Best of Cowboys Bundle

by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Barbara White Daille, Judy Christenberry, Christine Wenger, Shirley Rogers, Crystal Green, Nina Bruhns, Candance Schuler, Carole Mortimer

  “I used to love movies about the Old West. All those handsome cowboys. Of course, it was the Indians I liked best.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” he said, grinning.

  “In the movies it always seemed like such a romantic part of history,” Dana mused.

  “I’m sure it was a good way to live,” Chay said, “until the white eyes showed up and ruined everything.” He smiled at her. “Present company excepted, of course.”

  As hard as it was to believe in this day and age, there was still some animosity between the whites and the Indians. Chay hadn’t experienced much prejudice in Wardman’s Hollow, but he’d been subjected to some nasty looks and snide remarks in other parts of the country. He’d taken offense when he was younger; these days he mostly let it slide.

  “Of course. I read somewhere that the Cheyenne were considered the most handsome people of all the tribes.”

  Chay grinned broadly. “Is that right?”

  She nodded. “I don’t know, though…” She tilted her head to one side, her eyes narrowing as she studied him from head to foot. “Not bad. Of course, I’ve never met any other Indians, so I’m really not a good judge.”

  “Not bad?” he asked in mock indignation. “Not bad! Is that all you’ve got to say?”

  Dana burst out laughing. “All right, all right, whoever said it was right. At least where you’re concerned. Feeling better now? Masculinity still intact? Ego stroked enough?”

  He laughed with her, then leaned back, his weight braced on his elbows. “Sometimes when I’m riding across the ranch, I wish I’d been born back then, when the land still belonged to the Sioux and the Cheyenne and the Arapaho. A man knew who he was, and what was expected of him.”

  Dana shuddered at the mere idea. “I’m glad I live now. Life was too unpredictable back then. Too hard, especially for women. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been just to survive. Doing laundry in a washtub or in a river, cooking on a wood-burning stove, making everything from scratch. No hospitals. Giving birth out in the wild.” She shook her head. “No, thank you.”

  “Life might have been harder, but in some ways I think it was more meaningful.”

  “Maybe, I don’t know.”

  Chay glanced at the girls. “I suppose kids have always gotten into trouble, but it seems to me they had less time for mischief back in the old days. Kids today have too much time on their hands and not enough responsibility.”

  “Well, you can’t go back,” Dana said, “so you might as well enjoy it here.”

  Chay sat up, his gaze moving over her face, then settling on her mouth. “Oh, I like it here just fine,” he said with a roguish grin.

  “Do you?”

  “Uh-huh. You’re here.”

  She felt her cheeks grow warm at his words, felt a flutter of excitement at the look in his eyes, the husky timbre of his voice. Inching forward, he ran a finger along the inside of her calf. His touch sent a shiver of delight racing through her. Heat flared in his eyes.

  Dana glanced over at Ashley and her friends, wishing the girls were somewhere else, wishing that she and Chay were alone so that he could take her in his arms and…She took a deep breath and quickly changed the subject. “You said something about a swim….”

  Chay’s expression told her he was well aware of what she was doing. She was about to ask him if he had changed his mind about a swim when one of the girls screamed.

  Chay sprang to his feet. His first thought was for Ashley, but she was fine. She was shouting at him, something about Megan. And then he realized he could see only three of the girls. There was no sign of Megan. Ashley and the other two girls were diving underwater and then coming back up.

  Damn! Racing toward the lake, Chay plunged in and swam out toward the wooden raft located in the center of the lake.

  He didn’t waste time asking what happened. Diving down, he searched for the girl.

  He saw her near the bottom, her hair waving in the water like strands of black seaweed. Grabbing her under one arm, he jackknifed to the surface.

  “Is she all right?” Ashley asked anxiously.

  He didn’t waste time talking but struck out for the shore.

  Dana was waiting for him. “What can I do?”

  “Nothing right now.” He laid Megan on the blanket and began giving her artificial respiration. By then, Ashley and the other two girls had reached the blanket, their expressions worried as they hovered over Chay. When Megan coughed up some water, the girls all sighed with relief.

  Dana wrapped a blanket around Megan to keep her warm while Chay examined the bump on the side of her head. There was little swelling and no blood.

  Turning to Ashley, he asked, “What happened?”

  “I dunno,” she said with a shrug. “We were just foolin’ around. Megan fell off the raft. I think she must have hit her head on the edge. Is she gonna be okay?”

  “Yeah, I think so.” Chay looked at Megan. “You let me know if you feel dizzy or your vision blurs, or you feel sick to your stomach, okay?”

  “I feel all right,” she said. “Really.”

  “You girls need to be careful out there.”

  “We were being careful,” Ashley said, somewhat defensively.

  “Well,” Chay said, sitting back on his heels, “I think Megan better take it easy the rest of the day. No more swimming.”

  “All right,” Ashley said, obviously concerned for her friend. “Come on, LuAnn, Brittany, let’s take our towels over there. Megan, I’ve got yours. Come on.”

  The girls spread their towels in the sun, then stretched out on their stomachs, facing each other, their conversation subdued.

  “That was a close call,” Dana remarked, resuming her seat on the blanket.

  “Yeah. Could have been a lot more serious, I guess.”

  “She doesn’t seem any the worse for wear, other than that bump on her head.”

  Chay sat across from Dana, one leg drawn up, his arm resting on his knee. “I’ll be glad when they all go home.”

  “You’d rather herd cows than kids?”

  “You got that right!” He looked at her and grinned.

  Dana felt her heart skip a beat as their eyes met. Lordy, but he was a handsome man! His skin was brown all over. Drops of water glistened in his long black hair, dripped down his broad chest. She looked away, sternly reminding herself that Rick had been a good-looking man, too, and that there was more to a man than his appearance. Handsome is as handsome does, her mother always said.

  Later, after lunch, Megan declared she felt fine and begged to go swimming again.

  Chay shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

  Ashley looked at Dana. “Can’t you make him change his mind?”

  Dana raised her hands. “Oh, no, you’re not getting me involved in this.”

  “You’re a woman,” Ashley said. “I thought for sure you’d be on our side.”

  “Why don’t you girls take a walk around the lake instead,” Dana suggested.

  “We might as well,” Ashley said with a decided lack of enthusiasm. “Come on, girls, let’s get out of here.”

  Sullen-faced, Ashley turned away, followed by the others.

  “She’ll get over it,” Chay said, noting Dana’s expression.

  “I guess. It’s just that I was hoping we’d be friends, although I’m not sure why. I won’t be here long enough for it to matter one way or the other.”

  Chay leaned forward, his hand covering hers. “Is there any chance you can stay a little longer than planned?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. Why?”

  “I’d like to spend more time with you. It’ll give us a chance to get to know each other better.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “I know you’ve been hurt,” he said quietly, “but…”

  With a shake of her head, she pulled her hand from his. “Don’t.”

  Chay glanced over at Ashley and her friends. The girls hadn’t gone for a walk. Instead, t
hey were sitting with their heads together, whispering and giggling while they cut the pie Dana had brought. Didn’t look as if he was going to get any, Chay thought, though that was the least of his worries.

  “Dammit,” he muttered, “we can’t talk here.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  Oh, yes, there is, he thought. But it would have to wait.

  Dana stood on the front porch, waving, as Chay and the girls rode away. It was getting to be a habit, she thought, standing there watching Chayton Lone Elk ride out of sight.

  The girls had cheered up later, especially when Chay told them Megan could go swimming as long as she stayed close to the shore. Chay and Dana had swum across the lake and back, and then they had packed up and headed for home.

  And now it was dusk. When Chay and the girls were out of sight, Dana went inside and got a bowl of grapes, then went back outside and sat down on the rocker, her feet propped up on the porch rail. Two days of horseback riding had left her aching in places she didn’t know she had. But she had to admit, they were the best two days she’d had in a long time, and Chay was the reason. Like it or not, she was drawn to him. And she didn’t like it. Even if she wanted to get involved with another man—and she didn’t!—it was too soon. The hurt of Rick’s betrayal was too fresh in her heart and her mind.

  “Does the word rebound ring a bell?” she muttered. Maybe that was all it was, just a normal urge to find another man as quickly as possible, someone to stroke her ego and make her feel desirable.

  Why did she have to meet Chayton Lone Elk now, when she was lonely and vulnerable and unsure of herself? Why did he have to be so tall and so doggone handsome? Why did he have to have a smile that could melt ice on a winter day, and a voice that made her insides quiver like melted Jell-O? Why did he have to look so darn sexy in a cowboy hat and tight jeans?

  She blew out a sigh. Sexy, she thought. Had she ever seen anything sexier than Chay in those black trunks? It just wasn’t fair that she had to meet him now, when he seemed so right and the timing was so wrong.

  She was about to go back into the house when a movement in the shadows drew her attention. Leaning forward, she saw three does picking their way through the underbrush across from the house.

  Reaching into the bowl, she tossed a few grapes toward the deer. They looked at her for a long moment, then, ears twitching nervously back and forth, they emerged from the brush to eat the grapes.

  They were so beautiful, with their large delicate ears and big brown eyes. She tossed them more grapes, and still more. Rising, she moved quietly down the stairs. The deer backed away. Dana plucked a handful of grapes from the bowl and held her hand out toward them. They watched her warily for several moments, then the smaller of the three took a step forward.

  Dana kept very still as the doe moved toward her, held her breath as the doe gently nibbled the grapes from her hand while the other two looked on.

  Reaching into the bowl again, Dana tossed a handful of grapes to the other two deer. The movement spooked all three. With a flick of their tails, they disappeared into the darkness.

  Setting the bowl on the porch, Dana took a stroll around the house. The yard needed work. Tomorrow she would have a go at the weeds in the front yard and along the driveway. And then she would take a whack at the dead tree in the back of the house, although she doubted she would be able to cut it down herself.

  She paused at the foot of the stairs and gazed up at the sky. At home, she’d rarely taken the time to look at the stars. Now, she noticed the beauty of the Milky Way. She found the North Star and the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. Dana frowned, trying to remember where the other constellations were located.

  She took a deep breath, her nostrils filling with the fresh clean scent of earth and pine. She really did love it here, the trees and the deer and the squirrels. The sky seemed bigger, the stars more plentiful.

  Yawning, she went into the house and fixed a light dinner, then, muscles aching, she took a long hot bath. When the water grew cool, she stepped out of the tub, pulled on her nightgown, then grabbed a book and crawled into bed.

  She stared at the words on the page, but it was Chayton Lone Elk’s face she saw, Chay’s image that followed her to sleep.

  Chapter Five

  “W hy the hell weren’t you more careful? Dammit, the girl could have drowned.”

  Chay stood in front of Big John’s desk, his hands tightly clenched at his sides as the old man continued the rant that had been going on for the last twenty minutes.

  “Well?” Big John spread his hands on his desk and leaned forward. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

  “Not a damn thing.”

  Big John reared back, his eyes narrowing, his face mottled with rage. “Get the hell out of my office.”

  Turning on his heel, Chay stalked out of the room. He was almost at the front door when Ashley stepped into his path.

  “I’m sorry, Chay,” she said quietly.

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “I know how you hate looking after us. I don’t know why Daddy thinks we need a chaperon.”

  Chay grunted softly. “Today’s a perfect example of why you need a keeper,” he said, but there was no anger in his voice, only affection.

  Ashley threw her arms around him and gave him a bear hug. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, kitten.”

  “I don’t know why Daddy’s making such a big fuss. Megan’s fine.”

  “We were lucky,” Chay said, ruffling her hair. “It could have been a lot worse. Go along now.”

  “All right.” She started down the hallway, then stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “Are you gonna see Dana again?”

  “I don’t know, why?”

  Ashley shrugged. “No reason. She’s pretty, isn’t she?”

  “She is that,” Chay agreed.

  “Prettier than me?”

  “No one’s prettier than you.”

  With a smile, Ashley ran up the stairs.

  Needing some fresh air, Chay left the house and headed for the corral. He whistled softly and his horse trotted up, snuffling softly.

  “Hey, girl.” Propping one foot on the bottom rail, Chay scratched the mare between her ears. “Damn that old man,” he muttered. “If I had any sense, I’d pack up and leave this place.” But even as he said the words, he knew he wouldn’t go. Not only because he didn’t want to, but because it would make Big John’s life so much easier if he didn’t have to see his illegitimate son every day.

  Of course, leaving would make Chay’s life easier, too. His mother had tried to persuade him to go with her when she married Frank Heston, but Chay had stubbornly refused to go. Big John was his father and Chay intended to stay on at the ranch until the old man acknowledged that fact to the whole damn world. He had spent most of his life trying to make his old man proud of him. He worked harder than any hired hand on the place, and he was damn good at what he did. He could outrope and outride any cowboy within a thousand miles. He understood horses and cattle as well as, if not better than, Big John himself. And then there was Ashley. She was his half sister and she didn’t even know it.

  Chay gave the mare a final pat. “See ya later, girl.”

  Turning away from the corral, he headed for the bunkhouse. He waved to the other cowhands, paused a moment to watch a poker game. As usual, Vern Kingston was winning big. Chay knew some of the other men thought Kingston cheated at cards, but Chay had played enough poker with Vern to know better. Kingston wasn’t just good, he had the devil’s own luck at the game.

  Moving on, Chay dropped down on his bunk, one arm thrown across his eyes. He wasn’t surprised when Dana’s image immediately popped to the forefront of his mind. She tempted him and intrigued him more than any woman he had ever met, and he had met quite a few. But none of them appealed to him the way she did. She brought out his protective instincts, made him want to shield her from life’s heartaches, heal the hurt he sometimes saw in
her eyes.

  “Damn,” he muttered irritably, “you’ve got it bad.”

  Yet even as he chided himself for being a fool, he was trying to find a plausible reason to go by her place again tomorrow.

  Dana sat back on her heels and stretched the kinks out of her back and shoulders. It had been years since she had pulled weeds, especially this many of the sticky little things. She wouldn’t have minded so much if scrabbling in the dirt had accomplished its purpose and kept her from thinking of Chay, but it didn’t. She was worse than a teenager with her first crush. She thought about Chay and her insides turned to mush. When she was with him, all she wanted to do was touch him, hear his voice, see him smile. When they were apart, she daydreamed about him. She dreamed of him at night, too.

  She shook her head. Last night, she had dreamed of Chay. He had ridden up on his horse, swept her off her feet and carried her away to a house located in a green meadow. There had been cattle on the hillsides. He had carried her into the house and shut the door, and shut out the rest of the world….

  She pushed the memory aside. It was only a dream, and dreams were for fools. She was a grown woman with a responsible job, not some silly little girl who had just been dumped for the first time.

  Only it was the first time. And it hurt. And she never wanted to feel this way again.

  With a shake of her head, she started tossing the weeds into a plastic bag. As soon as she finished up here, it would be time to fix lunch. She licked her lips, anticipating an ice-cold glass of lemonade.

  Half an hour later, the weeds in the front of the house were gone. Rising, one hand pressed against the small of her aching back, she debated going into town and buying some flowers to line the driveway. It seemed like a foolish gesture when she was only going to be there another two weeks. Still, there was something very satisfying about working in the yard and getting her hands dirty. And flowers didn’t cost that much.

  Another half hour or so, and she would go inside, get cleaned up and drive to the nursery in town.