Chapter 8 Let's Make A Deal

• *Isabella*
• “You know that ain’t a fair price, Mac,” Harry says from the other side of the fence that acts as a corral. Behind him, a whole buncha cows are mooin’ and rushin’ around, stirrin’ up clouds of dust. Pa and him would be nose to nose if he weren’t so much shorter than pa. The negotiation seems to be breakin’ down.
• I don’t like to listen to people haggle. Always makes me feel a little desperate and cheap, like maybe if I can’t afford what the fella’s askin’, I shouldn’t be buyin’, so I wander away, leavin’ Joseph and Uncle Tim with Pa. I see a young calf followin’ behind its mama, and it makes me smile.
• “You like the baby cow?” a warm tenor voice says over my shoulder. “Think he’s cute? That’s what most girls think about, right? Not eatin’ ‘em.”
• I turn to see a pair of cattle hands who are probably a couple of years older than me grinnin’ at me like they ain’t never seen a girl before. One of ‘em, the one that spoke, is kind of handsome with dirty blond hair and gray eyes. The other one is shorter, with dark hair and a crooked nose.
• I ain’t impressed.
• “Nope. I was just thinking about how good veal tastes when my ma cooks it just right,” I tell the pair of ‘em before rolling my eyes and turning away.
• They both snicker and follow me as I walk over to the fence and climb up a rung, looking past the group of cows Harry was in the process of getting ready for auction when we showed up. There’s a lot of ‘em, but in the back, there are more cages. That’s where he’ll be keepin’ the ones that ain’t that grand.
• Those are the ones Pa’s tryin’ to get a good deal on.
• “That yer pa over there talkin’ to Harry?” the dark-haired one asks.
• I nod. “That’s him. You’d better hope he don’t notice you two followin’ me around or else he might see just how many punches it takes to knock them pearly whites clean out of your face.”
• Another snicker fills the air, but I ain’t playin’ and they should know it.
• “Name’s Andy,” the blond says. “This here is Billy. We hear y’all are going west–tomorrow?”
• I nod, not offering them my name. “That’s right. My cousin got shot last night.”
• “We heard about that.” Andy takes his hat off and holds it over his heart. “Sorry fer yer loss, miss…?”
• I stare at him for a moment before I say, “Mary.”
• “Mary?” Billy says the fake name like he knows it ain’t right. “You don’t look like a Mary.”
• I grin at him, knowing the human beliefs about a woman named Mary and wondering if that’s what he’s thinkin’ about, too. “Why not?” I ask. “Ain’t I wholesome enough to be a Mary?”
• They look at one another and chuckle before Andy says, “I imagine you could make a fella lose his religion.”
• I groan in disgust as they both break out into laughter. But before I can assure them I’m a good girl, Pa shouts, “Izzy, get back over here.” I can tell he ain’t got the deal he wanted, and don’t like seein’ me hanging out with these cattle hands either.
• “See, told you you weren’t no Mary.” Andy brushes a hand over his beard, streaking the dirt that coats his bronze skin down his face.
• All I can do is shrug. “You fellas got any control over the price of these cattle? Maybe you can help my pa get a good deal?”
• “Actually,” Billy begins as they follow me back over to where the other men folk are gathered, “we were thinking of doin’ y’all one better.”
• “What’s that?” My eyebrows furrow as I look at them.
• Andy says, “We was thinkin’ maybe you’d need some cattle hands. Maybe we’d come along with y’all, go on a new adventure, and offer our services.”
• I can’t help but stare at them for a long moment before I ask, “Why would you wanna do that?”
• “Freedom. See the world,” Billy says with a shrug. “See some pretty… sights.” He winks at me, and I know he’s implying he thinks I’m pretty.
• “Y’all got cattle of your own to bring along?” I ask, folding my arms.
• They both nod. Andy says, “A few head.”
• “Why not go on your own?” I look from one young man to the other.
• “More fun with friends.” Billy blinks at me a few times, and I know he thinks he’s a heartbreaker.
• I grin. “Maybe you boys need to talk to my pa, then,” I tell him.
• “You gonna be helpin’ us keep the cattle in check?” Andy takes a step closer to me. His breath smells of cigarette smoke and whisky–not minty fresh creek water.
• I choke down somethin’ akin to a cross between a cough and a laugh. “You bet.”
• “Well then, let’s go.” Billy winks at me, and the two of them head confidently over to my pa while I hang back wonderin’ what in the devil I just got myself into.