Chapter 1

1

Red rain!

When the red drops continued to fall all around her, she reached up, rubbed her face, and then looked at the smear of red death on her hand. Seeing it put her in shock until she realized it was the blood of a pig, and shouted, “Carl! My God, do you have to do that now? It stinks, and the blood of that poor pig is gettin’ all over my clean clothes!”

“Sorry Miz McClure, but it’s gotta be done before me and the boys leave.” He stopped for a moment, wiped his sweat, and looked up into a white sky. “Unusual weather we’re havin’ for this time of year.No wind to speak of. Slaughterin’s best done in cold weather, you know. Don’t smell so bad then.”

“I ain’t never seen a hot spell hang on so long,” she answered back as she took a wet rag from out of her wash, wiped the blood off her, and then hung up her last piece of clothing to dry in the hot sun.

“We’ll probably have a cold winter for sure when it finally breaks.”

She looked toward the barn when she heard the fast clip-clop of horses riding off. “Where are they goin’?”

“To the General Store in town. We need a few things before we get started. As soon as I get through here, I’m gonna get cleaned up and meet ‘em out along the south forty.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“At least a couple of weeks.” He looked over at her with a look of concern on his face. “That’s a long time. You sure you’ll be all right here by yourself? I could leave Jimbo here, if you think…”

“No, no. I’ll be fine. You boys do whatever it is you have to do and don’t worry about me.”

“You know, the widow Johnson’s just a few miles away. I could…”

“Carl, you worry too much. I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll be fine? You’re a baby!” Seeing the way she was looking at him, he said, “I’m sorry, but it’s true. Your pa wouldn’t like us leavin’ you without gettin’ someone to…”

“I’m not a baby, Carl. I can…” She took a deep breath, trying to get control of her anger. “Carl, I appreciate your concern, but you know as well as I do that my pa taught me all I need to know about taking care of this ranch, and myself. I’ve lived on this piece of land my whole life, and as for weapons I’ve got everything from guns to fryin’ pans, and I ain’t afraid to use them. I’m insulted that you think I’m some kind of baby that needs protectin’. I remember everything my pa taught me, so you just go and put me and my welfare out of your mind.”

Carl looked at her, smiling and shaking his head. “Hell, I guess you’re right. I even feel sorry for the hombre that tangles with you.”

“That’s better.” With her young bones aching, she turned to pick up her empty basket, and started toward the house. “If I don’t see you before you leave, you boys be careful, hear?”

“Sure thing, Miz McClure.”

She slammed into the house noticing that the wind was so still, even the slam of the front door didn’t make much of a sound. She quickly pulled off her bandana, shook out her bright red hair, and then immediately headed for her bedroom. She fell on the bed and lay there for a moment, breathing deeply before reaching under her lumpy mattress to dig out Frank Starr’s Ten Penny Novels.

Reading all about the dangerous escapades of the men of the west was her favorite past time. She was so used to hiding them from her father that she couldn’t seem to break the habit now that he was dead and gone. She looked at the title, Vigilantes and Bad Men of the West, and flipped to the pages about the notorious Reno Hudson. Reno was the most famous gunslinger the West ever knew. His name was on everyone’s lips all the way from California to New Orleans. Every time she opened the book she looked at the drawing of him—at his long hair, dark eyes, and muscled physique, and knew this man was worlds away from her. She shuddered inwardly when she wondered what in the world she would do if she ever met him in the flesh.

He had several books written about him, but the one she held in her hand was the most notorious. It had everything from midnight raids, to the countless number of saloon girls he satisfied. Each word gave her a thrill, and it was hard to put the book down. It finally came time to drag herself up when she heard her ranch foreman slam into the house and yell out.