"You don't say," Landon replied trying to grin. He wondered where he'd learned to make light of misfortune. Images of his home flashed into his mind. The ranch where he lived. His brothers and their wives. His parents. It was all coming back to him, now.
Beth Russell frowned at Landon. Maybe this was a bad time to try to be funny, Landon told himself. "I'm going to get something I can use to put a bandage on that head of yours. Once we get the bleeding to stop, of course." Landon tried to nod in agreement, but it was impossible. Beth pointed up toward the trail. "I'll get something from my buckboard. I bought some material when I was in Inspiration."
"You were in town?" he asked.
"Never mind that," Beth said firmly. Pointing at him, she added: "You stay right there." Beth started to move up the creek side.
"I'm not planning on going anywhere, Beth," he said. She paused and looked back at him. Had he caught her by surprise by using her first name like that? He saw her shake her head and smile.
Landon lay for a while, waiting for Beth's return. Finally she came back, holding some strips of white material. The dizziness had subsided and his stomach had thankfully settled. He wondered how long that would last. "Do you think you can sit up?" Beth asked softly.
"Only one way to find out," Landon replied. He felt Beth take one of his shoulders as he tried to raise himself. Everything started to sway around him. He grunted and let his head settle back down.
This time Beth cradled his head, examining it more closely than she'd done the last time. He heard her mutter: "I doesn't look as bad as I thought," she said. He glanced at her, seeing the visible relief on her features. "But it still needs attending." She squinted at the wound. "I think the bleeding will stop soon." She glanced at Landon. "I bet it hurts."
Landon shrugged, trying to make it seem like crashing his head against rocks was something he did every day of the week. "I've had worse," he said. He saw her lips press together. She wasn't convinced, he told himself. A thought raced into his mind. "Did that guy say you own a ranch?" he asked.
Something about his tone of voice seemed to irk the woman. "Sure. I own the Circle D." She lifted a brow. "Haven't you heard of it?"
"There's a lot of ranches in these parts," he replied. "Can't figure it would be possible to know every single one." He grinned at her. "At least we've got one thing in common."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"We're both ranchers." He saw her frown. "My family owns the Baxter spread over near Inspiration."
Her lips tightened and she nodded. He wondered if he'd stepped over a line. "So you're Landon Baxter," she said slowly.
"That's me." He lifted his head slightly and let Beth start to attend to the wound. He felt her wrapping the strip of material around his head. Her touch was soft and every movement of her fingers was careful. Closing his eyes, he savored the gentle movements hands. His head still hurt. But, somehow, with her attending to it, the pain didn't feel quite so bad.
Finishing her work, she tied the makeshift bandage into place and examined her handiwork. She nodded, apparently satisfied. "You've still got some bleeding going on there. But it's not as bad as I thought."
He wondered why she would care. Why it should be so important to her. "Thank you," he said, really meaning it. He glanced up and saw his black stallion gazing down at him. "Who was that guy?" Landon asked.
"Wes Harding," she replied leaning back and trying to prevent her skirts from getting any wetter. "He owns the Double T. I guess you could call him my neighbor."
"He's the friendly type," Landon said ironically. When Beth laughed, her features lit up. Cheeks glowing pink, she smiled broadly. He caught he scent on the air. It was a delightfully sweet, perfumed aroma. Landon felt something warm stirring in his middle. And this time it wasn't nausea. Beth Russell was just about the prettiest woman he'd seen in a long while.
Beth ran a hand across her loose, dark hair. "He's been causing trouble since I took over the ranch." Seeing Landon brow rise, she lowered her head. "It's a long story. You don't want to know about it." She stood and looked up at the buckboard and the puzzled stallion standing in front of it. "Do you think you can make it up to the trail?" Reaching down, she added: "I can give you some help if you want."
Something kicked in with Landon. He shook his head, ignoring the pain. "Nope. I can do that fine all by myself," he announced. He saw Beth tilt her head. She didn't look convinced.
Landon shifted his body, pressing his hands down into the water-logged soil by the creek side. It wasn't easy, but he managed to stand, easing up slowly until he was facing Beth. "See?" Then everything swirled and he staggered. Beth reached out and seized Landon's arm. Steadying himself, Landon smiled at Beth. "Okay. Maybe I could do with a little help," he admitted.
Landon gazed along the length of the creek, the valley beyond and out across to the forest. "This sure is fine country." He flashed a glanced at Beth. "By the way. I wasn't trespassing, was I?"
Beth shook her head. "The creek is a natural boundary for my ranch."
He nodded carefully. "I figured on following the forest trail back toward Inspiration. But I heard all the commotion, and I had to find out what was going on."
Beth waved a dismissive hand. "It was just Harding being his usual difficult self."
"He seems like an ornery type," Landon suggested.
"That's one way of saying it," Beth responded. "I might use some other, less kindly words to describe him." She reached out and cupped his elbow in her hand. As she touched him, Landon couldn't help gazing into her eyes. Her long lashes flickered and he saw a flush of color on the clear skin of her cheeks.
Landon cleared his throat. "Guess I better get up and check my horse," he said. "That Harding fella was in a hurry."
They made their way up the creek-side slope. Once, Beth slipped and threatened to take a tumble down to the creek. Reaching out quickly, he made sure she didn't fall, wrapping his arm around her waist. That made for an awkward moment. Finally they reached the trail. Landon stamped his feet, pleased to be back on solid ground. He attended to his horse, finding no damage from when Harding had barged his way past them. He was already starting to feel like his normal self as he started to turn and face Beth. It was time to thank her and be on his way. As he did so, he felt the ground shift beneath him. Staggering, he seized hold of the horse's saddle. That didn't stop his knees from crumbling beneath him. A moment later he was facing the trail, and his hands were planted firmly in the dirt. Gasping, he felt beads of sweat cluster on his forehead. Nausea raged through him, just like it had done down at the creek.
Landon heard Beth gasp. Then she was kneeling by his side. "Landon! Speak to me," she cried. Her voice quivered with emotion. He felt her hands on his shoulders. Lifting his head, he tried to smile, but his whole body was shaking. He could feel the blood draining from his face. Judging by the way Beth was looking at him, he figured he must look bad.
"I'm fine," he just about managed to croak. His voice seemed to come from a long way off. "Just need some time."
Beth shook her head. "You need a doctor to look at you, that's what," she countered. "Check you over."
"I'll see someone when I get back to Inspiration," he said.
This time, when she shook her head, there was a defiant expression on her features. All of a sudden, she looked like the kind of woman who wouldn't take no for an answer. "You're coming back to my ranch. I'll send one of the ranch hands to get a doctor."
Landon shook his head. "I don't need that."
Her brows furrowed. "You'll do as I say, Landon," she stated firmly. "Once he says you're fine, you can be on your way." Her features softened. "It's the least I can do after what you did for me."
He peered into her eyes. There was no doubting her resolve, he told himself. "And what was that?" he asked.
"You stopped Harding in his tracks," she explained. "There's not many I've seen do that. He's a man who's used to getting his own way."
Landon thought
back to what he'd seen when he'd emerged from the forest edge. He'd seen a man old enough to be Beth's father treating her with no respect. That was what he'd seen. And, growing up on the Baxter ranch, he'd learned that you treat everyone with the respect they deserve. No exceptions. Everyone belonged to God. Even men like Harding. But, Landon had also learned that there were times when persuasion needed some force behind it. Landon wasn't a man of violence. His faith prevented that. But he knew how to make men like Harding see sense.
Another wave of dizziness swept over Landon. He gasped. "You can lay down on the back of the buckboard," Beth said. "Right now, you can't sit on a saddle."
Landon thought about disagreeing, but he knew she was right. The last thing he needed was a long ride back to Inspiration. At any time during the next three hours riding, he could take another tumble. And then he'd be alone with no-one to help him. He let Beth help him to the buckboard. She made some space on the flat board, shifting bags and parcels to one side. Then he lay down and heard Beth tying up his stallion to the buckboard. Once she'd settled on the seat, he heard her call out to him. "You ready?"
"Sure," he said heavily. He felt sleepy, but he fought it back and gazed up at the azure blue Montana sky. He offered up a prayer of thanks. Lord. Thank you for bringing this kind woman to tend to my wounds. I don't know who she is. All I know is that she has a good heart, and that I owe her a debt for helping me.
And then he felt the buckboard start to rumble along the trail as it started its journey to the ranch which belonged to Beth Russell. His body shifted gently from side to side. It felt suddenly heavy. He thought back to his conversation with Beth by the creek. She'd seemed hesitant to reveal too much about herself. As he drew in a deep breath of fresh air he wondered what he'd find when he arrived at the Circle D.
CHAPTER THREE
Beth drew the buckboard to a halt in the yard outside the ranch house of the Circle D. The front door opened and her housekeeper Sally, emerged. Dressed in a plain, green cotton dress Sally, who was old enough to be Beth's mother, wiped her hands on the white apron she wore. Spying the shape of Landon at the rear of the buckboard, Sally's eyes widened.
"I'll explain later," Beth told Sally. Beth got down from the buckboard seat and went around to the back. She looked at Landon. He'd been quiet for most of the short journey from the creek. They'd chatted briefly when Beth had told Landon about her ranch. From time to time she'd glanced back at him, just to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep. She knew whenever someone fell from a horse that sleepiness soon after was a bad sign. Thankfully, Landon had remained awake.
Landon sat up and peered at Sally who was hovering by Beth's side. "Hello," he said drowsily.
Sally glanced inquiringly at Beth. "Let's get you inside and we can clean that wound," Beth declared looking at Landon.
Sliding down from the buckboard, Landon ran his gaze around the outside of the ranch house. His mouth turned down approvingly. "Nice place you got here." He looked toward the corral, stable and barns. "And as big as you said it was."
Beth took Landon by the arm and led him into the house. Sally followed behind Beth. Soon, they had Landon sitting on a chair in the kitchen complaining loudly as they both attended to the wound on his head. He still wore the wet clothes beneath the buckskin jacket which he'd hung on the peg inside the front door. Without the jacket she could see his powerfully muscled body beneath the plaid shirt. They'd have to see about drying his clothes later, she told herself.
Beth was relieved the wound wasn't as bad as she'd first thought. But, she was concerned at the dizziness she'd seen back at the creek. After cleaning and dressing the wound properly Beth gave instructions to Sally to prepare one of the upstairs bedrooms for Landon. Sally left the kitchen leaving Beth with Landon.
"I'm staying?" Landon asked, sounding almost incredulous.
Beth folded her arms and nodded. Looking down at him as he sat at the kitchen table, she could still see the pale color of his face. His skin was as white as a sheet of paper. He was putting a brave face on it, she told herself. But she could tell he wasn't feeling strong enough to get on a horse. Let alone ride for three hours into Inspiration. "It's too far for you to go home, yet," Beth stated.
Landon frowned and sighed. She could tell he was reluctant to admit defeat. But Beth was used to getting her way. Without that determination she would never have been able to deal with the events of the last few months.
"In case you're worried about whether it's decent or not for you to stay, I'll remind you that I have Sally here at all times. And thirty ranch hands living in the bunkhouse," she said.
Landon nodded. "Thirty, huh?"
Beth nodded. She hadn't mentioned the other residents of the Circle D ranch. The most important ones. She'd tell him about them later. She still hadn't worked out how she was going to explain it to him. "You need to rest," she said, taking his arm.
Landon dragged in a deep breath and stood. "Really, I'm fine," he started to say and then swayed unsteadily on his feet. Sitting back down, he frowned. "Maybe I could lie down for a while," he admitted.
"I'll get one of the ranch hands to go into town and get the doctor to come out." Beth pursed her lips thoughtfully. "There's no guarantee he'll even be able to come out today. You might have to stay the night."
Landon gasped and rolled his eyes. "Now hold on there," he exclaimed. "It's not like I've been shot. It was just a bump on the head." He rubbed his head and flinched.
"See what I mean?" Beth said quickly. "Wait for the doctor. Then, if he thinks it's safe for you to go, you can leave whenever you like."
For a moment Landon looked as if he was about to say something in response to that last comment. His lips tightened into a thin line. He was thoughtful for a long moment and then gazed up into her eyes. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Depends what it is," she replied feeling immediately defensive.
"How come I haven't heard about you owning this ranch before?" he asked.
She was surprised at the directness of the question. Shifting on her heels, she wrapped her arms around herself. Landon's green eyes were fixed upon her, waiting for an answer. Since he'd asked, and because he might be here for a day or two, she figured she would tell him as much as he needed to know. "I took over running this place earlier this year."
Landon's brows shot up. "You bought the ranch?" She guessed that might be the first thing which came to mind. She didn't blame him for assuming that. However the truth was something very different.
Beth shook her head. "Not exactly." Worry flared inside her. "I inherited it."
Landon's eyes widened. "When?"
"A few months back," she replied.
She could see consternation in his eyes. He must have sensed he'd stepped over a line because he shifted awkwardly on his chair. Maybe he already regretted asking, she told herself. She decided it would be best if she came right out with the facts. Beth sat down on a chair opposite Landon and rested her elbows on the table. "My brother and his wife owned the ranch. They both passed away in a stagecoach accident earlier this year on the trail to Billings."
Landon swallowed hard and ran his hand across his stubble-covered chin. He paused before speaking. He looked visibly shocked. "I'm sorry, Beth." His brows furrowed. She saw genuine sympathy in his eyes. The kind that couldn't be faked.
"They were visiting friends in the town. Originally, my brother, Luke and his wife, Jenny were from Billings. They bought this place, hoping to start a new life for themselves. It didn't turn out that way." She paused for a few moments, and lowered her gaze from Landon. Beth hadn't spoken about the subject too often. The words weren't coming easily. "I was their only surviving relative." She looked around the kitchen as if she was surveying something precious. "So it fell to me to take it on and make the best of it."
Landon leaned back in the chair and peered across the table at her. "I take it you had some experience of running a ranch."
The Rancher’s Frontier Family Page 2
