No Place for a Lady (Heart of the West Book #1): A Novel

by Brendan, Maggie

  After Kate said good night, Crystal changed into her gown and hopped under the quilts. She lay in the dark for a long time, listening to the silence and thinking about the cowboys and Carmen. She had to chuckle as she remembered the hot enchiladas. It was all done in fun. They meant no harm. Life would definitely be different here.

  She slipped out of bed and walked to the desk. She pulled out some paper and dipped her pen in ink to start a letter to Drew. She told him that she had arrived safely, described the long ride to the ranch and a few details of her aunt and the cowboys, and ended with missing home and him. Does he miss me too? she wondered as she folded the letter and addressed an envelope.

  Briefly she held the letter in her hand and stared at it as if it were written in a foreign language. She’d mail it in the morning and deal with her feelings later. She was really too tired to think about them now.

  Crawling back under the quilts, she closed her eyes and thanked God for her safe trip over the treacherous mountains. She prayed that He would give her a willingness to learn this new way of life and a heart to listen for His guidance.

  Morning light spilled through the thin curtains, sending warmth across Crystal’s face. She felt a gentle nudge on her shoulder. For a moment she thought she was dreaming.

  “Honey, there’s no sleeping in’round here,” Kate said in her usual cheery but gruff voice. “Time you got up. Breakfast is on the sideboard. I brought you some britches. I’m afraid they’ll be a mite too big, you bein’so thin. And here’s a flannel shirt you can tuck in and belt. There’re hats by the door, take your pick.” She was a burst of energy, bustling around the room with such force that the floor creaked with her weight. “And here’s warm water for you to wash up with.”

  Crystal could barely get her eyes focused. “Is it really morning already?”

  “Sorry, dear. Rusty and me are riding over to Stillwater to look at some horses. Enjoy your day and don’t get overheated now, you hear?” With a kiss on Crystal’s cheek, Kate was already out the door before Crystal could murmur her thanks.

  Crystal yawned and stretched, then swung her legs over the side of the bed. She could hear the dogs barking in the distance as the buckboard rattled down the drive. Crystal had seen the tender look Rusty had given her aunt last night at supper. Something’s going on with the two of them, or my name’s not Crystal Clark.

  She gingerly put her foot on the cold floor and shuddered. The mornings were quite a bit colder than she had expected. She skipped across the floor to keep her feet from touching the cold pine boards any longer than necessary and pulled the curtain back from the window. Kurt and Jube were leading horses out to the corral, and Kurt waved as he saw her. She waved back and quickly dropped the curtain. Kurt certainly was handsome, but Crystal was not interested in cowboys at all. No matter how good-looking.

  By the time Crystal got to the dining room, everyone else had already eaten. The sideboard held fried ham and something that resembled scrambled eggs with green things in them. “Guess Mexican food is all that Carmen can cook,” she said under her breath. She chuckled as she remembered Luke’s taunt about her cooking up a Southern meal. Have to stall for time on that one. She could cook delectable pies and decent biscuits—that was about it.

  She helped herself to a cup of very strong coffee. How she would love a bowl of grits or a stack of hot pancakes.

  Carmen came in carrying a huge tray and began clearing the sideboard. “I was waiting for you to come and eat.” She slammed the dishes onto the tray.

  “Oh. Please, come and sit here with me and have a cup of coffee while I finish. I’d enjoy the company.”

  Carmen cast her a suspicious look but set the tray down. “Only for un momento. I have much to do.”

  “I won’t mince my words,” Crystal drawled. “I believe that you purposely made sure that I would eat those hot enchiladas.” When Carmen’s face flushed red, Crystal held up her hand. “Never mind apologizing, I just wanted to let you know I may be a greenhorn, but I catch on fast. I don’t intend to get in your way here. Besides, I’m here for only a short time, and I don’t need any enemies. Do you think we could just try to be friends and start over?”

  “Sí, señorita. I am sorry. It was just a little joke.” Carmen looked down at her bare toes sticking out of her sandals.

  “Good.” Crystal sighed with relief. “Please call me Crystal.”

  Carmen’s wide, flashing grin was her response.

  3

  Early morning, before the rest of the world was stirring, was Luke’s favorite time of day. He’d been up a while already, puttering around the tack room. He liked things neat and tidy. The cowboys didn’t always put things back in their respective places, even though they’d all been warned to.

  Thoughts of the trail drive in the not-too-distant future filled his mind. He’d have to hire a few more hands to move the cattle to Denver. Unlike last year, the pastures were rich and high. He could either let the herd fatten up a little more, which could raise the price per pound but risk the market falling, or go ahead to make plans to ship them from Denver to Chicago. He’d have to talk it over with Kate and Rusty.

  He saddled two sorrels and was just leading them out of the barn when he noticed Crystal walking toward him. He patted Buck’s muscular neck to control his laughter as his eyes took in Crystal’s wide, baggy britches, which seemed to swallow her small frame. They were cinched at the waist, defying them to fall down. Her plaid flannel shirt, open at the throat, exposed a slender, white neck. The long sleeves had been clumsily rolled at the cuff just above her delicate wrists. To ward off the sun’s strong rays, Crystal had chosen a wide straw sombrero that almost hid her eyes from view. She was swinging a knapsack that held their lunches. There was something awfully sweet and innocent about Crystal that was reflected in her countenance. Careful, Luke. Don’t let those wide eyes fool you.

  “What are you staring at?” she asked. She tilted the oversized hat back to look up into his face.

  “Mornin’, ma’am. Don’t you think you’d better lace those shoes a bit tighter?” He struggled to keep his face somber.

  Crystal looked down at the brogans she’d borrowed from Kate and frowned. “They are a little on the big side, aren’t they? Besides, they have very little style.”

  “They’re not meant to. Kate uses those for hiking and working in the garden.” Luke slipped the bridle over the horse’s head and the bit into her mouth. “This is Bess. You’ll like her. She’s real gentle and knows her way around these parts by heart. Buck here is a mite feisty with certain folk, ain’t that right, fella?”

  Buck stamped his hoof, tossed his beautiful mane, and snorted. Luke watched as Crystal let Bess nuzzle her hand, looking for a treat.

  “Hello there, girl.” Her low voice was as smooth as warm honey as she ran her hand down the horse’s cinnamon-brown side. “You’re a real beauty,” she cooed, patting the ripple of muscles on Bess’s side. Gathering the reins in her left hand and placing her left foot in the stirrup, Crystal reached for the pommel with her right hand and pulled herself into the saddle before Luke could offer assistance.

  “You seem to know a little about horses.” Luke raised a dark brow in surprise.

  Crystal smiled down at him and then explained, “My father did have some fine riding horses once. He taught me a little. We didn’t just sit on the front porch all day fanning ourselves, you know.” She threw her head back, and rich, silvery laughter bubbled out.

  From where Crystal sat she could see Luke’s shiny black hair, fine and straight across a deep forehead looking naked without his hat. His shoulders were as broad as a mule’s back, and he was small hipped. Without a doubt, he had the longest legs she had ever seen, and large hands and feet. Those hands, despite their size, stroked Buck’s withers with affection. She couldn’t help but compare him to Drew, whose slight frame was always impeccably dressed for whatever occasion—from his clipped, groomed hair and neat, clean fingernails all the way down to his
shiny black shoes. Two totally different people, Drew and Luke. Now why was she even comparing? Luke meant nothing to her, and—she’d wait for God’s direction on Drew.

  Realizing that she was staring, Crystal nudged Bess out of the corral with a poke of her heel.

  Plucking his hat from the fence post, Luke mounted Buck and came abreast. “We’ll ride down to the lower pasture and let you get a look at some prime beef, and then back along the Blue River. If you get tired, just say so, and we’ll take a rest and have that lunch Carmen packed for us.”

  He led the way down the drive and away from the house, following a trail lined with thick aspens, their leaves rustling on the early morning breeze. Columbines of violet blue were scattered in their wild fashion, and chipmunks scurried across the rocks. The trail widened, and Luke spurred Buck into a light canter across the valley floor, glancing over his shoulder at Crystal. She knew he was surprised at her riding skills by the look on his face.

  The flat trail gave way to a narrow, rocky incline as Luke slowed Buck to a walk. They were climbing now, and Bess picked her way among the rocks for sure footing. Crystal figured Bess knew the trail so well she could have been blindfolded, and she realized she would be safe on the horse’s broad back anywhere.

  Luke stopped in a sheltered thicket of spruce trees, swung off his mount, and turned to help Crystal down.

  “Come along, I want to show you something.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her partway up to the rocky ledge. “Watch your step now.”

  The rock-strewn pathway eventually led them above the timberline. Crystal was panting as they reached the top of the ridge. The altitude made it difficult for her to catch her breath. From this vantage point she could see the mountains to her left, craggy and purple with their snow-capped peaks. On the other side, tall spruces and firs surrounded a wide, deep canyon. Water rushed below, spilling over rocks worn flat and shiny by its never-ending flow. It was so quiet with just the stirring wind lifting the pine boughs with its gentle rustle. In the distance, a hawk soared with ease and grace with the crystal blue sky as its backdrop.

  “It’s so beautiful.” Crystal stood transfixed. Luke’s face reflected such peace as he looked out over the canyon that Crystal sensed his true love of this beautiful land. Up here the wind was so strong that she had to use one hand to hold her blowing hair out of her line of vision and the other hand to hold her hat in place. A small thrill pricked her soul. Ah . . . God was so big, and His handiwork displayed His nature. Everything seemed well in the world today.

  “This is where I’ll have my own place someday. It has fertile pasture land just perfect for raising cattle,” Luke said.

  “Who owns it now?”

  “Jim McBride, but I’m pretty sure he’ll sell to me. I’ve been saving for a long time . . . Shoot! What’s a few measly acres to him when he owns hundreds? You’ll meet his family at the party Friday night.” Luke stepped closer to the ridge and gazed out at the grand landscape before him. His conscience pricked him about the conversation he’d had with McBride concerning his daughter’s hand in marriage and the parcel of land.

  Luke propped one foot on a huge rock and placed an elbow on his knee. “Yep, this time next year, I’ll have me a snug cabin nestled in those pines and a few head of cattle to boot.” His jaw was set with a determined angle as his heavy dark brows knitted together in thought.

  “How about a wife and children? Do they figure in your ideal picture?”

  “Yessiree, they do. But it will take a strong and determined woman who would have to make sacrifices till we get on our feet. What I need, Miss Clark, is a partner.”

  “Sounds like you want a workhorse to me.” Her eyes flashed.

  “Afraid of hard work? Listen, little missy, this part of the country was founded on hardworking men and women. They had big dreams. Some didn’t make it, but I intend to. It’s pure struggle against the elements and nature just to survive, but that’s part of the challenge, and I like a challenge.”

  Luke thought of his parents, who had worked so hard to scrape out a meager living but never owned much before typhoid took them. How or why Luke had survived, he wasn’t sure.

  “Is that why you brought me up here? Proposing already? And we don’t even know each other,” she teased with a lopsided smile.

  Luke became flustered. “Why, heck no. I . . . just wanted to show you what I have in mind someday.”

  She turned to face him but in her haste tripped over her large shoes. She fell hard against Luke and sent them both sprawling in the underbrush.

  “What—” Luke muttered under his breath while he stared into Crystal’s emerald eyes. Her weight atop him was light and soft. She struggled to untangle her legs from his.

  “I’m so sorry.” Crystal’s face flamed red.

  Luke continued to hold her against him. He could feel the outline of her legs through her britches. Luke knew he smelled of leather and horses mixed with soap, and he wondered if Crystal considered the smell offensive. She, on the other hand, smelled fresh with a light fragrance he couldn’t place.

  “It’s all right, greenhorn. Guess Kate’s shoes are real hard to fill.” The corners of his moustache twitched as he chuckled, and for one long moment they assessed one another. Her eyes were large and sparkled such that Luke had a hard time dragging his own eyes away. Crystal’s nearness was somehow unsettling. He released her and helped her to her feet. He retrieved her sombrero and slammed it none too gently on her head. Dusting off his own hat, he headed to where they had tied the horses. “Better get moving, if I’m gonna show you the ranch.”

  Crystal plodded behind Luke, thinking about what he’d just told her. One would think he already had someone who wanted to share his life by now. She wasn’t good at guessing his age. No matter. She’d never be anybody’s workhorse.

  The ride to the summer pasture was a long but beautiful one. Crystal loved the smell of the spruces and the quietness that surrounded them, but the fragrance was soon replaced by the smell and sound of bawling cattle long before they came into view.

  Crystal saw Curly acknowledge them as he spurred his horse forward, reining in alongside them on the edge of the pasture. He mopped his freckled face with his bandana, spat a stream of tobacco, and crossed his wrists over the pommel of the saddle, grinning at Crystal. “So, what do you think of Aspengold so far, Miss Clark?”

  “I’m impressed, Curly. But please, don’t be so formal. You can call me Miss Crystal.” Her voice was cheerful.

  “Be my pleasure, ma’am.” He tipped his hat, then turned to Luke. “I’ve been rounding up strays. They’re getting purty fat. Reckon we’ll get a good price for these steers in Denver?”

  Crystal saw the admiration in Curly’s eyes and how he hung on to everything Luke said as they talked. It seemed that Luke affected everyone that way. Kate had told her that the cowpunchers admired and respected him. He had a way of conveying to even the youngest and most unskilled hands that they were all worth something to him.

  Coming from the other side of the pasture, Kurt waved his hat in greeting at Crystal. Luke’s eyes narrowed, and he said, “I better get you out of their sight, Crystal, or I’ll never get a lick of work out of’em.”

  “See ya at supper, Miss Crystal,” Curly said. He doffed his hat and quickly galloped off, leaving dust in his wake.

  Crystal and Luke stopped in an aspen grove and had lunch. She had never seen so many wildflowers blooming in one spot. As they munched on thick slices of roast with hearty chunks of bread, Luke told her the names of the flowers—lupines, mountain laurels, columbines, and asters. He surprised her at his knowledge. Crystal was pleased that he would bother to learn them and figured he must have a tender side. After sweet strawberries for dessert, Crystal complained of a headache.

  “Altitude affects most people that way until their body gets used to breathing thinner air.” Luke didn’t act concerned about it. “It might take a few weeks for you to adjust.”

  The way she was feelin
g, Crystal wasn’t sure she ever would.

  By late afternoon they were back at the ranch, and Crystal felt like her head was going to split in half. She was hot, tired, and thirsty. Luke had to help her down from Bess’s back and half carry her to the porch.

  “Miss Crystal! Can’t you stand up? I reckon this fine Colorado air just don’t agree with Southern gentility.”

  The sarcasm in his voice was just enough to set Crystal’s teeth on edge. “Go ahead! Just leave me alone to die right here on the porch.” She could still hear him laughing as he left the porch and led the horses to the barn.

  Over his shoulder he yelled, “Carmen will take care of you!”

  Carmen scurried out to help Crystal inside to her bedroom, took off the brogans, and loosened her shirt. “You just lie right there, and I’ll bring you something cool to drink and something for that headache. Poor thing.”

  When Crystal didn’t appear at supper, Luke and the other hands were disappointed. Kate explained to all of them that they’d have to remember that Crystal was not used to the altitude.

  “Tenderfoot, all right,” Luke commented. “Just gonna get in the way here with the trail drive an’all.”

  Kate shot him a quizzical look. “Crystal is strong, like my sister Anne was, in spite of all her fluff and outward appearance, I’ll have you know.”

  Luke felt a little rebuffed by Kate. It rankled him that it even mattered to him in the first place, and he tried to put Crystal out of his mind. He had too many things to think about to let a female get in his way.

  4

  The morning light bathed Crystal’s face in warmth, waking her to the realization that she must have slept through the night. Carmen had left a glass of water next to the bed for her. The headache was gone, but she was still very thirsty. She stretched and reached for her wrap, groaning as every muscle protested with soreness. What must the others be thinking? Lazy Southern belle used to sleeping late and whiling away the hours. Crystal smiled. Actually, that wasn’t too far from the truth. She washed her face and pinned her long hair up. She was determined that she would earn their respect, but how, she wasn’t sure.