Saving Grace by Unknown (best book reader .TXT) 📕

stomach and grabbed me by the throat again. I clenched my teeth and breathed in hard, pushing back the tears that were already burning behind my eyes. Maybe I wasn't too tired to cry after all. After a few moments, I managed to collect myself and carry on.

"I heard today that Doc's dying. Sam came by while I was there, to help the Doc make up a will and that's when the Doc gave me the news. That and the fact that he was handing the title to the land over to that old fu..." Austin held up a hand and interrupted me before I could get another word out.

"Pardon me for interrupting," he said glancing over at Cole who seemed to have not moved since he'd walked into the kitchen. "I want to make sure I understand. You don't own this land?"

"It's my daddy's land. It's rightful that it be mine, but seeing as how a woman can't own property, it was passed to the Doc to be kept in good faith until such time as I married. Then it would be given to my husband and that way my daddy's wish that it stay with me would be honoured."

"So how does the sheriff, er, Sam, intend to justify that it be given to him?"

I looked Austin square in the eyes.

"He intends to marry me."

The two men stood there silently as the whole convoluted situation sank in. Cole stared off into the distance while Austin glanced down towards the ground and let out a sigh. I was too tired to worry about awkward silence, or the fact that I wasn't being a very gracious host by inviting folks into my house only to tell them about my problems. After a spell Austin looked up, a kind expression on his face.

"Well it does sound like you've been having some troubles and I'm sorry for it," he said, the tenderness back in his voice. He reached into his pocket and pulled a flask halfway out. "Care to drown your sorrows?" I wasn't normally a drinker. In fact I didn't much enjoy the taste of alcohol at all, but right then, after everything that had happened, my body craved the release it would bring.

"Don't mind if I do," I said, pulling a chair up off the floor and towards the table. "Care to join me?" I asked with a smile.

The two men looked at each other again and Austin gave a sort of shrug that might have meant he wasn't quite sure of what to make of me, but they both joined me at the table. I did have the faintest thought that I might be putting myself in peril by sitting down to take a drink with the two men but they did seem honest and I suppose I thought that if they'd meant me harm they'd have harmed me already.

"Care for a glass?" Austin asked, tilting the open flask towards me. I reached out, grabbed the bottle, brought it to my lips and took a swig. As soon as the alcohol hit my throat it began its slow burn down into my stomach, my lungs seizing from the shock, I felt my face begin to turn red as I struggled for a breath. When the breath finally came it was laboured, noisy and inelegant, as Austin took the vial from my hands carefully so its contents wouldn't spill. As soon as I regained my composure, I managed a weak smile and decided that I'd leave the drinking to the men.

"What about you?" I asked after clearing my throat, "What's your story?" Austin looked at Cole again and passed him the flask. Cole took a swig, passed it back, then leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest indicating that it was Austin who was going to do the talking. Austin turned back to me, took another swig, then put the bottle back in his pocket.

"Just passing through." Austin gave me a smile then looked down at the table. Normally I would've taken the hint and not done any more prying, but the whole situation was about as far from normal as you could get and the whisky had already started swimming in my head.

"Hands for hire?" I asked bracing myself with one palm against the table to try to stop the room spinning.

"Not exactly..." he trailed off, then glanced back at his friend. I saw Cole shrug.

"Outlaws?" I asked with mischief on my lips, the burning in my belly making me bolder. For all I knew, they may as well have been outlaws, the way they'd handled Sam. I should have been more careful.

"Not outlaws."

"Circus clowns?" I said, a loud snort kicking off a peal of laughter that I couldn't catch up to. I was drunk. I chased my own bad joke around the room in my mind, unable to stop myself from laughing. Could have lasted for a minute, could have been five. The men just sat there looking at me, Austin smiling politely, Cole with that same stern, rugged expression. When I finally managed to calm myself down, I let out one last final sigh and leaned back in my chair.

"Looking for land."

The voice was Cole's, obviously because it wasn't mine or Austin's and he was the only other person in the room. But I didn't recognize who'd spoken at first, since he'd said so little. I looked at him, the smile fading from my lips, trying to figure out whether he was serious, whether I'd misheard, or whether this was some strange joke or worse.

"You're looking for land?" I asked quietly, eyeing Cole.

"That's right. Looking for a place to settle down."

The wheels began to turn in my head right away. I looked at Austin, turned to Cole, then back to Austin trying to figure out if this was what I thought it was, if the two men were...together.

"You're looking to settle down? Just the two of you?" I asked, the question about as