The Texas Rancher

by Jane Corrie

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  with Patsy, she was able to get a close picture of the back of his head, studying him without his knowledge. It was a fine head, almost leonine, she thought, but then he was a proud man, and very much a king of his own domain.

  Her eyes left his head and she looked out of the window in front of her, then as if compelled, towards the driving mirror just above Kade's head, and she knew a sense of utter frustration when her eyes met his. So he had known she had been studying him!

  'I was with your grandfather when you called through,' he said casually, telling Josie that he had correctly assessed her earlier thoughts. Nothing more was said on this point, but it gave Josie much food for thought.

  As they neared Patsy's home town. Patsy gave directions to Kade after he had refused to drop her at the nearest point and insisted on going the whole way. At this Josie was relieved, for Patsy had been a little vague as to precisely where she lived in the town, and Josie had suspected that it was a little further than she would have wanted the other girl to walk in her condition. That Kade was of the same opinion was proved by his insistence on taking her all the way.

  When they eventually reached the town and Patsy told Kade to turn off the main street and down a side street and eventually out the other side of the town, Josie was given confirmation of her earlier suspicions. The houses they passed were grouped together in small clumps, and Josie could see they were in what might be termed as 'out of town' areas.

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  All this time Patsy talked profusely about this and that, and how she would like to hear from Josie on how she fared on the job-hunting quest. and perhaps they might even land up at the same school, making Josie seriously consider taking the plaster off her knee and placing it on her mouth, but she managed to answer politely enough.

  On reaching Patsy's home, Kade saw her to the door, and within minutes Josie was being ushered into the house by a very relieved Mrs Hather, and sitting down in the shabby but clean living room

  accepting a cup of coffee.

  To Josie's discomfort, Patsy related how they had met, and had to listen to Mrs Hather's sympathetic remarks on how Patsy was having the same trouble in getting fixed up with work, and

  Kade sitting there looking so relaxed, taking it all

  in and not saying a word. Josie didn't know which was the more embarrassing, but after a second's thought she did know, and shrank further into her chair when she remembered what she had said

  about the job she did have!

  This time, however, fate smiled kindly on her,

  for Kade abruptly terminated any further discus

  sion by declaring that they must be on their way,

  and Josie all but ran to the door.

  Although she would have preferred to have sat

  in the back seat, Kade gave her no opportunity by

  opening the front passenger door and waiting for

  her to get in. The car door closed on her with an

  ominous tight click, and Josie knew a feeling of

  panic, for which she roundly scolded herself. He

  had to know some time that she wasn't going to be

  coerced into accepting whatever work he had got

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  lined up for her�but she wished he hadn't found

  out this way. It wasn't as if she had been successful,

  she thought miserably, and could tell him without fear or favour that she had another post to go to.

  Hearing Patsy's tale of woe hadn't helped either, she mused bitterly, but it would certainly give

  Kade an added incentive to push home his offer of

  employment.

  The miles slipped by and Josie waited apprehensively for the inevitable questions, and sneaking a quick glance at the silent Kade beside her, found herself puzzled by his apparent absorption of ^ the road ahead, yet she knew his thoughts were elsewhere, and somehow sensed they were not on her.

  His almost conversational, 'I think we'll be able to offer Patsy a job, we're still short-staffed at the school,' was his first remark. He was silent for a second or so, then went on in the same casual tone, 'Have to find her lodgings, of course, but I guess she won't mind that.'

  A shocked Josie found herself wondering if he expected her to endorse this suggestion, and looked away out of the window. She was glad for Patsy, of course, she told herself fiercely, and she did need a job, more so than Josie did, but that wasn't the point. Kade hadn't given her a chance to apply for a post�hadn't even bothered to recommend her� and, she reminded herself tightly, he had actually told Miss Plumstead that she wasn't interested! She swallowed hard. Yet here he was offering a post to a total stranger�why, she thought wildly. Patsy might have robbed her grandfather and grandmother for all he knew, yet he didn't care�it was just her, Josie, that he'd got it in for.

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  'Well, don't you think it's a good idea?' he en- quired smoothly, rubbing the salt in the wound. Josie acknowledged silently.

  'A very good idea, she managed to answer, making her voice as casual as his. 'She's a very sv/eet girl, and she hasn't had an easy time of it by the look of things.' It was true, she told herself relentlessly, she oughtn't to begrudge Patsy a chance�her good luck was Josie West's bad luck.

  'Now about this job you're trying to get,' he began airily, and Josie clenched her teeth. It he as much as dared to advise her to stay on at Blue Mount ... 'I wouldn't bother,' he went on inexorably. 'I've already told you, I've plans for you.' He gave her a swift look, then paid attention to the road again. 'The trouble with you is, you don't listen to what you're told,' he added musingly, then shot out at her, "Why do you think I stopped you from getting a job at the new school?'

  Josie's hands clenched into small fists. 'I don't have to ask why,' she replied bitterly. 'I know why, so I can see no point in wasting my breath by asking.'

  'You'll be lucky if you have any breath left by the time I've finished with you,' he growled ominously, and still more ominously pulled up in a layby and sat looking at her.

  After giving him one defiant look Josie looked away from him and out to the twinkling lights of a nearby town. 'It's all right,' she said wearily, suddenly tired of the whole wretched business. 'You don't have to explain anything.' She looked back at him, still keeping that close watch on her. 'You don't usually dot the i's, do you? So why bother

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  now? Tell .me one thing,' she said scathingly, 'would I have got the job at the school if I'd helped you get Carella?'

  The swift indrawn breath told her she was treading on dangerous ground, but she didn't care. 'No!' he bit out harshly. 'There was just no way that you'd have got any job, let alone the school

  job.' It was Josie's turn to draw in a quick breath; well, she had asked for it, hadn't she? 'Thank you,' she said quietly. "Do you mind if we go now? I'm sure my grandfather will be wondering where I've got to.' 'Don't you want to know why I won't let you get a job?' he asked softly.

  Here we go again, thought Josie tiredly, and he

  was accusing her of not listening to what he said!

  Her silence gave him the go-ahead. He seemed

  determined to tell her, and sick as she was with the

  whole'subject, she might as well let him get it over

  with.

  'I want to marry you,' he said, giving her a hard

  look as if daring her to interrupt him, 'and while I

  hold moderate views on quite a number of sub

  jects, no wife of mine works for anyone else. Not,'

  he added grandly, 'that she'll have time. I intend

  to make quite sure of that.'

  Josie's first stunned thoughts, when she was able

  to think, that was, was that Kade must have

  wanted Carella more than she had realised, then

  common sense took over. He wasn't the sort of man

  to go that far.
'How long have you had this in

  mind?' she asked in a voice decidedly unlike her

  awn.

  ���..

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  Kade grinned wickedly. 'Ever since you told me I ought to be ashamed of myself for bullying an old man,' he drawled. 'Took me back to my schooldays� you just had to be a schoolmarm. The rest was easy.'

  Josie stared at him. 'The rest?' she asked, trying to sound casual, but her feelings gave her away and it came out in a kind of squeak.

  Again Kade grinned. 'Maryanne,' he said gently. 'She was due back the week I met you. I cabled her parents for permission to keep her with me. She'd been booked in at a Houston boarding school, and she hadn't been looking forward to it, so there was no problem in telling her that she was to stay with me.'

  Josie looked down at her hands; it didn't seem possible, yet he had no reason to lie to her. 'You didn't give me the impression of being struck with me when I spoke to you in the main street,' she said in a small uncertain voice.

  'Ah, yes,' drawled Kade. 'But I hadn't quite got you figured then, but I guessed it I riled you enough you'd offer to pay for that fencing�and you did.'

  Josie drew in a deep breath. 'You knew I'd put that fence up, didn't you?' she challenged him.

  He nodded. 'Your grandfather might be getting on in years, but he's not that old,' he drawled softly.

  Josie swallowed. 'You mean to tell me that I worried myself sick over the possibility of you having a row with Gramps over it, and you sit there and calmly tell me � .' She was lost for words tor a second or so, then asked curiously, 'What

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  would you have done it I hadn't offered to pay for the fencing?' --'

  'Sent you a whacking big bill,' he replied casually. 'To the store, of course,' he added wickedly. 'You don't think I called in the store that day by accident, do you?'

  Josie's wide eyes studied him. She hadn't thought of that, Lucy had told her that he rarely came to town. 'Taking a chance, weren't you? Tangling with a gold-digger?' she asked in a small bitter voice. 'You must have heard what the townsfolk were saying about me.'

  Kade's mouth hardened. 'I heard,' he said harshly, 'but you never gave me credit for disbelieving the gossip. You still find it hard to see me as an ordinary man, don't you? I've got to be after something, haven't I? If it wasn't Carella, it would be something else, wouldn't it?' he said bitterly. 'Well, just for the record, I've got Carella. Old Joseph saw how it was. We've been working on plans for combining the two properties. If I'd only wanted Carella you could have had that damned

  school job. Still can,' he added savagely. 'It seems to be all you do want 1'

  Josie closed her eyes; why had she to spoil everything now? Was it because she couldn't believe that a man as fine as Kade could care for her. 'Kade, I'm sorry�I...' she began.

  'Forget it,' he said curtly. 'Spare me the "sorry" bit. I'm sorry too�but at least I know where I stand.'

  The car engine was switched into life and Josie dumbly watched Kade's strong hands grip the steering wheel and sw.ing the big car back on to the

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  road again. She'd had her chance and completely muffed it. She doubted if she'd ever see him again.

  The rest of the journey seemed to last a lifetime. Josie sat huddled in her seat. She wanted to cry, but refused to let herself go. The silence that had fallen between them seemed as impregnable as a wall of steel, and she was powerless to break it.

  When eventually the car swung into Carella's drive, Josie had reached rock bottom, and when Kade's hand reached out to unlock her door she stared dully at his lean strong fingers as he jerked the catch back, and before he had had time to draw back, her hand timidly touched his. She wanted to tell him she loved him, but the words wouldn't come, and this was the only way she felt she could convey her feelings to him, but her breath caught in her throat when he gently removed her hand from his, as if to say, 'Don't feel bad about it. I

  understand.' Her throat was dry when she got out of the car, and she summoned all her will power to say,

  �Thank you, Kade, for everything,' and rushed for the door. It he had really loved her he would have understood her small but telling action, but he hadn't. His pride had got in the way. Her hand was on the door catch when she was

  swung round hard and into his arms before she could draw breath, and being kissed in no uncertain manner. 'Damn you . .' he said against her bruised lips. 'Tell me you love me! You didn't think I'd let you go, did you?' He shook her, his fingers bruising her shoulders. 'Say it out loud,' he

  commanded. Josie had barely enough breath to comply, and it

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  came out in a whisper, but Kade wasn't satisfied. 'Louder,' he ordered in his autocratic way. 'I want the whole town to hear it.'

  She tried again, and it sounded no louder than the last words, but it satisfied Kade, who pulled her close to him again. 'I meant to let you reconsider your position,' he drawled in a teasing tone. 'I thought perhaps a day or so might do the trick.' His voice altered as he said, 'I was pretty sure you felt the same way about me, in spite of the set-downs you kept handing out. You don't think I go around kissing girls, do you? If you're half as bright as your grandfather states you are. you ought to have known I was telling you you belonged to me.'

  Josie nestled closer to him and sighed contentedly. She had known, or part of her had known His kiss had been his seal on her, just as she had felt it was, but she had been his long before that, and he had known it. She reached up and kissed his strong jaw. 'And to think,' she whispered, "I tried so hard not to love you!'

  He looked down at her upturned face and kissed her swiftly. 'And don't I know it,' he growled, 'but you hadn't a chance, and I think you knew it.' A thought suddenly struck him then, and he gave her

  a. suspicious look. 'By the way, do you suffer from hay fever?' he asked. Josie giggled, and received a shake. 'I'm afraid not,' she said with a mischievous look in her eyes.

  �I thought you were apologising for not recommending me for a school job.' ^ Kade grinned. 'In a way, I suppose I was. Ei it was heart's desire, by the way,' he told her with a

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  twinkle in his eye, 'but as I said, for a teacher it took you a long time to get the message.'

  'Well,' murmured Josie consideringly, 'we weren't exactly hitting it off at the time, if I remember rightly. Even so,' she said, as she wound her arms round his waist, 'I did keep them in my bedroom.'

  Kade's lips came down on hers as he whispered, "I'll have a huge bowl of them waiting for you in our room at Blue Mount.'