A Cowboy Worth Claiming. Charlene Sands

       No one said a word.

       Edward muttered to himself and Chance thought he caught a few blasphemous words spew out.

       “Fine,” Lizzie said in a tone that wasn’t fine at all. “I’ll go start our supper.”

       Edward nodded. “That’s an excellent idea. I’ll be in shortly.” Chance went back to his repairs with Edward alongside him.

       The meal that night was overly quiet but delicious. Lizzie fixed a hearty supper of beef steaks, potatoes and creamed corn. She brought warm oatmeal cookies from the oven afterward and they ate them while drinking coffee as Edward went over details about the drive with the two of them.

       Lizzie’s eyes never strayed from watching every movement her grandpa made. Worry lines creased her young face and if Chance could read her thoughts, they were of regret at having to leave him here alone for a week to tend to himself. There was no way around it, though. Chance had stopped by the closest neighbor’s homestead before supper and had been reassured that Benjamin Avery, the oldest child of the family, would look in on Edward from time to time. Sharing that news with Lizzie didn’t put a smile on her face, but she’d seemed a bit relieved after that.