Montana Sky

I—”
    Then her breath pushed out of her lungs in a whoosh as Tess bulleted up and rammed her, full body. They tumbled to the ground in a flurry of arms and legs and shrieks.
    It took Ben about five seconds to decide to keep his own skin whole and stay out of it.
    They wrestled into the piled snow, back onto the wet ground, grunting and punching. He expected hair pulling, and he wasn’t disappointed. Tipping his hat back on his head, he held up a hand as men came out of the pole barn to see what the excitement was about.
    “Well, goddamn my ass,” Ham said wearily. “What finally set them off?”
    “Something about a bet, a mud bath, and a rig.”
    Ham took out his tobacco while the men formed an informal circle. “Will’s outweighed, but she’s mean.” He winced when a fist connected with an eye. “Taught her better than that,” he said with a shake of his head. “Will shoulda seen that coming.”
    “Think they’ll start scratching?” Billy wondered. “Jeez.”
    “I think they’d both turn on anyone who got in the middle.” Ben stuck his hands in his pockets. “That Tess has mighty long nails. I don’t want them raking over my face.”
    “I say Will takes her.” Jim nipped back as the two women rolled dangerously close to his boots. “I’ll put ten on her.”
    Ben considered, shook his head. “Some things you’re better off not betting on.”
    It was the fury that made Tess forget all her self-defense courses, her two years of karate training, made her just fight like a girl in a playground brawl. The red haze over her eyes darkened every time Willa landed a blow. Here there was no defensive padding, no rules, no instructor calling time.
    She had her face pushed into wet, muddy snow and spat it out of her mouth on an oath.
    Willa saw stars explode in glorious color as Tess yanked her hair. Tears of pain and rage burned her eyes as shewriggled around and fought for leverage. She heard something rip and had time to pray it was cloth and not her hair coming out at the roots.
    It was only pride that prevented her from using her teeth.
    She regretted the pride when she found herself flipped headlong into the snow.
    Tess had remembered her training and decided to combine it with inspiration—she sat on her sister.
    “Give it up,” Tess shouted, fighting to stay aboard as Willa bucked. “I’m bigger than you.”
    “Get your—fat—ass—off!” With one concentrated effort, Willa managed to shove Tess backward. She pushed herself away, swiveled, and struggled to sit up.
    As the men stayed respectfully silent, the two women panted, gasped, and stared at each other. It was some satisfaction to Willa, as she wiped blood from her chin, to see the sleek, sophisticated Tess covered with dirt, her hair mashed and dripping into her eyes, and her mouth swollen and bleeding.
    Now that she had time to breathe, Tess began to feel. Everything hurt, every bone, every muscle, every cell. She gritted her teeth, her gaze on Willa’s face. “I say it’s a draw.”
    However huge her relief, Willa nodded slowly, then flicked a glance at the fascinated, grinning men. She saw money changing hands and swore under her breath. “Am I paying you worthless cowboys to stand around scratching your butts?”
    “No, ma’am.” Judging it to be safe, Jim stepped forward. He started to offer a hand before he saw by the glint in Willa’s eyes that it was premature. “I guess break’s over, boys.”
    At the jerk of Ham’s head, the men wandered back into the pole barn. The conversation and laughter came rolling out within seconds.
    “You finished now?” Ham demanded.
    Shrinking a little at the tone, Willa scrubbed at the dirt on her knee and nodded.
    “That’s fine, then.” Ham tossed down his cigarette,ground it out with his heel. “Next time you want to get into a catfight, try to do it where you won’t distract the men. Ben,” he added, with a flip of a finger on the brim of his hat.
    A wise man, Ben suppressed the grin as Ham strode off. “Ladies,” he said, with what he hoped was appropriate sobriety, “can I help you up?”
    “I can get up myself.” Willa didn’t quite swallow the groan as she struggled to her feet. She was wet, freezing, filthy, her shirt was torn, and her left eye was throbbing like a bad tooth.
    Thinking of teeth, she ran her tongue over them and was relieved to find them all in place.
    “I’ll take a hand.” Like a princess at a ball, Tess held out her hand, let Ben