14Anna stood by the fireplace, watching her father’s slow movements as he gathered the things he would need for the round up. They discussed his leaving earlier, but she still didn’t like it. He wasn’t healed enough to gather up whatever cattle had been left by the rustlers.
“Papa, please don’t go yet. Waiting a few more days won’t hurt anything. The cattle and horses will still be there. Surely, nobody would think to rustle anything when there’s two feet of snow on the ground?”
“You know better, Anna. Those thieves will take every last animal I got if they can, and it won’t take a little snow or bad weather to stop ’em either. No, I have to get out there to see what’s left of my stock.”
She folded her arms across her chest and rubbed one hand up and down the soft deerskin sleeve as her
