The River Girl's Christmas (Texas Women of Spirit Book 4) Read Online Free Page A

Lone Warrior’s coat. His hand flew to the wound and he staggered back.
    Soonie threw her hands into the air. “No more shooting! He was just going to show you his permission papers, written and signed by General Wilkenson himself!” Her legs wobbled and she fought to stay lucid, to stay in control. Losing composure will do nothing for us right now.
    The wagon driver nodded to the man on the horse, who placed his gun back in its holster.
    “Shouldn’t be out here, anyhow. I’d argue in a court of law that savage was going for his gun.” He glanced at the other two men. “Right boys? You saw what happened.”
    The other two men nodded, murder burned into their eyes.
    Lone Warrior clutched his arm, wobbling where he stood. “Leave us alone,” he said through gritted teeth.
    “Sure, we’ll leave you all alone,” the man with a moustache taunted. “In fact, we’re taking these horses, too.”
    “They don’t belong to us!” said Soonie.
    “See, I had a feeling. Did ya’ hear that, boys? Trying to shoot our heads off, and horse thieves as well. Some things just never change.” He grabbed the horse reins and tied them to the back of the wagon.
    “No, we borrowed them. We have to give them back!” Soonie stepped forward, but Lone Warrior clutched her arm.
    “No,” he said, so quietly she could scarcely hear.
    His face had turned from rich umber to a sickly gray, and blood flowed down his shoulder in a torrent.
    The buggy creaked and the man clicked to his horses.
    Soonie stepped towards the wagon. “You can’t just leave us here without horses! My husband could bleed to death! Have you no hearts?”
    The man on the horse turned and smirked. “One less injun in this world.”
    The buggy and beasts disappeared in a cloud of dust.
    Lone Warrior staggered a few steps, then stopped, his head hanging.
    Soonie took his good arm. “You have to sit down. I need to look at that wound.”
    She helped him over to a tree and he sank to the ground, easing against the trunk. “Come on, we have to get your coat off.” She knelt in the dirt, ignoring the pine needles that dug into her knees.
    Lone Warrior’s eyes were shut tight, his lips drawn in a grimace. “Do what you need to do. I don’t think it’s too bad.”
    Soonie slid her traveling satchel from her shoulder. She pulled a small knife from her belt and swiftly cut his shirt away. Blood streamed from a dime-sized hole in her husband’s arm. She examined the other side. Trying to keep her voice from shaking, she said, “Here’s the good thing. Bullet went right through. Let me get you bandaged up. Hopefully someone more helpful will be through here in the next short bit. We used to have a good doctor in town, chances are he’s still there.”
    She tried to keep her tone light and cheerful, but she’d helped her friend, Molly, with plenty of injuries. I only have a few minutes to stop the blood flow. He could die right now.
    Pulling her canteen from her shoulder, she sent up a silent prayer of thanks she hadn’t chosen to fasten it to her saddlebag instead. She poured the last of the lukewarm water over the wound. “All right, let me get this tied up. It will probably feel better.”
    “Of course it will,” said Lone Warrior through clenched teeth. “Augh. If only I could have met those men on a battle field. Cowards.”
    “Yes, they were. But right now we need to get you fixed up.” Tearing strips from her petticoats, Soonie fashioned a quick, neat bandage. To her satisfaction, no blood seeped through the cloth.
    “All right, my love. You stay here. I heard a stream a little ways back, and I’m going to fetch more water.
    Her husband nodded, and she went off through the trees.
    The stream was nothing more than a silver trickle, but enough to serve her purpose. She dipped the canteen in, watching the hollow of water created by the mouth.
    More wagon wheels from the road. And this was a heavier wagon. She grabbed the canteen and ran towards the