The Stafford Collection, Historical Western Romances by Lynn Hubbard

it upstream. She swallowed her fill and refilled it with fresh water.  Taking her bandanna off, she dipped it in the water and washed her face and neck before wringing it out and wrapping it around her neck. She felt much better.
    She noticed Brock and Troy on the other side and walked over to him in spite of herself.  She took care coming up behind Star; it was never a good idea to startle a horse. Horses had a mean kick.  Even the gentle ones could be spooked.
    “In a hurry?”  he asked, referring to the quick pace Sabrina had set.
    “I’ve better things to do,” she said tartly.
    Brock grinned at her.  For some reason he enjoyed taunting the boy. “Sure is warm; maybe we could go for a swim later. If my information is correct, I was told there was a swimming hole nearby the place.” He took his hat off, wiping his face and neck with his own bandanna.
    Sabrina couldn’t help staring at the wet curls clinging to his neck and face. She had an urge to push them back in place and bit her lip as she looked away, chastising her thoughts.
    “I don’t swim.” Sabrina mounted Star and nudged her into a trot, using the stream as a guide.
    Brock easily caught up to her with Troy’s large stride. She had felt like galloping but didn’t want to labor the horse in the heat.
    “I could teach you if you don’t know how, ” Brock offered generously as he rode next to her.
    Sabrina looked over at him, annoyed to see him smiling at her. “I know how to swim, I just choose not to.”
    “Your loss,” Brock replied, ending the conversation for now.  He was surprised a short while later when Will announced they had arrived. 
    Built into the countryside, the “shanty” as Mac had called it, was an earth dwelling. Three sides were made out of fallen timber that had been cut and hewn to fit together and the back was packed earth as it was dug out of the hillside. The earthy cover extended out and over the roof. The house blended in perfectly with the landscape of trees.
    Brock dismounted and went to inspect the inside. He looked back at Sabrina to see if she was coming and was surprised to see her still on Star. “Coming?”  He asked.
    She snorted, “Those places are always crawling with bugs. I’ll wait here, thanks.”
    “Ya scared of bugs? Aren’t there bugs in the stables?” Brock asked, raising an eyebrow. 
    “Of course not! I bet you couldn’t find one spider in my whole stable. I keep it clean.”
    Brock grunted something and turned around to enter the house. He moved too quickly and banged his head on the low door frame. He cursed, checking for blood as he held his hand over his forehead. Behind him he could hear laughter.
    “Watch out for the low ceilings.”
    Gritting his teeth, he disappeared inside. The inside was actually larger than he had expected. It had a small stone fireplace and a wooden floor. It would suit his needs for now but he was thinking of the future. There were cobwebs everywhere with insect carcasses caught inside. He turned around to head back out the door and BAM! He hit his head again on a roofing timber.  Grumbling as he stooped lower, he crossed it off his list.
    Sabrina snickered as he came out covered with cobwebs and holding his sore head.
    “A bit small,” he mumbled as Sabrina laughed out loud. She leaned down and grasped a piece of cobweb trailing from his hair.  Her hand accidentally brushed his cheek and he looked up at her, catching her eyes for an instant.  He frowned as he watched Will.  The boy seemed embarrassed for some reason. Brock wiped his face again; it was hot.
    Brock spied a glint of light dancing on the surface of a pond partially hidden in the trees.  “Let’s eat before we head off, “ he said. He took Troy’s reins and walked over as Sabrina followed on Star.
    “I didn’t pack anything to eat.”
    “I had Mac pack enough for two,” Brock said, tying Troy to a nearby tree.
    Her eyes narrowed at his response. “So you just assumed I would