Emma's Blaze (Fires of Cricket Bend Book 2) by Marie Piper Read Free Book Online

nodded, he continued. “We wondered if you needed a horse, Jess and Pete and me. This is Maggie. She’s sweet and not too big. Thought you might be able to get around better using her until your foot heals.”
    “I presume you’ve noticed my crutch isn’t quite living up to its task.”
    Saul actually chuckled. “I don’t think we can stand to see you lose your footing anymore.”
    “A horse would be greatly appreciated,” she said. “It would be nice to go further than a few steps at a time.”
    He indicated for her to come over.
    Emma approached the horse, Maggie, slowly. She hadn’t spent much time around horses, but the brown mare with the dark mane was a beauty. “Hello, pretty girl,” Emma whispered as she stroked the horse’s muzzle. “I’m glad to see there are other women around. I was beginning to feel outnumbered.”
    Saul laughed softly.
    “And what role do you play on this drive?” Emma turned her attention to him, hoping he would also be a friend. “Appie says you’re the wrangler, but I must confess I don’t know what that means.”
    Saul pointed to the horses. “Everyone else sees to the cows. I get the horses.”
    “There’s so many of them. Do you know all their names?”
    “Every one. They’re like people. Some are better at things than others. There are a few who are fast, but for a short distance. Then there are the long haulers, who can carry a man for days without stopping. We ride them hard, and we need to be ready for anything—from a rattlesnake to finding a woman in the woods who needs a way to get around.”
    “Does that happen often?” Emma teased.
    “Here and there,” Saul teased right back.
    Emma ruffled Maggie’s mane. “And here I thought I was one of a kind.”
    “When we make camp for the night, I’ll rig up something like a saddle for you,” Saul said. “We don’t carry an extra, but there’s blankets and rope. I’ll make something work.”
    “I’d appreciate it,” Emma replied. “Thank you. So much. For this, and for the music.”
    For the rest of the day, Emma sat in the wagon as the drive continued. She peeled potatoes, mended a few more items, and dozed against the rocking of the wagon. Appie had been right about how she needed time to heal. Her exhaustion went down into to her bones, and she didn’t mind the day of rest.
    They made camp as the sun began to set. Saul had Emma riding Maggie around in easy circles, when a man’s voice yelled out, “Riders!” Everyone’s attention shifted to the west, where two riders were quickly coming up on the camp.
    Bill saw Emma on the horse. “Now, who gave you a horse?”
    “Your brothers.”
    “Soft-hearted fools.” When he winked, she realized he was messing with her.
    “Are you hurt?”
    She didn’t miss the look Bill shot the man beside him. “Just a little worse for wear.”
    The new man studied her closely. Too close, in fact. “What do we have here?”
    Bill got off his horse. “Andrew, this is Sparrow.”
    Andrew looked at Emma with doubt in his brown eyes. She looked right back at him, not afraid. Bill continued, “Sparrow, this is my good-for-nothing brother, Andrew, who decided to go looking for a card game rather than follow my directions.”
    “You ain’t the boss, Bill,” Andrew said as he slid off his horse.
    “Actually, I am.”
    “Ignore my big brother,” Andrew said to Emma. “Thinks just because he’s the oldest he gets to boss everyone around. Sweetheart, I must tell you that you’re a sight for sore eyes.” To Emma’s surprise, he also gave her a wink. She didn’t appreciate it coming from him.
    Whether Bill saw and didn’t like the wink, or was just tired, Emma couldn’t tell, but his voice was especially strained when he started to speak. “Andrew—”
    A loud whistle cut through the air. Everyone turned in the direction, and saw the looming specter of Josiah on horseback a few yards off from the group.
    Pete called, “Hey, Andrew! Pa wants