Lady and the Scamp: Sweet Historical Romance (Mail Order Brides of Hickory Stick Book 7) by Carroll Patricia PacJac

Author:Carroll, Patricia PacJac [Carroll, Patricia PacJac]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: PacJac Publishing
Published: 2015-06-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Elizabeth left Bessy’s feeling sick to her stomach, and it wasn’t the food. She’d sat through an hour of grueling, tooth-pulling silence with intermittent awkward questions from the four men. Even the smooth John Stearns seemed to have trouble with the art of conversation. Or perhaps Bessy was right. He no doubt had a dark secret.

That it could be any darker than hers was doubtful.

At least Hank did talk to her. At least he used to. He’d grown sullen and quiet. A mournful sigh worked its way free.

Gunshots rang out from behind the saloon. Hank and Carl. Oh, please don’t let them be killing each other.

She hit the door and ran inside the saloon. No one. The gunshots had stopped. The idea to pray flitted through her mind, but it wasn’t likely God would listen to a liar. Heart trembling, she tried to shove away the picture of Hank lying on the ground shot dead by Carl.

God please don’t let him be dead.

She bolted through the kitchen and outside. Hank and Percy were standing near the creek. Carl was nowhere in sight. Relieved, yet angry about her feelings, she stomped toward the pair.

“What is going on?” The sheepish look on Hank’s face bothered her. What had he done? And why was that boy, Percy here?

Hank finally came toward her. “We were shooting the whiskey bottles. I was teaching Percy how to shoot.”

Scamp barked and pawed her skirt.

“Keep that filthy beast from me.” She looked around. “Didn’t you let Lady out?”

“Yeah. I think the shooting scared her.” The sheepish look slipped to embarrassment as a hint of red colored his face.

“You’ve lost my dog? We must find her.”

Scamp barked again and ran to the edge of the meadow toward Bessy’s.

Elizabeth’s heart sank. Genevieve was never quiet unless she was eating. Why wasn’t she barking? She grabbed Hank’s arm. “Go look and see. Something must have happened to Lady.”

He touched her hand. “I’ll go. I should have watched her.”

As she watched him hike through the tall weeds, she stroked the top of her hand where he’d touched her. Unsettled, she set her gaze in the opposite direction but it soon followed his broad shoulders and black hat. None of the men she’d met at Bessy’s had caught her attention.

She shivered. He could not be the one. Not!

He stopped, looked down, and shook his head.

Feeling faint, Elizabeth put a hand to her heart. “My poor, Genevieve. What had he found?”

Percy groaned. “It was my fault. I was supposed to be watching her.”

Elizabeth patted the boy on the head. “I’m sure she’s just fine.” I seem to be getting pretty good with lying.

In minutes, Scamp ran to her and nearly knocked her down. Percy ran to Hank to see what he’d found. Then she heard the shrill, although muffled, barks. Her Genevieve was alive. She shoved Scamp from her, groaned at the muddy paw prints he left on her skirt, and walked toward Hank.

“Is she all right?”

Hank and Percy stared at her.

“Well?”

Genevieve ran to her with a chicken dangling from her mouth.

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