WANTED

Chapter two

                            Nickolas
  
    The Texas sun was scorching. Nick removed his stetson and wiped the sweat from his brow. Beside him, Aunt Ida stood fanning herself and muttering about wasted time.
    Five minutes. If the stage didn't show in five minutes he'd go back to the ranch and give up on this fool notion of a mail order bride.
     The woman had most likely pocketed the money for the coach, if it even was a woman.
     He couldn't believe he'd been taken for such a fool. He'd wasted three days in town waiting on a woman who would never come.
     "Let's go Aunt Ida." His voice was  gruffer than he intended. It wasn't his Aunts fault he'd been a fool. "Plenty of work to be done."
     
                 Three days later.

   Nickolas lay awake long after the sun had gone down. He'd sent one of his hands into town to ask about the stage again today. The report had been the same as yesterday and the day before, no sign of the stage. No point in sending a man in the morning. She wasn't coming. Giving up on his perspective bride, Nick decide it was time to send Aunt Ida home, no point in having a chaperone until the wedding if there wasn't going to be one.
    
    Realizing sleep was as likely to come tonight as his bride was, Nickolas stepped into his dennims and boots and went to the kitchen.
   Habitually going to the window to look out at the barn, it was to dark to see more than shadows but still the sight gave him a sense of pride and accomplishment. Nick had started with nothing, working for other ranches for years to buy his land and build his herd. The barn was the first thing he built and he lived there for a few years until he could build his house.
     
      Something interrupted his thoughts, the shadows outside were moving. Horses galloping around the corral, throwing their heads in the air.    

       Something or someone was at the barn. Quickly donning his gun belt, Nickolas slipped silently out into the night.