Sunday Snippets 45 – Masked Hearts


Welcome back to the Weekend Writing Warriors!

MaskedHearts_MED

I’m back with my travelling wild west show story, Masked Hearts.

The confrontation with the Cheyenne continues. In her current state, Minnie finds it easy to hold onto her anger. But perhaps John & Carl are trying to help…:

“You can’t even show friendship to your own kind, but you look at a white man like that? I thought you hated white men,” Carl folded his arms across his chest.

“I do,” She did, but Roy had just proved he wasn’t white–not fully; not that she could reveal his secret to them.

“Rawlins offered him your contract for a few games. Are you trying to make it so he’ll do that?” John picked apple pieces off her head, tossing it aside. “Because it would be no better with him, you know that.”

“I don’t want that,” Minnie didn’t look away from Carl’s glare.

*Creative editing used this week to fit in the 8.

*~*

If you want more of these wonderfully damaged pair…pick up a copy!

Amazon | SCP | BN | ARe | 

Minnie Woodward lives a lie. After barely surviving the Bear River Massacre she’s lived in the white world of her guardian Mister Rawlins, her life debt keeping her tied there. The last thing she needs is Roy’s attempts to gain her favor. Her fate’s sealed. She’s never believed in hope, and not even Roy can make her start.

Roy Ornum saves Minnie every night in the traveling Wild West show. The job he took to break his gambling habit brought him a new addiction – her. He knows she doesn’t want to be rescued, but maybe he does. She’s the key to a past he lost, one he wants to find again.

As the two grow closer old wounds are reopened and their burgeoning trust is shattered. When lives hang in the balance of their choices they’ll need to work together. Otherwise everything will be lost before hope can be found.

*~*

Head back on over to the Weekend Writing Warriors to read many more wonderful offerings!

Sunday Snippets 44 – Masked Hearts


Welcome back to the Weekend Writing Warriors!

MaskedHearts_MED

I’m back with my travelling wild west show story, Masked Hearts.

The apple has been shot from her head, and Minnie storms back to the wagons to clean up, embarrassed and properly chastised. Before she can reach the safety of her small cabin in the show wagon, the two Cheyenne, John and Carl, confront her.

John speaks first:

“Are you crazy?”

All she wanted to do was collapse, but she never backed down from a fight–most especially a fight with one of the Cheyenne, “No.”

“What makes you think you’re so special?” Carl snarled and yanked her back down the steps. “Why would you show any affection for a white man? Much less where all could see—especially Rawlins?”

“It wasn’t affection,” she hissed. It hadn’t been, had it?

*Creative editing used this week to fit in the 8.

*~*

If you want more of these wonderfully damaged pair…pick up a copy!

Amazon | SCP | BN | ARe | 

Minnie Woodward lives a lie. After barely surviving the Bear River Massacre she’s lived in the white world of her guardian Mister Rawlins, her life debt keeping her tied there. The last thing she needs is Roy’s attempts to gain her favor. Her fate’s sealed. She’s never believed in hope, and not even Roy can make her start.

Roy Ornum saves Minnie every night in the traveling Wild West show. The job he took to break his gambling habit brought him a new addiction – her. He knows she doesn’t want to be rescued, but maybe he does. She’s the key to a past he lost, one he wants to find again.

As the two grow closer old wounds are reopened and their burgeoning trust is shattered. When lives hang in the balance of their choices they’ll need to work together. Otherwise everything will be lost before hope can be found.

*~*

Head back on over to the Weekend Writing Warriors to read many more wonderful offerings!

Sunday Snippets 43 – Masked Hearts


Welcome back to the Weekend Writing Warriors!

MaskedHearts_MED

I’m back with my travelling wild west show story, Masked Hearts.

Last week I left you with Minnie set up to be on the receiving end of a long-shot by the boss, her guardian. Now she faces down the barrel of the gun:

Mister stood far down the street, the farthest distance he could shoot straight from what she could tell.

Though she’d seen him take this shot many times, she’d never been on the receiving end.

Back straight, she lifted the apple to her head. In her mind she imagined the fantastical yelling of the Mister as he did before every shot–in reality she heard nothing but her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.

Slowly she dropped her hands to her sides, curling her skirt under her fingers. Despite her own internal promise she wouldn’t close her eyes, she did just that.

Through the rush of her heartbeat came the crack of the gun. Cool drops of apple and apple juices ran down her nose.

*Creative editing used this week to fit in the 8.

*~*

If you want more of these wonderfully damaged pair…pick up a copy!

Amazon | SCP | BN | ARe | 

Minnie Woodward lives a lie. After barely surviving the Bear River Massacre she’s lived in the white world of her guardian Mister Rawlins, her life debt keeping her tied there. The last thing she needs is Roy’s attempts to gain her favor. Her fate’s sealed. She’s never believed in hope, and not even Roy can make her start.

Roy Ornum saves Minnie every night in the traveling Wild West show. The job he took to break his gambling habit brought him a new addiction – her. He knows she doesn’t want to be rescued, but maybe he does. She’s the key to a past he lost, one he wants to find again.

As the two grow closer old wounds are reopened and their burgeoning trust is shattered. When lives hang in the balance of their choices they’ll need to work together. Otherwise everything will be lost before hope can be found.

*~*

Head back on over to the Weekend Writing Warriors to read many more wonderful offerings!

Sunday Snippets 42 – Masked Hearts


Welcome back to the Weekend Writing Warriors!

MaskedHearts_MED

I’m back with my travelling wild west show story, Masked Hearts.

I do hate to disappoint you all, but all I’ll say is that after a few days have passed Roy DOES remember his childhood nickname. I won’t tell you what it is, though…you’ll have to read the story to find out. Trust me, it is a good nickname.

Onto this weeks 8. After Roy has revealed himself to be the boy from her past, Roy and Minnie share a brief flirtation which is noticed by Mister – her guardian and his boss. Mister is most unhappy with this development and calls on Minnie to be the object of his display of prowess with a long shot. He’s sent her to stand with an apple on her head, and her fellow Indian cast members are helping her to set up.

John, the nicer of the two men, is getting her into position:

She refused to show him the fear threatening to rip her stomach right out of her body. Instead she grabbed the apple with a small nod. “I understand.”

John moved behind her and set his hands on her waist. He kicked at her ankles before pushing them apart. “Wider stance helps you stay more still. Head straight. This is his warning, he won’t hurt you yet. Trust that.”

*No creative editing this week.

*~*

If you want more of these wonderfully damaged pair…pick up a copy!

Amazon | SCP | BN | ARe | 

Minnie Woodward lives a lie. After barely surviving the Bear River Massacre she’s lived in the white world of her guardian Mister Rawlins, her life debt keeping her tied there. The last thing she needs is Roy’s attempts to gain her favor. Her fate’s sealed. She’s never believed in hope, and not even Roy can make her start.

Roy Ornum saves Minnie every night in the traveling Wild West show. The job he took to break his gambling habit brought him a new addiction – her. He knows she doesn’t want to be rescued, but maybe he does. She’s the key to a past he lost, one he wants to find again.

As the two grow closer old wounds are reopened and their burgeoning trust is shattered. When lives hang in the balance of their choices they’ll need to work together. Otherwise everything will be lost before hope can be found.

*~*

Head back on over to the Weekend Writing Warriors to read many more wonderful offerings!

Sunday Snippets 41 – Masked Hearts


Welcome back to the Weekend Writing Warriors!

MaskedHearts_MED

I’m back with my travelling wild west show story, Masked Hearts.

Once again, skipping ahead a few paragraphs. Minnie doesn’t believe him, despite the details he knows. Plus, he’s pale, not dark or even tan.

Finally she puts forth one final challenge to test his story:

“I met that boy,” she whispered. One finger tapped against his heartbeat. “We played together for a summer.”

So he had known her–it wasn’t just an illusion or wishful thinking that he once knew this woman in front of him. “But you don’t recognize me?”

“If you remember, if you are truly the boy, what did I call you?”

“What?”

“I didn’t call you by your name–what did I call you?”

*Creative editing used this week to fit in the 8.

*~*

If you want more of these wonderfully damaged pair…pick up a copy!

Amazon | SCP | BN | ARe | 

Minnie Woodward lives a lie. After barely surviving the Bear River Massacre she’s lived in the white world of her guardian Mister Rawlins, her life debt keeping her tied there. The last thing she needs is Roy’s attempts to gain her favor. Her fate’s sealed. She’s never believed in hope, and not even Roy can make her start.

Roy Ornum saves Minnie every night in the traveling Wild West show. The job he took to break his gambling habit brought him a new addiction – her. He knows she doesn’t want to be rescued, but maybe he does. She’s the key to a past he lost, one he wants to find again.

As the two grow closer old wounds are reopened and their burgeoning trust is shattered. When lives hang in the balance of their choices they’ll need to work together. Otherwise everything will be lost before hope can be found.

*~*

Head back on over to the Weekend Writing Warriors to read many more wonderful offerings!

Sunday Snippets 40 – Masked Hearts


Welcome back to the Weekend Writing Warriors!

MaskedHearts_MED

I’m back with my travelling wild west show story, Masked Hearts.

Skipping ahead just a few paragraphs. Last week Roy asked Minnie of an Indian woman and a white fur trapper she knew had a child, a son. Minnie admitted they did. In what you missed, Roy began to go into detail about Chief Bear Hunter, who met the army for negotiations and was held until the boy was released into Army custody, because the Army believed him to be a white man’s nephew (whose entire family, except some children, were killed by Shoshone).

Minnie asks how he knows such details:

“Uncle Zacheus beat me if I cried, if I said I remembered my parents. He said the memories weren’t real over and over until I started to believe him.” Roy got to his feet and moved closer to Minnie, “But I remember my father…and my Indian mother.”

Tears slipped down her cheeks. “Why are you telling me these stories? They aren’t the truth. Lying to me won’t make me like you.”

“It’s not a lie.”

*Creative editing used this week to fit in the 8.

*~*

If you want more of these wonderful two…pick up a copy!

Amazon | SCP | BN | ARe | 

Minnie Woodward lives a lie. After barely surviving the Bear River Massacre she’s lived in the white world of her guardian Mister Rawlins, her life debt keeping her tied there. The last thing she needs is Roy’s attempts to gain her favor. Her fate’s sealed. She’s never believed in hope, and not even Roy can make her start.

Roy Ornum saves Minnie every night in the traveling Wild West show. The job he took to break his gambling habit brought him a new addiction – her. He knows she doesn’t want to be rescued, but maybe he does. She’s the key to a past he lost, one he wants to find again.

As the two grow closer old wounds are reopened and their burgeoning trust is shattered. When lives hang in the balance of their choices they’ll need to work together. Otherwise everything will be lost before hope can be found.

*~*

Head back on over to the Weekend Writing Warriors to read many more wonderful offerings!