The Rancher Takes a Cook

by Misty M. Beller

  “Anna.”

  “Hmmm…”

  “Would you do me the honor…of allowing me to court you?”

  Anna leaned her head back so she could gaze into eyes. Did he mean that? Had he said what she thought he’d said? “Really?”

  The corners of his mouth quirked as he tapped her nose. “Really.” He paused, as if thinking how to word his thoughts. “I never thought I’d marry. Always focused on the ranch and the cattle. It’s not a life many women can handle.” He pulled her back to him and tucked her head under his chin, rubbing her back with a possessive touch. “But I think I’ve realized it’s not all that important without the right woman by my side.”

  They stood there for several moments, Anna relishing his strong arms around her. At last, Jacob leaned back and tipped her chin up. “Well, are you going to keep me in suspense?”

  Anna grinned up at him. “Jacob O’Brien, I would enjoy being courted by you.”

  * * *

  Later that afternoon, Anna left the Wallace farm with a spring in her step. She’d been concerned about not seeing Ginny and her family at the celebration yesterday, so she paid them a quick visit to make sure all was well. It turned out they’d only been suffering from a passing stomach ailment. The entire family was much improved today and regaining strength. Anna had enjoyed playing with new baby, Lilly, while she shared her news with Ginny.

  Anna couldn’t fight back the smile that spread across her face as Bandita jogged along. Jacob asked to court me. It still seemed surreal.

  She kept the mare in a steady jog, too wrapped up in her thoughts to canter like they usually did. After a while, Bandita seemed to be frustrated with the slow pace and tossed her head, jerking on the reins. The disruption was enough to pull Anna from her reverie and she patted the mare’s shoulder.

  “Easy, girl. Are we moving too slow for ya?” As if in response, the mare bobbed her nose, and Anna couldn’t help but smile. She glanced around, searching for a familiar landmark. All around her was open pasture, except for a tree line far ahead and to the right. Anna nibbled her lower lip. It didn’t look like the woods she usually followed. Maybe she’d gone too far west and ended up on the other side of those trees. She aimed Bandita toward the east side of the woods and pushed her into a lope.

  They rode for a while before Anna pulled the mare back to a walk to let her rest. She followed the tree line on her right, but things were still not familiar.

  “I think we just need to go through this patch of woods and we’ll be on our normal trail,” Anna said, half to herself and half to her horse. She turned the mare toward the trees and they made their way through the pines, oaks, and walnuts, weaving as they went to clear low limbs and vines. Anna possessed a good sense of direction and did her best to keep going in a fairly straight line. The woods weren’t very large here, so they should break through onto pasture land soon.

  After a few minutes, a noise drifted across the breeze. The low mooing of cattle? She reined in Bandita and cocked her head to listen. Yes, it was definitely cattle. She must be close to the pasture where the ranch hands would be. She pushed on, turning a bit to the left toward the sound of the animals. Pretty soon, light shone through the trees ahead and a wave of relief washed over Anna.

  As she broke through the tree line, Anna found herself on the edge of the herd of longhorns. She scanned the clearing for the men. If she was honest with herself, she was really looking for one particular tall, blue-eyed cowboy. But his familiar figure wasn’t there. In fact, none of the figures were familiar. Confusion muddied her thoughts, and her mind struggled to make sense of where she might be. The cowboys all had dark features like Monty and his family, but she couldn’t see them very well from a distance. A thread of unease crept into Anna’s stomach. Who were these men?

  Anna lifted her reins to turn Bandita back toward the trees but a rope settled around her shoulders and pulled tight. An abrupt stop and a yank, and she flew through the air. She hit the ground with a thud. A loud grunt pierced the air, but her mind focused on trying to draw breath into her empty lungs. It came in short gulps at first. When she was finally able to inhale a full breath, a man leered over Anna. A boulder-sized knot formed in her stomach.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Jacob trudged toward the barn, his mount limping along behind him. Poor thing just had a stone bruise, but it had been a long walk back from the east pasture and the horse hobbled slower the farther they walked. It was still early afternoon, so he planned to catch a new mount and head back out. He’d stop in and see Anna for a minute, though. Maybe get a few cinnamon cookies if she had any left.

  Jacob removed his hat and placed it on the hall tree then turned to greet Aunt Lola. He planted a kiss on her weathered cheek and peered down the hall toward the back of the house.

  “Is Anna in the kitchen?”

  “No, lad. I thought maybe you rode back home with her.”

  “Me? I came back because my horse is lame. Where’d she go?”

  “She went avisitin’ to the Wallace farm. Been gone since late mornin’ so I ’spect her back any time now.”

  Jacob grabbed his hat and headed back out the door. Something didn’t feel right. The chill bumps on his arms weren’t there because it was cold in Texas in July. He’d just head out toward the Wallace farm and check into things.

  An hour later, Jacob sat atop Marshall and scanned the horizon. He’d been over the trail to the Wallace’s, but Everett said Anna had left there two hours ago. There was no sign of turkey vultures in the sky to signal a dead or distressed creature. Where should he start looking now? Lord, where is she? I can’t shake the feelin’ that something’s not right. Please keep her in Your hand, Lord. Keep her safe. And help me find her.

  An image of the Guadalupe River flickered through Jacob’s mind. That was her favorite spot, but it was unlike Anna to be gone all day. Of course, she knew the cattle were being pastured near the river, so maybe she had gone to find the men. That sounded like a good place to start, so Jacob urged Marshall into a canter moving toward the southeast. He followed the tree line for a while then finally found the old shortcut through the woods. The trail was a bit overgrown, so they had to slow to a walk. After an eternity, daylight shone through the trees ahead.

  Just then, voices drifted from behind Jacob. He halted Marshall and focused his attention in the direction of the sound. In the distance, cattle lowed, along with male voices calling to each other in Spanish. The little hairs on his neck prickled. The cattle and cowpunchers belonging to the Double Rocking B were still about a half mile to the east. Any men here most likely did not belong. He eased toward the sounds then dismounted and tied Marshall when he was getting close. He moved in on foot and crept to the edge of a clearing.

  Exactly what he’d expected. About fifty head of cattle munched grass or milled around, while a few men sat on horseback around the outskirts of the herd. Jacob counted six dark-skinned cowboys but found no sign of Anna. Panic welled in his chest, but he smashed it down like the lid on a Dutch oven.

  He needed help, more men. And he needed to find Anna. Each of the cattle thieves before him carried a revolver on both hips along with a rifle in the scabbard strapped to their saddles. Jacob’s own six-shot revolver was not enough bullet power to take on all the men. Even if he retrieved his rifle from his saddle, he would need back-up.

  Slipping back through the woods, Jacob mounted Marshall and urged the animal through the trees faster than he would have if he’d been thinking straight. The minute they reached open pasture, he pushed Marshall into a gallop, heading straight for the area where the rest of his men worked.

  Monty loped out to meet Jacob.

  “Bandits…” he panted, trying to catch enough air to speak. “I think they have Anna. Send Edward for the sheriff. The rest…mount up…come with me.”

  “Bo knows the way to town from here. Knows where to find the sheriff, too.” Monty’s voice was calm, fueling the fury in Jacob’s chest.

&nbs
p; “Send Edward.” He spat the words.

  “Bo’s a better choice.” Monty’s voice held an edge now, but Jacob didn’t care.

  “Monty, if that boy gets anywhere near this mess, so help me, I’ll…” He didn’t finish his sentence. What would he do? He sure couldn’t face Anna. “We’re wastin’ time. Send Edward for the sheriff, gather the boys, and come now.” He ground out each word like he was flattening them into the dirt.

  Monty raised his voice then, fighting back like a true brother. “Edward’s a man now. You know that better than any of us. We need a strategy here, and Bo’s the best one to go for the sheriff. Edward will be fine. You’ve taught him well.”

  That last line leveled Jacob like a blow to his gut. He had been teaching Edward how to be strong, think like a man. Didn’t he always tell Anna she needed to let Edward grow up and let God take care of him?

  He leveled his gaze on Monty, who returned it with a calm strength. “All right then.”

  Monty gave a nod, then spun his horse and cantered back toward the men, releasing a long whistle. The men must have been watching, because they immediately jogged their animals near, careful to skirt around the herd. Moving too quickly would only spook the cattle.

  Monty barked a few commands, and the men began loading rifles. Bo tore off in the direction of town. Within minutes, although it seemed like hours to Jacob, they were all moving at a quick canter back the way he had come.

  * * *

  Anna twisted her arm, trying again to get at the knot that held her wrists tight. She only succeeded in scraping a layer of skin on the rough bark of the tree that held her prisoner. Perspiration ran in slow beads down her face and soaked into the filthy rag they had used as a gag. In the scuffle, she’d lost her bonnet, and already the skin on her forehead and cheeks flamed from the hot sun. It felt like she’d been tied out here for days, but this was still better than what that foul-smelling low-life who’d tied her up had alluded to happening after the men returned to camp for the night. A shiver ran down Anna’s spine despite the scorching heat of the day. She had to figure out how to get away from here.

  She had no idea where she was, but it was definitely not a place she’d been before. The men had secured her to one of the trees where it appeared they’d been camping, in the woods not far from the clearing where the cattle grazed. Eight bedrolls lay around the cold ashes of a campfire. A skillet and coffee pot sat next to the fire ring, but otherwise the place was empty. The thugs must keep their food and supplies packed in their saddle bags. Snippets of male voices called to each other, but they spoke Spanish and the words were too quick for her to catch any of the phrases she’d learned.

  God, please help me! Anna struggled against the rope around her wrists again, trying in vain to loosen it even a little. What time I am afraid, I will put my trust in Thee. The verse dropped into Anna’s mind, leaving calming ripples that spread throughout her body. That verse was in Psalms if she remembered correctly.

  Cast your burden on the Lord and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. Anna had not yet cast this burden on the Lord. She had no idea how she could get out of this terrible situation…but God could do it. There was no doubt. If He could help Gideon and his three hundred men destroy an army of hundreds of thousands of warriors, He could certainly save Anna from a few thieving renegades. A peace like never before settled over her, and she almost smiled. “Thank you, Lord,” she whispered the simple prayer but meant the words with every fiber of her being.

  More time passed, and the sun continued beating down, but Anna found it bearable. All she could do for now was watch and wait.

  A shot ripped the air and Anna jumped. Men shouted and more revolver shots fired. Anna craned her neck, but the thin layer of trees blocked her view. She tried to call out, but the gag stopped all but a faint moan. The thud of heavy boots running through the leaves rose above the din of bullets and she tensed, not sure whether it would be friend or foe. A dark Mexican sprinted from tree to tree. Every few seconds, he would turn and aim his rifle at something behind him. He looked like the same man who had appeared to be in charge earlier.

  Following about thirty feet behind, another man darted through the woods at a faster clip, shooting as he ran toward them. His gait was a bit gangly, and reality washed over her like the thaw from an iceberg. Edward.

  Anna tried to scream at her brother, but the gag swallowed her words. Run, Edward! Get far away from here. Everything seemed to move in slow motion now. Her breath stopped as her brother approached, ducking low to avoid the rifle shots aimed right at him. Panic rose in her like a wild animal, and Anna wrestled against her bindings. She had to get to Edward. Get him out of this place. Get him to safety. Oh, God. Where are you?

  Cast your burden on the Lord. The verse came back to her, but Anna fought against it, still pulling at her ropes. Edward dropped out of sight through the trees, and Anna’s stomach dropped with him. No! His head reappeared, and she began to breathe again.

  But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their strength in the time of trouble. With that verse, a trickle of the peace that had come earlier washed over Anna. God, I can’t do this. You have to save my brother! Panic threatened to overpower her again.

  I will trust in the shadow of your wings. Another verse, but she had no idea where it had come from.

  You have to help me, God. Help Edward. I can’t do anything. Her shoulders slumped, and Anna was barely conscious of the tears rolling down her cheeks. She was broken. Had nothing left to give. There was nothing she could do.

  The bandit was just a few feet away from her now, and one final lunge would bring him within arm’s reach. As the man left the cover of his tree, Anna curled into as much of a ball as she could manage while restrained. The sound of gunshots was all around her now, and she kept her eyes squeezed shut, preparing for the sharp pain of metal piercing her flesh.

  A scream rent the air. A crash beside her. Then the closest gunfire stopped, although it still raged in the distance. She forced her eyes open. The Mexican lay moaning on the ground while holding his lower leg. Blood oozed from the wound.

  Edward ran the last few feet to the man, picked up the revolver that had dropped to the ground, and tucked it into his belt. He then stepped backward away from the wounded man until he reached Anna. He never turned away from the outlaw but bent down to loosen first the tie around her mouth then around her arms.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, even before the gag was loose.

  Anna still couldn’t speak, even after the cloth was removed from her face. She nodded hard but kept her eyes on the man still moaning on the ground. At last, Edward finished with the rope.

  “Stay here for a minute.” Edward picked up the heavy cord that had been tied around her wrists and bent down to secure the man’s hands behind his back. The bandit let out a painful groan, but her brother didn’t flinch. He tested the knot he’d made, added an extra loop, then turned back to Anna, leaving the man still curled on the ground.

  “Can you stand up?”

  “Yes,” Anna croaked. Her throat was so dry it hurt to speak.

  “Come on, then.” Her little brother, now her protector, grabbed both of her hands and hauled her up. She swayed a bit, so he positioned a hand under each of her elbows to hold her steady. She wasn’t sure if her light-headedness was coming from the fact that she’d been tied in the sun all day without water, or from the sight of the blood oozing out of the man’s leg not five feet away from them. She became conscious of the bullets still being fired from several directions. They were getting closer.

  “We need to get out of here.” Edward’s voice was low, urgent. “We’re going to run, so stay with me.”

  He grabbed her wrist and moved forward several steps, then looked back as if to make sure she was coming.

  “I’m right behind you.” She spoke with as much confidence as she could muster. The gunfire continued to close in. How many more bullets could the m
en have?

  Anna ran behind her brother, one hand clutching his in a death grip, the other holding up her skirts to keep from tripping. Branches tore at her face and arms, but she kept moving forward blindly. A strong force slammed into her left thigh, leaving a sharp sting. Anna kept running. She didn’t have a choice. Edward forged ahead like a stampeding cow, pulling her with him as he went. The stinging sensation became sharper until it radiated throughout her leg like a swarm of angry bees attacking. At last, the pain took over and her leg crumpled, taking Anna down with a gasp. Edward was at her side in an instant, his body crouched over her like a shield.

  “What’s wrong?” he called above the din.

  “My leg.”

  Edward took one look at the blood stain that was beginning to show through Anna’s dress where she clutched her thigh, then scooped her up in his arms and continued running.

  At last they made it to the horses, and Anna was barely aware of Edward shouting to someone as he placed her on the saddle. Someone climbed up behind her. The awful bouncing ride began, but strong arms held her tight, keeping her upright. The pain was taking so much energy now, sapping the last of her strength. She tried to focus on the house ahead in the distance, but the edges of her vision were so hazy. The haze grew larger and larger. Finally, it turned into blessed darkness.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Her leg throbbed like someone was trying to cut it off at the thigh. Anna sucked in her breath even before she opened her eyes.

  “I think she’s waking up, Doc.”

  The voice was familiar and so comfortable. The sound made the pain in her leg a little less intense. Anna carefully opened her eyes, afraid to move anything more than her eyelids. Faces crowded around her bed, a man she didn’t know on her right, Edward, Aunt Lola, Jacob…