A ranch hand helped him park and greeted him as he got out. Mr. Hamilton had probably instructed everyone that he was going to arrive. Mark was led up to the farmhouse by the ranch hand and seated outside on the patio where he was given a class of cold tea. He sipped it as he waited, looking around. It really was a nice place, there was a faint smell of fresh grass in the air and he was quite relaxed as he waited.
After a while, Mr. Hamilton arrived and he stood up to greet him. The old man was a few inches shorter than he was but there was strength in his grip. He had luxurious white hair and a ready smile for Mark as he sat down, serving himself a glass of cold tea.
“How are you doing?” Mark asked genially.
“Rather well, considering.” He said mysteriously. “I hope my workers have been working well at your ranch.”
“Much better than I could have hoped, although it’s not the permanent solution I was looking for,” Mark said. “I was already at the end of my tether when I thought about getting new workers. Your help is much appreciated.”
That delighted the old man and he replenished Mark’s glass before saying,
“Lunch will be out in a bit.”
Mark nodded, waiting for the man to say something about why he had called him, but Mr. Hamilton only continued to talk as lunch came out for them. Mark ate quietly without speaking much. The food was good but he couldn’t help feeling that there was something coming his way.
“Have you heard about the new vacancy?” Mr. Hamilton said.
Mark was confused at first before he remembered Jamie looking upset. Could this have been it? A vacancy in the council?
“I haven’t heard of it,” Mark said carefully.
“Well Harry is going to be retiring and I plan to stand up in hopes of taking his place,” Mr. Hamilton said.
“What about the ranch?”
“My son will be able to handle it; it’ll be good practice for him after I retire completely and leave it in his hands.”
It was then that Mark remembered that Mr. Hamilton had one son and one daughter. “What about your daughter?”
“What about her?” The man said blankly.
“Won’t she have anything to say about the ranch?” Mark said.
“She doesn’t need to worry about that,” Mr. Hamilton said. “I don’t want to involve her in the ranch, I don’t think it’s her place to work.”
“Well,” Mark said, loathe as he was to interfere in someone else’s family affairs. “My mother worked every day in our ranch and she enjoyed it immensely.”
“Mary was a special person,” Mr. Hamilton agreed. “But I am sure my daughter isn’t interested.”
“Maybe she is, you should talk to her about it,” Mark suggested.
Mr. Hamilton nodded but without much enthusiasm and Mark let it go at that, relieved to know that he was summoned simply because the old man wanted some support on the council.
He made a mental note to talk to Jamie about it, wholly unaware that he was being watched by an alluring set of eyes.
Chapter Two
Cat was never in favor of eavesdropping but she couldn’t help it.
It was hard enough that she was stuck doing chores around the house, she wanted to relax and have some enjoyment so she had walked off from supervising everything, hoping that her father now occupied with this new guest wouldn’t notice that she had disappeared. But she had inadvertently appeared near here, catching the tail end of what the person had said.
She hadn’t dared to peek around the corner and had barely caught sight of his face but when she heard what he had said, she couldn’t help but think about her struggles to get her father to accept that she would like to work in the ranch. Cat had no problem with breaking her back catering to the horses in the ranch or working with the cattle. What she really hated was forcing herself to work in the kitchen, thinking about food, cleaning, or household accounts. Cat made no allusions as to how good she was at that, she knew she sucked and she also knew that trying to work hard at it in her mind was equivalent to walking a dreary desert without a drop of water.
But now as she walked away from him, her heart beating wildly against her chest, she wondered if she would be able to walk away from the cooking and the cleaning so that she would be able to get a job somewhere at a ranch.
But she dismissed the idea soundly, there was no way any ranch would hire a woman and for all the talk of this man, he would never hire a woman. Men were fickle or so her mother had told her. The thought of her mother brought a tear to her eye and Cat sighed, feeling the loss deeply in her chest. It hadn’t been that long since they had lost their mother and it still stung as much as it did two years ago.
It was the passing of her mother that had caused her to have to take on the responsibilities of the house, not that she had any other option but she had a very optimistic outlook on life and she preferred not to be downtrodden by something as minor as that.
She walked through their modest house, checking the furniture and fixing anything that was out of place. Their house was two stories with the bottom floor done to her father’s luxurious modern tastes with leather couches and a television as well as other decorations. She went back to the kitchen to check on Gertrude, their housekeeper.
Gertrude was heaping the dishes when Cat walked in.
“Who is that for?” Cat asked curiously as she hopped on the counter, staring at the filled plate.
Gertrude sighed and shot her a look. She was a good fifteen years older than her and so had the duty of being somewhat of an authorative but kind figure in her mind. She had been with them as long as Cat could remember so that was another reason why she had the right to joke as much as she wanted with her.
“And what are you going to eat then?” Gertrude said testily.
Cat laughed and smiled.
“I am not feeling very hungry.”
“Do you have a fever?” Gertrude’s instant concern was gratifying and Cat shook her head.
“Just not hungry,” she said. “When do you think that guest is going to leave?”
“That’s rude,” Gertrude admonished. “You shouldn’t ask when a guest is going to leave.”
“I am not a very hospitable person,” Cat admitted easily. “So, I lack the manners normal people.”
“I think calling you normal is a stretch,” a new voice said and Cat scowled at the new figure playfully.
Matthew, her brother, sauntered over to her, tousling her hair and smiling at Gertrude. “I’m starving.”
“Take a seat then and I’ll serve you,” Gertrude said, mollified.
“Cat, you will eat with me, won’t you?” Mathew said calmly.
Cat sighed but couldn’t refuse her younger brother so she nodded and the two went to the dining table so that they could sit together. Though Gertrude brought food for both of them, Cat noted that she had given less to her which made her smile in turn. She had paid attention to her needs as she always did.
Mathew dug in but she took her time, eating slowly and watching Mathew eat. She saw so much of their mother in Mathew. The two had similar features and the same gentle eyes. Mathew was taller than her, but no one could tell at first sight they were related. In a way, she had been described as having feline features with cat like eyes and long sleek hair with a fierce look in her eyes. Cat liked being described like that; it went with her full name. She didn’t know when she had shortened her full name to Cat from Catherine, but the nickname had stuck and now whenever anyone called her Catherine, she knew it was because she was in trouble.
The two ate quietly, the silence permeated by Mathew talking about the ranch and the horses. She listened on with rapt attention, listening carefully. Mathew knew how much she enjoyed hearing of the ranch and how much their father was against her working for them. On the other hand, she knew how much he hated working at the ranch and would much rather work somewhere else but was only doing so in the hopes that one day their father would stop forcing him to do so.
Cat didn’t want to say it but seeing as she had already heard about it, she said, “So dad is going for the council office.”
Mathew put down his spoon and sighed. She could see that he was worried about that, but she knew that she had to talk about it to him.
“You should be firmer with him,” Cat said. “You shouldn’t let your dreams die down like this.”
“You know he would never relent like this. Besides, he isn’t close to letting you take over. If I left, the ranch would go to waste.”
“But you aren’t happy,” she insisted.
“Neither are you,” he said. “I guess it goes both ways.”
“I feel like we are both being stupid,” Cat said. “Without voicing our wants and opinions. We should be like that guest who came over.”
“Which guest?” Mathew asked.
“I don’t know, from the nearby ranch that we have been helping with ranch hands,” Cat said.
“One of the Simmons brothers then,” Mathew said. “Not sure about which one, there are four of them.”
“Wish I was a boy,” Cat said glumly.
“What did the guest say?”
“He said something about women being able to work and his mother having worked every day at their ranch.”
“That’s good then, maybe dad will take notes from that.”
“He didn’t seem inclined to do that.”
“He’ll come around and then we’ll both get what we want.”
“Wish I could just leave,” Cat said. “Disappear each day and go work at some ranch so that I can get some experience and show him what I’m capable of.”
Mathew got a strange look on his face and she was about to tell him that she had been joking when their father arrived, looking animated.
“Hi dad,” Cat said smiling.
Her dad kissed her forehead and then turned to Mathew,
“How’s everything?”
Cat knew that was her dad’s way of asking her brother how the ranch was going and Mathew answered in a monotone voice that her father did not notice or pretended not to hear. She was about to leave when her father said, “I think I got the Simmons vote.”
“You did?” Cat said instead of asking the question she wanted to ask which was if he was really going for in this whole thing.
“I was afraid the eldest Simmons brother was going to stand for the seat, but from the look of it he isn’t so I can go ahead with this. They are respected in the community so their vote will help secure me a place,” her father said excitedly.
Seeing it, Cat couldn’t help but be happy for him. He was her dad and he had brought her up with love and affection but the recent stifling feelings in her chest had been bubbling up, largely due to her growing dissatisfaction of staying home the entire time. She hated not being able to do what she wanted and it marred her love for her father, something she felt guilty for.
As her father continued to gush about the election, a queasy feeling erupted in her stomach and she got up, leaving quietly. She knew that Mathew was worried about her, but she wanted some time alone, as she always did when her role was being undermined. She knew that her father was just being protective over her, that it was normal. She just wished he didn’t see the need to be so restrictive in his attitude toward what she was and wasn’t interested in. He’d never once asked her if she liked caring for a home. Nor had he asked after her interest in working the ranch. She hated questioning whether or not he even cared, but the worry stuck in her mind nonetheless.
She walked into her room, looking at the unkempt bed with a sigh before collapsing on it. She curled up, her head starting to pound softly before closing her eyes.
***
She woke up a few hours later, disoriented and her head pounding harder than ever.
It was past afternoon and light streamed in through the window. She could see the stables from her room and she wished that she could go there to stay with the horses, to be comforted by them. She tried to go whenever her father wasn’t around, but hadn’t had time recently. As she was contemplating getting up to go get some food, there was a knock on her door.
“Come in,” she said tiredly.
It was Mathew, who came in with a worried expression on his face.
“Hi,” Cat said, yawning. “Something wrong?”
“You left lunch very abruptly, I wanted to see if you were okay, but you were sleeping when I came,” he said.
“I felt tired, still do. But I am hungrier now,” she said.
“Hey Cat,” Mathew said.
“What?”
“Are you really happy like this?”
“Happy like what?” Cat said.
“Happy not being able to do anything you’d actually like to do?”
“You already know my answer to that question,” Cat said.
“I was thinking,” Mathew said and he drew out a folded piece of paper from behind him. “I think I may have the answer to your problem.”
Cat took the paper and read through it, her face paling as she did.
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am.”
“You want me to go work at the Simmons farm? Not to mention that I’m girl and they won’t take me anyway.”
“You’re considering doing it then?” Mathew said with success.
“That’s not the point,” Cat said stubbornly, trying to stamp down the excitement that had risen in her chest at the thought of working on a ranch. “You know that it won’t work out.”
“You won’t really know, until you try. But then again, maybe you’re afraid it will work and that scares you more than not trying.”
“And they’ll let the daughter of their neighboring ranch owner work for them?” Cat said. “
“No one in town knows you fully so they won’t know it’s you.”
“And how to hide the fact that I’m a girl?”
“Dress as a guy. Borrow my clothes and go there. If you do it well enough, they won’t know it’s you.”
Cat touched her hair, it was down to her back but she could tuck it cleanly in a realistic wig and wear a cap. That would be a nice way to fool them, even if she did feel guilty just thinking about deceiving them.
But at that thought, she drew herself back. She couldn’t consider this. It was preposterous! But the excitement was tempting.
“Cat, don’t sacrifice your dreams for this. Just go and see if you can gain some experience then we’ll tell dad together. That way we’ll both be happy doing what we want to do.”
Cat hesitated once again as she stared at the flyer, but slowly nodded her head, finding her conviction and as Mathew hugged her, she felt happiness for the first time in a long time.
She was finally going to work on a ranch.
Finally.
Chapter Three
Mark stared at the telephone in front of him, hoping that it was going to ring.
It had been three days since he’d gone to the Hamilton ranch for lunch and as much as he knew the Hamilton’s were going to help him indefinitely, he also didn’t want to be dependent on them. He had talked to Jaime after he’d come back about what Mr. Hamilton had told him and Jaime had sighed.
“He really wants that seat,” Jaime had said.
“What’s so special about it?” Mark had asked.
“Nothing, just recognition and prestige. He really wants to be more known around town and I don’t blame him for it. I’m not standing for it and he’s a better candidate among the others who are, so I’ll give my support to him.”
“That’s great; he was really piling on the lobbying during lunch.”
“Did he try to bribe you or anything?” Jaime had asked. “Like say he wasn’t going to give any more workers?”
“Nothing like that. He isn’t that low of a person,” Mark replied, surprised.
“He isn’t. I’m sorry I suggest it, this whole new council member thing is getting on my nerves, and you wouldn’t believe the candidates. Good thing you aren’t wor
king the council,” Jaime had said sullenly.
“I’m still stuck without our own workers.”
And that point had gotten Jaime to concede that Mark was having a hard time like himself.
Mark was currently occupying Peter’s office. Peter mostly worked from the farm house now, to spend more time with Lana and had generously given Mark the office so that he could use it whenever Pete wasn’t around. Mark usually sat down once in a while when he wasn’t touring the ranch to look at the workers. He didn’t have as much paperwork as Pete always had so most of his time was spent staring at the telephone hoping it would ring.
Today, he was feeling lethargic and hungry. He was about to get up to go grab something to eat when the telephone rang. He picked it up without much energy and said,
“Hello, Simmons Ranch, Mark Simmons speaking.”
“Hello?” a low voice said.
“How can I help you?” Mark said without enthusiasm. He was already expecting it to be someone for Pete and for him to say that Pete wasn’t available.
“I calling about the ranch hand job,” the low voice continued. There was something intriguing about the voice, a bit coarse but soothing.
Instantly he was awake.
“Yes, what about the job?”
“I want to apply for it. Should I come over to the ranch?” The person continued.
“Yes, come over, um, tomorrow,” Mark said. “Around one and bring your references.”
“Sure,” the person said.
“What’s your name?” Mark asked as he sensed the person was about to hang up.
“Caleb Hunter.”
The phone went dead and Mark stared at it. It had to be one of the strangest conversations he’d ever had but he was relieved that he finally had hope for a new worker.
And with a skip in his step, he went back to the farm house, hoping that Lana had made something good for lunch.
***
It was now or never, Cat thought.
She was nervous and kept shifting her weight as her fingers naturally went to her new brown hair wig. It fit pretty well with her and fit the color of her eyebrows. She had a cap on her head and she tried to breathe naturally ignoring the constricting wrapping that she had done around her chest. The clothes did well to hide her figure and she was sure she could pass for a young, scrawny guy. She was trying her best to make sure that her walk wasn’t too feminine and that it didn’t automatically give away the fact that she was, indeed, a woman.
Simmons Brothers Series: Boxed Set Page 9