Free Massacre at Lonesome Ridge: A Zombie Western by Samantha Warren Page A

outside the stall and he reached through the bars to pull them off the hook. After slipping them over the horse's head, he led her out into the walk way.
    A young stallion stood with his head over the door on the other side of Saddle's stall. Drool dripped from his lips as he stared at Jeremiah. The big man dropped Nelly's reins and took two giant steps to reach the door. "Don't worry, I didn't forget you, ya big dummy." After doling out a quick scratch and the last couple pieces of peppermint, he grabbed his saddle from the saddle rack and threw it over Nelly's back. He cinched it tight and led her out into the sunshine.
    "Hey! Where you think yer going?" Jed called to him from the porch where he sat on the steps whittling a stick. There was a pile of old shavings on the side of the stairs and an enormous collection of hideous wooden figures cluttered up nearly every surface in the house.
    Jeremiah pulled Nelly around to face Jed. "Lonesome Ridge. What's it to ya?"
    Jed raised an eyebrow at him. Jeremiah had a weakness for the saloon girls. Especially one in particular, one who had no interest in him and who could get him in a whole mess of trouble with the sheriff. "You keep yer nose clean, ya hear me?" Jed waggled his knife at his younger brother. "I don't need you bringin' McClane down on us again. We don't need him stickin' his nose around here any more than he already does. In fact..." He stood up and hollered into the house. "Jasper, get yer ass out here. Yer headin' to town."
    The young man came out onto the porch. "Why do I have to go? Jer can handle himself." But he was already strapping on his belt. It was a futile argument that he never won.
    "Don't go givin' me no lip. Move. Jeremiah's ready to go already and yer gonna make him late."
    Jasper jumped off the edge of the porch to avoid his oldest brother arm as it made a beeline for Jasper's head, then he trotted to the barn as Jeremiah began to protest behind him. "Aw, com'on, Jed. I don't need no nanny goat. I can look after myself."
    Jed grunted and went back to his whittling, effectively ending any potential conversation before it began. Jeremiah grumbled atop Nelly until Jasper returned with Dynamite a few minutes later.
    "Come on. Let's go," Jasper said as he nodded toward the path through the hills.
    Jeremiah glared at him for a full thirty seconds before he spat on the ground, aiming in Jed's direction. The older Gaines brother pretended not to notice, even though his eyes narrowed and his face darkened. With a growl, Jeremiah spun Nelly around and spurred her into a trot. She felt his irritation and snorted as she kicked up dust in her wake. Jasper sighed and followed at a slower pace. This was a regular occurrence and he knew Jeremiah would eventually slow down and wait for him. No matter what his brother said, he liked having Jasper along for the ride whenever he went into town. Jasper kept him out of serious trouble... usually.
    As he expected, Jeremiah was waiting where the hills split apart to go their separate ways. He spat again and a fat glob of brown juice pooled on the hard dirt.
    Jasper's nose curled and he fought against his gag reflex. He glanced at his older brother. "You should wash up before we get to town if you don't want Ms. Cora to dump a bucket on you."
    Jeremiah glared at him again. "That only happened once. She never dare do it again. I'd whoop her and she knows it."
    Jasper laughed. "She did it twice, Jeremiah. And I have no doubt she would do it again if she thought it was necessary. That girl is afraid of no one, especially not you."
    Jeremiah snorted. "Whatever. That little whore needs someone to teach her a lesson. She'd do right to listen to us menfolk."
    The younger man shook his head. His brother was all bark and no bite. "Why would she do that? She has you boys wrapped around her finger. And she's not a whore, she's just a dancing girl. She gets you all riled up, then sends you off to one of the real whores. You're just mad