’t catch.”
    “I made sure it was far enough away.” She glanced back, checking the distance. “Plenty of room. I wonder where Ashes is. I hope the mountain lion didn’t eat her.”
    “I hope it did.”
    “ Sam ! Josephine would be heartbroken if something happened to her. Ever since our ma died, she and that cat have been inseparable.”
    “Well, I guess I’m just teasing, or maybe not,” he murmured. “But be warned. There is a good chance the mountain lion has scared her off. We may not find her in the morning.”
    Cassie bit her bottom lip. She looked very young in the firelight, her chiseled cheekbones and angelic profile enchanting. Her nose had almost returned to what Sam thought must be its normal size. Her hair glistened.
    “I didn’t think of that.” Her brow furrowed.
    She reached down and fingered the downy hair on her sister’s sleeping head. “I want to protect her, Sam. She’s already suffered so much for someone so young.”
    For an instant he wondered what it would feel like to kiss her, hold her tight in his arms. More than a few thoughts had gone through his mind when he’d rescued her from falling. She’d smelled sweet, and her eyes were twinkling so much he hadn’t a