Taming The Texas Rancher

by Rhonda Gibson

  He turned her toward the big stallion. “Will you trust me?”

  She knew they’d come a long way on the animal and would need to return on him, as well. Hannah swallowed the lump of fear in her throat. She’d just poured her heart out to Daniel, told him what she’d never told another. Did she trust him? She raised her head and looked him in the eyes. “Yes, I trust you.”

  Daniel smiled in approval. He scooped her up into his arms and walked the rest of the way to the stallion. He placed her in the saddle and then swung up behind her.

  “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  When his arms snaked around her, Hannah relaxed. “No. Thanks.”

  As the horse set off, rocking them with a smooth canter, her thoughts returned to Daniel’s kind words. He’d said, We all have things in our past that have hurt us. This troubled Hannah. What or who had hurt Daniel? He’d shown her that he was a kind, caring man. She didn’t like the idea of him being hurt.

  She tilted her head and looked up at him. His jawline was sprinkled with day-old stubble. He seemed more relaxed than she’d ever seen him as his eyes scanned the land about them. What was he thinking? Did he regret having sent for her, now that he’d seen her broken and crying?

  “It’s peaceful out here, isn’t it?” he asked.

  She wondered if he’d sensed her looking at him. Hannah allowed her gaze to follow his. Cows bawled softly in a pasture in the distance. Crows called to each other overhead, and the sweet scent of honeysuckle filled the warm afternoon breeze. “It is.”

  “Hannah, I wish I could keep it this peaceful, but I know that trouble is always near. If you are going to stay here, you should learn to be more aware of your surroundings.” He tightened his grip on the reins.

  She wanted to get angry with him for telling her that she’d been neglectful, but she knew he was right. Until he’d mentioned the peacefulness of their surroundings, she’d been unaware. “I will.”

  His arms closed around her in a brief hug. “Good. I told you earlier someone is on Westland land that shouldn’t be. I’d like to tell you the whole story.”

  “All right,” Hannah answered. She saw a rabbit jump out of a bush and rush to another.

  “They started with simply cutting fences, then moved on to running our stock off our land and now they have taken to slaughtering stock and completely destroying fences, so that it takes a couple of days to get them back up.” Daniel shifted his weight.

  Hannah wondered who would have done such a thing. “Do you have any idea who it might be?”

  “Not at this point,” he answered. His breath ruffled the top of her hair.

  A shiver crawled up Hannah’s spine. She tried to ignore the sensation. “Could it be a disgruntled neighbor?”

  “I don’t believe so. Most of the men will be at Sunday service. I plan on asking if any of them are having the same problems.” He brought his left hand down and rested it on his leg.

  Hannah nodded. “That’s a good plan.”

  His voice hardened as he said, “Hannah, please stay at the schoolhouse. I don’t want you wandering the ranch by yourself.”

  So now he felt he could boss her around. She straightened her spine. “I’ve promised I’ll help Opal in the mornings, so I won’t be staying at the schoolhouse, Daniel. I’ll be walking over to the ranch house every morning.” Hannah cut her eyes upward and looked at his jaw. Yep, as she’d suspected, it had tightened and no longer looked relaxed.

  “Someone who doesn’t belong here has been killing cattle is on this land. I can’t look after you all the time, Hannah.” He stressed her name.

  She shifted away from him. “I didn’t ask you to, Daniel.” She’d put emphasis on his name just as he had hers. “I told you I can take care of myself.”

  He ignored her declaration of independence. “What time will you be going over to the ranch house?”

  “Before breakfast.” Hannah realized as soon as the words were out of her mouth that she didn’t know what time Opal served the first meal of the day.

  Daniel laid his chin on top of her head. “You do realize breakfast is at 5:00, don’t you?”

  Hannah prayed her voice sounded confident when she answered, “I grew up on a farm, Daniel.” She said it as if that should be obvious, but the truth was she’d been young and hadn’t really thought about time when she lived there.

  “Good. Then I’ll see you around 4:00. I believe this is where you get off.” He slipped from Tornado’s back and turned to lift her down.

  Hannah looked at the schoolhouse, and then slid into Daniel’s waiting arms. She felt like a little girl again as he swung her away from the horse.

  When her feet touched the ground she said, “Daniel, you don’t have to come for me in the morning. I can make my way to the house alone.”

  He remounted Tornado and gathered the reins. “I’m sure you can, but I don’t want you stumbling around in the dark. See you tomorrow.” With that, he sent the horse into a gallop and rode away.

  Hannah grinned. Maybe, just maybe, Daniel Westland was starting to care about her. She wouldn’t label it love just yet.

  The grin slipped from her face. Hannah knew she liked him, too, but she didn’t want to fall for Daniel until she was sure that he loved her. Weariness weighed on her shoulders at the thought.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Daniel arrived at the schoolhouse a little after 4:30 the next morning, with Clover in tow for Hannah to ride. He knew she wasn’t going to be happy to see the little mare, but if Hannah was going to travel about the ranch, she needed to overcome her fear of horses’ hooves.

  She answered the door with a big smile, until she saw the mare. It slipped from her face like hot wax dripping down a candle. “I see you brought Clover for a visit.”

  His gaze ran over her. Daniel was glad to see she didn’t seem as distressed as the day before. It appeared she’d had a bath and washed her hair. The gown she wore was faded, but he assumed that was so that she wouldn’t ruin one of her best dresses. “Yes, I thought it time you started riding again,” he answered, moving aside so she could join him. “Think of it as a way to prove to your father that you can do anything anyone else can do.”

  “I don’t have to prove anything to him.” Her face had gone ashen, but she followed Daniel down the stairs. “Besides, I don’t mind walking the short distance.”

  “True, but I do mind walking, and if you are going to start going places on the ranch, you really need to learn to ride again.” Daniel turned and put both hands on her shoulders. “Hannah, you can do this. You taught yourself to walk with an ankle that a doctor said you’d never use again. You went to school and became a teacher. You can do this!” he declared.

  “All right.” Hannah nodded, but he could feel her shoulders trembling.

  Daniel took one of her hands in his and walked to where he’d tied Clover’s reins to a low branch. “Hannah, you know where your feet are at all times, right?”

  Again she nodded.

  “Then you can make sure they stay away from Clover’s hooves.” He went to the horse’s head and petted her nose.

  Hannah moved closer to the little mare. He watched as she checked the cinch, then took a deep breath and accepted the reins from him. Had Levi reminded her to check the cinch when they’d attempted to get her on the horse before? Or were her instincts kicking in? Daniel prayed it was the latter.

  Hannah exhaled. She put the reins in her left hand and also grasped Clover’s mane with it, then put her left foot in the stirrup and grabbed the saddle with her right hand. Hannah’s memories must have taken over, because seconds later she was in the saddle.

  He averted his gaze while she straightened her skirt. Daniel released the mare. He walked to Tornado, gathered the reins and swung up into the saddle.

  “I did it.” She beamed over at him.

  He laughed. “Yes, you did. I knew you could.”

  Her smile warmed his heart. “Thank you, Daniel. I can’t believe how easy t
hat was. All these years I’ve been afraid to climb on by myself.” She looked like a kid who’d just won the pie-eating contest at the fair.

  What he’d taken for granted was something she’d just experienced again for the first time in years. “You’re welcome, but I didn’t do anything but bring you a horse.”

  “You encouraged me.” She patted Clover’s neck.

  Daniel prompted the stallion to walk beside Hannah and the old mare. “What are you helping Opal with this morning?”

  “I’m going to feed the chickens and gather the eggs. Then I’ll do whatever else she asks me to.” Hannah allowed Clover to fall into step with Tornado.

  Daniel made sure to keep the horses far enough apart that the stallion wouldn’t act up. “Why?”

  “Yesterday I was looking for something to do, and Jeb let me whitewash the chicken coop. Well, I noticed it needed a few repairs, and the eggs collected, so I took it upon myself to do those things.”

  Daniel felt guilty once more. If he had checked on her sooner, Hannah wouldn’t have gotten bored. “That still doesn’t answer my question. Why are you going to help today?”

  Her soft giggle filled the crisp morning air. “Oh, I’m sorry. When Opal came to collect the eggs yesterday, we got to talking and she told me her daughter is having difficulties with the new baby. With all she normally does, and helping her daughter, she’d gotten behind on some of her chores. I offered to help, and here we are.”

  Hannah seemed to be talking more this morning. She sounded nervous and excited at the same time. Was it because of him? Or did she realize that since she’d gotten on Clover by herself, she’d have to learn to get down, too?

  “That’s very nice of you to offer to help her, but you don’t have to do that. I’ll talk to her and see if she wants me to hire another girl to help her out.” He enjoyed the sounds of a rooster crowing. Mornings were his favorite time of day, with everything seeming fresh and new. His gaze moved to Hannah, who looked fresh and new this morning, also.

  She flicked her ponytail over her shoulder and looked at him. “You’ll do no such thing. I want to help. If this is going to be my home, too, I want to do all I can to make it successful.”

  Daniel grinned. He liked the idea that she was thinking of the ranch as her home. Holding his hands up in surrender, he laughed and said, “All right, but don’t forget that after we’re married, you’ll have your own household chores to do. Speaking of which, we’re here, and I have work to do, too, before breakfast.” He spun Tornado around and headed across the yard to the east pasture.

  As he rode away, he remembered Hannah might need help dismounting from Clover. Daniel didn’t want her to think he was checking up on her, so he entered the edge of the woods, making sure she could no longer see him, and then turned to see how she fared.

  She hesitated, twisting in the saddle and looking down. After she’d judged the distance, she swung her leg over the saddle and sort of leaped from the horse.

  Daniel held his breath until she stood up, then he released it slowly. He chuckled and said to himself, “Well, I guess there is more than one way to get off a horse.”

  * * *

  Hannah sat at the kitchen table with Opal, eating breakfast. She’d fed and watered the chickens, gathered the eggs, milked 2 of the 5 milk cows and washed most of the dishes while Opal served the Westland family breakfast.

  “I can’t believe how much we’ve gotten done this morning. Thank you for your help,” the housekeeper said as she buttered a biscuit.

  Hannah stifled a yawn and smiled. “You’re welcome.” She hated to admit that 4:00 a.m. came earlier than she remembered.

  Breakfast consisted of eggs, bacon, ham, biscuits, gravy and grits. She’d watched as Opal carried platters in to the family and later returned with them empty. To keep herself busy, Hannah had washed the pots and pans Opal had used to cook the meal in.

  “I didn’t expect you to do the dishes, too, but it sure made my job easier this morning.” Opal chewed the bread with relish.

  Hannah dipped a fork into her scrambled eggs. “I’m glad I could help.” She enjoyed the creaminess of the eggs and the saltiness of the bacon. After she swallowed, she added, “Thank you for inviting me to breakfast. I have to admit I haven’t done any real cooking in the fireplace at the school, and this tastes wonderful.”

  Opal laughed. “You deserve every bite. Jeb stopped by yesterday afternoon and said that henhouse hasn’t looked so good in years.”

  Hannah stopped eating. “He did?”

  Bonnie Westland came through the kitchen door. “Yes, he did. It seems you’ve made quite an impression on Jeb.” She walked to the stove and filled her coffee cup. “How come you didn’t join us for breakfast, Hannah?” Those green eyes bored into Hannah as Daniel’s mother waited for an answer.

  “I didn’t want to intrude.” Hannah laid her fork down, no longer interested in the food on her plate.

  Bonnie pulled a chair out and sat down. “I see. If you are going to become a part of this family, you need to start sharing meals with us.” She set her cup on the table and played with the string on her cotton blouse.

  Confusion filled Hannah’s mind. Why was Bonnie showing a sudden interest in her now? “If you don’t mind my saying so, Mrs. Westland, you haven’t exactly made me feel welcome.”

  Daniel’s mother sighed. “I know, and the Lord has been dealing with me about my attitude toward you. So today, after my prayer time, I realized I had to come and apologize to you. I haven’t behaved well at all and I’m sorry.”

  “Why do you dislike me?” Hannah asked, giving no quarter. She needed to get on solid ground with Bonnie if she was going to be her daughter-in-law.

  Bonnie looked to Opal, who nodded. “I don’t dislike you, Hannah. When I tossed this contest into the wind, I thought my boys would marry local girls, but I was wrong.”

  Hannah said, “You’re talking about JoAnna and Lucille.” She picked up her tea and took a sip.

  Bonnie nodded. “Yes. I’m sure the boys have told you all about them.”

  Instead of confirming what she’d said, Hannah asked. “Why did you pitch the boys against each other with this contest?” It was the question she’d been longing to ask ever since the day she’d heard they were competing for the ranch, and it was their mother’s doing.

  The woman released a deep sigh. “I didn’t mean to set them against each other. The night I made my demands I was lonely for my husband. I looked at my boys and saw that they weren’t getting any younger, and I wanted them to be as happy as I was with their father. I wanted grandchildren. I still do.”

  Hannah stared deeply into Bonnie’s eyes and saw the truth of her words. She also saw the sorrow the woman felt for creating a wedge between the brothers. “You can call off the contest,” she suggested.

  Bonnie had started shaking her head before the words were completely out of Hannah’s mouth. “No, I still stand by the contest. Those boys need wives and I need grandchildren. As for the ranch, well, I started something and now I have to stick to my word.” She gulped down the last of her coffee and stood. “And Hannah, I like your straightforwardness. You are welcome to move into the house if you want to.”

  Hannah carried her plate to the scrap bucket and scraped it before answering. It was a kind offer, but she liked her small room and the privacy it provided. “Thank you, but I think I’ll stay where I am for the time being, Mrs. Westland.”

  “Please, call me Bonnie. I’d like for us to become friends, even if you don’t marry my son.” She handed her cup to Opal. “Opal, I’ll lay out a couple of my riding skirts for Hannah and a pair of trousers. If she’s going to continue doing chores around here, she needs to be dressed appropriately.” Bonnie spun around and headed to the door.

  The idea of having more comfortable clothes sounded good, but Hannah didn’t want her to think she needed her help. “That isn’t necessary, Bonnie.”

  Daniel’s mother had one hand on the door and was about
to leave. She turned around and smiled at Hannah. “Yes, it is. If you plan to get my son to marry you, you need to go where he goes, because he won’t be an easy man to persuade. Besides, I want you to have them.”

  Hannah nodded absently. Her mind raced. She’d thought that if she told Daniel that she was ready to get married, he would marry her on the spot. But if Bonnie was correct in her insinuations, he didn’t really want to get married. Hannah’s head began to ache with confusion. What man sent off for a mail-order bride and didn’t really want to get married?

  Chapter Eighteen

  Daniel looked across the dinner table at Hannah. Her hair was pulled up and small ringlets framed her face. She wore a blue riding skirt with a white blouse. A butterfly necklace rested against her chest, bringing out the deeper blues in her eyes.

  He’d listened as she and his mother talked about the engagement announcement, the hours that the school would be open and what pies Hannah was going to fix for the Sunday get-together with the rest of the ranch.

  Levi sat quietly, finishing up the coffee cake Hannah had made. Daniel noticed his younger brother seemed unusually silent tonight and wondered what was on his mind. Did it bother him that their mother and Hannah were getting along so well? Or did it have something to do with the ranch?

  Daniel couldn’t take it any longer and asked, “Is something bothering you, little brother?”

  Levi looked as if someone had shot him. “Yes and no.”

  Frustrated, Daniel laid his fork down. “Well, which is it?”

  Levi’s face flushed as everyone turned their attention to him. “Well, if you must know, I’ve been pondering which mail-order bride’s letter to answer.”

  “Brides? As in more than one?” Hannah asked.

  He nodded.

  Bonnie’s voice came out low. “You sent off for a mail-order bride, too?”

  “Well, I placed the ad and one lady did answer—Millicent. But she didn’t come. I have 3 more letters that came this week, and I’m trying to decide which one to answer.” He pulled the letters from his vest pocket.