Cowboy Caveat by Vanessa Brooks

her soft brown eyes fluttered open. “My
shoulder hurts real bad,” she whimpered.
    “ Here, let me take a
look,” the Reverend said, dropping to one knee and taking Millie’s
arm gently between his hands.
    “ Dislocated I’m afraid,”
he told Ethan. “I can fix it if’n you want. It’s happened to me and
a few others I’ve travelled with before.”
    “ Will it hurt her much?”
Amy asked before Ethan could speak.
    “ Some…not too much. Best
done straight away, though, before there’s any swelling...it’s real
difficult to get back in place once that happens.”
    Amy nodded. “Do it,” she told him.
    Millie groaned and sat up. The Reverend
looked at Ethan and gestured to him to come and hold Millie. “Just
keep the girl still and hold on tight.”
    Millie looked alarmed, but before she could
open her mouth, the Reverend had pulled her arm out straight, and
with his other hand pressed to her shoulder, he gave a small twist
and a push. There was a click, a pop, and a sharp screech from
Millie, and her shoulder was back in place.
    Ethan stared at the Reverend as he patted
Millie’s head, then stuck his face into the holy man’s, asking,
“Just who the hell are you? ‘Cause you sure as hell ain’t no
reverend, mister!”
    “ You got me there, son!
I’m a Texas Ranger and I been on the trail of those two dead men
over there some eighteen months now. They robbed a train a while
back and killed two men who tried to stop ‘em. They been playing
cat an’ mouse with me for the last few weeks and killed the Ranger
I was working with not three days ago. I decided to change identity
and make for Dallas to talk tactics with a friend of mine who lives
there. Jim has an uncanny knack of understanding the criminal mind.
I owe you a debt sir, you saved my life with your covering shot
back there. I thank you, Mr....”
    “ Ethan, the name is Ethan
Walker, I’m travelling with my wife Amelia over to Dallas to visit
with my wife’s grandmother, along with the family here. This here’s
Luca and the walking wounded lass is Millie.” Ethan half stood and
held out his hand to the Ranger, who reached across to take it in a
firm grip.
    “ I’m obliged to you, Mr.
Walker. The name’s Rick, Rick Cook,” the Ranger said.
    Ethan thought quickly -- this man was a
Ranger so he’d be obligated to take Amy in if he knew about her
shooting Henderson. If he felt he owed Ethan a favor he just might
help them, but could they trust him? He decided to keep silent for
now and concentrate on getting Amy and the children to safety for
the night. “Actually sir, I’m obliged to you for helping Millie
here. I wouldn’t have had any idea how to put her shoulder right.”
Ethan waved at Millie, who was sobbing into Amy’s shoulder.
    “ You are most welcome, Mr.
Walker. Now if we are to get to shelter tonight, we had all best
start walking. I don’t think the staging post is too much farther
on from here. I reckon it’s just away over that rise, a mile at
best, d’you think that your youngsters can make it that
far?”
    “’ Course they can and so
can I!” retorted Amy, while helping Millie up and giving her a
quick hug before releasing her and turning to the men.
    “ Okay then, gather up what
you need and can carry. We’ll store the rest inside the coach and
collect it another day.”
    * * * * *
    Tyler was lying on his tummy hidden in the
long grass, watching with amazement as the wild white stallion
mounted a mare. The horse was standing up on his hind legs, his
forelegs were placed along the mare’s back, and he was nipping at
her neck. Tyler crouched downwind, only a few feet away, trembling
with excitement. He had been trailing the stallion for a few days
now on and off, and this was the first time he had caught up as
close as this to the wild herd. He wanted to capture this stallion
so much for the white breeding stock that Amy had collected. He was
such a magnificent beast! Tyler knew that Ed would take