suddenly she had only seconds to react. The man lunged at her and she brought the rolling pin down on his head. The crack resounded through the air and she stumbled backward from the force of the impact. The man dropped to the floor with a thud and lay still.
Angeline was breathing so hard she was getting lightheaded. Alice appeared beside her, staring up with wide brown eyes.
“Angeline, I think you killed him.”
“If I did, then he had it coming. That man was hurting you and he tried to hurt me.” Normally Angeline would have run for help, but she was determined to finish this situation on her own. “Now let’s check on your errant beau.”
“He’s not my beau. He’s just a man I met yesterday who was nice to me. One of the cowboys passing through townwho was handsome.” Alice’s voice cracked. “Why do I always let myself be wooed by a pair of pretty eyes?”
“Stop feeling sorry for yourself and help me.” Angeline rolled the man over and checked to be sure he was breathing. At least she hadn’t killed him. “Go get the lantern from the kitchen and a tablecloth.”
Alice ran to the kitchen and reappeared seconds later with a tablecloth clutched in one hand and the unlit lantern in the other. Angeline sighed and took the lantern from her.
“Now go get a match to light it.”
Alice pulled one from her pocket and Angeline smiled at her. It was the first time the two of them had connected and, strangely enough, it was over the prone body of an unsuitable suitor.
Angeline lit the lantern, then adjusted the wick so they could see better. The cowboy was handsome, with sandy blond hair and a strong jaw. He was also huge. No wonder Alice couldn’t fight him off. Angeline swallowed the lump in her throat at the possibility of what the man would have done to Alice if she hadn’t conked him on the head.
She laid out the tablecloth beside the man on the floor. “Now let’s roll him onto it.”
The two of them managed to get him onto the tablecloth with a lot of effort. Angeline was panting and sweating by the time she was done. She glanced down and realized she was only wearing her nightrail.
“I’m going to get my coat; then we’re going to drag him outside.”
Alice’s eyes widened. “We’re going to do what?”
“You heard me. We’re going to drag him into the mud where he belongs. Then we’ll wake up the sheriff.” Angeline wanted the cowboy to know exactly who had bested him and whom not to bother again.
By the time she got downstairs, Alice had slid the man all the way to the front door on her own. Angeline gaped at her.
“You’re stronger than you look.”
“So are you. Now let’s get this man out of here before I get too scared to help.” Alice, despite her brave words, was trembling beside Angeline.
Within minutes they’d dragged the man out onto the porch, down the stairs—although he’d moaned as each step made his head bounce—and into the street.
Angeline wiped her brow on her coat sleeve. “Now we need Sheriff Booth and some rope.”
“I’ll get the sheriff.” Alice took off running down the street, her petticoats flying around her in the darkness like a flag.
Angeline went back inside to the kitchen and found twine. She cut off a length and hurried back outside. By the time Alice came back with the sheriff, the man was tied up like a turkey and snoring like a saw.
“Miss Angeline, what’s going on?” Sheriff Booth was a good man, one she trusted.
“This man was attacking Alice, so I hit him on the head with a rolling pin. We dragged him out here and tied him up for you.” Angeline rose, the stress of the night’s activities making exhaustion wind its way around her. “He’s a big man so I’d suggest a horse or wagon to transport him to jail.”
“Well, then, that’s a right fine idea,” the sheriff said. Ange-line realized that over the course of the last eight months, she’d made friends in Forestville. It made her feel proud to be a part
Angeline was breathing so hard she was getting lightheaded. Alice appeared beside her, staring up with wide brown eyes.
“Angeline, I think you killed him.”
“If I did, then he had it coming. That man was hurting you and he tried to hurt me.” Normally Angeline would have run for help, but she was determined to finish this situation on her own. “Now let’s check on your errant beau.”
“He’s not my beau. He’s just a man I met yesterday who was nice to me. One of the cowboys passing through townwho was handsome.” Alice’s voice cracked. “Why do I always let myself be wooed by a pair of pretty eyes?”
“Stop feeling sorry for yourself and help me.” Angeline rolled the man over and checked to be sure he was breathing. At least she hadn’t killed him. “Go get the lantern from the kitchen and a tablecloth.”
Alice ran to the kitchen and reappeared seconds later with a tablecloth clutched in one hand and the unlit lantern in the other. Angeline sighed and took the lantern from her.
“Now go get a match to light it.”
Alice pulled one from her pocket and Angeline smiled at her. It was the first time the two of them had connected and, strangely enough, it was over the prone body of an unsuitable suitor.
Angeline lit the lantern, then adjusted the wick so they could see better. The cowboy was handsome, with sandy blond hair and a strong jaw. He was also huge. No wonder Alice couldn’t fight him off. Angeline swallowed the lump in her throat at the possibility of what the man would have done to Alice if she hadn’t conked him on the head.
She laid out the tablecloth beside the man on the floor. “Now let’s roll him onto it.”
The two of them managed to get him onto the tablecloth with a lot of effort. Angeline was panting and sweating by the time she was done. She glanced down and realized she was only wearing her nightrail.
“I’m going to get my coat; then we’re going to drag him outside.”
Alice’s eyes widened. “We’re going to do what?”
“You heard me. We’re going to drag him into the mud where he belongs. Then we’ll wake up the sheriff.” Angeline wanted the cowboy to know exactly who had bested him and whom not to bother again.
By the time she got downstairs, Alice had slid the man all the way to the front door on her own. Angeline gaped at her.
“You’re stronger than you look.”
“So are you. Now let’s get this man out of here before I get too scared to help.” Alice, despite her brave words, was trembling beside Angeline.
Within minutes they’d dragged the man out onto the porch, down the stairs—although he’d moaned as each step made his head bounce—and into the street.
Angeline wiped her brow on her coat sleeve. “Now we need Sheriff Booth and some rope.”
“I’ll get the sheriff.” Alice took off running down the street, her petticoats flying around her in the darkness like a flag.
Angeline went back inside to the kitchen and found twine. She cut off a length and hurried back outside. By the time Alice came back with the sheriff, the man was tied up like a turkey and snoring like a saw.
“Miss Angeline, what’s going on?” Sheriff Booth was a good man, one she trusted.
“This man was attacking Alice, so I hit him on the head with a rolling pin. We dragged him out here and tied him up for you.” Angeline rose, the stress of the night’s activities making exhaustion wind its way around her. “He’s a big man so I’d suggest a horse or wagon to transport him to jail.”
“Well, then, that’s a right fine idea,” the sheriff said. Ange-line realized that over the course of the last eight months, she’d made friends in Forestville. It made her feel proud to be a part
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