A Frontier Christmas Read Online Free PDF Page B

years old, only two years younger than you,” Timmy said, resolutely.
    â€œWomen mature faster than boys.”
    â€œYou’re not a woman. You’re just a girl.”
    Suzie smiled. “And you are my sweet brother.” She stood up from the milking stool, then reached down to get the milk pail. “Did you get the stalls mucked out?”
    â€œYes. I hate mucking stalls. They stink.”
    Suzie laughed. “And here you’re wanting a horse? That means you’ll have one more stall to muck out.”
    â€œThat’s different. It’ll be my horse. I won’t mind it, then.”
    â€œI’ll remember that when Papa tells you to get busy and you start complaining.”
    â€œI’ll carry the milk,” Timmy said, reaching for the pail.
    â€œWell, that’s very nice of you, little brother. Maybe you’re growing up after all.”
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    â€œHey, where are you going, girl?” a man shouted from the bunkhouse. He had long, unkempt brown hair, and a beak-like nose between narrow, dark eyes.
    â€œWe’re goin’ to the house,” Timmy answered.
    â€œDon’t answer him, Timmy,” Suzie said under her breath.
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œHe’s . . . not a nice man.”
    â€œThat’s just Sunset. Why do you say that? What did he do?”
    â€œNothing. Nothing that I want to talk about. Just keep going until we reach the house. Don’t talk to him. Don’t even look at him.”

    Sunset Moss shrugged, then stepped back into the house, joining the other two cowboys. All three were working through the winter for John Guthrie. The Cave brothers, Jesse and T. Bob, were engaged in an intense conversation. Both were redheaded, with red, blotchy skin.
    â€œHow much did you say?” T. Bob asked.
    â€œA thousand dollars. He was paid in cash for them last cows he delivered, and he ain’t took none of it to the bank yet,” Jesse said.
    â€œSo what you’re sayin’ is, they’s a thousand dollars cash just lyin’ over there in that house.” T. Bob pointed toward the Guthrie family house.
    â€œThat’s right.”
    â€œA thousand dollars. How about that? Say, how long would it take us to make that much money?”
    â€œWell, we’re drawin’ twenty-one dollars and found, per month. At that rate, it would take near four years to make a thousand. But say you was to divide the thousand up into three hundred and thirty-three dollars for each of us, it would still take a year and a half,” Jesse said.
    â€œDamn. Is that true?” Sunset asked.
    â€œIf Jesse says it’s true, it is,” T. Bob replied. “Jesse has always been good at cipherin’ ’n such.”
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    â€œI got the milk, Mama,” Timmy said, bringing the bucket into the house.
    â€œWell, good for you, Timmy.”
    Suzie smiled. “Yes, we can always count on Timmy to get the milk.”
    â€œSuzie helped,” Timmy said.
    â€œWell, that was nice of your sister, wasn’t it?” his mother said, smiling knowingly at Suzie. “Dinner’s on the table. You two wash up, and get ready.”
    â€œAh, Nora, they don’t need to wash up.”
    â€œWhat? John, why would you say such a thing?” Nora asked in a shocked voice.
    â€œBecause those breaded pork chops smell awfully good. If the kids don’t wash up, they don’t eat, which means I can have theirs.”
    â€œYeah? Well you ain’t goin’ to get my pork chop, ’cause I plan to wash up,” Timmy said resolutely.
    â€œYou aren’t going to get mine,” Suzie corrected.
    â€œAnd you ain’t goin’ to get hers neither,” Timmy added.
    â€œOh,” Suzie said with a shudder. “Mama, what am I going to do with him? He goes to school just like I do. Why is it that he hasn’t learned anything?”
    â€œOh honey. I reckon it just depends on what you need