The Shepherd's Daughter (Dry Bayou Brides Book 1) (6 page)

The place where he’d often meet up with Ray? That was the spot along the creek where he’d taken Ray that first day they’d met. She wanted to hunt frogs and he wanted to impress the fiery, little newcomer. They’d hit it off immediately. And ever since, they’d claimed that spot as theirs. It held a special place in his heart and he knew Ray felt the same.

Well, there’s a thought.
If Ray was there, and he brought Rebecca along, he’d have to introduce the two…and he still wasn’t sure how to explain the “mail order bride he didn’t order” debacle to Ray. He knew she’d be cordial, if a little confused, about the whole business, but he could count on her to help make Rebecca feel welcome.

Mind made up, he grinned down at his ma. “That sounds like a good idea. I’ll take her down to the creek for a bit and introduce her to one of the best spots in all of Dry Bayou.”

He didn’t inform his mother of his plans to introduce her to Ray, because his ma still believed that Ray and he were something more than friends. Also, he didn’t know for sure if Ray would be there.

Billy finished up his chores, cleaned off the dust and sweat as best he could, donned some of his best duds, and escorted Miss Rebecca DuCastille to the waiting surrey, complete with matching chestnut stallions—two of his best horses.

The trip to the creek took more than half an hour and he was surprised at how much he enjoyed his conversation with his supposed future wife. She spoke about her trip west, her favorite sights along the way, and how she liked baking.

“That was one of your father’s requirements, you know.” Rebecca’s eyes twinkled as she smiled at him from under her becoming, light pink bonnet.

“Requirements?” he asked like a half-brained mule.

A slight blush rose over her cheeks and Billy, again, thought on how becoming she really was.

Would it be all that difficult to marry Miss DuCastille?
Why am I even thinking about this? His flip-flopping thoughts blurred the lines in his mind—where Rebecca ended and Ray began. But then his mind conjured up images of Ray; her red hair, her bright smile, her twinkling eyes, and his thoughts cleared again.

He forced himself to focus on Rebecca. He could think about Ray later, once he found her at the creek.

“Your father had requirements for a wife for you. They included being a skilled baker and cook, being well-versed in The Holy Word—oh, and embroidery.”

Billy’s laugh seemed to catch Rebecca off guard because she flinched, ever so slightly, before recovering enough to laugh with him—her ladylike titter seemed forced.

“Well, I do appreciate a good cook and some of my favorite foods are baked, but I don’t rightly know how your skills in embroidery would be much help to me.”

“Your father was very thorough—I’d never seen such a long, detailed advert for a wife before. I must say, I was rather glad that I met every single one of the things on his list. Including the ability to manage unruly people. I’m not quite sure what he meant by that. I can only guess he meant children.” She smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes.

“I suppose you’re right.” He offered another quieter chuckle and returned his attention to the horses.

The special spot on the creek was right around the bend and Billy found himself holding his breath, suddenly anxious and strangely excited at the same time. Would Ray be there? What would she think of Rebecca?

What do
I
think of Rebecca?

He glanced at her from under the brim of his hat. She was lovely and sweet, and obviously worth the effort to court, but… He didn’t know if his heart was really in it. His parents were aching for him to settle down and fill their house with grandbabies. He honestly didn’t know why he was fighting against the current, the one pulling him toward holy matrimony with the woman on the seat beside him.

Ugh!
The lines in his mind blurred again, but through the haze of images and sensations, a nearly inaudible voice whispered through his thoughts:
She isn’t who you want…

The surrey travelled the curve right before the creek. As they rounded the bend, he craned his neck to see around the ash trees. The clearing came into view and his breath caught in his throat.

Ray wasn’t there.

His heart sank.

F
or the second
time in less than a week, Ray hid from her best friend; pressed up against the rough wood of the only ash tree wide enough to keep her from sight. She prayed to God that Billy wasn’t planning to stick around too long.

She didn’t know how long she could hide, especially since her horse was just over the rise on the other side of the trees.

If Billy caught sight of Fitz, he’d know she was creeping around somewhere and she’d be forced to reveal herself. And the dress she was wearing. Then he’d probably ask her why she’d been avoiding him.

Please don’t let it come to that.

She just wasn’t ready for him to see her, to face him after what she’d overheard on his porch two days ago and certainly not ready to meet his
bride
.

After another long day of chores, during which she’d tried to stay as far away from the stable and main ranch house as possible, she had plans to attend to. Once her work was done, she spent time at Tilly’s house getting fitted for Dora’s old dresses.

A little too big for Ray, the dresses were easily hemmed and taken in by Tilly’s deft hand with the needle. All in all, Ray now had four new ones. A lovely deep green one with black lace along the hem and sleeves, a fancy tan dress with cream lace around the collar, a light blue gingham dress with dark blue embroidered swirls, and a cream-colored dress that she was far too scared to wear lest it get coated in dust and sheep mess.

She’d chosen to wear the blue dress with the frilly embroidery because she actually felt pretty when she tried it on when she looked in the mirror. It was her tired, work-worn face that stared back at her, but the dress had transformed her body into the form of a lady. One Billy would notice. A lady Billy would fall in love with and cast aside his mail order bride for.

After her fitting, she’d ridden out to the creek, the one place in Dry Bayou where she felt at peace and took up her usual place on the big rock that hung out over the deepest part of the crystal clear creek. If her father were watching her from heaven, he’d wonder where his daughter had gone, because as she stood there, admiring her reflection in the water, she wondered why she’d never liked wearing pretty dresses before.

That’s when she first heard the crunch of wheels coming. Thank goodness her instinct for surviving humiliation kicked in, because she’d just made it behind the trees when the surrey came around the bend.

Her heart jumped into her throat when she saw who was at the reins. Then her heart dropped to her feet when she saw who was in the seat beside Billy.

His bride. The woman she’d put that stupid blue dress on to try and emulate.

Ray stared at the woman, her pretty pink bonnet, her sweet smile, her attentive expression… Ray looked down at her used dress.

“What am I doing?” she whispered to herself, suddenly feeling stupid, silly, and hideous.
I’ll never be as pretty or genteel as Rebecca DuCastille. Billy will take a good, long look at me in this rag and have a good laugh.
Then he’d give his bride a kiss.

A kiss he should give Ray. A kiss Ray would sell her left arm to experience.

She rolled her eyes at her own wayward thoughts and forced herself to be quiet so they didn’t
discover
her listening to them chatting.

The surrey pulled to a stop just on the other side of the ash trees. Ray heard Billy hop down from the seat, heard the crunching gravel as he walked to the other side, then heard the murmurs of polite conversation as Billy helped Miss DuCastille down from her seat.

Okay, so they’re spendin’ time together, as any soon-to-be-married couple should.

It was time to leave. Quietly. Before she got caught in that silly dress, trying to be someone she wasn’t.

A light female laugh, followed by Billy’s deeper, warm, tingle-inducing chuckle, cut through Ray’s thoughts.

Aw-dingit! What are they laughin’ about? What’s so funny?

Was Billy being charming for Miss DuCastille?

With a deep sigh, Ray peeked around the trunk of the tree.

Billy was holding Rebecca’s arm and they were walking toward the rock—her rock—the most beautiful spot along the creek. There they stood, smiling at one another, talking to one another about Lord knows what.

He brought her to our spot. Where we meet and spend time together, alone. Sharin’ our dreams and hopes, and talkin’ about our day.

Pain pierced her heart.

He’s already replacin’ me.

“Oh, no he’s not!” she hissed aloud.

She knew, in that moment, that no matter how pretty or perfect Miss DuCastille was, Ray was just as worthy of Billy’s attention—and she’d take it if she had to.

An idea popped into her head.

Ray smoothed her skirts, brushing off bits of bark that had stuck to her bottom, straightened her shoulders, tipped up her chin, and moved around the tree, making as though she were just passing through. No need to let Billy and his bride know she’d been hiding. She had as much right to be at the creek as they did—even more so. She’d claimed that rock the same day she’d met Billy, fourteen years ago, when she’d asked him to go frog hunting.

“This here is the best place in the whole world to catch a frog,”
she’d said, her little five-year-old world so much smaller and so much simpler.
“I claim this rock as mine. But I’ll let you sit on it, too…
if
you’re huntin’ frogs with me, Billy Ducharme.”
She’d invited him to sit down beside her. They’d dangled their bare feet over the side and spent the rest of the day chittering like magpies about frogs, horses, pie, lemonade, and whatever else came to their carefree minds.

They hadn’t caught a single frog.

Ray smiled at the memory.

She returned to where her horse was tethered. Torn between the need for Billy to see her and wanting to melt into the background, she tried to look relaxed.

“Ho, there!” Ray called out pleasantly, waving to Billy and his bride.

Billy and Miss DuCastille turned, an expression of shock shadowed Billy’s face.

“Ray? What’re you doing out here?” His usually deep voice was somehow deeper, which didn’t seem possible.

“I was out ridin’, sidesaddle, like a lady does, and I thought I’d stop in for a quiet moment at my favorite spot.”

“What’re you wearing?” he asked, his gaze pinned to her dress.

It was as though he’d never seen her in a dress before. She wore one every day. It was just that, this time, it was meant to be pretty rather than practical.

Did he think she looked pretty?

“What’s it look like I’m wearin’?” The look on his face made her want to turn around and forget her whole stupid plan.

Billy pulled off his hat and slapped it against his thigh—he’d worn one of his best pairs of trousers; the black ones with embroidery along each belt loop.

He’d dressed up for Miss DuCastille, but never for Ray.

What am I doin’ here?

“It looks like you’re playing at dress up—and what do you mean you rode sidesaddle? You don’t even own one.”

“I do, too, own a sidesaddle. It just needed a little brushin’ off is all. Playin’ at dress up? Who’s playin’? You forget, Willem Ducharme, I’m as much a lady as any woman in Dry Bayou. Just ’cause I spend more time in work boots than slippers don’t mean I can’t dress nice once in a while.” She forced her chin up and let out a huff.

Billy’s gaze snapped to Ray’s face; his dark eyebrows tipped down and a muscle worked in his jaw.

Ray ran through everything Tilly and Dora had told her: stand up straight, speak softly, speak properly, and be polite…

She cleared her throat and glanced pointedly at Miss DuCastille. “Ain’t—err—aren’t you going to introduce me to your pretty friend?”

No need. I know all about you, Rebecca DuCastille. You’re here to steal Billy from me.

Billy stepped forward. “Miss Rebecca DuCastille, this is Ray MacAdams, the shepherd’s daughter.”

Ray’s breath caught in her chest.

Was that what he really thought of her? Was she just the shepherd’s daughter to him?

“Ray, this is Miss Rebecca DuCastille, she’s…well—”

Rebecca saved him from further explanation and offered her hand. “I’m Billy’s guest. His family has graciously invited me to stay with them for a while. And please, call me Rebecca.”

Ray shook her velvet-gloved hand. “Well, that’s nice of them, isn’t it?” Ray gave her a smile then turned it on Billy. His eyes flashed something she couldn’t read. “They really are the nicest people around. They welcomed my family onto their ranch more than fourteen years ago.”

Rebecca smiled back and Ray had to admit that her adversary was lovely. And seemed sweet.

Don’t fall for it, don’t let her charm you.

“Oh, so you’ve been in Dry Bayou a long time. It seems like such a wonderful town. Mr. Ducharme—I mean, Billy, has been showing me around to all of his favorite places and I can see why it’s so special.” She motioned toward the creek. “I’m very glad he brought me here. And I am glad to meet you, as well.”