better. With time, she’d learn to trust him. Until then, if a little bitty knife gave her a sense of safety, he wouldn’t kick. “You go ahead and carry that knife as long as you think you need to, Ruthie.”
“I will.”
“But I get the gun.”
“It’s too small for you. It would practically fall out of your holster.”
“I don’t plan to carry it. I just don’t want you to.”
“Then it’s perfectly fine up in my bedchamber.” Ruth’s face lit up as she looked at Laney. “Maybe we could talk Galen into teaching us how to shoot it!”
Josh gritted, “Over my dead body.”
C HAPTER S EVEN
A ll ready, my love.” Galen gave the mare an affectionate pat on the withers. He took up the reins, led the snappy little mustang out to the fence, and tied her there. She tossed her head and whinnied as if eager to get to her job.
“Expecting an exchange, I see,” Josh called out as he rode up, flanked by a young woman on either side.
“The rider’s due anywhere from ten minutes to a half hour from now.”
“You don’t know the precise time?” Laney asked.
“Horses can’t tell time, lass.” Galen reached up to help Laney dismount. “Did you listen to me and buy something pink yesternoon?”
“I did.”
He turned to assist Miss Caldwell down, but he was too late; Josh beat him to it. A shame, that . Galen rather enjoyed the odd way they’d met yesterday when she fell from the boardwalk. He made a mental note to be sure to help her mount up again when she took her leave. “And you, Miss Caldwell—did you find anything that suited you?”
“The only fabric Laney didn’t suggest I needed was the red flannel you bought.” Ruth smiled at him. “I think she’s of the opinion that as long as she keeps me sewing, I’ll stay here.”
“Then we’ll have to be sure Lester stocks plenty of material at the mercantile.”
“I brought onions for your daddy.” Laney touched his arm. “How’s he feeling?”
“He was still asleep when I left the house. Run on up and find out for yourself. I’m sure Ma would love to see you.”
Ruth lagged back. “Will it be too taxing for your parents to have guests?”
“Nay, not a-tall.” Galen shook his head. “You’re new here, but you’ll find out fast that the door’s always open at the O’Sullivans’. Da and Ma love folks droppin’ in. ’Tis a blessing to have the company of friends.”
Laney tugged on his sleeve. “You’ll call us out when the rider comes, won’t you?”
“No need. You’ll hear the hooves a-flyin’. Ma likes to give the riders a bit to eat or drink. Mayhap you could bring that out this time.”
“How exciting!” Laney turned loose of him, grabbed Ruth’s hand, and headed for the house.
When they were out of earshot, Josh murmured, “Laney’s got it bad for you.”
“She’ll get o’er it.” His friend gave him a dark look. “I’m not a man to play a woman false. I can’t pretend to feel that way for her. I know she’s seventeen, but she’s still a wee lassie to me, Josh.”
“Don’t you break her heart.”
“Half of the attraction is Ma. Laney misses her mama, so when she comes here, the warmth fills her up. ’Tis understandable that she wants to gather it all in and be a part of it. In time, she’ll see she can have all of the attention she craves from Ma without having to be shackled to me.”
“She wouldn’t consider it being shackled.”
“I would.” Galen squinted at the horizon and said nothing more. Six months and … three days. He calculated it in that moment. That’s how long it had been since Melinda ran off with the butcher from Sacramento and left him with a hole the size of Texas in his heart. Last he’d heard, they were expecting their first child. That news jolted him into finally letting go and realizing he had to move on with life.
“The girl’s a beaut, isn’t she?”
“Huh?” Galen jolted out of his thoughts.
“She’s a beaut.”
“Miss
“I will.”
“But I get the gun.”
“It’s too small for you. It would practically fall out of your holster.”
“I don’t plan to carry it. I just don’t want you to.”
“Then it’s perfectly fine up in my bedchamber.” Ruth’s face lit up as she looked at Laney. “Maybe we could talk Galen into teaching us how to shoot it!”
Josh gritted, “Over my dead body.”
C HAPTER S EVEN
A ll ready, my love.” Galen gave the mare an affectionate pat on the withers. He took up the reins, led the snappy little mustang out to the fence, and tied her there. She tossed her head and whinnied as if eager to get to her job.
“Expecting an exchange, I see,” Josh called out as he rode up, flanked by a young woman on either side.
“The rider’s due anywhere from ten minutes to a half hour from now.”
“You don’t know the precise time?” Laney asked.
“Horses can’t tell time, lass.” Galen reached up to help Laney dismount. “Did you listen to me and buy something pink yesternoon?”
“I did.”
He turned to assist Miss Caldwell down, but he was too late; Josh beat him to it. A shame, that . Galen rather enjoyed the odd way they’d met yesterday when she fell from the boardwalk. He made a mental note to be sure to help her mount up again when she took her leave. “And you, Miss Caldwell—did you find anything that suited you?”
“The only fabric Laney didn’t suggest I needed was the red flannel you bought.” Ruth smiled at him. “I think she’s of the opinion that as long as she keeps me sewing, I’ll stay here.”
“Then we’ll have to be sure Lester stocks plenty of material at the mercantile.”
“I brought onions for your daddy.” Laney touched his arm. “How’s he feeling?”
“He was still asleep when I left the house. Run on up and find out for yourself. I’m sure Ma would love to see you.”
Ruth lagged back. “Will it be too taxing for your parents to have guests?”
“Nay, not a-tall.” Galen shook his head. “You’re new here, but you’ll find out fast that the door’s always open at the O’Sullivans’. Da and Ma love folks droppin’ in. ’Tis a blessing to have the company of friends.”
Laney tugged on his sleeve. “You’ll call us out when the rider comes, won’t you?”
“No need. You’ll hear the hooves a-flyin’. Ma likes to give the riders a bit to eat or drink. Mayhap you could bring that out this time.”
“How exciting!” Laney turned loose of him, grabbed Ruth’s hand, and headed for the house.
When they were out of earshot, Josh murmured, “Laney’s got it bad for you.”
“She’ll get o’er it.” His friend gave him a dark look. “I’m not a man to play a woman false. I can’t pretend to feel that way for her. I know she’s seventeen, but she’s still a wee lassie to me, Josh.”
“Don’t you break her heart.”
“Half of the attraction is Ma. Laney misses her mama, so when she comes here, the warmth fills her up. ’Tis understandable that she wants to gather it all in and be a part of it. In time, she’ll see she can have all of the attention she craves from Ma without having to be shackled to me.”
“She wouldn’t consider it being shackled.”
“I would.” Galen squinted at the horizon and said nothing more. Six months and … three days. He calculated it in that moment. That’s how long it had been since Melinda ran off with the butcher from Sacramento and left him with a hole the size of Texas in his heart. Last he’d heard, they were expecting their first child. That news jolted him into finally letting go and realizing he had to move on with life.
“The girl’s a beaut, isn’t she?”
“Huh?” Galen jolted out of his thoughts.
“She’s a beaut.”
“Miss
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