Lauraine Snelling (3 page)

“I’ll be there soon.”
Of all the nerve.
On one hand she could understand his obvious resentment, but manners were manners. It was a shame he didn’t live up to his rugged good looks. As she watched him turn and leave without even a polite good-bye, she clenched her teeth. This sure didn’t look good for them having an amicable meeting.

Bar E Ranch

R
ansom hated making mistakes, even more than most people did.

His horse turned into the ranch lane without being guided, which was a good thing, since Ransom’s thoughts were everywhere but on his riding. His mother would have been truly disappointed in the sarcastic way he’d spoken to Miss Lockwood. One never treated guests with anything but graciousness; that was a cardinal rule of her training of both daughter and sons. No matter how one felt, being polite was not negotiable. And Gretchen was just like their mother. Now she was disappointed in him too. What a great way to ruin a perfectly fine fall day. He had planned to spend the day stripping branches off the downed pine trees to get them ready to run through the saw and make posts for shoring up the cave-in that had happened so many years ago at the mine.

After nearly losing his life in the cave-in, his father, Ivar, had boarded up the mine and ordered everyone to stay out of it, saying there was no more gold and the mine shafts were unstable. But Ransom kept on believing that in spite of the opinions they’d received from mining experts, there was still gold in that mine. The first step was to clear the debris of the cave-in and fit the tunnels with new supports to prevent a reoccurrence. They had borrowed a steam-run sawmill from a neighbor, and as soon as there was time, the two brothers would saw the downed pine trees into six-by-sixes.

His mind still on the mine, Ransom unsaddled his horse at the barn and let him loose in the small pasture. The fragrance of baking cinnamon rolls met him on the back porch, where he pulled his boots off at the jack. His mother was indeed rolling out the red carpet for this probable land thief.

He thought back to the amazing story his mother had told her children the night before. The more he thought about it, although she’d never said so, he wondered if his mother had been in love with Lockwood. The wistfulness in her eyes as she told her story suggested that. Had their father started his heavy drinking when he realized his wife loved another man? That would make many a man start to tip the bottle. He entered the kitchen.

“So what did she say?” Mavis looked up from rolling pie dough.

“She said she’d be here soon,” he said, adjusting the thong that held his hair back.

“Why didn’t you wait for her?”

“I thought you’d want to know she was coming. Where’s Lucas?”

“Checking the herd and the fences. Said he’d watch for company. Remember the other night when he returned from town and said he’d seen the woman of his dreams?”

“Ja, a bit of superlatives from our ladies’ man. I think we’ve heard that before.”

“I believe the woman he was swooning over was Cassie Lockwood.”

“Figures. He always goes for the new skirt in town.”

Mavis looked up from her pie dough. “What burr got under your saddle?”

“Do you actually believe her story?”

“I do. No one could make all that up. I’ve seen her copy of the deed. And when she shows you that deed and how it matches the one I have, you will have to believe too. It’s not like she can take the ranch away from us, son. We own half the land and all the improvements. If we need to divide the land, we will still have a fine ranch.”

“Two hundred acres is not enough to run the number of cattle we have now, let alone allow us to increase the herd.” He poured himself a cup of coffee and propped his haunches against the counter. “I might as well tell you before Gretchen comes home all indignant. I was rude to Miss Lockwood. Gretchen called me on it.” Sipping from his cup, he tried to ignore his mother’s raised eyebrows as she laid the just-rolled top crust over the apple filling in the second pie. “Do you think she’ll stay long?”

“I hope so. They need to move their wagon closer to here. I thought by the barn for now. They can run their stock in the small pasture until we all decide what to do.”

“So you are planning on their moving here, no matter how Lucas and I feel?”

Mavis sighed and slid the two pies into the oven. She shut the heavy oven door with a thud before turning to her son. “Think this through, Ransom. She has a legal deed to this place. Because of that, she can live here if she wants to. She could probably go to the law and have the sheriff serve us a warrant or whatever the legal process is. Do you honestly want that to happen?” She crossed her arms and leaned against the counter, matching her son. “Besides all that, her father was your father’s very good friend, and mine as well. Do you expect me to turn his daughter away from our home?”

Put like that, Ransom knew there was no need for further argument. “No, she would be welcome here.” But inside he wondered, if he had shown up at the Wild West Show, would Mr. Lockwood welcome him with such open hands? All on the basis of a very long-ago friendship?

“Thank you. Now you might want to fill your brother in on our conversation before he comes storming in here.”

“And asks her to marry him?”

Mavis grinned and then chuckled. “Ransom Engstrom, you never cease to amaze me.”

Ransom went out the back door, hoofing it to the barn, where Lucas was unsaddling his horse. “Mor wants me to make sure you understand that we are to welcome Miss Lockwood as a long-lost relative or friend.”

“Whyever wouldn’t I?” He arched an eyebrow. “I take it something happened already today that I am not aware of?”

“Don’t ask. There goes the warning bark. I’ll bring her horse down here and put him in the small pasture with ours.”

“I could do that,” Lucas offered.

“But I’ve already met her. You haven’t. Mor has cinnamon rolls waiting.”

“Honored guest?” The two men headed back up to the house, Ransom splitting off to go to the front door.

“Good morning again, Miss Lockwood. I’ll take your horse to the barn and let him out in the pasture, if you like.”

The look she gave Ransom might have made him smile were he in a more hospitable mood.

“Thank you.” She dismounted and dug a packet of papers from her saddlebag.

“Go right on in. Mor knows you are here.”

“Your dog announced it to the entire country.”

“He’s good at that.” Ransom stroked her horse’s nose and led the pinto away.

Cassie stood alone, her dreams and her father’s, her whole future wadded up and tucked under her arm. Now what? Other than the cold chill vibrating her breastbone?

In spite of the young man’s instructions, Cassie raised her hand to the knocker, but the door opened before she could rap the metal E brand against the iron plate.

“Come in, Cassie.” Mavis Engstrom held the door open wide, matching her smile.

The chill abated, just a bit. “Thank you.” She stepped through the doorway, inhaling the fragrance that inundated her. “What smells so good?”

“I baked cinnamon rolls this morning. Thought you might like a taste of home.”

“The cook at the show baked cinnamon rolls sometimes, but they sure didn’t smell like yours.” She held her packet close to her side and looked around the room, delighting again in the welcome of it.

“Did you bring the others?” the tall woman asked.

“N-no. I thought perhaps we should talk about some things first.”

“Well, you have a seat, and I’ll—” She turned to see Lucas come through the door carrying a tray with the food things.

He smiled at Cassie and set the tray on the low table made of the same wood as the furniture. “Hello. I’m Lucas.”

“Miss Lockwood, Mr. Engstrom,” Mavis said, putting the emphasis on manners.

Cassie smiled and nodded. While the older brother seemed stern, the younger, with his short hair curling around his ears, had his mother’s engaging smile and easy way. “Pleased to meet all of you.”

“My sister is in love with your horse.”

Just then Ransom came from the kitchen. “Your horse handles easily.”

“Wind Dancer is used to other people taking care of him. He and I grew up together—at least that’s what my father used to say. That’s probably why we can read each other’s minds.”

“Please, sit down, all of us. Do you take cream and or sugar with your coffee?”

“No. Black will be fine.” The fragrance of the rolls was making her mouth water. Would that she could learn to bake like that someday. Not just bake but cook in general. She sank down into the leather chair, not allowing herself to relax against the back. After all, she was really there on business and things could go all wrong in an instant.

Mavis passed the plate of rolls, and Cassie took the one on top. Manners said one should never eat until all were served, but when Lucas took the first bite of his, she followed suit.

“My mother makes the best rolls and apple pie anywhere.”

“Lucas, whatever happened to not talking with your mouth full?” Ransom glared at his brother.

Cassie took a small bite, to make the treat last longer. So there was more than a bit of hard feelings between the two brothers. The thought that her presence might be causing the rift made her want to leave without showing them the deed. She set her roll down and picked up the cup, something to hide behind. When she glanced at Mrs. Engstrom, the gentle and welcoming look nearly undid her. How could she be so gracious when she knew the reason Cassie was there?

“Go ahead and enjoy your roll,” she said with a smile. “Sometimes ignoring a conversation is easier than answering.”

“Maybe we’d better get the hard talking over with right away.”

“Are you in a hurry?”

“N-no, but . . .” The coffee now tasted bitter, something like the fear in her heart. Obviously Ransom did not want her there at all. Lucas was charming, but this was still his ranch, and Mrs. Engstrom made her want to be part of this family, even more so than wanting to live on the ranch. A home. All she wanted was a home. She’d not thought about having a family, other than her three traveling companions, with that home.

“I have the deed and all the papers of my father’s that I could locate.” She laid the packet on the table. “I mean, to prove who I really am.”

Ransom looked like someone had carved his face in stone. Lucas leaned forward, but the smile had disappeared.

Cassie slid the deed from the papers and laid it on the little table before Mrs. Engstrom. “As far as I know, this is legal. I do know that is my father’s signature.”

Mavis laid a matching paper beside it. The other deed. “And I know that both those signatures are the real thing. According to the deed, you own half of this ranch. There is no mention of including all the improvements we have made through the years. When Adam and Ivar bought this land, the first thing they built was the log cabin up by the mine. They both lived there while they were digging for gold. They used the gold to pay for the land, with plans to build two houses. When Lockwood left with the Wild West Show, he said he would return one day.”

“But he died before he could realize that dream. I always thought the valley was just a dream, one that I wanted to find. But only when I discovered the deed in the show wagon did I know he already owned a part of the land. I do not want to take what you have created. I only want a place to live and some pasture for the animals I have. My father dreamed of raising Appaloosa horses and herds of cattle. I don’t know anything about breeding horses and raising cattle. I am willing to learn if someone wants to teach me, but the only world I know is the show world that I came from.”

“What will you live on?” Ransom’s eyes never softened. “Feeding cattle, the few you have, takes pasture and hay and some grain, especially for the horses.”

“I know. I’ve thought of that. I am sure that once I inform show people of where I am and that I would be interested in participating in shooting matches, I can perhaps earn enough to support us.” She met his eyes, stare for stare.

He turned those granite eyes away from her. “No need to go getting all stiff and upset. But building a house takes time, and winter is nearly here.”

“They will live in the cabin,” Mavis said with finality. “Perhaps the two women could sleep in the cabin and the men in the show wagon. We have plenty of pasture and hay put up for the winter. You can run your animals in with ours. Are they all branded?”

“Yes, with the L and T of Lockwood and Talbot.” Cassie paused, smiling at the thought. “Chief said he was always in charge of the branding when new stock entered the show and when the babies were born in the spring.” And now Cassie could hardly talk. All she wanted to do was run over and throw her arms around this woman who was offering her more cinnamon rolls—and a life.

But would her sons go along with her? Or did they really have a say?

“How long will it take for you to bring your wagon and the cattle out here?”

“I thought . . . I mean, are you sure?”

“Of course we are. I was hoping you would all be here for dinner, but supper will be fine. You can park the wagon by the barn for now.”

“But, Mor, that cabin needs work to be fit for people to live in it.” Lucas looked from Cassie to his mother.

“I know. I was just up there recently, remember? With all of us working, we should have it cleaned and repaired in a couple of days, and then we can move their wagon up there.” She paused for a moment. “Actually, you could share a room here in the house with Gretchen, if you would like. I know she’d be thrilled.”