Free Under Starry Skies by Judy Ann Davis Page A

need anything, stop by the Mule Shed Inn. I’d be pleased to offer you a drink on the house.”
    The scruffy man cackled. “I just may take you up on that. Not often anyone’s ever bought me a free drink or anything free for that matter.”
    “I’ll do one better.” Abigail smiled. “I’ll save the best bottle of Canadian whiskey and have it reserved just for you. The entire bottle is yours.”
    “The whole bottle?”
    She nodded and started down the path.
    “Hey, girl!” River Roy hurried after her. “You’re not the new gal the whole town’s talkin’ about, are you? You the one who’s planning to reopen the inn and barroom?”
    “Yes.” Abigail turned toward him. “Yes, I am.”
    “Where you come from? You ain’t from around here.”
    “Utah by way of New York. The state.”
    “Well, I’ll be darned! I thought you’d be much older—to run a barroom, I mean.” With a bemused gaze, he gave her a once over as he hitched up his pants to sit more securely around his waist.
    Abigail grimaced in good humor. “Well, thanks to you, I just might have that chance now—to grow older. And, I’m planning to manage the inn and hire someone to bar keep.”
    “You met Emma yet?” He squinted and rubbed his whiskered face with a dirty knuckle. “Be careful of that one. She’s more than a few shots short of a full bottle.” He turned to leave, but thought better of it and added, “And if I were you, gal, I’d shy away from trees along the path, unless I was carrying a gun. There are other varmints in the trees beside lynx, and there are snakes in the ferns along the path.”
    Nodding her appreciation, Abigail left, walking briskly down the mountain until she arrived at the cottage. Breathless, she found Maria, dust-covered and laughing, as she helped Tye who stood on the seat of a chair, trying to hang some curtains in the small parlor window. He looked like there were a thousand jobs he would rather be doing at the moment.
    Maria whirled abruptly when Abigail entered. “Oh, Abby, everyone thinks we might be able to move in tomorrow! The remaining repairs to the outside can be made after we move in. While they fix the front porch, we’ll use the back door. The bedrooms, kitchen, and living area have been cleaned and set up. People have been so generous. They’ve brought furniture and curtains, and they’ve offered to help paint—” She stopped abruptly, peering at her sister’s ashen face. “Why, Abby, what’s happened? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”
    “I met the lynx that owns the mountain.”
    Tye jumped off the chair. “Are you hurt? I forgot to warn you about the four-legged wildlife around here.”
    “Aren’t you a little late with that piece of advice?” She offered him a wane smile.
    “You need to learn to shoot, and you both need a gun.”
    Through the doorway, Amos appeared with Brett close on his heels. It was obvious the old black man heard the conversation because he wore an expression of sheer terror. “Might be best to wear onions and garlic in your socks next time you go on a jaunt up the mountain,” he said. “The smell just might discourage them critters.”
    “We’ll do no such thing.” Maria frowned. “The smell would discourage any hopes of enticing business for the barroom as well as travelers who planned to spend a night. And what would my students think if I showed up smelling like that?”
    “Tye’s right. I think a pistol would offer far more protection than a smelly sock.” Abigail glanced at Maria. “And it would be best if we both learned how to handle one.”
    “Oh, no.” Maria’s eyes widened, and her face filled with fear. “I couldn’t pull the trigger even on a foul old skunk.”
    “Then you’d better become acquainted with a hatchet like old River Roy. If it wasn’t for the old man, I’d be sitting on the mountain still trying to stare down that lynx.”
    “You’ve met River Roy?” Tye’s eyebrows raised in amazement.
    “And