Sharon Poppen Read Free

long walk from her ranch on the outskirts of Carthage to this city, deeper into the heart of Texas. Although she and Caleb had made few acquaintances in Carthage, she felt it best to head for a larger city where she’d be more apt to hear about Drake.
    Her feet ached from every bit of the thirty some miles she’d traveled. It had taken her nearly a week in her weakened condition. She avoided making contact with the occasional wagon or lone riders that had happened along, in order to avoid explaining her bruises and why she was afoot and alone.
    Her bones creaked and complained from the hard ground, peppered with small stones, where she’d caught a few hours sleep each night.
    Hannah swallowed the last of the venison jerky she brought with her and then bent over to fill her canteen. Despite the gentle flow of the water, she got a glimpse of her reflection and managed a weak smile. Most of the swelling was gone and the yellow-purple bruising had faded. Her days walking in the sun had resulted in a deep tan that masked any trace of the beating she’d taken. She gulped half the water in the canteen and refilled it. Standing up, she did some exaggerated stretching and started walking again.
     
    *****
     
    With her long hair pinned up under Caleb’s Stetson, her mode of dress was hardly noticed as she made her way down the dusty Nacogdoches streets banked by cattle pens, stables, blacksmith shops and saloons. She passed cowboys, Indians, and ranchers who either lolled about talking or hurried about their business. An aroma of fried food drew her attention toward a sign that announced “Eats.”
    Up a couple of wooden steps and across a matching walkway, she entered a busy room filled with folks eating and drinking. A portly man walked by carrying a couple plates of stew that left a trail of steam and a rich beefy aroma.
    “Over by the window,” he pointed. “Take a seat. I’ll be right with you.” He took the food he was carrying over to a stern looking man seated next to a nervous, pinched face woman.
    Hannah relaxed into the welcomed comfort of a padded chair and let the delicious aroma of the room whet her already ravenous appetite. She only had two dollars and could only hope she could get some, actually a lot, of that stew.
    “Well,” asked Portly, “what’ll it be?”
    “How much is that stew?” Hannah asked.
    “All you can eat for fifty cents, along with endless refills of bread and coffee.”
    Hannah smiled. “I’ll start with two bowls, please.”
    The man nodded and then squinted to boldly check out his customer. “You a woman?” he asked a little too loudly.
    Hannah felt eyes bore into her as the chatter in the room faded in wait of her answer.
    She nodded.
    “Where’d you come from, girlie?”
    “Oh, back east. Come to join my brother on his ranch.”
    “Here in Nacogdoches?”
    “Near here, somewhere. He’s coming to pick me up this afternoon.” Annoyed that he was drawing so much attention to her, she pressed him for the food. “My stew? I’m powerful hungry.”
    “Be right back.” He made his way to the kitchen.
    Hannah kept her eyes on the scene outside the window to avoid the stares of the other diners. Eventually, the room began to fill with conversation as folks realized they weren’t going to get any additional information. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the stern looking man was watching her closely as he slobbered up his stew. The woman nibbled at little bites of her food and kept her eyes lowered.
    “Here ya go, girlie.”
    Hannah felt light-headed for a moment as she savored the aroma. She buttered a healthy slice of bread and began to eat. Halfway through the second bowl, she felt like she was being watched and glanced at the stern man. He and his companion nodded at Hannah and both managed a brief smile. She wasn’t sure if it was the lack of warmth in the woman’s smile, the hint of a leer in the man’s smile or just her desire to be left alone, but Hannah