He took them, giving them a shake as he whistled to the team, and the cumbersome wagon lurched forward.
Allie knew the very moment Brandon became aware of what she was doing. He'd been talking to two of the boys, Travis and Rocky, showing them how to set the fence posts straight. He straightened and turned toward her, and she could feel the scathing scorch of his eyes from a quarter-mile away.
She stiffened her spine.
"He's gonna say no," Ben muttered.
Allie gave him a quick glance, then turned her attention back to Brandon. From the scowl he wore and the way he stood, he damn sure was. She sighed. She'd nearly embarrassed him earlier. She wouldn't do that again, no matter what.
He must have sensed her willingness to cooperate, because he relaxed his stance as they drew near.
"We're headed to town," Sam said in the awkward, weighty silence.
Brandon's eyes warmed with laughter as he looked up at Allie. "That so?"
"Someone has to," Allie replied, the flush creeping into her cheeks.
He glanced at the boys beside him, and then turned back to Allie. "Hold on. I'll come—"
"We can handle it, Mr. Gabriel." Ben's voice cracked, his face reddening, and Allie sensed his need to prove himself.
Brandon stood without speaking for a moment, as if coming to a decision. "Yeah, I reckon you can." He bent an odd glance on Sam. "You have a weapon on you?"
Sam hesitated a moment. "That little pepperbox derringer."
"Well, you better make it count if you ever have to use that, boy." He reached for the bridle, absently soothing the restive horse.
"I know how to use it, sir."
Allie felt the sudden chill between them and reached to cover Sam's fingers quickly with hers. "It'll be fine, Bran. I'm not worried."
A moment of silence told her he was concerned enough for both of them. "What about meat?" The question was terse.
Allie knew he was thinking of their earlier conversation about butchering one of the cows. It would have to be done. There was no help for it. She nodded, looking down. "Whatever you think. We may need to butcher two for this many mouths."
He smiled faintly as she met his eyes. "We'll take care of it while you're gone."
"We'll be back soon," she said.
He raised a brow and she patted her pocket, knowing he was reminding her she'd need to settle up with Zach Anderson in cash. She had five double eagles knotted into the corner of her handkerchief.
"Be careful," he murmured, but he wasn't looking at Allie. His gaze held Sam's, and there was an understanding that passed between them that Allie was not a part of.
"You know I will," she said.
"I know you will," he replied steadily, letting go of the bridle.
Sam flicked the reins and the horses moved forward, Allie wondered again at the odd sudden chill between Sam and Brandon, and the thing they shared that she could not.
****
Nearly an hour later, the wagon came to a halt in front of Zach Anderson's establishment. Allie took Ben's hand and alighted from the wagon seat, immediately going up the steps that led to his front entrance. She felt the stares of some of the townspeople, but didn't turn around. Purposefully, she entered Zach's store, Ben and Sam flanking her.
Zach looked up from behind the counter where he was just finishing totaling Kent Swanson's bill.
"There she is!" Swanson said with an admiring smile. "Glad to see you, Allie. You've had yourself an exciting couple of days, from what I hear." He glanced at Zach, whose fair skin was becoming a dull shade of red. "Ain't that right, Zach?"
Zach cleared his throat, and Swanson guffawed at his successful needling of the merchant. "He'll be right with you, Allie, just as soon as he can rustle up a box of shells for that Henry Doc paid for."
"Hello, Kent," Allie said, dismissing him with the curtness of her greeting. She didn't want to rub anything in Zach's face. They needed supplies, and no trouble. She was here to get what she came for as quickly as possible, and head back home.
She directed the boys, having them load barrels of flour, meal, and sugar first. It seemed she was out of everything except the lye soap she'd made earlier in the spring. She began to wonder if the money she'd brought would be enough for everything.
When she caught both the young men eyeing the glass jars of candy, she made a silent vow that no matter what, she'd put back enough for at least two peppermint sticks.
Within a half hour, the last of the items had been loaded, Anderson wordlessly scrambling to write everything down on his ledger.
"That comes to eighty-eight dollars so far, Miss Allie," he said, looking up as he pushed his glasses back up on his nose. "That includes the whiskey and bandages from…the other day."
Ben and Sam came back inside, standing behind her.
"Doc took care of the – the rifle already," he mumbled. He reached to slap a box of cartridges down on the counter beside the ledger. "He – uh, paid for these too." He slid them over to Allie, unable to meet her eyes. After a moment, she nodded at Sam.