Emma held out her arms. “It’s my turn now.”
Then Emma took the rooster and fed it a piece of bread. “See? He likes me.”
Lena shook her head as she hung the dish towel over a chair. “Of course he likes you. You’re feeding him. But what happens when you run out of the bread I was saving to go with lunch?”
“We’ll do without. It’s a small sacrifice to save our Henry.” Anna stood tall, hands on her hips.
Laura was certain the little girl hadn’t come up with such a bold statement on her own. Yet there was something so charming about how she’d adopted the words of an adult with the openheartedness of a child; Laura couldn’t help but smile.
With that smile, though, came the ache that often arrived when spending time with other people’s children. She loved children, especially these vivacious girls who defended a mean rooster. But once this time was over, she’d go back to her life, away from the girls, and back to the emptiness of being alone.
Not having children only bothered her when she caught a glimpse of what she’d never have. Some of the well-meaning women in church often told her that she could marry again and finally have children, but it was impossible. Even if she could trust another man enough to marry him, she still wouldn’t have children. When James didn’t get the heir he wanted, she’d visited the doctor—many doctors, in fact—only to be told it was unlikely she ever would bear children.
What man would want a woman under those circumstances?
It was always a risk, marrying someone and not knowing whether or not they could have children. But to know? Laura shook her head.
Lena turned to Laura. “I’m going to do lessons with the girls now. You’re welcome to join us in the library if you need company. My uncle loved to read, and you’ll find a wide selection of books to choose from. You may take one and enjoy it there, or find another cozy spot in the house to read. Or if there’s another way you’d like to pass the time, you’re welcome to do so.”
Laura hesitated. These children weren’t like her friends’ children. At least in Leadville she could spend time with Nellie Jeffries and her children if the longing hit. Or she could even visit with Polly Taylor and her family. Or, if she thought about it, any number of women in church. But given Owen’s guardedness, once Laura left, she’d probably never see his children again.
“If you’d prefer another activity, like sewing or knitting, I could find some supplies for you. I realize you wouldn’t have had time to bring any of your own.” Lena smiled at her, obviously trying to be a good hostess, oblivious to the true pain in Laura’s heart.
Did Lena regret not marrying and having children? Or were her brother’s children enough like her own that it didn’t matter?
Laura took a deep breath. Dwelling on her impossible longing didn’t make it easier. “Thank you. I would like to visit with Owen if that’s all right?”
Why she chose to torment herself in another way, she didn’t know. But suddenly, being in this place with two little girls squabbling good-naturedly over who got to hold the rooster during lessons seemed to be almost suffocating. Lena meant well, but she couldn’t possibly understand.
“He’s in the barn,” Lena said, a resigned expression filling her face. “He won’t like you bothering him, but I suspect you and I are enough alike that it won’t stop you.”
Her face softened. “Just be gentle with him. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to give up your independence the way you have. But this isn’t easy on him either. He carries a lot of hurt, and having you here reminds him of it.”
Before Laura could ask what Lena meant, the other woman turned away and directed the girls into the library for their lessons. Clearly Lena wasn’t going to tell her anything else. That seemed to be the way of things in this household. Only giving small bits of information, and leaving the rest to wonder about.
Laura walked out to the barn, noting that while it was technically outside the fenced area of the house, it was still within easy distance. And Owen stood just outside the building. Surely he couldn’t fault her for coming to see him.
“Everything all right?” he asked when she approached.
“Yes. I felt cooped up in the house, and I didn’t want to be a bother while Lena did lessons with the girls, so I thought I’d come outside for a while. Perhaps we can discuss the plan.”
Owen stared at her like she’d just spoken a foreign language. “The plan?”
Right. Because before Owen never told her the plan, and Laura never asked.
“To keep me safe,” she said, staring right back at him. “That is why we’ve gone through all of this, isn’t it?”
He didn’t say anything but continued with his heavy gaze upon her.
“You said that I’m here until they capture James, but being so isolated, how will we know? They could have him in custody already.”
Owen shook his head. “I’ve got a couple of vantage points from the ranch where I can see for miles. If any rider comes this way, I’ll know. Will and I have a signal. There’s been no signal.”
Which told her absolutely nothing.
Laura opened her mouth to ask him for more details, but Owen shook his head.
“Don’t push me. I’ve had all I can take for one day. With that rooster they insist on keeping as a pet, and now a picnic I have to plan, I just can’t, Laura. Can you please let it go for now?”
Suddenly, he seemed tired and weary. Like the pain Lena had alluded to was catching up to him. And if James showed up, Owen would need every ounce of strength to fight him. With Owen being Laura’s only hope at survival in this place, so far removed from civilization, she couldn’t take the chance of having him at less than his best.
“All right,” Laura said. “I’ll let it go. For now. So why don’t we do something safe, like have you introduce me to your horses?”
Owen’s demeanor visibly changed. His shoulders relaxed, the lines in his forehead faded, and before her stood a new man. Who would have thought that one simple question would have made such a difference?
“It would be my pleasure,” he said. He led her into the barn, which was clean and bright. It was obvious he took great pride in the space as it appeared well cared for. Not that Laura knew all that much about barns, but it was nothing like she’d imagined. She’d thought of barns as dirty, smelly places. But the dirt floor here was swept clean. The pungent aroma of hay filled the air and everything seemed to be neatly put in its place. Most homes couldn’t boast such cleanliness.
“This is quite the space,” she said, still looking around.
“My uncle was a most particular man. And since he taught me everything I know about animals, I suppose it’s only fitting that I carry on his legacy. Plus having a clean barn stops the spread of disease. I know not everyone agrees with that idea, but I believe that’s the case in all things. It’s good to have a clean environment.”
In her time with Owen, Laura had noticed that he always took special care to keep things as neat and tidy as possible. She appreciated that about him since James had always been the sort of man to leave everything lying all over the place, expecting everyone, especially her, to pick up after him. It was a pleasant change to see a man who believed differently.
Owen paused at a stall door. “This here is Troy’s stall. He thinks he’s king of this castle.”
As Laura came closer to the stall, the horse poked his head out. She recognized him as the horse they had ridden here. She patted his neck. “So you’re the trusty stallion who brought us here. It’s nice to meet you officially, Troy.”
Owen chuckled. “Actually, he’s a gelding. And don’t flatter him too much. He’ll get a bigger head than he already has. Don’t know how the horse got so puffed up, but he sure thinks a lot of himself.”
Laura had never heard anyone speak of horses as though they were human beings. At least not
in this way. She thought of them as animals, useful for many things, but not as having personalities or feelings. She thought the girls’ treatment of Henry the rooster was a mere lark that everyone indulged. But from the way Owen spoke of his horse, Laura began to wonder if animals having feelings was an idea that the entire household believed in.
Troy whinnied and snorted, then tossed his head. As though he knew her thoughts. Like he was telling her not to underestimate him. Now she was the one getting silly.
“Here, give him one of these.” Owen handed her a piece of the carrot.
Laura stared at it. “What do you mean, give it to him?”
Owen smiled at her in the indulgent way he smiled at his children. “Like this.”
He held out his hand with the carrot on top of it, and the horse gently nibbled at it, then ate the carrot. Laura did the same, but when the horse’s lips were moving over her hand, it felt funny, so she jerked her hand away.
“Easy now. Don’t let him know you’re afraid. Keep your hand flat and still. He won’t bite you if you do that.”
Owen picked up the carrot she dropped and set it back in her hand. She did as he told her, and let the horse take the carrot. Troy quickly gobbled up the treat, and she took her hand away.
“See there? You did just fine.”
It had been a long time since Owen had spoken to her in such a gentle, kind and approving manner. Something in her heart swelled, reminding Laura of the good times they’d shared. Was it possible that this might be a new beginning between them?
“You haven’t been around animals much, have you?”
Laura shook her head. “My family has always been in the hotel business. When you own a successful chain of hotels, it isn’t good business to have many animals around. Horses were simply necessary transportation. As a child, I wanted to learn to ride, but my parents thought that it was unseemly for a young lady. When I married James, he wasn’t willing to give me the kind of freedom that riding a horse would provide.”
She didn’t admit to many people that she couldn’t ride, given that in Leadville, she didn’t need to. She had enough money that she could afford a carriage of her own. Learning to ride a horse hadn’t been a priority. But as she saw the pity on Owen’s face, she wished she’d given a different answer.
“That’s a shame,” he said. “Knowing how to handle horses is a skill I think everyone should have. True, you have your hired help to do it for you, but you never know when you might run into an emergency situation. Can you hitch your own team? Saddle a horse? Stay astride by yourself?” He obviously knew the answers, but listening to him tick off his list made Laura feel more helpless than ever. Like the woman she’d been when she first met Owen.
Then Owen smiled. “You picked up things quickly when I taught you how to shoot a gun. Are you open to learning these things, as well?”
Laura stared at him for a moment. She’d felt like nothing but a bother since she’d come to the ranch, yet he seemed very open and willing to help her once again.
“I wouldn’t want to be any trouble,” she said.
Owen shrugged. “It’s no trouble. If I’m going to protect you, these are important things for you to learn so I can keep you safe. It’s highly unlikely, but if James shows up here, and we need to make a quick getaway, it will be easier if I know you can ride.”
Laura felt a twinge of disappointment at his words. While she was glad that it wasn’t a burden, it still stung that his generosity had more to do with protecting her than it did with his kindness of heart.
“Plus,” he said, “I think you like animals. I remember, when we were waiting for James’s trial, there was a stray cat that kept coming around, and you would give it bits of your food. Only an animal lover would do that.”
Laura smiled. “I caught you feeding it from time to time, as well.”
Owen shrugged. “I’ve always liked animals.”
One more thing the two of them had in common. Sometimes it seemed as though they were similar enough that they should be able to get along better. Why things were different between them now, she didn’t know. She’d become the woman she thought he’d been trying to help her become. Only it seemed he didn’t like her now that she was no longer as biddable as she’d once been. Or maybe back then, she hadn’t noticed how forceful he was. Compared to James, Owen was still a very gentle man. But given time away from James, on her own, Laura had realized her own strength. It no longer felt good to have a man pushing her around.
Owen gestured toward another stall. “This is Beauty, Lena’s horse. A moody mare that only seems to listen to Lena.”
As if the horse understood Owen’s words, Beauty looked out of the stall and whinnied.
“Don’t feed her,” Owen said. “She bites for the fun of it.”
Laura stared at the horse, who looked so innocent, but as she started to reach her hand forward to pet Beauty, the horse bared her teeth at her as if to tell her not even to bother trying.
Owen chuckled. “She is ornery, which I think is why Lena loves her. Lena always had a heart for the difficult ones. She puts up with me, after all.”
With a grin, Owen led her to another stall. “Now this here, this is Rascal, and if you’d like to try riding, I’d put you on her. She’s Anna’s horse and as gentle as can be.”
Laura reached out to pet the horse, who whinnied at her, then reached her head forward for more. As Laura leaned into the horse, Rascal nuzzled her, and Laura couldn’t help but wrap her arms around Rascal’s neck.
“She’s so sweet,” Laura said, inhaling the fresh horse scent.
Owen nodded. “Yes, she is.”
Then he pointed at another stall. “Daisy, Emma’s horse, is in there. She won’t behave unless Rascal is with her, but she’s a good fit for Emma.”
“It’s so nice how you’ve figured out the personalities of the horses, so you know who works best with everyone.”
“I like to match the rider to the horse. It makes all the difference.”
The approving way he looked at her made Laura feel safe and warm. Like all the things she held against him no longer mattered. Could they spend the rest of her time at the ranch in peace?
And when it was over, even if these sweet moments made her think they might at least be friends, she would do her best to remember that Owen was just doing his job.
* * *
Owen couldn’t stop smiling as he watched Laura interact with Rascal. He’d known Laura had a tender side with animals, but seeing her now, with her guard lowered, it deepened his admiration for her. Her quiet inner strength, particularly as she faced yet another challenge, another unknown, was something few people had, especially with all she’d endured.
Most people broke under the kind of treatment she’d received during her marriage to James. Watching her give her heart away to an animal melted Owen’s.
“Would you like to learn to ride her?”
He watched Laura’s shoulders straighten as she drew in a deep breath.
“I believe I would,” she said, sounding just as resolute as she had when he’d asked her if she wanted to learn how to shoot a gun. White-knuckled, Laura had gripped that gun as if her life depended on it. But with every shot, both her hands and expression had become steadier. By the time they’d finished, she’d been able to hit every target. Not perfectly, but enough that he’d felt confident in her ability to handle the weapon.
Teaching her how to ride a horse would be the same thing. Only in this lesson, he would hopefully give her a skill that would not only be useful, but enjoyable, as well.
Owen walked over to his tack room and got out Rascal’s halter and rope.
“I don’t believe in putting someone right on a horse,” Owen said as he returned to Laura’s side. “You need time to get used to being around the animal, and you also need to learn about its care. I have a rule th
at if you ride it, you take care of it.”
Laura nodded. “That sounds fair.”
As Owen opened the stall door, he motioned for Laura. “For now, I prefer you not go into the stalls by yourself. But I want to show you how to catch a horse. My horses are all in stalls in the barn, but I’ll also show you how to do it if you’re working with a horse that’s in the pasture.”
Laura’s eyes were on him as he slipped the halter over Rascal’s head. Rascal was also probably the easiest horse to deal with. Gentle and eager to please, Rascal was the perfect horse for a beginner.
“That looks easy enough,” Laura said.
Owen smiled. He had no doubt that she’d quickly master the task.
“Now you try,” he said, slipping the halter back off.
As Owen handed her the halter, his hands brushed Laura’s, and he felt the same spark he had back when he’d first protected her. He looked away in case Laura noticed anything different about their interaction or his reaction.
But just as quickly, he turned his attention back to Laura. This was no time to get distracted. Even if it was in the attempt to not feel whatever seemed to be between them from time to time.
That was the biggest problem with any attraction he might have for her or vice versa. None of those feelings were real or lasting. They seemed to be, but once the heat of the impending danger was gone, so, too, was the spark.
Laura slipped the halter on Rascal with ease, just as he’d suspected she would. He showed her how to adjust the fit to make sure nothing was rubbing.
“Want to lead her out?”
Though it seemed like a stupid question, one of the things Owen had liked about the way his uncle had taught him about horses was that he’d eased him and Lena into all of their lessons. He didn’t want Laura to feel forced into doing something she wasn’t ready for. Not when she was dealing with a thousand-plus-pound animal whose brain didn’t follow the same logic as a person.
Laura smiled at him. “I’d like that, thank you.”
“Good. We’ll just lead her out of the barn and walk her around the yard a little. Watch her movements and get a feel for her rhythm. If you can, walk next to her, talk to her and give her reassuring pats. The more she gets a sense of you, the more she learns to trust you.”
Honor-Bound Lawman Page 7
