Free Tracie Peterson - [Land of the Lone Star 03] by Taming the Wind

the porch steps without waiting for her to agree.
    Carissa followed him and took a seat in her favorite rocker. Tyler sat down beside her and waited for her to continue. “Doesn’t anything frighten you?” she asked instead.
    Tyler nodded. “Sure, I have my moments. Sometimes my biggest fear is that I’ll never see justice done for my pa and the men who died with him.”
    “That’s not a real fear. You aren’t seriously afraid of that—are you? I mean, do you lie awake at night and worry about it?”
    His expression seemed to change in a flash. One moment he was tender and smiling and the next he was . . . well . . . almost angry. Carissa pressed back in her chair, afraid that perhaps she had said too much.
    “I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep since my father was killed. I should have been there with him.” He shook his head. “The killings were horrible. Then I went to war. . . . The things I saw there were enough to give me a lifetime of nightmares.”
    “I’m sorry. I suppose my words sounded callous, and I didn’t mean for them to. It’s just that I always figured men, being men, had little that caused them fear. Women seem so weak and helpless in comparison. We cannot vote or make doctrine in our country. We can’t do business without facing a great deal of trouble and even then—more often than not we are refused. I find myself fearful of so much.”
    “I wish you weren’t afraid,” he told her. Tyler’s expression softened once again. “I’m glad you’ll be at the Barnett ranch while we’re gone.”
    “I wish you weren’t going away,” Carissa said without thinking.
    “Gonna miss me, eh?” He grinned.
    She felt her cheeks grow hot. “I . . . well . . . I’m going to miss all of you. I feel safer when you’re all here.” She hurried to put the focus back on Tyler. “So what would justice for your father and his men look like to you? Would you want to see the Indians go to trial?”
    He shook his head. “No. I would want to see them dead.” His voice was cold, and the finality of his comment left Carissa chilled, as well.
    “Would you . . . kill them yourself?” she asked.
    He looked away at this point. “I would be glad to kill them.”
    His tone reminded her of Malcolm, and she shuddered. Were all men so filled with hate?
    Laura came through the door with Daniel on her hip. The moment he saw the puppy, he was almost impossible to hold on to. Laura descended the steps and let him go. He raced across the grassy yard to where Gloria and Rusty were still happily engaged.
    “Tyler, I see you brought us a dog,” Laura said in greeting.
    “Sure did. That’s Rusty. Like I was tellin’ Carissa, he’s trained to come and sit. He’ll need more training, but he’s a smart dog and works fast. I think if the kids spend a lot of time with him, he’ll be a good guard dog to them.”
    “He’s also been trained to recognize the threat of snakes and to bark,” Carissa declared. “Tyler said he’ll bark and back away. That way we can teach the children that means danger, and they should move away, too, and get help.”
    “Good. That’s something of a relief.” Laura put her hand to her mouth to suppress a yawn. “I do apologize. I’ve been so tired.”
    “Why don’t you go take a rest?” Carissa suggested. “I can watch the children and sew. They’re completely enthralled with Rusty, and I don’t think they’ll be any trouble.”
    Laura paused, hesitant, but Carissa insisted. “Go. Go now while Daniel is busy and doesn’t see you leave.”
    “Thank you. I think I will rest for a bit. If you’ll pardon me, Tyler.”
    “Of course. I’m havin’ myself a nice visit with Carissa.”
    A smile touched the corners of Laura’s mouth, but she made no comment. For this Carissa was greatly relieved. She waited until Laura went back into the house before picking up the conversation. “I’m sorry if I upset you earlier. That wasn’t my