ROMANCE: Mail Order Bride: A Sheriff's Bride (A Clean Christian Inspirational Historical Western Romance) (New Adult Short Stories) (64 page)

Chapter Three

Her room was small, tiny compared to the one she had been used to back at home, but Rachel welcomed the change. It reinforced the fact that she was no longer nestled in the bosom of a predictable life. Her mind flew fleetingly to her parents but she pushed away the memory of their parting and prayed that one day they would be able to forgive her.

Rachel had one small window nestled in the very centre of her room, but it let in a stream of bright light that threw everything into high relief. She settled her bag beside the chest of drawers that stood next to her dressing table, and took a seat in front of the mirror. Her face looked pale and her grey eyes seemed lacklustre. A moment later, there was a knock on her door and Rachel rose from the chair.

“Yes?” she called.

The door opened and Jane walked in. She was dressed in the same dirty trousers and her hair was well and truly matted from wearing the hat. She skulked into the room and looked at Rachel’s possessions as though they had no right to be there.

“You hungry?” she asked.

“I am yes,” Rachel replied.

Jane nodded and turned to leave.

“Wait Jane,” Rachel said quickly. “Please don’t go just yet. I wanted to talk to you.”

The child hesitated for a moment as though she were not sure whether or not to ignore the request.

“Please Jane,” Rachel said gently.

Slowly, Jane turned back around.

“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for how things started between us,” Rachel began tentatively. “I was tired and I thought –"

“You thought I was a servant,” Jane interrupted.

“No… I… well… you were dressed-” Rachel stuttered.

“This is how I always dress,” Jane said defiantly.

“May I ask why?”

“You can’t work in a dress,” Jane replied, casting her eyes over Rachel’s skirts with contempt. “You’ll hardly get anything done in that fancy dress.”

“This is my simplest dress,” Rachel said and she saw Jane’s eyes go round with disbelief. “Well,” she continued trying to infuse some sense of enthusiasm into her tone. “I know that I don’t exactly fit in here just yet, but you will just have to teach me.”

“I got no time to teach you,” Jane said immediately.

“Well I suppose you will have to teach me through example then,” Rachel said brightly.

“What?” Jane looked at her in confusion.

“It means that I will watch you work and copy what you do,” Rachel explained.

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Jane said bluntly.

“Come now,” Rachel said struggling to keep the smile on her face. “We must try and get along for your father’s sake. I’m sure in time we’ll be the best of friends.”

Jane looked unimpressed by these words. “There’s food in the kitchen,” she said sourly before she turned on her heel and left.

Rachel walked over to her window and peered outside. The ranch spread out before her, serene and rustic. She could see a few ranch hands in an enclosure with some horses, and in the middle of them all stood Cole. He approached a brilliant grey horse and stroked the animal gently. Then, in one graceful move, he mounted the horse without any assistance. There was no saddle or bridle, no rein or spurs, just the animal’s tan mane for support.

He started off at a slow trot and before long he was cantering around the enclosure as his ranch hands scattered. Rachel watched the way he handled the horse. It appeared almost effortless. Then she saw a smaller figure running toward the enclosure and she recognized Jane immediately. The child jumped over the fence, landing nimbly on her feet, mounted a horse in much the same way her father had.

It was a foreign world Rachel found herself in and the people in it were equally puzzling. There was a hardness in them borne out of hard work and difficult circumstances, and Rachel had never been more aware of her own closeted lifestyle, nestled in the heart of luxury and comfort. Panic rose in her gut as she wondered how she was going to survive here. Perhaps she had overestimated her own capabilities. Perhaps she had been so blinded by the monotony of her life that she had made a hasty decision.

Rachel stared at father and daughter, galloping on their horses in the distance. She could not deny the connection she sensed between them. They were a family and she wondered momentarily if there was any room for her within it.

Chapter Four

Rachel walked into the kitchen the next morning to find Cole setting eggs on the table.

“You made breakfast?” Rachel asked.

“Paula used to do it,” Cole replied. “But I had to let her go. We didn’t have room for her here.”

Rachel picked up on the fact that when he said ‘room’ he actually meant money. “I see,” she nodded. “Well I can take care of meals from now on.”

Cole nodded.

“Where is Jane?” she asked.

“Tending to the horses,” Cole replied. “She’ll be in shortly.”

Rachel sat down at the table and glanced at the eggs; they looked a little over done but they smelled good. Rachel ignored her growling stomach and turned to Cole. “When are we to be married?” she asked, imagining the look on her mother’s face in asking such a brazen question.

“In a few days,” Cole replied. “When I can spare the time.”

“Is it proper for me to stay here on the ranch with you before we’re married?” she asked.

Cole sat down at the table, taking care to avoid her gaze. “I don’t give a damn one way or the other.”

Taken back by his words, Rachel fell silent.

“I’m sorry,” Cole said after a moment had passed. “I didn’t mean to offend. Sometimes I forget how to talk to a lady,” he admitted sheepishly.

Rachel gave him a weak smile. “How many workers do you employ?”

“We’re down to four,” Cole replied. “They trade off days but it’s manageable.”

“Perhaps I can help?” Rachel suggested.

“Well that’s the whole point of us marrying,” Cole said bluntly. “I need help managing this ranch.”

Lucky for Rachel, she was spared the task of having to reply to that when Jane walked in. She wore boots that looked too big for her and the same hat she had worn the day before.

“Good morning Jane,” Rachel said giving her a smile.

Jane sat down at the table and grabbed the plate of eggs.

“Jane,” Cole said sternly.

“Good morning,” Jane said robotically, as though the words held no meaning.

Cole seemed to be satisfied with that and he and Jane tucked into their breakfasts, leaving Rachel feeling as though she had no place at their table.

“What are you going to do right after breakfast?” she asked tentatively, making an attempt at conversation.

“We’ve got to harness the horses, we’ve got to plough and rake the fields, there’s laundry to be done and lunch to be made,” Cole said. “Then we get on with the rest of the day.”

“I see,” Rachel nodded. “Will you teach me?”

Cole and Jane shared a glance. “You’ll need some clothes,” Cole said quietly.

“I don’t think what I have that will be suitable,” Rachel said.

“I expected as much. I’ll lend you some of my late wife’s clothes,” Cole suggested.

Rachel didn’t miss the expression that shot across Jane’s face. Her eyes became distant and cold and her face seemed to harden. She didn’t look like a nine-year-old girl in that moment; she looked like an old soul who had seen more of the world than she had wished to.

“Perhaps it is best that I stay in the house today,” Rachel suggested. “And tend to the household chores.”

“There will be plenty of time for that later,” Cole said. “I don’t have many ranch hands today and I’m gonna need all the help I can get. Jane – go put some things in Rachel’s room.”

Jane shot her father a look that he ignored, but she got up and did as she was told. Rachel watched her leave wearily and turned her gaze back to Jane’s surly- faced father. He was a handsome man, but Rachel could see that there was no warmth in his features. They were made up of stone and circumstance.

“Show me your hands,” Cole said suddenly, taking Rachel by surprise.

“Excuse me?”

“Show me your hands,” Cole repeated, slower this time as though Rachel were some sort of dimwit.

Tentatively, Rachel stretched out her hands to him with her palms down.

“The other side,” Cole said shaking his head.

Rachel flipped over her hands, marvelling at the indignity of the moment.

“You haven’t worked a day in your life have you?” Cole asked looking her in the eye.

His eyes were a burning blue and Rachel recognized the subtle fissures of judgement in them. “I lived a different life in New York,” Rachel said defensively. “The work I did there was different.”

“The only thing that we consider work here is hard labour,” Cole said. “And if you’ve known hard work in your life, it shows in your hands.”

Rachel swallowed back her pride. “I’m a fast learner.”

“You better be,” Cole said. “Slow learners don’t survive in this territory.”

Rachel felt herself bristle, but she kept her mouth shut. She had would have to learn and Cole was the only one around to teach her. “I shall go and change,” Rachel said preparing to excuse herself from the table.

“Wash the dishes first,” Cole said before he rose and walked out the door without a backward glance.

Rachel stood seething for a moment, but once her anger had abated slightly, she washed the dishes and went to her room. On her bed lay dark trousers, a grey shirt that looked like it had been white at some point in time, and work boots.

Rachel dressed quickly, and once she was clothed, she paused a moment at the mirror. She barely recognized her own reflection and something about it terrified her. She turned from the mirror and went outside in search of Cole and Jane. She found them by the stables, leading out horses.

“How many do you have?” she asked as she approached them.

“Four,” Cole replied once it was clear that Jane wasn’t going to. “This here’s Duncan, then we’ve got Canter, Silver, and Callie.”

“They’re beautiful horses,” Rachel said sincerely.

“We had more,” Jane said bitterly. “But we had to sell them.”

“Show Rachel how to harness a horse,” Cole said abruptly. “Then we take them to the fields.”

It was the single most exhausting day in Rachel’s life. She had never imagined that a person could take on quite so many tasks in one day. She stood there, under the heat of the afternoon sun, with sweat hot on her brow and prayed that it would be over soon. The fields seemed to stretch on for miles, and no matter how many times she ploughed through them with Cole and Jane, they remained unconquerable.

When Cole called for a break, Rachel breathed a sigh of relief, but her relief was short lived when she realized she still had lunch to prepare. By the time the sun had begun to set, her hands were cracked and bloodied, her back felt as though it had been whipped, her legs were cramping, and her muscles screamed with pain. Yet, still there was more work to be done and Rachel would not allow herself to ask for rest.

In her mind’s eye she saw the look on Cole’s face when he had examined her hands and she was desperate to prove him wrong. She was desperate to show him that a privileged young socialite could be more than just her fickle upbringing. It was more than just Cole however; Rachel had something to prove to herself as well. She had made a decision that had turned her life upside down. Now she had a duty to live it to the fullest and prove to herself that she was strong enough to survive that decision.

It was closing in on midnight when Rachel finally made it back to her bed. Her body was screaming with pain and there was nothing she could do to ease the discomfort. She collapsed onto her bed without bothering to take off her clothes and mentally prepared herself for the fact that she would have to do it all again tomorrow.

Chapter Five

Three weeks had passed since Rachel found herself in Montana, and already, a number of changes had transformed her into someone she barely recognized. Her skin was at least two shades darker, her hair had lost its silky sheen, her skin was cracked and blistered, and there always some part of her body that complained with pain.

Rachel was not so stubborn that she ignored the good that came long after three weeks of hard labour. She was stronger; she could see the proof in her muscled arms and her lean physique. This strength had resulted in an awareness of her body and she was starting to see the benefits of an active lifestyle. Day by day she noticed that her limbs became less sore and she was more able to tolerate the strain of her duties.

Still, despite the progress she had made, it felt as though she could no nothing right.

She was not a natural rider and the horses seemed to be able to sense it. Aware of her inexperience, they cantered where they pleased, ignoring her prods and commands. Cleaning out the stables was a messy ordeal and a strain on her back but she did it without complaint. Even cooking posed an unexpected difficulty. There were a number of different vegetables that Cole grew himself that Rachel could use for meals, but there was little seasoning to be found and very few ways of making the meals interesting.

Twice a day, she would trudge down to the river and fill two large pails with water so that she could boil it for drinking. Washing the clothes turned out to be a much longer process than she had anticipated. It required great strength and resilience to be able to scrub out the dirt and dust of a full day’s work.

Working the fields was perhaps the biggest challenge she had to endure. She hated raking the land, especially because the horses seemed unwilling to move whenever she was in command. She wasted a great deal of time, standing in the sun, trying to coax them forward. Cole was a silent teacher. He led by example and if Rachel missed something he would continue on anyway. His answers to her questions were short and sometimes confusing, but pride stopped her from asking again.

Jane was an impatient teacher who was prone to giggling fits and sly insults when Rachel made a mistake or did something she shouldn’t have. The other ranch hands that Cole hired had no time to teach her at all, and so Rachel had to be alert and watchful if she expected to pick anything up in time to make herself useful.

Rachel also learned that she had to watch out for the rattlesnakes that slid between the rocks on the outskirts of the ranch. She had been warned about how dangerous they were and she kept her eyes open every time she made a trip to the river and back.

The one good thing about her long hours and constant work was that she had no time to doubt her decision in coming to Montana. There was no free time left in the day to fall back into thoughts of worry and regret. By the time she got back to her room at the close of the day, she was so exhausted that she never needed any help to try to sleep anymore. She just did, the moment her head hit the hard mattress beneath her.

The one thing besides her daily chores that did occupy her thoughts was her reclusive future husband. He had not broached the topic of their marriage since the day she had asked him when it would take place. He had told her that they would go down to the courthouse when he found some free time, but after a few weeks on the ranch, Rachel was beginning to believe that free time was just an old luxury that had no place in her new life anymore.

It was coming upon four weeks when Rachel entered the stables one night pulling Silver along in her wake. The horse appeared as tired as she was as Rachel walked her into her stall and closed the door behind her. It was only then that she realized that Cole was standing just behind her, tending to Canter and Callie.

“I didn’t see you there,” she said lamely.

Cole didn’t respond. It was as though he refused to partake in any conversation that wasn’t entirely necessary. Rachel had grown up in a society that required idle chatter to fill the gaps in conversation, and so she felt obligated to attempt to talk to him, even though she had nothing to say.

“How was your day?” Rachel asked taking another stab at it.

Cole fixed her with his cool blue-eyed gaze. “The same,” he replied shortly.

Rachel felt her patience slip away as she took a step toward him. “Don’t you think it would be nice to ask me how my day was?” she asked him.

She saw a glimmer of surprise flit across his eyes but his expression never changed. He looked at her calmly and continued to brush down his mare. “Not really.”

“Why not?” Rachel demanded.

“Because I know how your day went,” Cole replied. “So what’s the point in asking?”

“Because I’m to be your wife. We should share these things with one another,” Rachel said, struggling to put up an argument that Cole could not refute.

He looked at her with confusion. “Why?”

Rachel sighed in frustration. “It would be nice if we could share a conversation at some point, to get to know each other better.”

Cole seemed to consider this, but Rachel was never quite sure precisely what he was thinking. The only thing she was left with was her assumptions and the hope that perhaps they were right.

“If you like,” he said unexpectedly.

Rachel paused for a moment, losing her train of thought. “If I like what?” she asked.

“If you like, we could have a conversation,” Cole said. “We’re here now.”

“Oh,” Rachel said taken back. “Oh.”

Cole raised his eyebrows at her.

Rachel smiled. “I’m sorry, that took me off guard a little bit. I do have things I’d like to talk about.”

“Alright,” Cole said.

“Have you always lived on this ranch?” Rachel asked tentatively.

“My whole life,” Cole replied. “I was born in the back room. Jane was born in yours.”

“So your father was a rancher?”

“As far as I know my whole family were ranchers.”

“And do you like it?” Rachel asked, hoping that didn’t sound like a stupid question.

Cole paused for a moment before he answered. It was obvious that he had never thought about it before. “It’s my life. I don’t like or dislike it. It’s just what I do.”

“And Jane?” Rachel asked. “Will she take it over one day?”

“I hope so,” Cole answered.

“Really?” Rachel said before she could stop herself.

“You sound surprised by that,” Cole said.

“I just- it’s a harsh life for a woman.”

“It’s a harsh life for anyone, man or woman,” Cole said. “At least this will be hers and she won’t have to depend on nobody.”

Rachel nodded as she moved opposite Cole, until Callie’s long nose was between them. She reached up and stroked the horse right between the eyes like she had seen Jane do. “You know I was a little shocked when I first came here,” she admitted.

“About?”

“Just the harshness of life,” Rachel explained softly. “I was so caught up in the difficulties of it that I failed to see the beauty. There’s something lovely about life here. It
is
difficult, and it’s wild, and harsh, but there’s nothing insincere about it.” Rachel broke off her strange explanation and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t think that made very much sense.”

“No,” Cole said looking her straight in the eye. “It made sense to me.”

Rachel smiled. In that moment, she thought she saw Cole’s eyes soften, as though he were warming towards her. It was the closest thing to a smile she could hope for and that filled her with some measure of hope.

Caught up in that fleeting moment of connection, Rachel’s hand dropped from Callie’s nose and the horse butted her head against Rachel in reminder. Smiling, Rachel resumed her stroking.

“She likes you,” Cole said.

“She might be the only one,” Rachel sighed. “The other horses are weary of me at best.”

“That’s because they sense you’re uncomfortable around them,” Cole told her.

“Well it’s hard not to be,” Rachel said. “They’re gigantic.”

“They’re gentle giants if you know how to treat ‘em,” Cole said. “They just need to get to know you.”

“All the same, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to ride without a saddle like you and Jane do.”

“That’s what my wife told me when she first came to this ranch,” Cole said. “And within six months she had proved herself wrong.”

“What was she like, your wife?” Rachel asked.

Immediately, she regretted asking the question. She saw a hood fall over Cole’s eyes and the rigidity slipped back into his posture. “She was fearless,” he said shortly. Then he put down the brush, stroked the horse gently and walked away. Rachel thought he would leave without another word, but he stopped abruptly at the stable doors and turned around.

“Goodnight Rachel,” he said with a tip of head.

“Goodnight Cole,” Rachel whispered back.