Sweet Cherry Ray Read online

  Jenny tensed as Sue leveled a pistol at her.

  “Where’s that purty sheriff of yers? Didn’t ya bring him along this time, Jenny?” Sue asked.

  “Nope,” Jenny said. “I figure the likes a you don’t deserve to look at a man so handsome as Tate is.”

  “Cherry Ray!” Pocket interrupted. “Is this gonna be one of them silly stories about love and kissin’ and all? I can’t hardly tolerate it if it is.”

  “I can,” Laura said, smiling at Cherry. “Besides, Pocket’s just mad ’cause the likes of Oklahoma Jenny and Lawless Sue never would find him handsome enough to speak of.”

  “That’s a durn lie, Laura, and you take it back ’fore I paddle yer behind a good one!” Pocket shouted.

  “I won’t take it back ’cause it’s true!” Laura hollered back.

  “Children!” Cherry scolded. “Now you two settle down, or I ain’t readin’ any more. And don’t ya wanna know what happens? Maybe Lawless Sue is gonna shoot Jenny cold in the back!”

  “She can’t shoot her cold in the back,” Billy said. “They’s facin’ each other.”

  Cherry giggled, unable to hide her amusement over the children’s banter. “Settle down now,” she said. “We ain’t got that much time left to read. I gotta be home before supper.”

  “Hello.”

  Cherry gasped, startled by the unfamiliar voice.

  “What ya’ll doin’?”

  Looking up to see two strange, and rather large, young men standing over her, Cherry frowned as Laura answered, “Readin’ a book with Cherry Ray.”

  Chapter Eight

  Cherry quickly studied the large young men. They weren’t full-grown men—definitely still boys, but just barely. They had a glint of danger in their eyes that made her feel uncomfortable. Big, red-haired, and muscular, both boys looked like pure trouble.

  “Who’s Cherry Ray?” one of the boys asked.

  “I’m Cherry Ray. Who’re you?”

  “I’m Tommy Baxter, and this here’s my brother, Miles. We just moved in the ol’ boardin’ house in Blue Water,” the biggest boy said.

  “Oh!” Billy exclaimed. “Yer the new family in town.”

  “We been a family for a right long time, boy,” Miles Baxter growled. “Ain’t nothin’ new about us.”

  Instantly, Cherry disliked the Baxter boys. They were trouble indeed—it was obvious. “Well, welcome to Blue Water,” she said, offering her hand in a gesture of welcome.

  Both boys simply studied Cherry from head to toe, smiling and chuckling as they did so.

  “What’re you?” Tommy asked. “A boy or a girl?”

  “She’s a girl,” Laura said. “Are ya blind or what?”

  “Hush up, girl! He didn’t ask you,” Miles barked.

  “I’d welcome you boys to Blue Water, only I’m not sure I want to with the way yer speakin’ to us just now,” Cherry said.

  “We don’t need no welcome,” Miles said. “We can go where we want.”

  “Well, you need a welcome from my pa to linger on his land like this,” Cherry began, “and you ain’t got one, as far as I’m concerned. So why don’t you boys just head on back to town ’fore my pa finds ya out here.”

  “You ain’t gonna tell us what to do, girl,” Tommy growled. “We’re from San Antonio, and we don’t take to small townsfolk tryin’ to give us orders.”

  “You get goin’, or my pa will string ya up,” Cherry said.

  “Her pa’s Arthur Ray,” Billy said.

  Both boys laughed, and Cherry stood up, intending to appear courageous and unaffected by their bullying. The two boys were bigger than she’d realized, however. She figured running might be the only choice left to avoiding them. Yet she knew Laura couldn’t outrun them—even if Pocket and Billy could.

  “Who?” Miles laughed.

  “I mean it,” Cherry said, attempting to sound more confident than she was.

  All Lobo’s warnings came flooding back to her. She was safe enough from the men in town—the men that knew who her pa was and what he’d do to them if they touched her. Maybe Black Jack was different now, a threat to her the way he’d never been before. But nobody else would dare to touch her—nobody that knew her pa anyway, and these boys didn’t.

  “You get off this land, or there’ll be trouble,” Cherry said.

  “You don’t want to anger Cherry’s pa none,” Billy added. “He’s a Texas Ranger.”

  Tommy shrugged. “So? I seen plenty a Rangers in my life—seen a couple a dead ones too. Yer pa don’t scare us.”

  “Whatcha readin’ here, girl?” Miles said, snatching the Oklahoma Jenny book from Cherry’s hand.

  “Give it back!” Cherry growled. She grabbed for the book, but the boy kept it from her reach.

  “Oklahoma Jenny and Lawless Sue,” Miles said. “Well, ain’t that sweet?”

  “I’m amazed,” Billy said. “You boys…neither one of ya looks to be the type that can read.”

  Cherry gasped as Tommy reached out and shoved Billy. Billy reeled back but didn’t fall.

  “You boys get outta here right now,” Cherry said. “Before there’s trouble.”

  “Oh, there’s trouble already, girl,” Miles said. “And our names are Tommy and Miles Baxter.”

  Cherry was furious as she watched Miles send her new Oklahoma Jenny hurtling through the air. She winced when it landed over the fence right next to old Snort. The bull was startled and shook his head with irritation. He let out a low, angry-sounding bawl and snorted. Cherry fancied old Snort was looking directly at her—glaring directly at her.

  “That’s it!” Billy hollered. “You boys ain’t gonna come into our town and cause trouble!”

  “Billy, don’t!” Cherry shouted as Billy hurled a fist at Tommy’s head. Her eyes widened as surprise overtook her when Billy’s punch landed square on Tommy Baxter’s jaw. Tommy reeled backward for a moment.

  A frown furrowed his brow, and he took hold of the front of Billy’s shirt, drew back a fist, and mumbled, “That was the last ignorant thing you’ll do, boy!”

  “Stop it!” Cherry cried a moment before Tommy Baxter’s massive fist met with Billy’s tender jaw.

  Billy staggered back and sprawled to the ground. Cherry rushed to his side, kneeling next to him.

  “You all right, Billy?”

  “I-I’m fine,” he whispered. Cherry could see, however, that Billy was hurt. He’d had the wind knocked out of him, and his jaw was already red and bruising.

  “Come on, little feller,” Tommy teased, motioning to Billy to stand up once more. “You ain’t had enough already, have ya?” Tommy readied his fist, and Cherry knew another punch would hurt Billy far beyond what the first had.

  “You leave him be!” Laura cried, kicking Tommy Baxter square in the shin.

  “Leave her alone!” Cherry shouted as Tommy shoved Laura to the ground.

  “Cherry’s pa will drop you two dead cold!” Pocket said.

  “Cherry’s pa? We ain’t scared a nobody’s pa,” Miles laughed.

  Miles chuckled and took hold of Pocket’s arm, flinging him aside and sending him tumbling next to his sister.

  “You boys stop this right now!” Cherry cried. “What’s the matter with ya? Don’t ya even—”

  Her words caught in her throat as Tommy’s hands suddenly encircled her neck. He was choking her—not enough to force her into a faint but enough to keep her from talking and unable to properly defend herself.

  “Now, you,” Tommy began, knocking the hat from her head. “Now you might be worth havin’ some fun with.”

  “She’s awful purty,” Miles said, caressing her hair for a moment.

  “You leave her be!” Billy breathed.

  Cherry could see Billy trying to stand. She tried to shake her head at him—let him know he shouldn’t get up—that another punch from Tommy Baxter might knock him clean out.

  “I bet she’s tasty,” Tommy said, licking his lips as he looked at her.

  Tears began
to seep from Cherry’s eyes. Tommy was choking the breath from her. She knew if she fainted, the Parker kids would be at their mercy. She glanced over at Billy, who paused in his efforts to stand. His eyes widened, a triumphant smile spreading over his face suddenly.

  Cherry was puzzled at Billy’s sudden change in expression—puzzled until she looked beyond Tommy and Miles Baxter to where Billy’s gaze lingered.

  Relief flooded her body as Lobo growled, “Welcome to Blue Water, boys!”

  Instantly, Tommy released his grip on Cherry’s throat, and she stumbled backwards. As Tommy and Miles turned to see who had spoken to them, Lobo reached out, putting one hand at the back of each of their heads and shoved their heads forward with brutal force. The sound of Tommy’s and Miles’s foreheads hitting together caused Cherry to wince and cover her ears.

  Each Baxter boy reeled for a moment—but only a moment. Straightening his shoulders and clinching his strong hands into fists, Tommy Baxter growled, “Who the hell are you?”

  Lobo’s frown was that of fury, and Cherry could see the tight set of his jaw. “Oh, you don’t wanna know who I am, boy,” Lobo growled.

  Cherry gasped as Tommy threw a fist at Lobo’s squared jaw. Lobo stopped the punch cold with one hand, however, twisting Tommy’s arm and shoving him backward.

  “Get ’em, Lobo!” Pocket hollered. “You seen what they did to Cherry!”

  “Lobo!” Cherry screamed as Miles threw a fist next.

  Lobo caught this punch easily and shoved Miles back and said, “You boys don’t wanna go around with me. I promise ya that.”

  Both Baxter boys seemed to pause. Cherry couldn’t decide if the Baxters were threatened or not. Maybe Lobo’s warning was sinking into their big, thick heads. Or maybe they were just considering on how best to beat him.

  “Y-you look a might familiar, stranger,” Miles said, his eyes narrowing. “Like I already knowed ya from somewhere.”

  “You don’t know me, boy,” Lobo said. “But if yer wantin’ a closer look…then come on and get it.”

  “Lobo!” Cherry exclaimed. “Don’t egg ’em on!”

  “Ain’t you noticed, stranger,” Tommy said, smiling, “there’s two of us.”

  Lobo chuckled, and Cherry’s heart began to race with even more frantic fear as he raised his hands and motioned with his fingers for the Baxter boys to come at him.

  “Come on, boys,” Lobo said. “If ya think yer big and tough enough to treat a woman and children the way ya just did, then yer big and tough enough to take me down…ain’t ya?”

  “Lobo!” Cherry exclaimed as the Baxter boys went at Lobo—one from each side.

  “Knock ’em cold, Lobo!” Billy shouted. He was on his feet now and looked quite recovered.

  Cherry watched as Tommy Baxter reached Lobo first. Fists flying, the red-haired bully didn’t last long. Lobo easily avoided Tommy’s fists, landing one of his own to Tommy’s face and causing his nose to bleed. Lobo turned in time to avoid Miles’s punch, fisting him square in the nose as well.

  Cherry wiped a tear from her cheek and tried to ignore the applause and gleeful shouts from the Parker children. Both Baxter boys recovered easily enough and went at Lobo again. Yet in the next moments, it was clear Lobo McCoy was finished with the horseplay. Reaching out and taking hold of Tommy Baxter’s shoulders, Lobo pulled the bully forward and down until Tommy’s head met with Lobo’s knee. Rendered helpless, Tommy crumpled to the ground when Lobo released him.

  Turning, Lobo caught Miles’s fist as the younger Baxter threw a punch. Miles paused long enough for Lobo to growl, “You finished? ’Cause I’ll break yer damn arm!”

  Ignorant in his assumption, Lobo was distracted by the fist he already held, and Miles tried to throw his other fist at Lobo’s head. Lobo caught this fist as easily as he had the first. Cherry gasped and Billy and Pocket cheered as Lobo then twisted Miles’s arm behind his back and forced the boy to his knees.

  “You wanna try that again, boy?” Lobo asked.

  “No!” Miles panted. “No!”

  Tommy had managed to get to his feet somehow and stood staring at Lobo and his brother.

  “This ain’t no way to treat folks, boys,” Lobo said. “Whether or not yer new in town.” Lobo released Miles, and he fell forward, lying on the ground for a moment, rubbing his sore arm.

  Cherry wiped another tear from her cheek. How horrible! The Baxter boys were horrible! Wasn’t it bad enough that Black Jack and his boys lingered in Blue Water?

  She put one hand over her bosom in an effort to still the wild beating of her heart. It beat furiously in her chest from both fear and excitement. She studied Lobo for a moment, his vaquero’s pants, the way he stood so strong and intimidating. The sheer sight of him caused goose bumps to run the length of her arms.

  “Now, you boys apologize to these two ladies here,” Lobo said. “And then you apologize to these two young fellers.”

  Laura suddenly wrapped her arms around Cherry’s waist. “I don’t want them boys to talk to me,” she said.

  “That’s fine, sweetheart,” Cherry said, stroking Laura’s hair.

  “Sorry, miss,” Tommy Baxter said as Lobo glared at him. “Fellers,” he added, nodding to Billy and Pocket. It wasn’t a sincere apology—it was hardly an apology at all. Still, Cherry wanted nothing more than for the Baxter boys to leave. She didn’t care to hear them say anything else.

  “Now, git,” Lobo growled. “Unless ya want a couple a broken necks.”

  The Baxter boys paused only long enough to glance at one another before taking off at a dead run across the pasture.

  “You all right, honey?” Lobo asked, hunkering down before Laura.

  “Yes, sir,” Laura sniffled.

  Cherry was breathless, delighted when he smiled, reached out, and brushed a loose strand of Laura’s hair from her cheek.

  “You boys oughta get yer little sister home,” Lobo said, standing and nodding to Billy and Pocket. “Get yer mama to take a look at that jaw there too,” he added to Billy. He grinned at Billy. “You took that punch hard, boy…took it better than a lot a grown men I know.”

  “Yes, sir,” Billy said, smiling. “And…and thank ya kindly, Mr. Lobo.”

  “Weren’t nothin’, boy. You did a fine job of standin’ up to them mean fellers.” Lobo nodded to Pocket again. “All you kids did.”

  “But…but what about yer new book, Cherry?” Pocket asked. “D-do ya want me to hop on in there and fetch it fer ya?”

  Cherry forced a smile and shook her head. “It ain’t that important, Pocket. But thank you.”

  “But, Cherry,” Laura began, “how will we ever know if Lawless Sue shot Jenny or not?”

  “You run on home, honey,” Lobo said. “I’ll make sure Cherry gets her book.”

  “He’s a mean ol’ cuss, that longhorn,” Billy said, glancing to Snort for a moment. He looked back to Lobo and smiled. “But I think you can handle him all right, mister.”

  “Thank ya,” Lobo said.

  For a moment, Cherry felt as if some strange fog had engulfed her. She looked to Billy—her young friend—thinking of all the mischief they’d gotten into together. She winced at knowing how painful the hit from Tommy Baxter must’ve been to him. She looked then to Lobo—the handsome, powerful man standing before her. She wanted to strip off her men’s clothes right then and there—strip them off, pull her pink dress over her head, and beg Lobo to look at her and see a woman, not a silly girl dressed like a boy whose only friends were children. Not that there was anything wrong with children—Cherry loved children. It was just—Cherry realized in that moment, she wanted her own children! She wanted a man to hold her, protect her, and laugh with her. She wanted a man who would love her enough to marry her, settle down, and bounce their babies on his knee. Furthermore, Cherry wanted that man to be Lobo McCoy—nobody but Lobo.

  She shook her head, dispelling the strange fog in her mind and telling herself to save her dreams for times when her little friends hadn’t
just been bullied and hurt.

  “You all right, Cherry?” Billy asked.

  “Oh, I’m fine,” Cherry lied.

  She was far from fine. She’d just been choked—nearly worse! She’d just seen three children she loved like little brothers and a sister beaten, bullied, and scared. She was far from fine! Still, she knew the Parker children would be better off getting home to their ma.

  “You run on home,” Cherry said. “You’ll be late for supper, and then yer ma will tan all our hides.”

  “Will ya finish the book tomorrow?” Laura asked.

  “We’ll see.” At that moment, she didn’t feel much like reading about Oklahoma Jenny. “We’ll be sure to finish it soon if we can’t get to it tomorrow.”

  Laura smiled, seeming satisfied.

  “We’ll see ya then,” Billy said. “Thanks again, Mr. Lobo.”

  Lobo nodded, and Cherry waved as they started toward home.

  She could feel Lobo’s gaze on the back of her head. She was in for a scolding—a big one. No doubt Lobo would march her back home, as he’d done twice before, and let her pa give her a tongue lashing.

  “I-I know what yer gonna say,” Cherry said. “You don’t hafta say it.”

  “That weren’t no fault of yers,” Lobo said. It wasn’t the response she’d expected from him.

  “What?” she asked, turning to face him.

  “I saw that whole mess start up, Cherry,” Lobo said. He frowned, but she was certain he wasn’t angry with her.

  “You did?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I was on my way out to them old fence posts where we shot the bottles the other day,” he began, “and I saw you and them children walkin’ over here toward the tree.” He grinned and his frown disappeared. “I figured the four of ya was up to no good…so I followed ya. Tied my horse in them trees yonder,” he said, nodding his head to the left. “I could hear ya when ya started readin’ that book…so I sat myself down and had me a listen for a while.”

  Cherry felt her face blush crimson. He’d heard her reading Oklahoma Jenny and Lawless Sue? She was far more than a little humiliated.

  “Oh,” was the only word her mouth would speak.