while.
Brynnaâs manner was icy. Sam could feel it from here.
If Linc had arrived ten minutes earlier, he might have had a chance to break the news of his dogsâ mistake to her. But he was too late for that and too early for her anger to have worn off.
âNow, B.,â Dad cautioned, using his nickname for Brynna. He would have had better luck talking to the barn wall.
In a khaki uniform with her red hair french braided down her back, Brynna strode toward them.
Anyone could see Brynnaâs anger was still building. For once, Linc seemed to recognize it.
âI got it coming,â he said when she was still a few yards off. âI want to pay for any inconvenience Iâve caused.â
Linc fumbled a checkbook out of his pocket.
Sam couldnât believe Slocum wasnât apologizing. Instead, he was trying to pay for Dadâs pain.
âUh, and Jed mentioned I might want to bring something, soâ¦â he pointed to the plant Sam held.
If Sam werenât so mad, sheâd feel sorry for an adult who was so clueless.
Dad and Brynna stood, speechless, and Linc gave a nervous laugh.
âAny kinda lecture you want to give me, have at it. Jake Ely says my dogs spooked Wyattâs horse and left him pickinâ stickers out of his pants. Donât blameyou for being peeved.â
Then, Linc laughed.
âSorry about that.â He cleared his throat, but gloating flavored his apology. Usually it was Linc, not Dad, who found himself afoot on the range. It was clear Linc found the switch amusing.
Brynna wasnât laughing. Her freckles disappeared on her scarlet-flushed face. Her lips turned white from pressing together.
Finally, she spoke.
âAre you awareââBrynnaâs voice vibrated with rageââthat itâs against state law to hunt deer with dogs?â
âYeah, now that you mention it, Jed clued me in, right after I went and bought âem.â
Slocum looked down at his boots, shaking his head, then peered up, as if he expected sympathy.
Fat chance , Sam thought.
âNot to mention,â Brynna pressed on, âcounty statutes prohibit dogs from running at largeââ
âGuess I figured you and your boys couldnât be everywhere at once, now, can ya?â
Brynnaâs eyes widened and her lips parted in disbelief.
What? Outrage screeched in Samâs mind. Had Slocum really just admitted he didnât mind breaking the law, as long as he wasnât caught and punished?
âWith hundreds of miles of nothing out thereâ¦âSlocum gave a short heh, heh sort of laugh, âdonât figure the sheriffâs got time to search me out to enforce that rule.â
âItâs not a rule,â Brynna corrected him. âItâs a law.â
Slocum shrugged. âA darned silly law.â
Sam forgot about asking Linc for more information on New Moon.
âYou wouldnât think it was silly if youâd seen Dadâs horse fall, like I did.â
Silence sizzled around them as Linc searched for a comeback.
âThing is,â Dad said, at last, âtheyâre gonna get shot.â
Linc leaned back, thumbs hooked through his straining belt. âIs that a threat?â
ââCourse not,â Dad said. âBut no one takes kindly to dogs bitinâ his livestock.â
Not to mention what might have happened if Dad had fallen and rolled. What if all the dogs had attacked him at once?
âBut youâd actually shoot my dogs?â Linc persisted.
âI wouldnât like doinâ it,â Dad said. âBut if they brought down one of my calves or if they were about to attack my horse or yoursââhe nodded at Lincââyou bet I would.â
Lincâs jaw dropped in astonishment.
âWhat if theyâd spotted a child instead of Wyattand Jeep?â Brynnaâs tone soared uncharacteristically. âThose dogsââ She stopped.
Dadâs
George Simpson, Neal Burger