Chapter 8

Bliss walked into the house and then to the kitchen from which the merry voices of her father and Damian echoed.

“Hey, baby girl,” her father smiled when he saw her. “How was your ride?”

“It was fine, Daddy,” Bliss said, sitting at the table across form him.

“Kind of hot out there, ain’t it?” Damian asked.

Bliss smiled at the older man. “You’re used to the weather in North Carolina. Here in Arizona the low eighties like it is now is just about right.”

Damian shook his head.

“Wait until we get later on in the month. When we get into the low seventies we start wearing coats,” Daddy winked.

Bliss smiled.

“Where’s that strange man?” Damian asked.

“Taking care of his horse,” Bliss informed.

“Does he know that’s what Mason’s for?” Daddy asked.

Bliss nodded.

“Then why didn’t he leave his horse with him?” Daddy pressed.

Bliss huffed. “I don’t know. It’s not a crime if a man wants to take care of his own horse.”

She stood and walked down the hall to her room. Ever since that discussion about Seth, she had felt irritable. Even the mention of that intolerable man made her stomach want to deposit its contents onto the floor.

Deciding that she needed to lie down a moment, Bliss collapsed onto her bed and closed her eyes on the memory.

Instead of removing the thoughts altogether, closing her eyes made her hear the sounds of years before. The laud yelling, the angry, hurtful words, the sobs coming from her own mouth…

Jerking up into a sitting position, Bliss shook her head to try to get the sounds to leave her alone.

Standing on shaky legs and walking to the wash table, she washed her face and tried to clear her head.

“Why can’t I forget?” she whispered into the thin air. “Why can’t these memories just let me be? I’m tired of battling with this.”

A lump formed in the back of her throat and she swallowed to try to remove it. She knew that she was afraid. Afraid of the past and what would become of her in the future. It was like she had told herself - a battle. A fight to try to keep going and forget about what had been. Every day she had to pull herself out of bed and plaster a brave smile on her face, but her heart was weighed down with trying to appear as if nothing was wrong as her father focused on keeping so many secrets from her.

The daily façade was wearing out her strength.

A knock sounded at her door and a moment later, the door opened.

“You okay, honey?” Grace’s voice asked.

Bliss had her hands braced on either side of the wash table, staring out of the window. She didn’t look at the woman, knowing that she was helping her father keep the secrets she was trying so hard to find away from her.

“No,” was all she told her.

“What’s wrong?” Grace placed a motherly hand on Bliss’ back.

Bliss shook her head, looked away from the window, and occupied her hands by putting her hair into a chignon.

“You can tell me, dear,” Grace said softly.

Bliss gritted her teeth as she shoved a pin into the roll of hair she was making at the nape of her neck. “Not this time, Grace. This is something I’ve got to sort out on my own.”

Grace sighed. “I undertand. Your father wants to talk to you in the kitchen about the trip to town tomorrow. He sent me to fetch you.”

Bliss nodded and stuck the last pin in her hair.

The two women rejoined the men in the kitchen and Bliss sat down to go over the plans with her father just as Clint walked into the room.

*****

Clint was tempted to turn around and walk out of the room before he was pulled into the conversation between the three people seated at the table, but was too late even if he did decide to skip out.

“Mr. Slade. You’re just the man we want to see,” Mr. Cooper said with a broad smile.

Clint narrowed his eyes at the man. “Why?”

“My daughter, Colt, and Mose usually take a trip to town around this time of year. Since I need all the hands I can get lately, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind being the only one to escort Miss Cooper to Plateau?” Mr. Cooper’s facial expression didn’t even try to hide the hope he had behind his eyes.

Clint looked over at Miss Cooper, who was the reflection of pure panic.

“Daddy, how can you suggest such inpropriety?” she asked in a high-pitched voice than was nearly unnatural.

Mr. Cooper looked at his daughter strangely. “What?”

“Three days alone with a man I barely know. No offense intended, Mr. Slade,” she said quickly.

Clint nodded.

“I think it would be much better if you at least allowed Colt to come along with us,” Miss Cooper offered.

Mr. Cooper thought a moment.

“It’s the proper thing to do, Daddy. Imagine if the ladies in town found out about it. Whew! I wouldn’t want to be within twenty miles of Plateau then,” his daughter pressed.

Mr. Cooper seemed to agree. “I understand. I’m afraid that I can’t spare Mose, though.”

Miss Cooper nodded. “Colt will be enough.”

“Then it’s settled,” Mr. Cooper grinned and brought his hand down on the table with a light slap.

Clint was tempted to sigh with relief.

“Where can I find this Colt fellow?” he asked instead.

“He’s either in the barn or the bunkhouse. Feel free to go look for him,” Mr. Cooper said.

Clint nodded his thanks and turned to walk out of the back door and towards the barn. He had to admit that the Coopers had a nice place. A big red barn stood tall and proud against the backdrop of a pale blue sky and the big mesa Miss Cooper had referred to as “Almighty”. The bunkhouse was nearly as big as the barn, though slightly shorter, and stood off to the west of the house a ways. Cowboys roamed here and there doing one thing or another. Clint wondered if any of them ever did any work with the cattle. Then again, the place was pretty loud and stirred up when feeding time came around.

Walking through the double doors of the barn, Clint looked through the stalls along the right side of the building, not seeing anyone. Checking the other side, he came up with the same result. After looking in the tackroom as well, he started to head for the bunkhouse.

“Lookin’ for something, Slade?” A voice said quickly.

Clint jerked around, his gun drawn and finger shaking in anticipation to squeeze the trigger. His heart pumped harder and harder as his gaze moved upward to where the left stopped and overlooked the right line of stalls and the space in front of them. His mind eased when he saw the man he was seeking up there.

Colt’s eyes were as wide as a newborn calf, and one eyebrow rose slightly higher than the other.

“You wanna get yourself shot?” Clint asked.

“Beg your pardon, but I don’t recall doing anything to merit it,” Colt told him innocently.

Clint sighed. “Announce yourself next time, will ya?”

Colt nodded. “What’d you want in here, anyway?”

“I was looking for you,” Clint holstered his gun and crossed his arms, keeping his eyes focused on the man in the loft.

“Oh, okay.” Colt climbed down the ladder and put a dark brown leather book in his back pocket. “Well, you found me. What can I do for ya?”

Clint sighed. “I need to ask you a few questions.”

Colt breathed deep. “Fire away.”

Clint took a deep breath and forced himself to voice what was on his mind. “I take it that you and Miss Cooper are close?”

Colt narrowed his eyes at him. “I reckon. We’ve known each other for over ten years.”

“Then you’d know if she had any enemies?” Clint asked.

Colt nodded. “I suppose.”

“Do you know anything of Seth Ryder?” Clint hated to try to get information behind Miss Cooper’s back, but she was hiding things from him.

Things that might be helpful.

Colt’s blue eyes shot up at him and a hint of protectiveness tiptoed across his features.

“We don’t talk about him here,” he informed Clint.

Clint held up his hands. “I don’t want to know anything personal. I just need to know if he is still a threat to Miss Cooper.”

Colt sighed and thought a moment, his features softening. “I don’t rightly know. We haven’t heard from him in months.”

“Months?” Clint had assumed that Seth Ryder had been an aquaintence from years before from the way that Miss Cooper acted about him.

“Last time we heard from him was this past summer. I don’t think he’d have the guts to show up again,” Colt said.

Clint rubbed the back of his neck. “Thanks, Mr. Kidd.”

Colt smiled. “Call me Colt.”

Clint nodded and turned to walk out of the barn.

Now he was more determined than ever to find out more about this Seth Ryder.

Clint laid in bed that night staring up at the ceiling. He now had a suspect, but no motive. Whoever this Ryder man was, he certainly was no friend of the Coopers or their friends. The cold look that had come across both Miss Cooper and Colt’s faces was something to ponder about. Seth Ryder had obviously done them wrong. He just had to find out what he had done.

Hey Guys! So you know that little squiggly line that appears when you misspell a word in Microsoft Works? Yeah... Well, mine broke! So if you notice any misspelled words, it was simply because I was writing too fast to notice:) Also, if Colt's name happens to be misspelled "Clot" , then it will not be the first time! Please notify me if you see any errors! Thanks so much for reading! Love you guys a lot!

Now, I off to decide who I shall dedicate the chapter to! (gosh, I think I'd sooner pick a favorite star! It's the  Star, but that's beside the point!!!) Thanks guys!