Read Wyoming Nights for Free Online Page B

handmade hopper. She eyed the craftsmanship of the bin.
    “He is definitely talking to someone,” Krysten said as she walked over to the window and peered out.  Her eyebrows shot up.  “He is talking to some woman with a raccoon on her head.”
    Darlene didn’t believe her friend so she looked for herself out of the side window.  “That is not a raccoon, that is a coon skin cap,” she said trying to correct her friend.
    “Well her cap just blinked its eyes and moved,” Krysten said.
    Cassandra had moved closer to Daniel and was beginning to plead her case.  As she reached upwards to scratch her head, she felt Roscoe, her favorite coon.
    “There you are fella, I was looking for you,” she said as she rubbed the back end of her favorite pet.
    Her eyes then went to Daniel. “You know...Daniel.  I have been meaning to speak on an idea I have had for some time now...about me and you...us getting together...so the nights won’t be so long...and lonely...I mean, I have my coons and all...,” she babbled.
    In the kitchen, Krysten was listening closely to what the woman was saying.  She could not believe her ears.  That raccoon headed woman was coming on to their Daniel!
    “Gurl, she is hitting on our man!  You need to get out there and put that dingy woman in her place,” Krysten said with panic in her voice.
    Darlene moved quickly, dropping the vegetable peeler and heading out the back door. Instinct alone pushed her to his side as she gave the coon headed woman a smile.  A smile that quickly faded as the smell of the woman walked up to her nose and socked her in it.  Daniel must have been immune to her stench because his face showed no sign of discomfort.
    “Daniel, honey, you didn’t tell me we had company,” she said.  As she reached his side, she slipped her arms around his waist.  The man was solid. Solid muscle.  Just to make sure, she allowed her left hand to rub across his abdomen.
    Yep. All muscle.
    In response, he lifted his left arm to encircle her shoulder. “Darlene, this is Cassandra.  She is our nearest neighbor.  Her place is about five miles west of us.  She runs a sanctuary to rehab animals, mostly raccoons.”
    “I see she brought one with her,” Darlene said as she clenched his shirt in her fist.
    The surprise at seeing Darlene with her arms wrapped around Daniel was almost more that Cassandra could handle. “Daniel, when did you take a woman?  I didn’t know you were planning to take yourself a woman!  I thought maybe when I went over to Laramie and got myself a good set of teeth, that maybe yous and me, would you know...”
    This speech was more than Krysten could process. How dare this woman wander up and hit on their Daniel!  She flew out of the back door and stood beside her friend. “Did she say get a good set of teeth? Did I hear that correctly?”
    Cassandra’s eyes were now locked onto Krysten, but her words were for Daniel. “You have two womens Daniel?  Are you having some kind of sexy party?  I could run up to the hot spring and soak and come back and play too!”
    “What is she talking about?  And what is the smell?  It smells like old hot dog water, death and anger!” Krysten said.
    Daniel’s lips were pressed tightly together trying to stave off the laughter that was about to choke the life from him. “No, this is Krysten.  She is a friend of Darlene’s,” he said through gritted teeth.
    At this point, Cassandra was staring very closely at Krysten and she took two steps forward. Krysten held up her hand trying to hold back the woman and the smell that were both assaulting her senses. Cassandra moved closer.
    “What?  What are you doing?” Krysten asked.
    Through squinted eyes, Cassandra asked, “you are one of them gals that like to party with other gals ain’t cha?”
    Krysten’s eyebrows narrowed as she tried to discern what the smelly woman was trying to deduce. “And you are a woman who traveled here with a raccoon on your head, but