"Ok Mary Lou. I'll stay a while and get some practise in. Thanks. See you later," she waved.
I sincerely hope not. "Sure - bye for now," she said, waving back.
Mary Lou hurried back the way she had come. She felt not even a trace of guilt, only pleasure that she had taken steps to get rid of her rival. It felt good. She grinned to herself as she walked.
"Mary Lou? There you are!" Connor came in to view as he stepped round the curve of the track.
Oh shit. What's he doing here? "Hi, Connor," she said, the smile fading from her face.
"I saw the empty tray and couldn't see you around the cabins. I wondered if everything is ok?"
"Everything is fine."
"Yeah?" For some reason he couldn't yet fathom, Connor was suspicious. He had an uneasy feeling.
"Where have you been?"
"Oh, just out for a stroll," she said airily. "Come on, let's get back." She set off walking at a fast pace.
"What's the hurry, Mary Lou?"
"No hurry at all," she replied, walking even faster. "Come on."
Connor was about to follow her when he heard a cry. "What's that? Did you hear that?"
"I didn't hear nothin'," said Mary Lou. She had lost some of her confidence and was beginning to feel agitated.
The cry came again. But this time it was much louder. And it was a cry that was full of fear. It came from the direction of the creek.
"Someone's in trouble at the creek. Go get help, Mary Lou!" yelled Connor.
He set off running along the track. There was a particularly dangerous spot up ahead. The water level was shallow and then suddenly there was a huge dip in the river bed. It was not a place to go paddling, and especially not a good place for people who couldn't swim.
"I'm coming!" he yelled. "Hold on!"
As he ran he thought he heard a faint cry and the sound of splashing, but then everything went quiet. As he approached the creek, there was no sign of anyone. The place was deserted. But as he looked closer, there was a big circle of ripples in the middle point, and a lot of bubbles breaking on the surface.
"Oh Jesus," he said. Flinging off his hat and kicking off his boots, he waded forward a few paces and then dived deep.
Rose was at the bottom of the river bed, her long dark hair floating harmoniously with the long strands of green weed. Her eyes were wide open, staring, but she wasn't moving. He had to be quick. Connor scooped her up in his arms and then kicked hard with both feet on the sandy bed, propelling them both upwards. Then, transferring her to his left, he held onto her with one hand while he used his free arm to help push upwards. His lungs were burning with the need to breath. He glanced up and could see the sunlight on the waters, beckoning. With a momentous effort he moved them up another few feet, and his hand broke free of the surface, followed by his head.
Gasping for breath he swam with Rose to the shallows, and then picked her up and staggered out of the creek. He lay her down on the grass. Her face was deathly white. In a panic, Connor felt for a pulse. There was none.
"No, no,no," he muttered. "This can't be."
He pulled a strand of water weed from her mouth, then laying her flat, he began to press hard on her chest. Over and over. "Come on, Rose. Come on," he prayed silently.
But Rose lay prone, the water glistening on her hair and skin, dripping and pooling in little rivulets on the grass. And then, her body suddenly spasmed and she vomited a spray of river water.
"Thank the Lord," breathed Connor.
A moment later, Rose was sitting up retching, and gasping, inhaling great mouthfuls of air, filling her lungs... breathing. She sat up, blinking and coughing.
"Connor," she whimpered. "Where' Hank?"
"Hank will be on his way, darlin' - until then, I have you safe."
Connor swiftly put on his boots and hat, and then set off along the track carrying Rose in his arms. She had begun to tremble and shake in shock.
"Not far to go," Connor reassured her. "You'll soon be home and feeling better."
"I was so scared. She said it was safe to paddle," sobbed Rose.
"Safe? Who the hell told you it was safe? That part of the creek is the only stretch of water that is NOT safe."
But Rose closed her eyes, exhausted from her ordeal. She didn't need to tell Connor it was Mary Lou, he already knew who was responsible.
"Mary Lou," he muttered darkly. "You've gone too far this time, lady." Connor strode along, water running from his clothes as he walked, leaving splats in the dry earth beneath his feet.
He reached the cabins. There was no-one around. Grimly, he recalled telling Mary Lou to get help. Clearly, she hadn't bothered to do so. Rose was alive, but it was no thanks to Mary Lou, who had obviously intended otherwise. Grim faced, he continued towards the ranch. Gabriel and Nathan rode towards him, looking anxious.
"What's happened?"
"Is that Miss Rose?! Is she ok?"
"She damn nearly drowned. Phone for Doc Johnson will you, Nathan? And Gabe - see if you can find Hank. I'll fill you in on the rest of the details later. Oh - and one other thing," he said as the two ranchers prepared to carry out their errands, "if anyone sees Mary Lou, make sure she doesn't go anywhere. Lock her in the barn until Hank and I can get to speak with her."
"Does she have something to do with this?" asked Nathan, his face showing concern, surprise and shock.
"She has everything to do with this," said Connor. There was a bleakness in his eyes at the thought of Mary Lou and her actions.
---oOo---
When Rose awoke, it was evening. She was lying in bed in her pretty yellow room, and Hank was by her side.
"Hello, you," she murmured sleepily.
"Hello darling. How are you feeling?"
"How am I feeling?" She sat up, puzzled for a moment, until the memory of what happened earlier in the day surfaced. "Oh. Oh Hank! I'm ok. I was in the creek, and..."
"It's ok sweetheart. I know what happened. Connor told me. You told him that Mary Lou said the creek was safe. Is that right?"
Rose nodded miserably. "Oh God, I was terrified when I went under. And then I panicked and screamed. Thank God Connor heard me."
"Yes. We owe Connor your life. If he hadn't got you out and resuscitated you..." His voice trailed off. "Mary Lou is nowhere to be found. The Sheriff's office has been informed and they are on the look out for her. That woman is facing serious charges."
"Oh, but I'm sure she didn't mean anything bad to happen to me," began Rose, then lapsed into silence as that was evidently not the case.
"You'll probably be feeling a bit drowsy still. The Doc gave you a shot to help you relax. You have a few scrapes and cuts on your arms and legs, but nothing too terrible." Hank smiled as he looked at her - along with the remains of a black eye, she now had dressings on her arms and a bandage on her leg. "My poor darling. I should have been there to protect you."
"You can't shadow me around the clock, Hank - I wouldn't like it one bit if you did. It wasn't your fault this happened, and I am so fortunate I'm still here to tell the tale," she smiled warmly at him. "I'm hungry. How long until supper?"
Hank chuckled. "Supper was two hours ago."
"Oh," her face fell.
"But don't you worry. Hannah has saved something for you - fried chicken and potatoes and a selection of your favourite salads. I'll bring it up on a tray."
"Fantastic. But there's no need to bring it up here - I'll come downstairs to eat."
"No way. You're to stay in bed for the rest of the day. Doctor's orders. He'll be popping over in the morning to see how you're doing."
To Hank's great relief, Rose tucked into her supper and cleared the plate. The bloom of pink roses had returned to her cheeks, and she looked a good deal better than she had earlier. He returned the empty plate to the kitchen and returned with Hannah's warm wishes, a big pot of coffee, and a slab of cake still warm from the oven.
Hank poured each of them a coffee and watched with pleasure and amusement a
s Rose contentedly munched on the cake.
"I'll tell you something," he said, moving her empty plate. "Remember a short while ago when you said you'd hate it if I shadowed your every movement?"
"Yes."
"Well, pa did that. He was so besotted with my mother that he never gave her any personal space. He wouldn't let her see her girlfriends or go anywhere without him. And he didn't want her working either as he saw it as his role to provide for his family."
"That's the first time you've mentioned your mother, Hank." Rose set down her coffee and listened.
"He became obsessed with watching her every minute of the day. He loved her, but it was a love that was flawed because of his own rigid ideals. He was selfish, and it destroyed their relationship. Eventually, she left him."
"Oh Hank. I'm sorry to hear that. When you didn't speak of her before, I assumed... well I assumed she was dead and you didn't want to speak of it. And your father seems so nice. I can't imagine him acting that way."
"He's a changed man. He was out of his mind when she left and tried to trace her, but with no success. Over the years he has changed his attitude and outlook. He never remarried, He's still in love with her."
Rose nodded. "It must have been tough for you and Scott too."
"It was. But she waited until I was 19 and Scott 16 before she left. She said she loved us both dearly but couldn't stay with pa any longer. She said we could keep in touch with her on one condition - we had to promise faithfully not to tell pa we knew where she was, or that we were seeing her from time to time. It's a promise we have both found particularly difficult to keep. We've asked her time and time again if we can tell pa that she's alive and well, but she's always refused - until today."
"Oh - so that was your errand this morning? You went to see your mother?"
"Yes. But first I went to the silversmith's to pick up the engagement ring I had made for you." Hank produced a box from his pocket. He opened the lid. Inside sat a huge oval emerald of a deep and vibrant green, surrounded by sparkling diamonds. "Do you like it? The green colour matches your eyes perfectly."
"Hank! It's... it's absolutely beautiful. It really is." She gazed, spellbound, as he slipped the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit. The emerald had a quality that was almost hypnotic.
"Columbian emeralds are highly prized throughout the world. But there is no stone as precious as you are to me, my love."
Rose kissed and hugged him. "I can't believe how lovely it is - or how lucky I am to be engaged to such a wonderful man."
"I thought we might throw an engagement party in two weeks time? It will give you the chance to meet the rest of the family and friends - and I know they are dying to meet you. And how about we fly Cindy over to join the celebrations?"
"Oh wow! Yes! Hank - that would be marvellous!"
"And your dad too, and his girlfriend - Sandra, isn't it?"
"I'm so happy, even the thought of Sandra doesn't bother me, and it will be lovely to see dad again," beamed Rose.
"You know something, I wonder if you have given Sandra a fair chance. I wonder if perhaps you are a little jealous that she has your father's affections instead of you?"
"No of course not. Don't be silly," said Rose. But inwardly, a little voice inside her head told her that there was a lot of truth in what he had said.
"Do you have any other family you'd like to invite?"
"Not really. Sadly. my grandparents are no longer with us. I have an elderly aunt, but she wouldn't travel all this way. Uncle Barry might come though. I think you'd like him and Auntie Joan - the pair of them have big round smiley faces and they are always laughing. I have cousins but I don't see that much of them, so they wouldn't be offended not to be invited. My best friend Gloria... was screwing around with Pete behind my back."
"Some best friend she turned out to be then."
"I think, of all my friends, Cindy is the one that I'm really close to now. And if she comes over, I'll be happy."
"Good. We'll discuss the details tomorrow and I'll liaise with them and get the air tickets sorted."
"I'm not sure Cindy will be able to afford..."
"She won't have to, hon. I'm paying for everyone - travel, accommodation and food and anything else they might need. Did I forget to tell you I happen to be filthy rich?"
"Yes you did forget to mention that. But I'd love you if you were as poor as a church mouse."
"I know." He kissed her again. "Now there is one other guest at our engagement party, and that's my mother. She wants to come. She wants to meet you, and though she says she has no intention of getting back with pa, she wants to talk with him and make things right between them again. She wants to reach a state where they can be civil, and hopefully friends, and be comfortable in each others company. She wants to feel part of the family again - and she wants to get to know her future daughter in law."
"Hank that's marvellous! It really is. I can't wait to meet her. But - how do you think pa will react?"
"I think he will be delighted but overwhelmed. That's why I've asked mum to come two days before the party, so she and pa can have the time together to have a real good long talk. I'll ask Scott to bring her over. Pa is in for one hell of a surprise!"
---oOo---
The next day Rose was up and about. Doc Johnson called in as promised and checked her over, pronouncing her fit and well. He was a nice man, with silvery hair and twinkly brown eyes. He congratulated her on her engagement.
"I'll be seeing you at the party," he chuckled. "I ain’t been invited yet, so I'm sticking my oar in just in case my name gets overlooked on the guest list."
"Of course you will be invited," gushed Rose. "We're doing the invitations today and I promise you that you will get one."
"Thank you kindly my dear. The midwife fell and broke her ankle the day Hank was due to be born so I stepped right in and delivered him myself. I'm mighty fond of that young man of yours."
"Me too," smiled Rose.
The day passed in a whirl of activity. Rose and Hank made endless lists. They had a meeting with Ella the housekeeper, along with her two housekeeping staff, Faith and Rebecca, and arranged for the vacant cabins to be given a good cleaning, and the spare bedrooms in the ranch to be made ready. Ella smiled and nodded, allocating tasks to Faith and Rebecca to ensure there was enough towels and bed linen available, to make up the beds and have fresh flowers placed in every room on the day the guests arrived. Baskets of fruit, jars of cookies, along with tea and coffee making facilities would also be made available for the guests.
Between them they produced lists of who would be staying at the ranch, and who would be accommodated in the cabins on the ranch land. It was going to be a tight squeeze, but it looked like they could fit everyone in.
Rose phoned home and spoke to her dad, and uncle Barry, and then had a long chat with Cindy. Everyone was excited and delighted at the news, and Hank got onto the airlines to organise the travel tickets.
Next, Hank and Rose went to join Hannah. Sitting at the big kitchen table they drank tea and munched cookies as they discussed the catering arrangements. Hannah came up with some menu ideas and once agreed, made a huge list of provisions required.
"We can't have anyone going hungry," she said, smiling. "There'll be a fair amount of extra work to be done, but we'll manage just fine. With your permission Hank, I'll get some of the ranchers wives to help out with the food preparation?"
"Of course," said Hank. "And if you need more help, just let me know and I'll sort it."
"I don't suppose you have heard anything from Mary Lou?" asked Rose.
"No, Miss Rose - which is just as well, as I'd like to give her a piece of my mind."
"You're not the only one," growled Hank. "Anyway," he squeezed Rose's hand, "don't waste your time thinking about her. We'll go into town tomorrow shall we, and you can have a shopping spree. We'll get you something nice to wear for the party, and anything else you might need."
"That would be love
ly Hank," smiled Rose. "Thank you."
Hank smiled at her fondly. He intended for her to have the best of everything.
---oOo---
Rose had a wonderful time shopping for clothes and lingerie. She decided on a calf length floaty pale pink silk dress for the party. The neckline and waistline were beautifully embroidered with green leaves. Hank bought her a gold chain with an emerald pendant to complete the outfit, along with a pair of strappy pink high heeled sandals.
"Elegant and sexy," he pronounced. "You will look absolutely stunning."
They had a leisurely lunch in town and then made their way back to the ranch.
"Fancy another ride?" Hank asked.
"Oh yes! Can I ride Button again?"
"You sure can. I'll have her saddled up ready while you go up and change."
Half an hour later, the pair of them were riding through the pasture. Rose was no novice as she had learned to ride in her teens. Her friend at that time had two horses, and they would often ride along the bridle paths at weekends or after school. But now, riding side by side with Hank was exhilarating and Rose loved every moment of it.
As they rode, Hank would point out things in the landscape. She learned the names of trees and plants and birds. After they had been riding for an hour or so, they came across a ramshackle old hut.
"What's that place?" asked Rose.
"We don't use it any more. At one time we used to keep wooden posts in there for repairing the fences. Hmmn - that's odd," he paused, looking ahead.
"What is it?"
"See the ground outside? The long grass has been flattened. Someone has been there recently."
"Who do you think it could be?"
"I don't know. But I'm going to check it out. Stay right here Rose and don't come any closer. I don't want you getting hurt if there's any trouble."
"Trouble? What sort of trouble could there be?"
"Could be a cattle rustler - armed and dangerous."
"But you're not armed, Hank. Be careful!" warned Rose as Hank urged his horse forward.
She watched as Hank dismounted and went into the shack. She waited patiently for him to come out again. The minutes ticked by slowly. Rose felt uneasy. What the hell was going on in there? She was about to disobey his instruction to remain where she was, when the door suddenly opened and Hank emerged. But he wasn't alone.
Love on a Ranch Box Set Page 6