floor. Her breath had stopped , and there was a terrible constricting pain in her chest. She hadn ’ t thought of it before now. What if Ryder w ere drifting? What if he hadn ’ t planned to stay on? What if he ’ d only joined the drive out of loyalty to her father and now planned to leave with the others who were moving on?
“ You all right? ” Becca asked, her expression that of true concern.
“ What ’ s the racket, Dusty? ” her father exclaimed. “’ Bout to give a man a heart attack. ”
“ Sorry, Daddy, ” Dusty mumbled.
“ Anyhow, ” Hank continued, “ we need to get them cattle branded today and look ’ em all over good so we can get on with the regular work tomorrow. ”
“ Yes, sir, ” Feller agreed.
The talk turned to low, mumbling , man kind of things . Dusty and Becca sat down together to eat their breakfast at the small drop leaf in one corner of the kitchen .
“ You ’ re as white as snow, Dusty, ” Becca whispered. “ What ’ s the matter? You feelin ’ all right? ”
“ I ’ m fine, ” Dusty told her, trying not to speak in her usual short, irritated manner .
“ Well, all I know is you and I are gonna find ourselves doin ’ more chores ’ round here, since Ryder ’ s the only one of the drive cowboys who’s stayin’ on. The rest are leavin’. That leaves only Daddy, Feller, Guthrie, Titch, Ruff , and Ryder to run the cattle and everythin ’ else! ”
“ Who told y a that? That Ryder was the only one stayin ’ on? ” Trying to cover her obvious interest, Dusty added, “ At least four stayed on after the last drive , and Daddy didn ’ t bring all that many cattle home last time. ”
“ Ryder told me last night. Said the others didn ’ t want to stay…that he was the only one stayin ’ on, ” Becca said as she concentrated on eating her eggs.
A wave of a nxious relief washed over Dusty, and although it was merely first thing in the morning, she felt tired— drained already as if she ’ d worked all day.
“ I saw this dress in Miss Raynetta ’ s dress shop window, Dusty! ” Becca began, lowering her voice excitedly. “ It ’ s all yellows and greens! Do you think I might talk Daddy into letting me have it for the Fourth of July picnic in town? ”
Dusty smiled. Becca ’ s eyes were lit up like train lanterns. “ I ’ m sure y a can, Becca, ” Dusty answered. “ He never says no to you, now does he? ”
“ He never says no to you either, Dusty, ” Becca reminded with a smile.
“ That ’ s ’ cause we ’ re good girls. We never ask for more than we should. ”
Breakfast went along, the men having their own c onversation at the big table, Dusty and Becca listening most of the time. At last, Dusty finished off her biscuit and stood. Placing her plate in the sink, she watched as her daddy and each hand, in turn, put his plate in the sink, snatched his hat off the rack by the door , and left with a, “ Thank you, Miss Dusty. ”
Ryder was the last one to leave the table. As he approached the sink where Dusty still stood, she felt as if a blazing , fiery torch were moving toward her. With each stride he made toward her, she began to feel hot and uncomfortable. He deposited his plate in the sink , and as he took his hat from the rack, he said, “ Y our mama never did better, Dust— Miss Dusty. Thank you. ”
“ You ’ re welcome, ” she managed to reply , trying to sound unaffected by his presence and compliment.
“ Miss Becca, ” he nodded to Becca before leaving.
Becca rose from her seat and joined Dusty at the sink. “ You ’ re gonna have to love him, y a know, ” she whispered.
“ Rebecca! ” Dusty scolded. “ What is wrong with you? ”
“ Nothin ’ . I ’ ve just decided I ’ m not gonna let you ruin your life or anybody else ’ s anymore. It was f ate that brought him back here…f ate or a greater power. And I ain ’ t gonna let you ruin it! ” Becca told her.
“ Becca…stop it now. I don ’ t
“ You all right? ” Becca asked, her expression that of true concern.
“ What ’ s the racket, Dusty? ” her father exclaimed. “’ Bout to give a man a heart attack. ”
“ Sorry, Daddy, ” Dusty mumbled.
“ Anyhow, ” Hank continued, “ we need to get them cattle branded today and look ’ em all over good so we can get on with the regular work tomorrow. ”
“ Yes, sir, ” Feller agreed.
The talk turned to low, mumbling , man kind of things . Dusty and Becca sat down together to eat their breakfast at the small drop leaf in one corner of the kitchen .
“ You ’ re as white as snow, Dusty, ” Becca whispered. “ What ’ s the matter? You feelin ’ all right? ”
“ I ’ m fine, ” Dusty told her, trying not to speak in her usual short, irritated manner .
“ Well, all I know is you and I are gonna find ourselves doin ’ more chores ’ round here, since Ryder ’ s the only one of the drive cowboys who’s stayin’ on. The rest are leavin’. That leaves only Daddy, Feller, Guthrie, Titch, Ruff , and Ryder to run the cattle and everythin ’ else! ”
“ Who told y a that? That Ryder was the only one stayin ’ on? ” Trying to cover her obvious interest, Dusty added, “ At least four stayed on after the last drive , and Daddy didn ’ t bring all that many cattle home last time. ”
“ Ryder told me last night. Said the others didn ’ t want to stay…that he was the only one stayin ’ on, ” Becca said as she concentrated on eating her eggs.
A wave of a nxious relief washed over Dusty, and although it was merely first thing in the morning, she felt tired— drained already as if she ’ d worked all day.
“ I saw this dress in Miss Raynetta ’ s dress shop window, Dusty! ” Becca began, lowering her voice excitedly. “ It ’ s all yellows and greens! Do you think I might talk Daddy into letting me have it for the Fourth of July picnic in town? ”
Dusty smiled. Becca ’ s eyes were lit up like train lanterns. “ I ’ m sure y a can, Becca, ” Dusty answered. “ He never says no to you, now does he? ”
“ He never says no to you either, Dusty, ” Becca reminded with a smile.
“ That ’ s ’ cause we ’ re good girls. We never ask for more than we should. ”
Breakfast went along, the men having their own c onversation at the big table, Dusty and Becca listening most of the time. At last, Dusty finished off her biscuit and stood. Placing her plate in the sink, she watched as her daddy and each hand, in turn, put his plate in the sink, snatched his hat off the rack by the door , and left with a, “ Thank you, Miss Dusty. ”
Ryder was the last one to leave the table. As he approached the sink where Dusty still stood, she felt as if a blazing , fiery torch were moving toward her. With each stride he made toward her, she began to feel hot and uncomfortable. He deposited his plate in the sink , and as he took his hat from the rack, he said, “ Y our mama never did better, Dust— Miss Dusty. Thank you. ”
“ You ’ re welcome, ” she managed to reply , trying to sound unaffected by his presence and compliment.
“ Miss Becca, ” he nodded to Becca before leaving.
Becca rose from her seat and joined Dusty at the sink. “ You ’ re gonna have to love him, y a know, ” she whispered.
“ Rebecca! ” Dusty scolded. “ What is wrong with you? ”
“ Nothin ’ . I ’ ve just decided I ’ m not gonna let you ruin your life or anybody else ’ s anymore. It was f ate that brought him back here…f ate or a greater power. And I ain ’ t gonna let you ruin it! ” Becca told her.
“ Becca…stop it now. I don ’ t
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