by Danni Roan
“Miss Amanda,” he called, looking toward the ranch, then down the old cattle trail, as his heart stuttered. A flash of white fluttered on the breeze dropping behind the hill that led to the pools below.
Sprinting down the trail, Teddy’s heart began to pound. The pretty little thing he had brought home was headed straight into danger.
“Wait! Wait!” he cried, topping the rise, as a scream echoed into the heat of the day.
Teddy raced down the hill as a huge bull stepped into the path, separating him from the young woman in the white dress, and his blood ran cold.
“Hey, bull!” Teddy bellowed, waving his arms at the massive black and white creature that swung his head of deadly horns toward Teddy. “Hey, hey!” the cowboy yelled, taking off his hat and waving it.
With a snort, the longhorn swung toward him, lowering its head and pawing the ground.
Teddy felt the sweat bead on his neck and his eyes flickered toward the trees willing the young woman to hide among them, even as the bull charged.
Two tons of angry beef charging toward him sent Teddy’s senses into overdrive, and he dodged away as the beast skidded past, sliding to a stop and wheeling for another run at the trim cowhand.
Teddy waved his hat, trying to distract the bull who bellowed at him in rage as it tore up the earth and charged again.
This time the bull clipped the hat from Teddy’s hand, snagging it on an upturned span of a shimmering, steel-like horn. Turning again, the bull shook its head, eyes rolling, as it tried to shake the impaled hat from where it dangled, but the item stuck fast.
“Miss Amanda, hide in them trees,” Teddy called, keeping his eyes pinned on the bull. “Get in the narrows where he can’t reach ya.”
A squeak behind him told Teddy that the girl had complied.
The bull bellowed again, foam and snot dripping from its nostrils as it charged once more.
Teddy risked a glance behind him, seeing a shimmer of white between the thick clump of trees. The pounding of hooves echoed behind him and Teddy broke into a run. If he made it to the trees, he could outwait the enraged bull. His boots thudded on the hard-packed earth. As Teddy sprinted, he could feel the immense power of the beast behind him as it gained momentum. His hands reached out, grasping a sapling and spinning into the thicket as something sharp grazed his back pockets, and he yelped in pain.
Teddy stumbled into the thicket, his hands grabbing his posterior as he tumbled to the ground between two heavy trees, biting his lip against the pain.
“Are you okay?” he asked, panting as his backside burned.
The young woman took one look at the prostrate man then looked up as the bull attacked a small tree, shredding the limbs to splinters and dropped to the earth in a dead faint.
Teddy sprang to his feet with a hiss of pain and gathered the woman into his arms, pulling her back into the heart of the clump of trees as the bull huffed and paced outside.
An eternity later, the soft lowing of cows was a sweet sound to his ears as Teddy watched the rest of the herd meander toward the pools on the other side of the trees. A rangy red and white cow lifted her head, bellowing as the rest of the stock fell in behind her on the trek to water.
With a final shake of his head, the big bull turned back toward the rest of the cattle, Teddy’s hat still dangling from one glimmering horn.
***
“Teddy?” Dan Gaines rode over the top of the rise, pulling his horse to a stop as his friend and fellow wrangler staggered toward him, cringing with every step. “What you got there?” the other man asked, a grin playing about his lips.
“This here is Miss Amanda,” Teddy shifted the unconscious woman in his arms. “We had a bit of trouble with a bull.”
Dan Gaines sat up straight in the saddle, his blue eyes glinting with concern. “Is she injured?”
“No, she passed out. I, on the other hand, may require a few days off and a new pair of trousers.” He turned slightly, exposing his torn pants and the blood-stained flesh beneath.
Dan pushed his hat back on his head of brown hair, this time, the grin flashing to life. “You did make a mess of things, didn’t you, Theodore?”
“Just give me a hand,” Teddy growled, handing the prostrate woman up to his boss. “We’ll get her back to the ranch.”
“You’d best get to the cabin and change,” Dan nodded. “You have company waiting up at the ranch. Rosa hasn’t stopped laughing since Olive and Orville arrived.”
Teddy swallowed hard but nodded, finally finding his voice. “Is Spence with ‘em?”
“No,” Dan adjusted the pretty young thing in his arms. She looked far too delicate for a rowdy cow town in Texas, and he wondered what her story was. “I’ll get her back to the ranch while you change. I don’t think this is a case for the law, but you have a lot of explaining to do.”
Teddy nodded, his face flushing red. “I’ll be along.”
Dan pinned him with his eyes one more time, but the smile remained. “Confound it, Ted, where’s your hat?”
***
Teddy slammed his old cavalry cap onto his head and trudged gingerly to the main house of the Double D ranch. He could see the buckboard from where he was, and for a moment, he wished that old bull had finished him off. He hadn’t meant any harm bringing Miss Amanda to his place. He was just tired of being alone. With his long days in the saddle and few trips to town, he had all but given up on the hope of a new bride coming to Needful. So far, every time a girl turned up in the town, she was married off before he’d had a chance to say howdy.
Teddy shook his head at his predicament. He had spoken to Olive on several occasions, and she had assured him that the right girl would be along, but when? He’d be an old man by the time the boardinghouse keeper and town matchmaker got around to finding him a bride.
Swiping the cap from his head, he sighed. It had seemed like a good idea at the time to bring the young woman to the ranch, but in hindsight, maybe he should have taken her to the Hampton women. Look at the mess he was in now. Miss Amanda would never give him the time of day, now that she thought he had kidnapped her. On top of that, he’d not be sittin’ a saddle for several days, and the Captain was bound to have a few words on that count.
Teddy shook his head again, shoving the cap over his dark locks. No, Dan was not a Captain anymore, and Teddy was his own free man. After the war, he had chosen to follow Gaines and his loyal crew to Texas, where they had built something, gathering a herd from the wild cattle that lived on the plains.
He was a free man with a free will, and he wasn’t going to give up so easily on the pretty girl he had just saved from certain death.
Tugging his shirt straight, Teddy pulled the cap down low, squared his shoulders and stepped up onto the porch of the main house. It was time to face the music, but he knew how to dance. One way or another, he would prove to Miss Amanda that he was the right man for her and that she would be safe with him.
Teddy was sick of being alone with his own demons. He was tired of feeling like he’d wandered the face of the earth, through hell and high water, for nothing. Theodore Lewis was going to make his life mean something.
***
“Dan, what are you going to do about this situation?” Olive’s voice was the first thing Teddy heard as he stepped through the door. “That girl could have been killed.”
“It ain’t Captain, I mean Mayor Dan’s fault,” Teddy said, his voice firm. “I did what I did for my own reasons.”
“Theodore Lewis,” Olive spun, pointing a finger in his face. “What on earth were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that maybe this time, I’d get a chance to introduce myself to a young woman what had come here to marry.” Teddy’s eyes flashed.
Olive withdrew her finger, looking to Orville for support.
“I know you can’t always control what happens when these girls arrive,” Teddy continued. “I was just tired of waiting, and when Miss Amanda all but dropped into my lap, I took my chance. F
or all I know, she hates me for it, and maybe my head was all muddled by a pretty face and all, but that’s what it is.”
“Teddy, why don’t you have a seat?” Dan asked, that smile teasing his lips again. “Rosa, would you get Ted some coffee, please?” Dan turned, his bright eyes softening as he looked at his petite black-haired wife.
“Si,” Rosa smiled. “I will get more coffee.” The petite woman winked at Teddy. “You want a pillow to sit?”
Teddy could feel his face heating as he shook his head. “Where’s Miss Amanda?” he asked, his voice soft. “I’d like to apologize.”
“I’m glad to see you survived,” Amanda walked into the room from the parlor, waving Dan away as he stood. “I’m afraid I’ve had quite a fright today.”
Teddy nodded, looking the young woman up and down to assess if she had been injured. Her pretty dress was dirty, her hair half down, and her eyes wide with bewilderment.
“I’m sorry for any part I played in your discomfort, ma’am,” he drawled. “It was not my intention to upset you.” Slowly Teddy twisted his hat in his hands as his heart twisted in the wind. “I hope that in time you’ll be able to forgive me for my rash behavior. If you ever need anything, all you need to do is ask.”
Amanda looked up, meeting the young man’s dark gaze. He was such a good looking young man, his youthful appearance belying his ancient eyes. There was more to this man than one could comprehend at first glance, but his behavior had been beyond appalling.
“I’d like to go back to town,” Amanda said, tearing her eyes from Teddy’s. “Mr. Lewis.” She walked to Olive, taking the older woman’s arm.
Rosa returned, handing Teddy his coffee. “You drink,” she said, her deep brown eyes full of laughter. “All will be well, you see.”
Teddy shook his head as Amanda, Olive, and Orville walked out the front door. He had been a fool, and his last chance at happiness seemed to leave with them.
“I’m sorry.” His words drifted after the trio through the open door on the wings of a prayer.
Dan slapped Teddy on the back with a hearty chuckle, making the younger man cringe. “I don’t know what got into you,” he laughed. “I’ve never known you to do anything so foolish before.”
Teddy shrugged, his mind racing back to a few times in his life where he had thrown caution to the wind and risked it all.
“That ain’t true,” an older man walked in through the front door, his sleepy eyes belying the intelligence beneath. “I recollect a time he sneaked into the enemy camp like a thief to reconnoiter. Counted every man jack in the group and reported back what he’d seen.”
Dan’s eyes flickered toward Teddy. As the youngest wrangler on his ranch, he felt somewhat responsible for Teddy. Though the man before him swore he had been sixteen when he signed on with the Union, Dan had always had his doubts. How old was he now? Twenty? Twenty-two?
“There’s no accounting for the foolishness of youth,” Dan grinned.
“You men, always boasting.” Rosa shook her head, placing her hands on hips. “Teddy, you were foolish.” Her statement was blunt, but the young man didn’t argue. “You like this girl?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Teddy agreed. “I do.”
“Then you will need to show her you do not give up. Give it time then we will go visit.”
“Mama,” a little dark-haired girl toddled toward Rosa making her grin. “I hungry.”
“Now,” Rosa looked around the room. “We eat.”
Dan scooped up the little girl, snuggling her close. He loved Rosa’s daughter and vowed daily to do his best to raise her as her late father, Raul, would have wanted. Still newlywed, Dan was adjusting to life with the fiery woman he loved. He would never have dreamed his life would have taken this turn, but his heart was grateful that it did.
Dan had met Raul, a top hand and trader from Mexico, almost three years earlier, and when the man had been killed in a misguided raid across the border, Dan had felt responsible.
Christina patted his face and giggled as the stubble on his chin, tickled her hands. It had taken a good deal of time, and a lot of prayer to set the past behind and accept the love he had for Rosa and her daughter. Dan, an honorable man, had resisted the truth right up until the moment he had rescued Rosa from a group of very bad men.
“I hope you won’t mind if I stand to eat my supper,” Teddy offered with a blush looking around as the other men laughed. “I guess Dan told you what happened.”
Dozer slapped Teddy on the shoulder, ushering them into the large room on the side of the house where they took their meals. “I reckon you’ll be on barn duty for the week,” the older man chuckled. “Just be glad nothing important was injured.”
Chapter 3
Teddy pushed the broom over the outer porch of the big ranch house. He’d been put on barn duty and was now helping Rosa with chores and maintenance around the house, anything that didn’t require him to sit.
“Don’t see why I couldn’t keep her,” the young man grumbled to the empty sky. “Didn’t she come here to get married?” The sting in his backside from nearly being killed by an angry bull rankled far less than the fact that he’d barely had a minute to talk to pretty Amanda.
“You talkin’ to yourself again?” Cookie trundled out of the house, taking a seat on one of the rocking chairs there. “Seem’s that old bull didn’t help your disposition none,” the old man chortled.
“It ain’t that ol’ bull that has me piqued.”
“Only thing can work a man up like this is a woman.” Cookie looked up from his chair, his eyes twinkling.
“Women,” Teddy spat. “They all seem to want to keep me in the dark forever. Just ‘cause I’m the youngest fella here don’t mean I shouldn’t be allowed to find a wife. I ordered a bride from Olive ages ago, and the minute I get a chance to meet one of these young women, they call me every kind of a fool.”
“Well, maybe you need to stop actin’ like a fool and start to courtin’ that girl proper like?”
Teddy turned, squinting at the old man. “What are you on about, Cookie?” he asked. “Spill the beans.”
Cookie leaned forward, meeting the young man’s eyes. “You need to get slicked up and go to town. Bring a passel of posies, maybe buy somethin’ pretty and go see that girl.”
Teddy’s hand edged toward his damaged derriere. “I still can’t sit a horse,” he growled. “Probably some other fella already scooped up that pretty Amanda.”
Cookie leaned back with a grin, setting his rocker in motion once more. “Seems to me I need to get to town,” the old man sighed. “I reckon, what with my rheumatism someone else best hitch the team and ride along with me.”
A slow smile crept across Teddy’s face as he eyed the old ranch cook. “A nice quiet ride to town would be a nice change from things round here,” he drawled. “I’ll hitch the team.”
***
“Where’s the new girl?” Periwinkle Cassidy strode into the boarding house, gazing around her for any glimpse of a new face.
“Perwe,” her mother’s slurred words trailed her and she cringed.
“Sorry, Mama,” Peri sighed. “I just want to meet her and find out what all the gossip is about.”
“Mrs. Perkins, would you like some tea?” Jacks Verone asked, escorting the older woman to a chair, his kind eyes keen.
“’ess,” Mercy Perkins hissed, offering a crooked smile to her escort.
Jacks had generously offered to bring Mercy and her daughter to town when Peri’s husband Bear, Bartholomew, had been roped into helping her other son-in-law, Anderson, with some work on his prosperous cattle ranch.
“Mama, I’m going to find Olive,” Peri smiled as Jacks helped her mother to a chair. “I’ll be out to join you shortly.”
“You go on, Peri,” Jacks offered. “I’ll keep your mother company.”
“Seems you been doing that a lot,” Peri mumbled under her breath, ducking through the door that separated the family living quarters from the board
inghouse proper.
“Excuse me?” Jacks asked.
“Oh, nothing!” Peri piped, hurrying out of sight. “Olive, are you here?”
“Peri, is that you?” Olive hurried into the hall with a smile for her young friend. Peri’s blue eyes sparkled as she pulled off her bonnet, revealing dark blonde hair. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to meet the new bride,” Peri replied simply. “I hear she had a bit of an adventure and thought we might want to find out a little about her to determine who she might be suited to.”
Olive rolled her eyes, giving a shake of her head. “I can’t believe that Teddy took her back to his place,” she sighed. “What got into that man’s head, I don’t know. You’d think he would have a little patience and understand that we’ll match him with the right woman at the right time.”