by Woods, Emily
“Your accent sounds familiar,” Luke commented, taking his seat at the table and nodding to the seat next to him, indicating that Alex sit beside him. “Where are you from?”
“Philadelphia, sir,” he replied, struggling to keep his voice even. “I heard you're from there as well.”
Surprise and pleasure lit Luke's features. “Yes, I am. Although it's been a long time since I've been there.”
“Nineteen years,” Alex murmured, his words tumbling out before he could think, but Luke just grinned and glanced at his wife.
“Guess you've been talking to my wife.”
Swallowing hard, Alex nodded. “She mentioned something.”
Luke nodded, completely unsuspicious. “Well, let's pray and then eat. We can talk after dinner, if that suits you?”
He nodded. What choice did he have?
Chapter 3
Several miles away from the Triple Range Ranch Main House, another family was also dining with a guest in the house. It was the house that Alex had spotted in the distance when he arrived.
“I can't believe you're truly here,” Valerie exclaimed warmly, reaching over to grasp her younger sister's hand. “And you've become so beautiful.”
Christina tried to reciprocate her sister's enthusiasm, but the combination of the long trip and the knowledge she'd been sent here as a kind of reprimand made her reaction lukewarm.
“Well, it has been many years since you abandoned us.” The comment was sharp, and Christina was somewhat satisfied to see her sister pull back and frown.
“That's putting it rather harshly, don't you think? You know the reason I left.”
She nodded and looked down in disdain at the chicken on her plate. She speared the tiniest piece, but before putting it into her mouth, she said, “To find your one true love.” Her voice was laced with cynicism. As she put the bit of food into her mouth, she spared Thomas the briefest glance.
However, her disdain had no effect on him. He grinned and nodded. “And glad I am of that. Every day, I heartily thank God for giving her the courage to hunt me down.”
Valerie laughed a little, probably trying to cover the hurt she felt by her sister's words. “Well, now, the alternative was quite dismal, wasn't it? I was not about to marry that old man our parents had decided would be a good match.”
“He died last year,” Christina informed her, straight-faced. “If you had married him, you would be a wealthy widow now.”
There was silence for a few seconds before Valerie and Thomas's oldest child, Jamie, asked, “What's a widow, Mama?”
“Never you mind,” she replied, shooting Christina a warning glance. “Please keep in mind that there are young children about.”
Not feeling the least bit repentant, Christina kept picking at her meal. After a few more bites, she pushed the plate away and looked up expectantly, then gave a little shake of her head.
“I still cannot believe you don't have any servants. Literally, not one? Not even someone to help with the laundry?”
Valerie was looking less and less like she was glad that Christina had come for a visit, for that was what this was supposed to be, although Christina wasn’t sure. Their father has said that she was far too entitled and needed to see life from a different perspective. Even though he hadn't been happy that Valerie had left, he was now proud of the kind of life she was leading. Christina had no idea why.
At least the children were cute. Apart from nine-year-old Jamie, there were two others, Matthew at seven and Jessica, who was five. However, she drew the line at being called 'Aunt' or 'Auntie.'
“I'm only eighteen years old, Valerie, not some doddering spinster in my sixties.”
Valerie had laughed at that, but Christina didn't know why until much later when she met one of the owners of the ranch, who was in her sixties and very far from doddering.
After dinner, the children read and played while the adults talked. Christina didn’t feel especially chatty, and soon excused herself.
“I know you wake with the chickens, but I’m terribly tired so I hope you won’t mind if I sleep a little later.”
They assured her it was fine, so she bid them all good night and took herself to her room. When she entered, she shook her head in dismay. What a change in status she had to make. Her sister had anticipated as much.
“We've arranged it so that you can have a bedroom to yourself, but don't expect much,” Valerie had warned. “The bed has clean sheets and a warm quilt, but it won't compare it to what you have back home.”
When Christina had seen the room, she couldn't suppress a small gasp of shock. “This is how you sleep? Oh, Val, was it really all worth it?”
At that moment, Valerie's eyes had become soft and a beatific smile wreathed her face. “Absolutely.”
She wanted to believe her, but couldn't quite get there. Supposedly, real love made living in this barbaric manner worthwhile, but not having experienced the emotion herself, Christina was not convinced.
That night, she managed to get some sleep, but when she woke the next morning, it was with a sense of dread.
“This house is awfully drafty,” she complained to her sister over a warmed-up breakfast. As predicted, she hadn’t risen until late and the others had finished and were busy doing other things. It was Saturday, so there was no school, and the children could be heard playing in the yard. “You should really do something about that.”
Valerie didn't seem to take any offense. “Just you wait until winter.”
She had no intention of being here for winter, which was over six months away. If she had her way, she'd be back on the train east today.
Despite the lack of comforts and conveniences, Christina begrudgingly admitted that her sister was happy and that there was a certain kind of charm to this lifestyle. Even though she wasn't a huge fan of nature, she could admit that the jagged mountains did look beautiful with the sun shining on their snow-capped peaks.
“Do you want to ride today?” Valerie asked. “Thomas has offered to stay with the children so I can show you around the homestead.”
Christina glanced at her sister's husband. “How are you able to manage that? I thought ranch life was all work, day in, day out, from sunrise to sunset.”
“I'm not really a rancher. We don't own this land; I just work on it.”
Now she was really surprised. “What are you saying? I thought you were!”
“I don't believe I ever said so,” Valerie replied dryly. “Thomas is a specialist in horse training and also makes rounds to the other ranches as a veterinarian.”
“He's an animal doctor?” she gasped. “Does Daddy know?”
“Yes, dearest. He knows and is proud. I'm surprised he never mentioned it to you.”
Christina had been against this trip from the start, but more and more, she couldn't fathom why her parents had insisted that she come. And now, to find out all this?
Still, she had no choice but to make the best of it.
“Fine, I'll go on a ride. I'm just glad I brought my riding outfit.”
“Oh, you won't need anything so fancy,” Valerie declared. “Just a good pair of boots will do.”
Nevertheless, she insisted and showed up to the barn an hour later decked out in a high-fashion outfit, the likes of which had never been seen in these parts of Montana.
“I hope you'll be comfortable,” Valerie said dubiously. “But we can stop whenever you like.”
Christina was shocked to see Valerie wearing pants, but her sister explained, “We only have one side saddle, and I figured you would want to use it. That's fine. I got used to riding astride. It's more convenient anyway.”
She shook her head but muttered thanks, then looked around for someone to give her a boost.
“If you're not able to mount on your own, bring your horse over to the fence. There's no one around to help.”
Thomas should have come out, she thought, but she refrained from saying so and did as Valerie instructed. After a few f
ailed attempts, she managed to get on the horse and held herself upright as she'd been taught.
“I know this is a disappointment to you, but I hope you'll do your best to enjoy your time here,” Valerie said mildly as they started out. “There's nothing like this back in New York.”
A cutting comment came to mind, but Christina held her tongue. It wasn't Valerie's doing that she was here, well, not directly anyway. “Yes, I can see it's beautiful,” she admitted begrudgingly, but then something else caught her eye. “Who lives in that house there? I wondered yesterday when Thomas drove by, but I was too exhausted to ask.”
“That's where Luke Winston and his wife live with their family. He's the owner, well, part-owner anyway.”
“How many owners are there exactly?” She wasn't particularly interested, but it was polite to ask.
“Three including Carl Bowman, who added onto the ranch a number of years back. Now it’s the largest in pretty much all of Montana.”
“I see. Too bad Thomas couldn't have joined in.”
Valerie looked annoyed. “We're happy as we are, Chris.”
“Ugh, don't call me that, if you please. It sounds like the name of a woman who works as a scullery maid or some such. Now, should we call on Missus Winston?”
Christina thought she saw Valerie smile, but then her head ducked down so fast she couldn't be sure.
“Yes, I think we should. I'm sure she'll be very glad to make your acquaintance.”
* * *
Alex had slept well enough in the bunkhouse. There were five other men besides him, but he was comfortable enough. Living in a dormitory had accustomed him to housing with other people. After some discussion last night, Luke had agreed to hire him on a conditional basis. At the end of three months, they would meet and decide how things were going.
“You're lucky,” Cole, one of the ranch hands, informed him. “I only had one month to prove myself.”
“That's a deal you made on your own, boy-o.” This came from Charlie, the oldest of the hands, but the comment had no malice in it. Alex could see there was a well-established friendship among the group, the kind he'd been anticipating when he came out.
The other men—Mark, Boone and Austin—all chuckled at the comment.
“We never had such a deal,” Boone snickered, jabbing Cole in the ribs. “We just got hired on no problem.”
“That might be true,” Austin added quietly, “but none of us are engaged to the boss's daughter either.” There were a few laughs at that, but not from Mark, Alex noticed. He wondered about the history there.
At breakfast, Luke outlined the duties of the day. The hands were working on a fence that would enclose the entire homestead, all two thousand acres. They would spend part of their day riding and checking on the cattle, especially the cows that were due to give birth anytime or those who had recently given birth. Additionally, they were adding another paddock to train horses.
Alex was impressed at how organized everything was and how each person listened carefully to his duties. However, he felt surprised that Luke allowed his daughter Maddie to work alongside the men. Even though she wasn’t technically related to him in any real sense, he felt a bit protective of her. She should be inside doing more feminine work, not out here with rough cowboys. Still, he kept his thoughts to himself. Who was he to judge?
Luke decided that Cole and Austin should give him a tour of the homestead. However, he gave him a strong horse to ride and promised to talk to Jimmy next time he went to town about Lady, the horse he bought. She was kindly allowed to wander the range now, pleasing only herself.
They were barely out of the barn when Cole spied a couple of riders coming from the direction of the Wells' house.
“Looks like Val and her sister. She got here the same day as you, Alex, on an earlier train,” Cole commented.
A cold chill raced up his spine as he watched the women approach. What were the chances? Please God, he begged, don't let it be her. The words had barely registered in his brain when he saw his prayer had been in vain. Valerie's sister was the pretentious woman he’d met and then avoided on the train. Just don’t let her recognize me, he pleaded. She could ruin everything! However, she wasn't looking at him in particular, but took in the sight of the three of them.
“Ranch hands from Triple Range, I presume?” she asked haughtily.
Alex let Cole do the talking. “Yes, ma'am. I'm Cole, this is Austin, and the young one in the back is Alex.”
Alex thought it was rich that Cole was calling him young considering he was barely two years older.
“Do you know if your mistress is occupied at the moment? We'd like to stop in.”
If they were with any of the other hands, there might have been a bit of snickering, but Cole and Austin were much too polite, and he wasn't about to do anything to draw attention to himself.
Thankfully, she looked right at him during the exchange and didn't even bat an eyelash. It was clear that she had no idea who he was. Alex wasn't sure if he was grateful or offended.
“She's in alright, Miss. I don't expect she'll mind the company,” Austin drawled, smiling charmingly. Valerie smiled back, but Miss Christina only nodded coolly and tugged on the reins to let the horse know she wanted to be off.
“Wow, Valerie and her sister aren't too similar, are they?” Cole asked when they were out of earshot.
“Doesn't seem like it,” Austin replied. “But never judge a book by its cover. You don't know what circumstances she's coming from.”
Alex didn't want to reveal anything he knew about her, so he refrained from commenting. It wasn't his business anyway. The only reason he'd come out west was to get to know his father and see if there was even the slightest hope of having a relationship with him. He was not going to get embroiled in the distress of an over-privileged girl from the East. He'd known many of them, and he wasn't eager to know another. Christina Hillcrest found him inferior? Well, that was fine with him.
Chapter 4
“And you've lived here for over twelve years now?” Christina asked, her eyebrows shooting up in disbelief. “And never once thought about moving back to Connecticut? Or you just couldn't?”
Kate's eyes softened as she smiled. “I never wanted to, honestly. There was nothing for me there.”
Christina couldn't fathom it. “Hmph, I have to say I'm surprised to hear that. I understand your situation of course and why you stay, but you never thought about selling and moving back?”
“We don’t have your desire for the city,” Valerie interrupted. “Of course, the West isn't for everyone, but most people who come out here find this way of life rewarding.”
Kate's aunt also added her opinion. “And then there are those who want to live her but can't adjust. We’ve known a few of those too.”
With a small sniff of disapproval and disbelief, Christina decided to say no more on the matter. She picked up a cookie and took a tiny bite. Of course she had to eat something to be polite, but there was no way she could eat the way her sister did if she wanted to keep her figure.
“I've noticed the men out here are rather direct. It's not what I'm used to at all. They stare quite openly.” The looks of the hands she had met unnerved her. Were they taught no manners?
Both Kate and Valerie laughed a little.
“It's really no surprise that they stare, little sister. You're a beautiful woman, and they don't have many chances to see one.”
A trickle of alarm raced through her. “What do you mean?”
“Well, surely you've noticed the lack of women out here. The ratio is something like fifty men to one woman,” Valerie informed her.
Now she was truly shocked. “And you're never afraid?” Her cookie and tea lay forgotten on her plate. Was she in any danger? Perhaps she should attempt to look less attractive.
Marge answered this. “For every man who would do a woman harm, there are a hundred who would keep him in his place. I think a woman has less to worry about out here than any
where else.”
The other two agreed heartily.
Their mid-morning visit was suddenly interrupted by a door being flung open.
“Ma!” a desperate voice shouted. “I need help!”
Kate jumped up just as a young woman stormed into in the dining room. Christina physically shrank back in alarm.
“Oh, sorry. I—I didn't know anyone was here.” The woman was clearly distraught, her eyes darting from Christina to Valerie. “Cole's hurt.” The woman was attractive, but had taken some pains to hide it with men's clothing and a layer of grime. Her hair, which looked to be some shade of blonde, was pushed up under a large hat.
“What do you need?” Kate asked.
“Bandages, and lots of them!”
Kate rushed to the kitchen and reappeared with a pile of cloth. “What happened?”
“Cole got in the way of the bull. He says it's not bad, but Austin went for the doctor.” She grabbed the cloths and dashed away, tipping her hat to Christina as she went.
Shock at the situation prevented Christina from responding.
“I hope Cole's alright,” Valerie said, rising from her chair. “Should we take a look?”
Kate bit her lip. “I'll go see what I can do, but you stay here. There's no need for us all to go.”
“Never mind that,” Marge replied, following Kate out the door. “Cole is one of ours.”
The other three women scurried out of the room, and Christina felt she had no choice but to follow, if only from a distance.
Several people were in the dusty bunkhouse already, so she decided not to push in. Instead, she lingered outside and looked around. When one of the hands emerged, she was about to ask how the patient was, since that was what civilized people did, but he rushed past her to a barrel and used a bucket to scoop out some water. As he ran back in, she caught a glimpse of his face and thought for a second that he looked slightly familiar. However, she quickly brushed aside the notion that she might know him. How would that even be possible?
