Free Mercy: Bride of Idaho (American Mail-Order Bride 43) by Jacquie Rogers Page B

doing the right thing.  Now get yourself out to the barn—Ike’s got something for you.” 
    She gave him a little hug and took off at a dead run, for she was anxious to leave even though they had plenty of time, and in fact, would probably have to wait on the roundup crew to get settled.
    Once she got to the barn, she said, “What do you have for me, Ike?  Ray sent me out here.”
    He held up a gunbelt and pistol.  “This was my wife’s.  I want you to wear it, and if necessary, I want you to use it.  There’s a lot of varmints out there—man and beast.  You take care, especially when I or Quill ain’t around.”
    “But... I don’t know how to shoot it.”
    “Once we get away from the ranch a piece where it won’t bother the milk cows and chickens, I’ll let you plink a few rocks.  You won’t be any good, but at least you’ll get the feel of the weapon in your hands, and I’ll give you a few safety pointers—the first one being if you don’t intend to kill a man, don’t point it at him.”
    “I could never do such a thing.”
    “Even if they was gonna kill someone you love?  You’d be surprised at what you can do when your choices are dire.”  He handed it to her.  “Buckle it on.  Soon as me and Ray get the mule packed, we’ll be ready to ride, and I want you to be comfortable with the feel and weight of the six-shooter before we mount up.”
    Mercy strapped it on, the pistol weighing heavy on her side.  How folks could walk around with deadly weapons that could kill with just a squeeze of the trigger was a mystery to her.  But in Owyhee County, everyone—including Quill—had either a sidearm or a rifle handy no matter where they went.  She reckoned the sooner she learned to use the pistol, the easier it would be to become as comfortable carrying it as all the others were.
    Ike brought out the saddled horses and tied them to the hitching post in front of the barn.  “You’ll be riding the chestnut gelding.  Jake brought him by for you—said he’s solid as a rock.”
    “Strong?”
    “He is that, but what that means is he don’t shy easy.  Since you haven’t rode much, she reckoned you shouldn’t have a horse that’s skittery.”
    “She thought right and I appreciate that.  I want to become more competent, but right now, I fully concede that I’m a novice, since I’ve only ever ridden sidesaddle on very gentle horses in the park.”
    “This’ll be a mite different.”  He patted the chestnut on the hip.  “I’ll take the mule up to the house so Ray don’t have to carry everything out here.”
    She’d learned early on that they kept the animals on the barn side of the ranchstead so they didn’t have to clean manure away from the front step of the house.  “I’ll stay with the horses.”
    “You don’t have to.  In fact, it’d be good for you to see where everything’s packed.  Besides, you need to fill the canteens—we’ll take two each with us, and have more canteens on the mule.  Ray’s got them on the porch, ready for you.”
    “Why are we taking so much water?”
    “It’s desert.  You don’t go nowhere without water.  Ever.  Remember that.”
    Half an hour later, Ike offered to help her onto the horse.
    “No, thank you.  I’m a western woman now—and I haven’t ever seen you offer to help Jake up.”
    Ike grinned.  “Mercy, you’ve got sand.  Let’s ride.”

Chapter 10
    Quill could’ve sworn Jake’s baby ate all the way to the roundup site.  “How’re you gonna chase cows with a baby that nurses all day?”
    “Same way as I always do, only with more pee on me.”
    “Them oilcloth britches ought to help some.”
    “Hmph.”  She gazed lovingly at her baby and kissed his forehead.  “You ought to get yourself one of these little fellers.  You’d be a good daddy, just like Boston.”
    After five years, Jake still called her husband “Boston” since he’d lived in that city for several years.  When he first came