Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist

Author:Deeanne Gist [Gist, Deeanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: Fiction, Christian, Historical, General, Religious, ebook
ISBN: 9781441202192
Google: nPLfqB0WRLEC
Amazon: B00B8569YW
Publisher: Bethany House
Published: 2007-05-31T16:00:00+00:00

chapter SIXTEEN

MELVIN HEADED TO Twelfth Street, an unlit lantern in one hand, a rifle in the other. He’d meant to get out there much sooner, but he’d been held up by two bar fights and a runaway horse.

He pulled his hat low. He was gettin’ too old for this.

The night was unseasonably warm for October but still cool enough to be comfortable. He’d seen Currington earlier this evening with a pouch slung over his shoulder and thought the drifter had decided to move on without tellin’ the judge. So Melvin followed him.

And what he’d discovered was much worse than if the cowboy had skipped town. What he’d discovered was that no-account preparing himself a little love nest.

Melvin wondered who the poor, gullible thing was this time. He’d seen girls fall a hundred times before and would probably see a hundred more before he was through. But it never ceased to rile him.

He pictured the young gals in town who had been flirting with disaster lately—Ruth Smothers, Carrie Quigley, Lorna Wedick. There were plenty right now for Currington to choose from. Girls whose parents were blind to what their ‘‘little angels’’ were up to.

And it always fell to him to be the bearer of bad news. Blast Currington for putting him in this position. He’d planned on being inside their hidey-hole before the couple had shown up.

That way, he’d avert the disaster; he’d make sure the gal knew she’d be better off standing in a nest of rattlers than giving herself to a no-good drifter; and he’d run Currington right outta this town.

It’d be too late for that now. Instead, he’d be taking Currington and his girly home to her mama and papa. He hoped it wasn’t the Smothers girl. Her mama had enough vipers in her brood already with those boys of hers without having to deal with one of the girls.

He slowed his pace and approached quietly, but he needn’t have bothered. The two of them were making enough noise to wake the dead. He paused right outside the tree, disgusted at the sounds coming from inside.

‘‘Currington?’’ he barked, readying his rifle.

A gasp and a scramble.

‘‘Get out here.’’

No response.

Melvin set the lantern on the ground, struck a match and lit the wick.

‘‘I’m comin’,’’ Currington answered.

He stepped out from beneath the tree, shirttail hanging and an unfastened silver belt buckle peeking from between the shirt’s opening.

Melvin’s insides started to churn. ‘‘Who you got in there?’’

‘‘How’d ya know we were here?’’ the boy snarled. He was blazing mad.

Well, good. That made two of them.

‘‘Who you got in there?’’ Melvin repeated.

Currington eyed the rifle and clamped his mouth shut. Melvin could hear frantic movements coming from inside the shelter. Whoever it was evidently had some repairing to do.

‘‘Come on outta there,’’ Melvin said, none too gently.

More scrambling.

‘‘Who is it, Currington?’’

The boy refused to speak.

‘‘Either you come out here on your own, girl, or I’ll come in there and drag you out.’’

She whimpered.

‘‘Give her a minute, Sheriff,’’ Adam said, his tone more threatening than respectful.

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