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“ My pa, which in a way sort of makes this my herd.” Even though his father had made it clear that Matthew wasn’t to give orders; he was only to follow them. “Can’t have two bosses,” his father had explained.
    This drive was the first one that they’d embarked onsince the war. Matthew had been raised around cattle, but he’d only been a kid when he’d helped his father herd them before the war. Trail bosses were paid well because they knew all there was to know about the cattle, the trail, and more important, about handling men. Matthew was still learning. He wasn’t foolish enough to think he wasn’t.
    â€œReckon I ought to have a say in who works for us,” Matthew added. Although in truth, he knew he had no say whatsoever. If it came down to it, Jake could send him packing just as easily as he could the next man.
    And considering the way Jake was glowering at him, he wouldn’t be surprised if he did dismiss him right then and there.
    Jake slowly nodded. “All right. We’ll give the kid a chance to show us what he’s made of. But if he lies to me one more time—”
    â€œHe won’t,” Matthew rushed to assure him. “I already warned him about your dislike for liars. You won’t be sorry.”
    Jake took a threatening step toward him. “I promise you this, Matthew Hart. If I am? You’ll be even sorrier.”
    Jake trudged off with his warning lingering in the air.
    Matthew shifted his stance, wincing as he put unexpected pressure on his right leg. He’d taken a bullet at Gettysburg. His limp was barely noticeable now, although he found the twinges irritating.
    But not as irritating as letting his father down by doingsomething that would stop them from getting these cattle to market. He could only hope that he hadn’t made the biggest mistake of his life by offering the boy a place on the drive.
    He was still having a hard time believing that he’d interfered with the hiring. He’d always been one to follow orders—not interfere with them. Even when he disagreed with the man in charge, he did what he was told.
    The boy would have to learn to do the same thing—without any help from Matthew.
    He’d done his good deed for the day. From now on, the kid was on his own.

CHAPTER FOUR
    As the sun eased over the horizon, blanketing the sky in various shades of orange and pink, Sam heard the cattle lowing as she urged Cinnamon off the main road and toward the rise. She was as nervous as a long-tailed cat curled up beneath a rocking chair. She’d stuffed a few precious belongings into a burlap sack and a saddlebag. She’d hugged her family good-bye before the sun had hinted at a new day. Since she hadn’t slept a wink last night, she had been anxious to be on her way.
    She guided her horse over the rise and the herd came into view. Cattle dotted the landscape, bathing it in shades of brown, russet, and chestnut. She tried not to contemplate what damage the steers’ long horns might accomplish without much effort. These cattle were completely different from Old Bess. They looked fearsome and fearless.
    She swallowed hard, trying to draw comfort from the knowledge that the cattle probably weren’t that hard to manage, since the trail boss had apparently hired only a handful of cowboys to watch over them.
    Sam guided her mare toward the wagon she spottedin the distance. She wondered where Matthew was. As large as the herd was, she imagined the hands would have to spread out to keep the animals in line and stop them from wandering off. That tactic would work to her advantage. The more distance between her and the other hands, the better her chances of not having her secret discovered.
    Of course, the harder it would be to learn all she needed to learn to carry her weight on this drive, and she was determined to do her part. The quicker she learned, the less dependent she’d be on