A Cowboy Christmas

by Janette Kenny

  She smiled. “I will.”

  “I still don’t like the idea of you being here when trouble is sure to come,” her pa said. “God knows what Slim will take into his head to do.”

  If he only knew. “I’m not leaving until after Christmas.”

  Her pa rubbed his knuckles along his jaw. “Anything you’re wanting from town?”

  “Nothing.”

  “You remember that Christmas you begged for that fancy doll you’d seen in the general store?” he asked.

  She did, and she was surprised he recalled it. “You gave me a horse instead.”

  He chuckled, though it had a nervous edge to it. “I could steal a horse better than I could a doll.”

  “That’s what I always thought,” she said, and smiled without rancor.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t a better pa,” he said. “But I aim to make up for it in time. If Barclay will have me, I wouldn’t mind staying on right here and live out my days as Gabby Moss.”

  And risk discovering that Reid was Slim?

  Her head started pounding anew. “I’ve got a better idea. Come to California with me. I’m sure you can find a similar job on one of the ranches there.”

  He stroked his beard, looking everywhere but at her. “Reckon I can think on it.”

  “Please do,” she said.

  For she feared if she didn’t separate the two men she loved, they’d surely end up killing each other.

  Reid rocked back in his chair, propped both feet on the polished corner of his desk, and stared out the window. The Chinook winds had commenced at dawn, bringing much welcome warmth to the high plains.

  In places, he could see the ground, proof the snow-eating winds were prevailing. It’d make it easier for them all to get around.

  And it’d make it easier for Kincaid to rustle horses.

  Nervous energy hummed through his veins. He hoped his brothers would arrive to claim their shares and bury the animosity they must surely feel for him. He hoped to hell Fitzmeyer got here soon and bought his herd, for that was the only way he’d be able to buy out Burl Erston. If he failed—

  Hubert drifted into the room, as quiet as a shadow. “I told Miss Cade you wished to see her immediately.”

  “Thank you, Hubert.”

  “Do save your gratitude, sir. Miss Cade said she cannot spare the time to chat with you.”

  Reid frowned, the coffee cup he held frozen in midair. “It wasn’t an invitation.”

  “I daresay it wouldn’t have made any difference.”

  She was snubbing him? After the night they’d spent together? Well, damn!

  “What chore has engaged Miss Cade’s time?” he asked.

  “She said she needed the bracing air to clear her head and is taking a walk.”

  He shoved to his feet. “Alone?”

  “Yes, sir,” Hubert said. “I advised her to stay close to the ranch proper.”

  Reid looked out the window, but didn’t see her. It wasn’t safe for her to wander around with Kincaid and now Erston likely watching the place. Either might take it in their head to cause her harm in order to make him suffer.

  “May I remind you that she’s not the type to be trifled with,” Hubert said.

  He glanced back at the old man and smiled at the censoring glint in Hubert’s eyes. So she’d gotten to him as well.

  “Rest your fears. The lady is in good hands with me.”

  Hubert cocked a brow, as if questioning that. “Sounds carry in this house, sir.”

  Ah, that explained it. “Discretion seems to be the order of the day.”

  “Indeed, even if it does come a day late.”

  “Right.” Reid eased out the door, but he hadn’t taken two steps when Hubert’s next words stopped him.

  “Honor is a good companion as well.”

  He smiled—the old butler was a staunch champion of Miss Cade. “You made your point, Hubert.”

  “Excellent, sir.”

  Reid grabbed his rifle and headed down the hall to the backdoor. The dainty wedding band set with diamonds was tucked in his pocket, but the decision to ask her to marry him rested heavy on his heart.

  His whole future depended on Fitzmeyer buying the herd. If he lost the ranch, he’d have nothing to offer her. But after last night, he didn’t want to let her go either.

  He stormed outside, his nerves arcing like sheet lightning. The temperature had warmed a good thirty degrees, and with a bright sun bearing down on them, the snow was disappearing fast.

  Where the hell could she have gone?

  He scanned the ranch, paying particular attention near the outbuildings. He finally spied her near the paddock, talking to Shane. She was fine.

  There was no need for him to go after her. No need other than the one tying his gut in knots that something wasn’t quite right.

  He took off that way, his sense attuned to danger. Shane pointed to him and she turned. He couldn’t see her face at this distance, but he could tell that her body stiffened.

  Yep, something was wrong.

  He knew he’d satisfied her—no woman could’ve faked the pleasure she’d exhibited. Maybe in the light of day she had second thoughts about coming to him last night.

  She stared at him a good long time before starting his way. They met on the track between the barn and the stable, and this close he could see even more clearly that something was bothering her. Hell, she couldn’t even look him in the eyes.

  Unease danced along his nerves, for though he knew Ellie Jo’s body like his own, he didn’t know a thing about the woman herself. But he intended to find out damned fast.

  “What’s wrong, Ellie?”

  “Nothing. I just wanted to see how the foal was doing.”

  “And take in the bracing air to clear your head?” he asked, repeating the excuse she’d given Hubert.

  Her cheeks flushed a telling red. “I am not in the habit of entertaining a man.”

  “I know that.”

  He nudged her chin up with his hand and stared into her eyes. No doubt about it. Something was troubling her.

  “Regrets?” he asked.

  She shook her head.

  “Good.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her behind a shed where they’d have privacy from the ranch hands.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Fixing to say a proper good morning.”

  He pulled her close and captured her lips with his. He felt her hesitation, but it lasted less than a heartbeat, and then she laid a hand on his chest and kissed him with abandon.

  His blood chugged through his veins like a train under full steam, hot and running wild. He welcomed the rush of desire that engulfed him, still a bit stunned she could bring on such a potent arousal. But he needed her in his life for more than carnal satisfaction.

  He’d never thought it possible to care this fiercely for a woman who wasn’t his kin. Though he hesitated putting a name to what he felt, he readily admitted one thing: he wanted to spend the rest of his life in Ellie Jo’s arms.

  He angled closer and let his hand drift from her nipped-in waist to her bosom, drinking in those heady moans she made. He took satisfaction in sparking those telltale shivers in her too.

  Even with all the damned layers of clothes women wore, he felt her breast plump in his hand. Even before his thumb grazed her nipple he knew it’d peeked into a hard bud.

  He tugged on her lower lip, then slid his mouth over her chin and down her throat. She tipped her head back in surrender and he pressed his lips to the pulse in her neck, feeling her blood pound as fast and thick as his own.

  Yep, there was no doubt in his mind that she wanted him as much as he did her.

  He pulled back and stared at her eyes that were dark with passion, at her full, rosy lips that curled just so, as if begging him to return to them. If only he could offer her more right now.

  “Stay with me, Ellie Jo.”

  He might as well have thrown ice water on her. She stiffened, her eyes wi
de and filled with a pain that speared him clean through.

  She shook her head, pushing away from him. “No.”

  A gentleman took a lady at her word without question. But her refusal was a slap in the face that he hadn’t expected. He damned sure wasn’t ready to accept it, never mind that he couldn’t come right out and ask for her hand right now.

  “Why?” he asked, not caring that his voice cracked.

  She shook her head again, seeming nigh frantic now. Hell, he knew nothing about her. She could be married for all he knew. Could be running away from an abusive sonofabitch.

  Reid caught her chin and forced her to look at him. “You can’t deny how you feel about me, Ellie. I’ve felt it too. Because of that, I deserve more than a one-word refusal.”

  Two fat tears slipped from her eyes and spilled over her cheek. His gut twisted, knowing he was the cause of her pain. But dammit all, he was hurting too.

  “I-I won’t because—” She sniffed and pinched her eyes shut. “Because you—” She broke off on a choked sob, drew in a shaky breath and looked him dead in the eyes. “If you must know, I’ve accepted a position at the Falsmonte Ladies Academy in California.”

  “Doing what?”

  Her chin hiked up and her eyes narrowed. “Teaching young ladies comportment, and how to avoid situations like I’ve faced.”

  If she’d said she was going to be their cook, he wouldn’t have believed her. But looking at her now, standing before him all prim and uptight, he knew she was telling the truth.

  She wasn’t a stranger to the bedroom, though she certainly seemed surprised by the depth of sensations he kindled in her last night. No, she wasn’t talking about him and her.

  Ellie must be referring to another man in her life. Jealousy coiled like a viper in him. The man must have hurt her real bad. Hell, she’d probably given her heart to him, and couldn’t see taking that kind of risk again.

  “You pining for him?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “I’ve put that behind me.”

  “Bullshit.” He grabbed her shoulders and dragged her against him, arrogantly pleased when she molded to him that instant before propriety kicked in and she went stiff in his arms again. “You’re afraid that whatever went wrong with him and you will happen again with me.”

  She didn’t deny it. She just stared at him, looking absolutely miserable again.

  “What the hell did he do to you?” he asked, giving her a little shake this time in hopes it’d rile her to be honest with him.

  She shoved his hands away and stepped from his grasp. “You want to know? Fine, I’ll tell you. I was good enough to be the banker’s mistress, but not his wife.”

  He looked away, because he hadn’t offered her more either. “You know I’m caught in the cross-hairs here, waiting to hear from the horse breeder and hoping a message comes before Erston gains total control.”

  “Owning land is a good thing,” she said. “But it should never define the man.”

  “Maybe not, but if I fail, I won’t have a roof over my head.”

  She sent him a sad smile. “If you’re half the man I think you are, you’d pick yourself up and start over fresh. You’d succeed because down deep you will never be happy until you have your own home.”

  That dredged a bark of laughter from him, because she was right. He feared ending up on the streets again. It grieved him to think he’d lose Hubert and the cowboys who’d worked their asses off for Kirby, and now for him.

  “Tell me the truth this time,” he said, and had the satisfaction of seeing her face redden again. “Why’d you agree to do Mrs. Leach’s job when you didn’t know a damn thing about cooking?”

  “I had nowhere else to go,” she said. “She was friends with the owner of the boardinghouse I was forced to leave, and offered the job. I didn’t realize it would be so hard to do something that should come naturally for a woman.”

  He didn’t doubt there was truth in this story, but he had a hunch she was still holding something back. She didn’t trust him enough to be honest with him.

  It hurt like hell, knowing that Ellie was prepared to walk out of his life. He didn’t know how to change her mind about staying. He wasn’t sure if he should even try.

  “All right. You’ve made your wishes clear,” he said. “But promise me one thing. In a year or two or ten, don’t look back and say no man wanted you. Because that would be cheating us both.”

  She pinched her eyes shut and hung her head. For one moment he thought he’d gotten through to her. He hoped she’d see that leaving wasn’t the answer.

  “I’ve got to get dinner on,” she said, and started off to the house at a good clip.

  He let her go, confused by what had happened today. She still wanted him. The way she responded to his kiss convinced him of that much.

  But something was standing between them, beyond what she’d claimed. He damn sure aimed to find out what that was.

  Chapter 20

  Reid leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes and mind tired from ciphering. It was the day before Christmas and nothing had changed. No matter how much he went over the figures, it still came down to him needing thousands of dollars to buy out Erston.

  His thoroughbreds were prime, but he wasn’t sure he could demand that kind of money for them. Folks were still struggling after last year’s depression, himself included.

  Of course, he’d expected to return to Maverick to find that Kirby and his brothers were holding on to the Crown Seven. Instead, he came home to find his benefactor had died, his brothers had vamoosed with the cattle, and the foreman was struggling to run the whole ranch, including the breeding program Reid had started with the thoroughbreds before his nightmare began.

  One hard rap preceded his door swinging open. Booth Howard strode in, his hat pulled low and his sheepskin coat gaped open.

  “Help yourself to bourbon and pull up a chair.”

  His foreman declined both, his nose wrinkling and his brow furrowed. “What in tarnation is that smell?”

  He sighed. “Miss Cade forgot she put the giblets on to boil.”

  He didn’t see the sense in mentioning that had happened because she was putting out a grease fire that just happened to be his beefsteak dinner.

  “We’re fixing to play a few rounds of poker in the bunkhouse,” Howard said. “You’re welcome to join us.”

  There was a time Reid would’ve jumped at the chance. Now, he didn’t have the money to lose, or the inclination to enjoy the game.

  His thoughts had jumped between this ranch and Miss Cade all day. Here it was going on evening, and he didn’t have a solution in hand for either.

  Howard leaned against the liquor cabinet, a wry smile tugging at his mouth. “Kincaid was seen north of the ranch today.”

  “When?”

  “Don’t know for sure. Reckon close to midday,” he said. “I put an extra man on to help Shane at the stable.”

  “Good.” He sure as hell couldn’t afford to lose another thoroughbred. “When did you hear about it?”

  “Right after he was spotted.” Howard held up a hand when Reid made to protest. “The reason I didn’t tell you was because I ain’t so sure he was anywhere near the Crown Seven.”

  He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of bourbon. “Why are you doubting it?”

  Howard snorted. “Because Frank Arlen was the one who spotted him. I passed him on the way back from checking the back section.”

  Arlen had certainly spent undue time in the vicinity of the ranch of late. Peculiar for a man who was out of a job in the dead of winter.

  “What the hell was Arlen doing on the Crown Seven?”

  “Claimed he was on his way here to tell you he’d seen Kincaid,” Howard said. “I don’t trust him at his word.”

  Reid tapped his fingertips together, finding it peculiar that Arlen just happened to be passing by each time Ezra Kincaid made a teasing jaunt across Crown Seven land. “Anybody e
lse spotted Kincaid in all this time?”

  “Nope, just Arlen.”

  Mighty interesting. More so since the man had even been in Laramie the day Lisa True died at Kincaid’s hands.

  “What do you know of Frank Arlen?” he asked.

  “He’s a drifter. Far as I can tell he ain’t held down any job longer than a season.” Howard’s expression hardened. “He’s got a mean streak with horses and women.”

  Another strike against the lazy cowpoke. “Anything else?”

  “He ain’t above hiring his gun out,” Howard said. “But he’s the type that’ll lie in wait and pick a man off, partly because he don’t put much effort into anything, and partly because he’s a piss-poor shot.”

  Reid twirled his empty glass on the table, thinking. “Would he rustle?”

  Howard shrugged. “Probably, if he had a ready buyer. You thinking he might have made off with Caelte?”

  “Could be. Nobody has claimed to see that stallion but Arlen.” Nigh on twenty thousand dollars in prime horseflesh, gone in a blink. “Whoever’s behind all this had to be close. I want you to search all the line shacks near here. If we’re lucky, you’ll happen on the old outlaw.”

  Howard nodded. “Soon as we catch that rustler, we’ll drag his sorry behind into Maverick. There’s a reward on him.”

  “Bring Kincaid here,” Reid said. “I want to talk to him before we hand him over to the law.”

  “I’ll get on it tomorrow.” Howard straightened. “If you change your mind about the game, come on down.”

  Reid pushed to his feet after Howard left and prowled his office. He hadn’t felt this restless in ages.

  At the window, he paused and looked out over the only home he’d ever known. Ellie was right. It scared the shit out of him to think he’d lose it.

  It was home, yes. But Kirby had trusted him to hold it together in the lean times.

  He’d done it. Hell, he’d been ready to head west to round up mustangs when Kirby took him aside and told him he was dying.

  Reid swallowed hard, remembering that moment like it was yesterday. He’d rode up in the mountains past the tree line where nobody was around.

  He’d cussed and ranted and raved, and then he sat on a rock and cried, the first time he remembered shedding a tear in his miserable life.