She ignored it and walked to the lone dresser between two windows. “How dare you even suggest that? Absolutely not. I’m getting the medicine I asked my brother, the pharmacist to mix up for Will. Then I’ll say goodbye to my brother, the pharmacist, who is staying in this room while his wife and daughter visit her parents because it’s closer to his place of business, and then I’m going home.”
Lord, the girl looked mad. Her eyes flashed and her body was rigid as a wooden fence stake. No hint of the soft, loving woman in his arms two nights ago. Had she not been a lady, he was sure she would have slugged him worse than her brother had.
If possible, he loved her more right then, every inch of that fire-breathing, righteous woman.
“Lefty and I drove the wagon here, and we will drive it home. You, Mr. McIntyre, can return to the ranch by whatever means you used to get here. Furthermore, in the future please do not talk to me, or address me, as anything except Mrs. Stevens.”
She tucked the small brown bottle of medicine into the pocket of her dress. Then she leaned up to kiss Michael on the cheek. “Thank you, Michael. I’m sorry for all the trouble. Kiss Heidi and the baby for me when she returns.”
Without another word, she stalked past Rusty, hugging her skirts close to her body to avoid touching him. The sound of the door closing broke the silence as the two men stared at each other.
“I have no idea what is going on between the two of you, but after what I’ve heard, you better get it straightened out,” Michael growled. “I meant it when I said there would be a wedding soon. My sister is a respectable woman. I won’t have her reputation ruined. She has a son to think about.”
Rusty ran his fingers through his hair. “I am aware of your sister’s reputation, and believe me, I have no intention of having it destroyed. I had planned to ask Rachel to marry me.”
Michael shook his head. “It seems to me you have a long way to go before she’ll consent to marry you. Right now I wouldn’t bet a penny on your chances of even talking to her, let alone keeping her from throwing something at your head before you can get the words out.”
He pointed his finger at Rusty. “But whatever it takes, you get her to the altar. And knowing my sister as I do, you have a long haul ahead of you.”
“I made a huge error.”
Michael grunted. “Understatement of the year.”
“She’s your sister. Tell me what I can do to make this right.”
“Sorry, buddy. You’re on your own with this one. No woman likes to think the man she’s in love with doesn’t trust her.”
“In love?”
Michael shrugged into his jacket. “I doubt very much she would have reacted that way if she had no feelings. Now if you will excuse me, it’s past time to open up the pharmacy from my lunch break.” He opened the door and ushered Rusty out.
They descended the stairs together, and once they reached the boardwalk outside the hotel, Michael tugged on the brim of his hat. “Good luck. You’re going to need it.”
***
Rachel climbed up alongside Lefty and settled her skirts on the wagon seat. “I’m ready.”
Shifting a wad of tobacco from one cheek to the other, Lefty snapped the reins and the horses moved forward.
How dare that man accuse her of being in a hotel room with another man for nefarious purposes! She brushed the tear away from the dirt that must have gotten into her eye. Well, what did she expect, getting involved with a man? She knew from the start it wasn’t a good idea, and now it had come home to roost.
Drat the dirt flying around. Her eyes were leaking like mad. She fumbled in her pocket for a handkerchief.
“Are you all right, Miss Rachel?”
She attempted a smile at the older man. “Yes, I’m fine.”
Or I will be fine, once I rid myself of the baggage that’s been following me around for weeks.
She blew her nose and lifted her chin. She didn’t need Rusty McIntyre. She didn’t need any man. She and her son were doing quite well without anyone else, thank you very much.
Taking a deep breath, she turned to Lefty. “Did you take care of your business?”
“Sure did, ma’am.” He spit a stream of juice.
She nodded and fished around for something else to say. Certainly there was something of interest to share with her seat mate. Something to keep her mind off the snake—whose horse had just ridden up . . .
Rusty tipped his hat. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Stevens, Lefty.”
“Howdy, boss.” Lefty nodded.
Rachel turned her back on Rusty to enjoy the captivating scenery before her. Dried grass, animal droppings, and rutted muddy roads took her full attention.
If Lefty thought anything odd was occurring between Rachel and Rusty, he gave no indication of it. He continued to chomp on his wad of tobacco and stared straight ahead, lost in thought.
Finally the awkward position she’d put herself into forced her to face forward. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rusty holding back his horse to keep pace with their wagon. The horse shook his head in disgust.
Rachel turned once more to Lefty. “So, you managed to get your business taken care of?”
He looked at her with raised brows. “Yes, ma’am, just like I said a few minutes ago.”
“Oh.” She turned to glare at Rusty when he chuckled.
Never mind, he could be invisible as far as she was concerned. Any man who would accuse her of such behavior after what they’d shared was not worth her time or trouble. He was merely the foreman of the ranch where she worked as a cook.
Rusty slowed down and once the wagon passed, rode up on Lefty’s side. “Hey, Lefty. Suppose you let me drive the wagon, and you take my horse?”
“No.” Rachel grabbed Lefty’s arm and hung on. She leaned over Lefty and scowled at Rusty. “Mr. McIntyre, please leave us alone.” She waved at the road. “Just ride your horse home.”
“Is something wrong, ma’am?” Lefty spit once more, barely missing Rusty’s shoe.
“Not at all. Just continue to drive on. We’ll pretend Mr. McIntyre is not there.”
Lefty shrugged and moved his tobacco from one cheek to the other. “Whatever you say, ma’am.”
The group rode along in silence, broken only by the sound of horse’s hooves and the squeak of the wagon wheel turning. Rachel wavered between bouts of anger and more road dust in her eyes. To think she imagined a future with that man. She must have been out of her mind.
Never would she want to tie herself up with someone who accused her of such horrible things.
***
“But why can’t I ride with Mr. McIntyre today, Ma?” Will crossed his arms over his chest, his stance so much like Rusty’s that Rachel knew her decision to keep her son and that man apart was for the best.
Three days had passed since the debacle in town. She and Rusty had not spoken more than a few words to each other, and then only when necessary. He tried several times to talk to her, but she always found something to occupy her attention.
“You won’t be able to ride much longer with him anyway. It’s getting close to time for school to start. I want you to spend more time with your schoolbooks.”
A sharp rap on the front door drew their attention. Rusty opened the door and smiled in her direction. “Good morning, Mrs. Stevens.”
“Morning,” she mumbled as she moved to the sink and began washing dishes.
Rusty moved further into the kitchen and tugged on the brim of Will’s hat. “You ready to ride, partner?”
“Ma?” Will pleaded with his eyes.
Why did the man continue to plague her so? She wanted nothing to do with him, didn’t want her son to have anything to do with him. Her heart hurt too much. She closed her eyes and sighed. “What about your schoolwork?”
“I’ll do it tonight. I promise.” He waited all of two seconds before he added, “So can I go?”
Unable to speak the words, she merely nodded.
“Yippee!”
“Will, wait
for me in the stable, I want to talk to your ma.” Why his voice—deep and seductive—still had the capability of setting her heart to fluttering, and rendering her senseless angered her. Which was better. Anger she could handle.
Once Will slammed out of the house, she whirled around, arms crossed under her breasts. “I have nothing to say to you, Mr. McIntyre.”
He took off his hat, tugging on his hair, then placed it back on his head, tugging the brim over one eye. Her heart flutters turned to thumps as if it would choke her.
“I have quite a bit to say to you.”
She swept past him, headed to the parlor. “I’m not interested.”
He grabbed her by the shoulder and swung her around, encircling her with his arms, the warmth from his body a torturous prison. “I can’t even begin to tell you how sorry I am.”
“Fine, if you can’t begin, then let me go.”
“Rachel—”
“Mrs. Stevens to you.”
“Darlin’ I know I was wrong and said some awful things. My lack of trust is—”
“Is your problem.”
“I know it’s my problem, and I know I can get over it. Just don’t turn away from me. Give me a chance to make it up to you.”
She shook her head. “It’s too late. If you don’t trust me, then I can’t trust you. It’s very simple, really.”
“I can trust you. I do trust you.”
She leaned back and regarded him with raised eyebrows. “Really? Then what was that scene in the hotel room all about?”
He released her and paced. “You must admit it did look a bit suspicious.”
“See, that’s what I mean! If you trusted me, nothing would look suspicious. You would assume whatever was going on was completely innocent. But instead, you focused on the worst.”
“I love you.”
All the breath left her body in one huge exhale. How could this man think he loved her and then accuse her of lying and cheating? The words he’d hurled at her still had the ability to cut through her like a well-honed knife.
“No. You don’t love me. If you love someone, trust is there. It’s part of the package. Love, trust, caring, friendship, sharing, they all come in one package.” She pointed her finger at him. “And you, Mr. McIntyre, are missing a big part of love.”
“I can learn.”
“I don’t want to be someone’s experiment.”
“Mr. McIntyre, are we ready to go?” Will came bouncing into the room, all smiles and little-boy excitement.
“Yeah, son. We’re ready to go.” Rusty rested his hand on Will’s shoulder and headed to the door. Before he stepped onto the porch, he said, “This isn’t finished. I have a lot more to say to you.”
As soon as he was out of sight, Rachel’s shaky knees forced her to sit. Having him close, holding her, looking at her with those green eyes begging for forgiveness had wrought havoc with her body. This would never do. She couldn’t spend the rest of her life avoiding Rusty, especially with the bond Will had formed with him.
Amelia and Rusty were getting along better, and it was time for him to take over his parental duties. An idea that began to form in her mind after the hotel incident jumped to the forefront.
She quickly washed her hands and face and re-braided her hair. Switching out a clean apron for the one that held the evidence of breakfast cooked for hungry cowboys, she headed to the door. This was a risky step, but she could no longer leave things the way they were.
The housekeeper opened the door of Big Bob’s ranch house. “Good morning, Mrs. Stevens. How are you and your boy?”
“We’re just fine, Mrs. Plumb. Is Mr. Richardson in?”
“He sure is, ma’am. Just follow me to the parlor and I’ll fetch him for you.”
After a wait of only about five minutes, the room was filled with Big Bob’s presence. The scent of tobacco and horses wafted from him. He greeted her with a huge smile and waved to one of the chairs so they could sit.
“What brings you here on this fine morning?”
Rachel took a deep breath. This was going to be hard, but it had to be done. For her sake as well as Will’s.
“I have come to give notice that I am leaving your employ. In two weeks.”
Big Bob leaned back in his chair, one booted foot crossed over his knee. “Are there problems I’m not aware of? Do you need more money?”
She shook her head. “I just think it would be better to live in town now that Will is getting older. It’s closer to school so he won’t miss any days when bad weather hits.”
His familiar smile didn’t fool her one bit. He most likely knew there was more to her story, but perhaps he wouldn’t question her further.
“Well, actually little lady, you’ve come to the wrong person.”
“Excuse me?”
“Rusty McIntyre and I have worked out a deal. He is buying the ranch and Mrs. Richardson and I are headed to our new home in Arizona Territory. The doctor says it will be better for her arthritis. So, in about three days, when we pack up and leave, Mr. McIntyre is your boss.”
Chapter 11
Rachel tried very hard to keep her ladylike composure. So, Rusty worked out a deal with Big Bob? How nice for him. Most likely his lack of trust in her was the reason he’d never mentioned it.
She swallowed several times. “Well, that is certainly a surprise.”
“Actually since you and Rusty are so . . . close, I’m surprised you didn’t already know.”
Oh, Lord. What did Big Bob know of their relationship? She felt her face flame, wondering how much of their closeness the man was privy to. And what of the other cowboys? Did Rusty make it a point to regale the men with tales of their closeness?
And furthermore, why didn’t she know? The questions bombarding her came to a screeching halt when she jumped up as if booted from behind. “Well, in that case, I guess I need to speak with Mr. McIntyre.”
Big Bob jerked. “Now hold on there. I know he’ll have a heck of a time finding a decent cook. You sure you want to do this?”
“Yes. I’m sure. I have to do what’s best for my son.”
“Well, in that case, I wish you the best. Where will you be working?”
“The Café is looking for a cook. I’ll send a note when Duncan goes into town for the mail. And I will stop in to see Mrs. Richardson before you leave.” She hesitated a moment, and then added, “I will miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too. Now come over here and give me a hug.”
She stepped into Big Bob’s embrace and hugged him back. She was so grateful to him for giving her a job after Billy died. Without this job she would have been at the mercy of her family. But now it was time to move on. Especially in light of Rusty being her new boss.
Slowly she came down the steps of the ranch house and headed to the chuck wagon. Since the last of the haying was scheduled for today, the men were staying out in the fields, so she and Mac were taking their noon meal to them.
The late summer air was still quite warm, the screech of locusts deafening. Her decision to leave was for the best. It would have been bad enough dealing with Rusty every day as the foreman, but as her boss—well, that wouldn’t work out at all.
“Rachel, Mac said we don’t have enough chili peppers for the stew. Do you have some at home?” Amelia hurried up to her, her face flushed from cooking.
“Yes, in fact I do. Why don’t you go fetch them from my back pantry, and I’ll help Mac.” Before she could walk off, Rachel reached out and touched the girl on her shoulder. “I need to talk to you after we get back from feeding the cowboys.”
“All right.” Leaving her with a curious glance, Amelia headed toward the house.
The meal preparation went quickly with her, Mac, and Amelia chopping, stirring, and then loading the stew and fresh baked bread onto the chuck wagon. She added the finishing touches on four pecan pies while Amelia filled the water barrel from the well.
Once Mac had the horses hitched to the wagon, the three of them s
tarted off for the fields. Even though it was early September, the Oklahoma sun was bright and strong. Rachel fanned herself with the bottom of her apron, the sweat on her head already soaking her bonnet.
As the wagon rattled over a hill, the sight of the rolling plains, the last of the alfalfa waving in the breeze waiting for cutting, reminded her why she loved the ranch so much. The satisfaction of watching the year round cycle of the operation, the birth of calves, shipping cattle, growing and cutting of hay, all gave her a sense of peace, of life continuing. She would really miss it when she moved into town.
But it was a necessary move. She had to get as far from Rusty McIntyre as she could for her heart’s wellbeing. Although, truth be known, Will would have a difficult time with it. She hated breaking her son’s heart, but it wasn’t good for him to get too attached, anyway. She wanted him to go to college, make something of himself, not end up a broken down cowboy.
Broken down cowboys don’t buy ranches the size of the Lazy Sunset.
Mac pulled hard on the reins and the horses came to a stop. They all jumped down and began to set up for the noon meal. When everything was ready, she rang the supper bell.
From all different directions, the men swamped the area, forming a crooked line. She dished out the stew and Amelia placed bread on each man’s plate. Rusty and Will were the last ones in line.
“How was your morning, honey?” Rachel asked as she handed Will his meal.
“Ma, it was great! Me and Rusty bossed everyone else around.”
Rusty spit out the swallow of water he’d just taken in. He wiped his mouth with his hand and eyed Will. “We didn’t boss everyone else around.”
“Well, you did. I really just watched,” Will mumbled.
Grinning, Rusty took his plate from Rachel and waited while Amelia put the bread on his dish, giving him a genuine smile. It appeared Amelia was one less problem she had to deal with in leaving. Rusty and his daughter were ready to share his house and their lives.
***
Later that evening, Rusty pounded on Rachel’s door, anger twisting his guts and heating his face. “Rachel, open this door!”
The door flew open so fast, he almost smacked her in the face.
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