Unusual Inheritance Read Online Free Page B

over the books was one reason. Of course she could question
Jed, but maybe he was in on it with Jake. She didn’t know if she
could trust any of the men at this point.
    Stormy was sitting in silence, thinking, as
the rocking wagon relaxed her. They had used the chuck wagon
because it was covered and Stormy could sleep in it at night and
Jed could sleep on the ground. They had plenty of food and the
chuck wagon was equipped with barrels to hold water, utensils, and
anything else they would need. It was really quite a nice set up.
In some ways better than what she had been used to at home.
    That is, her old home. She had only been at
the Double LL ranch a short time now but already she loved it. And
Katy Marie had a special place in her heart as well as Carmen. She
found she liked running a big ranch. The daily hustle and bustle
kept ranch life exciting, whether it was ordering supplies for the
bunkhouse or helping Carmen cook in the kitchen. For the first time
in a long time she wasn't alone anymore.
    The wagon hit a hole and jarred Stormy back
to her senses. She could see Jed trying not to grin out of the side
of his mouth.
    “Do you have to hit every bump in the road?”
she asked, irritated that he found this amusing.
    Jed answered back. “Well you seemed to be
awfully far away in that little mind of yours and I was getting a
little lonely for conversation. So, I thought I'd wake you up”
    “What do you want to talk about,” Stormy
asked?
    “Well I don't know, just things, like
...where are we going exactly once we hit town, and how far is your
house from town. Or is it in town?” He asked.
    Stormy turned her heard toward Jed. “I was
living in a small one room house right on the edge of town because
I took in laundry for people in Cedar Wells,” she admitted. “It was
close for people to drop off and pick up their clothes.”
    Jed looked a little surprised. “You took in
laundry for money?” He stared back in shock.
    “Yes for money. I had to eat you know,” she
said, embarrassed and defensive at the same time.
    His face softened a moment as he realized
that Stormy had not had an easy life and he decided to change the
subject. She was so beautiful! Even carrying on a conversation with
her was hard at times because all he wanted to do was touch her,
not talk. “Do you have any friends there that we need to stop by
and see while we are in town?”
    “No not really. Maybe I’ll visit Emily at the
general store. We could stop by there. I really don't have a lot of
friends since Ma and Pa died. People just quit coming around unless
they wanted me to do their laundry.”
    A feeling of sadness overwhelmed Jed along
with a feeling that he wanted nothing more than to take care of
Stormy Calder. “Well then it’s settled. After we gather up your
things we will stop and see this Emily.”
    The day was long and Stormy was getting
tired. Even though riding in the wagon was more comfortable than
ridding old wobbles for three days, her backside was still sore
from rattling around on the wooden seat all day.
    Stormy broke the silence that had been
between them for a while. “How long will it be before we can
stop?”
    “Well it is getting rather late and by the
time we build a fire and get some food in our bellies it will be
nightfall. Let's look for a clearing up here somewhere and pull
over for the night.”
    Stormy sighed, “Thanks Goodness. I don't
think I could stay in this wagon much longer.”
    Jed laughed out loud and Stormy looked at his
face and just smiled. “Come on now, you know you are tired of
riding in the wagon too.”
    Jed smiled back and said. “You know, you are
right. I'm more used to straddling a horse than riding in a wagon
and I'm ready to get out too. We will pull over up here.”
    Stormy and Jed located the perfect spot and
set about getting their camp ready for the night. There were plenty
of things to work with because of the chuck wagon. So getting a
fire ready and food going wasn't