Page 42 of Cowboy Elite 2: Mike

“Oh! Hey,” she said inanely. She never knew quite what to do around him.

"Feel like learning something?" he asked.

"Like what?"

"How to shoot."

Liv's stomach dropped. "I've never?—"

"I know." His voice was quiet. Patient. "But if trouble's coming, you should know how to protect yourself."

She wanted to say no. Wanted to stay inside where it was safe and familiar.

But safe and familiar hadn't kept her hidden.

"Okay," she said.

They stood in the back pasture behind the equipment barn, sun beating down, tall grass bowing in the breeze. Heather was a few yards away with Charlotte, keeping watch but giving them space.

Mike wasn’t as accommodating. He stood close, as though critiquing his brother’s every move. It made her slightly nervous to have him watching. Especially since this was not her area of expertise.

"Ever held a gun before?" Kenny's voice was quieter than she'd expected. Gentle, almost.

Liv stared at the rifle in his hands. "I've never even touched one."

Kenny turned the rifle so she could see the chamber. Empty. "First rule. Always treat it like it's loaded. Even when you know it's not."

He handed it to her.

The weight surprised her. Solid. Real. Her hands shook.

"Second rule," Kenny continued, stepping beside her. "You don't point it at anything you don't want to destroy. Ever."

She nodded, throat tight, her stomach feeling a little sick. He handed her a box of shells, showed her how to load the rifle.

"Stance." He nudged her feet wider with his boot. "Plant yourself. Rifle to your shoulder. Cheek down on the stock. It’s going to kick back at you a bit. Not too bad, but be prepared. See that notch? Line it up with the bead at the end of the barrel. That's your sight."

Liv followed his instructions, awkward and uncertain, already worried about the kicking back part.

"Good." Kenny's hand steadied the barrel. "Now breathe. In. Out. On the exhale, squeeze the trigger. Don't pull. Squeeze."

Fifty feet away, a tin can sat perched on a fence post, glinting in the sun.

Liv lined up the sight. Her heart hammered. Her hands trembled.

"You got this," Mike said, nearly derailing her concentration.

Charlotte's voice piped up, bright and encouraging. "You can do it! You get a sticker if you hit it!"

Liv almost laughed. Almost.

She breathed in. Let it out slow.

Squeezed.

The rifle kicked. Sharp, sudden, harder than she'd expected. The sound cracked across the pasture, scattering blackbirds from the fence line.

And the tin can spun.