To Reap and to Sow Read Online Free PDF Page B

rigged or any number of things, so I left.”
    â€œAnd you came here?” Clint asked. “Must be awfully strange after living in a place like Dodge.”
    â€œI’m just passing through,” she quickly told him. “I’m headed west to a town called Thickett.”
    â€œActually, that sounds worse. Maybe you should stay here.”
    â€œI’m going to stay with an old friend of mine. Her father owns a farm out there and he’s got some space for me to live until I can scrape together enough money to head farther west.”
    â€œCalifornia?”
    Lynn brightened up as if Clint had correctly told her fortune. “How’d you know that?”
    â€œCall it a hunch. You look like you’d be at home on the Gold Coast. Don’t tell me you’re working your way there by stage.”
    â€œOh, no. I’ll catch a train in Wichita and ride from there. I just need to save up for the ticket.” Lowering her eyes and poking at her breakfast, Lynn added, “I also need to make it to Thickett in one piece. With Mark acting the way he is, I though…”
    â€œWhat if I come along?” Clint asked before she could get around to it. It was worth the effort just to see the surprise on Lynn’s face grow even brighter than it had been a few moments ago. “But there is a price.”
    â€œName it.”
    â€œTell me how to clean up in faro.”

EIGHT
    Although he didn’t come right out and tell her, Clint wasn’t about to let Lynn ride out of Spelling by herself. He also wasn’t about to let her stay there, since Mark Rowlett would have been able to mess up both of those simple plans just by being there.
    Lynn had intended on staying put until the next stage came through town, but Clint decided to offer the back of his saddle as a way to speed up the process of getting her on her way. She was more than happy to climb onto Eclipse’s back and wrap her arms around Clint as they put the small town behind them.
    It would have been a couple days’ ride to Thickett, but Clint knew a shorter route than the stagecoaches used. Eclipse was also a hell of a lot faster than any team of overworked horses pulling a wagon. The Darley Arabian stallion thundered down the narrow trail like the wind. He barely even seemed to feel the extra weight of Lynn sitting on his back.
    Kansas may have been easy to ride through, but there wasn’t a whole lot to look at. Clint thought he may have been spoiled after spending so much time in places like the Badlands, the Rocky Mountains or even the deserts of New Mexico.
    He kept his eyes open for any trace of Mark or anyone else who might decide to follow him. When he came up short on that end, he was forced to pay closer attention to the landscape itself. Tall grass swayed all around, keeping slow time to the gentle breeze. To some, the sight might have been relaxing. For Clint, it made it difficult for him to stay awake.
    The air was dry.
    The grass parted for Eclipse like a tall, feathery ocean.
    It was easy to see just about anything at all for miles in every direction.
    The terrain allowed Eclipse to run at a full gallop most of the time.
    Still, Clint found himself wishing for a bluff to climb or even a river to cross. As soon as he spotted the glint of sunlight reflecting off water, he pointed Eclipse in that direction and held on. In no time at all, they’d arrived at a small lake and Clint was pulling Eclipse to a stop.
    â€œWhat a perfect day to ride,” Lynn said cheerily as she took the hand Clint offered to help her down.
    â€œI suppose.”
    â€œAt least there’s nobody shooting at you,” she offered.
    â€œI think I’d welcome the change of pace.”
    When she stretched her back and took a few steps to stretch her legs, Lynn looked around and then looked back to Clint. “What’s wrong with this?” she asked while holding out her arms. “It’s a pretty