her how I feel about her. But she's strong. Of that, I'm sure."
"Do you know how she feels about you?"
"Yes. I see it in her eyes, in the way she touches me."
The old man's eyes grew distant as he recalled far away days. "Your grandmother loved me like that," he finally said. Now that his pipe had gone out, he rose to his feet. "Be patient with your parents. They won't understand, but they love you. I don't know what to tell you about her parents. Just be prepared for their anger."
Two Hawks only nodded. He had already seen some of Joshua Cooper's anger, and that was only over a kiss.
Chapter 9 - Liam O'Connell
Later that week, one midmorning, Paul ran to the yard from the river, his arms flailing wildly. "Pa! Pa! Soldiers!"
Joshua stepped out of the barn and took a few steps in the direction Paul pointed. In the distance, U.S. Cavalry rode slowly but deliberately toward their house. "Go tell your ma."
Paul hurried into the house with his news.
"Soldiers? How many?" May asked as she stepped to the door to look out.
"I dunno. Fifteen, twenty maybe."
"Lana, check the coffee," May ordered over her shoulder as she stepped into the bright sunshine to stand beside her husband. In a few minutes, their dirt yard filled with twenty stamping, thirsty horses and saddle-weary men.
"Dismount!" The men swung out of their saddles and, with their feet barely on the ground, began rolling cigarettes.
"Water detail!" the sergeant called out. Four men gathered up the horses' reins and walked the animals to the river.
A young lieutenant walked over to Joshua, hand extended. "Good morning, sir. I'm Lt. O'Connell. Liam O'Connell." The two men shook hands.
"Lieutenant. Welcome. I'm Joshua Cooper. And this is my wife, May."
"Mr. Cooper, Ma'am." Lt. O'Connell tipped his hat. He was taller than Joshua by a few inches, but not quite as muscular. His dark brown hair curled past his collar, his face tanned from his time in the saddle.
"Lieutenant, won't you please come in for coffee?" May invited.
"Thank you." He followed May into the house and stopped just inside the door when he caught sight of Lana.
Joshua almost bumped into his back, but managed to step around him. "This is my daughter, Lana."
"Miss Cooper." Lt. O'Connell nodded, but didn't smile as he took off his hat.
Lana straightened up from the fireplace, the coffeepot in her hand, and walked toward the table as she quickly looked him over. "Hello," she said shyly. "Coffee?"
"Yes, please." He sat down and smiled at Paul. "You must be the one we saw running toward the house."
Paul blushed as he grinned.
"I've got two more boys," Joshua explained as he sat beside Liam, "but my oldest and youngest are out hunting right now."
Liam took a sip of the hot coffee and set the cup down.
"I assume you're from Ft. Worth. What brings you out this far?" May asked.
"Yes'm. I'm on a scouting mission, but I saw your place and thought I should stop by."
"A scouting mission? Is there trouble?" Joshua frowned.
Liam glanced at May and Lana, not wanting to alarm them.
"Whatever it is, Lieutenant," May told him, "tell us. My daughter and I live here, too, so we need to know."
Liam sighed, then looked at Joshua. "Apache trouble. They've been raiding all along the Brazos and are getting closer. We almost caught up to them two nights ago, but they got away."
"Exactly what kind of trouble?" Joshua asked.
"Mainly, they're stealing horses, though they've burned out two homesteads in the last month." Liam looked across the room at Lana, staring wide-eyed at this news. He made himself look away. A young woman shouldn't be out here, especially one that beautiful.
May walked over to stand behind her husband and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure we can handle whatever happens." Then she asked, "Can you stay for a while, Lieutenant? Or do you have to leave right away? We'd love to have you stay for dinner. We don't get much company out this way."
"My troops have been in the saddle for days
"Do you know how she feels about you?"
"Yes. I see it in her eyes, in the way she touches me."
The old man's eyes grew distant as he recalled far away days. "Your grandmother loved me like that," he finally said. Now that his pipe had gone out, he rose to his feet. "Be patient with your parents. They won't understand, but they love you. I don't know what to tell you about her parents. Just be prepared for their anger."
Two Hawks only nodded. He had already seen some of Joshua Cooper's anger, and that was only over a kiss.
Chapter 9 - Liam O'Connell
Later that week, one midmorning, Paul ran to the yard from the river, his arms flailing wildly. "Pa! Pa! Soldiers!"
Joshua stepped out of the barn and took a few steps in the direction Paul pointed. In the distance, U.S. Cavalry rode slowly but deliberately toward their house. "Go tell your ma."
Paul hurried into the house with his news.
"Soldiers? How many?" May asked as she stepped to the door to look out.
"I dunno. Fifteen, twenty maybe."
"Lana, check the coffee," May ordered over her shoulder as she stepped into the bright sunshine to stand beside her husband. In a few minutes, their dirt yard filled with twenty stamping, thirsty horses and saddle-weary men.
"Dismount!" The men swung out of their saddles and, with their feet barely on the ground, began rolling cigarettes.
"Water detail!" the sergeant called out. Four men gathered up the horses' reins and walked the animals to the river.
A young lieutenant walked over to Joshua, hand extended. "Good morning, sir. I'm Lt. O'Connell. Liam O'Connell." The two men shook hands.
"Lieutenant. Welcome. I'm Joshua Cooper. And this is my wife, May."
"Mr. Cooper, Ma'am." Lt. O'Connell tipped his hat. He was taller than Joshua by a few inches, but not quite as muscular. His dark brown hair curled past his collar, his face tanned from his time in the saddle.
"Lieutenant, won't you please come in for coffee?" May invited.
"Thank you." He followed May into the house and stopped just inside the door when he caught sight of Lana.
Joshua almost bumped into his back, but managed to step around him. "This is my daughter, Lana."
"Miss Cooper." Lt. O'Connell nodded, but didn't smile as he took off his hat.
Lana straightened up from the fireplace, the coffeepot in her hand, and walked toward the table as she quickly looked him over. "Hello," she said shyly. "Coffee?"
"Yes, please." He sat down and smiled at Paul. "You must be the one we saw running toward the house."
Paul blushed as he grinned.
"I've got two more boys," Joshua explained as he sat beside Liam, "but my oldest and youngest are out hunting right now."
Liam took a sip of the hot coffee and set the cup down.
"I assume you're from Ft. Worth. What brings you out this far?" May asked.
"Yes'm. I'm on a scouting mission, but I saw your place and thought I should stop by."
"A scouting mission? Is there trouble?" Joshua frowned.
Liam glanced at May and Lana, not wanting to alarm them.
"Whatever it is, Lieutenant," May told him, "tell us. My daughter and I live here, too, so we need to know."
Liam sighed, then looked at Joshua. "Apache trouble. They've been raiding all along the Brazos and are getting closer. We almost caught up to them two nights ago, but they got away."
"Exactly what kind of trouble?" Joshua asked.
"Mainly, they're stealing horses, though they've burned out two homesteads in the last month." Liam looked across the room at Lana, staring wide-eyed at this news. He made himself look away. A young woman shouldn't be out here, especially one that beautiful.
May walked over to stand behind her husband and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure we can handle whatever happens." Then she asked, "Can you stay for a while, Lieutenant? Or do you have to leave right away? We'd love to have you stay for dinner. We don't get much company out this way."
"My troops have been in the saddle for days
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