Breaking Through to Sue (4th in Breaking Series)

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

"C'mon, Susie, let's head back to the ranch. I'm done for the day," Brody called from the door of the church. He didn't step inside because his sister was very uptight about guns in the church and Brody figured the only time he'd ever be in a church without his guns was once he was dead, cold and in a casket.

Susie didn't much care for guns or violence of any kind. She didn't remember their parents and sisters being killed but the knowledge of what had happened to them was enough to convince her that she wanted nothing to do with that uglier side of life. However, being the loving and amazing young woman that she was, she never tried to tell Brody or Thomas that the way they lived and believed was wrong. In Brody's eyes Susie truly was an angel and Brody saw it as his duty to protect her.

"I'll be out in a just a moment," Susie's voice came back.

Brody sighed and leaned against the wall. He closed his eyes and rubbed his leg, which still hurt him now and then. He heard footsteps approaching him and he didn't have to open his eyes to know who it was. He recognized the timid, stuttering steps.

"Good evening, Mr. Vicks."

"Good evening, Sheriff Atkinson," Justin replied with surprise in that soft, somewhat feminine sounding voice of his, "How did you know it was me? Your eyes are closed."

Brody opened his eyes and looked at the short, weasel. Brody had no real reason not to like him but something about the man didn't seem right and Brody trusted his instincts. At the same time he was pretty sure the man was harmless. He was just a soft, prim little city boy completely out of his element in the rough Texas frontier.

"Lucky guess," Brody mumbled.

Justin pulled at his collar and Brody realized he was nervous. The man always seemed nervous. Brody wasn't sure how to react to the nervousness since that was something he very rarely, if ever, felt.

Justin cleared his throat, "Yes well, I uh... I wanted to ask your permission to come out to the ranch in the morning and call on Susie." Brody's eyes narrowed and for a moment Justin thought about running away. Brody was a foot taller than he was and built for killing... Definitely a scary man to approach and it had taken Justin all day to work up his courage for this moment.

"You wanna call on my sister?" Brody growled and Justin nodded. Brody thought about shooting him but decided that would be a bit drastic. Maybe he should just punch him? Then he remembered what Susie had said this morning about no man being interested in her. His sister was lonely and what kind of brother would he be if he got in the way of a man who was clearly interested in her? Of course that didn't mean he wasn't going to keep a close eye on the man himself.

"You can ride out in the morning," Brody relented and Justin thanked him quickly before scurrying away.

Brody watched the man disappear into the bank just before Susie stepped out of the church. She was dirty and sweaty from her hard day of work and Brody chuckled, "Did ya get a lot done today?"

"Yeah," she beamed at him, "I'm taking the day off tomorrow though. I haven't been doing nearly enough around the ranch since I started working here."

"Probably just as well you'll be home," Brody acknowledged as he led her down toward the livery where her horse and cart were waiting.

"Why is that?" she asked.

"You'll have a visitor."

Susie climbed into her cart and took hold of the reins, "A visitor? Who in the world is coming to visit me?"