Broken Star (2006) Read Online Free Page B

asked. ‘I’m so glad to see a friendly face. I always feel so out of it, so alone, on arriving at somewhere new to me.’
    Smiling sympathetically, Raya nodded. ‘Yes, I have lived here all my life.’
    ‘Then we could be neighbours soon.’
    ‘That would be nice,’ Raya responded, having swiftly come to like her new acquaintance.
    ‘Forgive me,’ the woman said, with a self-deprecating little smile. She put out her hand, hesitating slightly as she introduced herself.‘Carmel Morrow.’
    ‘Raya Kennedy,’ Raya said, as she shook the woman’s hand. ‘You are considering moving to Yancey?’
    ‘If I can find the right place. My brother and I have worked hard all our lives making money for others, and now we want to go into ranching ourselves. Nothing big, nothing difficult to handle. Just something interesting and rewarding .’
    ‘I understand,’ Raya said, with a sympathetic smile. ‘I do hope that you find what you are looking for.’
    ‘So do I,’ Carmel Morrow said wistfully. She hooked a thumb under the strap joining the saddle-bags and took them from her shoulder. ‘First things first, though. I need to become a solid citizen by opening an account here.’ A sudden thought clouded her face and she enquired, ‘I hope I’m not risking our savings. Is Yancey a safe town, Raya?’
    ‘Absolutely,’ Raya assured her, giving an embarrassed little giggle before adding, ‘Mind you, I’m biased, as I’m going to marry the sheriff next spring.’
    ‘You can’t get safer than that,’ Carmel laughed.
    ‘That’s very true,’ Raya agreed proudly. ‘There’s nobody within two hundred miles ofYancey who would dare to go against Sheriff George Harker.’
    Giving Raya’s arm a little squeeze, Carmel said, ‘That’s very reassuring. Thank you, Raya. Maybe I’ll get an invite to the wedding if we settle here.’
    ‘You most certainly will, Carmel, both you and your brother.’
    ‘That’s nice of you.’ The teller’s position was now vacant and Carmel gave Raya a gentle nudge with her elbow. ‘There you go.’
     
    Having seen Raya go into the bank, Fallon Vejar pretended to study the items in a gunsmith’s window while keeping an eye on the bank doorway . The street was a peaceful scene of people going about their legitimate business. It pained him to imagine how drastically that would change when Ken Klugg and his gang arrived. Since venturing out that morning, he had met several folk he had once known well, but who now passed him by without speaking. This made him wonder how Raya would react to his return. During a largely sleepless night in the jailhouse, he had done some deep thinking. He had reasoned that as he was sure to meet Raya at some time, then the sooner he did so the better. Though he still had strong feelings for Raya, his days as an outlaw had forever separated himfrom her. Though it would be painful for him, he had to let her go. The air between Raya, Harker, and him had to be cleared if he was going to work with the sheriff.
    Raya reappeared, coming out of the bank and turning down the street without even a glance in his direction. Vejar started after her, but stopped again as a rider he recognized as Ben, the youngest of the Poole brothers, came slowly down the street. Passing Raya, Ben Poole headed unhurriedly towards Vejar. Anticipating trouble from the renowned brawler, Vejar stood on the edge of the sidewalk, waiting.
    Ben Poole was a big man, whose size and strength was feared greatly. He reined up in front of Vejar; a holstered Colt .45 resting on a right thigh that was as thick as a tree trunk. Vejar was confident that there would be no gunplay. The heavily muscled Ben’s movements were far too slow for him to draw on Vejar. In the way of all bullies, Ben Poole never started a fight that he wasn’t certain he could win. But a cautious Vejar quickly scanned all of the doorways and side alleys in the vicinity, suspecting that the other two Poole brothers might be lying