Starting Today: Night Riders
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Jared
Ashley stepped out of the barn and felt a surge of anger. That Lila Tantrall
hadn’t left yet! She was on the porch of the cabin talking with his wife.
Stella’s voice sounded pleasant, though she couldn’t completely cover her
embarrassment. “Thank you again for the clothes, Lila. Our little girl is
growing so fast right now and, well, it takes a while to get a farm to
produce--”
Lila
hastily jumped in as Stella began to fumble with her words. “This is just our
way of welcoming you to the West! I know
how hard life out here can be. Why, when I was Becky’s age, I don’t think Dad
had more than a dozen or so head of cattle.”
Lila
Tantrall was nineteen, with long brown hair surrounding a small, pretty face
highlighted by prominent cheekbones. Her short stature, a little over five
feet, gave her a pixyish look. Her gracious demeanor spoke of education at a
school in the East.
Jared’s
anger became more intense as he walked past the beautiful palomino Lila had
tethered to a post at the front of the house. His wife looked at him with
pleading eyes when he stepped onto the porch. She was silently begging him not
to say anything ugly.
“Jared,
you remember Lila Tantrall, you met her--”
“Yeah,
I met her the last time she came on one of her missions of charity.”
“Jared,
please--”
“If
you really want to help us, Miss Tantrall, tell your father to stay away from
my fences.”
Lila
tried to maintain a friendly tone. “I’ll tell him, Mr. Ashley. I know that
sometimes cattle can knock over fences.”
“It
ain’t the cattle that’s doin’ it!”
Lila
looked down briefly, then smiled at Stella. “I need to be going. It was so nice
seeing you again.”
“Thank
you, Lila, thank you for everything.”
The
young woman nodded politely at Jared as she stepped off the porch. The
homesteader didn’t acknowledge the courtesy. He stormed inside the cabin.
Monday:
Episode Two of Night Riders
