by Emily Woods
Thankfully, the men didn’t bother him as he headed to his bunk. Charlie and Boone were still up playing cards, and almost seemed to ignore him, but the others were either reading or sleeping.
“Everything okay?” Cole asked kindly.
Alex shrugged as he changed into his night clothes. “Hard to tell. I’ll know better in the morning.”
“Okay, well, you know where I am.”
“Thank you. Good night.”
Of course it wasn’t a good night. Despite his fatigue, Alex couldn’t sleep until late. All he could do was think and worry. He sincerely hoped that things would look better in the morning.
As she got ready for bed that night, Christina did something she’d never done before. She prayed on her own. It was awkward and new, but she was determined.
“Uh, Lord? God? It’s me, Christina. So, I wanted to say thank You for bringing me here. I don’t know if I would have gotten to know You back in New York. Things are different there. You know what I mean. I’m also glad I got to know my sister and her children, and Thomas too. I don’t know what the future holds, but I guess I’d like to go home soon.” However, as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wasn’t so sure. “Also, I don’t know how to pray for Alex, but I feel sorry for him. Please, uh, help him. In Jesus’s name, Amen.”
It was a struggle to get all the words out, but when she was done, she felt content. She slid under the covers and thought about her day. It had been such a mix of emotions. First, she’d been so unsure of herself, then overwhelmed and joyful. When Alex returned, there had been a lot of tension and uncertainty.
Her mind stayed on Alex for a while. Who was he really? Now that she remembered him from the train, she tried to recall what he’d said. She was embarrassed to think about how rude she’d been to him, especially when he’d been so kind to her and…what was her chaperone’s name? Mrs. Norton. She felt doubly bad when she thought about how horrid she’d been to that lady. She really was a spoiled princess, or rather, she had been. She didn’t want to be that woman anymore, and indeed, she didn’t feel like she was.
Her mind kept returning to Alex. On the train, he’d been such a gentleman, and she confessed to herself that he appealed to her that way, so courteous and well-mannered. The man she’d met on Triple Range was the opposite, gruff and brazen, but now she wondered if that was all an act to throw her off. He was probably worried that she would recognize him. There certainly was a mystery, one she hoped wouldn’t cause any trouble for the family.
“Help him, Lord,” she prayed again before her eyes finally closed. “Whatever that means.”
Alex woke up to find the others had all gotten up and left, even Cole. How had he slept through their morning noise? Usually, he was the first one up, but he thought perhaps they were being cautious around him now, unsure of what to think given the strange behavior of their boss last night. Already the lines of division had started, and they still didn’t even know who he was.
“Good morning,” he said when he entered the house to the kitchen full of people. “Sorry I overslept.”
“That’s quite alright, Alex,” Aunt Marge said. “Still lots of food left.”
“Sit here by me!” Jane chirped, smiling broadly at him. His eyes flickered toward Kate. Would one of the children give him away? But she managed to indicate with a slight shake of her head that they’d keep his secret.
Last night, it had been pretty clear to him that they were going to let him decide when and how to break the news to the other hands, and how to go forward in general. He really wanted to tell them all, but he was worried it would affect his relationship with them. Even though he wasn’t on terribly familiar terms with Boone, Mark or Charlie, he really didn’t want to lose the friendship he had formed with Austin and Cole. Would they resent him for his misrepresentation?
There was a silence around the table that was only filled by the chatter of the children. Maddie made some quiet comments to Cole, but he didn’t think she was talking about him. Her eyes were too soft for that. More likely, they were just being sweet together.
“Working on the fence again today, boss?” Charlie finally asked, his voice neutral.
“Sure. At this rate, we’ll be done before winter, I suspect,” Luke replied, giving them an approving smile. “You’re all doing such good work that I’m going to have to see if there’s enough money for a raise.”
That cheered everyone up, and they all but forgot about Alex and his mysterious, temporary disappearance. When it was time to get to work, Alex lingered over his breakfast. He was hoping to get a moment or two with Kate and Luke.
When the other hands finally went out, he told them his plan.
“I’d like to tell the men one by one, or something like that. I want to tell Cole and Austin first.”
Maddie approved of that. “It was hard not telling him,” she admitted. “But it’s your news, so I controlled myself.” She grinned a little and he felt sure that they would become close.
“Are you sure you want to do it?” Luke asked. “I’m happy to do it for you.”
Alex shook his head. “I betrayed them, in a way. I mean, I didn’t do it to trick them, but they might feel angry. It’s up to me to take that on myself.”
He had an opportunity to talk to Cole and Austin an hour later. They were working in tandem on the fence on one part of the ranch. Approaching them slowly, he tried to think of what to say.
“Um, fellows? Do you have a minute?”
They shared a quick look before nodding. He wondered if they had been speculating on his news. “What’s on your mind, Alex?” Cole asked, wiping his brow with his forearm.
“Well, I don’t really know how to tell you this, so I’ll just come out and say it.” He took a big breath to shore up his courage. “I haven’t been entirely truthful with you all. The fact is that I came to the ranch to meet my father. I wasn’t sure if I was going to tell anyone who I am when I arrived, but then I told Luke the day before yesterday.”
“You’re Luke’s son,” Cole supplied helpfully, not looking overly surprised. “From Philadelphia.”
Alex felt his eyes go wide. “You guessed?”
Cole shook his head. “Not right away. I knew you had a secret, but I didn’t have a clue what it was until yesterday when Luke brought you back from town. He was so happy. I just thought maybe it was that.”
“Well, you could knock me over with a feather,” Austin replied with a grin. “I had no idea, but…what can I say, congratulations?”
Alex shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. It feels different from what I thought it would.”
They talked a little, and then Alex mounted the horse Luke had given him before and went to find the others. Boone and Charlie acted like they didn’t care much, but Mark seemed somewhat annoyed. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because he had wanted to be part of the family not very long ago. Cole had told him about how he used to have a crush on Maddie. Maybe he was resentful of anyone getting close to the Winstons now.
“Does that mean you’re the boss of us now?” Charlie wanted to know. “Do we take orders from you?”
He nearly laughed. “Do you take orders from Maddie?”
Boone snorted at that. “Not hardly.”
“Well then, she’s more knowledgeable than I am, so I’m in no place to be giving out any directions. I know I don’t deserve it, but I hope you’ll treat me the same as before.”
They all either shrugged or grunted a little, so Alex decided to take that as a good sign.
That was one more burden lifted from his mind at least.
12
Alex was about to ride back toward Austin and Cole to help them when he spotted a lone figure in light blue dress walking towards Falls Creek. The sight of the swishing skirts set against the beauty of the waterfall beckoned him, and he allowed the horse to trot towards the picturesque scene. Although he’d never been out this far before, he’d heard of the legendary falls where the family would often ta
ke a picnic in the summer. The falls were supposedly most glorious in the springtime when the runoff from the mountains made them rush over the edge of the precipice, but he rather enjoyed the gentle cascade that flowed now. The peaceful scene soothed his tattered nerves.
Then he recognized that it was Christina walking along the creek in the direction of the falls, but her bowed head and folded hands made her seem like a different person. She looked…vulnerable.
Putting that together with what he’d noticed about her yesterday, he suddenly felt drawn to her. Yesterday when he’d arrived back at the ranch, she’d been carrying one of the little ones, Amanda’s youngest maybe, and the little boy had been playing with her hair and pulling out the pins. She didn’t seem annoyed at all, but just smiled and talked to him. That didn’t fit with the pretentious princess he had once believed her to be.
He wondered if something was going on with her too and decided to stop and talk. It wasn’t that he was abusing his newfound privilege of being the owner’s son, but he really wanted a chance to tell her who he was firsthand.
“Miss Christina?” he called out, sliding off the horse and approaching her. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” she replied demurely. “I hope you’re well today.”
Who was this fetching woman? Not the same one he’d meet less than a week ago.
“I’m better, thank you. Yesterday was rather a wild day, I’m afraid. I hope you weren’t too bothered about all the chaos.”
She looked up at him, tilting her head in what might have been a coy or flirtatious way, but he didn’t get that impression. Instead, she just looked thoughtful. “More than you can guess. I’m sure you have your own story, but yesterday marked a pivotal point in my life.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“Yes.”
She clearly wasn’t going to give any more away, but it didn’t bother him. He knew that ladies like her were reserved. She would tell him in good time if she had a mind too.
“Well, I wanted to talk to you now to tell you something that you may have already guessed.”
“Do tell,” she replied, a small grin peeking out from under her serene expression.
Her response made him want to smile. Why did his heavy heart feel light suddenly?
“Well, ahem, Miss Christina, you asked me the other day if we’ve met before. Do you recall?”
“I believe I can be counted on to remember something I asked only a few days prior,” she replied, the grin spreading into an amused smile. “But go on.”
“Ah, yes, um, I didn’t confess it at that time, but you were somewhat correct.”
“Only somewhat?” She raised an eyebrow at him and he felt a blush work its way up his neck. Again, she wasn’t being improper, but even her gaze made him warm.
“I say that because we weren’t properly introduced at the time. You were traveling west and we met on the train. You were with an elderly woman and I entered your car.”
She nodded. “I remember.”
The air went out of his lungs. He thought that she recognized him, but not from where. His blush spread to his cheeks.
“I’m afraid I was somewhat deceptive…”
“Somewhat…”
“Yes, and I’d like to apologize.”
Now she rewarded him with a dazzling smile that nearly made him forget his own name.
“Well, I forgive you… Mister Rogers, is it?”
“Rochester, actually. Paul Alexander Rochester at your service.” He gave a slight bow as he’d been taught to do when meeting lady formally. When she giggled a little, he straightened up and blinked. Then he realized how silly it must seem for a ranch hand to be bowing like that and he chuckled a little. “That introduction might have been better suited to a different time and place,” he acknowledged. “In any case, I’m delighted that you accept my apology.”
“I do.”
For a moment, he seemed to hesitate.
“If I may have another minute of your time, I would like to confess one more thing.”
She eyed him curiously. “You may,” she replied.
Taking a deep breath, he struggled to find the words. “Well, you may have been wondering why I pretended not to know you before now, or why I looked so different on that day.”
A slight nod from her urged him on.
“You see, I believed I needed to keep my identity a secret, at least for a time.”
“But no longer?”
“No. I have told the people who need to know, and now I’d like to tell you.”
She nodded again, but kept her calm pose. “If you like.”
One more deep breath and he declared, “I’m actually the offspring of Luke Winston’s first marriage. He left me in the care of my grandparents when he was in a time of great distress. I came out here to meet him. I was actually meant to be studying business at Stanford currently, but I, ah, took a detour.”
The laugh that trickled out of her mouth was like a balm to his tattered nerves.
“That’s rather a significant detour, Mister Rochester.”
He nodded. “I agree, but it had to be done. You see, I’ve wanted to meet my father since I was very young. I saw the opportunity and took it.”
“And your grandparents? Do they know where you are?”
“I’ll be sending them a telegram shortly. Now, I don’t want to keep you from your contemplation or your lovely walk. Please enjoy the rest of your day.”
She nodded and gave him one more smile. It lifted his whole mood and made him forget all his worries.
What a wonder this day was turning out to be.
Christina could hardly believe it when Alex approached her. She’d been taking a short walk, clearing her mind as her sister had suggested, when she spied him riding up. Purposely, she pretended not to see him until he spoke. As much as her heart was softening, she was still a product of her upbringing.
How eloquently he’d spoken to her! As much as she enjoyed the civil banter, it seemed a tad silly given their environment, but if he didn’t care, she made up her mind not to either. The brief conversation had brightened an already beautiful day, and she took the revelation he’d made in stride. She’d already realized that he was a gentleman, but that he was Luke’s son was a surprise. She still didn’t quite understand why he’d engaged in such elaborate subterfuge, but perhaps he would tell her another time. She’d look forward to that.
The fact that she hoped to bump into him again surprised her. A week ago, she was looking down on him and annoyed by his attitude toward her. However, now she felt his behavior was justified. He probably had looked at her and seen an over-privileged woman who couldn’t see past the end of her own nose. And now she agreed.
“It’s another beautiful day,” Valerie exclaimed when she returned to the house. “I’m glad you took advantage of it.”
Here was another thing. She suddenly not only understood but appreciated her sister.
“Thank you for putting up with me,” she said humbly. “I’m beginning to see why Mother and Father sent me to you. I guess you would say that it’s all part of God’s plan?”
Valerie reached over and gave her sister a quick hug. “I most certainly would. He knows what’s best, and even though we can’t always understand it, we have to trust Him.”
At that moment, Jessica skipped into the room and grabbed her hand. “Can we sing some more, Auntie Chris?”
The title that had been so abhorrent to her on arrival now sent waves of warmth through her. “Absolutely, darling. What should we sing?”
“‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus’, of course!” She laughed and swung Christina’s hand. “It’s the best song ever.”
Christina laughed, joy filling her up from the inside out. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this way, so free, so light, so happy. “I agree with you. So, let’s sing!”
Alex rode away thinking about how different Christina was. Something had happened over the past few days, and although he was t
remendously curious about what it was, he knew better than to pry. His own revelation hadn’t shocked her in the slightest. In fact, he’d say that his confession raised her opinion of him, or rather, he hoped it did.
Her words made him realize that he had to fulfill his duty to his grandparents, so instead of riding toward Austin and Cole like he’d planned, he headed back to where he knew Luke was inspecting a new foal.
Luke’s face lit up when he approached, sending a stab of something bittersweet through his heart. What would life have been like if he’d grown up with such love?
“Want to watch Thomas break in our newest horse?” he asked. “He’s a real pro.”
Alex shook his head. “I think that I should go to town and send my grandparents a telegram and a letter explaining my behavior, if that’s alright with you. I mean, I’m technically still your employee.”
“No, you’re not. Everything’s different now. You’re part of the family, and while I hope each person contributes to the running of the ranch, you can have much more freedom.”
The words were kindly meant, and perhaps later he would appreciate them more, but for now, he had to focus on the task at hand.
“Thank you. Then I’ll be off. I’m worried that they might have received word from Stanford that I never arrived and may be thinking the worst.”
Luke nodded and asked, “And what will you say, if I can ask?”
“I have the ride to town to think about that.” He wasn’t trying to be difficult. At that very moment, he wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted to say.
“I’ll write them a letter at some point. No need to overwhelm them.” He paused and took a long look at Alex. “You’re fine to travel? Not too tired?”