Free Lauraine Snelling by Whispers in the Wind Page A

bruises. But had John not been there to dig them out, no one would have ever known what happened to them.”
    Cassie looked over at Chief, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, along with Micah and the two young men. Why would he never tell any of the stories of their early days?
    “John, do you remember the bear that kept visiting the cabin?”
    Chief nodded. “Nailed his hide to the back wall.”
    “The bear kept showing up, and one time when they all came home, the bear had broken into the cabin and raided their food supplies. I guess they went after the bear and shot him, and we used that hide on the floor as a rug until a few years ago, when it was looking pretty ratty. I still have it up in the attic at the house. That is, unless the mice have gotten into it.”
    Chief pulled a thong from under his shirt and held it out. There were three long claws on the thong. “From that bear. Sold the rest.”
    Mavis turned to Cassie. “Would you like that bear rug to lay in front of the fireplace here again?”
    She nodded, a smile spreading wide. “I would. What do you think, Runs Like a Deer?”
    Nodding, the woman drank her coffee and tossed the dregs off to the side. They all rose and stretched.
    “Back to it.” Mavis turned to look at the cabin. “Ransom, I’ve been thinking.”
    Cassie hid a grin at his groan.
    “You know the slab wood you’ll have from the pine trees—what if we built a shelter for the wagon right beside the cabin there and made it big enough for a couple of horses. That way they could keep at least two up here to use to catch the others.”
    “If we ever get to use that sawmill.”
    Micah looked to Ransom. “I will help you, if you want. Chief too.”
    Ransom stopped in midstride. “We can use all the help we can get. Thank you.” He paused. “Can’t pay you, though.”
    Micah stared at him. “You already have.”
    Chief waved up the hill. “Can we hunt up there?”
    “Of course. We have deer and elk, lots of rabbits and squirrels, wolves, coyote. I’m sure you’ll hear grouse and plenty of other critters. You’re right on the edge of the wild country up here.”
    “Good.”
    Lucas punched his brother on the shoulder. “We’ll get your posts sawed yet. Even if I still think you are crazy to want to go work in that hole.”
    Cassie caught the look that Ransom sent his brother. Was this the source of their antipathy? Or did they disagree about more than that?

9

    K eeping a somewhat friendly look on his face was getting more difficult by the day, or the hour. All Ransom could think was that his days of fair weather were streaming past and he was locked into helping people he did not want to help, especially since Cassie Lockwood had him in a tight squeeze. He realized this deed of ownership was not her fault, but had she never found the deed, they would not be in this situation.
    And his mother, keeping this destructive secret all these years. Why had she never told them about it? She said it was because she did not want to worry them in case it never happened. Well, now it had happened, and they were stuck with giving half their ranch to this kid who knew as much about ranching as he did about wearing a top hat and attending the opera. One of these days he and Mor would have to have another discussion, just to clear the air.
    So they had all worked together to repair and clean the cabin. They’d driven that circus wagon up there the next day. But now his mother wanted him and Lucas to build a corral at the cabin. And when the slab wood was cut off the logs, she expected them to build a lean-to to house that gaudy, useless wagon that the group was living in. Or rather, the women were. The men had been sleeping on the ground, but here at the ranch they had moved into the barn. Now they had the cabin to sleep in. Frankly, Ransom would have preferred the barn.
    Come to think of it, did all these things need doing right now, or was Mor just making up work projects to keep him