Heart Of Texas (Historical Romance) Read Online Free PDF

welcome they had hoped for.
    "Did you see any sign of stock, Sam?"
    "None whatsoever-not cattle or horses. And it
doesn't look like there has been any here in a
long time."
    Casey let out her breath. "It's just as well. We
wouldn't know what to do with-"
    "Don't no one move!" A female voice cut
through the silence and echoed around the
empty house. "I got a gun aimed at your back,
and I know how to use it."
    Casey turned slowly to face the newcomer, who
certainly did have a rifle trained on her. "Who are
you?" she asked, hoping the woman wasn't deranged.

    "Now, seeing as how you three are the intruders, I'll be the one asking the questions. There
ain't going to be no squatters on this land. I drove
a family off last month, and I'm telling you to
leave right now."
    The woman was the most unusual person Casey
had ever seen. She could not be over four feet
tall; she was angular and thin, her chin sharp and
prominent. She wore a gray skirt with the hem
tucked into her belt, showing a pair of cowboy
boots and a pair of men's red long johns. Her
gray hair was braided and then twisted into a knot
on the top of her head. Her eyes were dark,
maybe brown-it was hard to tell in the dim light.
    Sam moved closer to Casey, and she handed
Jenny to him, then stepped in front of them.
    .We aren't intruders; this is our land," Casey
stated clearly.
    A doubtful expression moved over the woman's
face, but she loosened her grip on the rifle, aiming it at the floor. "Now, I know who this ranch
belongs to, and the last time I looked, it surely
wasn't you three. You have the look of squatters
to me."
    "You are mistaken," Sam said, setting jenny
down and pushing her behind him. "The Spanish
Spur belonged to our uncle, and he left it to us
in his will. What we want to know is, who are you
and what you are doing here?"
    "Never you mind about me. How do I know you
aren't from the Casa Mesa ranch, sent here to stir things up? Cyrus Slaughter is just mean enough
to send someone 'round to cause more trouble
for me."

    Casey took a step toward the woman. If she was
crazed, she wanted to be standing in front of Sam
and Jenny. "You are on our land," she said cautiously. "You are the one who is the intruder."
    "Now that ain't the way of it. I've been living
here way before you were even born. Do you have
some kind of proof to back up your claim?"
    "I have a letter from my uncle's attorney in the
wagon. His office is in Mariposa Springs, and his
name is Mr. Bartholomew J.Murdock. My uncle
was Bob Reynolds."
    The woman's hard expression eased a bit, and
she nodded. "Why didn't you say so straight off?
You'd be the ones I've been expecting. Where's
your pa?"
    Casey stepped even closer and lowered her
voice so jenny wouldn't overhear her answer. "My
father... died on the way here. Jenny doesn't understand, so I would appreciate it if you wouldn't
mention it in front of her."
    The woman blinked her eyes and nodded.
"Honey, you don't mean to tell me that the three
of you think you can run this place alone?"
    "We went through a lot to get here. I will do
whatever I must to make this a home for my
brother and sister."
    The woman's eyes softened, and so did her
voice. "Why, you are hardly more'n a young'un yourself." She walked around each one of them.
"I should of knowed you right away from all your
uncle told me 'bout you."

    "This," Casey said, nodding at her brother, "is
Sam. My name is Casey, and the child is our little
sister, jenny. Our last name is Hamilton."
    "Your uncle called you by different names. He
called you Cassandra, you'd be Samuel, and the
little one there would be Jennifer."
    Jenny peeked her head around Sam's leg and
said in a disgruntled voice, "I'm mad at my sister.
I want to sleep with the chickens, and she won't
let me."
    The woman chuckled and then laughed so
hard she had to wipe her tears on the sleeve of
her shirt. "Lord have mercy on us all. I have three
children on my