The Cattle Drive [The Armstrong Brothers of Cedar Creek] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Online Free PDF Page B

up.
    “Okay, spill it.”
    “I saw her this morning. She was out riding her horse and stopped.”
    “Did you say anything?”
    “I tipped my hat.”
    “You tipped your hat? Good grief, Dad, this isn’t the Wild West,” Henry said, laughing and getting back in his truck. “By the way, Wyatt Earp, I invited her for dinner.”
    Michael quickly looked up, but before he could say anything, Henry was driving away. “Damn it,” he muttered under his breath. This was not how he wanted to meet Rachael Mason for the first time. But then the wheels began to turn, and he smiled.
    Of course…Henry!
    Michael spent the rest of the day setting posts and attaching the barbed wire. It was late when he decided to stop and head back to the house. Entering the house, he heard laughter coming from the kitchen. He shook his head, wishing his son hadn’t invited the woman to dinner. Michael walked upstairs to shower and clean up.
     
    * * * *
     
    “So…how do you like Cedar Creek so far, Henry?” Rachael said, standing at the counter tearing apart lettuce.
    “Oh it’s great. I have made a lot of friends. Everyone is so nice. It’s so much quieter than Chicago,” he replied, throwing three steaks on the grill.
    “So you’re from Illinois?” she asked nicely.
    “Yeah, it’s a nice place and all, but Dad and I just wanted something different and quiet. Dad was this big-time engineer. He traveled all the time, but after his last business trip he came home looking like he had a visit from death. He just didn’t care anymore. He tried to get back into work, but he had a hard time. He had always talked about getting a place out in the country—farming, cows, you know, the whole picture—so he bought this place. I think he is trying to forget something, but I don’t know what.”
    “So what about your mother?” she asked, trying to focus her thoughts.
    “She and Dad went to high school together. When Dad found out she died in childbirth, he dropped out of college to raise me, so basically it’s just been me and Dad,” Henry said quietly, looking away from her.
    Rachael just stood there with the lettuce in her hands, when her heart began to race and her hands started to shake. Her breathing began to increase as she began to have one of her flashbacks. Soon she was watching the whole terrible scene begin to unfold.
    She gripped the steering wheel as she slammed on the brakes, as the tanker exploded, rocking the truck. Snapping her out of the horror, she quickly turned the wheel of the truck hard, trying to avoid crashing into the ball of fire. When her back tires lost traction and began to skid, she turned hard in the opposite direction, causing her truck to flip several times. She threw her arms up to protect her face…
     
    * * * *
     
    Henry was jabbering away when he took the potatoes out of the oven and set them on top of the stove. He heard a knock at the back door and kept talking to Rachael as he went to answer it.
    “Hello, I’m Sheriff Mason. I saw Rachael’s horse here. Is she around? I need to talk to her?” Chris asked the tall kid.
    “Yeah, she’s here, Sheriff. Come on in. We are having dinner. You are more than welcome to stay. We have plenty,” he said as he opened the door.
    “Thank you, son, but I just need to ask Rachael something. I won’t stay long.”
    “She is in the kitchen making the salad,” Henry said, walking behind the sheriff.
    Chris stopped and turned around to face the boy. “She’s cooking?” he asked with shock in his voice.
    “Well, I am making the steaks, but she is getting the salad ready.” Henry smiled.
    Chris walked into the kitchen and saw her standing there, frozen. He quickly walked up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He felt her go stiff. He slowly turned her around and saw the fear in her eyes.
    He could tell from her panicked look that she was somewhere else. He watched as her eyes glazed over, as if she was caught in some horrible nightmare. Her