spoke.
Clasping her hands to her chest, against the pitter-patter,
she turned about. "Excuse me?"
He waved a hand toward the table. "Aren't you going to
join us?"
"No, no, go ahead and eat. I'll get something after you're
all done." She moved to the fire to transfer the pot of coffee.
"I'll get it. You go sit down," Howard said from near her
elbow, his fingers already grasping the handle.
"No, really, I'll get it." She reached for the pot, but was too
slow. He quickly snatched it out of her reach.
105
Boot Hill Bride
by Lauri Robinson
With one hand carrying the coffee, he turned her about
with his other hand, and then folded the arm over her
shoulders. "Come on. The boys won't bite."
"What?"
"My brothers, they won't bite you." A crooked grin creased
his face, and his eyes twinkled down upon her with more
sparkle than the Christmas Star.
"I didn't think they would," she admitted as a warm
mellow commotion wafted through her chest. She would like
to ponder on how he did it, how he made her feel comfortable
and at ease with a simple look. But couldn't, because his
nearness also sent her heart racing. It was all quite
perplexing and wonderful at the same time. They sat and
soon the chatter and companionship at the table drew her in.
She'd never enjoyed a meal so immensely.
Empty plates sat before them, and while Bug entertained
everyone with a tale of how one of the workers had nailed his
own shirtsleeve to the wall yesterday, squeals interrupted
their small group. A shiver rippled Randi's shoulder, and she
turned to stare down the road. The screams were female and
very hostile.
"Sounds like someone ain't happy down at Danny J's,"
Snake said seconds before a gunshot sliced the air.
Randi leaped to her feet, hitched her skirts, and without
further thought or ado, took off in a dead run.
For a split, dazed second, Howard watched Randi leaping
over sticks and larger patches of tall grass before he jumped
and took off after her.
"Randi!"
106
Boot Hill Bride
by Lauri Robinson
She could outrun a deer, but luckily, he caught up with her
on the road, before she barreled into the middle of two
women tearing at each other like mountain cats. He grasped
her by the waist, but her feet continued to run in the air near
his knees.
"Whoa, up!"
She twisted about like a squirming fish. "Corrine! I have to
help Corinne!"
Howard wrapped one arm around her waist and plucked
her under his arm like a sack of feed. He took a few steps
away from the dust being stirred by the fighting women
rolling across the dirt in front of the gate surrounding Danny
J's big house.
Beneath his hand, her heart pounded faster than a caged
rabbit. He set her on her feet and kept a tight hold on her,
while he turned to the screams and screeches. The blue silk
and long ringlets of one of the wrestling women did resemble
Corinne Martin.
Danny J, dressed as always in a black velvet jacket with
tails that fluttered behind his knees, tugged at his lapels as
he walked into the middle of the road. "Girls!" he shouted.
"Girls!"
The two women, Corrine Martin, and Danny's other
number one gal, Opal Smith, didn't even acknowledge the
man had spoken as they wrenched one another's hair and
scratched with long nails. Jagged, bleeding abrasions covered
their arms and faces as they continued to scrape and scuttle,
howling and yelling at each other.
107
Boot Hill Bride
by Lauri Robinson
Danny J should have known this day was coming, Howard
surmised. No man can have two number one women. It had
been a conversation held by several men, himself included,
once or twice over the past few years.
A crowd had formed, besides men from his work site and
women from Danny J's, several town folks ran up the street
to gawk and cheer. Howard twisted about, looked for
someone he could pass Randi to. He figured he'd better step
in and put a stop to Corrine and Opal's battle before they
blinded one another with their
Clasping her hands to her chest, against the pitter-patter,
she turned about. "Excuse me?"
He waved a hand toward the table. "Aren't you going to
join us?"
"No, no, go ahead and eat. I'll get something after you're
all done." She moved to the fire to transfer the pot of coffee.
"I'll get it. You go sit down," Howard said from near her
elbow, his fingers already grasping the handle.
"No, really, I'll get it." She reached for the pot, but was too
slow. He quickly snatched it out of her reach.
105
Boot Hill Bride
by Lauri Robinson
With one hand carrying the coffee, he turned her about
with his other hand, and then folded the arm over her
shoulders. "Come on. The boys won't bite."
"What?"
"My brothers, they won't bite you." A crooked grin creased
his face, and his eyes twinkled down upon her with more
sparkle than the Christmas Star.
"I didn't think they would," she admitted as a warm
mellow commotion wafted through her chest. She would like
to ponder on how he did it, how he made her feel comfortable
and at ease with a simple look. But couldn't, because his
nearness also sent her heart racing. It was all quite
perplexing and wonderful at the same time. They sat and
soon the chatter and companionship at the table drew her in.
She'd never enjoyed a meal so immensely.
Empty plates sat before them, and while Bug entertained
everyone with a tale of how one of the workers had nailed his
own shirtsleeve to the wall yesterday, squeals interrupted
their small group. A shiver rippled Randi's shoulder, and she
turned to stare down the road. The screams were female and
very hostile.
"Sounds like someone ain't happy down at Danny J's,"
Snake said seconds before a gunshot sliced the air.
Randi leaped to her feet, hitched her skirts, and without
further thought or ado, took off in a dead run.
For a split, dazed second, Howard watched Randi leaping
over sticks and larger patches of tall grass before he jumped
and took off after her.
"Randi!"
106
Boot Hill Bride
by Lauri Robinson
She could outrun a deer, but luckily, he caught up with her
on the road, before she barreled into the middle of two
women tearing at each other like mountain cats. He grasped
her by the waist, but her feet continued to run in the air near
his knees.
"Whoa, up!"
She twisted about like a squirming fish. "Corrine! I have to
help Corinne!"
Howard wrapped one arm around her waist and plucked
her under his arm like a sack of feed. He took a few steps
away from the dust being stirred by the fighting women
rolling across the dirt in front of the gate surrounding Danny
J's big house.
Beneath his hand, her heart pounded faster than a caged
rabbit. He set her on her feet and kept a tight hold on her,
while he turned to the screams and screeches. The blue silk
and long ringlets of one of the wrestling women did resemble
Corinne Martin.
Danny J, dressed as always in a black velvet jacket with
tails that fluttered behind his knees, tugged at his lapels as
he walked into the middle of the road. "Girls!" he shouted.
"Girls!"
The two women, Corrine Martin, and Danny's other
number one gal, Opal Smith, didn't even acknowledge the
man had spoken as they wrenched one another's hair and
scratched with long nails. Jagged, bleeding abrasions covered
their arms and faces as they continued to scrape and scuttle,
howling and yelling at each other.
107
Boot Hill Bride
by Lauri Robinson
Danny J should have known this day was coming, Howard
surmised. No man can have two number one women. It had
been a conversation held by several men, himself included,
once or twice over the past few years.
A crowd had formed, besides men from his work site and
women from Danny J's, several town folks ran up the street
to gawk and cheer. Howard twisted about, looked for
someone he could pass Randi to. He figured he'd better step
in and put a stop to Corrine and Opal's battle before they
blinded one another with their
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