Code Name: Cowboy

by Carla Cassidy

  In the first few days he’d had her, he’d tried to subdue her with sheer force alone, only to realize her will was as stubborn as his own. He realized now the only way to break her was to gentle her, be patient enough to gain her trust.

  “Hi, Mr. Lallager.” Rebecca climbed up on the lower rung of the corral fence and gazed up at him with those eyes filled with shadows. “You gonna ride Mischief?”

  “She won’t let me.”

  “How come?” Rebecca moved closer, so close he could smell the scent of childhood that lingered on her.

  “She’s wild. She’s never had a person on her back before and she doesn’t much like it.”

  “Where did you get her?”

  “I caught her in a box canyon.”

  Once again she looked up at him, skepticism playing on her gamine features. “You catched her in a box?”

  Cameron laughed, surprising himself. His laughter sounded rusty to his own ears. It had been a long time since he’d laughed. “Not a box, a box canyon,” he corrected. “It’s a narrow valley with high sides and only one way in and out.”

  Rebecca nodded thoughtfully. “Could you go back there and catch me a horse?”

  “Do you know how to ride a horse?”

  “No. But you could teach me.” She frowned, her gaze studying him. “You could teach me how to ride real fast...so if any monsters came after me I could get away.”

  Cameron fought the impulse to gather her into his arms, assure her that no monsters would ever catch her. He cleared his throat, swallowing the flare of emotions her words evoked. “What kind of monsters are after you?”

  Her eyes widened...blue pools of childish fear. “People monsters,” she whispered, as if to speak too loudly might alert the monsters of her whereabouts. “People monsters who want to keep you and not let you see your mommy ever, ever again.”

  Cameron wondered how in the hell a six-year-old would know about people monsters? Cameron knew all about those kind...the human kind who hid behind the faces of friends, smiled benevolently while twisting a knife deep in your back. His monster even had a name.

  Samuel Blankenship.

  Partner. Friend. Brother. Cameron and Samuel had shared everything: living quarters, ideals, food, philosophies. Like two brothers, the men had a closeness that had made them work like a single unit, until...

  He drew a deep breath, trying to dispel the hurt that filled him as thoughts of Samuel filtered through his head. He didn’t want to go back to that place in his past, back to the place where he’d believed he had a best friend named Sam and a sweet lover named Ginny. He didn’t want to remember that day of reckoning, when they had betrayed him so completely.

  “Rebecca.”

  Both Cameron and Rebecca turned at the sound of Alice’s voice. She stepped off the back porch and hurried toward them, a frown crinkling the center of her forehead. “I told you not to bother Mr. Gallagher!” she exclaimed, then flashed Cameron a look of apology.

  “She’s fine,” he replied. He didn’t mind the kid, it was the mother who somehow disturbed him.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” Rebecca echoed. “Mr. Lallagher is gonna teach me how to ride a horse and maybe I can get a hat like his and I’ll be a real cowgirl.”

  “I’m sure Mr. Gallagher is far too busy to take time out from his chores for horse-riding lessons,” Alice said to her daughter.

  “I told her I’ll teach her to ride, and that’s exactly what I meant. Unless you have an objection to her learning to ride.”

  “Mommy, please. I got my fingers crossed,” Rebecca flashed Alice an appealing smile.

  “No, I don’t mind.” Alice’s cheeks flushed a light pink, emphasizing the blue of her eyes. “I just don’t want to impose.”

  “Trust me, I’ll be the first to tell you when you’re imposing,” he replied.

  “Somehow I’m sure you will,” she returned, her tone as dry as his had been.

  He shot her a look of surprise. The pink of her cheeks intensified as she took Rebecca’s hand in hers. “Lunch will be ready in thirty minutes,” she said, then turned and traipsed back to the house.

  He watched her go, noting the subtle sway of her hips, the rigid set of her back. That was the second time she’d exhibited a spark of spirit that surprised him.

  On the surface she looked meek, life-beaten, but it was obvious she wasn’t down for the count. He eyed the mare in the corral and smiled as he thought of Rebecca wondering how he’d caught the horse in a box.

  Monsters. What kind did a six-year-old dream about? Suddenly Cam found himself wanting to get at the heart of what bogeymen haunted Rebecca’s sleep, frightening her enough that she wanted to learn how to ride a horse really fast. The very “people monsters” that she was afraid wanted to take her away from her mommy.

  Cameron liked Rebecca. Kids were easy to like. They hadn’t yet learned to be devious, to smoothly lie or take advantage of friendship. He’d almost forgotten that there were still human beings left that retained a core of goodness, a heart of innocence. Kids and animals. They were the only ones Cameron trusted...kids, animals and his sister, Elena.

  With lunch only a half an hour away, he didn’t want to begin working with the horse. Instead he turned and eyed the house, making mental notes of all the exterior work he wanted to get done before winter set in.

  He’d bought the ranch for a song from an old couple who’d decided to retire to Florida. From the condition of the place, the old man had unofficially retired a long time before they’d actually moved.

  Although structurally sound, the house begged for a coat of paint and most of the shutters hung askew, needing new hardware to make them functional.

  He’d lived here nearly a year and had bought the house with the anticipation of a trust fund his parents had left him. He now had the money to turn this ranch into the successful venture he’d once dreamed of owning. Unfortunately somewhere along the line he’d lost those dreams. They had smothered to death beneath the weight of his anger, and the sense of betrayal that never left his mind...his heart.

  He waved a hand in greeting as he saw several of his men in a truck coming from one of the distant pastures. With a squeal of dusty brakes, the truck pulled up next to where he stood.

  “We’re heading into town for lunch. Want to come along?” The question came from Emmett Cantrell, a grizzled old man who should have retired years before but still had enough spunk and energy to work. He rode in the back of the pickup along with three other men. The four of them and the two in the cab comprised the total of Cameron’s work force.

  “No thanks...got lunch waiting for me inside,” Cameron replied.

  The men waved and Cameron watched as the pickup headed down the long winding driveway to the blacktop road that would take them into Mustang. He knew they would return within an hour and be back to work. They were good men, hard workers who were grateful to have an opportunity to work through the approaching winter.

  When Cameron entered the kitchen, Rebecca and Alice were just finishing their lunch. Alice jumped up from her chair at his appearance and quickly began clearing their dishes from the table.

  “I thought I told you yesterday, there’s no reason for you to eat before me,” he said as he hung his hat on the rack just inside the door. “It makes double work and isn’t productive. We can eat our meals together.”

  “Okay,” she agreed. “From now on we eat all meals together.” She looked at Rebecca, who remained at the table. “Finish your sandwich, then go change into one of your dresses. After lunch we’re going to get you enrolled in school.”

  Rebecca’s petite features pulled into a frown. “I don’t wanna go to school. I want to just stay here and be a cowgirl.”

  Cameron eased into the chair next to her. “I’ll tell you what...you go to school and each day, if the weather is nice, when you get home I’ll give you a horseback-riding lesson.”

  Rebecca’s eyes widened with excitement. “For real?” She narrowed her eyes thought
fully. “You wouldn’t tell me a lie, would you?”

  Cameron shook his head. “I never say things I don’t mean. Besides, I’m a cowboy, and cowboys don’t lie.”

  “That’s right! Cowboys don’t lie! Can we start today?” Rebecca asked eagerly.

  Cameron started to put her off, to tell her tomorrow was soon enough, but as he looked at her, he noticed the shadows that had haunted her eyes were momentarily gone. Nothing but childish excitement, innocent joy shone from them now.

  “Sure, we’ll start today.”

  Rebecca shoved away from the table. “I’m done eating, Mommy. I’ll go put on my dress and we can go to school.” She jumped up and down with illcontained excitement, then flew from the kitchen and up the stairs.

  “Thank you,” Alice said softly as she set a plate before him. “That was very kind of you. She hasn’t had much to look forward to the last couple of months.”

  Cameron nodded curtly, although he didn’t particularly like the idea of Alice thinking he was kind. He wasn’t. All his kindness had smothered beneath the weight of his bitterness. All his gentleness had disappeared on the day he’d walked into his bedroom and found Ginny and Samuel in bed together.

  They both jumped as a knock sounded at the front door. Alice hurried from the kitchen to answer and Cameron followed just behind, stifling a groan as he saw the plump older woman peering through the door screen.

  Millicent Creighton. Mustang’s very own queen gossip. And she was wearing one of her crazy hats, which meant she was on duty, ready to pounce on any tidbit of gossip that could be used in her weekly social column.

  “Yoohoo. Hello, Cameron.” She tapped polished nails on the screen.

  Alice stepped aside and Cameron opened the door. “Hello, Millicent. What can I do for you?”

  “I was just in town and saw some of your men at the café. Burt Winston told me you’d hired a housekeeper, somebody new to town. I thought I’d drop by and welcome her.”

  “Alice Burwell, meet Millicent Creighton. Millicent writes a weekly social column for the Mustang Monitor,” Cameron said.

  Millicent took Alice’s hand and bobbed her head, the movement causing her ridiculous hat to slip forward on her forehead. Her hat appeared to be a celebration of fall, bedecked with pinecones, acorns and red and yellow leaves.

  Alice seemed transfixed by the hat as the two shook hands. “Burwell. Are you part of the Burwells from Billings?” Millicent asked as Cameron ushered them into the living room, where the two women sat on the sofa.

  “Uh...no. No relation,” Alice replied. She tore her gaze from Millicent’s hat and offered a tentative smile. “We’re from back east.”

  “We?” Millicent’s gray brows danced upward, disappearing beneath the brim of the hat. “Are you married?”

  “No...widowed. I have a daughter.”

  “Oh, how nice.” Millicent reached into her large purse and pulled out a notepad. “I just thought I’d do a little paragraph about you in the paper this week, you know, an introduction to the town.”

  Cameron saw the flare of terror that suddenly filled Alice’s eyes. It was there only a moment, then gone. “Oh, that’s not necessary!” she exclaimed. “Besides, I’m not interesting enough to warrant a whole paragraph in the paper.”

  “But it’s a wonderful way to get people to know you,” Millicent pressed.

  Alice shook her head. “Please, I’d rather not be in the paper.”

  “And you know I don’t like people knowing my business,” Cameron added. He was rewarded with a smile of gratitude from Alice.

  Millicent sniffed and stuffed her notepad back in her purse. “I’m having a terrible time getting a column together this week. Things have been so boring around here.”

  “Go talk to Elena.” Cameron walked back to the front door, a not so subtle indication that Millicent’s business was finished here. “I’m sure that new nephew of mine has smiled or burped or done something she’ll think warrants a mention in the paper.”

  Millicent stood and knocked her hat back in place with one pudgy hand. “It’s a sad turn of events when I’m relegated to writing about baby gas.” She walked to the door and turned back to Alice. “It was nice meeting you, dear. Let me know if you change your mind about a little mention in my column.”

  Alice nodded and Millicent left. Cameron closed the door and turned to face Alice. She averted her gaze from him. “I’ll just finish up in the kitchen,” she said.

  He followed her and sat back down at the table. As he ate his sandwich, she cleaned up, her back to him as she scrubbed down the countertops.

  “Exactly where back east are you from?” he asked.

  She whirled around, eyes wide. “Uh...a small town outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.”

  She was lying. He could see the lie in the shifting of her eyes, hear it in the tension of her voice. But why? And why had she been so terrified that Millicent Creighton might mention her name in the paper?

  He watched her for another long moment, wondering what she was afraid of...what secrets she harbored. Was she really a destitute widow or something else altogether?

  He felt the same surge of energy he used to feel when he was on a case, hunting prey that would eventually yield him a paycheck. He welcomed the rush of adrenaline. He’d kept himself numb for so long, afraid of the pain that always waited in the wings to claim him. But this emotion...curiosity and intrigue, felt clean and good.

  He no longer intended to fire Alice Burwell. He intended to ferret out her secrets, find out exactly what had brought her to Mustang and to his ranch.

  She better hope that his instincts were wrong, that she hadn’t lied to him about who she was and the situation that had brought her here. For there was nothing Cameron hated worse than lies.

  His life in the last year had been filled with duplicity and deception. First Samuel and Ginny’s deceit, then more of the same from the people who had attempted to steal his trust fund.

  He’d had enough lies to last him a lifetime. Alice better hope she’d told him the truth, for if Cameron discovered she’d lied, she’d be out of the job and out of his house so fast her head would spin.

  Chapter 4

  “I figured it was about time I got myself over here to meet my brother’s new housekeeper.” The attractive, dark-haired woman on the porch smiled and held out a hand to Alicia. “Hi, I’m Elena Richards. Cameron mentioned last week that he’d hired somebody.”

  “I’m Alice Burwell. It’s nice to meet you.” Alicia shook Elena’s warm hand and opened the door further to invite her in. She’d been working for Cameron for two weeks and other than Millicent Creighton’s visit, there had been no other visitors.

  Elena stopped short as she stepped into the living room and looked around in obvious astonishment. “Cameron said he’d hired a housekeeper, he didn’t mention you were a miracle worker as well.”

  Alicia smiled with warm pleasure. She knew Elena was talking about the condition of the living room. Alicia’s hard work over the last two weeks had paid off. The wood floors shone in the midafternoon light that streamed in through the spotless windows. Without the black soot that had covered them, the fireplace stones now gleamed with natural beauty and the oak furniture in the room glowed with a coating of lemon oil.

  “There’s still a lot to be done, but I think I’ve made good headway,” Alicia said.

  Elena laughed. “Good headway? Trust me, whatever Cameron is paying you, it isn’t half enough.”

  Alicia returned her smile. “I’m quite happy with what he’s paying me.” It was true. Her first two week’s pay now rested in an envelope in her dresser drawer. Although far from being enough for a legal defense fund, it was a start. “How about a cup of coffee?”

  “Hmm, sounds wonderful,” Elena agreed and followed Alicia into the kitchen.

  “I would have come by to say hello sooner but my son has been sick. He’s had an ear infection that has kept him fussy. My husband, Trent, decided to give me
a little break today so he’s home babysitting.” Elena nodded her thanks as Alicia set a steaming cup of coffee before her.

  “How old is your boy?” Alicia asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee and joined the attractive woman at the table.

  “Five months, although everyone still talks about him as if he’s a newborn. There hasn’t been another baby born in Mustang since mine.” Elena’s face took on the glow of new motherhood. “And naturally I think he’s the cutest, brightest baby ever born.”

  “Naturally,” Alicia agreed with a laugh. She liked Elena, whose dark eyes radiated a natural warmth and friendliness. It was difficult to believe she was sister to the man who hadn’t cracked a smile or breathed a word of friendliness in the two weeks Alicia had been working for him.

  “You have a child, don’t you? I think Cameron mentioned a daughter?”

  Alicia nodded. “Rebecca. She’s six years old.”

  “Ah, first-grader? Has she settled into school out here?”

  “Yes, we got her started the second day we were here. Thankfully she loves school, but I’m not sure if it’s school itself she loves or what happens directly after school. Cameron has been teaching her to ride a horse.”

  Elena stared at her in disbelief. “My brother, Mr. Dour Personality?”

  Alicia stifled a laugh at Elena’s snap characterization. “Actually, he’s quite good with Rebecca. He only growls and grunts at me.”

  Elena continued to eye Alicia with a touch of speculation. “Don’t let him run you off. He’s been alone for too long. I know he can be quite difficult, but he needs somebody to pull him out of his selfimposed cocoon of isolation.”

  An embarrassed little laugh escaped from Alicia. “I’m just his housekeeper. Nothing more.” She felt the warmth of a blush on her cheeks.

  Yes, she was just a housekeeper, but she was a housekeeper developing an overwhelming attraction and preoccupation with her boss. She felt her blush intensify as Elena’s gaze remained locked on her, as intense and probing as her brother’s.