Page 36 of A Groom for Heather
He talked to Heather and they made a decision not to kill the animal, but instead, fill its hide with rocks and sand. It would hurt enough to teach the animal not to come around town, but not cause any damage. They were going to have to learn to live with the animals, and Indians, in the territory.
Dalton pulled back on the hammer and closing his eye, he breathed out, just as Heather had taught him. Pulling the trigger, he tried not to recoil from the gunstock hitting his shoulder.
“Did I hit it?” he asked.
“You closed your eyes again, didn’t you?”
Dalton opened his closed eye and looked. The jar was still standing on top of the tree stump.
“How did you know?”
“Because when you close your eye, you instinctively jerk up the rifle.”
Dalton handed the gun to Heather. “Maybe you should demonstrate?”
Heather placed the gun up against her shoulder and moved it to line up with the bottle. Her face wrinkled as she leaned into the side of the gun.
“You want to hold it like this.”
Dalton put his arms around her, pulling her tight against his chest. The gun was still on her shoulder and since she was so petite, he couldn’t line it up with his. He placed his large hand over hers on the forearm of the rifle. The other he wrapped around her waist.
“Have I told you today how beautiful you are?”
Heather glanced up at him. “Are you trying to distract me?”
“Is it working?” He pressed a kiss against her head.
“This is serious,” Heather said.
“I know.”
Heather fired the gun and the glass bottle shattered, pieces flying away from the stump. She turned in his arms and placed the rifle in his hand. “You need to reload this.”
“Yes ma’am.” Dalton released her and walked to where the cartridges were lined up on the fence. He flipped open the barrels and placed two cartridges in the gun. Snapping it shut, he walked back over to where Heather was standing.
“I think I know what we need to do.”
“What’s that?”
“Millie said that she uses a reward system during the day at school. When children complete all their assignments, they get to pick a sweet from a bag she keeps in her desk.”
Dalton tilted his head. “I do like peppermint sticks,” he said.
“I’ll be sure to pick some up when I go to town.”
“Are you going to the memorial tomorrow?”
Heather shifted, swaying from side to side. “I want to, but I don’t. Does that make sense?”
Dalton put the butt on the gun on top of his boot. “I know. But I’ll be there to support you.”
“I’ll go, but only if you are there.”
He looked at her. He loved this woman. Since the moment he met her, she burrowed her way under his skin. “I will be.” Dalton threw the gun in the air and caught it with his hand. “We should probably practice some more.”
“Alright. Remember what I showed you.”
Dalton lifted the rifle to his shoulder and put his head against the stock so he could see down where the two barrels joined together. “I have a better idea.”
