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He sat still for a moment, thinking about the whole situation. “She messes up her house?”
“That’s what she said. She refuses to clean. She said that Jason told her he’d hire a housekeeper when they married, but he doesn’t have any money. That’s why she should have married you.”
“I neveraskedher to marry me. I went to school with her and thought she was pretty, but I never really knew her. If she’s not even keeping house, I don’t want to know what she’s doing…other than stirring up trouble.” He sighed. “I’m sorry she talked to you that way, and I’m really sorry Jason cornered you the way he did. I’m proud of you for sticking up to yourself.”
“You’re not angry?”
“I would have to be a very unreasonable man to be angry with you. We’re going to get a pistol for our house, and you’re to always keep it on you. Your apron has a pocket, doesn’t it?”
She nodded. “It does. I can keep it in there.”
“I usually take one with me when I’m out on the range, but for now, I want you to carry that one. We’ll do some practice shooting.”
“No need. My brothers taught me to use a pistol.”
He eyed her skeptically. “You’re going to have to show me you can use one.”
“The blood on Susan’s floor isn’t proof enough?”
“Nope.”
*****
Albert didn’t go back to work that day, and instead he and Alice did some shooting. It didn’t take him long to realize she was better with a pistol than he was. “I’ll have to get a new one for me. You keep using this one.”
After shooting practice, they rode out to the sheriff to tell him what had happened.
“I’ve had trouble with him ever since he moved here six months ago. You wounded him?” the sheriff asked Alice.
She nodded. “I shot him in the shoulder.”
“I’ll be looking for him. He didn’t really hurt you, but that’s enough to spend a couple of nights in jail.”
“It doesn’t matter that hetriedto hurt me?”
The sheriff removed his hat and scratched his head. “I suppose it does. You stay safe.”
“I will.”
Alice and Albert ate supper in town at the same little diner as before, and the same waitress came to the table. “There’s a man looking for you,” the waitress said as she got to the table.
“That so?” Albert asked.
She nodded. “He’s got a wound in his right shoulder. I sure hope he’s right-handed because he seemed awful mad at you.”
Albert looked at Alice, who frowned. “Maybe we should pick up that pistol tonight. You’re going to spend days with Susan for a while.”
Alice nodded. “Seems safe.”
As soon as they left the diner, they drove to the mercantile, where they purchased another pistol. “Now I’ll always have one, and you’ll always have one,” he said. “Promise me you’ll be with Susan.”
“I promise.”
When they arrived home, there was blood on her floor. “He came back here after I shot him.” She shuddered thinking of that man in her house.
“Do you want to sleep at Pa’s?”
Alice shook her head. “No. I’m not going to be frightened out of my own home.”
