“Thank you, sis.” Leonard hugged her tightly. “You won’t regret it.”
Willow doubted that. She regretted giving in to her brother’s wishes already. How would she face the other ranch hands? No doubt word that Willie Hughes was a girl had raced through the ranch like a wildfire across tinder dry rangeland. Days of ridicule and teasing and embarrassment lay ahead of her, and she wouldn’t have any choice but to endure it. Her dream job just turned into her worst nightmare. She was a Harrison, she reminded herself, and the memory of her father’s words rang in her ears.
A Harrison doesn’t turn away from a challenge when times get tough.
A Harrison never quits.
Easier said than done. She considered her options, and her only choice, she decided, was biding her time until one of the ranch hands prepared to venture into town with the supply wagon. By then she hoped to have convinced Leonard to accompany her. They could stow away in back of the conveyance and escape, free to once again begin a new life far away from the Double M.
Starting fresh with their secret in tow.
* * *
Adam stood, hands on hips, inside the horse barn where Willow prepared to take a new colt outside for his first frolic on the grass. The colt looked cute wearing his tiny halter. Like Adam, Willow must believe it was never too early to halter break a colt and she’d utilized the small-sized tack. Davie stood by prepared to lead the mare, accompanying the colt for the outing to assist in coaxing her newborn from the barn. Willow and Davie always worked well together, complementing each other’s talents. Adam suppressed the pang of jealousy that he’d been fighting with for days now.
Most of the ranch hands had gathered at Adam’s request. Jackson, Simon and Michael stood beside him presenting a brotherly display of McLennon unity regarding their new female wrangler.
Adam gazed at the ranch hands. “This won’t take long and then you can return to your duties.”
A collective grumble rumbled throughout the barn.
Adam chose to ignore the complaining. “As you’ve no doubt heard, Willie Hughes’s identity has been discovered. Willow Harrison learned long ago ranchers don’t commonly accept a woman horse wrangler, and she’s been forced to disguise her gender as a means to gain much-needed employment on many occasions.”
The men silently stood either staring at him or glaring at Willow.
“We know the truth about her, but while working here as Willie, we’ve learned the extent of the talent and experience Willow brings to the Double M. I’ve decided Willow and her brother will continue to work here with the ranch horses.” Adam held up his hand to silence the cacophony that followed that statement.
Willow shifted from one foot to the other. Although she hadn’t said a word, her expression spoke volumes and told Adam she’d faced the wrath of male coworkers before.
“Gentlemen, there’ll be no complaining or talking behind anyone’s back about this, whether a McLennon or one of our ranch hands. Most importantly, nothing will be said behind Willow’s back. No one will countermand my orders concerning Willow’s employment here. If you don’t feel inclined to work alongside a woman wrangler, then you’re free to collect your pay and leave the ranch.”
Jackson stepped forward. “As ranch manager, I completely agree with my brother’s decision to retain Willow as head wrangler for our Thoroughbreds. If anyone wishes to discuss this matter, say your piece now and we’ll listen. Otherwise, I expect a full day’s work from everyone on this ranch, including Willow.”
Adam recalled Jackson’s I-told-you-so reminder when he’d first learned the truth about Willow, but all of his brothers and his pa had agreed Willow’s talent with horses overruled her deception. Now that Jackson stated his expectations, Adam stood waiting for someone to question their collective decision. While several ranch hands exchanged a look, only one man shook his head and a couple fellows shifted their feet. His brothers stood, arms crossed over their chests; the matched expressions evidenced their unified support.
“No one has anything to say?” Adam glanced around the barn. “Then I consider the matter closed. Everyone working on this ranch will treat Willow with equal respect given to any other hand employed here.”
“I don’t require special treatment. Nothing has changed. I’ll do my job, same as before,” Willow chimed in.
“True enough,” Adam agreed, glancing at Willow and then his gaze roamed over every man in the barn. “The same expectations for an honest day’s work will be met or she’ll be sent packing, same as the rest of you.”
The ranch hands wended their way out of the barn, heading off to resume their individual duties. Some fellows engaged in mumbled conversation while others traipsed outside without a word. Adam nodded at Davie and he led the mare toward the open doorway while Willow encouraged the colt to follow his mother.
“That went better than I expected,” Jackson muttered.
“Time will tell whether the men accept her as one of them, working with the ranch animals and doing an honest day’s work.” Adam shook his head. “A few of them didn’t appear too taken with the idea. Might lose a man or two, but cattle hands are easier to come by than an experienced, reliable Thoroughbred wrangler equal to Willow’s talent.”
Jackson slapped him on the back. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“Let’s hope Leonard and Willow don’t take it into their heads to leave.” Adam followed his brothers out of the barn. “Might be difficult to replace Willow.”
“Well, if you’re not looking to hire another wrangler, then you’d best figure a way to ensure she stays,” Jackson suggested.
Adam paused for a moment. He intended to employ serious consideration to the idea, and for more reasons than one. The thought of Willow permanently walking out of his life didn’t sit well with him. Not for a minute. But he couldn’t erase the idea from his mind that there was more to Willow’s deception than simply disguising herself to land a horse wrangler job.
And he intended to discover what that something was.
* * *
Willow hoped her life had taken a turn for the better. Now that Adam learned she wasn’t Willie Hughes, but a female horse wrangler every bit as talented as any man on the ranch, she’d settled into her daily duties without fear of discovery.
And most miraculously of all, the other ranch hands accepted her as well. Everyone liked her brother, so perhaps they tolerated her for his sake. Regardless, after the initial grousing when Adam announced her true identity, the ranch hands worked alongside her with few comments and not one complaint.
She couldn’t be happier, and after a considerable amount of convincing by Leonard, she’d abandoned all plans to run again. So far, no one suspected there was more to her disguising herself as a male than improving her odds of gaining employment. Or so she hoped.
Willow wandered out of the Thoroughbred barn to catch a breath of fresh air before resuming her stall cleaning duties. Everyone on the ranch performed the most mundane jobs, including her.
As she settled onto the top rail of the corral, she noticed a cloud of dust in the distance. The culprit responsible for stirring up the ground was heading toward the Double M Ranch. While watching the disturbance’s progression, she caught sight of Simon, Adam’s twin brother, seated atop a corral beside the cattle barn, eyes shaded by one hand, gazing in the direction of the pending arrivals as well.
She jumped down and wandered over to Simon. “What’s causing the dust?”
“Morning, Willow.” Simon smiled at her as she climbed up beside him. “We’re expecting delivery of a shipment of cattle. Came from Texas by rail, and now the drovers are delivering them the rest of the way.”
“That explains it.” With her eyes shaded by her old battered hat, Willow stared into the distance. “How many head?”
“Should be one hundred unless a few of them didn’t survive the trip.”
“Let’s hope not.” Willow hated hearing about the death of any animals, especially horses. Her fath
er taught his children the ins and outs of bookkeeping and Willow understood the business end of ranching. These cattle meant a substantial monetary investment for the Double M, and every loss resulted in damage to the ranch’s bottom line.
Soon, more cattle than Willow could count arrived in the yard, churning up dust and bawling loudly enough to deafen anyone. The drovers herded their four-hooved cargo into a fenced, rectangular pasture adjoining the creek. The cattle welcomed a drink of the cool water while milling around, several cows bawling for their calves separated momentarily from their mothers in the melee.
“Well, I’d better take a count before signing for the delivery,” Simon muttered, leaping down from the rail and heading toward the drovers.
Willow gazed at the men, mounted on fine horses, tanned from working outdoors. Despite being covered in dust from head to toe, the men smiled at Simon, obviously enjoying their work. The cattle handlers must hail from Texas, having accompanied the shipment from the origin of their journey. She met eyes with a couple of the fellows who were no doubt a bit surprised to see a young woman dressed in trousers, boots and a battered old hat, sitting on a corral rail.
Suddenly, Willow gasped and almost toppled off her perch when she spotted a fellow she would swear had been employed on her father’s ranch. What was a horseman doing working as a cattle drover? She leapt to the ground and retreated to the horse barn, hoping the man hadn’t recognized her. If he mentioned knowing her or the unsettling events on their family ranch in mid-Texas that sent her and Leonard into hiding, Simon and Adam would learn the secret she and Leonard had refused to divulge about their past.
She peeked out through the barn door, spotting the drover in question. He remained seated in the saddle, gazing around while waiting for the completion of the delivery. Thankfully, he wasn’t the man in charge and he wouldn’t have any reason to converse with Simon. Willow blew out her breath, convinced he hadn’t spotted her. Hopefully, Leonard was occupied in one of the other horse barns and wouldn’t put in an appearance.
Twenty minutes later, Willow’s heartbeat slowed as she watched the drovers riding away from the ranch. Simon had taken delivery of the cattle and judging from his expression, none of the animals had been lost during the trip to the Double M.
No cattle lost and no one recognized her, a double win today. She smiled at her pun and went back to work, convinced she’d dodged a bullet. But that fellow’s appearance on the Double M today only proved how small the world was becoming. She and Leonard could be discovered at any moment, if circumstances failed to continue in their favor. They needed to remain vigilant, or they’d suffer the consequences.
Chapter 7
Willow kept to herself, except when she worked with the Thoroughbred horses. She’d helped the Morgan mares with birthing their foals as well, but Adam put her in charge of the day-to-day care of the Thoroughbreds. Five other ranch hands worked exclusively with her and the six of them had fallen into a routine with everyone responsible for and familiar with their individual duties. Surprisingly, the men under her supervision didn’t appear troubled with a female giving them orders. Although there were two dozen horses and almost as many colts and fillies under her care, the Double M Thoroughbred operation couldn’t be running any smoother.
She and Leonard exchanged news, updates, and stories each evening after supper before turning in for the night. Together, they believed the Double M combined horse-breeding operation couldn’t run any more efficiently. The busy days reminded her of times when she worked on her father’s ranch, and she experienced a moment of sadness, still missing his presence in her life every day.
Despite giving her unprecedented freedom to work with his Thoroughbreds, Adam watched her like a hawk. Or at least, it appeared that way to Willow. Did he believe she would bolt at the first opportunity like a young stallion who’d escaped the corral?
“Willow?”
Had her thoughts summoned the man himself? “Adam, I’m in the far stall,” she replied.
“It’s Sunrise. Her membrane ruptured. She should deliver her foal soon.”
Willow hurried down the barn aisle and accompanied him over to the Morgan barn. “Does she show any sign of distress?”
“Not that I could see. This is her fourth foal and she should be fine.”
Willow nodded. “That’s good news. But I’ll take a look anyway.”
“Thanks. Leonard has been keeping an eye on her.” Adam opened the barn’s side door for her to proceed inside. “Your brother doesn’t anticipate any problems.”
Willow entered the stall and patted Sunrise on the neck. “How’s our good girl?” Willow had familiarized herself with all the expectant mares on the Double M, knowing she could be called upon to attend a birth at any moment. Having someone familiar attend them during the laboring would ensure the mares didn’t decide to halt the labor until feeling less distress.
Willow noticed the mare was dripping milk and Sunrise paced the stall in preparation for the now imminent birth. “She seems calm and ready for what’s to come,” she muttered.
A minute later, the mare slumped onto her side, laboring heavily.
“There’s a hoof,” Adam exclaimed in a whisper.
“Should see the other one soon,” Willow added, smiling.
As predicted, the second hoof appeared and then a few minutes later, the head came into view followed by the rest of the foal a short while later. Willow pulled the sac open, exposing the foal’s nose. She pulled back more of the sac and took a peek. Then she smiled. “You have a new filly, Mr. McLennon,” she reported, meeting his eyes. Most of the foals born since her arrival had been colts and she suspected Adam was especially happy to hear this news.
“That’s her fourth filly in a row,” Adam commented, beaming.
“All healthy births?”
“Yes. And she’s a wonderful mother.”
Willow patted the horse’s neck. “You did really well, Sunrise. You’re a good mama.” She swallowed hard, attempting to hold back her emotions. Despite her best efforts, she lost the battle and burst into tears.
Adam hurried over to her side. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head.
“Why are you crying?” The alarm in his voice evidenced genuine concern.
She brushed at her tears. “I’m fine. It’s just… every time a new foal is born…”
Adam touched her arm, turned her to face him, and then wrapped her in his arms. “It’s an emotional experience for all of us,” he whispered. “Especially for someone who considers it their responsibility to ensure everything goes well.”
She was surprised he understood her emotional outburst. Responsible summed up her belief exactly; she’d been hired to care for these mares and she intended to perform her duties to the very best of her abilities. Losing one was not an option!
Without realizing what she’d done, she snuggled against Adam’s chest and rested her head on his shoulder, savoring the warmth of his embrace. She’d never experienced such contentment and joy since she’d received affectionate hugs from her father.
“Are you all right?” he whispered.
She lifted her head and gazed into his beautiful blue eyes. What had he asked her? Before she could regain intelligent thought again, he bent his head and pressed his lips to hers. She closed her eyes and savored the softness of the kiss, his male scent, and the warmth of his arms holding her so tenderly. His tongue teased the outline of her lips and she opened her mouth for him. He deepened the kiss. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d felt this warm and safe and…
“What am I doing?” she blurted, pushing herself out of his arms. “What an unprofessional thing to do!”
Adam stared into her eyes. “For me? Or for you?”
“Me! You! Both of us!” She took a step back; her face must be flaming. “Sunrise will be fine now. I… I need to go.”
Adam snagged her arm and lifted her chin up, forcing Willow to meet his eyes. “We did nothing wrong. You wer
e emotional and I provided a moment of comfort. You have nothing to be alarmed or embarrassed about.”
“But—”
“No buts.”
“Would you hug Leonard after he delivered one of your foals?” she demanded, annoyed with herself for showing such weakness.
“Only if he was crying,” Adam replied without hesitation, grinning at her.
Willow gasped. “Now you’re making fun of me.”
“Not at all. And I would never think less of you for showing your softer side.”
“Thank you for understanding,” she whispered and then slid her hands down her denims. She’d been worried Adam was more preoccupied with her past than with her as a person, as a woman. That kiss afforded a whole new dimension to her worries. “Assign Leonard or someone to watch Sunrise. They need to ensure the placenta passes completely. Make certain the filly suckles and does her business in the next couple hours.”
Leonard stuck his head into the stall through the half door. “Did I hear someone say we have a new filly?”
“Good. You’re here and you know what to watch for. I’ll be in the Thoroughbred barn if you need me.” Willow charged out of the stall and raced down the aisle without a backward glance.
A moment later, she stormed into the tack room and slumped into the rickety chair beside the old metal desk. What had she been thinking? She’d promised herself to remain watchful at all times. They might be forced to leave at a moment’s notice should she or Leonard be discovered by parties wanting to do them harm. So why had she relaxed her vigilance and allowed Adam McLennon to kiss her?
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
She leapt to her feet and paced the tack room floor, more disappointed in herself than she’d ever been in her entire life. She’d never involved herself on a personal level with any man she worked with. That kiss was the stupidest thing she’d ever done. Allowing it to happen was so wrong.
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