Cowboy to the Rescue

by Louise M. Gouge

  But then there was Nate. No Southern gentleman had ever dug into her heart as he had begun to do. Perhaps the only way to keep a hold on her emotions was to treat all the Northam brothers the same. “Where are Rand and Tolley? I never see them except at supper.”

  Nate’s brief scowl surprised her, but she had no time to examine his reaction.

  “My brothers and I are out early for chores every day. They grab a bite to eat in the bunkhouse, then head out with the hands.”

  “But you don’t?”

  “Usually I do. Right now I’m building the addition.” He shoveled in another bite.

  “Oh, yes.” She remembered what he’d said about the structure. “Your father’s gift to your mother for their anniversary.” She would wink at him if such a gesture wasn’t unladylike.

  “Yep.” He kept his expression neutral.

  “I must say I’m impressed to learn you’re a builder.” She was rewarded with his most attractive smile, and her uncontrollable emotions did somersaults inside her. Such feelings would not help her reach her dream of going home.

  “Nate’s had a hand in just about every building on this property.” Rosamond’s voice was filled with sisterly pride. “Not to mention the church and several barns for our neighbors.”

  “My, my.” Susanna could not imagine her own brother doing such hard labor, but she’d grown very proud of Daddy for learning many manual skills on the trek west.

  Nate stood and carried his plate to the dishpan by the sink. “Can’t sit around jawing. Gotta get to work. What are you girls doing today?” He directed his question to Susanna, but Rosamond didn’t seem to notice.

  “Mother suggested that I take Susanna on a tour of the ranch.” She began to clear the table but paused. “That is, if you’d like to go.”

  “I would indeed. That is, after I wash these dishes.” Since Rita had been relieved of the duty, Susanna tried to step in as often as she could. She actually enjoyed the chore. She’d been surprised to see the indoor pump and sink like the one her family had back home. A pipe in the sink drained the water out through the floor and all the way to the kitchen garden.

  “No, no, señorita.” Angela clicked her tongue in a maternal fashion. “You wash dishes yesterday. Today you go along with Señorita Rosamond.” She set her stirring spoon on the table beside the stove and stepped toward the dishpan. “I will wash them.”

  “Please let me.” Susanna blocked her as graciously as she could. “You all work so hard, and it would be silly for me to sit around with my hands folded in my lap.”

  Her words brought an approving smile from both Nate and Rosamond.

  “Let her help, Angela.” Nate spoke with a hint of gentle authority, and the housekeeper nodded her acceptance.

  “Sí, Señor Nate.”

  “I’ll help, too.” Rosamond tied on an apron and offered one to Susanna.

  “You ladies have a nice time.” Nate disappeared through the kitchen door.

  With some difficulty, Susanna turned her attention to the task at hand. Too bad Nate couldn’t go with them on the tour of the ranch.

  Once the chore was completed and she had checked to make sure Daddy had everything he needed, Susanna joined her hostess outside the back door. “Is Mrs. Northam well? I wondered why she wasn’t in the kitchen for breakfast.”

  “She’s very well, thank you.” Rosamond beckoned to Susanna, and they began their walk toward the outbuildings. “This morning she’s working on Father’s anniversary present. It’s a surprise, of course, so she always has to wait to work on it until he goes off on business or out to see how the men are managing things. Today he went to Alamosa and will be there overnight, so she’ll have all day and evening.”

  “I see.” Despite her dislike of the Colonel, Susanna felt that funny little tickle inside over helping to keep a secret. “Do you know what she’s giving him?”

  “Yes.” Rosamond giggled. “And I know what he thinks she’s giving him. She’s making a quilt from scraps of all our clothes since we came to Colorado. It’s for him to take on trail drives or other such trips. She has a Singer, so she should get much of it done today.” She snickered. “Father knows about the quilt, but makes a big show of pretending not to know.”

  Fondly remembering her own parents’ secrets at gift-giving time, Susanna laughed. “But that’s not the real present?”

  “Nope.” Rosamond looped an arm around Susanna’s and leaned close. “She’s having a set of silver-and-turquoise spurs made for him by our blacksmith. Just the three of us know about it.” Another giggle. “And now four. I can trust you not to tell Father, can’t I?”

  Susanna could barely keep from choking. No, she would not tell the Colonel about the spurs or anything else. She could hardly look at him without feeling a little sick. Forcing herself to recall his generous gift of china now hidden in the barn, she managed a smile. “Of course. I didn’t realize your family employed a blacksmith. And to think he’s a silversmith, too.”

  “Bert’s like everyone else around here. He has to do more than one job.” She waved a hand in the direction of an outbuilding near the stable. “That’s his workshop.” Above the weatherworn wooden structure, a gray stream of smoke drifted into the air. “We’ll go there in a minute, but first I have something else to show you.”

  They had crossed the wide backyard to the barn, and Susanna surveyed the place with interest as if she’d never seen it before. When they went inside, she studiously kept from looking toward the stall where a deceptively dusty canvas covered the china crates. Fortunately, Rosamond’s attention was on Bess, who bounded over to them, her tail wagging furiously.

  Kneeling down, Susanna pretended not to have met the dog. As uncomfortable as it made her feel, she decided not telling all she knew was not the same as lying, especially when the secrets she was keeping were not hers to divulge.

  “What a sweet dog.” Susanna suffered Bess’s affectionate licks with good grace. “And what adorable puppies.” Which one would Nate give to her? Maybe the chubby little one who was pouncing boldly through the straw to join them. No, she’d much prefer the little runt she’d held on Monday. Right now the little female stayed in the back corner of the stall whimpering for her mother and melting Susanna’s heart. She’d always felt a special affection for the underdog.

  “Father and Mr. Eberly brought a trainer from Scotland to teach them how to herd cattle.” Rosamond picked up the brave puppy and cuddled it. “Maisie gets to take care of the puppies’ father. It’s an experiment, so we’ll see how it works out.” She held it up with its nose to hers and murmured, “You’re going to tell those great big steers what to do, aren’t you?”

  As Susanna tickled the runt’s tummy, she noticed it had one underdeveloped rear paw. The puppy settled comfortably into her arms and promptly fell asleep. Susanna decided she would call her Lazy Daisy. “When do you think they’ll be weaned?” She could hardly wait to make this little one her own.

  “Usually before they’re two months old, but we won’t rush it. Father wants to be sure they’re happy and healthy before their training begins.” Rosamond spoke of the Colonel with great affection, but never called him by his rank, as Nate did. Susanna hadn’t noticed how Rand and Tolley referred to him.

  After they had their fill of puppy affection, Rosamond took Susanna to the blacksmith shop and introduced her to Bert, a former slave. He showed them his handiwork, large silver plates fashioned to fit over the boot tops. Each was adorned with turquoise stones and delicate scrollwork. Even the leather bands and the spiked rowels had attractive etchings.

  “Of course, Father won’t wear them for work, just for dressing up,” Rosamond said as they left the blacksmith to his work.

  Susanna’s mind spun with the contradictions she was seeing. So the Colonel employed a former slave, entrusting him with such an importa
nt job as blacksmithing. Many Southerners, including Daddy, had often condemned the North for freeing the slaves and then not providing a livelihood for them. Once off the plantation, countless former slaves wandered the South with no way to earn a living. For all of his evil ways, this former officer had at least given a job to one such freedman.

  When her family had sold their plantation, Susanna had been too young to have learned much about the day-to-day operation of producing a cotton crop. Now with Rosamond as her guide, she could observe the many and varied activities on a ranch, and she began to comprehend all the work that went into producing any sellable product, whether cotton or beef.

  “Until we get more businesses in the area, Four Stones Ranch has to be self-sustaining.” Rosamond pointed to another structure beyond the blacksmith shop. “Besides Bert, we have Joe, who tans leather and makes anything from saddles to belts to boots. We won’t go over there because it really stinks when he’s tanning.”

  Susanna had noticed the pungent smell and wondered what it was. Today a warm breeze carried most of the stench away.

  Rosamond now indicated a distant field, where green, knee-high alfalfa waved in the breeze. “Of course, we grow our own feed for the animals.”

  “And your own food,” Susanna said. “I certainly do admire that kitchen garden.”

  “I noticed you liked the squash.” Rosamond wrinkled her nose. “You and Nate are the only ones who do, other than Mother and Father.”

  Susanna felt another one of those emotional somersaults near her heart. As silly as it seemed, she was pleased to learn she and Nate liked some of the same things.

  A high-pitched whinny sounded from a corral some distance from the barn, and both girls turned to investigate.

  “Now, that’s exciting,” Rosamond said. “Looks like Rand’s planning to teach Tolley how to break a new horse.” She grabbed Susanna’s hand and rushed her toward the scene. “Let’s watch.”

  Her excitement was catching, so Susanna ran along beside her and copied her as she climbed on the lower rail of the corral and hung over the upper rail to get a better view.

  Rand was as tall as Nate and their father, but not as broad in the chest. He still gave the impression of being able to handle any of the varied duties of a cowboy. Right now he was murmuring instructions to his younger, shorter, thinner brother, who stood beside a restless horse. Susanna couldn’t hear their exact words, but Tolley seemed to chafe under Rand’s cautionary tone.

  “If you can do it, I can.” Tolley turned away from his brother, slung a blanket on the horse’s back and transferred a saddle from the fence to the animal.

  Before he could reach under and grab the cinch, the horse sidestepped and bucked, throwing the saddle to the ground.

  “Whoa.” Rand, holding the bridle and reins, tried to apply a soothing touch, but the horse tossed its head and snorted angrily.

  At least it sounded angry to Susanna. She glanced at Rosamond, who was chewing her lip. Sudden protectiveness for young Tolley filled Susanna’s heart. She’d noticed a bit of acrimony among the brothers, but this was certainly not the time for these two to argue. Lifting a silent prayer for both to be safe, she tightened her grip on the rail.

  “Hey!” Nate appeared on the scene and entered the corral through a gate. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  At his take-charge tone, relief swept through Susanna. She couldn’t stand it if anything happened to young Tolley. Like her little puppy, he almost seemed like the runt of the litter.

  Rand rolled his eyes, but Tolley appeared relieved to see his oldest brother.

  “Rand keeps treating me like a kid.” Tolley shot a glance toward Susanna and Rosamond, and his face reddened. “Why don’t you two go make a cake or something?”

  Rosamond laughed, clearly not concerned about her little brother. “Or I could break that horse for you.”

  Susanna had already stepped down from the fence, but she couldn’t walk away until she saw how Nate handled the situation.

  “Rand, you know the Colonel put me in charge of breaking these horses.” Although his hands were bunched into fists, his voice was surprisingly calm.

  His hands also fisted, Rand cast a quick glance toward Susanna, and the scowl he had aimed at Nate softened. “I know he did. He also told you to go all the way to Pueblo for supplies and build that addition and make sure the hands were kept busy.” He shrugged and gave Nate a smirking grin. “With all you’ve got to do, I’m just trying to help you out, big brother.”

  “So you think Tolley getting his neck broken is helping?”

  “Hey—” Tolley now scowled at Nate.

  Nate waved a hand to silence him. “Both of you ride out and help Seamus and Wes check the fencing, especially in the south pasture. You know it needs to be checked every day.” The brothers exchanged glowering looks all around. “Now!”

  Tolley jumped at his command and hurried to exit the corral.

  Rand lifted his hands in surrender. “All right. All right. Ladies.” He tipped his hat to Susanna and Rosamond and sauntered toward the gate. Then he jerked his head toward the horse and gave Nate another smirk. “I’ll leave you to take care of Spike.”

  “No.” Nate took a step toward him. “You’ll take care of him and put away this saddle.” He paused as if waiting to see whether Rand would obey him.

  Rand glared, then shrugged and moved toward Spike. “Come on, you dumb beast. Back you go to your friends till the big boss here makes time for you in his busy schedule.”

  “And about tonight,” Nate said, “just because the Colonel is away, don’t get any ideas about going over to Del Norte with Seamus.”

  Spike snorted, and Rand laughed. “That about sums up what I think of that order.”

  As he led the horse out of the corral, Nate didn’t respond. Susanna couldn’t help but admire his self-control, even as she failed to comprehend why he and his brothers, especially Rand, seemed to have some sort of rivalry. She and Edward had always gotten along so well, despite his being six years older. A sudden ache to see her dear, protective brother swept through her. All the more reason to go back home.

  “Did you ladies finish your tour?” Nate spoke so pleasantly one would never know he’d almost come to blows with his brother.

  “Yep.” Rosamond stepped down from the railing. “I guess it’s about time to help Angela fix supper.”

  Nate came out of the corral, and the three of them walked toward the house.

  “What did you like best, Susanna?”

  Hoping to ignite some playful banter, she gave him a saucy smile. “Why, the puppies, of course. I fell in love with one in particular.”

  His responding frown sent a shard of worry through her. “Yep, they’re heartbreakers. That’s for sure.” He kicked a stone in his path with unusual force.

  Susanna’s heart sank. Had he changed his mind about giving her the puppy? Or had she made a mistake by hinting at his promise while they were in Rosamond’s company?

  No matter the cause of his displeasure, one thing seemed apparent. She would not be getting Lazy Daisy for a pet. And that hurt more than she could have imagined.

  Chapter Twelve

  The next morning, Susanna approached the breakfast table with great hesitation. Nate’s pleasant but subdued greeting confirmed her fears. He’d changed when she’d mentioned the puppies, so something had happened between his promise and that moment. From the cheerful way Mrs. Northam and Rosamond greeted her, she knew they were not the cause. It had to be the Colonel. While the three family members carried on their usual morning chitchat, she considered her options. Maybe the mean old bear of a colonel would sell her Lazy Daisy. She’d hand him a solid five-dollar gold piece and enjoy the shock on his face. That would show him she wasn’t a poor little nobody who didn’t even deserve common courtesy.

&n
bsp; Having cheered herself, she looked across the table at Nate, trying to think of something clever to cheer him up, too. He chose that second to rise from the table and gather his plate and silver.

  “Well, those rooms won’t get finished if I sit here jawing.” Now he gave Susanna a warm smile that held no reservations and punctuated it with a wink. “You ladies have a nice day.”

  As disappointed as she was that he was leaving, her heart still skipped pleasantly. Until she shushed it up with a reminder that he was not the Southern gentleman of her dreams, and Four Stones Ranch was not the home she’d always wanted.

  “Rosamond, you may use the Singer today.” Mrs. Northam stood and straightened her apron. “Angela and I will clean up the kitchen so you can get started on those shirts right away.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Rosamond finished her glass of milk. “Susanna, would you like to help?”

  “Indeed, I would. For whom are you making shirts?”

  “Just about every man on this ranch.” Rosamond beckoned to her, and they proceeded up the back stairs.

  “Oh, my. How many will that be?” The more, the better to Susanna’s way of thinking. She loved to sew and should have brought Mama’s Singer on the trip west. Of course, the horse thieves probably would have stolen or destroyed that, too.

  “About eighteen or twenty.” Rosamond headed toward her parents’ bedroom at the far end of the hall. “Give or take a few. Some hands aren’t as reliable as others, so Father and Mother aren’t as eager to provide for them.”

  “That makes sense.” She hesitated at the bedroom door, hoping they wouldn’t be sewing in there.

  “It’ll take both of us to carry the machine downstairs.” Rosamond’s words set her mind at ease.