Between Hell and Texas Read Online Free PDF Page A

intervene for you.”
    â€œI could use his help. I sure could.”
    â€œOh, give me that list, I’ll have it filled—”
    â€œNo rush, I’m going over to see Kathren. Any word on her dad’s condition?”
    â€œDoc says he’s alive. Don’t sound good. Guess he can walk some, but not far. How is your family?”
    â€œDoing well as can be expected. Rocky is less in our world every day. If I didn’t have Susie, May, and those two Mexican girls, I guess I’d go crazy. By the way, what in hell did Louise buy that cost three hundred dollars?”
    They went inside. Grossman set the broom in the corner by the door. “Let me see. Two dresses and three hats plus some undergarments. You know what I mean by that?”
    â€œI do. She say where she was going to wear all that?”
    â€œNo, she didn’t.”
    Chet dropped his gaze to the floor. “That’s a damn shame, ’cause I didn’t want to miss the big affair.”
    â€œShe show them to you?”
    â€œHeavens, no. I saw them on this month’s bill.”
    â€œShe’s always charged things.” He looked hard at Chet over the matter.
    â€œHey, I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself for not facing her about this business.”
    The storekeeper nodded and opened the candy case. “What do you need?”
    â€œSomething for a twelve-year-old. Kathren’s daughter, Cady.”
    â€œI’ll mix the kinds of candy up, alright?”
    â€œFine. Is there much talk about that incident I had two days ago?”
    The balding storekeeper looked up from his candy choosing. “I’ve heard some. Those Reynolds women always talk bad, like those three were just riding along minding their business—you know what I mean?”
    Chet agreed, took the sack of candy, and thanked him. Exactly what he had expected. Always innocent, like that boy they’d lynched up in north Texas. Oh, sure, he was going to bring them back. Those others just tricked him into doing that. Yes, sure thing, ma’am. He closed his eyes to try and shut off all that talking in his head.
    â€œHere’s your check for last month.” He fished the folded paper out of his shirt pocket. “I’ll have to handle Louise. I’ll get those things Susie needs on my way back.”
    â€œThey’ll be ready and waiting.”
    â€œAnd thanks, I hope they don’t hurt you for being nice to me.”
    â€œNo problem. Anyone mention having a hearing about it yet?”
    â€œTrent did when he came by. I’ll hire a good lawyer from San Antonio if they have one.”
    â€œGood, I was really concerned.”
    Chet nodded and left. The morning chill struck his face outside on the porch. He undid the reins and remounted the bay. Candy in his coat pocket, he short-loped Fudge east for Kathren’s place.
    Kathren Hines, a year ago, became a big feature in his life. There had been complications in both of their lives. Her husband had been another on the list of those three horse thieves they’d executed up in Parker County. She’d later told Chet he had long since left her for good, and she knew he wasn’t ever coming back. His and Kathren’s arrangement then turned serious. He was set to marry her in a week when he learned that Dale Allen had been killed by the Reynoldses up in the Indian Territory. The remuda had been stolen and the herd stampeded. Their marriage plans were set aside and none had been remade. Her father had had a serious stroke and she was overseeing two ranches herself with some hired help. Nothing turned out right—nothing. He booted Fudge into a faster lope.
    Mid-morning sun time, he walked Fudge the last mile to her place under the live-oak cedar-clad hills. The temperature had risen some, and the gelding was cooling fine when he reached the yard gate and dismounted. Two stock dogs were barking a welcome, and he looked around for sight