The Rancher's Girl

by Dina Chapel

Rose’s mouth dropped open. “Don’t you dare!” she hissed at him, backing away as she said it. “You…you…just stay away from me.” The tears started falling again. “You just leave me alone.”

  At the sight of her crying again, Cal softened, but not for long. “Rose, please. Tell me, honey.”

  She shook her head again as the tears fell and that was all Cal was going to stand for. He reached for her, grabbing her arm and pulling her over to the edge of her bed. It took only a few seconds to pull her across his lap and throw up her skirts and petticoats. He left her drawers in place.

  “Stop it!” Rose sounded angrier than she ever had before, but that didn’t stop Cal. “Let me go!” She kicked and pounded at his back and lower leg, any part of him that she had access to, it seemed. “No!”

  Cal brought his hard hand down firmly on her backside and she shrieked. “No!” Two more times and she screamed “No!” with each one, bucking and struggling to get free. Cal spanked Rose hard and fast and it wasn’t very long into the spanking that she stopped fighting and starting bawling, crying like he had never heard her cry before. He stopped, but held her in place over his lap.

  “What’s in that letter, Rose?” Cal made sure his voice was stern and brooked no argument. She had seemed to respond to that in the past.

  “I don’t…” she hiccuped with tears, “I can’t…please don’t…” She was blubbering.

  Cal started spanking again. Hard and fast again, so much so that he could feel the heat from her behind through her bloomers.

  “Stop. Please. Stop.” Rose was limp as a wet dishrag over his lap.

  “Tell me.” Cal ordered. Asking nicely hadn’t worked thus far. When she didn’t answer immediately, he landed another hard wallop and raised his hand to do it again.

  “I can keep on spanking for quite some time, Rose.” Cal assured her. “If my hand gets sore, I’ll just use my belt, or maybe I can go cut a swi—”

  “My son!” Rose cried out. “It’s my son!”

  Cal’s hand froze midair over Rose’s behind, just about to deliver another hard, stinging swat.

  “What?!?” Cal wasted no time flipping Rose up off his lap and onto her feet in front of him. “Who?!?”

  She swayed, unsteady from the suddenness of it.

  Cal steadied her, holding her upper arms. “Who?” he repeated, unsure of what he’d heard.

  “My son,” Rose cried. “He’s sick. He’s sick and he needs me and I’m not there!”

  Rose put her face in her hands and cried as Cal sat, nonplussed. But not for very long. In a minute he was on his feet and heading into the kitchen.

  Sara Arnot, Ida, Beau and Emmit were still hanging around, most likely waiting to find out what happened with Rose and Cal. It was the only show in town.

  In a matter of minutes, Cal explained what was happening, and organized each of them into action. Sara Arnot was already back in Rose’s room helping her back a bag, Ida was preparing food for them to take along for the long ride and Beau and Emmit were readying two horses for travel. Cal hurried to the bunkhouse and threw a few things together for himself. Then, as an afterthought, he grabbed a soft blanket for Rose’s saddle. One of the few times he would probably wish he hadn’t given her quite such a thorough spanking. Within thirty minutes they were on their way.

  Chapter 6

  Rose led Cal to her aunt’s house, a modest dwelling just beyond the hustle and bustle of the main street in town. It had taken a few hours, since Rose had come to work for the Arnots’ from two towns over; dusk was settling as Cal and Rose slowed their horses to a stop and Rose’s stomach clenched with anxiety over the uncertainty of Travis’ well-being. Cal swiftly dismounted and, not wasting one second, turned and lifted Rose down from her horse and deposited her at the bottom of the steps to the house’s front porch.

  Rose was up those steps and on the porch, reaching for the door handle when the door burst open, Rose’s Aunt Viv greeting her with a huge smile.

  “His fever broke!” she exclaimed.

  Rose felt her entire body react to the news.

  “It was just a few hours ago,” Viv continued, unable to contain her joy and obvious relief either. She reached for Rose then and the two hugged for a long moment. When they finally pulled apart, Viv looked at Rose meaningfully.

  “It’s almost as if he knew his mama was coming.” There were tears in Viv’s eyes. “He’s going to be okay. Doc was just here to check on him, too. Said he’d be fine after a bit more rest and recuperation.”

  The two women embraced again as Rose began to cry, tears of relief and joy at the news. Then she pulled back and quickly wiped the tears away, attempting to quickly right herself. She didn’t want to greet Travis with tears.

  “How did you know we were here?” Rose suddenly realized that Aunt Viv had greeted them at the door.

  Viv smiled. “I saw you coming down the street from the second floor window.”

  Aunt Viv was looking over Rose’s shoulder now and Rose realized that introductions were in order.

  “Aunt Viv, this is Calvin Monroe.” Rose stepped aside so that Viv could step toward Cal and take his hand in greeting.

  Cal removed his hat with one hand, and took Viv’s with the other. “Ma’am.” He nodded and smiled.

  “Mr. Monroe.” Aunt Viv smiled back. “I can’t thank you enough for getting Rose here. And so quickly.” She looked to Rose. “You must have only just received my letter. I wasn’t really even sure if you would be able to come.” Then back to Cal. “Travis sure will be happy to see his Mama.”

  “I’m just glad he’s doing well.” Cal eyes flicked to Rose then as she fidgeted, anxiety threatening to overcome her at any moment. “I’ll leave you ladies to see to that young man. Can you just direct me to the livery, ma’am? These horses need tending.”

  The screen door slammed behind Rose then as she bolted into the house to see her little boy, leaving Cal and Viv to continue with the formalities without her.

  Rose hadn’t wanted to be rude to Cal Monroe or her Aunt Vivian, but she also knew they both understood that Rose could think of nothing else than seeing Travis. She practically ran to his room.

  “Mama!” Her baby looked like he had been through a rough time. Rose smiled at him anyway, doing her best to not let her concern over his weak appearance show on her face.

  “Travis.” Rose was by his side in an instant and took him in her arms, settling down on the bed and pulling him into her lap for a hug that lasted forever. She didn’t want to let him go. “Sweetie, I missed you so much,” Rose murmured into Travis’ hair. It was still damp with sweat from the fever and a wave of guilt washed over Rose.

  She should have been here with him, to care for him. He had needed her and she wasn’t there. Rose imagined she’d never forgive herself for that. She’d spend the rest of her life trying to make it up to him.

  And she vowed then and there, as she held her sweet little boy in her arms, that she’d never leave him again. She wouldn’t return to her employment at the Arnots’ ranch, as kind as they’d been to her. She couldn’t. She was a mother first. She’d just have to figure out something else, some other way to bring money in that didn’t take her so far away from her son. Never again.

  Travis struggled from her tight hold on him so that he could turn and look his mother in the eye. “I missed you too, Mama.” He smiled weakly. “I told Great Aunt Viv I wished you was here.” He turned back and settled against her again. “And now you are.” He was silent for a moment as his mother rocked slightly, while stroking his hair and kissing the top of his sweaty head.

  “Can you stay with me? Can you stay for a bit?” Rose smiled, more to herself since Travis couldn’t see her face from the position he was in.

  “Travis, honey, I can stay with you forever. I’m never leaving you again.” Rose stopped rocking when her words brought Travis sitting straight up.

  “Really, Mama?”

  “Really.” Rose smiled down at her son as he wrapped
his arms around her middle and squeezed her tight. “I love you more than anything, sweetie.”

  “I love you, too, Mama.” They sat silently for a bit, until the room started to feel a bit chilly. The sun was going down and with it any warmth.

  I think we’d best get you back under the covers, Trav.” Rose moved him back onto the bed and covered him with one of the colorful quilts that Viv used in nearly every room she let. “We don’t want you backsliding at all, do we?” Rose tucked the quilt in good and snug all around.

  “No, Mama. I wanna get better fast, now that you’re here.” Her son sounded happy but exhausted.

  “Good. You get some rest and I’ll go and talk to Aunt Viv for a bit and get my things settled into the room right next to yours. How does that sound?”

  Travis’ eyes were fluttering as he seemed to be struggling to stay awake to hear her words.

  “Sounds great, Mama.” Travis squeaked out this last as he drifted off to sleep, seemingly content in the knowledge that his Mama was close at hand. Rose vowed from this point forward that he would always have that feeling.

  Rose pulled the bedroom door almost closed behind her—she wanted to be able to hear him if he awoke and called out for her—and then made her way down to the kitchen where Aunt Viv was fixing hot tea for them both.

  They embraced briefly again then sat down at the big work table to sip their tea.

  “I insisted that Mr. Monroe stay here. This is a boarding house, after all,” Aunt Viv said after a few sips of her piping hot tea. “All my boarders left town when the sickness began to spread, so I have rooms to spare. I hope that’s alright with you, dear. He certainly seemed like a decent man.”

  “Yes, Aunt Viv, of course.” Rose nodded. “He’s a good man. And he went way out of his way to get me here as fast as possible.” Rose paused and looked into her teacup. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank him.”

  Rose looked up when she felt Viv’s hand cover her own. Viv smiled at her reassuringly. “I have a feeling,” she started, “that your happiness at getting to Travis and finding him well is all the thanks that man requires.”

  “Amen to that.”

  Both women turned at the sound of Cal’s voice from the back door to the kitchen. Neither had heard him come in.

  “Cal,” Rose began to rise from her chair and Aunt Viv stood abruptly, muttering something about making up a bed with fresh linens as she just about fled from the room, glancing at Cal very briefly, then Rose and then smiling as she exited.

  Cal stepped forward as Rose met him halfway. They embraced without hesitation. A small sob escaped Rose’s throat as Cal’s strong arms wrapped around her.

  “I don’t know what to say,” Rose began, speaking softly and not looking at Cal as she spoke. The side of her face was pressed against his chest and she liked how it felt to have it there. She had no intention of moving at the moment. “I don’t know how I can thank you. And I’m so very glad he’s going to be okay.”

  “I know you are.”

  “I was so worried.”

  “I know you were.”

  They were silent after that for a spell, just holding onto each other. Cal was the one to break the silence.

  * * *

  “So the picture in the locket…?” Cal’s voice trailed off, almost knowing the answer before he heard it from Rose’s lips.

  “Travis,” she confirmed.

  “And his father?” Cal needed to know.

  “I’m not a widow,” Rose confessed. “At least not that I know of, although Luke was getting into trouble before he even left, so the possibility exists.” She sighed. “Truth is that I don’t know where he is and whether he’s dead or alive.” Rose backed away from him then and went to the stove, busying herself with the tea kettle. “Tea?” she asked, without turning.

  “Please.”

  Cal removed his jacket and took a seat at the kitchen table. “When did you last see him?”

  “It’s been over a year.”

  It was all making more sense now. Her attraction to him but the way she always held herself back in the end, especially after the kiss they had shared the night of the barn dance. Cal had been confused by her behavior then, chalking up her reticence to guilt, guilt over feelings she probably had only ever had for her husband. Now he knew why she had really held herself at bay.

  She couldn’t put her feelings and needs before her responsibility to her son. And this was coupled with the fact that she still didn’t know whether her husband was dead or alive. A complication that Cal intended to rectify as soon as possible.

  Rose set a steaming mug of tea and a plate of food in front of Cal and then sat across from him at the table, wrapping her hands around her own mug. It seemed she had more to say to him so he ate in silence and waited for her to find the words.

  “I know it was wrong to lie about being a widow,” Rose began, “but it seemed a whole lot easier an explanation than the one I just gave you.” She paused. “And I didn’t think anyone would hire me if I had a troublesome husband lurking about.” Her voice dropped lower. “I’m sorry that I lied. To you and to the Arnots.”

  Cal nodded his understanding when he saw her glance up at him from her tea. He didn’t ever condone lying, but he did understand why she did so. He knew the Arnots would also. “I can explain it all to them when I get back to the ranch, if you’d like.”

  “Thank you, Cal.” Rose looked down again, breaking their eye contact. “For everything.”

  “You’re welcome, Rose.” Cal wanted to say so much more, reassure her that everything would be alright—and he would make it so—but now wasn’t the time. Cal had business to attend to first.

  “I’ll help you clean up here and then I think it best we both get some sleep.” He stood, picking up his dirty dishes from the table. “It’s been a very long day. And I need to get an early start tomorrow.”

  Cal needed to make one very important stop in the morning on his way out of town, then get back to the ranch to start making things right.

  * * *

  Four weeks and three days. Rose had been keeping careful track in her head of how much time had passed since she had last seen Cal Monroe. It had been four weeks and three days.

  Shortly after Cal had left her at her Aunt Viv’s and when Travis was completely well again, Rose had gone through town looking for work. And as she had found before heading off to the Arnots’ ranch, there was no honest work to be found in that town. The only jobs to be had were in the saloon, serving drinks, dancing or taking men up the stairs.

  Rose had written to the Arnots thanking them for the job, apologizing for the lies and resigning her position. She received a brief note in return from Sara Arnot, wishing her well and thanking her for the work she had done at the ranch. It was kind and brief. Rose didn’t know exactly what she had expected, but she knew she wished that Cal had responded. She knew she missed him. She knew that was why she had the exact number of days etched in her mind that had passed since he left.

  She shook herself to clear her head and focus on the here and now. She needed to make a living. She needed to take care of her son. She needed to forget about Cal Monroe. He most certainly had forgotten about her. With that sobering thought, Rose focused once more on the task at hand. She looked at her reflection in the small mirror above the crammed bureau in the back room of the saloon.

  She had taken the only job she could find, serving drinks to the men in the saloon. She made it clear to Miss Lorelei, the lady who ran things here, that she didn’t have any interest in going upstairs with any of the men. Lorelei had just snorted and then patted her hand.

  “Of course you don’t, sweetie,” she smiled as she spoke. “But servin’ drinks don’t pay anywhere near going upstairs, which all the new gals have to find out for themselves. You let me know when, I mean if, you change your mind, honey.”

  And Lorelei had never forced her hand. Not at all. But it didn’t take Rose very long to realize that for all the
trouble it took to get dolled up for the evening, the fancy dress, the makeup, and then deal with drunken men and their groping hands all night long, she was left with pocket change for her troubles, instead of real money that would enable her to support her son and herself.

  She had hoped that she would be able to work in the saloon for just a year or so, save her money and then move to a new town and start over, just her and Travis and Aunt Viv if she wanted to come along. Her rooming house did only fair business, and it was hard work; she wasn’t getting any younger. And Rose couldn’t help out with money, a fact that bothered her every day she stayed with Travis in Aunt Viv’s house. They occupied two rooms. They were a drain on Viv’s already strained resources.

  Rose stared at her own likeness in the cloudy mirror. Her breasts were spilling out of the dress one of the other girls had loaned her for the evening, a bit more risque than what she had worn to serve drinks.

  As Lorelei had said at the time, “There wasn’t no use in puttin’ somethin’ on the menu that a man couldn’t order.”

  She had more rouge and other face paint on too, so much so that she hardly recognized herself. Maybe that was just as well.

  She worked up the courage to smile at herself, to give herself the strength she needed to do what she needed to do next. Which was head out to the saloon and find herself a customer to take upstairs. Her first.

  And it didn’t take long either. Rose hadn’t been aware of the fact that, more often than not, the women who started out just serving customers liquid refreshment eventually worked in the rooms on the second floor. Turned out there were several men that had been waiting for Rose to cross over. Her dance card, so to speak, was full for the evening and it had only just begun.

  Miss Lorelei winked at her approvingly as she led that first man toward the staircase, her stomach a knot of nerves. He was talking to her the whole while, but Rose couldn’t hear a word he said. She was focused on not getting sick to her stomach, a real possibility at that point, since the reality of what she was about to do had hit home finally. She was also trying her best not to cry.