Harlequin Romance Bundle: Crowns and Cowboys

by Judy Christenberry

  He wasn’t sure where Sara Beth would lead him, but he followed her without question, carrying Rosie in his arms. She’d given up protesting, he noticed. The warmth of the kitchen hit him as he entered. It was a good feeling.

  “Put her down here. I’ll give her some coffee and juice first,” Sara Beth said.

  Jason found Wes sitting by the table, his casted leg propped up in the chair next to him.

  “How are you doing?” Jason asked him as he eased Rosie into a chair across from Wes.

  “I’m good. Have a seat, Jason.”

  “Thanks, I’ll take you up on that in a few minutes. I need to take our horses to the corral and make sure they get some hay.”

  “One of the boys can’t do that?” Wes asked.

  “They’re busy. I won’t be long.”

  “Okay. We’ll have the coffee hot and waiting for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  When he got back to the house half an hour later, he stood outside and knocked on the door. Sara Beth finally opened it. “My goodness, Jason. No need to knock. Just come on in.”

  “Thanks, Sara Beth. I didn’t want to startle you.”

  “I’ll pour you a cup of coffee. I bet you’re half frozen.”

  “Pretty much,” he agreed with a smile. “How’s Rosie?”

  “She’s upstairs taking a hot shower. That’s what she asked to do first. Then I’ll put her to bed with some medicine.”

  “She probably needs to eat something. She hasn’t eaten much in the last couple of days.”

  “I know. I found her sandwich uneaten in her coat pocket. She said she forgot to eat it. I made her try to eat some of it with her coffee. She managed a little bit.”

  “We tried to keep her from riding today,” Jason said as he sat down at the table across from Wes.

  “Not an easy task,” Wes drawled with a smile. “She’s got her daddy’s strong will. Makes up her own mind.”

  “Yeah, I discovered that. The cowboys are all in the bunkhouse now, Wes. We didn’t have any more accidents once we got rid of Ted. Have you talked to the sheriff about him?”

  “Sure. Ted’s long gone, after explaining he was trying to help you disrupt the roundup so you’d get the ranch.”

  Jason froze. Then he looked at Wes. “I swear he’s lying, Wes. I would never do something so low-down!”

  “I figured it wasn’t your idea. But I can believe it was Ted’s way of insuring he had a job.”

  Jason sank back in his chair in relief. “Yeah, I can see that, too. But why did the sheriff release him?”

  “He said I didn’t have any proof, so he couldn’t hold him.”

  “And he couldn’t wait until we got back?”

  “Sheriff said when we had proof to bring it in and he’d put a warrant out on Ted. But we’d have to have hard proof.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “I said I’d wait until you got back and discuss it with you.”

  Jason rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about what Wes had said. With a sigh, he said, “I don’t think we have enough proof. But when I get back to Denver, I’m going to call the man who gave him such a glowing recommendation and let him know what it was worth.”

  Wes nodded.

  “But other than that,” Jason added, “I don’t know what we can do.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I talked it over with Jesse and Rafe. They feel the same way I do. The man was scum and you made a mistake. But you corrected it as soon as you realized what was happening.”

  “Sounds to me you’re letting me off easy.”

  Wes smiled at him. “Well, we won’t fight you if you want to pay our medical bills—the part that our insurance doesn’t cover.”

  “Done. But what else can I do?”

  “Keep all of us on when you take over the ranch.”

  Jason stared at Wes and then leaned forward. “I’m not getting the ranch. We brought in more than two hundred head of cows, just like Rosie said.”

  “You did? But Rosie told us you were taking over. She said that just before she went upstairs.”

  “Why did she say that?” Jason asked, confused.

  “I’m not sure,” Wes said slowly. He turned to stare at his wife, working across the room. “Sara Beth? Why do you think Rosie said she was losing the ranch?”

  “I don’t know. And you’re not going to ask her right now. She’s weak and needs to rest.”

  Wes shrugged his shoulders. “Okay. You got something Jason and I can snack on? Like some cake or something?”

  Though she made a tsking sound, Sara Beth immediately cut them each a big piece of chocolate cake. “Maybe this will hold you until supper,” she said with a smile. “I’m taking a piece up to Rosie now.”

  Jason wanted to offer to do that task, but he had to settle for his piece of chocolate cake.

  When he finished, he stood. “Wes, thanks for believing me.”

  “Sure, Jason. Now, where do you think you’re going?”

  “I figured I’d load up my horses and head for Denver.”

  “I think it would be better for you to spend the night tonight and head back to Denver in the morning, when you’re a little fresher.”

  With a sigh, Jason said, “You’re probably right. Where’s the closest motel?”

  “Right here. We’ve got plenty of bedrooms upstairs. Sara Beth assumed you’d want to spend the night. She’s already got one prepared for you.”

  “I don’t think I should cause her so much work. She’s already got Rosie to take care of.”

  About that time, Sara Beth entered the kitchen, an empty saucer in her hand. “Look, I got Rosie to eat her cake. Now she’s gone to sleep.” She beamed at them before she noticed Jason standing. “Is something wrong?”

  “Jason thinks he should go to a motel tonight,” Wes explained.

  Sara Beth looked at him in surprise. “But I’ve already prepared a room for you, Jason. Surely you’d prefer to stay here instead of some motel,” she said, making the word motel sound like a rattrap.

  “It’s not that I wouldn’t like to stay, but I figure you’ve got your hands full with Rosie.”

  “Nonsense! I could take care of her with one hand behind my back. Besides, I had a vacation while you all were on the roundup. Please stay with us.”

  “Thank you, Sara Beth. I’d be pleased to stay,” Jason said.

  “You take your bag up to the first room on the right. It’s across the hall from Rosie’s room. It has a connecting bath, too, like hers.”

  “Thanks. I’ll go get my bag from the bunkhouse and be right back.”

  A few minutes later, he passed through the kitchen and headed upstairs. When he reached the top, he stood there, staring at the door across the hall from his. Rosie’s room. He put down his bag and softly rapped on her door.

  There was no answer.

  He slowly turned the knob and saw Rosie curled up under the cover, peacefully sleeping. He wondered if she’d get up for supper and come to the table. He hoped so. Or at least breakfast in the morning.

  When he heard footsteps at the bottom of the stairs, he hurriedly closed Rosie’s door and opened his own across the hall.

  Sara Beth appeared on the landing. “Oh, Jason, I just wanted to be sure you didn’t need anything.”

  “I’m sure I don’t, Sara Beth. The room looks wonderful,” he said, smiling.

  “I hope that’s true. Supper will be ready in about half an hour.”

  “Okay. Will Rosie come down to supper?”

  “I’m going to wake her up and encourage her to come down, but it depends on how she feels. Hopefully she will.”

  “I hope so, too. I’d like to see her again before I leave.”

  She smiled at him. “We’ll see.”

  He had nothing left to do but to enter his room and close the door. The draw of a hot shower had him undressing at once. He felt like it had been months since he’d enjoyed a good hot shower. Nothing like a roundup to make you appre
ciate the conveniences, he thought.

  Half an hour later, he was back downstairs in the kitchen, smelling a lot better than he had before. Wes and Sara Beth were there, too, but no Rosie.

  Just as he was about to ask, the door opened again and Rosie came into the kitchen. She hugged Sara Beth, and then Wes. After that, she took her place at the table across from the ranch manager.

  “Evening,” Jason said, watching Rosie closely to see her reaction. Hadn’t she noticed his presence?

  She finally looked at him, though only briefly enough to reply, “Evening, Jason.” Then she turned to Wes. “How’s your foot? I forgot to ask earlier.”

  “My foot’s fine, Rosie. How are you feeling? You looked kind of pale when you first got here.”

  “I’m fine. I was just tired.”

  “And still a little sick, I think,” Jason added.

  “No, I’m well,” she said stiffly, avoiding his gaze.

  “Well, now, Rosie,” Wes began, “I think you have to appreciate Jason’s concern, even if you don’t think you deserve it.”

  Rosemary’s gaze jerked up to Wes’s face. Then, with reluctance, it seemed to Jason, she faced him. “Wes is right. I should appreciate the care you gave me after Wes left.”

  “Should?” Sara Beth asked. “The man was following my orders, and I think he did a good job.”

  “Yes, fine. He did a good job. Thank you, Jason.”

  “That’s my girl,” Sara Beth crooned, a smile on her face.

  Wes raised his eyebrows, but he didn’t say anything.

  Sara Beth began bringing dishes to the table. Jason hadn’t exactly suffered bad food on the roundup, thanks to Cookie, who had done a good job of feeding them in difficult circumstances, but Sara Beth’s dinner smelled and looked like heaven.

  Jason accepted a portion of almost everything, especially the hot biscuits. He tried to eat slowly, but the feast overpowered him. Finally he wiped his face with his napkin and looked at Sara Beth.

  “That was the best dinner I’ve ever eaten, Sara Beth. Thank you.”

  “Now, Jason, I know you’ve dined in really nice restaurants in Denver. I’m sure—”

  “Never one as good as this, I promise.”

  She smiled broadly. “Well, I thank you. It’s good someone appreciated all my cooking,” she said, staring at Rosemary.

  “I tried, Sara Beth. It all tasted really good, but my stomach is still a little queasy.” Rosemary tried her best smile on Sara Beth.

  Jason thought if she gave him that kind of smile, he’d snatch her out of her chair and charge up the stairs to the nearest bedroom. But she’d avoided his eyes all evening, so it wasn’t likely to happen.

  He decided it was time to take the bit in his teeth and ask Rosie why she’d said the ranch would be his. After all, he’d busted his butt to be sure she got to keep her home. It was time to straighten out the mystery. He opened his mouth, but Wes must’ve been watching him. He cut him off.

  “Rosie, I think it’s time you went to bed. You need a full night’s sleep. Sara Beth, you want to take her to bed?”

  It was more a command than a request, and neither woman resisted.

  Jason stared after Rosie with intense longing in his gaze.

  Wes shook him from his thoughts. “Jason, you can’t ask Rosie the question about the ranch until in the morning. She’s not strong enough now. Besides, I want to see the herd before you ask her.”

  “Why?”

  “Just to satisfy my own mind. It’s hard to believe you have two hundred head of cattle until I see them.”

  “Well, Wes, it’s going to be kind of difficult since you can’t ride a horse yet.”

  “Don’t worry, boy. I’ve got it all planned.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  AFTER a good night’s sleep, Jason was up by six-thirty. He dressed and crept to the door, trying to figure out if anyone in the house was up.

  He could hear nothing, so he opened his door and stepped out into the hall. He heard movement downstairs. Stepping closer to Rosie’s door, he listened for sounds of life in her room. Either she was already down, or she was sleeping in.

  With a shrug of his shoulders, he went down the stairs. In the kitchen, he discovered Wes and Sara Beth, talking quietly at the kitchen table.

  The minute she noticed Jason, Sara Beth welcomed him into the kitchen and got up to fix his breakfast.

  “You can wait until Rosie gets up, Sara Beth,” Jason said. “No need to cook twice more this morning.”

  “It’s not a problem, Jason. And Rosie is sleeping in this morning. You know, it takes a while to let go after a stressful situation.”

  “Of course. I appreciate the breakfast. Cookie was good, but you’re even better, Sara Beth.”

  “Oh, Jason, I love your flattery,” Sara Beth said with a big grin.

  “Watch it, Jason,” Wes protested. “I won’t have you sweet-talking my woman.”

  Jason wondered how he’d feel about Jason trying to sweet-talk Rosie. He suspected Wes considered himself her father figure. Would he have to ask Wes for permission to marry Rosie?

  “Do you want to go see the herd as soon as I finish breakfast, Wes?” He figured a change of subject would be good.

  “Yeah, as soon as you’re finished.”

  “How are you going to get there?”

  “We’ve got a truck that can go there, if you’ll get out and open the gates.”

  “No problem,” Jason assured him. Sara Beth set a plate full of eggs, bacon and fried potatoes in front of him. She added a pan full of biscuits.

  “That’s a lot of food, Sara Beth. Especially the biscuits.”

  “I could help you with the biscuits,” Wes said softly. “Sara Beth made some apple jelly that tastes real good on a biscuit.”

  Jason smiled. “I’ll share the biscuits if you’ll share the jelly,” he said to Wes.

  “You’ve got a deal,” Wes agreed. He said it softly as if he didn’t want Sara Beth to know.

  Jason looked over his shoulder. Sara Beth was staring at the pair of them. He smiled at her and then turned back to his breakfast. When he took a biscuit, he nudged the plate closer to Wes.

  After a filling breakfast and no sign of Rosie, Jason was ready to go look at the cows. Jason grabbed his coat and bundled up again. Less than twenty-four hours of warmth and he didn’t want to get out in the cold again.

  Wes pointed out a truck parked next to the house. “This is the truck Sara Beth drove to pick me up. Boy, was I glad to see her that day! I was aching all over!”

  “Yeah. It was good that Rosie thought of that.”

  “She’s a smart little girl,” Wes agreed with a grin.

  “I don’t think of her as a little girl,” Jason said, looking at Wes out of the corner of his eye after they got into the truck.

  Wes pointed south. “Drive over there.”

  Jason did as he said, wondering if Wes would say anything about his remark.

  “I never thought you did,” Wes said softly.

  “No, I guess I was pretty obvious, but Rosie doesn’t seem to have noticed.”

  “That’s probably why she said you’d get the ranch.”

  “I don’t follow you, Wes. Why would my getting the ranch make such a difference?”

  “I don’t know. Who can figure out a woman’s mind?”

  “Do I need to tell you I’m serious? I’m offering marriage, not an affair or anything like that.” He’d made that decision overnight.

  Wes grinned. “Good. I’d hate to have to knock your block off,” he said. “I promised her daddy I’d take care of her.”

  “I figured. What do I do now?”

  “About what?”

  Jason frowned. This conversation wasn’t going well. “Will you talk to her…or should I?”

  “Lord’ a mercy, boy! You don’t know?”

  “Last night you didn’t want me to talk to her about saying the ranch was mine. I didn’t want to do anything you were against.”
>
  “I just felt she was too tired to know what she was saying. You go on back to Denver and I’ll figure it all out. Then I’ll call you and let you know.”

  “You want me to go back without seeing her?” Jason asked, his voice rising.

  “I think that’s best. You did behave yourself on the roundup, didn’t you?”

  “I may have kissed her once or twice, but—but it wasn’t anything important.” Jason could feel his cheeks flushing.

  “Kissed her? What did she say?”

  “Nothing. It was usually when she was upset about something and—and she didn’t say anything about it.”

  Wes gave him a sharp look. Then he looked toward the herd. “Okay, I guess you’re not in my black book.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “You’re right,” Wes said.

  Jason’s heart raced. What did Wes mean? Did he think Rosie cared about him?

  “I do believe you’ve brought back about two hundred and thirty head of cows.”

  “Oh, uh, yeah, I think that’s about right.”

  “So Rosie should be able to keep the ranch.”

  “Right.” That hadn’t been the most important thought in Jason’s mind, but he could accept that.

  “Okay, we’ll get them to market and Rosie will repay your down payment. You’re okay with that?”

  “Yes, of course. That was our agreement.”

  “Well, then, you’d best go pack and be on your way.”

  “I don’t get to see Rosie before I go? I could ask her—”

  “No. If you’re still serious, you can talk to her after the question about the ranch is answered. Better not to mix romance with business. I did that once and lost a mighty fine girl. ‘Course, it worked out well because I got Sara Beth. But I don’t want Rosie hurt.”

  Jason guessed he was right, but it didn’t feel right, leaving without at least telling Rosie goodbye. All the way back to the house, he hoped and prayed he’d see Rosie…just for a few minutes. Just to say goodbye.

  No such luck.

  Jason thanked Sara Beth for her hospitality and asked her to tell Rosie goodbye. Though there was so much he wanted to say to Rosie, none of it could go through an intermediary, even one as nice as Sara Beth. After all, what woman wanted to hear a man say “I love you” from someone else?