Rachel's Cowboy (11 page)

“Ready for dinner now?” Bluey asked.

“Sure am. Now I know why you cowboys have such big appetites,” she said with a grin.

“I reckon you do, Rachel. You’ve done a fine job for us.”

“Think J.D. would hire me?”

“I doubt that. You’d be too much of a distraction on a regular basis. All the cowboys would be wanting to help you instead of doing their own jobs.”

“So I guess I’ll have to look for a job as housekeeper.”

“You don’t plan on going back to that modeling job you was doing?”

Who was she kidding? Of course she’d go back to modeling. After all, it was all she knew. She told Bluey that. “But I feel so useless when I do that job. Sometimes I think I need to change careers.”

“Well, if I hear of any housekeeping jobs around, I’ll be glad to let you know. And I’ll tell them what a good cook you are. But I don’t think you should try to get Madge’s job.”

Rachel stared at him. “Try to get Madge’s job? Of
course not. She’s the one who taught me everything, except riding, of course. I would never do that to Madge.”

“Just wanted to be sure. She’s a good woman. I wouldn’t want her upset.”

“Because you like her?” Rachel asked, watching him closely.

“A’course I like her.” His cheeks were red.

“She likes you, too.”

“We’re all friendly on this ranch,” Bluey said quickly, and held open the door for her to enter the warm, bright kitchen.

“We’re back early, Madge,” Rachel announced. “And Billy’s sick.”

“Oh, my. Here, have a cup of coffee. Dinner won’t be ready for another half hour.”

Rachel and Bluey sat down at the table. The hot coffee was a welcome treat.

“How did the day go?” Madge asked.

“It was fine,” Bluey said. “We managed to get the herd in.”

“Good. You know, Rachel, after you finish your coffee, you’ll have time to take a shower before we eat.” Then she turned back to the cowboy. “How are you feeling, Bluey?”

“I’m not getting sick, if that’s what you’re thinking,” he said, stubbornness in his voice.

Madge reached out to touch his forehead. He almost fell out of his chair to avoid her hand.

“I was just going to see if you were running a fever, Bluey. You’d think I was attacking you,” she protested, her voice huffy.

“Sorry, Madge, I’m not used to being touched. You can check now.”

Madge reached out slowly to test his forehead.

Rachel looked away, feeling as if she was intruding in an intimate situation. She stood. “I’m going to take my shower.” She hurried out of the room, hoping Bluey wasn’t coming down with the flu, so that Madge could get closer to him.

When Rachel came back to the kitchen, only Madge was there.

“While you were in the shower, your sister called.”

“Which one?” Rachel asked, smiling because she had two sisters now.

“Rebecca. She wants you to call her. You should probably use the phone in the hallway in case J.D. or Bluey come in here and start talking,” Madge said, but she avoided Rachel’s gaze.

Rachel agreed, but she walked slowly, watching Madge over her shoulder.

When she dialed Rebecca’s number, her nephew answered. “Hi, Aunt Rachel.”

“Well, hi there, Joey. How are you?”

“I’m fine, but Mommy’s not.”

Rebecca frowned. “She’s sick?”

“Sort of. She’s in bed. I’ll tell her you’re on the phone.”

Rachel held her breath until Rebecca picked up the telephone.

“Rebecca, what’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“Joey said you weren’t feeling well.”

“I have a little headache, that’s all. Someday, when you’re pregnant, you’ll understand. You don’t feel well for nine months.”

“Ugh. Doesn’t sound like fun.”

“Well, the result is fun. Babies are wonderful.”

“Do you know yet if it’s a boy or a girl?”

“You’re psychic!”

“I am?”

“I went to my doctor today. Or rather, Jeff and I went. We had the sonogram done, and I now have a picture of my baby girl.”

“A girl? Oh, that’s wonderful.”

“Joey didn’t think so.”

“I hope you reminded him that Vivian is having a boy.”

“I did. He’s adjusting. He asked if everything would be pink. It seems he doesn’t like pink.”

“I don’t think most males do. I’m so glad you’re feeling all right.”

“Are
you
feeling all right?”

“Yes. Becca, I can cook now, and I can ride a horse. I’ve been a regular cowboy the last couple of days!”

“Why? I thought you were trying to rest and get well.”

“I’m well. I just need to put on weight. But we’ve had a flu epidemic here, and most of J.D.’s cowboys were out sick. Work doesn’t stop on a ranch just because people get sick, so I offered to help out.”

“You sound like you enjoyed it.”

“I did. I mean, I was sore and very tired yesterday, but I did better today. And it makes me feel good to do something useful.”

“When will you be coming home?”

“I don’t know. Probably in a couple of weeks.”

“You’ll be here when Vivian has her baby, won’t you?”

“I’ll be there, I promise, but it’s not due for two more months, right?”

“That’s right, but the doctor said he might come early.”

“I’m sure I’ll be there in time, Becca. Okay?”

“Okay. But take care of yourself.”

“I will. Bye,” Rachel whispered, touched by her sister’s concern. Rebecca and Vivian had both felt bad that, because of their pregnancies, Rachel couldn’t stay with them. If J.D. hadn’t offered to take her in, Rachel wasn’t sure where she would’ve ended up.

When she came back to the kitchen, the others were just sitting down to dinner. She hurried to her chair.

“Was everything all right in Dallas?” Madge asked after they’d all been served and were eating.

“Oh, yes, fine. Becca called to tell me she’s having a baby girl. They had the sonogram done this morning.” Rachel beamed at the other three.

“She’s happy about that?” J.D. asked.

“Oh, yes. She already has Joey. And Vivian is having a boy, so a little girl will be nice.”

“Vivian’s pregnant?” Bluey asked, shock on his face.

“Why, yes. I didn’t know you knew Vivian.”

“She and her husband used to come out once a year.” A quizzical look crossed his weathered face. “But her husband is dead.”

Rachel nodded. “About a year ago she married the private investigator she hired to find me and Rebecca and our brothers.”

Bluey looked confused.

J.D. offered an explanation. “Rachel is Vanessa’s blood sister. There were six of them, but when their parents died, they were split up. Rachel didn’t even know she had a twin…or any siblings.”

“Mercy, you do look like Vanessa, now that I think on it.”

“Thank you, Bluey, that’s a lovely compliment.”

“And you have a twin?”

“Yes, we used to look exactly alike until I got so run-down and sick. And she’s glowing right now because she’s pregnant with her little girl.”

J.D. laughed at Bluey’s bewildered look. “It’s a complicated family, Bluey, but it’s good for Vanessa. Instead of it just being her and Vivian, she has a stepfather, two sisters, two brothers, a nephew and a soon-to-be-born niece. Does that cover it, Rachel?”

“Yes, except that all our brothers aren’t there.” She sobered a bit. “One brother is dead, killed in Iraq. And Will, Vivian’s husband, is still searching for our other brother, David. But he’s found one brother. Jim is in the army serving in the Middle East. He’s written us that he hopes to be back soon.”

“Was Rebecca wanting you to come home?” J.D. asked, his smile gone.

“When I’m ready. She worries about me. And she’s worrying about Vivian. She wants me home before Vivian has her baby.”

“Why?” J.D. asked with a frown.

Rachel hesitated. “No one wants to say anything, but they’re afraid something might be wrong.”

“Why would they think that?” Madge asked, concerned.

“Well, the doctor says everything is okay but he’s told them the baby might come early. And he’s restricted Vivian’s activities a lot.” Rachel shrugged her shoulders. “She is forty-three, you know.”

Bluey shook his head. “That seems young to me.”

“It is young, Bluey, but not for her first pregnancy,” Rachel said. “Women have babies at that age, but usually, they’ve been pregnant before.”

After a moment, J.D. said, “If you need to get back, Rachel, you can go. We’re not holding you here against your will.”

She smiled at him. “Of course you’re not. But I’m not ready to go back yet. I…” She searched for an excuse. “I need to put on a few pounds.” It wasn’t a totally lame excuse; nevertheless she had the feeling J.D. was looking right through her.

She wanted him to hold her here, all right. In his arms—and never let her go.

But, of course, that wasn’t going to happen.

R
ACHEL WENT OUT
with the cowboys again the next day. Two of the men had recovered, but J.D. didn’t think they could last an entire day after being in bed for a week. He agreed that having Rachel there for one more day would make things go more smoothly.

She found herself riding quite comfortably, not tens
ing up, which made it easier. J.D. sent the two recovering cowboys in at noon. He, Bluey and Rachel continued working until about six o’clock again.

When they got to the barn, Rachel began unsaddling her horse.

“What are you doing?” J.D. demanded.

She stared at him. “Tending to my horse.”

“I can do that. Go on up to the house.”

She ignored him and pulled the saddle off Rocky. The weight almost bowled her over but she quickly found her balance, sure she could manage—until strong arms came around her and grabbed the saddle.

“Quit being so stubborn, Rach. You can go to the house now.”

“J.D., I can take care of my horse. I know that’s rule number one for cowboys. Your horse treats you well, and you return the favor.”

“Who told you that? Was it Bluey?”

“No, I think you did. You were saying something about a cowboy. I think you were angry with him because he didn’t take care of his horse.”

“That doesn’t apply to dudes,” he muttered.

“I’m not a dude, am I, Bluey?”

“I reckon not, Rachel. You pulled your weight this week, but that don’t mean J.D. can’t take care of your horse.”

“Not when I can do it. I couldn’t the first day, but I did my horse and Billy’s yesterday. I think I can take care of Rocky today.”

“Okay, I’ll let you take care of Rocky,” J.D. said, finally relenting. “But may I put your saddle away? Or
do you insist on damaging your back trying to carry it?” He gave her a superior grin.

“You can put away the saddle,” Rachel agreed, but she kept her chin in the air.

She removed Rocky’s bridle and began rubbing her down. Rachel found the rhythmic strokes to be soothing for the horse and for herself. She even found herself talking to Rocky. When her mount’s ears twitched and she swung her head around several times, Rachel swore the horse even understood her.

When she’d finished and turned Rocky out into the corral, Rachel walked into the house with Bluey and J.D., feeling she’d done her share. “How’s Billy?” she asked.

J.D. replied, “I checked on him and the other two who came out today. They’re doing well as long as they don’t have to get out of bed.”

“Poor dears,” Madge said. “I’ll go down after dinner and see if they need anything.”

“I thought Cook was doing better,” J.D. said.

“He is, but that doesn’t mean he can take care of everyone. That’s a hard task,” Madge assured him.

“I guess so.”

“We’ll clean the kitchen, Madge, so you don’t have to do that.” Rachel looked around at the men, since she’d included them in her offer, but they didn’t protest.

“That would be nice. Are you sure you’re doing all right, Rachel?”

Before she could answer, J.D. spoke up. “She’s doing so well she insisted on taking care of her own horse.”

Rachel didn’t remind him that it was the second day she’d taken care of Rocky. She was willing to let well enough alone.

Madge didn’t comment. Instead, she got up from the table and headed to the storeroom. “All right, then. I’d better take some more supplies down there.”

“Maybe I’d better carry things for you,” Bluey said, getting up from the table. “Can you two manage here?”

Rachel and J.D. exchanged a look. Then he said to Bluey, “Yeah, we can manage, but wear one of those masks on your face when you go in.”

“I will. I don’t want to get sick.”

When the pair left the kitchen, J.D. turned to Rachel. “Are they making any progress?”

Rachel knew what he meant. “I don’t know. Madge tried to touch his forehead and you’d have thought she was going to hit him. He ducked back and almost fell over. When she explained what she was going to do, he told her to go ahead, that he wasn’t used to being touched.”

“I guess he isn’t, come to think of it. None of us is unless we’re, uh, in a relationship.”

“Or have close family.”

“I guess you’re the only one of us who qualifies for that.”

“That’s not true. You have Madge. You kiss her on the cheek or give her a hug sometimes. She may not be a blood relative, but she’s your family.”

“I guess so.” He shrugged. “Do you ever see your mother?”

“You mean the woman who adopted me?”

“Yeah. Who else would I mean?”

“Sorry. I don’t think of her as my mother anymore. A real mother doesn’t steal from her children.”

J.D. pushed away from the table and stacked his dishes to take to the sink. “You sound a little bitter, Rachel.”

“I am. I worked for ten years, saving my money for the future. I had no teenage years. I was too busy to go to proms, basketball games, or anything like that. And once I finished high school, college was out of the question. My mother made sure I was booked solid. She traveled with me as my personal assistant and drew a good salary out of what I made. Then she stole from me until I had nothing left.”

“That’s pretty rotten.”

“Yes, it is. I haven’t seen her in six months, ever since I found out what she’d done.”

“Good thing you got a new family to replace her.” He put his dishes in the dishwasher and turned to face her. “Are they perfect?”

“I’m sure they’re not. Who is? In fact, Vivian is one of those mothers who may be too protective of her children. But she’s so loving and forgiving, you can’t hold it against her.”

“Your mother wasn’t loving?”

“No. She was cold and selfish.”

“So why did you do what she told you?”

Rachel didn’t answer until after she’d put her own dishes in the dishwasher. Then she turned to face J.D., leaning against the counter.

“I was still naive enough at fifteen to believe if I did
what she wanted me to do, it would please her and…she’d love me.”

“You didn’t think she loved you?”

She shook her head. “I guess you knew your parents loved you?”

“Yeah. How did you know yours didn’t?”

“I don’t even remember my father. He left when I was two, and she vilified him to me the rest of the time. You know, she never once told me she loved me.” She gave a sarcastic laugh. “So I guess she didn’t lie to me about that.”

“Okay, so I understand why you love Vivian and Rebecca and Vanessa. I guess being away from them has been hard these last few weeks.”

She nodded. “But even when I was staying at Vivian’s, I was away a lot, working as much as I could so I’d have something for the future. Models don’t have retirement funds, you know.”

“Neither do ranchers,” J.D. pointed out.

“At least I heard beef prices are up because of the mad cow disease.”

“That’s true. How did you know that?” he asked with a grin.

“I watched a lot of television the first week I was here. The soap operas didn’t interest me, so I watched the news.”

“And where did you learn the computer?”

“Oh, around. I took a basic course for a couple of weeks, and since then, I’ve taught myself. Do you have more data you want me to input?”

“You don’t want to ride tomorrow?”

“Sure, but I wasn’t sure you’d need me.”

J.D. grinned. “I hate to admit it, but you’re better than those half-sick cowboys who came out with us today.”

Rachel gave a mock bow. “Why, thank you, kind sir. If you throw such lovely compliments at me, I’ll insist on going.”

“Just don’t flirt with any of the men who ride out with us. Half of them have their eyes on you already.”

“Only half?” she asked, giving him an arch look.

“I’m serious, Rachel. The work is dangerous if you don’t concentrate on it. I don’t want anyone hurt.”

She sobered. “Neither do I.”

“Good. So that’s settled. I’ll put a little extra in your paycheck this week, okay?” J.D. teased.

“I think my paycheck will have to go toward my bed and board. If there’s any left over, it should go to Madge for doing double duty, tending the sick—first me and then the cowboys.”