“She valued the visits, too,” Chase added.
With softness in her eyes, Joellen continued explaining to her husband, “I enjoyed watching this fine man grow up. And later, after his mother was gone, I looked him up whenever I was near Abilene. It was a promise I made to Snow Cloud.”
Jasper patted her hand. “And you kept that promise, didn’t you?”
“She did,” Chase said. “And I, too, valued your friendship.”
He didn’t say it, but he’d come to think of Joellen Withers as family. She’d been the only white woman who’d cared about him, keeping in touch through letters and rare visits.
Jasper turned to him. “Your horse knowledge was one reason we asked you here. But Joellen had another reason. Want to explain, darling?” Jasper’s loving gaze fell on his wife.
Joellen smiled, then drew in a breath. “I’m afraid Letty Sue’s too strong-willed for most of the ranch hands here, Chase. She can easily persuade them to do her bidding. That’s the other reason I wanted you as foreman—to look after my daughter. I needed someone I could trust, someone a bit older than the boys she’s used to.”
“I believe I can handle her.” Chase had no doubts in that regard. He’d seen Letty Sue in action, had figured her out, and had known her kind before. He wasn’t some besotted suitor, willing to allow the woman her way just because she turned her blue eyes in his direction.
“I know you can, Chase, because I can trust you. I’m asking you to watch out for Letty Sue.”
Chase cleared his throat and straightened in his seat. “You don’t have to worry. I’ll do my best with the ranch, and with your daughter.”
“I know you will.” Joellen’s smile was wide with relief. “Well, thank heavens. I feel so much better about leaving her now.”
“Mama?” Letty Sue stood in the doorway, her eyes darting from her mother’s to Jasper’s, then settling on Chase. She’d cleaned up and looked well rested. Had it only been a few hours since he’d brought her back to the ranch?
“Letty Sue, I’m glad you decided to join us. Are you feeling better?”
“I am. I, uh, just needed some rest.” She glanced at Chase, her blue eyes searching his in question. He would just let her stew a bit. She must be dying to know what he’d told Joellen about their encounter this afternoon.
“Are you hungry for dinner now? Come and have a seat. I made your favorite,” Joellen said.
Letty Sue sat down next to Chase, in the only available chair. “No, Mama, I’m not at all hungry.”
“Poor dear. I guess it was fortunate for you that Chase came along when he did today. I understand Albert’s buggy broke a wheel. You would have had to walk all that way back to the ranch in the pouring rain. Whatever did happen to Albert?”
Letty Sue’s face flushed ruby-red. She swallowed hard and found her lap real interesting. “Uh, Mama, I, um—”
“He was determined to fix that broken wheel, Joellen. Couldn’t talk him out of it,” Chase explained.
Letty Sue fixed her startled gaze on him. “Yes. Yes, that’s right, Mama.”
“Oh, well, I suppose he made it back to town all right then.”
“I don’t expect we’ll be seeing much of him for a while,” Chase added, rubbing his jaw.
“Really? Why is that?” Joellen asked.
“Uh,” he began, capturing Letty Sue’s wide-eyed, fearful expression. “I imagine the man’s caught himself one heck of a chill.” He raised his eyebrows at Letty Sue. She froze, sending him a stony look. Chase cleared his throat. “What with trudging all the way back to town in the downpour.”
“Oh, dear. Maybe we’d better check on him before we leave, Jasper,” Joellen said, deeply concerned.
“No!” Letty Sue exclaimed, shaking her head. “I mean… I think Albert’s going to be just fine, Mama. Really, there’s no need.”
Chase kept his expression blank. “I agree. Men don’t usually like to be coddled. He’ll be fine. You and Jasper have more important matters to tend to. You’re leaving day after tomorrow, isn’t that right?”
“Yes, that’s right. We’re almost all packed. And Jasper and I have some details to go over with you about the running of the ranch. Tonight you’ll bed down in our spare room, but I’m afraid, once we’re gone, you’re going to have to sleep in the bunkhouse.”
Chase glanced at Letty Sue. The ruby-red color singed her cheeks once again. She was a beauty who could tempt a man to distraction, so how on earth was it possible the woman was still as innocent as a newborn foal? Yet he’d bet his bottom dollar that she was. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Jasper stood and slapped him gently on the back. “Good, then let’s retire to the parlor and have us a smoke. We’ll go over those details Joellen was referring to.”
Chase raised up from his chair, but not before casting one more glance Letty Sue’s way. “’Night, Letty Sue.”
In a haughty tone, Letty Sue replied, “Good night, Mr. Wheeler.”
Letty Sue bristled in her bed. Oh, that man, she thought scornfully, he’d loved making her squirm tonight at the supper table. For one frantic moment, she thought he’d told her mother the truth about what had happened with Albert.
That would have been disastrous.
But in the end, Chase had concealed the truth, making up that story about the buggy breaking down.
Still and all, she didn’t trust him. He was too sure of himself, a bit too confident.
Letty Sue had been reduced to receiving his aid in a most undignified manner this afternoon—wearing that scratchy grain sack and having his hands on her, rubbing her limbs back to life. She’d shivered so fiercely from the cold, her brains had nearly rattled inside her head.
Yet he’d been kind to her and he had warmed her. His touch was gentle and sure and, Letty Sue admitted grudgingly, better than anything she’d ever experienced with Albert.
Chase Wheeler’s hands, filled with strength and tenderness, had made her tingle with warmth almost from the first moment they’d caressed her skin. She closed her eyes now, recalling how he’d made her feel—soft, feminine, womanly.
A thought filtered in: he’d be a wonderful lover….
Letty Sue! Your brains must be rattled today. He’s a half-breed, this side of savage, and not at all the man for you!
She punched her pillow and shifted in bed. Besides, she thought bitterly, he doesn’t even like you.
And she certainly didn’t like him, either.
The next two days sped by faster than stampeding cattle. With Jasper and Joellen’s chest packed, all details taken care of on the ranch and Chase Wheeler firmly in place as foreman, Letty Sue said a tearful goodbye to her mother. They stood on the sidewalk in Sweet Springs in front of the stagecoach that would deliver the newlyweds to the railroad station in Fort Worth. There, the journey would truly begin, and her mother would return East for the first time since she was a small child.
“Oh, Mama. I do hope you’ll have a great experience, but I’m going to miss you so much.” Letty Sue hugged her tightly, reluctant to end the embrace.
“Letty Sue, darling, I’m going to miss you, too.”
Letty Sue tugged her lower lip in, contemplating. “Maybe one day soon you’ll see fit to let me do some traveling on my own, Mama. I’ve dreamed of it thousands of times.”
Joellen chuckled. “Letty Sue, you do exaggerate. I’m going to miss that, and so much more.” Her mother’s expression changed then, and taking Letty Sue’s hands, she said, “We’ll see. But darling, you’re in the best of hands with Chase Wheeler. I want you to honor the promise you made me…that you’ll not give that man one ounce of trouble. He’s a fine man, admirable and trustworthy. He deserves your respect.”
Letty Sue flinched, hearing her mother speak more highly of Chase than she ever had of her. “Mama, please. Let’s not go over this again. I made the promise. Now, you have to promise me something—that you’ll wire me whenever you have the opportunity. I want to hear about everythin
g you do, everywhere you go.”
“I promise, darling. You’ll be hearing from me often.” She glanced down the street. “Well, then, I guess this is goodbye. Looks like Jasper is heading over here with Chase. The driver is ready to go.”
“Oh Mama, you do look lovely in your new blue traveling suit.” Suppressing the tears threatening to flow, Letty Sue watched as her mother climbed into the stagecoach. She managed a big smile for Joellen’s sake, but her mind whirled, contemplating the day she’d be getting on that stage herself.
Jasper reached her then, gave her a big bear hug and wished her well. She returned his embrace and sighed. “Take care of my mother. Please.”
Jasper’s eyes met hers as he cast her the fatherly smile, warm and loving, she was becoming accustomed to. At times Letty Sue believed the man actually cared for her. “I shall, Letty Sue. You know how much your mother means to me. You take care, too, and listen to Chase, here.” His gaze fell on Chase, who was talking with the stage driver. “Three months won’t seem like any time at all, I’m sure.”
Letty Sue ignored that statement, turning once again to her mother. “Bye, Mother. I love you.”
Joellen blew her a kiss from inside the stage. “I love you, too, Leticia Suzanne.”
Chase came up to stand beside her. Letty Sue felt his presence—the quiet, calm, commanding man who would now run the Double J. “Enjoy your trip,” he said to Jasper, shaking his hand. “And Joellen,” Chase said with a sly wink, “don’t you worry about a thing.”
Joellen smiled widely, deepening the fine crinkles around her eyes. “Thank you, Chase.” She waved to them both as the stagecoach pulled away.
Letty Sue and Chase stood there watching until the dust settled and the stagecoach was completely out of sight. “Leticia Suzanne?” he finally asked, rubbing his jaw in a pitiful attempt to hide a grin.
“Yes, that’s my formal name. Is something wrong with it?” She lifted her chin.
“No, no. It’s a fine name, I suppose. ’Course, if you were Cheyenne, you’d have a much different name.”
“I’m sure I would,” she said, feeling forlorn, as if she’d just been abandoned by her mother. But she had to admit Chase had her curiosity sparked. “What…would it be?”
Chase took her arm and guided her toward the buckboard wagon they’d come to town in. “Brave Spirited Raven.”
“Brave Spirited Raven,” she repeated, testing the name on her lips. She wasn’t sure she liked it. She’d thought a name such as White Dove might have been more appropriate, or Graceful Doe. Silly of her to even be thinking of Cheyenne names, anyway. “Why?”
Chase stopped and turned to her. He lifted a lock of her hair, studying it with his smoky silver eyes. “Your hair is the color of a raven’s, you’ve just done your darnedest to be brave, and you have a child’s spirit.”
“Oh, is that a compliment?”
“Depends.”
“What does it depend on?”
“On whether the child’s spirit is noble or spoiled and selfish.”
She stood in the street utterly at a loss for words. She watched him press forward, noting his noble gait, the strength of his broad back, and hoping for the oddest reason, one she couldn’t at all name, that he didn’t view her as a young, spoiled child.
When he reached the wagon, he turned to her, putting out his hand. A crooked smile graced his face. “You coming, Miss Leticia Suzanne?”
She allowed him to help her up, feeling the heat of his touch on her waist. A touch that elicited a sharp memory of being in that supply shack with him three days ago, his hands roaming over her near naked body, warming her to the very bone.
Once seated as far from him as possible on the buckboard, she tossed back her hair and huffed, “It’s Letty Sue to you, Mr. Wheeler.”
The man reared his head back and laughed.
Chapter Three
Letty Sue ran out of her house the minute she saw her best friend climb down from her buggy. “Sally Henderson, you’re a sight for my blistered eyes! I’m so glad you came to visit. It’s been dreadfully lonely out here.”
Sally grinned and the two hugged. “Your mother’s been gone one week, Letty Sue. How lonely can you be with all these men around to keep you company?” Sally was forever teasing Letty Sue about her string of suitors.
“I need female company, Sally. I need my best friend. Oh, I’m so glad you came.” She slipped her arm through Sally’s and headed toward the house.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner, but little Elias took sick and I had to nurse him to health. I think he was part faking it. He hates going to school, and sometimes I think he’ll do anything not to go.”
“Your little brother sure is a devil. I caught him one time down by the creek, fishing. When I asked him why he wasn’t in school, he lied to me flat out and said Miss Wheaton gave them all the day off. I know Miss Wheaton would never have done that, as dedicated as she is to her students’ education.”
“Elias sure did get a whipping for that one, Letty Sue, when Father found out about it. Elias was too darn proud of the dozen fish he’d caught, and boasted to the entire family.”
“Oh, sometimes I envy your big family, Sally. I can’t imagine having seven brothers and sisters.”
Sally agreed. “Yes, sometimes it’s real nice. I won’t speak of the times it isn’t so wonderful.”
Loud whoops and hurrahs coming from the corral caught their attention. Both women stopped and turned to see what was causing the commotion. Double J ranch hands lined the fence, waving their hats and cheering, commending a rider for taming the stallion known as Tornado.
Chase Wheeler rode the horse with smooth agility, murmuring soft words of encouragement and patting his mane. Once he’d brought the stallion to a dead halt, he slid down to the ground and slowly handed the rope to Sam Fowler. The stallion shied away from Sam, looking toward Chase, who stroked the horse once again, with a skillfulness and calm that could only be due to his Cheyenne heritage. Within minutes, Chase had earned Tornado’s trust and brought Sam into the circle of trust, as well. Sam led the horse away, and Chase dusted off his chaps.
Sally let out a deep sigh. “Oh my, so that’s the new foreman the whole town’s been talking about. He’s absolutely divine, Letty Sue.”
Letty Sue flinched. “He’s not divine, Sally. Why he’s downright…difficult.”
Sally kept her eyes focused on the man across the yard. “Don’t you dare tell me you haven’t noticed how positively handsome he is.”
“Handsome? Sally, are you blind? Why, he’s…he’s nearly a savage.”
Sally inhaled deeply. “Why yes, my friend. He’s all man. Not like those dapper gents with the three-piece suits and bowler hats you seem to prefer.”
“So I like a man of refinement. When I marry, I’d like my husband to be cultured. You know—someone uncomfortable with mud on his boots.”
“Letty Sue, you can have just about any man in Sweet Springs you want. Isn’t that good enough for you?”
Letty Sue sighed. “I want to see something of the world, Sally.”
“Oh, I bet your new foreman could take you places you’ve never ever been before.”
“Sally!”
Her friend chuckled, lifting her hand to her mouth. “That was completely sinful of me, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, it was,” Letty Sue answered, giggling. “But that’s why you’re my best friend.”
“So, did you invite him to the church social next week?”
“Heavens no. Chase Wheeler isn’t the type for church socials. Believe me, he wouldn’t go.”
Sally watched Chase close the corral gate. “Oh my, looks like he’s heading this way. I’m going to ask him, Letty Sue. I swear, I’m going to ask him.” Sally’s voice nearly squeaked with eagerness.
“Don’t you dare,” Letty Sue cautioned. But it was too late. Sally had that determined look in her eye. Letty Sue didn’t want Sally to be turned down harshly, but at least she had tried t
o warn her.
Chase took off his black hat, swiped at his forehead and smiled at Sally when he approached. “Afternoon, ladies.”
Letty Sue was forced to make introductions.
“Chase Wheeler, I’d like you to meet my friend Sally Henderson. Sally, Chase is the temporary foreman of the Double J while Mama is gone.”
Chase didn’t let her comment bother him. At least, his expression didn’t change, she noted. He continued to smile at Sally. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Henderson.”
“It’s just Sally,” she gushed.
“Sally,” he repeated with a smile and a nod.
“I came out to visit Letty Sue. I’m teaching her how to bake a pecan pie this afternoon. She’s got to put together a basket for the church social next week. You are going, aren’t you?”
“Wasn’t planning on it,” he answered, his silvery eyes meeting Letty Sue’s. “Didn’t know a thing about it.”
“Oh, well, consider yourself invited, Mr. Wheeler. The whole town usually comes out. We have games, music, and we auction off the lunch baskets. Whoever wins the bid for a particular basket lunches with the woman who made it up. I always tie a big red-and-white ribbon on my basket, and set a flower on top.”
“Sounds real pretty.” He smiled at Sally before returning his gaze to Letty Sue. “And how do you prepare your basket?”
“I, uh, Mama usually ties bows all along the handle.”
“They call it the rainbow basket,” Sally interjected, “’cause Joellen uses ribbons from all the colors of the rainbow. Everybody in town knows it’s Letty Sue’s basket. You can’t miss it. It goes for the highest price.”
“I see,” he said. “Well, I’ll have to think about going. Got a whole lot of work to do here. Don’t know if I can spare the time.”
“Oh, you have to come!” Sally’s face flushed a rosy hue.
Chase grinned, his dark eyes gleaming. “Maybe I will.”
Sally returned his smile and stared at him.
Letty Sue twisted her mouth. She wasn’t going to stand there while Chase Wheeler flirted shamelessly with Sally. And Sally…why, Letty Sue had never seen her act so bold.
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