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“Think You Can Handle All Three of Us?” the Three Sisters Asked the Cowboy in His Barn — What Happened Before Dawn Changed the Whole County

Chapter 2

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"It was locked.""Then it was weak and locked."The youngest sister made a small, muffled sound that might have been a laugh, but she instantly pressed her left hand to her ribs, wincing in visible pain.Ethan noticed the motion immediately. The oldest woman noticed him noticing."We only need shelter until the storm passes," the oldest said, her voice calm despite her shivering frame. "We’ll leave before daylight. You won't even know we were here."Ethan looked down at the caked black mud on their boots, the ragged tears in their skirts, the young girl’s bruised face, and the leather satchel hugged tightly against her chest."You’re being followed," he said flatly.None of them answered. The storm outside filled the silence with the heavy roar of rain against timber."That wasn’t a question," Ethan added.Ruth tightened her grip on the iron bar. "And if we are?""Depends who’s following you.""Men."Ethan let out a breath through his nose. "That narrows Arizona down to half the territory."This time the youngest girl actually let out a quiet, genuine laugh, which quickly turned into another wince as she clutched her side.The oldest woman took a step forward out of the shadows, placing herself protectively between Ethan and her younger sisters. "My name is Clara Bennett. These are my sisters, Ruth and Mae."Ethan caught the tiny, fraction-of-a-second hesitation before she spoke the surname. It was a fake name, or at least an incomplete one. He chose not to call her on it."Ethan Cole." He gestured with his lantern toward the dry hay bales. "Sit down before one of you falls down.""We’re fine," Clara insisted softly.Mae immediately collapsed onto a bale of hay, letting out a ragged sigh.Ruth looked down at her younger sister, then over at Clara. Clara let out another long sigh and sat down beside Mae, placing a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. Ruth remained standing for three seconds longer, her posture rigid, before she finally lowered the iron bar and leaned against a heavy pine support post.Ethan walked into the back tack room, returning moments later with three heavy woolen horse blankets. He set a small tin kettle on top of the cast-iron stove he used during cold winter foaling nights, struck a match, and kindled a fire with dry cedar shavings. While the stove hummed to life, he pulled out a pocketknife, sliced thick chunks of salted beef and dark rye bread from his pantry box, and laid them out on a clean burlap sack.He pretended not to notice how ravenously the three women fell upon the food. They ate with the quiet, desperate ferocity of people who hadn't seen a hot meal in days.
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“Think You Can Handle All Three of Us?” the Three Sisters Asked the Cowboy in His Barn — What Happened Before Dawn Changed the Whole County

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