High Desert Cowboy (High Sierra Book 2)

by G. L. Snodgrass

  The boy nodded with a smile as big as his father’s. He was going to be a heart breaker, Rebecca thought to herself. Handsome, with a smile that would melt women’s hearts.

  Dusty tied his horse to the corral then turned to help her down. Rebecca swung her leg over the saddle and half fell to the ground. His strong hands caught her around the waist to steady her. An energy surged through her form his touch.

  The feeling of joy that flashed through her was quickly replaced with one of agony. Her legs screamed in pain. Muscles she had never used before ached in ways she had not known was possible. She grabbed the saddle to steady herself as she waited for him to comment. But he only squinted at her, obviously wondering if she was alright.

  She gave him a quick smile and nodded. Under no circumstance would he hear her complain.

  “Dusty Rhodes,” a woman yelled as she stepped out of the cabin with a baby in her arms. “Just in time for lunch. Why am I not surprised?”

  Dusty laughed. “It’s the best time of year for one of your berry pies. Of course, I timed it like this.”

  The woman laughed as she stepped forward to reach up and kiss him on the cheek. The woman was pretty, her blond hair up in a bun, dressed in a green and white gingham dress. Rebecca felt her insides tighten up with nervousness. The woman looked like she was happy. As if she had discovered the secret.

  A sense of jealousy flashed through Rebecca. Would she ever find that feeling? she wondered.

  The woman glanced at Rebecca then up at Dusty, silently asking for an introduction as she continued to gently rock the baby in her arms.

  “This is Rebecca Carson, John Carson’s sister. Your neighbor.”

  Rebecca watched as the woman’s face fell.

  “I’m sorry, dear,” she said. “We heard about John. He was a good man. And a good neighbor.”

  Rebecca bit back a tear as she nodded, accepting the woman’s condolences. What could she say at a moment like this?

  Dusty saved her by saying, “This is Jenny Tanner, the sweetest woman this side of the Rockies. And that there is Jack Tanner. The luckiest man I ever knew. Only luck could of got him a woman that would tolerate him.”

  “I’m Henry,” the little boy said from his father’s shoulder.

  Jenny Tanner blushed at Dusty’s compliment. The adorable baby in her arms squirmed a little. Pulling her mother’s attention. A cherub with fat cheeks, wispy blond hair like her mother’s. And a toothless smile that made Rebecca go soft inside with need.

  Then the most surprising thing happened. Dusty stepped forward and said, “May I?” as he nodded at the baby.

  Rebecca’s jaw dropped as she watched Dusty gently take the baby from Jenny’s arms.

  “Of course, you can,” the woman said. “You’re her Godfather and she’s your namesake.”

  Rebecca’s eyes opened big as she silently asked Jenny for an explanation.

  “Hanna,” the woman said, “for Hannibal.”

  Dusty shot her a quick glance that silently told her to not make an issue out of finally learning his true name.

  “And this one is named Henry,” Jack Tanner said, “after Hank Richards.”

  Dusty ignored the conversation as he smiled down at the baby and tickled her cheek. The little girl cooed at him as she reached up and grabbed his finger with a small delicate hand that made Rebecca’s heart melt.

  Who would ever have thought that Dusty Rhodes would be good with babies? She wondered if this man would ever stop surprising her.

  “Won’t you come in?” Jenny said, indicating the cabin.

  “I’ll care for your horses,” Jack said as he placed his son on the ground and untied the horses from the corral and led them to the barn.

  “Hold up,” Dusty said as he reached up to remove his saddlebag, all the while cradling the baby as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

  “Thank you so much, Mrs. Tanner,” Rebecca said. “I apologize for dropping in like this. Unannounced.”

  The other woman smiled and shook her head. “First, call me Jenny. Please. Don’t worry about being announced. We get so few visitors. If we waited for formalities., we’d never see anyone.”

  The inside of the cabin was clean and cozy. A large room with the addition off to the left containing the bedrooms she assumed. Curtains and a vase of wildflowers made everything seem homey.

  She remembered her manners and removed the package from Dusty’s saddlebag.

  “Consuela sent these.”

  Jenny’s eyes grew big. “Jack does like her pickles. Please tell her thank you.”

  Rebecca relaxed inside. One hurdle crossed.

  “Have a seat,” Jenny said as she pulled out a chair from the dining table. “And you,” she said to Dusty as she took her daughter back, “go help, Jack.”

  His brow furrowed as he glanced at Rebecca then back to his friend’s wife.

  “We can’t have a proper talk with you men around,” Jenny said as she made a one-handed shoeing motion. “Besides, he needs a break from Henry, the boy will talk the ear off a jackrabbit.”

  Dusty smiled as he nodded. “But not too long, I smell pie.”

  Jenny closed the door behind him then sighed as she turned back to Rebecca. “I hope you don’t mind. But I never get a chance to talk to women. I can’t wait until Hanna gets old enough so that I don’t feel outnumbered.”

  Rebecca laughed. She liked this woman and knew they would become friends. Her honesty and obvious joy with the world were too enjoyable to be denied. She wondered what her friends back east would think of her joining this woman in a backwoods cabin. No servants. None of the finer things.

  Yet, for some reason, she felt this woman was more authentic than any person she had ever known.

  “Can you hold the baby while I get us some coffee?” Jenny said as she handed the baby to her without waiting for confirmation.

  Rebecca swallowed hard as she accepted the precious object. A feeling of rightness and contentment filled her as she looked down into the most beautiful face ever. The baby gurgled and squirmed for a second then froze, as if realizing this was a new face and it needed to be studied intently.

  “How are you doing with all this?” Jenny asked as she poured the coffee. “John told us how surprised he was when you agreed to come west. I imagine it is very different than what you are used to.”

  “Different, is putting it mildly,” Rebecca said as she continued to rock the baby.

  Jenny studied her for a moment then said, “If there is anything I can do to help. Let me know. Sometimes it just helps to talk about it. I know there are times I ache for someone to talk to other than Jack. I hate the idea of him thinking I’m complaining. Because I’m not. But …”

  Rebecca sighed heavily as a feeling of sadness filled her. Would this woman understand? Yes, she thought. Perhaps here was someone she could unburden herself with. Without really thinking it through, she told her about her father’s debt, being stood up at the altar, John’s bank loan. Everything.

  Jenny listened patiently then leaned forward and patted her on the shoulder, “It will work out. And if you’ve got Dusty working for you, that was smart.”

  Rebecca smiled. “Do you know him well?” she asked, desperate for any information about the man.

  Jenny smiled as she took the baby back, obviously uncomfortable with her being out of her arms for too long. “Jack, Dusty, and Hank served in the war together. And when we were having trouble with that scum Cooper trying to take our land. Dusty and Hank helped without even being asked. Risked their lives.

  “If it weren’t for them two. I don’t know if my Jack would have been able to do it. So yes, I know him well. He’s a good man. A little footloose perhaps, but an honorable man.”

  Rebecca nodded. It confirmed her own impression. “What about you?” Rebecca asked. “Do you like living here, all alone, so far from everyone?”

  Jenny smiled. “I’ve got Jack, my children. Really, what more could a woman ask for?
Sure, there are times I miss going to church on Sunday. Or sitting with a group of women discussing who is doing what to whom.”

  The two women shared a quick smile acknowledging the pleasure of a good gossip.

  “But,” she continued, “I wouldn’t trade this for town life. Never. And I know my Jack would shrivel up into nothing if he had to live like that.”

  Rebecca studied the other woman for a moment and realized that she was telling the truth. She had found true happiness up here and nothing could convince her that she had made a bad choice.

  As she prepared to ask more about Dusty, the door opened and the two cowboys entered, both removing their hats and hanging them on pegs.

  “We’re hungry, woman,” Jack said with a teasing smile as he leaned down and kissed the top of his wife’s head.

  Jenny laughed, “Good, because your daughter is getting cranky. You hold her while I get your lunch.

  The tall cowboy smiled as he took his daughter and started making silly faces at her.

  Little Henry stood to the side, holding his Unca Dusty’s hand. Rebecca looked up and caught his eye. The domestic bliss surrounding her made her think of things that could not be. Dusty was not that type of person. He’d told her more than once that he’d be moving on.

  Sighing, she bit back a rising sadness and started asking Jack about their valley. Jenny served up a hearty stew with fresh bread and the four of them continued talking about everything from the current prices for beef to the upcoming state elections.

  They talked about joining the herds and delivering them to market together. “It’s easier for four men to move four hundred cattle than three to move three hundred.” Jack agreed and they worked out the details.

  There was an awkward silence when Jack leaned forward with a deep frown. “So, any idea what happened to your brother?”

  “Jack,” Jenny gasped.

  “No,” Rebecca said with a heavy sigh. “That’s all right. I’ve had been avoiding the subject. There is too much pain but it can’t be avoided forever. We have no idea.”

  Dusty took another bite of pie and shook his head. “I don’t know. But I got a feeling we’re missing stock.”

  Both Jack and Jenny shook their head. Rebecca could see their obvious concern. But really, what could she do?

  Eventually, though, they had to leave if they were to get to the C-Bar before dark.

  “Here,” Jenny said as she handed her two cloth-wrapped bundles. “Jam for Consuela,” she said then leaned in closer and whispered, “Salve for your legs. It will help with the ache.”

  Rebecca’s heart softened. “Thank you. For everything. Especially the listening.”

  Jenny smiled. “Maybe you can return the favor someday when this one gets on my nerves too much,” she said as she pointed to her husband. Then leaned in close again, “Don’t tell anyone, but I wear pants under my dress when I’m going to ride. It makes things … easier.”

  Rebecca could only marvel at the idea of wearing pants. Every woman back east would have been aghast, while secretly wishing they could do it.

  The two women gave each other a quick hug, then Rebecca forced herself to mount the pinto again. Her legs screamed in protest, but she bit her lip and held back from cringing. Dusty watched her closely, but finally accepted the fact that she was going to do this.

  He gave Henry a quick ruffle of hair and tickled the baby, tipped his hat, and pulled himself up into the saddle with ease.

  A man of many talents, she thought to herself. A man who never stopped surprising her.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Dusty nudged Red to the right as he chased another steer out of the brush. Two weeks and they were finally starting to make progress. It was still going to be a close thing. He could have sworn that every steer in the area had found its own hiding place.

  After he had pushed it to join the others he pulled up and studied the situation. There were too few head. Rebecca would never make enough with the way things were going.

  An anger began to build inside of him. Every part of his being was determined that she would hold onto her ranch. It was the only thing she had left. He could see it in her eyes. Her fear of losing this last thing. This was a hard world for a woman alone and poor.

  With all the terrible things that had happened to her. Losing this ranch would not be added to the list.

  “Take ‘em down to the river,” he yelled over to young Tom. The boy was working out to be a good hand. Willing to learn, steady, exactly what was needed.

  He’d found Tom and Sam sitting by the stove in the bunkhouse the other night. Sam was telling him about fighting the Comanche down in Texas and the boy had sat their absorbing every detail.

  Sam had looked up, catching Dusty’s eye then explained in minute detail what the Comanche did to a soldier if they got him alive. The boy’s face had gone green.

  Tom raised his hat in acknowledgment of his orders then pulled his horse off to the left to get behind the gathered herd.

  Dusty sighed as he glanced north toward the Ladder S. Sam had been out that way and hadn’t noticed anything particular. Nothing but the lack of beef. But Sam was more familiar with horses. He might have missed something with the stock.

  Turning, he caught Tom’s attention. “Tell Miss Carson that I’ll be back tomorrow.” The day was already too far gone to finish before sundown.

  Tom nodded then sped off to stop a steer trying to break away from the group. Dusty sighed and turned Red to the north.

  As he rode, he checked possible hiding spots. Making wide sweeps East and West. A few head had moved back into the area, or Sam had missed them. Easy enough to do in this rough country.

  Dusty pushed the steers several miles towards the creek. Far enough so that the water down there was closer than the water back up in the hills they were used to. Once he was sure they’d keep moving, he turned back to the north.

  Cresting a ridge, he spotted pinnacle rock. The landmark that designated the beginning of the Ladder S range. He turned east along the invisible boundary between the two ranches. As he started east, his eyes scanned back and forth over the ground.

  When he saw the tracks, he pulled up short. An anger flashed through him. Two shod ponies had pushed six or seven cows off of C-Bar range onto Ladder S land.

  “Don’t jump to conclusions,” he mumbled to himself. They might be moving Ladder S stock back onto their range. But deep down, he doubted it. He glanced over his shoulder. He had no more than an hour of light.

  He kicked Red to start following the tracks. They were fresh he realized. No more than a few hours old. There could be a lot of reasons for what he was seeing. But one of those reasons was a cowboy cutting out stock and driving them across Ladder S land, making a big loop then bringing them down to Reno or Cold Springs.

  A few head could keep a cowboy in booze and women for a month. They wouldn’t be the first to see an opportunity and take it.

  Cursing under his breath, he checked to make sure his pistol rested easy in its holster. Then shook his head. He’d lost his rifle in a poker game six months earlier. It was turning out to be one of the dumbest things he ever done. Quickly rising up a long list.

  He followed the tracks up a dry valley and over a ridge. As he reached the crest, he caught the scent of woodsmoke. He pulled Red up short and slowly looked over the top of the ridge down into the next valley. His anger flashed. Not fifty yards below, two cowboys had a steer down, its legs tied as one was pushing something into the fire. Obviously getting ready to alter a brand.

  Five other steers were penned with a rope fence. He could see it all laid out. They would change the brand and then sell them in Reno. The stockyards didn’t pay close attention to such things. Those animals would be on their way to Chicago within days.

  Oh, how he hated rustlers. Thieves who took another man’s hard work for their own profit.

  There was two of them, rough customers by the look of them. A trickle of sweat ran down his back. It was al
ways like this before he went into battle, but there was something different this time. There was a beautiful woman back there. Something to be missed.

  Taking a deep breath, he pulled his gun and nudged Red down the slope towards them.

  A cascade of tumbling rocks announced his presence before he’d gotten halfway. Both cowboys looked up. He could see the fear in their eyes. Rustling was a hanging offense in these parts and they’d been caught red-handed.

  “You boys might want to be rethinking your plans,” he said as he lifted his pistol to point it at the closest cowboy.

  Both men froze, then faster than he would have expected the farthest rustler pulled his gun and fired.

  Dusty winced as a burning pain exploded on his upper arm. Squeezing with his knees, he kept Red still as he took careful aim down the barrel. The man was pulling the hammer back to fire again when Dusty’s shot rang out. The slug caught the cowboy dead center in his shirt pocket. The man fell where he stood.

  Dusty shifted to focus on the nearest cowboy as the sound of another shot whipped past the side of his head. That unique zing sound of a passing round drifting off. He fought down the urge to duck and instead shot the man in the chest.

  His answering shots echoed down the valley then the quiet of the desert returned.

  The rustler’s eyes grew big as he looked down at the wound, then looked up at Dusty with an intense fear, only to have the life drain from his eyes as he crumpled to the ground.

  Dusty sighed heavily as he got down from his horse. He’d have let them live if they’d just answered some questions. But it appeared that some men were just too dumb to know what was best for them.

  Did Tad Johnson know about what was happening on his land? Had he sanctioned this, knowing it would make it harder for Rebecca to pay off her loan?

  These and a dozen other questions danced through his mind as he looked down at the two men. Questions he wouldn’t get answered today. He’d learned long ago that dead men never give up their secrets.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Rebecca stepped out of the house to watch the sun come up over the desert. This was becoming her favorite time of day. The cool night air had lost the worst of its chill. The birds flittered and sung before the heat returned.