The Rancher’s Spirited Bride

by Chloe Carley

  “Thank you, son. See you at supper.” James turned to leave the barn, but his daughter’s voice stopped him.

  “Pa? You feeling okay?” Sara Jane asked, a note of concern in her voice.

  James smiled and patted his daughter’s shoulder as he passed by. “Just feeling my age. I’ll be fine,” he added when she didn’t look convinced. “See you both at supper.” He headed out of the barn and, after a cursory glance to see Sara Jane still watching her father walk away, Carl turned his attention back to James’ mount and began untacking the gelding.

  Sara Jane worked alongside on her own mount and it wasn’t until they’d started brushing their horses that he spoke to her directly. “So, how did your trip into town this morning go?”

  “Better than either Riley or I could have hoped. The Pedersens are on board with helping the women at the new boarding house.”

  “That’s good news. What about Lily?”

  Sara Jane smiled softly. “She’s having twins. The doctor was able to hear both heartbeats.”

  “Has she told Jace yet?”

  “I think so. He was waiting for us when we got back.”

  “I’m happy for them,” Carl offered. “Maybe tomorrow afternoon we could ride down and check out the first pond? It’s Saturday and …”

  Sara Jane shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I have to go back to town tomorrow. There’s a new schoolteacher in town and I promised to give them a tour of the town.”

  “Them? There are two schoolteachers?”

  “No, just Mark Lawry and his mother. She’s a prickly one and a bit stuffy but Mark seems very nice.”

  “The new schoolteacher is a man?” Carl asked.

  “Yes. All the way from Philadelphia. His mother was not impressed with the living quarters attached to the school.”

  Carl nodded, having seen the small two-room living quarters. “I don’t imagine she was. It’s barely big enough for one person, let alone two.”

  Sara Jane smiled and then told him, “I suggested they head on over to the boarding house until other suitable living quarters could be found.”

  “The boarding house? Rio Arriba doesn’t have a boarding house,” Carl reminded her.

  Sara Jane looked very pleased with herself and grinned. “It does now. I helped Polly and Jasmine take down that horrid brothel sign myself. It is now a boarding house and Miss Johnson is going to help cook and clean, Stephanie is going to work at the mercantile, and Polly is going to take in sewing.”

  Miss Johnson? Stephanie? Polly? “Those are all women living at the brothel …er, boarding house?”

  Sara Jane nodded. “Yes. Anyway, Mark asked if I could show him about the town and introduce him to some folks and I said yes.”

  “That was nice of you,” Carl offered. He wondered whether the twinge he felt was curiosity, jealousy, or amazement at Sara Jane’s organizing capabilities.

  “I figure there won’t be much to do around here now that the cattle have all been moved. At least, not until we’re much closer to spring,” Sara Jane offered.

  “That’d be right,” Gideon agreed, moving out of the shadows.

  Sara Jane tossed the curry comb into a bucket and then led her mount into her stall. She dumped some feed in the bag and then patted the horse’s neck. “Thanks for a good day.” She left the stall and then turned to Carl. “I should probably head inside and see if Ma needs any help with supper.” She turned and left the barn.

  Carl stared after her, a frown upon his face. “She thinks her ma might need help with supper? Since when does she cook or like helping with that task?” he asked.

  “I don’t know what’s gotten into her today,” Gideon. She wore a dress this morning and then spent the afternoon herding cattle. She’s confusing.”

  “That’s an understatement. And what’s with giving the new schoolteacher a tour of the town? It’s a small town, not much to see,” Carl told him.

  Gideon nodded thoughtfully and then suggested, “Maybe she’s just being neighborly.”

  “Sara Jane is willingly going back into town, which means donning another dress and taking the wagon. Have you ever known your sister to be that neighborly before?”

  Gideon pursed his lips and shook his head. “Come to think of it, no. Well, that’s a mystery.”

  Carl nodded. Is it a mystery, or is there something about this schoolteacher I should know? Or is she just wanting to see the women at the brothel again? She sounded so excited when she was talking about all that had been accomplished today. Maybe she’s just getting very involved in helping them, and the schoolteacher is just an excuse for her to go back into town two days in a row.

  Glancing up, he caught Gideon watching him carefully and he shrugged off any questions his friend might have posed. “I’m going to go get cleaned up before supper.”

  Carl left the barn and headed for the bunkhouse. He’d moved in there shortly after Jace had married Lily, wanting them to have the small foreman’s house to themselves. One of these days he’d have his own wife and then he’d build a house of his own. James and Pearl had already told him he was welcome to do so, and he’d even picked out the perfect piece of land. It was just a short distance from Gideon’s new house and if built correctly, would have an unobstructed view of the mountain range each morning and evening.

  Carl even had the plans for the small house already drawn up. Jace had helped him and one day soon, he hoped to start building it. He’d designed the house with Sara Jane in mind, but first he would need to keep her here at the ranch so that he could properly court her. For the last several weeks, since he’d made his intentions known, either his chores, or Sara Jane herself, had kept him from having any quality time alone with her.

  He’d been hoping that during the slower winter months they would have time to talk about a future together. He’d never imagined he’d have to fight people in the town for her attentions.

  Sara Jane, what are you up to? Whatever it is, I hope you know it doesn’t change a thing where my affections are concerned. I’m still going to court you, even if you try to hide in town each and every day. I’ll find a way.

  *****

  The next morning

  Sara Jane was sitting in the barn, repairing a broken harness when the sound of a wagon arriving captured her attention. She’d been intending to head into town soon, but then she’d discovered the frayed harness and decided she had time to repair it. She wasn’t due to meet Mr. Lawry until after the noon hour.

  She set the leather strap down and then hopped off of the hay bale she’d been perched on. She pushed open the barn doors, surprised to see Mrs. Pedersen arriving with the new schoolteacher and his mother in tow.

  She met the wagon, dusting her hands on her trousers as she grabbed the horse’s bridle. “Whoa, easy boy.”

  “Sara Jane, good morning,” Mrs. Pedersen told her.

  “Good morning to you as well. We weren’t expecting you until much later in the day.”

  “Mr. Lawry and his mother expressed a desire to meet your family, and when they learned I was coming out for a visit today, they asked to accompany me. I hope that won’t be an imposition?”

  Mrs. Pedersen looked harried, and Sara Jane gave her an encouraging smile, guessing that if she had been forced to ride from town with Cecilia Lawry as a companion she would have been in the same frame of mind. “Of course not. Ma will be happy to meet them. Hop on down and I’ll take you all up to the house.”

  “Hop on down?” Cecilia asked in a loud whisper. “And what in tarnation is she wearing? This cannot be the same woman we met yesterday.”

  “Mother, quiet down.” Mark turned his gaze to Sara Jane and apologized briefly. “You’ll have to forgive her; she tends to think everyone should value the same things she does.”

  “Does she need some assistance in getting down?” Sara Jane asked sweetly, forcing a slight smile to remain on her face. Mark’s mother was proving to be just as insulting as the day before.

 
One would think a newcomer to our town, and the mother of the new schoolteacher, would be going out of her way to be pleasant and cooperative. Cecilia Lawry is being anything but. In fact, she appears to be bolder than the day before. I wonder how the town busybodies will deal with her insults and put downs? Not well, I would imagine. It will be interesting to see how Ma deals with her. Mrs. Lawry has most assuredly met her match.

  Sara Jane pulled her thoughts back, hiding the smirk that wanted to break free as she tried to imagine the meeting about to occur. She then stepped back as the occupants of the wagon prepared to climb down. She could have gone and retrieved the wooden step stool she and some of the others used for getting into and out of the wagons whilst wearing skirts, but instead, she stood there silently. Watching.

  “No, I’ll assist her, but thank you for the offer.” Mark hopped down from the wagon with ease and then reached up and helped his mother down.

  Sara Jane waited a moment as the woman made a big show of straightening her skirts and fixing her small hat that had started to slide sideways. Once it appeared Cecelia was finished making herself presentable, Sara Jane gestured toward the house. “Come on up.” She entered and called out a warning to the occupants. “Ma, company’s here.”

  “Oh my.” Pearl came from the kitchen with the remnants of dough on her hands. “I thought you said she was coming in the afternoon?”

  “I did and that’s what I was led to believe. They decided to come early.” Aware that she had an audience, Sara Jane made a point to keep all inflections and emotion from her voice.

  “They? Who came with her?” Ma raised one brow, silently asking for more information.

  “The new schoolteacher in town and his mother. They wanted to meet the Lawsons.” Sara Jane knew Ma would catch on to what she wasn’t voicing. Her ma didn’t disappoint.

  Pearl nodded knowingly and allowed her demeanor to completely change. She was no longer the harried ranch wife, scrambling to get the bread made and the laundry drying on the line before mid-morning. She was the wife of the wealthiest and most influential family in the region.

  “Why don’t you show our guests into the front room and I’ll be right there after I tidy up,” Pearl suggested with a raised brow and a glint in her eye that promised their uninvited guests were about to be given a firsthand lesson in manners—Lawson-style.

  Sara Jane hid her smirk, knowing exactly what Ma was about. Newcomers to the area often wanted to meet her parents after learning nothing happened in Rio Arriba without their approval and support. While Sara Jane hadn’t taken Mark as one who would play that game, she was certain that was exactly the sort of person his mother was. Her disdain for their way of life had been evident the day before. She’d thought Mark and his mother would simply go to the boarding house and settle in yesterday. Evidently, they’d found time to figure out who was who in their sleepy little town. Hence, this premature visit and their interest in meeting her parents.

  Sara Jane went back to the front porch and opened the door wide. “Come on in. Ma will be with you in a few moments.”

  “I do hope we haven’t put your dear mother out any, by our untimely arrival?” Mrs. Pedersen asked, a look of desperation in her eyes.

  Sara Jane shook her head, sympathy for the woman making her rush to reassure her. “Of course not. Ma is always willing to entertain newcomers to the area. I should get back to my chores …”

  She started to leave, only to find Mark standing in the way, blocking her escape. She looked up at him and arched her brows in question.

  “So, you help out on your family’s farm?”

  “Ranch, and yes.” She glanced at his mother and decided to increase the woman’s discomfort just a tiny bit. “Care for a tour?”

  “Absolutely,” Mark eagerly agreed. He moved to follow her and, as Sara Jane had predicted, his mother called out.

  “Mark where are you going?”

  “I’m just going to tour the ranch with Miss Lawson. I’ll be back shortly.”

  “But …”

  Mark placed a hand on her lower back and gave her a little push from the room, and Sara Jane had to bite the inside of her lip to stop herself laughing at the confusion and consternation on the other woman’s face. By the time she and Mark reached the barn, she had herself back under control enough to ask, “Your mother doesn’t appear to actually like being here. In New Mexico.”

  “She would much rather be in the drawing rooms of Philadelphia, I agree; however, she is not capable of living alone and I wanted adventure.”

  “Well, I don’t know how much adventure you’ll get here, but we never get bored.” She headed for the row of stalls and asked, “Do you ride much?”

  “Yes, but not as much as I’d like. After we find a place to reside that might change. Uhm … I do need to ask … did you mean to send us to the boarding house that was most recently a brothel?”

  Sara Jane met his eyes, hiding a smirk, and nodded. “It’s not a brothel and the women there are very nice. Life hasn’t treated them kindly and without family or spouses to support them, they were forced to eke out a living however they could. They are attempting to turn their lives around with our help.”

  Sara Jane continued through the barn, stopping when she reached the open back area where the men were gathered around, playing cards. While Pa didn’t allow gambling for money on the ranch, he did allow the men to play cards as a way to pass the time. If skipping a particularly nasty chore became the reward for winning, no one really seemed to mind.

  Winter was on its way and, for the first time since Sara Jane could remember, there really weren’t any new chores needing to be done after the standard morning chores were accomplished. At least, not until later this afternoon.

  While many ranches decreased the number of ranch hands who stayed during the winter, James Lawson had never done so. He believed that everyone who worked on the ranch contributed to its success and was thereby part of his family. Family didn’t get rid of family just because the weather turned. Everyone stayed on during the winter months and soon the men would take to woodworking or other indoor pursuits.

  “Shawn noticed her arrival first. “Sara Jane, care to introduce your guest?”

  Sara Jane stepped forward and addressed the group. “This is Mark Lawry, the new schoolteacher in town. He and his mother came out with Mrs. Pedersen to see Ma.”

  A collective “Ah” came from the men as they’d all been around long enough to understand what she hadn’t said. Sara Jane could feel Carl’s eyes on her, but she ignored him. “Shall we continue our tour?”

  “Where else are you planning to take him?” Gideon asked.

  Sara Jane shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. There’s really not much else to see without getting on a horse.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t have time for that today, but maybe once the weather warms up I can come back out and you can show me this beautiful land you call home,” Mark told her softly, earning several frowns from the gathered men as he was now standing much too close to her.

  When he reached out, looking as if he meant to touch her cheek, she took a small step back. Mark was being very forward given their short acquaintance and present audience. Sara Jane wasn’t sure how she felt about his actions. Instead of taking time to figure the answer out, she decided to leave him to her brothers and escape while she could.

  She said, “Actually, I should probably go get ready to go into town so I can give you that tour I promised. You’ll see that he gets back to the house?” she asked Shawn, who nodded slowly.

  “Good.” Sara Jane turned and headed for the entrance to the barn, not surprised when Carl joined her a few seconds later. “Did you want something?”

  “Why are you giving this man a tour of the town? He seems capable enough of making everyone’s acquaintance the usual way.”

  “Maybe, but I offered, and he accepted … or he asked, and I agreed … it doesn’t really matter now. I’ll take him around and introduce him to the townsfol
k and then he can start making inroads in getting the students back in the classroom.”

  “Looks like he and his ma managed to meet some people just fine,” Carl commented.

  Sara Jane nodded. “It wouldn’t take much time to figure out the Lawsons have the biggest spread around. Anyway, I won’t be gone but a few hours at the most.”

  “Who’s going with you?”

  Sara Jane stared at Carl fully. “No one needs to go with me. I’m perfectly capable of riding into town and getting myself back home.” She’d been planning to take the wagon and saw nothing wrong with driving herself. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time she’d done so.

  “I didn’t say you weren’t capable, I just thought maybe you’d like some company. I have business in town as well and was planning to go right after lunch.”