Rena's Cowboy by Agnes Alexander

Author:Agnes Alexander [Alexander, Agnes]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance/Time Travel/Western
Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press
Published: 2014-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Rena and Jake left the ranch in the buckboard with Spider tied to the back. Jake explained that his horse needed new shoes and he was going to drop him at the blacksmith shop. They covered four miles in the early morning light. Rena wanted to doze on Jake’s shoulder, but the buckboard bounced as they hit the ruts in the dirt road and she couldn’t sleep. She wore the green stripped dress Adela made her. She also had on a wide brimmed straw hat. Adela wanted her to wear a bonnet, but Rena had bucked at the idea. “I couldn’t stand that hot thing tied under my chin.” Adela gave up when Jake said the hat looked pretty.

They decided that Owen Toler would bring his wagon and follow them into town to get the supplies for the visitors. Finn came along to help since Jake and Rena didn’t plan to return until Friday.

A large bird flew over and Rena watched it soar toward the mountains. “Was that an eagle, Jake?”

“I wasn’t paying attention, but it could’ve been.”

“Do you know that the eagle is the national symbol of the United States?”

“Yeah, I did know that.” He grinned at her.

“I’ve never seen one in the wild before. Only in a zoo or a bird sanctuary.”

“They have sanctuaries for birds.”

“They do. Lots of them are endangered and they want to keep the species alive.”

“Don’t look like you’d ever run out of birds.”

“Oh yes. Lots of animals are protected now. The buffalo for one. They were almost extinct at one time, but herds are now building back up.”

“Don’t people hunt?”

“Oh yes. Many do, but they have to have a license to do it. And you can only hunt during season. They have a season for deer, for rabbits and all the animals. That keeps the animals from being randomly killed.”

“So if a man needs food for his family, he can’t hunt unless he has a license and it’s the season?”

“That’s right.”

“Don’t sound quite right to let a man’s family go hungry because there’s some kind of crazy law that keeps him from hunting.”

She smiled up at this man she loved. He was so honest and forthright. He saw the world as it should be, not the way it would become. “There’re other ways for a man to provide for his family in the future.”

“Good. I don’t like to think that some little kid is hungry because his daddy isn’t allowed to shoot a deer or something.”

She reached over and looped her arm in his. There was no way she was going to tell him about the hunger in the world in her time. Though there was plenty of money and food, there were still people who starved to death daily in her century.

She changed the subject. “Jake, I’m a little nervous about going into Yellow Creek. What if I say the wrong thing or make some kind of blunder?”

“Don’t you worry. I’ll be right there with you.”

“Promise?”

“Yes, I promise. I won’t even go to the Silver Slipper for a drink.

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