Harlequin Romance Bundle: Crowns and Cowboys

by Judy Christenberry

  “How bad is it?” Jason asked as Cookie closed the truck door to give Wes some rest.

  He shook his head. “Not good. He may need surgery.”

  “Want me to get the helicopter back out here?”

  “Let’s wait on that. After we warm him up, I’ll talk to the boss and decide what to do.”

  Rosemary appeared with a cup of coffee for Wes, which Cookie took from her.

  “I’ll give it to him, Rosie. You and Jason go get some coffee. It’s going to be a few minutes until he’s ready to talk to you.”

  “But he’s going to be all right, isn’t he?” Rosemary asked anxiously.

  “Yeah, he’ll be fine.”

  “Come on, Rosie, let’s let Cookie take care of him.” He turned to the man. “Maybe you should put a slug of whiskey in his coffee to dull the pain, if you’ve got any.”

  “I do, for medicinal purposes only. But this definitely calls for it.”

  With a grin, Jason led Rosie back to the fire. After pouring them both cups of coffee, he said, “He’s going to be all right, Rosie. You found him in time. Once he gets warmed up, he’ll be in a lot of pain, but I can call out the helicopter again. We’ll take care of him.”

  It was the tin cup rattling against Rosemary’s teeth that alerted Jason to the state she was in. He took the coffee from her and set both cups down on a nearby rock. Then he wrapped his arms around her. “Rosie? Did you hear me? He’s going to be all right.”

  But Rosie merely stood there, staring ahead and shaking. She said nothing.

  When Jason pulled her in his arms, Rosemary hid her face against his chest, unwilling to face the fact that Wes had been hurt and wouldn’t be able to continue the roundup. She was going to have to be strong enough to do it on her own.

  And pray that Wes would be all right.

  She’d been so afraid he was dead when she’d first found him in that hole, unmoving. If that had been true, she wouldn’t have been able to go on.

  All she could think was that he’d left her—the way her father had left her, and her mother before him. And she’d have let down Sara Beth, who’d asked her to watch her husband.

  When her mother died, one of the last things she’d said to Rosemary was “Take care of your father.” Rosie had done her best; she’d tried. But Robert Wilson was a stubborn, prideful man. He didn’t allow anyone to fuss over him, though Sara Beth liked to think she did. Several years later he’d sent Rosie away to Cheyenne to work, and she’d had to be content with phone calls and visits.

  In truth, she’d seen her father’s decline over the last couple of years, but he wouldn’t allow her help. Sometimes, when the grief overcame her, she felt guilty for not trying harder.

  Whether or not she’d let her parents down, she’d determined she wouldn’t do the same for her surrogate parents, Wes and Sara Beth. But seeing Wes lying there, unmoving, was like a flashback to her father, and all the guilt, all the sadness, came storming back.

  Thankfully he’d been alive, and Jason had helped her get him back to camp.

  “He’s going to be fine,” Jason repeated, as if knowing she needed to hear the words again and again.

  He cuddled her against him, letting his warmth help her accept his words. It helped, just as his hand-holding last night had helped.

  But she had to be strong. And she hoped she could be strong enough. Her future depended on it.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “I WANT to know what happened.”

  Jason looked up at the sound of Rosie’s voice. They’d been sitting in silence around the campfire for the last half hour, drinking hot coffee to warm themselves while Cookie tended Wes. Every time he’d tried to engage her in conversation, she’d ignored him. Apparently now she was ready to talk.

  “There’s no way Wes could’ve just fallen off his horse, Jason, so don’t even try that excuse again.” She turned and glared at him. “Something’s going on around here and I’m going to find out what!”

  Jason agreed with Rosemary, and he knew just where to start. With Ted. But first he had to talk to Wes and find out what happened.

  Of course, he couldn’t convince Rosemary to wait by the fire. She followed him to the SUV. “I want to see Wes.”

  “I don’t think he’s ready for visitors,” Cookie said, “especially female visitors. I had to remove his jeans,” Cookie explained.

  “He’s covered up, isn’t he?” Rosemary demanded.

  “Yeah, but he’s gone to sleep now that he’s warm. He needs his rest.”

  “I know, but it’s important, Cookie. We need to know what happened.”

  Jason looked at the stubbornness on her face and, with a sigh, nodded to Cookie. “I think she’s right, Cookie. This is the second accident in two days. We need to figure out what’s going on.”

  “Okay. I’ll try to wake him.”

  After several minutes, Cookie had aroused Wes. Jason leaned forward. “Wes, we need to know what happened.”

  Wes frowned, as if thinking was difficult. “I…fell off my horse when…someone rode by me and shoved me. I landed wrong.”

  “Who pushed you off your horse? Did you see?”

  “He—he wore a black slicker. I thought everyone was wearing a yellow one.”

  Jason frowned. He didn’t know what color slicker Ted wore, because he hadn’t gone with the others in the middle of the night. But he intended to find out.

  “Let him sleep now,” Cookie ordered.

  Rosemary backed away and turned to Jason. “Well? What color does Ted wear?”

  “I don’t know. We’ll have to wait until the men who got up early come in. It shouldn’t be too long.”

  “If it’s Ted, I want to have him arrested. First Jesse and now Wes. That’s unacceptable.”

  “I understand. If it’s Ted, I’ll get rid of him. If you want to have him arrested, I’m all for it.”

  “Good!” Rosemary exclaimed and moved back to the campfire, sticking her hands out to feel the warmth. They both sat by the fire until they heard horses approaching. It was still drizzling, so all the men wore slickers—except Ted. Rosemary and Jason exchanged a look.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll find out,” Jason said.

  He moved toward the corral where the men would leave their horses. When Ted got off his horse, loudly complaining about the conditions and not getting enough sleep, Jason stopped him.

  “You look pretty wet, Ted. Didn’t you bring a slicker?”

  “Nope, I forgot it. But I’ll dry out by the fire.”

  “It seems a little strange that you wouldn’t bring a slicker,” Jason persisted.

  Nick, having put his horse in the corral, was walking to the fire when he overheard Jason and Ted. “He had a slicker on earlier. Didn’t you, Ted?”

  “No, I didn’t have a slicker,” Ted protested.

  “What color was his slicker?” Jason asked.

  “It was black. It made it hard for us to see him.” Nick didn’t continue to the fire. He seemed to realize something important was going down.

  “You pushed Wes from his saddle, didn’t you, Ted?” Jason asked.

  Nick’s head jerked and he stared at Jason. “The boss is hurt?”

  “Yeah. He broke his ankle when someone in a black slicker pushed him off his horse.”

  Nick immediately charged Ted, but Jason stepped in between the two men. “Take it easy, Nick. He’s not getting away with it. Can you help me?”

  “Sure, if it means getting rid of him!”

  “Get your rifle and come guard him. And if he even thinks about getting up, shoot him in the arm or leg. I don’t really care which.”

  Nick hurried off to get his rifle.

  “Do you hear that, Ted? You’re to sit here by the fire and wait for me to decide what we’re doing with you.”

  Ted seemed unfazed. “You don’t have any proof! Besides, I’ll tell everyone you hired me to do the dirty deeds so you could get the ranch.”

  “No one will believe you,” Ja
son returned.

  “Yes, they will. You’re not part of this group any more than I am!”

  “I’ll take my chances. Just sit down and stay put.”

  Jason stared at him, until Ted looked away. By then, Nick was back with his rifle and he took a seat close to Ted, practically growling at him.

  Jason, followed by Rosemary, went back to the SUV. “I need to talk to Wes,” he told Cookie.

  “You want to wake him up again?” Cookie asked sternly. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “I need to know about the helicopter. Is he willing to go back like that?”

  “He’d better be. That’s the best thing. I’ve made a splint for his ankle, but it’s a bad break.” He opened the door to the backseat.

  Jason leaned in. “Wes, are you awake?”

  “Yeah,” Wes muttered, not opening his eyes.

  “Is it okay to send for the helicopter again? It’s the best way to get you back to the ranch.”

  That made Wes open his eyes. “No! I’m not going in the helicopter! That thing scares me to death!” His voice sounded rusty, as if he hadn’t used it in a long while, but the emotion in his voice rang true.

  “But, Wes, you’ve got to get to the hospital!” Rosemary said, inching in beside Jason. “I don’t know how you’ll get back to town without the helicopter.”

  “I’ll get there the same way I came,” he growled.

  “But you can’t let your leg hang down. It’ll swell up too much,” Cookie said from the front seat.

  “Then I’ll ride sidesaddle with my ankle held horizontally. If ladies can do it, I sure can!”

  “Wes, you’re being stubborn,” Rosemary argued. “Sara Beth wouldn’t approve of you riding back to the house when you could go by helicopter. It would take about eighteen hours to get to the house.”

  “I’m not going in the helicopter,” he said as if that was the final word on the subject.

  “How about I send Rafe with you, to make sure you get there?” Jason suggested. “And he can take Ted with him. Ted’s the one who pushed you off your horse, Wes. He probably did the same thing to Jesse. I want to get him away from here. When we get back, I’ll deal with him.”

  “Good,” Wes said. “Yeah, Rafe will be good, but it’ll leave you short of riders.”

  “We’ll manage,” he assured Wes. “You just focus on getting better. Cookie says you may have to have surgery.”

  Wes scowled. “Maybe I’ll get a walking cast. I can’t stay in the hospital long. I’ve got to help Rosie take care of things.”

  “I’ll be all right, Wes,” Rosemary promised. “I need to know that you’re getting help. And with Ted gone, we’ll manage better, I promise.”

  “And you’ll let Jason help you?”

  Rosemary glanced at the man standing beside her. He was big and strong, and she knew she had no choice. “Yes, Wes, I will.”

  Wes relaxed a little. “Okay, now run along while I talk to Jason.”

  “Why do you have to talk to Jason in private? You can tell me anything,” Rosemary insisted.

  Jason turned to her. “Rosie, Wes wants to tell me to take care of you. So go away so neither of us will be embarrassed.”

  “I’m not embarrassed. I want to know what he’s going to say!”

  “Rosie—Okay. I want a promise from Jason that he won’t take advantage of you. Understand?”

  “I promise, Wes,” Jason said. “I’ll take care of her and we’ll be back to the ranch on time with the herd.”

  “Okay,” Wes said. Then he switched subjects. “Cookie, we’ll need to leave about five in the morning, and we’ll need some lunch and maybe a snack to get us to the ranch.”

  “Are you sure you can make it in one day?” Rosie asked.

  “We’ll make it. We’ll ride until we get there. Unlike here, the pastures are free of rocks, so if we ride after dark, we won’t hurt the horses.”

  “That’s true,” Jason agreed, “but are you sure your body will hold up that long, in the strained position you’ll be in?”

  “I’ll make it. Where’s Rafe?”

  “I think he’s catching up on some sleep. We didn’t tell anyone about your accident until we could find out who was responsible.” Jason didn’t bother telling him about Nick, who was guarding Ted.

  “But I didn’t see the man’s face,” Wes said.

  “We’re sure it was Ted. Don’t worry about it,” Jason assured him. “Now we’ll let you get some more sleep.”

  He pulled Rosemary away from the SUV, even though she didn’t want to go with him.

  “What are you doing?” she asked. “I want to talk to Wes again!”

  “We need to let him sleep so he’ll be able to make the trip tomorrow. And you need to work with Cookie to make sure they have plenty of food for their trip.”

  “And you need to stop telling me what to do. I know my responsibilities. Of course I’ll help Cookie, but first I think I can talk Wes into riding in the helicopter. If I can just—”

  Without warning Jason leaned over and kissed her soft lips.

  She jerked away, shocked, and stared at him. “Wh-what are you doing?”

  “Shutting you up the only way I know how.” He stood his ground, trying to gauge her reaction. She sputtered a few times but at least she didn’t smack him. When he figured it was safe, he said in a soft voice, “There’s no point in talking to Wes about the ’copter. I think he’s afraid to fly. Has he done it before?”

  “I—I don’t think so. But—”

  “Then you’ll only embarrass him. He doesn’t want to admit that he’s afraid. If he keeps his ankle up, he’ll make it home and not be embarrassed.”

  “Did Cookie agree?” Rosemary asked, a bit calmer now.

  “Yeah, I believe he did. Now, why don’t you go plan what to fix for them?”

  Rosemary gave him a hard stare. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

  “I’d never want to do that, honey. But the food will be important if they’re going to get there safely.”

  “All right, but I don’t think I want to fix any food for Ted!”

  “That’s up to you, Rosie. If you can live with not giving him any food, I won’t protest.”

  Rosemary stood there. “Oh, you make me so mad! You know I can’t be that mean. But that’s what he deserves.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  Jason stood there watching her stomp off, outraged by her own goodness. She was the most interesting woman he’d ever met. Tough, spirited, loyal…and beautiful.

  Rosie Wilson may not be perfect, but she was the closest thing to it he’d ever seen.

  Rosemary worked out with Cookie what to prepare for Wes, Rafe and Ted. They would eat breakfast before they left early in the morning, so she packed up lunch and dinner along with some cookies.

  She decided she’d call Sara Beth tomorrow to tell her Wes was coming. She could take one of the other trucks and ride out to meet them. The land was too rough where they were for one of their regular trucks to make the drive, but the land closer to the ranch house wasn’t as bad. Rosemary knew how worried Sara Beth would be. She could drive her husband straight to the hospital.

  But Rosemary wouldn’t tell Wes what she was going to do. He would fuss at her, tell her he didn’t need Sara Beth to meet him. But by tomorrow afternoon, he’d welcome that truck.

  She had a sinking feeling in her stomach about the rest of the roundup, too. She would be in charge, along with Jason. The task was daunting, and so much was at stake.

  With Wes gone, they would all have to work together to accomplish the goals. They would now be four men short. Cookie wouldn’t be working the cattle, so that would leave ten cowboys, including her and Jason. Two would tend the cattle they’d collected, until the herd grew larger. That would leave eight people to go out and find the cows. She supposed they’d have two groups of three and one of two.

  With a sigh, she realized she was fighting a headache. Being in charge was going to be d
ifficult. She had relied on Wes for everything, and she didn’t think she could rely on Jason that way. Not that he wasn’t knowledgeable. He was, but he wanted the ranch. What if he didn’t help her find enough cows?

  Now they had to find the cows that had gotten away during the storm last night.

  She was helping Cookie make the sandwiches and store the food so it wouldn’t spoil. When that was finished, Cookie made some soup for lunch, along with some sandwiches for the men. It was one o’clock before he summoned the men to lunch. Even those who had gotten up at three o’clock and who had come in and taken naps got up for lunch.

  After everyone was sitting around the campfire, Jason stood. “I have to tell you that Wes broke his ankle last night. We found him, got him in the SUV and warmed him up, but he may have to have surgery. Rosie and I are going to handle everything until we get back to the ranch. And we hope you’ll do what you can to help us.”

  There were some murmurs running through the group of men. Jason let them talk among themselves for a few minutes. Then he said, “Wes wants to ride back to the ranch rather than take the helicopter. Rafe, I’d like you to go with Wes…and Ted. He’s going back because we think he pushed Wes off his horse, which caused him to break his ankle.”

  More mutterings, this time louder and more heated. Jason held up a hand. “I know. I’m going to see about charging him with assault when I get back to town. But I want to be sure he’s not around for now. Rafe, if you’ll keep your rifle handy and wing him if he tries to get away, I think that’ll do. I’ve got a few more instructions for you. I’ll give them to you later.”

  Rafe nodded.

  “I’ll need some guards for Ted until they leave early in the morning. If there are any volunteers, please let me know. Nick has been taking care of things so far, but I think he’s getting a little tired of it.”

  Several men said they’d take guard duty.

  Then one of the men called out, “How’s Rosie about all these changes?”

  Rosie stepped forward. “Jason and I are going to work together to deal with everything. If you have questions or suggestions, we need to hear them. After all, some of you have a lot more experience than either of us.”