Dusk came quickly in the mountains and cast shadows against the backdrop of spruces and firs, adding velvet gentleness to the evening air. Josh and Crystal fell into an easy conversation on the ride to Rocking M Ranch. She found that he was easy to talk with, and she enjoyed his conversation.
“I should have been over sooner, but I wanted to give you some time to yourself after Kate’s death,” he said.
At the mention of Kate’s name, Crystal’s smile faded. “I miss her terribly. She was such a good person. More like a second mother to me. It’s hard for me to understand why this had to happen. I miss her so.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring this up to make you feel sad. Let’s change the subject. Do you think you’ll stay or return to Georgia?”
“For the moment, I am going to stay, Josh. I just need to think about what I’m going to do. Even if I went back to Georgia, I’m not certain what I would do or where I could stay.”
Crystal saw him swallow hard and his Adam’s apple bob when she used his Christian name. He covered her hand with his and said, “I’ll be right here if you have need of assistance, or if I can help you with the ranch in any way.”
“Thanks so much.” The feel of his hand on hers was warm and reassuring and not unwelcome, and she squeezed back. “Luke and I should be able to handle the ranch now.”
Josh pulled back sharply at the mention of Luke’s name. “I would be delighted to teach you the particulars of ranching.”
Crystal smiled. “To tell you the truth, Rusty is going to teach me what I need to know, but thank you, Josh. It’s sweet of you to offer.”
By the time Crystal and Josh arrived, the party was already under way, and strains of a waltz floated on the cool night air. Crystal stared with incredulity at the enormity of the house at the Rocking M Ranch. It was a grand, two-story structure of Victorian architecture with porches delicately trimmed in gingerbread scroll and painted a bright yellow—at least as near as she could tell by the burning gaslights on the veranda. The front lawn was filled with beautiful shrubs and studded with statuary. Amidst the garden were heavy wrought-iron benches placed here and there, which lent a tactful balance to the landscaping. Bright lights beckoned from every window, extending warm greetings to the arriving guests.
“Josh, it’s so magnificent! I had no idea your home was so beautiful,” Crystal exclaimed.
“Thank you. It’s large enough to house two families with ease,” he said with obvious pride in his voice.
When they stopped in the circular drive, a groom took charge of the buggy while another assisted them down. Josh took Crystal’s gloved hand and led her inside. April and her father greeted newcomers in the foyer, where exquisite imported tile covered the floor. Ornate mirrors and tall green ferns flanked either side of the massive doorway.
“Good evening, Miss Clark. I hope the ride wasn’t too long or uncomfortable for you,” Jim McBride said. Crystal eyed him coolly. After their conversation the day of the funeral, she wasn’t sure what to make of him. She intended to take him one day at a time.
“It was a very pleasant ride, thank you,” she murmured, allowing him to take her shawl. April was bedecked in a gown the color of moonlight. With her silvery blonde hair, the gown made her appear ethereal and angelic, and Crystal reminded herself that this was just an illusion. She wished her happy birthday and added, “Your gown is lovely, April.”
“Daddy had it made especially for me the last time he was in Denver. Wasn’t that sweet of him?” she gushed.
McBride puffed out his chest, and the buttons threatened to pop open his gray silk vest. “Nothing’s too good for my baby’s birthday.” He beamed at April.
The two of them were making Crystal nauseated.
Josh touched her elbow. “Come along, Crystal. Let’s get some refreshments, and I’ll introduce you around.” Crystal was glad for an excuse to escape.
Josh guided her toward a large room where the rugs had been removed to allow for dancing. Sounds of laughter filled the room, and couples swept across the gleaming hardwood floor to the latest tunes being played by a stringed orchestra. From across the room, Emily and Beth stood talking with Bill Alden, but when they saw Crystal and Josh enter the room, they hurried over to greet them.
“We’ve been waiting for you.” Beth threw a friendly smile to Josh and Crystal.
“Did you come together?” Emily asked. She glanced around the room in obvious anticipation.
“Yes, we did. It’s so good to see you both. I’ve been starved for some female companionship. Since Carmen left, I’ve been stuck way out there on the ranch with no one but cowboys, and I’m starting to talk to myself out loud.” Crystal laughed.
“Well . . . some can be quite nice to talk to.” Emily replied, a sharp edge to her voice.
Knowing she’d hit a nerve, Crystal considered Emily’s comment. Who was she looking for? The proverbially charming Luke? Somehow he didn’t seem to fit sweet, shy Emily’s demeanor. She followed Emily’s eyes to the entrance. Jube, Kurt, and Curly stood at the edge of the dancing and surveyed the room. Ah . . . just as I thought. It’s Jube she’s sweet on.
“I’ll get us some punch,” Josh said as he moved toward the huge silver bowl. “I’m a little thirsty after that ride.”
“Such a large party. There must be close to a hundred people here,” Crystal commented to no one in particular.
Emily nodded, her brown curls bobbing. “When McBride throws a party, he spares no expense.”
“Especially when it comes to his precious April,” Beth said after Josh was out of earshot.
“I thought y’all were good friends.” Crystal arched one eyebrow in doubt.
“If you want to call it that. April won’t let anyone get too close,” Beth confided. “She likes to boss everyone around, including Luke.”
“Shh . . . here comes Josh with our punch,” Emily warned.
Soon Crystal was pulled onto the crowded dance floor and once again felt light on her feet. How she loved to dance. It made her forget all her troubles, and she was caught up in the thrill of the flirting, the music, and the laughter. This was like a dose of medicine for her spirit.
In one dance, every few minutes the music would stop, someone would call out “Change partners,” and there would be a mad rush to grab a new partner. She met a rugged-looking sheepherder, a Colorado senator, and a wealthy miner up from Leadville. Each of them in turn reveled at her charm and friendliness. It wasn’t long before she found herself in Bill Alden’s arms. His angular body felt bony against her as he tried to hold her close.
“You look wonderful tonight, Miss Crystal.” Bill’s eyes swept over Crystal with obvious approval. But Crystal kept a space between them and was glad when the song ended.
“Excuse me, please,” she said, extricating her hand from his. She headed to where Mary Franklin and Sara Johnson were sitting. “Are you having a good time?” Mary asked.
“Oh, wonderful!” Crystal’s eyes swept the dance floor until she saw Luke with April. She stiffened while she watched the two of them dancing. His head was bent down toward hers, almost reaching his shoulder. They made a fine-looking couple.
Hot jealousy flashed through her. She sat like a lump of cornmeal through two slow waltzes, refusing offers to dance and pretending that the two of them did not exist. When she could no longer sit and watch the way Luke held April, she decided to seek out Jim McBride. She found him talking with the senator and John Franklin.
“Pardon me for intruding, but could I speak with you privately, Mr. McBride?” she said. Her heart pounded.
He cleared his throat. “Certainly. Shall we go into the library?” He turned to the two men and said, “I won’t be but a moment.”
She followed him past the dining room and down a hall to an impressive room lined with books and paintings. He pointed to a stuffed chair and bade her to have a seat. He sat on the corner of his desk and, after a pregnant silence, said, “Well? You wish to discuss something?”<
br />
“Mr. McBride, I wasn’t aware until today how much my aunt had borrowed from you. I found the note in her desk. Now I understand why you wanted to buy me out.” She swallowed hard. Her mouth always turned dry when she became nervous. After all, what did she know about running a cattle ranch?
“Yes, sad to say, the blizzard of’87 was hard on us all. Many of the smaller ranchers went under. But since my property joined Kate’s, I felt an obligation to at least help her out. I tried to buy Aspengold, but she adamantly refused and said she’d get the money somewhere. I loaned her the money with a promise that it would be paid off in December of this year. I was very generous, giving her five years to come up with the money.”
Crystal wasn’t taken in by his bragging tone. “I think you knew she wouldn’t be able to come up with the money, and now you want the property that meant so much to my aunt and uncle, particularly since it adjoins yours near the Blue River.”
“What do you propose to do with the debt that you’ve now inherited, Miss Clark?” He looked at her with his brown eyes glinting—or were they mocking? An extension of a loan couldn’t make that much difference to one so wealthy, could it?
Crystal finally found her voice. “I need more time. I am going to see that the cattle get to market. I’ll pay you back with interest.” “You seem mighty sure of yourself for someone who doesn’t know one end of a steer from the other,” he said.
“I’m a fast learner, Mr. McBride. Just sit back and watch me.” She stood up to leave.
“Good luck. Just remember, end of December, Aspengold will belong to me if you don’t play your cards right. I know Josh is already sweet on you, but that won’t hold water with me. That you can count on!” He showed her the door. Her face flamed hotly under his gaze.
“I would never use Josh to keep Aspengold.”
“Yes, he’s kindhearted to a fault.” Crystal could see the small muscle in his jaw flinch, indicating that he found this whole conversation irritating. She stormed down the hall, so angry that she ran straight into Rusty.
“Whoa there! Where you rushing to?” He steadied her arm.
“Rusty, walk with me outside a moment please.” She looked around for the nearest door.
Rusty led the way to a bench away from the house. She told him of the loan and conversation that had just taken place with McBride.
“I don’t trust him. I never have,” Rusty said. “He has always wanted Kate’s land. Some people just never have enough money and wealth.” His weathered eyes looked back at hers with concern. “We’ll make it. This year will be a good one for us. Next week I’m gonna give you some quick training about all there is to know about ranching, little missy.” He clasped her hand with his rough, callused one, and Crystal could feel his strength.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you or Luke. I may have bit off more than I can chew this time.” She sighed.
“Now don’t you go worrying your pretty little head. Things will work themselves out. We should have a decent roundup this fall, and we’ll wait until just the right time to get the cattle to market. Fatten those dogies up, and if we’re lucky the price of beef will go up too.” He sounded so convincing that Crystal could only hope he would be right.
“Besides, I’m not just doing this for you.” His voice grew softer. “I’m doing it for Kate.” Crystal squeezed his hand.
Luke’s blue eyes scanned the room and fell on Josh and Crystal. She seemed to be having a good time, and Josh was making sure of it. His arm was possessively around her waist as the dance ended. Luke took his time walking over to where they stood talking with Emily and Jube. Throughout the evening he had entered into conversations with the senator and other respected community leaders, and they listened with interest to what he had to say. Women, married or single, twittered whenever he came near, and he responded in his usual charming fashion, knowing full well how he affected them. Now as he stopped at Crystal’s side, he noted Josh’s rapt attention to her.
Luke touched her elbow. “I wondered if you would give me the pleasure of the next dance.” His eyes swept across her slender throat and shoulders, where curling tendrils touched, and then up again to look into her sparkling eyes.
“Well . . . I was going to sit this one out . . .” She stammered an excuse, but Josh nodded. “Go ahead, Crystal. Later we’ll all be resting with our meal. The kitchen has been buzzing for hours in preparation.”
Without waiting for an answer, Luke pulled her to the center of the room as the strains of a waltz began. The skin on her bare arms was as soft as a rose petal, and moisture dampened the curls at the nape of her neck. There was a sweet scent that clung to her, but Luke couldn’t discern its origin. “That fragrance you’re wearing, what is it?”
“It’s gardenia, made from a beautiful white flower that grows in the South. Do you like it?”
He nodded. “Yes . . . it’s very different. It suits you.” She looked up at him as he swept them across the floor, weaving her between the other dancers with certain elegance. The span of her waist was barely wider than his open palm against her back. Luke enjoyed dancing with her, gliding in the glow of the soft gaslights, and holding her this way.
“You seem to be having a good time.” He smiled down at her. The lights made her green eyes sparkle with brilliance. Luke was afraid to linger there too long, afraid that he could get lost in their depths.
“I am. You are quite a good dancer, Mr. Weber.”
“Have to be. Have to keep the ladies happy.”
“Yes, they are all lined up, just waiting their turn,” she mocked.
He leaned his head down. “Except you,” he whispered.
“What?”
“Uh . . . I was saying, I’m getting a little hungry. Be glad to have that midnight snack they promised us,” he lied. What he really wanted was to bury his head in her sweet-smelling hair, which lay against beautiful shoulders encircled by the lavender silk gown. After his conversation earlier with McBride, he would have to keep his head about him. He wanted that land on the Blue River more than he wanted anything, and McBride had promised to give it to him as a wedding gift when he married his daughter. Soon Crystal would be returning to her homeland and to Drew anyway, who must be waiting for her. Then the ranch would go up for sale, if McBride didn’t concoct a scheme to snatch it from her. So Luke decided to just enjoy the moment while he could.
“I think Jube and Emily are perfect for each other, don’t you?” Crystal’s eyes followed them as they danced, seemingly oblivious to everyone else in the room.
“He does seem taken with her, I’ll admit.”
“I think her mother has different plans for her, though.”
“Is that right? Well, I’m no expert, but there’s one thing a body can’t do, and that’s telling another where to put his heart—” He was interrupted with a tap on his shoulder from the reverend, but Luke caught the frown on Crystal’s face when he released her hand.
It was not until the food was served that the orchestra stopped playing. Guests filled their plates with cold chicken, thick slices of roast beef, creamed peas, boiled potatoes, and fluffy rolls. Dessert was to be served last, along with a surprise.
Crystal sat with the Franklins and the Johnsons. The men stood about, allowing the ladies to sit and then balance their plates on their knees. Jim McBride stood in front of the punch bowl, now half empty, with April and Luke at his side.
“Ladies and gentlemen, would you give me your attention for a moment? I know that’s hard to do when you men have worked up such an appetite . . .” Laughter reverberated from one end of the ballroom to the other. “As you know, we are here to celebrate my daughter’s eighteenth birthday. It is also with great pleasure that I announce to you April’s engagement to Luke Weber. Please join with me now in a toast to this happy couple and to April’s birthday.” He raised his glass to a smiling April. Her arm was linked to Luke’s, whose face looked more somber than lighthearted for a man who had just become engaged.
<
br /> Crystal’s heart slammed hard against her chest, and she could only watch as others raised their glasses with loud cheers and laughter to the happy couple. She looked at Luke, but his face was turned away as friends came up to shake his hand and thump him on the back. The piece of chicken she chewed on stuck in her throat, threatening to choke her. She’s not right for you! Not April! Can’t you see that?
Her mind was playing tricks on her. How in the world could she be so drawn to Luke? Because he likes to be in control and so do I. Crystal took a deep breath, fighting with her emotions. I don’t even know if he believes in God. All of these thoughts were swirling in her mind like bullets bouncing off tin cans at target practice.
He had just been flirting for the fun of it, she finally admitted to herself. She wished that she could talk to Kate.
Amid the din, a path was cleared as a servant wheeled a tea cart laden with an enormous birthday cake flaming with candles into the center of the room. The reverend started singing “Happy Birthday to You,” and the rest of the crowd joined in. From across the room Crystal caught Rusty’s eye, and she pretended indifference.
“Well, what do you know about that!” Sara said with a sharp intake of breath.
Mary Franklin, her mouth forming a tight line across her protruding teeth, snapped her disapproval. “Humph! She’s been throwing herself at him for the last year.”
Emily turned to look at Crystal and placed her hand on hers as if sensing her feelings, to let her know she understood. Crystal stared down at the rest of the food on her plate. The roll soaked up the juice from the creamed peas.
Josh appeared with two slices of cake, one of which he handed to Crystal. “Boy! What a surprise. I guess I didn’t know they were that serious, but if that will make April happy, then I’m happy for her.”
Crystal said nothing and looked at the cake. If it had been any other time, she would have enjoyed its light, fluffy texture and rich icing. Instead she picked at it.
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