A Man for Temperance (Wagon Wheel) Read Online Free Page A

finished except for frying the chicken. She liked to do that last and to get it fresh out of the hot grease.
    Sitting down in the rocking chair beside the woodstove, she picked up her Bible and began to read. She rocked back and forth, and finally her cat Augustus, in one smooth easy jump, landed in her lap. “Gus, you shouldn’t sit on the Bible.” She pulled the Bible from under the huge cat and stroked his fur. She had found him when he was merely a kitten, and he was the strangest-looking cat she had ever seen. He had tufted ears, enormously long hind legs, and a mere stub of a tail. His eyes were golden, enormous, and his mouth was red as flannel. He had long, silky, gray-black hair that he loved to groom. At night he shared her bed, forcing her to the edge at times, demanding a space of his own.
    For a time Temperance stroked the silky fur, and soon Gus was purring, making a noise like a muted engine. He also gave off heat like a furnace. She was stroking his fur and wondering about the man she had hired. Something about him disturbed her, but there was no way she could get out of the situation now. Gus lifted his head and then leaped from her lap. Goingto the door, he looked through the screen and began to growl low in his throat.
    “What is it, Gus?” Rising from her seat, Temperance went and stood at the door. She saw Brennan riding a fine-looking horse. She also spotted a jug of whiskey tied to the saddle horn. “We’ll have to talk about that!” she said, biting off the words.
    He rode up to the house, got off, and dodged the horse who tried to bite him. He snubbed the horse tightly, tying the reins three times. “I see you found your way here,” she said pleasantly. She waited for him to reply, but he didn’t. His hat was pulled down over his face, and the smell of whiskey was strong as he stepped up on the porch. “I’ll show you where you stay.” He still had not spoken, and she took him to the barn. Opening the door, she led him to the room her father had built for the hired men. It was actually a comfortable room with a good bed, a real mattress, a washstand, and an old chest of drawers that had belonged to her grandmother. The room was filthy now, because her last hired hand had left it a total wreck.
    “I hope you’re a better housekeeper than my last man.”
    Brennan gave the place a careless look. He threw the remains of a cigarette on the floor and didn’t bother to step on it. “I never set myself up or made no claims about keeping house.” He spoke in a surly way, and his speech was slurred.
    “You can come and wash up now. I’ll have supper on the table when you get cleaned up.” She waited again for him to respond, and when he did not, she turned and left. Anger touched her. It seems I’m going to have to put up with a sullen drunk. Not what I would really like!
    * * *
     
    AS SOON AS BRENNAN entered the house, Temperance saw that he had not changed his clothes and had not washed. She knew he was trying her out. “Brennan, get out on the back porch. There’s a wash basin and a pitcher of fresh water. Wash your face and hands and comb your hair. If not, you can do without supper.”
    Brennan glared at the woman. She was not tall, and he towered over her. But she was not intimidated by the difference in size. “I guess I’m clean enough.”
    “You might be clean enough for that jail, but you’re not clean enough to share my table. I’ve got chicken, beets, green beans, fresh biscuits, and I made a sweet potato pie. You don’t get any of that unless you act like a human being. Which will it be?”
    Brennan was strongly tempted to turn and walk away, but the delicious smells from the kitchen weakened him. “All right,” he muttered, cursing under his breath. He slammed the door and went out, which caused Temperance to smile. “Slam the door all you want, but you’re going to do what I say.”
    Five minutes later Brennan came in. His face was red from the exertion and his