“Yep, they sure do. One as lovely as yer' self should have lots of shiny things.” He leers at her with lust in his eyes. When he smiles his black teeth cause a shudder of revulsion to ripple over her body.
“It's a lovely piece. Excuse me.” Softly, stepping around the men, she flinches when he grabs her upper arm. Dark images of death fill her mind, and she can only watch as a gentleman is shot in the back and falls from his horse to the muddy earth below.
In her vision the stranger holding her arm holsters his pistol and flips the man over, searching his pockets for anything of value. Blood blossoms on his chest and he gasps, grasping at the thief’s arms. On the inside of his black jacket, he finds a deed. Boomer hands the paper to his brother, and he says, “Well, well. Looky what I found. Mr. Rivers here has shares in the railroad.” The victim has long sandy blonde hair, tan skin, and a cleft in his chin, he looks to be thirty-something.
“Jeb?” Boomer calls out struggling with the stranger. Jeb walks over and points his revolver in the stranger's face and pulls the trigger.
Cassie screams echoing through the shop and the one she now knows as Jeb releases her arm, stepping back. His brother, Boomer jumps so hard he slams into a shelf, knocking the very same mirror she was admiring to the ground. The glass inside shatters and Mr. Chou comes running with his shotgun ready.
“Leave the Lady be! You okay?” He asks, keeping his shotgun trained on the two men. Cassie quickly moves to his side and nods her head. The last thing she wanted was to draw attention to herself.
“Please forgive me, he startled me. I should go, my husband is waiting at the hotel. I will pay for any damages, just add it to the bill.”
“We didn’t mean no harm, Mrs.?” Jeb asks cautiously.
“Rivers,” Cassie responds choosing the first name that comes to mind. Turning back to Mr. Chou she misses the look that passes between the brothers. She smiles apologetically as Mr. Chou lowers his weapon.
“You two go on if you not buying,” he orders.
“I was just lookin’ for some shovels, we ain’t done nothing wrong!” Boomer yells. Jeb never takes his eyes off Cassie, so she moves further behind the Asian shop owner hoping they will move on.
“Come on brother, I saw some over on the other side.” Jeb grabs Boomers' arm and pulls him along with him.
Mr. Chou turns to Cassie, “I wrap packages for you and have sent over. You go find your man, not safe for you alone.” Glaring at the two men who are moving through the aisles.
“Thank you,” she whispers and hurries out of the shop.
Jeb stares hard after the young woman, “Jumpy lil’ thing, ain’t she Boomer?”
Boomer spits on the wooden planks that make up the floor and moves to the window to watch her cross to the hotel. “So, tell me Jeb, what kind of man would let his wife walk around this town, alone?”
A dirty smile spreads across his bearded face. “No kind of real man to my way of thinkin.”
Chapter 3
The trembling doesn't stop until she enters the hotel and moves to the restaurant on the first floor. She knows the safety she feels is an illusion, but she's thankful to be inside the restaurant and off the streets. Those two men are trouble, and she felt the cold pressure of eyes on her as she hurried across the street.
“Mind your own business Cassandra,” she tells herself for the third time, but she keeps replaying the vision. She can almost feel the impact as the bullets entered his body and his eyes! They widen with shock and his body jerks before he glanced down at his now bloody shirt.
Reluctantly, she glances around the restaurant hoping she will not see him, then she can be on her way. When she left her family land, she promised herself things would be different. No longer would she hide and pretend that she did not have this gift. Just once she would like to use her gift for good and see what comes of it. When she spies a large blonde man sitting alone at a table for two near the window, she sighs.
“A quick warning and you can leave,” she mutters.
Dalton notices the beautiful young woman when she enters the restaurant. Like any normal male, he checks her over, and a slow smile spreads when her eyes meet his. Her full pink links purse in disapproval and she seems to be talking to herself. He sips his coffee and glances down.
'It isn't proper to stare so openly, Dalton Rivers,' he remembers hearing his Grandmother say.
'Yes, but sometimes you can't help it. Besides, I've seen how Pa looks at you Granny, after forty years, no less.' Her blush said it all. He wants a love like they had. Passion, trust, friendship, and love. When he looks back up, he notices her clasped hands, and she turns about to leave, but a noise stops her in her tracks.
His eyes follow the direction of her glance, and when he sees what has her so concerned, he sits up a little taller. The Williams brothers are fighting outside with a man on the street, and they seem to be headed this way.
Jeb and Boomer Williams were hired to work on the railroad, but their drinking and violent ways caused terrible problems. When they attempted to rob Dalton of his earnings from the stockyard, he was forced to defend himself and reported them to
