Only 06 - Winter Fire

the younger woman with narrowed black eyes.
    â€œYou don’t know that boy real good, do you?” Lola asked. “He’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
    â€œI’d do the same for him.”
    Lola smiled with surprising gentleness. “Hell, I know that. You sold yourself to a crazy old man for your brother.”
    â€œHush,” Sarah said, looking around quickly. “Don’t ever say a thing like that in front of Conner!”
    â€œYou think he don’t already know it?” the other woman asked sarcastically.
    â€œThere’s no need to talk about it. I mean that.”
    Sighing, Lola crossed her thick arms. Though she was just under six feet tall and nearly three feet wide, there wasn’t a whole lot of fat on her thick body. As always, she wore a revolver on her right hip.
    â€œTalking won’t change what was and what is,” Lola said bluntly. “Conner and Ute and me had a palaver. You’re staying here. We’ll take the watches on the rim.”
    â€œThat’s ridiculous.”
    â€œNo it ain’t. You’re too soft-hearted to shoot a man from ambush. Even a Culpepper. Sure as hell you’d get buck fever and freeze on the trigger.”
    â€œI—”
    A long, shrill whistle from the rimrock overlooking the ranch cut off whatever argument Sarah had in mind.
    As one the women turned and ran to the place where they had left their shotguns leaning against the outside of the cabin.
    Three short whistles followed the first warning.
    â€œJust three men coming,” Sarah said, grabbing her shotgun.
    â€œThat means they want to palaver.”
    Lola whipped the sling of one shotgun over her head and left shoulder. Then she picked up a second shotgun and cocked both barrels. Her six-gun hung in its holster, right at hand if needed.
    Looking at her, Sarah could believe that Ute and Big Lola used to rob banks together.
    â€œWhy would the outlaws waste time talking to us?” she asked.
    â€œWould you rather take on a bear blind, or have a look-see around his den first?” Lola retorted.
    â€œI don’t think Moody is that smart.”
    â€œHe ain’t. But Ab Culpepper is clever as a he-coon and twice as mean.”
    A low whistle from the cottonwoods lining the creek told the women that Conner was in place, covering their flank.
    â€œUte will be coming down the rim on the short trail,” Lola said. “He’ll be here right quick.”
    Sarah didn’t say anything. With the cabin at their backs, Conner at their left side and Ute at their right, they were ready to fight if they had to.
    She hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
    â€œNo,” Lola said, squinting against the sun. “It sure as sin ain’t no shooting party.”
    â€œWhat makes you so certain?”
    â€œUte wouldn’t wait for no engraved invite to open the ball. He’d shoot fast as he could load and fire. If he ain’t shooting by now, it ain’t a shooting occasion.”
    Despite Lola’s words, Sarah’s hands tightened around the shotgun until they ached.
    Since Ute had come more dead than alive to the little valley and given his devotion to her, there had been no problem from the bands of Indians that occasionally came and went through Lost River ranch on their way to traditional hunting grounds. The three men riding down off the rim right now were as close to raiders as Sarah had faced in years.
    Oh God, I hope Conner doesn’t get hurt , she thought helplessly.
    None of her fear showed on her face. Motionless, she and Lola watched two long, thin men ride into the ranch yard on sorrel mules that were lean and hard as jackrabbits.
    â€œThere are only two of them,” Sarah said.
    Lola grunted. “I can count.”
    â€œWhere’s the third?”
    â€œHanging back, most likely.” She gave Sarah a quick, gap-toothed smile. “A man can get hisself shot that way.”
    Sarah smiled rather wanly. The idea of someone sneaking up behind her wasn’t comforting.
    As Ute had taught her to do, she angled herself slightly away from Lola so that their fields of fire didn’t overlap. The other woman did the same.
    At least the cabin is at our backs , Sarah thought grimly.
    The sun-dried, ill-cut boards weren’t much as protection went, but they were better than nothing.
    â€œWell, they be Culpeppers,” Lola said after a moment.
    â€œHow do you