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“Thank you for your concern,” she responded coldly. “Now let us pass so we can be on our way.”
“Pretty little girl you got there. I’ll be watching her, too.”
Regan kept her anger from her face. She knew he was trying to provoke her and he’d done a good job. Were her rifle within reach, she would’ve blown him to Tucson.
Smiling, he touched his hat and moved out of the way. She drove past him without a glance.
After they cleared him, Anna asked in a soft voice, “Who was that?”
“Vermin.”
“I don’t like vermin.”
“Neither do I.” She’d be sharing the encounter with Colt and Whit when they returned. In the meantime, she’d keep an eye out for him and on Anna.
That evening as they were eating dinner, Colt came in. Anna screamed, “Papa!” She ran to him and climbed like a squirrel up a tree. “I missed you!”
Laughing, he hugged her tight. “I missed you, too. Have you been good?”
“Yes. I’m so glad you’re home.”
Still carrying her, he walked to the table and gave the equally happy Regan a warm kiss. “Welcome home,” she said. “Are you hungry?”
“As a bear, and so tired I’m surprised my eyes are still open.”
“Sit. I’ll fix you a plate.”
She returned with a plate groaning with large slabs of ham, yams, collards, and three biscuits. “I dreamt about a meal like this.”
Anna asked, “You didn’t have food?”
“Not a lot, no.”
Regan could see his exhaustion and that he’d lost weight. Eating, he asked, “How have you two been?”
“We’ve been well,” Regan replied and told him about the school renovations.
“You all did a lot while I’ve been gone.”
“We want to open in a few days.”
“Are you still going to teach?”
“I am. Mr. Nelson said he may have found a prospect in Laramie. He’s waiting to hear back.”
He asked Anna, “What do you think about your mama being your teacher?”
She shrugged. “It’s okay I guess. We saw a man named Vermin today.”
He paused. “Vermin?”
She nodded. “He said he was watching over me and Mama while you were gone.”
This was not how Regan wanted the topic introduced but the cat was out of the bag now. “Dun Bailey. He was on the road. I’ll tell you about it later.”
His eyes flashed to hers.
Anna continued. “I told Mama I didn’t like vermin. She said she didn’t either.”
