Standing Tall (Willow Grove, Texas Series Book 3) by Sharon Gillenwater

Author:Sharon Gillenwater [Gillenwater, Sharon]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Sharon Gillenwater
Published: 2012-06-22T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Following the trip to Cade and Jessie’s, Ransom often thought about the time they spent there. Lily and Matt had been fascinated with the ranch and how things were done. It had been a much needed time of relaxation and diversion, both for them and for him.

He sat on the sidewalk in front of the sheriff’s office late Saturday afternoon, sipping a cup of coffee, remembering how proud Lily had been when he’d stopped Millborn and the banker from riding right into the herd. Despite him pointing out that the others had as much to do with it as he had, she refused to give them more than token credit—when she was talking to him anyway. She’d called him a hero, but it wasn’t true. The banker would have turned away once he realized the situation, but he seriously doubted that Millborn would have shown him or his badge a smidgen of respect if the others hadn’t been there to back him up.

They had all been lazy until mid-afternoon, eating under the shade of a few mesquites and watching the men work the cattle. Then they’d returned to the ranch house and rested a bit before the drive back to town. Despite Matt’s earlier declaration that he’d never want to be a cowboy, Ransom detected some reluctance in leaving the ranch.

Shifting his leg, he surveyed the street. He’d paid for the jaunt with more pain, but it was worth it to have spent so much time with Lily and to see her have fun. Jessie and Camille did their best to be her friend and encourage her to stay in Willow Grove. He appreciated their efforts.

Most of the cowboys who had been gone on the roundup had ridden into town Saturday morning. So far, it had been fairly peaceful, but Ransom didn’t expect it to stay that way. After the men hit the baths and the barber for a haircut and shave, many headed straight for the saloons to gamble and drink away their pay.

Quint was grabbing some supper at the cafe while Blake patrolled the red light district. Ransom kept watch on the downtown area from his chair. He was centrally located, so he’d decided it was smarter to stay right where people could find him.

Activity on the street had picked up during the last hour with the townspeople finishing up their errands and hurrying home to supper. The ranch families who had come in for their Saturday shopping strolled about. Wives visited the mercantile or the grocers while their husbands gathered in small groups along the wooden sidewalks to chat or bought supplies. Children dashed along the walk or across the street, excited to see their friends or stop for some candy at the confectioners.

More cowboys were roaming around, too, coming from the rougher saloons and dance halls in the district in search of a good meal. Ransom spotted three staggering down the walk two blocks away. He stood, walking toward them as fast as he dared. He went down the steps, intent on stopping their mischief before it started.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.