by Ciara Knight
“Sure, but not like this. If boss man won’t marry you, I will,” the freckle-faced boy said.
The boisterous male voices faded into an eerie silence. Elizabeth turned to find Jeb Clayton with a bull-sized attitude standing just inside the front door. “What is all this?” He marched to the table and scowled over his men.
All of them froze, mid-fork to mouth, crumbles falling from their lips, and eyes wide.
“Thought you were checking on cattle,” Teddy managed with a mouthful of meat.
Jeb’s cheeks reddened, his jawline hardened into an angry snarl.
Elizabeth thought it best to neutralize the situation. She hadn’t wanted to get the men in trouble. They lacked table manners, but they were sweet. “I made some breakfast.”
“Some?”
She scanned the long table and discovered she’d been so excited to discover so much food, she’d overdone it a little. “I thought…well, maybe your men would like something special this morning.”
“Men eat what Cookie makes,” Jeb said in a staccato pace.
“Ah, boss,” the young boy with buck teeth said.” No offense to Cookie, but this is real food.”
Jeb leaned over the table and sniffed. He shook his head his brows furrowed, but the lick to his lips told Elizabeth the truth. He liked what he smelled.
The freckle-faced boy did the same with a loud snort. “Sure does smell good, boss, right? It tastes even better.”
Teddy managed to swallow and clear his throat. “Besides, Cookie’s sick. Don’t really want him making food if he might spread his fever.”
Jeb looked at Teddy. “Fever? That’s what you’re calling it? I smelled his breath before I reached the barn doors last night.”
Elizabeth didn’t want to involve herself in such talk, and she didn’t want to just be a cook, but if Cookie couldn’t do it, perhaps she could take the job on until she thought of something else. There were worse things than a clean, dry, soft bed and all the food she could eat.
Eight men stared at Jeb, each licking their lips and drooling down their chins. Jeb rubbed the back of his neck.
“Told you not to sleep leaning against the barn wall. You should’ve slept in the hay if the bunkhouse didn’t suit you,” Teddy said.
Jeb eyed the food. “Not with Samuel snoring so loud the rafters were squeaking.”
“Barn?” Elizabeth asked. As much as she enjoyed her bed, she hadn’t meant for Jeb to sleep outside.
“Yes, where did you think I’d have to sleep? You took my bed.”
She looked to the ground, then to the food. “I didn’t mean to put you out. Here.” She scooped up some eggs and all the other food piled high onto a plate. She set it on the table and placed a hand on his back to push him toward the table. The feeling of his hard muscle sent a spark up her arm, making her retract her touch. Teddy made space, scooting down each man until the freckled-face boy landed on the floor at the other end of the bench seats.
She wasn’t used to a man of his stature, or what it felt like to touch so much muscle. “Sit. I’ll pour you some coffee.” Elizabeth pointed to the men with a spoon. “All you finish up.” She scurried over and poured coffee for Jeb. Perhaps if she tried to be nice and showed him that she was strong and willing to work, he’d think about not sending her back east.
After Elizabeth plated Jeb’s food, the men returned to shouting and fighting over the remaining scraps.
“If you boys are going to eat like that then you’ll be eating outside.” She wrapped Bart’s knuckles with her spoon. He squealed like a piglet.
The men only grew louder until she snagged the plate of biscuits and held it away from them. “You boys will have manners at my table if you want to be fed.”
Teddy straightened first, with the rest of them following his lead. Every last one of them removed their hats. She placed the biscuits back and Teddy passed them around the table.
“Since when did Bart learn to use a fork?” Teddy teased.
“This is better than a woman’s—”
“Charles!” Jeb scolded, but Elizabeth wasn’t sure why. If Jeb didn’t want her, then why would he care if the boy said shocking things in her presence. Perhaps there was a gentleman in Jeb Clayton after all.
“You tell Cookie that the next time he drinks to the point he can’t work, he’s off my land.” Jeb took a bite of a biscuit. Elizabeth couldn’t help but watch. His lips upturned on the corner for a second, but then he hid behind the cup while sipping his coffee. Once he lowered the cup he angled a look at Teddy. “Got it?”
“Yes, boss. I’ll tell him,” Teddy grumbled with scrambled eggs falling from his mouth. “Soon as I finish eating.”
Once the plates were clean of any remaining morsels, the men patted their bellies and pushed from the table with a loud belch or two.
“Best get to work,” Teddy announced.
“Since when are you boys in a hurry to work?” Jeb asked.
“Feed us like this and we’ll work hard all the time,” Charles said, then paused by Elizabeth. “Thanks, ma’am. And like Samuel said, if boss man don’t want to marry you, I will.”
“Get, before I dock your pay,” Jeb growled.
Charles didn’t hesitate before he shot out the front door, and Elizabeth found herself alone with Jeb Clayton for the first time.
“When will Mary be down? I want to make sure I prepare fresh eggs for her and keep the biscuits warm.”
“She’s usually down way before now. I should go check on her.” He popped the last bite of his biscuit into his mouth and headed for the stairs. “Guess you’ll have to stay one more night. I can’t spare anyone but Cookie to take you back to town, and he’s in no condition to take you.”
She let out a breath of relief. She’d bought one more day to figure out what to do. Not that she wanted to stay here. The men had scattered, all saying thank you, but not Jeb. He didn’t say one word about her food. Not a thank you, not a compliment, nothing. So much for him being a gentleman. That was fine, because she wouldn’t rely on a man to save her. She’d save herself.
Chapter Six
Jeb couldn’t believe how hard the men worked from dawn until dusk. He’d never seen them so full of energy. When Elizabeth brought sandwiches out to the men, she had them all drooling, not just on the food. Even in that worn dress, she looked enticing to a man who’d been alone a long time. Heck, she’d make a man notice her in a room full of women.
After they rounded up the cattle and rode them to the union camp, he’d give the men a day or two in Sherman to fulfill their needs at the saloon and brothel before they started work on the big order for Fort Smith.
He grumbled through the evening branding of the newly rounded up cattle. They were nearly at their mark. In only a few days, they’d drive the cattle and he’d have a life-changing deal. When they were done, he rode to the creek and eyed his land that stretched as far as he could see. His pa hadn’t even managed a few acres of farm land. He’d prove he was more than his pa had said. Soon enough, they’d never have to worry about money again. Certainly, never have to worry about starving to death. He’d be able to feed all his sons without worry of them dying from malnutrition.
He inhaled the wind that carried the distant smell of his neighbor’s fire before he headed back toward the house. The men should be done with the last of their chores by the time he reached the barn, and he could eat and settle in for the night.
The smell of something from the house made his stomach growl. Smelled better than his ma’s stew, not that he’d tell her that. The woman had sacrificed everything to care for him, protect him, and teach him how to be a man.
His ma made decent food, and the men had Cookie, but neither made biscuits that melted in your mouth. Maybe Elizabeth would teach his ma to cook the butter bread before she left. He rubbed the kink in his neck. The end of the week wouldn’t come soon enough. He needed to get the five hundred head of cattle to the camp. If not, he’d be banned from the military contract
s. No way he’d risk that, not with the promise of a gold mine with all the cattle they were herding. Once he’d filled that order, then he’d deal with Elizabeth McKinnie.
When he reached the barn to give Teddy his horse to feed and water, none of the men were there. Laughter echoed from inside his home. He’d allowed them to eat breakfast since they were already seated at the table, but dinner was taking it too far. He was the boss, they were his ranch hands. If there was one thing he’d learned in life, it was to control those who worked for him or they’d never respect him. Besides, a group of sweat-drenched ranch hands would make his house smell like a barn by the end of dinner, and he wouldn’t have that.
He settled Maverick into his stall, marched up the front steps, and swung open the door. Inside, he found the men settled at the table. All of them had on their Sunday shirts, their hair slicked back, and—he took one quick sniff, then another—they’d bathed.
How in hell…?
The men only bathed once a month, and that was when he’d insisted.
“Nice of you to join us. Wasn’t going to be much food left soon,” Ma said with a hint of pleasure in her tone.
“Had to work. Didn’t know my worthless hands were neglecting their duties.” His insides tightened, and he dropped his tone deep. “This has got to stop. Teddy, horses need to be tended to.”
“All done except yours since you were late. I’ll take care of it soon as dinner is over,” Teddy said.
“Samuel, stalls need to be mucked out.”
“Done.”
“Charles, chickens fed.”
“Done.”
“All our chores are done, boss,” Bart said, his face washed clean to the point that he’d revealed that his skin was more yellow than brown.
He opened his mouth to further reprimand his ranch hands, but the smell of the steak and fixings made him forget his words.
“Want to join us? There’s plenty.” Elizabeth approached but took a step back, holding her knuckles to her nose.
Samuel chuckled. “Gotta get cleaned up, though. No barn-smelling men allowed inside.”
He glowered at his men, his mother, and Elizabeth. “Didn’t have time since I was still working.” Since when had he lost all control of his home, men, and land? “Not hungry.” He stormed out and headed to the barn to find Cookie.
That worthless cook needed to get to work or he’d be out of a job. Jeb found the man snoring in the corner of the barn, a bottle at his side. Jeb kicked his feet, but he wouldn’t wake up. Jeb marched to the well, filled the bucket, returned, and dumped it over Cookie’s head.
He wailed and hollered and spit. “Whatcha do that for?” he said, slurring and swooning like a drunk Southern belle.
“You get your act together by morning or you get off my land. I told you before that if you didn’t stop that drinking, there was no place for you in my employ.”
Cookie’s grey brows rose. “I been with you since you started the ranch in—”
“Don’t matter.” Jeb didn’t want to talk about his last attempt at starting a ranch. He’d learned a lot since then, and he was set to make this one work. Already had a home and all on his property.
“Come on, boss,” Cookie pleaded.
“No. In the morning, you are up cooking, or you’re gone.” Jeb grabbed a pitchfork and moved some hay into a pile to sleep on. No reason to get cleaned up if he was living with the animals anyway.
Cookie burrowed into the hay. The man was invisible in the dark corner. Only his nose and mouth were able to be seen when Jeb waved the lantern near his head. How the man slept like that Jeb didn’t know. Perhaps it was the spirits in his system.
“Knock, knock.” Elizabeth’s delicate voice sounded in the silence of the approaching night. “I know you said you weren’t hungry, but I had some food left over. I thought I’d bring it out here, so it wouldn’t go to waste.”
“You are wasting plenty of food making all that for the men. You’ve already figured out how to spend my money, and I didn’t even marry you.”
Elizabeth stomped her foot, her red hair flying up like a lion’s main. “I thought I would be nice. Figured you had a long day and needed something to eat, but I see you don’t need anything from me.” She marched toward him with a plate in one hand, a cup in the other, and a fire in her eyes. For such a tiny thing, she sure could command a room. “I’ll show you wasteful.” She lifted her hand up as high as she could and dumped the plate of food down his chest. Then she tossed the cup of milk in his face.
Before he could gather his wits, she whirled in a faded tan blur and marched from the barn, leaving him covered in the most delicious potatoes and steak he’d ever tasted.
Chapter Seven
Clouds rolled in over the land like dark, puffy waves. Elizabeth clung to the side of the barn, gasping for air. It was late, so she hoped no one would see her. The minute she entered the barn, her lungs tightened, and she had to race out of there before she started wheezing in front of Jeb.
Why now? It had been so long since her last attack. Perhaps the doctor was right and stress could bring on an attack. She bent over, hands on knees, and focused on a rock at the edge of her skirt.
“You all right?” Samuel’s voice cut through the quiet evening air.
She waved that she was fine and darted around the back of the barn, but she didn’t escape. Samuel tailed her and caught up quick enough.
“What’s wrong? You can’t breathe?” He ran both hands through his greasy hair and stood in front of her.
She forced herself to stand and smile. “No, I’m fine. Just ran too fast.”
With a head shake, Samuel took two steps away. “I best get, boss.”
“No.” Elizabeth lunged and grabbed hold of his shirt. “Please,” she said, gasping and coughing. Coughing was good, it meant she could breathe.
“Why not?” Samuel asked, holding tight to Elizabeth’s elbow, as if to make sure she wouldn’t collapse.
She held up one finger and took a stuttered breath. “He’ll send me away for sure.”
“And you don’t want to go?” Samuel asked, his voice soft and hopeful.
A breeze cut through the corral, and she could smell the damp ground from far off. After two more forced breaths, her lungs loosened, and she managed to inhale a deep breath. “No, I don’t want to go. I’d like to stay and cook.” She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the men running to the table each meal with their poor manners and grateful smiles. “I want to be part of the ranch family.”
“You do?” Samuel asked.
She nodded. “Yes, I once lived on a big plantation where I had so many friends and people I called family. But since the war, I’ve only had my sisters, and even they have disappeared one by one until I was left alone traveling across the country. Here, I have found a new family. All you ranch hands.”
“You think of us as family? I ain’t never had a family except these men.” Samuel’s eyes pooled with tears.
She squeezed his shoulder. “If there is one thing I’ve learned in the last few years, it’s that family is who you chose to be with more than who you are born to.”
Samuel’s smile split from ear to ear with crooked yellow teeth that made him look like a crazed animal, but a cute one.
Elizabeth studied her hands and lowered the tone of her voice, edging a slightly closer to Samuel. “Can you keep this little secret about my breathing problem? I promise that this was the first episode in years. I’m not sure why I had one, but it is over and I’m fine.”
Samuel scratched his ear. “I don’t know. I never lied to the boss before.”
“No, not lie. It’ll just be our secret. Just the two of us. Brother to sister kind of secret. The kind that you keep unless you can’t.”
“I never had no brother or sister. What does that mean?”
Elizabeth didn’t feel right about asking Samuel to keep this from Jeb, but it was her only choice. “It’s the kind that a brother keeps to save his sister unl
ess it causes someone harm.”
“But not breathing causes you harm,” Samuel said with another ear scratch.
“Right, but it only happened once. A brother would wait and see if it happens again. If it does, then he tells. If not, he keeps her secret to protect her.”
“I’d be protecting you?” Samuel stood a little taller.
“Yes, like a big brother would.” Elizabeth patted his chest and winked at him. “Do you promise?”
Samuel nodded. “I promise. Unless you can’t breathe again.”
Elizabeth had to make sure that didn’t happen, or she’d be sent away quick. “Deal.” She slid away and headed toward the house with Samuel as her escort to the steps.
“Good night, sis,” Samuel called as she headed inside.
“Good night, dear brother.” She headed upstairs and collapsed onto the bed, letting all the tension flee her body. That was too close. She had to be more careful. No way she wanted anyone around here to know about her breathing problems. It was a condition that only happened on occasion, but people treated her like it was a contagious epidemic in which she should be quarantined from any work.
She changed into her nightdress and settled into her bed and attempted to sleep. Hours passed as she tossed and turned, with only a few minutes of sleep at a time. If Samuel didn’t keep his promise, Jeb would make her leave. There was no room on his ranch for any weakness.
Storms rumbled in the distance, closing in around them in the dead of night. Fierce winds beat against the window, howling around the roofline. Elizabeth couldn’t stay in bed any longer, so she got up and paced the floor in the bedroom, listening to the creaks in the walls and ceiling.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs, so she raced to the door, but she stayed herself with her hand on the knob. No. She wouldn’t show fear. Not from a little storm. It was more than a little. It made Georgia storms look like sun-showers.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
She took a deep breath, settling her fear so Mary wouldn’t see it in her eyes.
“I came to check on you. Are you awake?” Jeb’s soothing voice traveled through the cracks in the door, invading her hatred.