“That’s in my south pasture,” Susanna said. “Maybe Tucker and his boys have about got them all out of the mesquite.” Now whatever had been worrying her seemed to be gone. He could hear only excitement in her voice, and that was a relief. It was true that he was curious about everyone and she was interesting, but he’d felt such a jolt of sympathy at her dire straits that it had unsettled him. Next thing he knew, he’d be feeling even more responsibility for her than he already did. “I’m banking on that,” he said, forcing a light tone into his voice and hoping it’d be contagious. “I’d sure rather count and brand them than to chase them out of the brush.” “I’m praying they got them all,” she said. “I can’t wait to see how many there are.” She turned and flashed that rare smile of hers. “I just look at them and think: ‘each one is twenty dollars on the hoof’.” “If we can get them enough grass on the way north,” he said. Her smile faded. He felt bad that he had burst her bubble and added to her worries, but all he’d told her was the truth.
