by Chloe Carley
So far, Gideon and Shawn hadn’t noticed any missing livestock, but it never hurt to take precautions. With the railroad preparing to expand the tracks into Santa Fe, there were scores of new people moving into the area every week. New faces in town. New camps being set up.
Some of them were probably squatters, and Gideon was more than prepared to deal with anyone found trying to claim part of the Lazy L ranch as their own.
He and Jace had discussed the issue just last night and it had been decided that a stern warning to any trespassers, followed up by a visit from a small group of ranch hands and Gideon himself, would be all that was necessary to send anyone they found on their way. He truly hoped it didn’t come to that today. Gideon was one of the best shooters in the area, but that skill had only brought him trouble.
He still wore his gun belt, and his rifle hung in its holster, but he thought he might be ill if he had to use any of them on another human being.
He urged his horse toward the fence, carefully examining the posts to make sure the wires were secured to them.
He could have been back at the house, helping to cull the herds that had been gathered the last few days into the nearest pastures. It was a boring job and Gideon had wanted something away from people. Shawn had offered him several other jobs, all of which he had declined with a smile.
Besides, volunteering for this chore got him out of fixing the barn roof or cleaning out the stables. Both jobs he detested, then and now.
He rode the three miles of fence, pleased to see that it all looked to be intact and ready for the winter that would soon descend upon them.
They didn’t get any appreciable amounts of snow, but they would get some freezing temperatures, a bit of moisture here and there, and lots of wind. It was the wind that would cause the most damage and everyone on the ranch was working just a little bit harder to ensure they wouldn’t be out in the winter weather fixing something they’d neglected.
Several large trees provided Gideon a nice resting spot. He dismounted, giving Laredo time to graze on the tender grasses that grew in this area.
Laredo was the sire of his pa’s stallion and, since Gideon’s return, the mount he chose each day. He was sixteen hands high, a dark chestnut with a white star on his forehead, and very responsive to Gideon’s commands. They made a good team.
Since leaving the Lazy L ranch he’d missed having a good horse beneath him.
He removed his hat and leaned back against a tree trunk while he unpacked the lunch his ma had sent with him this morning. A few birds chattered overhead, and he looked up, trying to find them amongst the leaves.
Their chatter changed a few minutes later and Gideon frowned, wondering what had sent them into an alarmed state. A chipmunk was also calling out a warning to whatever was approaching, and Gideon put his lunch down and stood up, his hand going to his holster as he prepared for some unknown danger.
This time of year, it wasn’t uncommon for bears to wander down in search of food as they began to prepare for hibernation. Laredo lifted his head, but after a moment, he went back to grazing.
Gideon relaxed a bit, figuring whatever was in the area hadn’t spooked his horse so it probably wasn’t anything he needed to be overly concerned with either. He set his rifle up against a nearby rock, making sure it was within easy reach.
He sat back down on the ground and was just getting ready to take a bite of his sandwich when the unexpected sound of a female, talking to herself and threatening all sorts of dire consequences to an unsuspecting individual.
A male by the sound of things and Gideon wondered what the man had done to draw so much anger. When he saw the young female walking down the middle of the river, her skirts hiked up in her hands, her bonnet askew, and her flaming red hair gleaming in the sunlight, he was transfixed for a moment.
She opened her mouth again and he almost lost the battle to contain his laughter.
She was a very small woman, maybe only 5’5” tall, and yet she was threatening to do all sorts of horrible things to the man in question. A feat she would most assuredly not be able to physically pull off without help.
“Yellow-bellied pond slime. I’ve never been so angry … why, I could horsewhip him and that would be too good. Maybe I could take a page from the Comanche and tie him to a tree and let the ants have after him.”
Gideon lost his battle and barked a laugh, drawing her attention and narrowed gaze. “That’s quite a list of torture you have planned for someone.”
“Be glad it isn’t you,” she fired back, spinning toward his voice so fast she lost her balance in the river and got a mouthful of water. She sputtered as she regained her footing and glared at him. “Where did you come from?”
“I might ask you the same question as you happen to be walking in my river.” Gideon pushed away from the tree and went to stand on the bank of the river.
“Your river? No one owns a river,” she argued back.
“The river runs through our ranch, so … yes, we own it. You are currently standing in the middle of that ranch so … you’re standing in my river.”
“Oh. Well, in that case, I’m very sorry.”
She looked so forlorn Gideon couldn’t resist asking, “Why are you walking in the middle of it?”
The woman gave him a disgruntled look and sighed dramatically. “I’m walking in the river because I can’t seem to find my other shoe. That scoundrel Peter threw my shoes in the river to keep me from telling his pa what a nuisance he had become.”
Gideon hid his smile at the picture her words conjured up of a young suitor who had perhaps become too ardent in his pursuit of her hand and had overreacted to being rebuffed.
She was wet and in complete disarray, but even from a distance Gideon could tell she was beautiful. She had high cheekbones and a slightly turned up nose. Her voice had been irritated, but Gideon was sure it would sound beautiful when she was calmer.
Feeling guilty for noticing another man’s love interest he couldn’t help but ask, “And Peter is?”
“A misbehaving ten-year-old who needs a good visit to the woodshed, if you ask me,” she replied with a short laught.
Gideon was oddly relieved and happy to find out Peter wasn’t her love interest. “Your brother?” Gideon surmised, thinking back to how he and Sara Jane used to fight and tease one another.
“Ha!” She slapped the water, sending a spray of droplets in all directions. “No, if we were talking about my brother the torture would have to be much worse.”
Her smile had disappeared at the mention of her brother and Gideon felt there was probably a story there to tell, but he didn’t even know this young woman’s name, and his talking to her while she was soaking wet would make his ma shudder at the lack of propriety.
“My brother deserves to be horsewhipped and then locked up for his own good until he can see the error of his ways and repent for them.”
Gideon raised a brow at this talk and walked toward the edge of the river. “Do you normally want to cause harm to the men in your life?”
“Only the ones who deserve it,” she fired right back.
“Why don’t you come out of there and I’ll help you search for your other shoe?”
“How are you going to do that …” She stopped and bent down, reaching beneath the water and lifting a soaked shoe in her hand with an exuberant smile. “Got it!”
“Good. Now, come out of the river and tell me who you are and where you’re from. I don’t remember seeing you in town before.”
She gripped her sodden shoe to her chest. “I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”
“And why not?” Gideon demanded.
“Because I’m standing in the middle of a river and I’m wet. Go away.”
Gideon shook his head at her request. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. I can see from here that you’re shivering, and my ma would be the first one to wield a horsewhip if I left a woman in distress. Now, out you come before you catch an illness.”
He watched her shiver for two more minutes before she finally realized he wasn’t going to leave, and she was only going to get colder as time dragged on. She took a hesitant step toward him, and then more, until she reached the bank. It was a gradual slope and she trudged up onto the grass-covered bank, dropping her sodden skirts with a loud plopping sound.
She winced and raised wide eyes to his. “I’m new here.” She offered her hand. “Riley Sewell.”
“Gideon Lawson,” he said, taking her hand briefly and frowning at how cold it felt. “Tell me, Riley Sewell, what brings you to Rio Arriba?”
He watched as her face closed down, and a little alarm went off in his head when she bit her lip and refused to answer him. “How far is the town from here?”
“About ten miles.”
Her face fell even further. “Ten miles?”
Gideon nodded. Ten she did something totally unexpected. She sank down onto the muddy bank and deflated before his eyes. Gideon was concerned and squatted down, peering into her face and shocked when he saw her eyes were filled with tears.
“Hey, why the tears?”
“Ten miles is too far,” she murmured.
Gideon frowned. “There’s no need for tears. If you need a ride into town, all you have to do is ask. I can hitch up the buckboard and take you there myself…”
She looked up at him. “Really?”
For a moment, Gideon couldn’t seem to find his voice. Looking into her eyes was like looking into dark stormy clouds. He’d thought they were blue, but in actuality, they were a dark grey . Her emotions rolled through them like a storm rolled over the landscape.
He had a sudden urge to reach out to her and that stunned him so much, he found himself setting back on his heels, clenching one hand atop his thigh and the other by his hip. “A man never says something he doesn’t mean.”
She nodded and after several more minutes, wiped her face with hands that were still damp from the river. Gideon wished he had a clean handkerchief or bandana to offer her, but the only one he currently had was the one he wore around his neck. He doubted she would appreciate being offered a sweaty piece of cloth to wipe her tears away with.
He stood and extended a hand down to help her up. She looked at his hand for a long moment and Gideon knew she was seeing calluses from hard work and small white scars from years of life on the ranch.
She finally placed her small, cold hand in his, and Gideon felt as if he’d touched a fire; the energy shot up his arm and settled in his belly, making him feel an odd warmth he immediately recognized as attraction.
He mentally shook his head, telling himself that there was no way this drowned woman could possibly want anything to do with him if she wasn’t in such dire straits.
Her clothing, although wet, was fashionable and spoke volumes about the life she’d led before coming to New Mexico Territory. He gave her hand a slight tug and after a brief struggle to get her feet untangled from her sodden skirt, she rose. Gideon had known she was short, but standing next to him, the top of her head barely came up to his shoulder.
She seemed to be a bit flustered when Gideon didn’t immediately release her hand and on her second tug, he gathered his self-control and not only released her, but stepped back and cleared his throat. “We should go.”
“Thank you.”
He watched her try to make some sense out of her attire and almost found it comical when her efforts seemed to make things worse.
Her skirt was now caked with dirt and debris, and as she attempted to brush it clean, she only served to turn the dirt into mud that smeared across the blue fabric. Her bonnet hung loosely around her neck, as did most of her red hair.
It wasn’t the same color as Sara Jane’s, not as bright and shiny, but instead was a deep, rich red, almost a dark brown with streaks of red lying through the strands.
“You’re only making things worse,” he murmured, wishing he’d remained quiet when her eyes once more filled with tears. “I’m sure a good washing will set everything to rights.”
She straightened her spine and looked at him. “Can I have a ride to town? Please?”
Gideon nodded. “How about we get you back to the ranch and into some dry clothing first?”
“Uhm … I’m not sure that’s a great idea.”
“It’s a great idea. Not only because I thought of it, but my ma would skin me alive if she learned I took a female dressed in wet clothing all the way to town without trying to do something to help her. I have a sister at home who should have something clothing you can borrow while yours is laundered.”
“Skinned alive. I’ll have to add that to my list,” Riley told him.
Gideon wasn’t surprised, given her earlier comments, that she only seemed to focus on the torture he’d mentioned. “You really are a bloodthirsty thing, aren’t you?”
“Not really.” She shook her head for emphasis. “I’m not a violent person, I’m actually a very calm and collected lady.”
Gideon huffed out a laugh before he could stop himself and earned himself a glare as she continued. “But … well, being here seems to have brought out the worst in me.”
“Here, as in New Mexico Territory?”
“Yes.”
“Ah. So, you never did mention why you were in Rio Arriba?”
Riley gave him a sideways look. “I never said.”
“And why is that?” Gideon asked.
“Are you always this nosy?” Riley asked.
“Yes.” Gideon smirked as he watched her try to walk in her sodden skirts. When she approached his horse, the animal shied away. Gideon put a hand on the horse’s flank. “Easy Laredo.”
“Laredo? Is that your horse’s name?” Riley asked, stepping close enough she could now run a hand down the horse’s neck.
“Yes.” Gideon gathered up his things and stowed them away. He mounted Laredo and reached down a hand for her. “Come on, up you go.”
Riley eyed him dubiously, “Are you sure your horse can carry both of us?”
Gideon chuckled. “Positive, sprite. Laredo could carry two grown men and you’re not even the size of half of a man. Now, unless you wish to walk …”
“No, I’ve been walking for days,” she hastened to tell him.
“Days?” Gideon inquired, taking the hand she extended and then, with a swift move, he pulled her up on to the horse and seconds later she was sitting behind him. She let out a little squeak and he smiled, keeping his face forward so that she wouldn’t see.
Laredo stepped sideways, objecting to having cold water running down his flanks from her sodden skirts. “Easy, boy. You’re okay.” He soothed the horse with a hand on the side of his neck.
When she instinctively wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close, it was his turn to let out a shocked sound. She was still soaking wet, and her clothing was really cold. The moisture soaked into his shirt immediately and then they were both wet.
Gideon tightened his hand on the reins and nudged Laredo forward. “Hang on,” he called back over his shoulder and urged Laredo into a canter. When she didn’t slip, he urged the horse faster incrementally, until they were galloping toward the ranch buildings.
They rode into view of the ranch house and barns, and Gideon heard his sister send up a shout of welcome. He waved her off and headed straight for the front yard with his companion. Ma and Pa had been alerted by Sara Jane’s cry and they were waiting for him when he pulled Laredo to a stop.