he asked, looking at Cassie.
“When everyone started leaving town, our being alone didn’t seem like such a big deal at first. Then, when there were only a few people left, I suddenly realized that living in Broken Branch with Klem and Bristol Sherman was not a safe place for either of us.” She didn’t want to share the fact that Uncle Arvid was accused of stealing Klem’s personal property.
Josephine looked up at him with her big blue eyes from the safety and warmth of her sister’s bosom. “They’re not nice! Klem watches everything I do,” she said innocently, not understanding the implications. “He always smiled with his stinky breath and tried to give me candy. Cassie said I could never take it—ever.”
Sam and Cassie exchanged knowing glances.
“I really didn’t think our boy costumes would trick them, but I guess we weren’t around long enough for them to figure it out.”
“Did Bristol ever see you? He recognized your voice right away.”
“So that’s how you found out.” She cocked an eyebrow. “You could have enlightened me, you know. Instead, you let me make a fool out of myself. I’ll bet you were laughing the whole time.”
Cassie released Josephine and stood up, pulling her sister to her feet. She turned her in a circle as she inspected for injuries. Finding nothing broken, she brushed at the dirt clinging to her back.
Sam shrugged. “At times.” He took his handkerchief from his pocket and went over to Split Ear for his canteen. Returning, he dabbed at a few abrasions on Josephine’s face.
“Ouch.”
“Don’t be a baby,” Cassie said gently.
Sam winked at Josephine. “I think you and your sister make darn fine-looking men. I can’t picture the two of you as girls.”
Josephine puffed out her chest proudly and patted her trousers, but Cassie blushed and looked away.
“You ride a horse better than most men I know,” he added, giving Josephine a friendly man-to-man pat on the back, but looked at Cassie. “I’ll bet you can drink ’em under the table, too.”
She turned on him, angry, shaking her finger in his face. “I never drink. We all saw how it affected our fa…uncle. He was…” she shut her mouth, leaving the sentence unfinished.
He winked again and gave her a nod.
Her expression softened when she realized he was jesting. “Sam Ridgeway?”
“Yes?” he answered innocently.
“Don’t go treating me like some girl,” she shot back. “I am capable. I probably shoot better than you, too.”
He burst into laughter. “That’s just it. I’m agreeing with you!” He struggled to get the words out. “You put that bullet square between Bristol’s boots. I didn’t know what was happening.” All the nervous tension over the near tragedy with Josephine escaped, and he laughed until his side hurt and eyes watered. Josephine looked back and forth, clearly confused by the exchange, and began laughing with him.
Cassie was having none of it. “I don’t see what’s so darn funny.”
“Well,” he answered, and once again took out his handkerchief and dried his eyes. “I guess you wouldn’t. But, I have to say, between that event and now this—I think we make a darn fine team, Cassie Angel. How about you?”
She ignored his question and looked at Josephine. “Now, I’d like to know how in the world you ended up on the other side of that cliff?”
“It wasn’t my fault.” Josephine’s expression darkened and tears pooled in her wide eyes, most likely going for sympathy so she wouldn’t be punished. “Ashes ran off into the woods and I went to find her. Farther up, the ravine isn’t wide and I jumped across and then followed Ashes back to where you found me. When I went to pick her up, I slipped.”
“I thought we’d agreed to leave Ashes in Broken Branch. Where she’d be safe and have plenty of food. What happened to that?”
Ashes, sitting on a log nearby, mewed, as if trying to plead her own case.
“I just couldn’t leave
“When everyone started leaving town, our being alone didn’t seem like such a big deal at first. Then, when there were only a few people left, I suddenly realized that living in Broken Branch with Klem and Bristol Sherman was not a safe place for either of us.” She didn’t want to share the fact that Uncle Arvid was accused of stealing Klem’s personal property.
Josephine looked up at him with her big blue eyes from the safety and warmth of her sister’s bosom. “They’re not nice! Klem watches everything I do,” she said innocently, not understanding the implications. “He always smiled with his stinky breath and tried to give me candy. Cassie said I could never take it—ever.”
Sam and Cassie exchanged knowing glances.
“I really didn’t think our boy costumes would trick them, but I guess we weren’t around long enough for them to figure it out.”
“Did Bristol ever see you? He recognized your voice right away.”
“So that’s how you found out.” She cocked an eyebrow. “You could have enlightened me, you know. Instead, you let me make a fool out of myself. I’ll bet you were laughing the whole time.”
Cassie released Josephine and stood up, pulling her sister to her feet. She turned her in a circle as she inspected for injuries. Finding nothing broken, she brushed at the dirt clinging to her back.
Sam shrugged. “At times.” He took his handkerchief from his pocket and went over to Split Ear for his canteen. Returning, he dabbed at a few abrasions on Josephine’s face.
“Ouch.”
“Don’t be a baby,” Cassie said gently.
Sam winked at Josephine. “I think you and your sister make darn fine-looking men. I can’t picture the two of you as girls.”
Josephine puffed out her chest proudly and patted her trousers, but Cassie blushed and looked away.
“You ride a horse better than most men I know,” he added, giving Josephine a friendly man-to-man pat on the back, but looked at Cassie. “I’ll bet you can drink ’em under the table, too.”
She turned on him, angry, shaking her finger in his face. “I never drink. We all saw how it affected our fa…uncle. He was…” she shut her mouth, leaving the sentence unfinished.
He winked again and gave her a nod.
Her expression softened when she realized he was jesting. “Sam Ridgeway?”
“Yes?” he answered innocently.
“Don’t go treating me like some girl,” she shot back. “I am capable. I probably shoot better than you, too.”
He burst into laughter. “That’s just it. I’m agreeing with you!” He struggled to get the words out. “You put that bullet square between Bristol’s boots. I didn’t know what was happening.” All the nervous tension over the near tragedy with Josephine escaped, and he laughed until his side hurt and eyes watered. Josephine looked back and forth, clearly confused by the exchange, and began laughing with him.
Cassie was having none of it. “I don’t see what’s so darn funny.”
“Well,” he answered, and once again took out his handkerchief and dried his eyes. “I guess you wouldn’t. But, I have to say, between that event and now this—I think we make a darn fine team, Cassie Angel. How about you?”
She ignored his question and looked at Josephine. “Now, I’d like to know how in the world you ended up on the other side of that cliff?”
“It wasn’t my fault.” Josephine’s expression darkened and tears pooled in her wide eyes, most likely going for sympathy so she wouldn’t be punished. “Ashes ran off into the woods and I went to find her. Farther up, the ravine isn’t wide and I jumped across and then followed Ashes back to where you found me. When I went to pick her up, I slipped.”
“I thought we’d agreed to leave Ashes in Broken Branch. Where she’d be safe and have plenty of food. What happened to that?”
Ashes, sitting on a log nearby, mewed, as if trying to plead her own case.
“I just couldn’t leave
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