Alpha of Smoke

abe

ral. Behind him, a whole buncha cows are mooin' and rushin' around, stirrin' up clouds of dust. Pa and h

maybe if I can't afford what the fella's askin', I shouldn't be buyin', so I wander away, leavin'

over my shoulder. "Think he's cute? That's what

me like they ain't never seen a girl before. One of 'em, the one that spoke, is kind of handsome

t impr

tes when my ma cooks it just right," I tell the pa

p of cows Harry was in the process of getting ready for auction when we showed up. There's a lot of 'e

s Pa's tryin' to

e talkin' to Harry?" t

followin' me around or else he might see just how many punches

air, but I ain't playin'

"This here is Billy. We hear

y name. "That's right. My

is hat off and holds it over his he

or a moment befo

me like he knows it ain't righ

d Mary and wondering if that's what he's thinkin' about, to

before Andy says, "I imagine you co

m I'm a good girl, Pa shouts, "Izzy, get back over here." I can tell he ain't got th

ushes a hand over his beard, streaking the d

y control over the price of these cattle?

k over to where the other men folk are gathere

eyebrows furrow

e cattle hands. Maybe we'd come along with y'all

for a long moment before I ask,

ug. "See some pretty... sights." He winks at me

ur own to bring along?"

. Andy says,

wn?" I look from one

links at me a few times, and I k

ys need to talk to my

ndy takes a step closer to me. His breath smells of c

n to a cross between a cou

of them head confidently over to my pa while I hang ba