The Rancher (6 page)

Lily’s jaw hung wide open.

After she’d donned her work shirt and britches, she grabbed her wide brimmed hat and smashed it onto her head.  Her father’s old work coat lay haphazardly over the footstool and Abby swept it up and flung it over her arm.  This time of year still held a certain chill.

“He told me he’s always been a little sweet on me, but...” Abby pulled her chin into her chest and with a deep voice attempted to imitate the man, “...I don’t want to marry a ranch hand. Once you

decide to act like a woman, then maybe I’ll court ya.”

Seeing the stricken look on Lily’s face, Abby’s smile fell, but then, without warning, they both burst into laughter.

They walked out her bedroom door and across the living area of the house to the yard.

Once outside, Lily turned to Abby. “He said he’s sweet on you?” Lily asked, unbelief dripping from her words.

“He even kissed me once.”

Abby   laughed   at   the   shocked abhorrence that distorted Lily’s face.

“What?” she asked in a gasp. “Jeremiah Carson, kissed you?”

“Just a few months back.  We were by that big oak tree just outside of town.” Abby hung her coat over a nail protruding

from the wall in the barn.

“How was it?” Lily asked eagerly. Then, her bottom lip protruded slightly.  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was embarrassed,” Abby stated flatly, pulling her saddle tack from the closet. “It wasn’t at all how I remembered

kissing to be and besides, who would have believed me?” Abby looked at her friend and blushed.

Pushing the thought of Alaric’s sweet kisses out of her mind was more of a difficult task than she had anticipated.  It had been over five years since he’d kissed her goodbye with the promise of returning to marry her and she could still feel the featherlike touch of his lips on hers. She’d believed he loved her, even if she wasn’t traditional wife material.
 
Foolish girl.

“I would have believed you.” Lily sat on the small wooden stool, her fisted hands holding up her chin, hanging on every word as if it was the most fascinating story ever told.   “What happened?”

Shaking her head free from dusty thoughts of her young love, she continued. “I think he’d just had another fight with his pa or something, ‘cause he was pretty riled.  He said he would feel better if he

had somebody to talk to, so I tethered Outback, one of the new geldings, to a lower branch and sat down next to him

under the tree.”

Abby could see a sparkle in Lily’s eye and   she   hated   to   continue   the disappointing story.
 
Why couldn’t I just keep my big mouth shut?

A small collection of horses grazed inthe field just beyond the stables.  Abbywhistled—two short, one long—and herbeautiful white mount perked her head upand trotted over to the fence.

“You can’t just stop there, Abby.   I have to know how the story ends.” Lily stood up and followed her into the yard.

Abby opened the gate between the pasture and the corral.

“Hello, old girl.  You ready?”  She ran her hand down the length of the mare and then stepped around her to close the gate. Bella had been her mother’s favorite mare

and was one of the only things she had left that had belonged to her.  She snuggled her face into the horse’s neck.

“Abby,” Lily said with mock scolding.

“There’s really not much more to tell.

He kissed me.  It was awful.  Not at alllike what I had expected.  After a fewminutes,” Abby shrugged, “the Spencerboys walked by.  They’d seen us kissingand just stood there, mouths gaping.

“When Benjamin had collected hiswits, he reached down and picked Jeremiah up by the scruff of his neck.  Atfirst I thought he might hit him.” Abbywalked into the barn and picked up hersaddle, Lily just two steps behind her.  When she turned around, she nearly raninto her friend.

“Did he? Punch Jeremiah, I mean,” Lily asked.

Abby threw the saddle up over her horse.  “Nope,” she said as she fastened the straps.  “Jeremiah just threw his head back and laughed, put his arm around

Ben’s shoulders, and all four of themturned around and walked away.” Shefaced Lily now, her hands resting casuallyon her hips.

“Where is that blasted bucket of bolts?”

Abby looked about the room, but couldn’tfind her objective.

“And they just left you standing there?  Alone by the tree?”

“It was a long time ago.” Abby walkedover to the dresser that had been

converted into a giant tool box, and opened one of the top drawers. “He really hasn’t changed all that much.  Our parents may have liked the idea of us combining our properties and becoming family and all, but I think I’ll take my chances in town.”

Abby pushed aside an assortment of

nuts and bolts and tiny little odds and ends until she found what she’d been looking for. “Perfect,” she said, holding up a thin, perfectly round, banded ring. “Time to get hitched.”

Kansas, One Week Earlier

“I wanted to talk to you a bit before you leave this morning, son.” A small cloud of white smoky vapor accompanied Jameson Redbourne’s breath in the still of the

morning.  He reached down to pick up a

nail and handed it to Cole.

The sun had just risen over the hills andmorning light spilled into the stable. Colelooked up from the horse’s hoof he wasre-shoeing and took the nail from his

father’s outstretched hand.  He put it into place and pounded it securely into the target.

“I know which route to take,” Cole said, his jaw tight as he tested the stability of the shoe.  He dropped the gelding’s foot and looked up at his father.  After he led the gelding back to the other cattle horses and turned him loose in the smaller corral, Cole leaned up against the round pen fence with his forearms and placed one foot on the bottom plank.

“I’m taking the job with McCallister. I notified him last week,” Cole announced casually, knowing his parents would both disagree with his decision.

After weeks of deliberation, Cole had decided taking the foreman job at the SilverHawk ranch in Silver Falls would

be the only way he could make good on his promise to Alaric.  Someone there had to know the girl. The inscription on the ring said, “Abby,” but Cole now wished he’d had the foresight to ask her last name.

“Come with me, son.” Jameson patted Cole on the shoulder and motioned for him

to follow.

Cole pushed himself away from the fence. A morning chill swept across his face.   He pulled his wool lined jacket closer around his neck and tugged his hat lower on his head.

“I have a proposition for you, but first, there’s something you need to know,” Jameson said as he hopped up onto the homestead’s front porch steps.

Cole groaned, but still followed his father across the kitchen and into the

study. His mother had been quite upset when Cole told her he had no interest in

getting married anytime soon and he didn’t want to have to have the same discussion

with his father.

In contrast to the brisk spring morning,his father’s den was warm from the potbelly stove roaring to life in the corner. The musky scent of burning pine woodpermeated the room.  Cole sat down in theoverstuffed chair across his father’s desk.

He let his jacket fall open as he slouchedinto the back cushions.

“So, we hadn’t seen MaryBeth around here in a while.   Are you going to be seeing anymore of Miss Hutchinson?”

Cole tilted his head backward, eyes closed, and took a deep breath. “Not if I can help it.”

A loud guffaw burst out of a nowamused Jameson. “Your mother just wantsyou to be happy, Cole.”

“Why does everyone think they knowwhat’ll make me happy?  That I need theirhelp? I just want to be left alone.” Colestood to leave. “I’m not going to marrysome girl just because Granddad believedany man over twenty-five and not marriedwas a nuisance to society. No pittance isworth that kind of trouble.”

The back door opened and a short gustof wind blustered through the room. “Oh,it’s no pittance, little brother.” Rainestepped into the study, shaking off the coldand rubbing his hands together.  He putthem up to his mouth and blew into them.

Cole looked from Raine back to his

father.  “Not you too?”

“Don’t look at me.” Jameson held both hands up in a surrendering gesture.  “I just want to let you know what you’re up against.”

Cole dropped back down in the chair, his gaze still shifting between his father and eldest brother. “I don’t need it.  Nor

do I want it,” Cole stated flatly.

“Maybe not. But you do want a ranch of your own and I’m gonna tell you how to get it.”

Cole  had  become   obsessed  with ranching and driving cattle.  The harder he worked, the less time he had to think about what had been lost. Cole’s jaw clenched. He should have been the one who died at

the bottom of that ravine.  Not Alaric.

“Nothing seems to bring you joy anymore. Not us. Not God. If you keep

driving yourself the way you are driving your men, you’re gonna drop and not be able to pull yourself up again.”

“That’s not what Alaric would have

wanted,” Raine interjected.

“Leave him out of this.” Cole shot a quelling look at his brother.

“Your mother and I have seen what Alaric’s death has done to you.”

“We all have,” Raine said.

Jameson cleared his throat. “And now, it’s time to stop wallowing in selfloathing and guilt and start thinking about someone besides yourself.”

Cole pushed himself up, out of the chair. “I am
 
not
 
getting married.”

“Sit down!” Jameson boomed, rising to his feet, arms pressing against his desktop, his eyes not wavering from Cole’s. “And,

I’d advise you to watch your tone here,young man. You’ve got people who careabout you and are trying to help.  Don’tmake an old man come whoop some senseinto that thick skull of yours.”

Cole took a deep breath. He kneweverything his father spoke was true. He’dbeen selfish to think that closing himselfoff from his family and depriving himselfof happiness wouldn’t affect those closestto him. His shoulders slumped slightly.

“Yes, sir.” Cole couldn’t remember thelast time he’d seen his father so forceful.

He slowly returned to his seat.

“We changed the ownership of the landin Silver Falls, Colorado into your name.  Wife or not. We were waiting to tell youuntil you returned from this last drive.” Jameson reached into the slender drawer

in the middle of his desk and withdrew a leather bound folder. He pushed it across the top to rest directly in front of Cole.

Cole glanced down at the rawhide packet.  He was speechless.

“Wait.  We have land in Silver Falls?”

“Open it,” his father urged.

Cole slid his hands over the soft leather and untied the thin straps that held it together. Inside, he found a yellowed document—his Granddad’s deed and will for the Colorado property. He read—

I,   William   Joshua   Deardon,declare on this twelfth day of May, Eighteen Hundred and Thirty-Two,before the eyes of the undersignednotary, that the name listed hereinis to be hereafter, a recognized

guardian and heir of the property surrounding and including the city of  Silver   Falls,   Colorado,   as mapped out in this document.  The guardian   will   have   undisputed authority and responsibility over the protection of said property and all decisions concerning the land and its uses, until the time he meets his demise. This name may only be changed by the undersigned and/or current guardian.

There were multiple lines listed at thebottom,   each  with  a  name  and  acorresponding   signature.   Granddad Deardon’s name was first. His mother, Leah Deardon Redbourne, second.  And

now,   his   name,   Cole   Alexander

Redbourne, was written in big blacklettering.

“Now, all you have to do is sign thedocument to make it official.” Jameson satback in his chair looking very pleasedwith himself. “You may choose yourbeneficiary now or wait until a later date. You’ll just need to file it with theregistrar’s office in Denver once you’vedecided.”