by Leigh Riker
CHAPTER TWO
NELL DROVE HOME with a heavy heart. Although she’d had nothing to do with the sale of Cooper’s family ranch to her grandfather, she could see Cooper held her partly to blame for the loss. Since I couldn’t take over Dad’s place, he’d said, and she’d seen the lingering sorrow in his eyes. It didn’t help that she understood. But to blindside her like that with his vow to actually take back the land?
She climbed down from her grandfather’s pickup to open the gates to the NLS, still shaking. The tension began to drain from her though as she shut the gates. Home. This was where she belonged, and over the years, even the acreage acquired from the Ransoms had become part of her. Without the NLS—all of it—who would she be?
Nell whizzed along the driveway toward the barns, surveying with a practiced eye part of the herd on either side that was pastured there. Through the truck’s half-open window, she heard an Angus calf bleat for its mother. All across both enclosures, under the clear blue Kansas sky, cows bent their heads to nibble the rich spring-green grass, and the constant lowing of the herd—as if they were talking among themselves—sounded like music to her ears.
On the other side of the lane, some of the ranch cow ponies, off duty for the day, munched grass too. A frisky colt, delivered into Nell’s hands last winter on a cold, snowy night, lifted its head to nicker in greeting. “Hey, handsome,” she called out.
At the barn, she brought the truck to a stop in front of the open doors. Her pulse sped up—as it had the instant she’d seen Cooper, if not in the same way. He wasn’t here now—thank goodness—but, too bad for her, Hadley Smith was.
Alerted by the sound of the truck’s engine, which knocked as if someone were banging on a door, PawPaw’s foreman appeared, leading a dark gelding. With one thumb, he pushed back his battered hat, and a hunk of nearly black hair slipped across his forehead. As she climbed out of the pickup, a familiar scowl appeared on Hadley’s face, and his cold blue eyes chilled her to the core.
She wished PawPaw had fired Hadley before he went to Montana. She was tired of his insubordination, which threatened her already tenuous authority.
“Wondered where you’d disappeared to,” Hadley said in the lazy, exaggerated drawl he seemed to use only with her. Nell felt sure it was meant to put her in her place—the place he’d chosen for her.
All hard edges and sinewy strength, Hadley towered over Nell by a head. Everything about him seemed meant to intimidate, from the black hat on his head to his ebony shirt, dark jeans and boots. Even the horse he’d chosen from the NLS string was the color of polished onyx.
“I had errands in town,” she said, then clamped her mouth shut. Hadley had a way of making her want to explain herself as if she was his employee rather than the other way around. When her grandfather was here, his foreman didn’t dare step over a line, but with Nell on her own, he went out of his way to do so.
“You missed all the action,” he muttered.
“What action?” But Hadley didn’t enlighten her. Nell propped both hands on her hips. She’d gone over the day’s schedule with him before she left to see Cooper, drawn by curiosity once more into his orbit. Compelled by a concern she didn’t want to feel. Then he’d made her feel like a fool. One day, being so impulsive would get her into real trouble.
Hadley jerked the lead rope in his hand, and the gelding reared back against his too-tight hold. “Careful how you handle that horse,” she said.
“He knows who’s boss.” His dismissive gaze ran down her form, taking in her aggressive stance. “You let an animal get the better of you once, you’ve already lost control.”
Nell doubted he was talking about the horse. In her experience, Hadley was all about using raw power, beginning with her. She was determined to hold her own with him—and everyone else, including Cooper.
“I won’t tolerate abuse of that horse or any other. Did you fix that fence on the Ransom side like I asked?” Saying the name aloud only reminded her of her unwise visit to Finn’s house. She hardened her tone. “And the feed room’s short of grain. That order should have been placed days ago.” It wasn’t like Hadley to overlook such a basic task.
He scowled. “I know how to do my job.”
He didn’t tell her whether he’d done it though, just as he hadn’t explained whatever action she’d missed.
Her mouth tightened. “Then don’t forget to call the vet. My grandfather’s mare needs her teeth floated.” The routine dental procedure filed the molars down to avoid sore spots from a horse’s ever-growing teeth. PawPaw’s horse was like another child to him. When he came home, his sleek roan would be waiting in perfect condition. Like the whole ranch. “She needs shoes again too. I won’t see Beauty come up lame or founder just so you can prove a point.”
“What point?” Hadley asked as if he didn’t know what she was talking about.
Nell fought an urge to press the matter, but she’d made herself clear. If the work wasn’t finished by sundown, he would hear from her. “Just do it.”
She turned on her heel, glanced pointedly into the feed room on her way past, then stepped out into the sun, its warmth almost overcoming the chill she felt inside. She sensed Hadley standing there, staring after her. If she spun around, she’d surely catch a knowing smirk on his face, as if he saw right through her shaky confidence.
* * *
COOPER REACHED FOR his mug of cold coffee on the end table by the recliner. He took one sip, then with a grimace, set the cup aside. Holding the remote control that was becoming welded to his hand, he changed channels again. He’d seen today’s depressing news half a dozen times this afternoon on every station since Nell had left but nothing could remove her from his thoughts.
He couldn’t seem to suppress the image: the tilt of her lips when she smiled, the clean line of her jaw, the graceful arch of her neck, her naturally husky voice or the fierce spirit that had first drawn him to her. In the years since he’d last seen her, she’d become a beautiful woman... One who wanted nothing to do with him, Cooper guessed, because Nell all but wore an imaginary sign that said Keep Away.
So what was the foreman thing about? Was that why she’d really come to see him? Nell herself had implied that, most likely, Ned Sutherland wouldn’t be able to manage the NLS much longer. What would happen when Cooper made his offer to her grandfather? Once she realized his vow to get his land back was no empty threat, how would she react then?
The front door opened, and he straightened in the chair, half expecting Nell to be there, her eyes shooting sparks and ready for battle. Instead, Finn Donovan walked in, loosening the top buttons of his white dress shirt and running a hand through his dark hair. As the sheriff of Stewart County, Kansas, Finn rarely wore his uniform or badge and almost never a suit. He preferred jeans.
“A day in court, wearing a jacket and shiny shoes. My favorite part of the job,” he said, watching Cooper shut off the television.
Cooper shifted again. “My day wasn’t that much better. Thanks, by the way, for telling Nell Sutherland I was here.”
“She came by?” When Cooper nodded, Finn raised his brows above earnest hazel eyes. “Huh.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” But Finn couldn’t hold back a smile. He tossed his navy tie on a chair. In their time together as cops, Cooper had sometimes talked about Nell, a confidence he regretted at the moment. “Hope neither of you drew blood.”
“Not much,” he said, then told Finn about Nell’s job offer. “I told her no.”
“Then what happened?”
“Nell walked out.”
Finn frowned. “Doesn’t sound like Nell to me. What else did you say?”
Cooper squirmed in his seat. “Nothing,” he said as Finn had a moment ago.
“I know you better than that. I also know Nell’s having a rough time right now with her granddad away. It m
ust be hard to penetrate the old cowboy culture on the NLS.”
“Which Hadley Smith is a part of, she told me.”
“He’s a tough customer, but Nell’s a good woman. Capable. She’s just as skilled at riding, roping, birthing calves, all that as... Oh, wait. Did you make her feel like less than the cowgirl she is?”
Cooper looked away. “No, but I told her why I’m here. I appreciated her stopping in to see how I was, but after she asked me to take the foreman’s job, I had to come clean with her about my intentions.”
“In your usual tactful manner, I’m sure,” Finn said. Diplomacy wasn’t one of Cooper’s best traits, but then neither was his tendency to be outspoken or prone to using sarcasm as a defense, as he’d done with Nell.
Finn started to say something more, then cocked his head. Cooper heard the sound of an engine just before it cut off. His internal alert system was already getting rusty; he hadn’t heard the car pull up. “Annabelle’s home,” Finn said. “You won’t want to miss her cooking tonight.”
Cooper didn’t, that was true. Finn’s girlfriend had been feeding him like a goose being stuffed for Christmas, and where else would he eat? She had recently sold her diner, which wasn’t open under new management yet, and in Barren there weren’t many other restaurant choices. Besides, beyond her being a great cook, he’d always liked Annabelle. That was good, because she’d sold her house in town and, with her young daughter, moved in with Finn.
Soon, Finn, Annabelle and Cooper were inside for the night, and the air smelled of chicken and dumplings. While Annabelle fixed a salad, Finn poured wine for her, then opened two beers for the men. Cooper watched them move about the small kitchen, bumping into each other on purpose. “I booked a new client today,” she said to Finn. “I’ll be leading a tour of the art museum in Kansas City for a senior high school class.”
Finn glanced at Cooper. “Annabelle’s building her new business faster than we even hoped—” His gaze faltered and he put a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t miss not traveling as much as you wanted?”
She shook her head. “When I was in Phoenix for that class to become a tour guide, I missed you and Emmie too much. Especially while she’s so little, I like being home at night, not on the road as a tour director staying in some hotel room.”
Finn kissed her cheek. “I like having you home.”
Cooper wondered where Annabelle’s little girl was tonight, but before he could ask, she said, “Emmie’s eating with a friend. She won’t be sorry to miss my dumplings. She calls them soggy doughnuts.”
She and Finn laughed. Apparently, that was some private joke Cooper wasn’t in on, and he half wished Emmie was here. She’d taken to him right away, and he’d have been happy to read her little book about a cowgirl with her before bed. Cooper had never married, and he didn’t often get the chance to be charmed by a child. Maybe he’d never have kids of his own, but in all sorts of ways, he envied Finn and Annabelle. Their light touches and secret smiles spoke of their sheer newfound happiness.
Annabelle, brown-haired, brown-eyed and plain all her life, had a fresh glow about her now, but Cooper didn’t see a ring on her hand.
Finn caught him checking. “We’re waiting,” he said. “The jewelry store’s definitely in our future, but before that, we need to finish redoing this house.”
Annabelle waved a cooking fork. “We painted and washed windows before you got here. You’re our first guest.” She pointed at the sink in front of the window. “But this kitchen needs a makeover.”
Her comments made Cooper think of the house where he’d grown up. He looked out the window at the pasture where Finn kept a bay horse and its companion pony and felt a wave of yearning go through him.
“I think you should do it,” Finn said now as if he’d read Cooper’s mind.
“What?”
“Talk to Nell again about the job. You’re almost well again after that shooting, and I see you’re getting bored. Might be the best thing for you to be more active, get on a horse again, pitch in with the work at the NLS.”
The flash of memory pierced him like another bullet. This should have been his place in the world still, but it wasn’t. Yet. On the other hand, at the NLS he’d be close to his land again, even before the deed was in his hand. He’d have a chance to assess things. It wasn’t as if he’d be deceiving Nell. She was already aware of his intentions.
Annabelle gave Finn a slight nod to encourage him to go on. “I do know you,” he said. “You’re just itching to cowboy again.”
* * *
“I’M DOING FINE, PawPaw,” Nell told her grandfather that night during one of their way too regular phone calls. She sat in the ranch office at his big polished desk in front of the computer and near the old shelves lined with books, among them PawPaw’s handwritten cattle breeding registers and his favorite Louis L’Amour novels. On a long table against one wall stood a genuine Remington bronze figure of a cowboy on a bucking horse. As a girl, Nell had run her fingers over its smooth warm surface so many times PawPaw had told her it would one day melt into a puddle. She suppressed any thought of Cooper or her run-in that afternoon with Hadley. “Please don’t worry about me.”
“I don’t understand why you’re so hell-bent on running the NLS. You could take it easy while I’m gone. Hadley’s been with me for years.”
Nell blew out a breath. She and her grandfather remained close, and she always worried about his fragile health, but now that she was grown up, his antiquated views also tended to make her crazy. Ned Sutherland was a traditional Western male, determined to provide for and protect the women he loved. “Don’t be so nineteenth century, PawPaw. I’m not some hothouse flower, some maiden on a Victorian fainting couch. I can take care of things—anything,” she said. “Hadley’s getting in my way.”
She could hear the indulgent smile in his voice. “He seems to believe you’re in his.” Her grandfather hesitated before going on. “Nell, you know what I think.”
She’d recited the words too many times. “Like Mom, you’d have me leave ranching to the men, marry a cowboy, then have a family of my own.”
“And once you fall in love, which I pray you do, you won’t be able to concentrate on the NLS. I’ve seen it happen.” Frustration roughened his tone. “What’s old-fashioned about that?”
“If you don’t know, I can’t explain it.” Nell could have mentioned several other ranches now run by the owners’ daughters, but PawPaw was well aware of their names.
In the background, she heard his older brother chime in. “By the time you go back, Ned, there won’t be a ranch. I know Hadley Smith. He’ll make mincemeat of you, Nelly.”
“Don’t call me Nelly,” she said in a voice loud enough for her uncle to hear.
But Will could be relentless. “You’re no match for him. How much do you weigh?” he asked, as if she and Hadley were prizefighters about to compete in the ring for some heavyweight championship.
Nell glanced down at her dirty boots, her muddy jeans and the sweatshirt she’d pulled on when the late-day air had cooled. Except for her brief trip to the Moran farm, she’d worked from before sunup to sundown as hard as any man. “What is this, Uncle Will—Jeopardy? Don’t answer, then ask your own question. We’re not on TV.” She took a breath. “I’m heavier and taller than you are.”
Unlike her grandfather, he wasn’t a big man and had shrunk over the years. Nell envisioned him now, appearing almost frail, but with the towering pride he’d always displayed and a poor attitude, in her opinion, toward the females of the species. To Nell, that seemed more memorable than his shock of white hair or the piercing dark eyes he and PawPaw shared. Well, not the hair anymore; after he recovered from his stroke, PawPaw had dyed his to what he thought was its more normal brown. And he’d put on some weight again.
“Haven’t you heard?” she said. “Women are running the world.”
Will made a harsh sound. “I won’t see your grandfather’s world run into the ground without saying my piece.”
Nell dug her boot heels into the carpet under the desk. Why was her grandfather ceding this conversation to his brother? “PawPaw, don’t listen to Will,” she said, not caring if her uncle heard. “As for Hadley Smith, I can handle him.”
“Maybe so, but give him a chance. Hadley’s a good man. If I catch the least whiff of trouble between you two, I’ll be home.”
Nell’s pulse stuttered. If he came home now, he’d take over again. “I thought you two were leaving tomorrow on a road trip into Canada. Didn’t I hear something about fishing?” Like deer hunting in the fall, it was her grandfather’s passion, other than the NLS. Until this spring, he’d mostly fished in the small lake outside Barren, but he hadn’t gone since his stroke and then his accident with the truck last October. This time away was his first vacation in years and, in Nell’s mind, maybe her one chance to prove her worth.
“We are going,” he said. “But if you need me—”
“I told you, I’m fine.” Don’t undermine me. Like Hadley does.
A brief silence told Nell she’d made her point. Possibly. For a few more minutes, they chatted about the new calves born since PawPaw had left the ranch, the tagging and branding that were going well. She didn’t mention Hadley’s failure to order grain. By the time they hung up, Nell had almost relaxed in her grandfather’s wide leather desk chair.
Until he said, “Thanks for the update, Nelly. Think I’ll check in with Hadley.”
CHAPTER THREE
NELL PULLED HER horse to a halt. She’d been riding fence, a chore she usually loved. The big open sky of blue this morning with a few white puffy clouds, the breeze blowing through her hair and the expanse of lush grassland spreading out before her to the horizon should have calmed her spirit. But as she’d ridden, stopping now and then to inspect a section of barbed wire, she’d had to work to overcome her sense of pending failure after her talk with her grandfather.