half-dozen times more.
Cautiously, she raised the shovel and peered at the snake.
Across the yard, Holt and Gabby came running, the other children at their heels.
"The kids said there was a snake. Where is it?" Holt demanded.
With a shaky finger, Cami pointed, then threw the shovel from her, her gesture one of loathing. She turned and buried her face in Holt's shirt. She couldn't bear to look at what remained of the critter. Holt's shirt, heck, Holt's arms, seemed a much safer place to be. "Did I kill it?" she asked his top button.
"Dead and then some," he confirmed.
She risked a quick peek over her shoulder and shuddered. "Is that... that... blood? " she whispered in horror.
"I've noticed you tend to get kinda white and funny looking whenever you see blood," Holt said. "You have a thing about it, don't you?"
She swallowed. Hard. "Blood makes me faint," she confessed.
"Faint?"
"As in, pass out cold."
"Got it. That's not blood."
She gazed up at him trustingly. "It's not?"
"Nope. No way."
"What is it?"
"It's... Why, it's snake ooze."
"Snake ooze?" she asked doubtfully, risking another quick glance. She burrowed into his shirt again. "It's awful red for snake ooze," she said in a muffled voice.
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. "It's red snake ooze," he insisted. "Trust me. I've killed many a snake and they don't bleed. They ooze. There's a big difference."
"I still feel sort of dizzy."
"Listen up, Tex." He captured her chin and lifted her face to his. He spoke firmly. "Cowboys, real cowboys, don't faint at the sight of ooze. Blood, maybe. I've seen it happen on occasion. But never ooze."
She shivered, wanting to believe him, desperate to believe him. "No fainting over ooze?"
"No, not ever."
She relaxed marginally. "It's just that I was so frightened. And Tina... Tina!" She looked frantically around. "Where's Tina?"
He rubbed her back with slow, soothing strokes. "She's safe in the ranch house. Everything's fine now. I've got you and everything's going to be all right."
She clutched his shirt, calming beneath his gentle touch. "It's okay? Really okay?" She stared at him, losing herself in his gaze. Something hot and urgent burned in his eyes and her breath caught in her throat. Her grip on his shirt tightened.
"No, Tex. It's not okay," he muttered, his head tilting toward hers. "I don't think it ever was."
Before she had time to react to his harshly spoken statement, Tina's mother descended on them in a flood of grateful tears. The next thing Cami knew, she found herself parted from Holt and knee deep in guests. As one, they proclaimed her a heroine, shook her hand, slapped her back, and passed her around for a group hug.
Gabby approached Holt. "That tears it," he said with a grimace. "Don't suppose we should tell them she killed herself a harmless old bull snake?"
Slowly Holt shook his head. "Best not."
"You do realize this means we'll have to let her stay on. Wouldn't do to fire the fool girl after she's gone and made a hero of herself by beating the stuffing out of a poor defenseless snake."
"No, it wouldn't. Fact is, they'd probably lynch us." A smile crept across Holt's mouth. "Looks like we've got ourselves a new wrangler. She may not be much use with a rope, but she sure has a way with people."
"Not to mention snakes. If'n you was smart, you'd lock up every rope and shovel on the place. Afore she kills somebody." With that, he stomped off.
Holt waited until the excitement died and the guests had turned their interest to other pursuits before approaching Cami. She peeked at him through shiny black curls, her expression slightly abashed.
More than anything he wanted to sweep her into his arms and kiss her senseless. He wanted to watch those glorious blue eyes deepen with passion, to see that dimpled smile slip across her face, to count each sun-ripened freckle bridging her pert, upturned nose. But most of all, he wanted to toss her across his saddle and take her up into the
Cautiously, she raised the shovel and peered at the snake.
Across the yard, Holt and Gabby came running, the other children at their heels.
"The kids said there was a snake. Where is it?" Holt demanded.
With a shaky finger, Cami pointed, then threw the shovel from her, her gesture one of loathing. She turned and buried her face in Holt's shirt. She couldn't bear to look at what remained of the critter. Holt's shirt, heck, Holt's arms, seemed a much safer place to be. "Did I kill it?" she asked his top button.
"Dead and then some," he confirmed.
She risked a quick peek over her shoulder and shuddered. "Is that... that... blood? " she whispered in horror.
"I've noticed you tend to get kinda white and funny looking whenever you see blood," Holt said. "You have a thing about it, don't you?"
She swallowed. Hard. "Blood makes me faint," she confessed.
"Faint?"
"As in, pass out cold."
"Got it. That's not blood."
She gazed up at him trustingly. "It's not?"
"Nope. No way."
"What is it?"
"It's... Why, it's snake ooze."
"Snake ooze?" she asked doubtfully, risking another quick glance. She burrowed into his shirt again. "It's awful red for snake ooze," she said in a muffled voice.
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. "It's red snake ooze," he insisted. "Trust me. I've killed many a snake and they don't bleed. They ooze. There's a big difference."
"I still feel sort of dizzy."
"Listen up, Tex." He captured her chin and lifted her face to his. He spoke firmly. "Cowboys, real cowboys, don't faint at the sight of ooze. Blood, maybe. I've seen it happen on occasion. But never ooze."
She shivered, wanting to believe him, desperate to believe him. "No fainting over ooze?"
"No, not ever."
She relaxed marginally. "It's just that I was so frightened. And Tina... Tina!" She looked frantically around. "Where's Tina?"
He rubbed her back with slow, soothing strokes. "She's safe in the ranch house. Everything's fine now. I've got you and everything's going to be all right."
She clutched his shirt, calming beneath his gentle touch. "It's okay? Really okay?" She stared at him, losing herself in his gaze. Something hot and urgent burned in his eyes and her breath caught in her throat. Her grip on his shirt tightened.
"No, Tex. It's not okay," he muttered, his head tilting toward hers. "I don't think it ever was."
Before she had time to react to his harshly spoken statement, Tina's mother descended on them in a flood of grateful tears. The next thing Cami knew, she found herself parted from Holt and knee deep in guests. As one, they proclaimed her a heroine, shook her hand, slapped her back, and passed her around for a group hug.
Gabby approached Holt. "That tears it," he said with a grimace. "Don't suppose we should tell them she killed herself a harmless old bull snake?"
Slowly Holt shook his head. "Best not."
"You do realize this means we'll have to let her stay on. Wouldn't do to fire the fool girl after she's gone and made a hero of herself by beating the stuffing out of a poor defenseless snake."
"No, it wouldn't. Fact is, they'd probably lynch us." A smile crept across Holt's mouth. "Looks like we've got ourselves a new wrangler. She may not be much use with a rope, but she sure has a way with people."
"Not to mention snakes. If'n you was smart, you'd lock up every rope and shovel on the place. Afore she kills somebody." With that, he stomped off.
Holt waited until the excitement died and the guests had turned their interest to other pursuits before approaching Cami. She peeked at him through shiny black curls, her expression slightly abashed.
More than anything he wanted to sweep her into his arms and kiss her senseless. He wanted to watch those glorious blue eyes deepen with passion, to see that dimpled smile slip across her face, to count each sun-ripened freckle bridging her pert, upturned nose. But most of all, he wanted to toss her across his saddle and take her up into the
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