by Bobbi Smith
“You coming with us, Josh?” Les asked.
“I’ll be along,” Josh told him. He wanted to check on the stallion again and clean up a bit before meeting with Emmie.
The three women accompanied Les to the house and went up the steps to the wide, shaded front porch.
Emmie hesitated at the top of the steps, her gaze fixed on the front door. In her heart, she expected her father to come rushing out and give her a big hug, as he always did when she came home, but she knew it wasn’t going to happen. She drew a ragged, steadying breath as she led the way inside.
“Here we are,” she announced, entering the front hall.
Millie and Miss Harriet followed her in and gazed around the spacious hall and up the wide staircase that led to the second floor. It was obvious her father had spared no expense on the house.
“Do you want me to show you around?” Emmie asked.
“Please,” Millie said. “I’ve heard you talk about the Rocking R for years, and now I’m finally here.”
“I’ll wait for you in the sitting room,” Les said, leaving them to their walk through the house.
Emmie was just starting toward the back of the house when Kate, her father’s cook and house keeper, came rushing from the kitchen to welcome her home. Kate was the wife of one of the ranch hands.
“I thought I heard you,” Kate said, going straight to Emmie to embrace her. “How are you?”
Emmie fought back tears. “I’d be a lot better if Papa were here.”
“We all would, honey,” Kate said sympathetically as they moved apart.
Emmie quickly introduced everyone, and they chatted for a moment longer before Kate went back to the kitchen. Emmie continued showing Millie and Miss Harriet the rest of the house and let them pick which of the guest bedrooms they wanted to stay in. The only rooms she didn’t take them into were her father’s office and bedroom. Those doors were closed, and she was glad. She wasn’t ready to go into either room yet. She would do that later, when she was alone.
They were on their way back to join Les in the sitting room when they saw two of the hands coming in with their trunks. Millie and Miss Harriet decided to go back upstairs with the men so they could show them where to put the trunks. Then the women would settle in for a while and unpack. Emmie went on into the sitting room to speak with the lawyer privately.
Les looked up from where he was sitting on the sofa when she came into the room. “Well, we’re here,” he said.
“Thank you for everything,” she said earnestly, taking a seat across from him. “I really appreciate how you handled all this.”
He was sympathetic as he looked at her. “I’m just sorry you’re returning home under such sad conditions, but I know your being here meant a lot to your father.”
“It means everything to me. The Rocking R…it’s my life now.” Her voice was hoarse with emotion.
“You are truly your father’s daughter,” Les told her with a gentle, encouraging smile. “He always said the same thing about the ranch. You know, he was very proud of you, Emmie.”
“I hope I can make him even prouder of me now.” The tears she’d been fighting overwhelmed her, and she gave in to her grief.
Les had just gotten up to hand her his handkerchief when Josh appeared in the doorway.
“Sorry I took so long. I…” Josh began, but he went silent at the sight of her crying.
“Please join us, Josh,” the lawyer said. When Emmie regained control, he returned to sit on the sofa. “This is a hard time.”
“I understand,” Josh said, coming into the room.
Emmie managed to look up at the man her father had taken on as a partner.
“You and I need to talk,” she managed.
“I agree.” Josh sat down on the sofa with the lawyer, facing her.
“I know my father thought highly of you. He wrote to me and told me you were the new foreman. However, I didn’t find out until today that you actually became my father’s partner.”
“Les explained to me that your father wanted to tell you about our partnership when he introduced us, and I’m sorry it didn’t happen that way.”
“So am I,” she agreed sadly. “I just find it hard to believe that he took on a partner.”
“Your father and I had known each other for a time, and he had offered me a job a while back. I wasn’t much interested in ranch work then, but I changed my mind this last year and decided to see if his offer was still good.”
Wondering about his life as a gunman, Emmie watched him carefully as she asked, “What kind of work did you do before?”
Josh had known that his past would come up at some time, so he decided to tell her straight out and get it over with. “I was a bounty hunter.”
“The gossip in town said you were a gunman,” she challenged.
He managed a tight smile as he answered. “There were days when it was hard to tell the difference, and that’s why ranching started to look good to me.”
“So you’re through with all that now?”
“That’s right. When I came to see your father, we made the agreement that I could buy into the ranch thirty percent and stay here and work it with him.”
“It was all handled legally. I took care of the paperwork,” Les assured her. “Your father made a good choice in Josh. Then, when the old foreman quit, Josh took on the job.”
Realizing there was no way out of the partnership, Emmie looked up at Josh and met his dark-eyed gaze straight-on. “It looks like we’re going to be working together from now on, Mr. Grady.”
“Since we are going to be working together, I’d appreciate it if you’d start calling me Josh,” he told her.
“All right, Josh, and you can call me Emmie.”
“We can meet later, if you’d like, and go over the books.”
“That’ll be fine.” Now that the introductions were over with, she wanted some time alone.
“And if you need me for anything else, just send word into town,” Les told them both.
Josh stood up to go, as did the lawyer. Emmie thanked the attorney again for all his help as she saw the two men from the house.
When she came back inside and closed the door behind her, she stood quietly in the front hall, just remembering all the laughter and love that had filled the house when her father had been alive. This was her first moment alone since they’d returned, and it was as painful as she’d feared it would be. Needing the sanctuary of her bedroom, Emmie hurried upstairs and locked herself in her room. She was glad Miss Harriet and Millie were in rooms at the other end of the hall. At that moment, she needed all the privacy she could get as she dealt with the harsh truth of her father’s death.
Chapter Seven
Josh left the house and headed back to the stable to check on the stallion. He found Burley there waiting for him.
“How’d things go up at the house?” Burley asked.
“Hank hadn’t told her I was his partner yet, so she was upset when she learned about that.”
“I’ll bet she was,” Burley sympathized. “She and her pa were real close. These next few days will be rough, but she loves this place as much as he did, so I think she’ll make it all right.”
“Let’s hope so,” Josh said, wondering how difficult it was going to be to get things done with Emmie around.
Emmie spent some time alone in her room, getting freshened up and changing out of her traveling clothes. She took out a shirt, a pair of pants, and her boots—the attire she always wore on the ranch—and managed to smile as she got dressed. Her father had never criticized her for dressing so practically. He knew she wanted to work hard when she was there, and he encouraged her.
Emmie was always glad her mother hadn’t been there to see her dressed this way. She would have been harsh in her criticism of her daughter’s choices. She would never have permitted her to wear pants, for that was something a lady just didn’t do. But Emmie had long known that deep down in her heart, she had no interest in
being a lady. She loved ranch life and belonged here. Feeling a little more like herself now, she brushed out her hair and tied it back with a simple ribbon before going down the hall to her father’s bedroom.
Emmie let herself in and stood just inside the door for a moment, looking around. She’d feared Kate might have cleaned his room out, and she was relieved to find that the house keeper hadn’t touched anything. Her father’s gun and holster were on the dresser, along with his razor and other personal items.
Emmie moved farther into the room and closed the door behind her. Needing this time to accept what she could no longer hide from, she went to sit on his bed. It was then that she saw on the night-stand her father’s favorite tintype, a picture of the two of them together. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she grabbed his pillow to have something to hug. Her father’s scent surrounded her then, and thoughts of his horrible death assailed her. No longer able to control the sorrow she’d been struggling so hard to keep under control, she gave in to her grief.
It was some time later when she finally pulled herself together enough to leave his room. She went back to her own bedroom to bathe her face with cool water before going downstairs. She hadn’t seen Millie or Miss Harriet and thought they were probably lying down. She found Kate in the kitchen.
“Did you get some rest?” Kate asked as Emmie joined her there.
“A little.” She sighed. “Kate, I wanted to ask you…where is Papa buried? I need to see his grave.”
Kate gave her a sympathetic look. “You know how much he liked the view from out back? Well, Josh and the boys thought that would be the best place for him.”
Emmie smiled sadly, remembering all the times growing up when she’d sat with her father on the low rise, staring out across their endless acres, talking about the future of the ranch. “He did love it there.”
“Yes, he did,” Kate assured her.
“If Millie or Miss Harriet comes looking for me, tell them I’ll be back in a little while.”
She didn’t say any more as she left the house and made her way to her father’s final resting spot. The marker was a simple cross with his name on it, and she stood there in silence looking down at it, remembering what a wonderful, vibrant man he’d been.
“I’m here, Papa,” she said softly. “I came home just like you wanted me to, and I’m going to do what you wanted me to do. I’m going to run the Rocking R.”
She waited in silence, half expecting to hear an answer from him, but there was only the faint sound of the warm breeze blowing across the land.
Emmie lifted her gaze to stare out across the endless miles of the Rocking R. It was a beautiful sight, and she was proud of what her father had accomplished. He’d made the ranch successful, and she was going to honor all his hard work and determination by keeping it that way.
After all, she told herself again, she was her father’s daughter. She could do this. Wanting to spend time with her father, she sat down to savor the peace of the moment. Emmie knew she had much to be thankful for. His love and the faith he’d had in her were the best legacy of all.
Millie had taken her time unpacking and changing her clothes, and then had rested for a while. When she got up, she was eager to go exploring. She left her bedroom and stopped at the chaperone’s room first to see if Miss Harriet wanted to go along, but the older woman didn’t answer her knock. Curious, Millie peeked inside to find her sound asleep in bed. The arduous trip had obviously taken its toll on her, so Millie quietly closed the door and went downstairs by herself, hoping to find Emmie. She was surprised when she found no sign of her friend or Kate. Thinking Emmie might have gone out to the stable to speak with the ranch hands, she headed there to see if she could find her.
Steve had been working, shoeing a horse, when he saw her coming, and he stopped to enjoy the view. The blond-haired Millie was one sweet-looking woman, and he liked the way she moved. When she reached the stable, he was there to greet her, eyeing her with open interest. “Afternoon, Miss Millie.”
“Hello,” she returned, smiling a little uncertainly at the young cowboy who was so openly looking her over. “Have you seen Emmie? She’s not up at the house, and I was hoping she could show me around.”
“I saw her walking back toward her father’s grave,” he offered. “It’s behind the house a ways.”
“Thank you.” She started off in the direction he’d indicated.
“And if she don’t want to show you around, I’ll be glad to,” he called out, thinking there was a lot he’d like to show her.
Steve watched her until she’d moved out of sight before returning to his work.
As soon as Millie had reached the back of the house, she saw Emmie in the distance, sitting on the ground near the grave. She went to join her friend there.
“It’s beautiful up here,” Millie said quietly as she looked out across the vast Texas landscape.
Emmie smiled up at her friend. She’d seen Millie coming and was glad for her company. “My father and I used to come up here to just sit and talk. It was one of our favorite places.”
“I can understand why,” Millie said, glad to see Emmie was smiling a bit. She knew there was no easy or fast way to deal with grief, but Emmie seemed to have found some peace here.
“Sit down.”
“I think I will, but it looks like you’re better dressed for it,” Millie said, taking care with her skirt as she sat beside her friend. “Do you always wear pants when you’re on the ranch?”
“Yes, but I never let my mother know. She would be outraged. No lady would ever think of dressing this way.”
Millie grinned at her. “Did you ever really want to be a lady?”
Emmie gave her a conspiratorial grin. “No.”
“I thought so!”
They both laughed.
“Oh, that felt good.”
“What?”
“Laughing,” Emmie told her.
They both smiled and went quiet for a moment.
“So, what do you think of the Wild West?” Emmie asked, interested in Millie’s first impression.
Millie looked around and grinned. “Everybody talks about how big Texas is—well, they’re right. It is big. When you’re used to city life, this is quite a change. Aren’t you afraid you’ll get bored after a while? I mean, a visit once a year is one thing, but to think about living here permanently…”
“The ranch hands appreciate days like these. It is quiet right now, but that won’t last long. You’ll see. There’s always something happening on the ranch.”
They stayed there for a while longer, and then Emmie offered, “Would you like to take a look around?”
“You’re ready to give me the grand tour?”
“That’s right, but it won’t be anything like touring the Continent.”
“You’re right. It’s going to be better.”
They got up and started back. Emmie pointed out the bunk house and the small house near it that was the foreman’s. They went to the stable next to look at some of the horses. The black stallion was still in the corral, and they stopped to get a look at him.
Steve saw them and came out to talk to them. “That’s Buck.”
“Buck?” Emmie asked, wondering at the horse’s name.
“That’s what Josh named him this afternoon. The stallion bucked Josh off a few times, and that don’t usually happen,” he explained.
Emmie could believe that. Josh didn’t look like the kind of man who gave up easily. “Tomorrow we’ll need two horses. I want to show Millie around the place.”
“I don’t reckon you want me to saddle up Buck for you?”
“No,” Emmie said, and then she looked at Millie with a grin. “Not unless you’d like to ride him?”
“I think I need a less spirited mount,” Millie said. “I wouldn’t last very long on a horse like Buck.”
“Not many of us would,” Emmie agreed.
“Just let one of us know what time you want to ride out, and we’ll ha
ve two all saddled up for you.”
“Thanks, Steve. We’ll see you in the morning.”
“I get the feeling there’s not much your foreman can’t handle,” Millie said as they made their way back up to the house. “What have you found out about him?”
“Not a lot, other than that everything was done legally regarding the partnership, and my father trusted him. Although…”
“Although what?”
“You remember how the storekeeper in town said he was a gunman?”
“Is he?” Millie’s eyes widened at the thought.
“Well…Josh admitted he was a bounty hunter. You know, the kind of gunman who goes after wanted men and brings them in.”
Millie was fascinated. “I wonder how he got involved in that?”
“I didn’t ask, and I don’t know that I want to find out. He’s left that behind him, and that’s fine with me. We’ve got to work together.”
“You said ‘we,’” Millie said softly. “So you’re coming to accept that you have a partner now?”
Emmie sighed. “I don’t really have a choice.”
“You know, he might be your guardian angel, even though you don’t realize it just yet.”
“A bounty hunter/gunman is my guardian angel?” She looked at her friend as if she were crazy.
“I’ve heard all your stories about the Wild West. What if there really was some kind of trouble, and you were out here all alone?”
“I can use a gun,” Emmie declared. “My father taught me.”
“And so can your Josh,” her friend said.
“He’s not ‘my’ Josh.”
“All right, let me put it this way: so can your partner, and I’ll bet he’s a better shot than you are.”
Emmie always liked a challenge. She glanced over at her friend, a spark of defiance in her eyes. “Have you ever handled a gun?”
“No!” She shuddered visibly at the thought.
“Well, if you’re going to be out here in the Wild West, I think you’d better learn how to use one.”
“Are you serious?” Millie was shocked and intrigued at the same time.