Randy was shaken from the snake encounter all morning. Trevor must have been too because he didn’t say much all day. When they could see Silver City off in the distance, Randy stopped and waited for Trevor to come up beside her.
“I don’t wanna burn all my money on gettin’ two rooms,” she said.
“Well, that’s gonna start some talk.”
“Do we say we’re brother and sister?”
“I don’t think we look it at all.”
“What do we do?”
“We’re old enough. We tell them we just got married.”
Randy’s face flushed. She frowned at the city and then at Trevor. “I don’t like that idea.”
“It’s the best idea. No one will question it. Especially if we wear those rings you got around your neck.”
“What?” Randy pulled the necklace from underneath her shirt to look at her parent’s wedding bands.
“That’s what made me think of it. You’re dressed properly. I mean you’re wearing nice girly clothes even though I know you don’t want to. I’m old enough and so are you.”
Randy sighed, undid the clasp, and slid the rings off. She wondered if it was a good idea with how much he obviously liked her. He might get some idea that getting married was the thing to do. She handed Trevor Pa’s ring and swallowed the lump in her throat. She slid Mama’s ring on her third finger. It was tight.
“You need to put it on your left hand.” Trevor slid Pa’s ring on his finger. It was loose but he made it look natural as he held his hand up for her to see.
Randy slid the ring onto the finger of her other hand. It fit perfectly. Her eyes filled with tears. She pressed the back of her hands into her eyes. Trevor rested his hand on her thigh.
“I still feel like that sometimes,” he said. When she looked at him, his eyes were glassy too.
“Well, lets quit actin’ like a couple babies and go find a place to stay. Maybe we can get a good night’s sleep.” Randy squeezed Al’s sides and they were off. She avoided eye contact with Trevor until she had her emotions under control.
They were heading into the biggest boomtown in the territory. A few years earlier, Silver City had been famous for people getting rich quick. That wasn’t quite the story anymore. Her pa told her how dangerous it was there and had been commissioned out of retirement several times due to big problems in the mining town. Randy was appreciative of Trevor’s presence beside her as men watched them while they headed up the main street. She couldn’t tell if they were watching her or her horse. Maybe it was both.
“We need to find stables for the horses first,” Randy said, but wished that they weren’t so dead set on staying in Silver City for the night. But there was no telling how far the next town was.
The livery stables were across from the boarding house. The next dilemma was whether or not Al would attempt to break the stall door down to find her. He almost did in the last town she stayed in when she was sick. She sighed. Leaving home was possibly a huge mistake.
“Let me do the talkin’,” Trevor whispered before he dismounted.
Randy frowned and folded her arms. He was going to play the part of husband. Al pulled her to the water trough for a drink. She leaned against a post to observe.
“How much to stable these two horses overnight?” Trevor asked.
“Depends on if the horses are yours or stolen.” The stablehand’s mouth parted into a partially toothless smile.
YOU ARE READING
Little Sharpshooter
Historical FictionSixteen-year-old Randy has been playing games with her pa for as long as she can remember. When shots are fired while she's tending her ill-tempered horse one morning, the game that plays out becomes one of survival for Randy. Outlaws have shown up...
