through the crowd. "If he doesn't, I do. Get your sister's basket off the table," he barked.
"Pa, no! Mr. Andrews is going to buy it!" Cassidy cried.
Mr. Johnson turned towards his daughter. "As for you, young lady, you've been doing nothing but spreading hurtful gossip."
"Me? It's Jacob's fault!"
Not having yet moved towards the tables, Jacob turned on his sister. "It was your idea, and your fault you didn't hide the clothes well enough!
"Cassidy June Johnson, is that true?" Her Pa's face was turning almost purple with anger.
"I, I—"
"Quiet!" her father roared. "Go sit in the wagon, while you still can. By the time I'm through strapping your backend, I guarantee you won't sit for a week!"
Cassidy appeared about to protest but the moment her father stepped towards her, she turned and sprinted towards the line of wagons.
George Johnson turned to his son, who instantly moved to snatch Cassidy's basket from the table and walked as quickly as he could after his sister. The older man turned back to Richard. "I'll make sure they apologize to Anna and her family. I can't tell you how ashamed I am," he said.
Richard held out his hand. "As I said, Jacob is not yet a man, but I'm hoping he'll see the error of his ways and become one you can be proud of."
"I assure you he'd better," George said, shaking the extended hand before stepping into the crowd, taking his wife's hand and leading her to where the Martin family were standing, to speak his apologies.
The silence gave way to quiet chatter; people tsking and mumbling that it was an awful thing for the boys to do, and that they had always known that Cassidy was a little liar. Richard noticed that, in the mayhem, both Robert and Darrell had slunk away. Looking up, he gave the pastor a nod. The man clapped his hands loudly to draw attention to himself.
"Who's hungry?" he asked, and though the crowd didn't respond, he began his spiel as he picked up the first basket. "Who will give me a bid for a fine luncheon? I can't tell you what you will find inside, but I assure you, you won't be disappointed." He paused and grinned. "Remember, you are also bidding on the company of one of our fine young women with whom to share that picnic."
Richard turned to find Anna. She met his eyes instantly, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the smile on her face. He winked and touched the brim of his cowboy hat, nodding before returning his attention to the front. He still had a basket to win.
Chapter Two
"Ten dollars." The amount of the bid caused another wave of chatter to pass through the crowd. Several unattached men had begun bidding the moment Richard had lifted his hand. While part of him was pleased to see them offering at least some sort of support, he figured it was like shutting the barn door after the horse had escaped. Besides, there was no way in hell he'd let anyone get their hands on either the basket or his girl. When no additional bids countered his, he stepped forward, slapped down a gold eagle coin, and accepted the basket from Pastor Brown. Then he walked to where he'd left Anna, pleased to see the smile on her face and delighted at the blush on her cheeks.
"Shall we?" he said, offering his arm again.
Anna shook her head even as she took it. "How did you know which was mine?" she asked, as he led her towards the tree behind which she'd been hiding only a short while earlier.
"A little bird told me," he said, setting the basket down and accepting the quilt she handed him. As they worked to spread it out, Anna couldn't help but look back towards the others.
Seeing Mary Beth give her a wave, she smiled. "I'll have to thank her."
Richard followed her gaze. "Not a Wren," he teased, making a reference to Mary Beth's brown dress. "More like a Blue jay."
Anna looked down at her blue gingham dress and then across to him. "I didn't tell you!"
Richard laughed. "Not a baby Blue jay, more like her proud Papa."
She turned to look towards her
"Pa, no! Mr. Andrews is going to buy it!" Cassidy cried.
Mr. Johnson turned towards his daughter. "As for you, young lady, you've been doing nothing but spreading hurtful gossip."
"Me? It's Jacob's fault!"
Not having yet moved towards the tables, Jacob turned on his sister. "It was your idea, and your fault you didn't hide the clothes well enough!
"Cassidy June Johnson, is that true?" Her Pa's face was turning almost purple with anger.
"I, I—"
"Quiet!" her father roared. "Go sit in the wagon, while you still can. By the time I'm through strapping your backend, I guarantee you won't sit for a week!"
Cassidy appeared about to protest but the moment her father stepped towards her, she turned and sprinted towards the line of wagons.
George Johnson turned to his son, who instantly moved to snatch Cassidy's basket from the table and walked as quickly as he could after his sister. The older man turned back to Richard. "I'll make sure they apologize to Anna and her family. I can't tell you how ashamed I am," he said.
Richard held out his hand. "As I said, Jacob is not yet a man, but I'm hoping he'll see the error of his ways and become one you can be proud of."
"I assure you he'd better," George said, shaking the extended hand before stepping into the crowd, taking his wife's hand and leading her to where the Martin family were standing, to speak his apologies.
The silence gave way to quiet chatter; people tsking and mumbling that it was an awful thing for the boys to do, and that they had always known that Cassidy was a little liar. Richard noticed that, in the mayhem, both Robert and Darrell had slunk away. Looking up, he gave the pastor a nod. The man clapped his hands loudly to draw attention to himself.
"Who's hungry?" he asked, and though the crowd didn't respond, he began his spiel as he picked up the first basket. "Who will give me a bid for a fine luncheon? I can't tell you what you will find inside, but I assure you, you won't be disappointed." He paused and grinned. "Remember, you are also bidding on the company of one of our fine young women with whom to share that picnic."
Richard turned to find Anna. She met his eyes instantly, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the smile on her face. He winked and touched the brim of his cowboy hat, nodding before returning his attention to the front. He still had a basket to win.
Chapter Two
"Ten dollars." The amount of the bid caused another wave of chatter to pass through the crowd. Several unattached men had begun bidding the moment Richard had lifted his hand. While part of him was pleased to see them offering at least some sort of support, he figured it was like shutting the barn door after the horse had escaped. Besides, there was no way in hell he'd let anyone get their hands on either the basket or his girl. When no additional bids countered his, he stepped forward, slapped down a gold eagle coin, and accepted the basket from Pastor Brown. Then he walked to where he'd left Anna, pleased to see the smile on her face and delighted at the blush on her cheeks.
"Shall we?" he said, offering his arm again.
Anna shook her head even as she took it. "How did you know which was mine?" she asked, as he led her towards the tree behind which she'd been hiding only a short while earlier.
"A little bird told me," he said, setting the basket down and accepting the quilt she handed him. As they worked to spread it out, Anna couldn't help but look back towards the others.
Seeing Mary Beth give her a wave, she smiled. "I'll have to thank her."
Richard followed her gaze. "Not a Wren," he teased, making a reference to Mary Beth's brown dress. "More like a Blue jay."
Anna looked down at her blue gingham dress and then across to him. "I didn't tell you!"
Richard laughed. "Not a baby Blue jay, more like her proud Papa."
She turned to look towards her
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