Lauraine Snelling - [Wild West Wind 01] (28 page)

Campsite

Cassie dithered about when to leave. After breakfast? No, after dinner. She nursed a cup of coffee, trying to talk herself into going back to that ranch house. What more did Chief know that he wasn’t telling her, and why was he being secretive?

It was midafternoon when Chief brought the saddled horses to the wagon. “You ready?”

“No. Yes. I don’t know.”

“Get it over with.”

She nodded and mounted up. She’d smoothed some of the wrinkles from her shirt with a hot rock, but cold as it was, she needed her coat buttoned up anyway. Maybe out here a wrinkled shirt wasn’t so bad.

The ride wasn’t nearly long enough. When they turned in under the tall sign, she brought Wind Dancer to a stop and stared at the valley and the hills surrounding it.

“It’s beautiful.”

Chief grunted.

Catching up with her guide, she tried to memorize all she could see. Today the cattle were on the other side of the lane. Some of them raised their heads and stared, as if not much caring for strangers.

Cassie turned Wind Dancer up toward the house. She heard a horse’s hooves behind them and looked over her shoulder to see a young girl galloping her horse up the lane. She waited.

“What a beautiful horse you have,” the girl called, bringing her horse to a stop a few feet away.

“Thank you.”

“Did you come to see my mother?”

“Is your father here?”

“No. He died a long time ago.” The girl pointed toward the house. “Go tie up your horses there. I need to put mine away, and then I’ll be right up. Ma must be home. There’s smoke from the chimney.”

Cassie and Chief looked at each other, shrugged, and did as the girl said. A long porch covered more than half of the face of the house, which looked hunkered down, like it had grown up there with the rocks and trees. A stack of split wood took up a good portion of the wall to one side, while two rocking chairs waited on the other. They dismounted and flipped the reins over the rail.

Cassie’s feet felt nailed to the ground. She looked at Chief, who was looking up the valley, where two riders were crossing the far field.

Come on, feet, move. This can’t be any worse than entering an arena surrounded by spectators. She took one step and then another, keeping her feet going forward instead of turning and running back to Wind Dancer and riding at top speed out of this valley, whether she owned it or not. She felt in her pocket for the envelope with the deed in it. Still there.

She mounted the two steps to the porch and half turned to leave, but Chief was right behind her. Trapped. Cassie swallowed and crossed to the door of wide pine boards. Her hand had to be commanded to knock, just as her feet had been to walk.

Chief reached around her and rapped on the door with his knuckles.

“Coming,” called a female voice. The door opened and a tall woman, her hair in a bun and her dress covered by a floured apron, smiled at them. “Come on in.” She stepped back and beckoned them in.

But you don’t even know me. Don’t look so welcoming
. Cassie nodded and stepped forward.

“How can I help you?” The woman’s voice felt as warm as the heat from the rock fireplace across the room.

“I . . . I am Cassie Lockwood.”

Her eyes widened, and a smile creased her face. “Cassie Lockwood. Is your father Adam Lockwood?” Her voice softened.

“Yes, he was—is—my father, but he died five years ago.”

“So they are both gone.” She left staring at Cassie and looked to the man slightly behind her. “John Birdwing, is it really you?”

Chief nodded. “Hello, Mrs. Engstrom.”

“So I am no longer Mavis?”

“That might be impolite. Is that your girl we met?”

“If you nearly were run over by a girl on a galloping horse, that would be Gretchen.” Mavis reached out one hand to Chief and the other to Cassie, her smile as wide as the blue Dakota sky. “Welcome home.”

Whoever knew we would have something called Facebook as a getting-to-know-you place and also as a research tool. When I got stuck on something, like the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, I posted my cry for help on Facebook, and those with great information and contacts got right back to me. I, of course, lost the list of names. I think the computer ate them, but here is my public expression of gratitude to all who helped me.

Melinda and her family drove us through the Black Hills and shared the history of the area at the same time. What a fun way to do research—fun rock picking too. We found the valley for this series on that drive, all but the three rocks at the end of the valley. They were somewhere else, but for the story I moved them.

As always, I ask people that I meet to tell me their family history. What great tales I hear and often use them in my books.

My Round Robin writing buddies brainstormed in characters with me,
quirky
being the key word, and then helped with the research at the Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City. What an incredible adventure that place was. The statue of a drooping Indian on his horse in a storm took my breath away. I’ve dreamed of a story for George for many years. We do love buffalo.

I met Rebecca on Facebook. She’s written devotional books using her experiences with horses to illustrate spiritual truths. She has a mule named Wind Dancer and graciously allowed me to use his hame for Cassie’s partner in trick riding and shooting. Wind Dancer so fits the striking black and white pinto we saw on our travels.

I work with the most incredible team at Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group. So much of book publishing takes place behind the scenes—editorial, art, marketing, and all the rest. You give your all, and I can never thank you enough.

Blessings,

Lauraine

Lauraine Snelling is an award-winning author of over 60 books for adults and young adults. Her books have sold over 2 million copies. Besides writing books and articles, she teaches at writers’ conferences across the country. She and her husband make their home in Tehachapi, California.

Golden Filly Collection One*
Golden Filly Collection Two*
High Hurdles Collection One*
High Hurdles Collection Two*

Secret Refuge

Daughter of Twin Oaks

Dakotah Treasures

Ruby • Pearl

Opal • Amethyst

Daughters of Blessing

A Promise for Ellie • Sophie’s Dilemma

A Touch of Grace • Rebecca’s Reward

Home to Blessing

A Measure of Mercy • No Distance Too Far

A Heart for Home

Red River of the North

An Untamed Land • A New Day Rising

A Land to Call Home • The Reapers’ Song

Tender Mercies • Blessing in Disguise

Return to Red River

A Dream to Follow • Believing the Dream

More Than a Dream

Wild West Wind

Valley of Dreams

*5 books in each volume