holes once the women are gone?”
“I might.”
“James, you and Chet have no business fussin’ with each other right now. Won’t solve a thing,” Rachel said, slipping her arms around Serena’s waist. “You two have been friends for quite a spell, and this is not the way to end it.”
“You’re right,” her pa said, not once glancing at Ma or Serena. His fingers still rested entirely too close to the trigger. “So I’m a fixin’ to send him on ahead to meet the other boys. You two head back to the cabin, and I’ll give the
lieutenant
his orders. He might need special instructions, since he appears to be hard of hearing.”
Serena saw an angry spark in Chet’s eyes. How could the two men she loved be at such odds with each other?
“Cap’n, this won’t work,” Chet said, crossing his arms defiantly and standing square. “You can send me on ahead, but you can’t stop me from having feelings for Serena.”
“Feel what you want—but you ain’t touching my daughter again.”
“You make it sound like I’ve done a bad thing here.”
Ma urged Serena to take Pa’s horse. Grasping the reins, she climbed on the saddle, braving one last look at Chet. His composed expression gave her the chills. No wonder he was one of Pa’s best rangers. She wouldn’t want to face either one of them knee-deep in trouble.
Brokenhearted, she pulled Pa’s horse behind the mare. How could he not understand a man and a woman in love? As they passed the men, Chet made a comment, but Pa bellowed about God intending for a man to respect another man’s words.
The horses clipped along at a trot, single file along the path she and Chet had walked hours before. Behind her the muffled sounds of the arguing men churned her insides, and before her lay nothing but loneliness without Chet—before it had even begun.
When Ma slowed her mare to ride side by side with Serena, she could no longer contain her sorrow. “Ma, how could Pa be so mean?” she asked, her eyes brimming with tears.
She sighed and slowed her horse to a halt. “Oh…he simply sees too much of himself in Chet,” her ma replied. She gazed at her through pale blue eyes and smiled sadly. “I hate this for you because I remember all those same feelings.”
“But you two made it just fine.”
“Yes, we have. Your pa loves you, Serena, but he doesn’t want you spending night after night alone and worrying over the man you love.”
Serena stiffened, her heart beating furiously in righteous indignation. “Ma, I’m a full-grown woman. I know my heart and mind, and it’s with Chet.”
“Then you best be praying God does a mighty work in your pa ’cause his mind is dead set against any ranger courtin’ his daughter.” She sighed and glanced up into the treetops. “I ought to know, I spent the better part of the past few hours trying to convince him.”
Gratitude entwined with love washed over Serena. “Oh, Ma, I’m so sorry. You didn’t have to use your time with Pa discussing Chet and me. He and I will figure this out.”
Her mother raised a brow and peered into Serena’s face. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Ma, you know I mean we’re expecting God to work out this problem with Pa.”
“And He doesn’t need your help.”
Chet expelled a heavy sigh as he reined his horse away from the Talbot cabin. The orangey-red shadows of evening clung to him, reminding him a portion of his life was fading into a memory. He’d found love and lost it in two short days. He’d known Serena better than two years and liked her as a little girl—and loved her as a woman.
The cap’n had sure enough wanted to blow a hole through him. Never had he seen him so mad, and nothing Chet said could move him. Not once had the cap’n moved his hand away from his gun.
“I’m not out to hurt her,” he’d told the cap’n.
“Don’t you think being away from her all the time is gonna hurt her? It ain’t just hard, ya fool. The pain in a woman’s eyes
“I might.”
“James, you and Chet have no business fussin’ with each other right now. Won’t solve a thing,” Rachel said, slipping her arms around Serena’s waist. “You two have been friends for quite a spell, and this is not the way to end it.”
“You’re right,” her pa said, not once glancing at Ma or Serena. His fingers still rested entirely too close to the trigger. “So I’m a fixin’ to send him on ahead to meet the other boys. You two head back to the cabin, and I’ll give the
lieutenant
his orders. He might need special instructions, since he appears to be hard of hearing.”
Serena saw an angry spark in Chet’s eyes. How could the two men she loved be at such odds with each other?
“Cap’n, this won’t work,” Chet said, crossing his arms defiantly and standing square. “You can send me on ahead, but you can’t stop me from having feelings for Serena.”
“Feel what you want—but you ain’t touching my daughter again.”
“You make it sound like I’ve done a bad thing here.”
Ma urged Serena to take Pa’s horse. Grasping the reins, she climbed on the saddle, braving one last look at Chet. His composed expression gave her the chills. No wonder he was one of Pa’s best rangers. She wouldn’t want to face either one of them knee-deep in trouble.
Brokenhearted, she pulled Pa’s horse behind the mare. How could he not understand a man and a woman in love? As they passed the men, Chet made a comment, but Pa bellowed about God intending for a man to respect another man’s words.
The horses clipped along at a trot, single file along the path she and Chet had walked hours before. Behind her the muffled sounds of the arguing men churned her insides, and before her lay nothing but loneliness without Chet—before it had even begun.
When Ma slowed her mare to ride side by side with Serena, she could no longer contain her sorrow. “Ma, how could Pa be so mean?” she asked, her eyes brimming with tears.
She sighed and slowed her horse to a halt. “Oh…he simply sees too much of himself in Chet,” her ma replied. She gazed at her through pale blue eyes and smiled sadly. “I hate this for you because I remember all those same feelings.”
“But you two made it just fine.”
“Yes, we have. Your pa loves you, Serena, but he doesn’t want you spending night after night alone and worrying over the man you love.”
Serena stiffened, her heart beating furiously in righteous indignation. “Ma, I’m a full-grown woman. I know my heart and mind, and it’s with Chet.”
“Then you best be praying God does a mighty work in your pa ’cause his mind is dead set against any ranger courtin’ his daughter.” She sighed and glanced up into the treetops. “I ought to know, I spent the better part of the past few hours trying to convince him.”
Gratitude entwined with love washed over Serena. “Oh, Ma, I’m so sorry. You didn’t have to use your time with Pa discussing Chet and me. He and I will figure this out.”
Her mother raised a brow and peered into Serena’s face. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Ma, you know I mean we’re expecting God to work out this problem with Pa.”
“And He doesn’t need your help.”
Chet expelled a heavy sigh as he reined his horse away from the Talbot cabin. The orangey-red shadows of evening clung to him, reminding him a portion of his life was fading into a memory. He’d found love and lost it in two short days. He’d known Serena better than two years and liked her as a little girl—and loved her as a woman.
The cap’n had sure enough wanted to blow a hole through him. Never had he seen him so mad, and nothing Chet said could move him. Not once had the cap’n moved his hand away from his gun.
“I’m not out to hurt her,” he’d told the cap’n.
“Don’t you think being away from her all the time is gonna hurt her? It ain’t just hard, ya fool. The pain in a woman’s eyes
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