Courting Kate by Mary Lou Rich Read Free Book Online

she? Especially since we sent her that other letter.” Matt went back to his place by the fire.
    “What if she didn’t get it? What if she’d already left?” Mark asked, trailing after him.  
    “Yeah. What if she got it and decided to come anyway?” Luke added. “What are we gonna do then?”
    “We told her Tanner had died. She wouldn’t have any reason to come,” Matt assured them.  
    “For the f-funeral? M-maybe she l-likes to look at d-d-dead people,” little John suggested.  
    Matt snorted. “Don’t be silly.”
    The more Mark thought about his saddle, the more he wished he still had it. Then he could sell it and use the money to get himself and the rest of them out of town. Now he and the boys were flat broke and winter was coming on.  
    Too agitated to settle, he gazed out the window and made a mental note to trim away the leafless limb that seemed intent on scratching a hole in the side of the house.
    Winter.
    With Tanner.
    Bad enough under the best of circumstances. But with Tanner mad...  
    A chill not caused by the weather sent him back to the fireside where his brothers were still engaged in a morbid conversation about death and funerals.
    Mark added his own comment to the glum observations. “I’ve got a feeling death might be real pleasant compared to what Tanner will do to us if he finds out what we’ve done.”  
    * * *
    The storm from the day before had blown itself out during the night, and Tanner had hoped to get an early start. Heading down the mountain, he cursed the luck that made him waste valuable hours, especially on a day when the sun was shining. At least the mule wasn’t limping and they were making good time. If it didn’t take the smithy too long, he could still get back and put in a few hours’ work before dark.
    But when he reached the blacksmith’s, he discovered that his usual bad luck still ran true. A freighter had left a whole string of animals that the man had to shoe before he could even get to Tanner’s mule.
    “Buford, I can’t wait that long,” Tanner protested. “Isn’t there something you can do?”  
    “I’ll try to get Jake in to help me, but he’s been feelin’ poorly of late,” the smith said. “If not, I’ll do a few of the wagon mules, then slip your critter in. Check back in a couple of hours, Tanner.”
    “Thanks. I’d appreciate it.” Tanner had turned to leave, when a saddle hanging at the entrance of the smithy caught his eye. “That looks like Mark’s rig.”
    Buford chuckled. “It is. He brought it last month, seemed in a real hurry to sell it. I couldn’t give him what it was worth, but he took it anyhow. I figure I’ll hang onto it for a while in case he wants it back.”
    “Mark skinned fence posts for a year to get that saddle. Couldn’t see what he wanted with it myself. He doesn’t even have a horse. Kids.” Shaking his head, Tanner left the livery and strolled down the street.  
    Recalling a harness that needed mending, he turned in to J. A. Brunner & Bro.‘s store and picked up a length of leather to do the job. After exchanging pleasantries with Joe Brunner, the elder Brunner’s son, Tanner dug into his pocket and handed over the correct amount of coin.
    The freckled-faced young man dropped the money into the register. “By the way, Tanner, I hear somebody is looking for you.”
    “Who?”
    “Don’t know. One of the Britt boys mentioned it.” Joe tied a string around the parcel and passed it over the counter.  
    “Thanks.” Perplexed, Tanner left the store, taking note of the new construction as he headed for the center of town. If the place kept on growing, it would soon be so crowded they wouldn’t all have enough air to breathe.
    That was one problem he and the boys didn’t have. They didn’t have a neighbor for miles.  
    He went into the Wells Fargo office and stepped up to the window. “Howdy, Lester. Any mail for the Blaines?” He doubted there would be. They usually picked it up once a