Streets were planned out in orderly fashion, almost the whole of the town looking like one neat box. She saw a whitewashed chapel’s steeple bordering the town to the west, several ornate fountains decorating the central part of town and a big steel water tank on the eastern border. Lizzie felt a sense of accomplishment that she’d made it this far. The pit of her stomach filled with hope. Coming to town meant the end of the trail drive. It meant a hot bath and the fancy meal Chance had promised her. Her belly grumbled at the thought, but more important than all that, Lizzie would earn the money she desperately needed. As she made her way through tall grass and scattered Ponderosa pines riding flank to the herd, Chance rode up beside her. Lizzie glanced at him. “Looks like a peaceful town.” The corners of Chance’s mouth pulled down. “Can’t be sure.” “Why?” He squinted into the morning light and shook his head. “Can’t ever be sure. Things aren’t always what they seem.
