Read Messenger by Moonlight for Free Online

blacksmith’s forge and sat down.
    Emmet sat beside her. “Darned fool greenhorn had no business trying it. That horse is—evil. After he throws ’em, he wants to pound ’em into the dirt.” He took his hat off and swiped his forehead with a dusty forearm. “You’d best stay here when we go. Won’t be long, now.”
    “When you go… where?” Annie asked. Emmet reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a copy of the same flyer Annie had just read. “I know about that.” She snatched it away.
    Emmet scratched the back of his neck, then raked his hand through his hair. “You can’t expect us to turn down two hundred dollars
a month
.”
    “You just said that horse is a killer.” She crumpled the handbill. “And you said there’s plenty of work
here
. In St. Joseph.”
    The redhead named Jake sprinted past again, this time with an older man in tow. “Hey, Emmet! You chickening out?” he called. Then he paused and turned to Ira as the doctor hurried on. “Doctor wants to use one of the wagons to haul the patient away.”
    The old man departed to help with the injured rider, and Annie latched onto Emmet’s arm. “Don’t do it,” she begged. “Please. What would Luvina say?”
    That made him hesitate. He seemed to mull it over, but then he shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter. Earl Aiken will never give permission for us to get hitched unless I can provide for his daughter.” Gently, he pried her hand off his arm. “This is my chance to do that
and
get you a little place—before Luvina forgets me.”
    “She won’t forget,” Annie said. Guilt flickered at the burden sharing her dream of a little house had placed on her brothers. She should have kept that to herself. She’d never meant it to weigh them down. “I don’t expect you and Frank to do everything on your own. I got—” The words
a job and rooms
were drowned out by renewed shouting and hollering from the back lot.
    Emmet stood up and put his hat back on. “You don’t have to watch,” he hollered. “It’ll be over before you know it.”
    Emmet hurried back outside. Again, the horse screamed. The horrible sound sent a chill up Annie’s spine. What if Frank or Emmet got hurt?
Or worse.
She couldn’t bear tojust sit here and wait. Nor could she bring herself to join the raucous crowd. If Emmet saw her, he’d probably order her back inside, anyway. She glanced up.
The loft.
No one would expect her to be up there. She’d be able to see into the back lot. She could watch in peace—or hide. At the moment she wasn’t sure which it would be. At least she’d have a chance to collect herself before facing—whatever might happen.
    Gathering her skirts, she scaled the ladder and made her way across to the open haymow door, ducking down behind a pile of fresh hay so the men below wouldn’t see her. She could see a bit of what was going on if she peered over the top. Luther was in the corral helping three other men restrain the horse. Near the street, two men hoisted a makeshift litter and bore the injured man away.
    When a boy she’d never seen before slid into the saddle, the animal screamed and lunged, but failed to break free. Annie ducked down, her heart pounding. When the crowd roared, she looked again. The hopeful rider signaled that he was ready and the men who’d been restraining the horse dove through the corral poles to safety. The creature reared. Coming down on all fours, it twisted and bucked. In seconds, the young rider went flying. He rolled beneath the bottom corral pole, barely ahead of the flashing hooves.
    Frank was up next.
That horse is evil
Emmet had said. Annie gulped. She directed a
please
toward heaven just before Frank scaled the corral poles and settled into the saddle. The horse strained to be released. Frank tugged at his hat to settle it firmly on his head. He shifted his weight in the saddle. The animal whinnied a protest. The second it was released, the creature reared up, pawing the air. Terrified,