Big Sky Love

by Cate Dean

He would offer her his protection.

  Satisfied with his plan, he rose and dressed in the still unfamiliar clothing. He thought he might actually enjoy wearing the easier, less cumbersome outfit. With fewer pieces, he could ready himself, and quickly.

  His boots were similar to his riding boots, save for the brown leather and rather fancy tooling. They were comfortable enough, since they had already been broken in by their former owner. For some reason, that did not bother him as much as it should. Since he had spent most of his life astride a horse, adjusting to the footwear had become old habit.

  He went outside, and found a pail of what looked like clean water, using it to shave with the straight razor he had found in a kit under the bunk. The razor looked new, and he desired a clean face enough to risk it.

  When he headed for the appointed meeting spot, he found Kate. She stood at the top of the porch, reading what looked like a letter. A calf-length leather coat topped a simple, blue button-down shirt, and the same body hugging trousers. For the first time, he noticed that her boots were well-worn. She was no stranger to the saddle, herself. Not a shallow, simpering daughter, living off the hard work of her father.

  Before, he would have taken for granted that she was a pampered young woman. The fact that Kate was anything but appealed to him.

  In his own time, he had always found horse-women to be loud, unattractive, or both. Kate Maguire broke that mold, and showed him that in this Wild West, unlike the penny dreadfuls, women could be strong and beautiful.

  It was quite a revelation.

  Kate looked up at his approach, and smiled at him. “Good morning, Charlie.”

  “Are you planning to call me Charlie from now on?”

  “I told you, I don’t do formal. Charles sounds like you should be in a ballroom, wearing a fancy suit and dancing with a beautiful woman in a ball gown. We’re going to be sweating on horses and breathing dust. Not exactly conducive to ballroom talk.”

  “Understood.”

  This time her smile left him aching. “The most agreeable noble I’ve ever met. Is this what you envisioned when you went in search of a new life?”

  “I hardly knew what to expect.” But what he wanted, more than he expected, was a new life with her. He could find a way in, endear himself to her, if he played his cards right.

  Otherwise, his new life would consist of blank walls and endless moments.

  “This is the place to find the unexpected,” she said. She folded the paper in her hand, and tucked it into the pocket of her coat. “When you head over to the stable to get Lightning, you can wait there for me. Buster’s already saddled and ready to go.”

  Charles crossed his arms. “You asked me to bring Lightning here with me. You did not expect me to keep to the appointed time, did you?”

  “Honestly, no.” She shrugged, another smile tugging at her lips. Charles used considerable control not to reach out and touch those lips. “You keep surprising me, Charlie.”

  “If your opinion of me is so low, I expect I will keep surprising you, on a regular basis.”

  “I hope so.”

  She led the way to the stable. Somehow, she had managed to take that wild explosion of red hair and tame it into a knot at the back of her head. Charles wanted to see it loose again, to see it dance around her pretty face, brush her shoulders, caress her narrow waist—

  Cease such thoughts, before—

  His body had already responded to her, so the admonition came far too late.

  It was going to be an uncomfortable morning.

  THE REST OF her hands joined them at the stable, each one getting their horse ready for the day’s work. Charles was surprised to see mostly young men in the group. He had expected more of them to be older. The men standing around Kate were mainly in their early twenties. It should not have been unexpected; Ben was the same age, and he had told Charles once that he was a seasoned ranch hand.

  “I know we’re stretched thin, and the accidents around the ranch haven’t made it any easier,” Kate said, her voice quiet. “I’ve been keeping something from you, but it’s time for you to know. The accidents we’ve been having were not accidents.” She waited for the surprise to die down before she continued. “I have no proof, so I’m not going to tell you who I think it might be. But we all need to be on alert, because if it is this person, they mean to stop me from having the herd ready for the buyer.”

  Mike raised his hand. Charles was surprised, until Kate pointed at him. It must be her way of holding a conversation without the men yelling over each other. He admired her for the simple, but effective tactic.

  “Have your say, Mike.”

  “We need to know who you suspect, Kate. How are we supposed to look out for someone, if we don’t even have an idea—”

  “Until I have solid proof, I’m not making formal accusations. We need to start rounding up the herd, bringing them in. I have buyers lined up, and I won’t disappoint them. Anyone else?” Several of the men stirred, but no one raised their hand to speak. Kate gave them another minute, then nodded her head. “All right, then. Let’s head out.”

  Charles watched her swing into the saddle, so graceful. So unlike any woman he had been attracted to before now. A throat cleared behind him, and he turned to find Mike watching him.

  “You’re staring, British.”

  “It was not intentional. She is not what I expected.”

  “Kate’s been around cattle her whole life. If anyone can get them ready for the buyer coming next week, she can. Her pa was hurt, else he’d be here doing it himself.”

  “Is he all right?”

  “Good of you to ask, Charlie. He’s on the mend, but he can’t sit a horse. Not for more than a few minutes. Kate has enough on her plate. Don’t load anything else on there.”

  Before Charles could answer, Mike walked away.

  Aware now that Kate headed up this enterprise, Charles was not only impressed. For the first time, he feared for her. He had seen how adamant Evan Kransky had been in the street, and that he had attempted to blindside her in her own home. That was a man who would not give up easily; if Kate did not yield to his demand soon, he may use more violent means to gain what he was after.

  Charles would make certain that did not happen.

  THE PROCESS OF rounding up the cattle always left Kate with a headache. The Texas Longhorns her father had brought in the year before, to replace their last herd, were obstinate, belligerent, and the most hardheaded beasts she had ever dealt with. They were also highly strung, and threatened to stampede at the slightest noise.

  But Pa loved them like his children, and when he told her that he wanted to raise them, she supported him one hundred percent. She just never expected to be the one getting them rounded up and ready for a buyer—one who would not be happy to deal with a woman.

  This sale was the means to an end. A horse ranch, maybe some sheep. Anything but the cattle she had grown to hate. Now, with Pa’s injury, she needed to turn the ranch to something she could handle on her own. In case he didn’t recover.

  She pushed the morbid thought aside, and watched Charles watch Mike as he expertly herded the latest group of cattle, aiming them toward the lower pasture where they’d stay until the buyer came to look at them. Mike was their most experienced hand, and had been with them since he was fifteen. Kate trusted him—or she had, before the sabotage had started. That he was friends with Evan didn’t win him any points.

  Charles caught on fast, and she could tell by the way he sat his horse that he wasn’t lying about his experience. Tension she didn’t know she had in her shoulders eased, and she coaxed Buster forward, joining them next to the cattle.

  “Can you go to the high pasture, Mike? Take Charlie with you, and check for signs of predators. I don’t want to lose cattle again this year.”

  “Got it.”

  “Head back to the ranch when you’re done. I’ll see you there.”

  She glanced at Charles, letting the shadow from her hat hide m
ost of her face. He was one fine looking man, sitting the stallion like he was born to it—

  And she had to stop thinking of him that way.

  Before she could open her mouth and say something stupid, she turned Buster and took the long way back to the ranch. She wanted to ride the edge of her land, remind herself of what she was working so hard to save.

  Rolling hills, and fields of waving grass spread out in front of her, framed by snow-topped mountains. She loved this land, this life—and she couldn’t imagine doing anything else. No matter what it took, she was going to make sure they kept The Willows.

  After a last look, she rode back to the ranch, reined in next to the stable, and handed Buster over to Ricky, one of the new stable hands. He was one of the three new hires Pa had brought in without telling her. Not only did the additions put a dent in her already tight budget, they made narrowing down saboteur suspects even tougher.

  She would have to talk to Pa about hiring without consulting her first. That was not a conversation she looked forward to.

  The ranch cook, Sally, waved at her from the back door. “Doing okay this fine day, Miss Kate?”

  “Better, now that we have another hand.” She had been worried when Ben took off; even having one man down, this close to the purchase date, would lengthen her odds of being ready in time. “What’s for lunch today?”

  “A nice, thick stew, just like you like it. Is Mike coming in with you?” A blush stained her cheeks at the mention of Mike.

  Kate knew she liked the rough cowboy, and she would encourage it, after the cattle were sold and gone. For now, she would ignore it, and keep Sally busy.

  “Mike’s in the high pasture with the new hand.”

  Sally looked disappointed, but she covered it with a smile. “A new hand? Where did you find him?”

  “In town. Don’t be fooled by his pretty manners—he’s an expert horseman.”

  “Pretty manners?”

  “I suspect she is referring to my station.”

  Kate stilled when Charles’ deep voice filled the air, then turned to him.

  “You’re back.” She wanted to slap herself. She could have said something that made her sound like more of an idiot, but it wouldn’t have taken much. With him studying her, so lean and rugged looking, a smile on his too handsome face, she could hardly think.

  Sally stared at him. “You hired an Englishman?” she whispered, loud enough for Charles to hear.

  Kate recovered, relieved that Sally seemed just as overwhelmed, and draped an arm around her shoulders. “He came highly recommended.” She winked at Charles. “Besides, I admire a man who can wear lavender and get away with it.”

  What his arrival meant finally sank in, and she wanted to curse herself six ways from Sunday for being so distracted by him. She pulled out the pocket watch Pa had given her. Surely she hadn’t lost so much time.

  One look at her watch proved her right. They should still be rounding up strays. Unless Mike—

  She moved to the edge of the porch. “Did he send you back?”

  “Yes.” Charles took off his hat, anger clear on his face. “He claimed I was slowing him down, that he would be able to round up the cattle faster on his own.”

  “Damn it.” She ran toward the stable, not surprised to find Charles on her heels. “You’re not going.”

  “I bloody well am.” He shocked the hell out of her by pinning her to the stable. “I know you suspect him of something. It is clear on your face every time you look at him. Which means he will know as well.”

  Kate could feel the color drain out of her cheeks. “We have to get up there.”

  Charles freed her, and swung into the saddle. She managed to get to Buster before Ricky finished unsaddling her. They both rushed to tighten the straps, and she mounted, riding out of the stable at a fast clip. Charles joined her, and she broke into a gallop once they cleared the outbuildings.

  They were halfway to the high pasture when she saw Mike’s horse. He was crouched a few feet away, and her heart skipped when she saw blood staining the grass. She reined in Buster, pulled the rifle off the back of her saddle and slid to the ground, aiming at Mike’s back.

  “Stand up and turn around, slowly.”

  He jerked at her voice, but did as ordered, his hands spread and away from his holster. “I didn’t do this, Kate. You have to—ˮ

  “Shut up, Mike.” She handed the rifle to Charles, not sure why she trusted him, but she did—and had trusted him since he came to her defense in Starwood. “If he moves, shoot him in the leg.”

  “As you order, Miss Maguire.” He held the rifle like someone used to handling weapons. That made her feel better about her decision to give it to him.

  Mike watched her as she headed toward the blood. She closed her eyes when she saw the sprawled legs and opened belly. It was Billy, one of her favorite calves. Tears stung her eyes as she knelt next to the dead calf, not caring that blood seeped into her trousers.

  “Oh, Billy,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

  If Evan was behind this, she planned to flay him. Slowly, and with great pleasure.

  “Miss Maguire.” Charles’ deep, quiet voice pulled her out of her thoughts of revenge. She wiped her cheeks, and looked over her shoulder. The concern on his face nearly started the tears again. “What can I do?”

  “Hand me the rifle, then relieve Mike of his revolver and tie him to his saddle for me. We’re taking him back to the ranch, and I’m going to ask him a few questions.”

  Mike’s eyes widened, and Kate stomped on her need to go easy. “Kate—ˮ

  “One more word, Mike, and I’ll have him gag you.”

  He nodded, not taking his eyes off her. She took the rifle from Charles, covering Mike while he swung up. Charles used the coil of rope on Mike’s saddle to tie him, then stepped back and turned to her, holding out the revolver.

  “I will be happy to ride at the rear, and watch your back.”

  “Thanks. Keep the revolver. I’m assuming you know how to use it.”

  He flashed a smile, and she ignored the heat coiling in her belly. “You assume correctly.”

  Aware of his gaze, Kate moved to Buster, stowed the rifle, and swung into the saddle. She set a slow enough pace to keep it only mildly uncomfortable for Mike. He had been a good hand since the day he joined them, an awkward boy, not much older than Kate. But right now, she couldn’t take any chances.

  If he didn’t have the answers she needed, she’d go straight to the source. Evan Kransky was about to find out that she wouldn’t be pushed around.

  Five

  CHARLES STAYED CLOSE behind Mike as they headed back to the ranch, the beautiful revolver he held aimed at Mike’s back. The foreman stayed quiet, his head lowered. He acted like a man caught, but something was off. Charles had officiated at enough local hearings on his estate to know a guilty man when he saw one.

  Mike did not have the air of a guilty man.

  Once they reached the stable, Kate dismounted, and strode over to Mike’s gelding, pulling a knife off her belt to cut him loose. She could have untied him, but Charles had a feeling she was making a statement, and used the knife to speak for her.

  “Inside,” she said. She pointed to the tack room, a small building adjacent to the stable. Mike’s face drained of color.

  “You don’t need to—ˮ

  “Go inside, Mike.” Her voice gentled, and she slid the knife back into its scabbard. “I don’t want anyone pointing fingers at you later, if this turns out to be a misunderstanding.”

  He swallowed, then walked into the tack room.

  Charles moved to her side, handing over the revolver. “I would like to stay with you, Miss Maguire, in case this is not a misunderstanding.”

  “On one condition.” A smile tugged at her full lips. “You call me Kate. Every time you call me Miss Maguire, I feel about a hundred years old.”

  “Very well. I would like to accompany you, Kate.”

  Her smile blossom
ed, and he had an insane urge to kiss those lips, feel her smile against his own lips. “I’d appreciate the back up.”

  Mike had his back to the one clear wall, his sweat stained hat in one hand. He lifted his free hand when they walked in.

  “Please, Kate—let me explain—ˮ

  “I want to hear the answer to one question. Did Evan put you up to this?”

  “Shit—is that what you think? Sorry,” he mumbled, running one hand through his dark hair. “I wanted to explain about the calves being that far away from the ranch. It’s my fault—I had Joe and Caleb watching the herd, and they were too busy playing cards to notice the calves wandering away. I was going to round them up myself, no harm done. It’s why I sent British back.” He waved toward Charles. “I didn’t want any witnesses.”

  “So, you were covering for two of the other hands.” Kate sighed, and rubbed her forehead. “You should have just told me, Mike. They will have to be reprimanded, and I want their pay docked. I’ll do the reprimanding, so stop looking like you’re about to face the hangman.”

  “Why did you suspect I was doing something for Kransky?”

  She sighed again, and sat on a low stool. “I think Evan is behind the sabotage on the ranch. I just can’t prove it yet. It’s hard to know who to trust.” She glanced over at Charles. “He’s innocent due to the fact that he just arrived, and Evan hates anyone with a higher social standing.”

  “Then he must despise me.” Charles smiled. “I am an earl.”

  Instead of looking surprised, Kate burst out laughing. “Oh, Charlie—I can’t wait to see his face when I spill that piece of news.” She gave him an appraising look, and he knew there would be questions for him later. “Mike—go round up Joe and Caleb, send them to the kitchen. Take at least one other man with you when you go back up to the pasture. No one rides alone until I find out who is causing the trouble here.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He slapped his hat against his leg and stalked out. Kate waited until his footsteps faded before she lowered her head, her shoulders slumped. Charles moved to her side, crouching next to her.