The Whippoorwill Trilogy - Sharon Sala Page 0,118

miserable hay burners. There’s plenty for ever’one,” Forney yelled.

He tossed a little more hay into the corral then drew some water for the water trough. Once his chores were done, he went inside the station to give the stew a quick stir. It had been cooking all afternoon and there was a stage due before night. At least he’d have some human conversation to look forward to.

Only now and then did he start wondering what it would be like if things were different. He needed a new pair of shoes, but he hadn’t been paid in two months and didn’t figure he’d be buying anything anytime soon. Even if he had the price of the shoes, he could hardly saddle up and ride off to Ft. Mays to buy them. It was a two day ride and there would be no one left here to tend to the horses or meet the arriving stagecoaches. Until something changed, he was stuck at the way station with holes in his soles, and nothing but dreams of womanly flesh to soothe his manly needs.

A few hours later, the stew was in the warming oven and Forney was humped over the table near the lamplight, trying to cut a piece of old saddle leather to fit inside his right shoe. When he heard the familiar sound of the approaching stagecoach and the thunder of horses’ hooves, he tossed the leather aside and got up. It was about time they got here. He moved the stew from the warming oven to the front of the cook stove, lit a lantern, and headed for the door.

As always, dust boiled up into the air as the weary horses came to a stop.

Shorty the Stagecoach Driver, tossed the reins to Forney as Big Bill, the man riding shotgun, began climbing down. Once down on the ground, Big Bill dropped a step stool in front of the door and opened it wide.

Letty leaned out and whispered something near his ear. Big Bill nodded politely, then turned around and yelled at Forney.

“Hey, Forney, you better have some grub and a lot of it. I’m hungry as a bear and not particular of what I eat… and Sister Leticia needs the facilities.”

“Yeah, yeah, Big Bill, I’ve heard it all before. Stew’s inside and you know damn good and well the facilities are behind the station.”

“We need a lantern,” Big Bill said.

Forney handed him the one he was holding and started to unhitch the team when a flash of color caught his eye. He stopped, and when he saw a small foot, a hint of slender ankle, then the blue fabric of the female passenger’s dress, his jaw went slack. A few moments later he got an even better look at the woman Big Bill referred to as Sister Leticia. A drop of spittle slid out the corner of his mouth as he watched her brushing dust from her skirt.

Lord have mercy. Sister Leticia was a looker.

He dropped the reins and yanked the lantern out of Big Bill’s hands.

“Ma’am, you might best take my arm so as you don’t stumble. I’ll be happy to show you the way,” Forney said.

Letty hesitated then glanced toward Eulis, who was completely oblivious to the improprieties of her being escorted to an outhouse by a total stranger.

“Um… I don’t think… uh, Brother Howe will…”

At that point, Eulis looked up, noticed that a rather grimy, bearded man had hold of Letty’s arm with no signs of letting go.

“I say here… what’s going on?”

Forney frowned. He hadn’t noticed the dandy in the bowler hat.

“Ain’t nothin’ goin’ on, mister, ’cept that I’m gonna take this lady here to the outhouse.”

“It’s Reverend… not Mister,” Letty said, and then frowned. She wasn’t sure, but proper ladies wouldn’t be having any of this. Just to be on the safe side, she decided to get pissed and removed herself from Forney’s grasp.

“The lantern, if you please.” She took it from Forney before he could argue, then glared at Eulis, as if it was his fault she’d been put in this position. “Brother Howe, if you would see to my bag, I’ll be inside shortly.”

Eulis scrambled to get her bag as Forney reluctantly retrieved the reins to the horses, unhooked them from the coach, and led them to the corral. His only consolation was that the dandy with the bowler hat was a preacher, and the woman had called him brother, which meant they were kin. The arrival of a pretty female led Forney