Love on the Range: A Looking Glass Lake Prequel by Rebecca Nightsong

Author:Rebecca Nightsong
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Primrose & Picket Press
Published: 2016-07-11T06:57:42+00:00

* * *

Perfect. He was down another cowhand in Fern, and Marlee’s boasts of being able to ride were clearly not founded.

Unless by “ride,” she’d meant clinging for dear life onto the back of the best cow horse in the Bitterroot Range as if it would throw her unexpectedly.

Calamity was Jett’s horse. They’d spent so many hours working cattle together, the mare could practically do the job on her own, without a rider.

That’s why he’d let Marlee ride her today, and he rode Fat Cat, Logan Paycoach’s big roan.

But Marlee wasn’t exactly what Jett would consider a rider. Not that he expected much from a city girl. Still, he was in desperate need of more cowhands.

He snuck a glance at Marlee, and admired the story playing out in the tight set of her lips. The woman was clearly in pain, but she wasn’t complaining. In fact, she’d improved her posture significantly since he’d given her pointers earlier.

But this harsh terrain didn’t give any points out for effort. And he couldn’t afford to, either. He’d be okay with taking her out on a trail ride for the fun of it. But this wasn’t a leisurely trail ride.

This was wild country.

Normally, the entire Paycoach family went on the cattle drive. Without them, the ranch had less than half their usual manpower. Plus, the ranch was late in getting started in the drive. Late and down cowhands. Bad combo.

And even if they weren’t short on help, there were the bears. With the early cold sweeping in, bears were getting crankier and more desperate about getting their bellies full before hibernating for the winter.

To top it all off, just today he’d come across more evidence of rustlers in the area…a ring, the ash still warm from a fire that morning. In the dust around the fire pit he’d found the unmistakable marks of running irons. Only rustlers used those.

Somebody had been up there near the meadow, and they’d been careful to put out their fire before dawn. Whoever it was didn’t want to be seen.

All afternoon, he’d chased the question around. What to do about those rustlers? What would Silas do if he were still here?

“What are you thinking?”

Marlee’s voice cut through his contemplation, and Jett stretched his shoulders. “Silas.”

“You miss him,” she said softly.

He nodded.

“I wish I could have met him.”

Jett smiled. Worries about rustlers slunk to the back of his mind. “He’d have liked you,” he said.

She blushed and ducked her head, a curl brushing her cheek. Something sweet swelled up in his chest.

“Mom was sick and couldn’t work,” he said.

A soft sound slipped from her—not quite a sigh. Her eyes warmed from velvet to a golden color that reminded him of honey.

Why was he telling her this? He took a deep breath, savoring the fresh deep scent of the fall forest, and the words just came out.

“Silas Paycoach fixed up a small apartment for us on the barn, and said we’d always have food, shelter and spendin’ money as long as I pulled my own weight.

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