“We all do what we must. And this is what I was meant to do, Eleanor. I love my work.” She sighed with pleasure. “I’m fortunate I found a man who does not resent my desire to continue to work even though we are married.”
“A rare man indeed,” Eleanor murmured as she sipped at her water. Her gaze wandered to Lance, and she fought a blush as Gracie caught her.
“My hope is that you are as fortunate as I am.” They sat in companionable silence for a few more minutes until Gracie rose. “I fear I have another call to make, and I’d like to return home before it is too late.”
Eleanor walked with her to where her horse dozed in the shade of the barn. “Thank you, Gracie.”
Gracie nodded and then smiled at Lance as he helped tie her medicine bag to her horse and then gave her a hand up onto her horse. “I can do it alone, but it’s always nice to have help. Notify me of any changes!” She waved to the boys as she rode away.
“A remarkable woman,” Lance said as he watched Gracie a moment.
“Yes,” Eleanor murmured as she fought a stab of envy.
He shot a quick glance at her. “It appears this area has more than its fair share of them.” He nodded deferentially and entered the barn, leaving her gaping after him.
Chapter 6
By early September, Zachariah had returned to the ranch and had begun to make arrangements for the fall roundup that would occur in October. The cattle were fat and content in the upper pasture, and he would join his men at the end of the month to drive them down to the lower fields before driving the cattle to the railroad to be sent to Chicago. Zachariah ran a soothing hand over his horse’s muzzle as it limped. “Shh, Rogue,” he murmured.
“What’s the matter?” Lance asked as he saw Zachariah leading his horse into the barn.
“He threw a shoe, and we have no blacksmith,” Zachariah said. “The farrier hasn’t been here since mid-July, and I fear he’s too busy in town to make a journey out here to see us.”
Lance nodded. “I saw a shed near the far side of the paddock with smithing items. I used to shoe the horses at the ranch I worked on. I’m not a farrier, but I know what I’m doing.” He saw Zachariah brighten at his words. “Let me see what I need, and I’ll fire up the coals.” He approached Rogue and lifted up his unshod hoof, examining the hoof. He then lifted up another hoof and studied the horseshoe.
At Lance’s nod, Zachariah led his horse into one of the stalls. When Rogue had settled, he followed Lance to the old blacksmithing shop. Zachariah bit back a smile as he saw Lance glowering at the dust-covered, chaotic room. “You didn’t think it would be in any different a state than the barn had been in, did you?”
Lance sighed and then chuckled. “There is a little bit of coal, which should be enough for today’s needs. But we should get more.” He dusted off the anvil and found tongs and different sized hammers. He grinned at Zachariah. “I always loved my time in the forge, although it felt like hell on earth during hot summer days in …” He bit his lip. “In Kentucky.”
“Deadwood, South Dakota. Kentucky,” Zachariah said as he ticked off places he knew Lance had lived. “Colorado. Now Nevada.” He met the man’s startled gaze. “You have moved around quite a bit.”
“I figure, if you end up in Nevada, most people have.” He found two large buckets and set one on top of a turned-over one. “I need to fill this with water.”
“Wait for the boys. It’s a chore they’ll enjoy.” Zachariah stood with his arms over his chest as he watched the ranch hand move around the space. “Anything of interest occur in my absence?”
Lance shot a quick look at this boss and grimaced. “Peter fell into the swimming pond after hitting his head on rocks and almost drowned.” He watched as Zachariah paled, and he feared for a moment that the large man would faint. “Thankfully, I had decided to join the boys for a swim, and I was able to pull him out.”
Zachariah spun and looked out the door to the ranch house. “How is he? El?” He ran a hand through his raven hair. “I should see them.”
Lance gripped his shoulder. “Calm down first. Miss Eleanor has finally relaxed her grip on the boys, and they are running free on the ranch again.” He grinned. “With their puppy, Patch.”
“Puppy?” Zachariah parroted. He met Lance’s grin. “About time those boys had a dog.”
“Doc Gracie brought them one of her pups, and he’s gnawing his way through the house. I think Miss Eleanor regrets her decision to allow him inside.” Lance chuckled. “Last night I thought she would banish him for good when he’d eaten her Sunday-best gloves.”
Zachariah grimaced. “Whoops.”
“Word to the wise. Leave nothing out that you don’t want him to chomp on. He’s already mangled a bridle I left lying about.” He shrugged. “He’s a dog. We shouldn’t expect him to act other than he is.”
Zachariah sobered. “Peter is well?”
Lance nodded. “Yes, he needed stitches and a few days in bed, but he’s fine. And it taught Simon a good lesson, too.” He watched as Zachariah frowned. “Simon taunted Peter, and Peter fell. Simon is feeling quite a bit more reticent, although he still runs around like the little wild man he is most days.” He ducked his head as he was unable to hide the hint of pride in his voice when talking about the boys.
“They are fortunate you’ve taken such a shine to them,” Zachariah said.
He shrugged. “What did you find in the high country?”
“We were a man short. One of the men left to work for higher wages for Sterling.” He clamped his jaw shut. “How that man could entice away one of our workers when he was in a high mountain pasture, is beyond me.”
Lance shook his head. “And it’s hard to believe Sterling has that much capital in the middle of a depression. Most would make do with the farm hands they have, rather than stealing their neighbors’ hired help.”
Zachariah nodded. “There’s the measure of the man. He’s determined to obtain this ranch, and he’ll do what he must. His family has always been successful, and I think he doesn’t understand adversity well.”
“He sure doesn’t understand when a person doesn’t agree with his plan,” Lance muttered. “He and Miss Eleanor had a disagreement while you were away.”
“I was afraid of that.” He looked at Lance a long moment. “Sterling’s aware she’s much smarter than he thought, isn’t he?” At Lance’s amused grin, Zachariah frowned. “Well, it was only a matter of time before they figured out she was the brains behind the whole operation.”
Lance continued to work in the blacksmith shop, and Zachariah said, “If you can shoe my horse soon, why don’t we go for a ride and look over another part of the ranch this afternoon? The evenings are still long.”
Lance nodded. “I’d like that.” He smiled as he heard the boys racing around as they searched for him. “I’ll work with my little helpers while I shoe your horse, and then we can head out.”
* * *
“Mr. Lance! Mr. Lance!” Simon called out as he hopped up and down. “Whatcha doin’ in here?” He poked around the dirty blacksmithing shop and giggled when a puff of dust enveloped him after he pushed on the bellows. Coughing, he peered out at Lance.
“You are incorrigible,” Lance said with a smile. “I’m doing a little farrier work for Zachariah. His horse needs a new shoe.”
Simon’s blue eyes lit up. “Can we help?” He pointed to Peter and himself and puffed out his chest.
Lance nodded. He pointed to the large, empty bucket standing near the anvil. “Yes, it would be a great help to me if you could fill that bucket with water.”
Peter groaned and tapped Simon on the arm. “You’re always getting us into more chores.” He grumbled as he found a small pail and ran away to the hand pump by the barn. Simon raced after him, calling out that he’d cheated and that he’d beat him back.
After five visits to the pump, the large bucket was filled. Simon stood on an overturned crate while Peter was tall enough to watch everything without a sto
ol. They watched with wonder as Lance used the bellows to heat the coals. “Now, you must promise to obey me while you are in the blacksmithing shop,” Lance said in a serious voice. He waited until both boys promised. “You could easily be harmed for life if you don’t.”
They paled and promised again.
“The coals are very hot and would hurt terribly if you were burned. However, I need them hot so I can mold the steel.” He pulled out a piece of steel and set it in the hot coals. He left it in there for a few minutes as he pulled out the tongs he’d use and found a small hammer. “Never touch anything with your bare hands that’s been in the fire. Not unless I tell you it’s all right.”
The boys nodded.
When he pulled out the steel, gleaming red and yellow at the tip, the boys oohed and aahed. When he began to hammer at it, Simon covered his ears and glared at Lance for the noise he was making. Peter laughed at his brother but refrained from calling him a baby.
Lance repeated the process numerous times until he’d formed the piece of iron into the shape of a horseshoe. “There,” he said with a satisfied smile as he swiped at his brow and then doused the horseshoe in the bucket of water. Steam rose and made a satisfying hiss as the warm metal hit the water. “I looked at Rogue’s hooves when Zachariah brought him to his stall, and I think this will fit him. If not, I’ll have to adjust it. Let’s hope Rogue only needs one new shoe. If he needs all four, well, that will make for a busy day.” He winked at the boys and led them to the barn.
“Rogue’s one of my favorites!” Simon said as he ran circles around them.
“He’s a beautiful horse. But he’s not happy right now because he lost a shoe. I don’t want you going into his stall,” Lance admonished. He smiled when Simon nodded his agreement. As they walked to the barn, he saw Eleanor sitting on the front porch with Patch on her lap. He waved at her as he walked with her boys.
“Mind Mr. Lance!” she called out to her sons.
“They are, Miss Eleanor,” he said with a deferential nod.
“We’re gonna see Rogue get a new shoe!” Simon said as he dashed toward her to pat Patch and then raced again to Lance and Peter.
Lance shared a smile with Eleanor before focusing on the boys. “Remember how I taught you to greet a horse,” he said as he walked with them into the barn. Soon, Simon and Peter stood behind him as Rogue’s hoof was balanced over his bended knee. He trimmed away pieces of the overgrown hoof and then hammered in the shoe. Lance lowered Rogue’s hoof and led him to the paddock to watch him walk. When Lance saw Rogue limp ever-so-slightly, he dug around in a bag he’d found in the catch-all room in the barn until he found the tool he looked for.
Soon, he stood behind Rogue again, filing away his hoof. After three attempts, he nodded. “Yes, you’ll feel much better,” Lance said as he scratched behind Rogue’s ear.
“You made Rogue better,” Simon said with glee.
“I want to learn how to do that,” Peter said. “I can’t imagine a better job. When the farrier comes every month, he never lets us watch and will throw things at us if he catches us near him.”
Lance frowned at Peter. “I don’t remember him visiting since I arrived.”
“He hasn’t come since July,” Peter said. “You were in town that day.”
“Mama thinks he finally pickled up and died,” Simon said as he played on the paddock fence. “The other farrier is good friends with Mr. Hayden, and Mama didn’t want to ask him for help.”
“Simon,” Peter scolded while Lance fought laughter.
Lance nodded. “Well, it’s one more thing I should do. The horses will all need to be reshod soon. It’s already been too long for most of them.” He rubbed at his forehead and winked at the boys. “I’ll need plenty of help from my assistants as I make horseshoes.” He watched when they smiled with glee as they were included in his ongoing work on the ranch.
* * *
Lance saddled Amaretto and smiled as his horse gave an appreciative snort. “I know, boy. It’s been too long since you’ve had a chance to run.” He gripped the bridle and led him out of the barn before mounting him with ease. He nodded to Zachariah and followed him down the lane and then headed over a small path into the grassland. Although Amaretto shifted underneath him as though he wanted to burst into a gallop, he continued to trot behind Zachariah riding a freshly shod Rogue. When they reached a rise, Zachariah stopped, and Lance pulled up beside him.
“This is one of my favorite views,” Zachariah said. A gentle breeze blew and white billowy clouds filled the bright blue sky. The golden grass swayed in the breeze, and a hawk swooped overhead. In front of them, rolling hills led to the ranch with more hills in the distance. Majestic mountains loomed to their left, a speck of snow at the highest peak all that remained from last winter’s fierce storms.
“I can see why,” Lance said. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh air. “It smells like it might rain.”
Zachariah laughed and shook his head. “Now you’ll claim you can predict the weather, too.”
Lance chuckled. “No, but the day has that feel.” He looked up at the brilliant sky. “Although it doesn’t look like it will.” He shifted in his saddle and looked at his boss. “What aren’t you saying about the cattle in the upper pasture?”
He shook his head and patted Rogue’s neck. “Not much gets past you, does it?” Zachariah looked up toward the mountains as though envisioning the summer rangeland. “The wolves are much more active than I’d like. We lost a good dozen cattle this summer.”
Lance frowned. “What’s your normal loss?”
“Less than half that number.” He took off his hat and swiped at his forehead and then tapped his hat against his leg before putting it back on again. “We killed one pack earlier in the spring, but another just took its place.”
“And you know it’ll happen again if you do the same,” Lance said. Zachariah jerked his head in agreement. “You can’t make it your mission to kill every wolf in those mountains.”
“I know. But times are hard enough right now without worrying about an excess loss due to wolves.” He shifted and looked at Lance. “Cattle prices were low last year, and, although they’ve recovered a little bit, I worry it won’t be enough.”
“To cover the loan?” Lance asked. He saw Zachariah’s shock and nodded. “Miss Eleanor told me about it, although she didn’t tell me when the loan was due.”
Zachariah sighed. “She’s been paying off a piece at a time for a few years. The last payment’s due in November. If we have a good sale this year, then she’ll have no difficulty making the payment.”
Lance nodded as Zachariah left unsaid his concern. “Well, at least the Great Railroad Strike has come to an end.” He saw Zachariah stare at him in confusion. “Railroad workers shut down railroads in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York, wreaking havoc. They even closed the railroad for a while in Chicago.” He saw Zachariah shudder at that news as their cattle were shipped to Chicago for sale. “But it ended a few days ago.”
“What were they hoping to gain?” Zachariah asked.
“A better wage,” Lance said as he soothed Amaretto who shifted forward and back as he tired of standing in one place. “Their wages had dropped to nearly half of what they were before the Panic of ’73.”
“Is that why you weren’t upset with only receiving room and board?” Zachariah asked him.
“A job has been increasingly hard to come by. And living on a ranch was always my dream. When I saw Mrs. Ferguson’s advertisement, it seemed too good to be true.” He paused before murmuring, “Imagine my surprise to realize it wasn’t.”
Zachariah stared at him a long moment. “Have things progressed between you and Eleanor?”
Lance gaped at him, and he shook his head vehemently. “Of course not! She’s a respectable woman.”
“Yes, although she is a woman and widowed. I always thought it a shame she believed she would never marry again.” Zachariah smiled in a self-deprecating w
ay. “She’s smart, stubborn, and loyal. What more could a man want?”
“Nothing,” Lance breathed and then flushed as he met Zachariah’s knowing stare. “I refuse to compromise her. She deserves—”
Zachariah interrupted him, turning Rogue around so they faced each other. “She deserves a man who respects her intelligence, admires her tenacity, and adores her boys.” His blue eyes flashed. “I had hoped you were that man.”
Lance glared at his boss. “Are you telling me that you went to the high country so that Eleanor and I would have time alone? So that we could…form an attachment?” He bit out the last words as though they were a curse.
Zachariah’s self-satisfied smile provoked a growl of rage from Lance. “Of course.” He shifted so he wasn’t in range of Lance’s right hook. “I wasn’t lying when I said I was needed up there. But I also hoped she would come to see you as more than a ranch hand. That she’d see you as a man.”
Lance shook his head in disgust. “Darned matchmaker. You and Mrs. Wagner probably concocted your plan together.”
Zachariah burst out laughing. “If Mrs. Wagner is in favor of you, then you are doing something right.” He sobered. “For too long, Eleanor has believed that any relationship with a man was a burden. That she could never have a satisfying relationship with a man.” He looked at Lance. “Imagine what her marriage must have been like.” He nodded as Lance glowered. “She held the family together, with little support from Alan.”
“Why would she believe I’d be any different?” Lance whispered.
“Exactly. You had to prove you were. If I were there, running interference the entire time, she wouldn’t have seen it.” After a few minutes where Lance stared at the ranch house in the distance, Zachariah murmured, “I hope I wasn’t wrong in my estimation of you.”
Drifting from Deadwood: The Pioneer Brides of Rattlesnake Ridge, Book 6 Page 10
