“I don’t see her no more.”
“Well, hop down and go find her,” the short man said, and Cole’s anger burned higher when the man swung down from his horse.
“Hold on just a second there,” Cole said. “Nobody goes in my house unless I invite him, and I won’t be inviting you men inside tonight.”
“Big talk for a man all alone,” the short man said.
“Look,” Cole told him, trying to keep the anger from his voice. Men such as these were stoked by anger, even righteous anger. “I don’t want trouble. If you men would like some food, I would be happy to?—”
“We don’t want your food,” the short man snapped. “We don’t accept the charity of liars.”
“I’ve done you no harm,” Cole said. “If you don’t want my hospitality, you can ride out of here.”
The short man spoke to the one who’d dismounted. “Tripp, get in there and get that woman.”
The man started for the door.
Cole blocked his way. He stared into the man’s eyes and shook his head.
The man must have seen something because he stopped dead in his tracks then took a step back.
“You afraid of him, Tripp?” the short man said.
The man who’d backed down looked suddenly sheepish. “No, but it’s his house, Henry. If he?—”
“Shut up, Tripp,” the short man, whose name was apparently Henry, said.
As Henry swung down from his horse and strutted over, Cole tried to think his way clear of the situation.
The other men sat their horses, watching and waiting.
Cole had to stand his ground. If they breached the door, it would change everything.
“What, exactly, do you want, Henry?” Cole said.
“First of all, you keep my name out of your mouth,” Henry said.
They stood face-to-face now. Or close enough to be face-to-face, anyway.
But since Cole was two inches over six feet, he towered over Henry, who was nearly a foot shorter.
“Second, what we want is none of your business.”
“You’re on my property. It is my business,” Cole said. And suddenly, he knew he had to make this a dispute between the two of them.
“Bring out the woman,” Henry said.
“She isn’t here.”
“That’s a lie,” Tripp said. “I seen her through the window.”
“Bring her out,” Henry said.
“She isn’t inside. And even if she was, I wouldn’t bring her out. Now, you men go ahead and get out of here, and we’ll pretend this never happened.”
“Hear that, boys?” Henry said and cast a nasty chuckle over one shoulder. “He’s telling us what to do. Guess you think you’re special, huh? Well, big man, you think you could take me?”
“I don’t know. And I don’t care to find out. I am a peaceful man. I just want you to leave and let me get back to my life.”
