Claiming the Cowboy's Heart

by Linda Ford

  He chomped down on his molars. It would have to be someone other than himself because he’d had more than his share of trying to take care of people who didn’t bother to take care of themselves.

  “You stay out of trouble, hear?” He swung up into the saddle. “Don’t go shooting any more cowboys.”

  A stubborn look crossed her face and then she smiled. “One has proven to be enough trouble. I won’t go for two.”

  He laughed and touched the brim of his hat.

  She stepped back and gasped. “Seth, look at your leg.”

  He did. His pant leg was blood-soaked.

  Eddie had reached them and saw the same thing. “You can’t leave like that. It would be foolish.”

  Seth stared at his leg then shifted his gaze to Jayne’s eyes, saw her look go from shock to compassion. “Seth, you have to rest it.”

  He nodded. He knew he had no choice. “The money…”

  “Tell Eddie about it.”

  Knowing the reputation of the Gardiners, he knew he could entrust his money to Eddie. “It’s in the heel of my boot. Can you see it goes to Murdo Collins in Corncrib, Montana? I need it to get there as soon as possible.”

  He swung from the saddle and began to pry his boot off.

  Eddie clamped a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go to the house and take care of that. Linette can tend your wound. Looks like you’ll be here a few more days.” He called to a cowboy barely old enough to call himself a man. “Buster, take care of this man’s horse.”

  “Yes, boss.” Buster’s chin had likely never met a razor yet. His hair was shaggy as if it had not seen a pair of scissors in a long time. And his too-short trousers were held in place with a braid of rope.

  “Kid looks like he’s lost,” Seth said as they climbed back up the hill.

  “He showed up a couple of weeks back asking for a job. Seems he’s all alone in the world. But he doesn’t take kindly to help. Linette offered to give him a pair of trousers from her supply closet but he refused. Said when he earned them, he’d buy them.”

  “Guess you can’t fault him for that.”

  “You have to allow a man, however young, to have a certain amount of pride. He’s proving to be a good man. He took care of your saddle and groomed your horse.”

  He was struck by an errant thought. Maybe Jayne also needed to keep her pride intact by being able to use a gun.

  Eddie went through to the kitchen with Seth and Jayne behind him. Seth sank to a chair and removed his boot and pried off the heel. He handed the wad of money to Eddie. “Can I write a note to accompany it?”

  Jayne disappeared down the hall and ducked into the room with the desk and books. She returned with paper and pencil, handing it to him with a sad smile.

  He wrote a note to Pa saying he had been delayed but would be home as soon as possible. To Crawford he wrote, “There is more here than what I owe you. Please keep it in return for staying with Pa until I get home.” He folded both pieces of paper and handed them to Eddie.

  “I’ll see this gets to Edendale right away. We should be able to catch the stage. Petey, the driver, can be trusted to make sure it gets to your pa.” He left the house to tend to the task.

  Seth tried to relax. The money would make its way to Corncrib as fast as he could take it himself. But what about Pa? Would Crawford stay? Or would his pa be alone, unable to care for himself?

  Linette retrieved her little leather pouch of herbs. “I think it’s best if you return upstairs.” She went down the hall.

  Seth rose, preparing to follow.

  Jayne reached out and squeezed his arm. “I’m sorry.”

  He made up his mind. “The money is on its way. That should keep Crawford there for a few more days.” No point in worrying about things he couldn’t change, especially when this gave him a chance to change one important thing. “My leg will heal fine if I rest it. While I am here you will get shooting lessons from me. That way I can leave with a clear conscience knowing you won’t kill someone accidentally and end up in jail.” He went down the hall and up the stairs to have Linette pack the wound with the herbs.

  “They’ll do their work if you give them a chance,” Linette said. “I suggest you don’t move around much for a day or two.”

  “I’d sure like to sit in the sun.”

  She nodded. “That should be okay so long as you don’t put any weight on that leg. I’ll put a chair by the door.” He hopped down the stairs after her and sat beside the big doors. Being idle weighed heavily but at least he could watch people coming and going.

  Jayne and her friends passed the barn toward the bridge. They had said they were going exploring.

  He hoped the exploring didn’t involve a pistol. Surely she would wait for the lessons he’d promised… Unless she was too bullheaded to listen to reason.

  * * *

  Jayne pressed her lips together as she joined Mercy and Sybil. Seth was just like Eddie, barking out commands and expecting her to jump. Yes, she wanted to learn to shoot. But she would have liked it better if he’d offered rather than ordered. Like she’d kill anyone! Her eyes narrowed. Was he any different than her father, or Eddie or Oliver? Did he see her as simply a foolish young woman who needed him to protect her?

  She snorted. “I don’t need him protecting me.” She spoke the words aloud without regard to her friends.

  They stopped and waited for her to fall in between them.

  “Who?” Mercy demanded.

  “Why, Seth, of course,” Sybil said. “Jayne, accept it. There is something about you that brings out the chivalry in men.”

  “I don’t want chivalry.”

  Sybil made a protesting noise. “Who doesn’t want a man who is courteous and considerate, honorable and loyal?”

  “Put that way, I have to agree but he thinks he can order me around. He acts like he has to take care of me or I’ll cause a disaster.” She shuddered, remembering how her lack of action had caused a terrible death. “I don’t need a man taking care of me, thank you very much.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He said he would give me shooting lessons.”

  Mercy and Sybil ground to a halt. “Isn’t that what you want?”

  “Yes. But I’d like to be asked not told.” She wondered if her words sounded as petty to her friends as they did to her.

  “Either way, seems to me you’re getting a gift,” Mercy said. “The lessons you want from a man whose eyes darken when he looks at you.” She sighed dreamily.

  “They do not,” Jayne protested. At least Mercy hadn’t said Jayne’s eyes got all starry when she looked at him. As if they would. Seth was proving to be rather annoying and overbearing. “I don’t need that kind of man in my life.”

  “Oh?” Sybil’s voice was sweet. “What kind of man do you need?”

  “Right now? None. My heart is locked up tightly. I won’t open it again. It’s like asking to be hurt.”

  “You’ll change your mind about that one day,” Mercy said.

  “Nope. Not me. Now let’s go follow the river and see where it goes.”

  Sybil laughed. “It goes to the ocean. Are you planning to go that far?”

  She laughed at Sybil’s nonsense. “So maybe I’ll see where it comes from.”

  Sybil pointed toward the mountains. “From the snow up there.”

  “But it’s August. Surely the snow is all melted. So where does the water come from that keeps flowing past the ranch?”

  Mercy flung her arms wide. “Who cares? It’s a lovely day. Let’s enjoy it.”

  Jayne sighed her agreement. The sun glistened off the rugged mountains and dappled the deciduous trees. A gentle zephyr tickled her skin and danced along the grass. Birds rejoiced from every direction. She breathed deep. “It smells so good. Like the air is full of a thousand wild flowers.”

  They followed the river past the pens and along a grassy slope. A few steps farther and they entered a grove of trees.

  “We should have brought
a gun,” Mercy said. “You could practice your shooting.”

  “You don’t think there are enough injured cowboys already?” Sybil asked.

  “We could go for one each.”

  Jayne knew Mercy was teasing but Sybil gave them both a this-isn’t-amusing look.

  Mercy pushed past some prickly bushes and led them into an opening. “Look at the little waterfall.”

  It hardly qualified as such. It was only the river flowing over some big rocks and making a cheery noise.

  Sybil perched on a fallen tree. “It’s so peaceful.”

  Mercy and Jayne exchanged looks and silently agreed to let Sybil enjoy a quiet moment. They sat on the grass behind her and waited for Sybil to be ready to move on. Finally, with a sigh that came from deep inside, she pushed to her feet. “It’s very restful to watch the water gurgle past.”

  They continued onward and spent a pleasant couple of hours wandering along the river.

  Jayne glanced at the sky. “We should get back.”

  As they retraced their steps, the sun shone hotter. They stopped and splashed cool water on their faces before they reached the ranch.

  When they stepped into the open and headed for the bridge, Jayne looked toward the house. Seth still sat in the chair beside the door. He must be bored. The joy of the morning faded slightly. She should have offered to keep him company. Perhaps read to him again. How selfish of her.

  As quickly as the thought came, she dismissed it. He surely wouldn’t want her company. After all, she was but a silly woman who needed him to guide her. Or so he thought.

  She sighed. She certainly was acting foolish. She didn’t care about his opinion one way or the other and was grateful he’d offered to give her shooting lessons. Never mind how the offer came.

  Mercy saw him, too. “Let’s ask Seth about where the river comes from.”

  As they drew closer, Jayne saw Smokey curled into a ball on Seth’s lap. The cat opened one eye as the ladies approached then closed it again and ignored them.

  At least Seth had the cat to keep him company.

  “To what do I owe this honor?” He glanced about the circle of friends but directed his question to Jayne.

  She answered before Mercy could. “We want to know where the water from the river comes from if the snow is all melted.”

  He blinked then widened his eyes. “That’s a strange question.”

  “Do you have an answer?”

  His eyes dipped into a smile. “I could say the water comes from lakes.”

  Mercy snapped her fingers. “Lakes! I should have thought of that.”

  “That isn’t the whole answer, is it?” Jayne asked, caught by the darkness in his hazel eyes.

  “There are glaciers up there and melted water comes off them throughout the summer. I’ve seen them. Even walked on some of them.” He closed his eyes as if thinking of a time when he had done so. “Imagine cold ice on a hot summer day. And it’s really cold.”

  Jayne sighed. “I wish I could see it.”

  “Before I leave I will take you to the mountains. Maybe not to a glacier but to one of the beautiful lakes. There isn’t anything quite like the views.” He again closed his eyes and sighed.

  “I’d like that,” Sybil said.

  “Me, too,” Mercy added.

  Seth opened his eyes and looked directly at Jayne. He lifted one eyebrow. “How do you feel about it?”

  She widened her eyes. Did he really care what she thought?

  His gaze held hers. His eyes darkened, tinted now like the forest trees. She could almost hear the birds singing.

  She blinked, as if to sever the spell they’d cast on her. “I enjoy seeing the country. It’s beautiful.” Her words came out in a breezy rush. She grabbed the girls and pulled them toward the door. “Let’s help Linette.”

  “Bye,” Seth called.

  Jayne added her goodbye to that of the others.

  “I thought he was anxious to leave the ranch,” Mercy murmured as they headed down the hall. “Don’t see any evidence of it. You sure you haven’t batted your eyes at him a little too much and made him forget everything but your charming company?”

  Jayne blew her breath out in a protest. “I’ve done no such thing.” She hoped Seth hadn’t overheard Mercy’s comment. A hot blush raced up her neck and she prayed the others wouldn’t notice and ask about its cause. She’d never admit that a moment ago she’d gone on a flight of imagination all because the color of his eyes reminded her of the forest.

  If either of them noticed and commented on it, Jayne would pretend it hadn’t happened. He was only a cowboy she’d accidently shot and who high-handedly informed her he meant to teach her to shoot so no other cowboys would be harmed.

  He might prevent another injured cowboy but she wasn’t so certain that the shooter would be unharmed. Something about the man threatened her firm resolve. No, she informed her brain. There would be no veering from her goals. No opening her heart. No inviting pain and trouble.

  Chapter Five

  When Linette called out for him to come for dinner, Seth hobbled down the hall, careful not to use his leg. The herbs she’d put on the wound could only do so much. He had to be responsible enough to rest the leg until it stopped bleeding.

  Eddie came in the back door as Seth entered the kitchen from the other side. “Say, I think you need a crutch.”

  “Sounds like a good idea.”

  Grady burst through the door behind Eddie. “Billy and me are going to catch bugs after we eat. Daisy said girls don’t like bugs.” He faced Linette. “Is that right? Do you hate bugs?”

  She smiled. “It depends on the kind of bug. Some I like just fine.” She lifted generous portions of fried ham from a skillet.

  Grady shifted his attention to Mercy who dished a mound of potatoes into a bowl. “You like bugs?”

  “Can’t say as I do.”

  Grady moved on to Sybil as she dumped cooked carrots into a bowl. “You like ‘em?”

  She shuddered. “No. They give me the creeps.”

  He continued on to Jayne who sliced a large loaf of richly browned bread.

  Seth swallowed back a rush of saliva. Been a long time since he’d enjoyed a meal such as this. Oh sure, he got fed fine on the cattle drive but hunkering around a campfire with a bunch of cussing, spitting cowboys was hardly the same as sitting at a table in the company of a family and some pretty ladies while eating home-cooked food.

  “You like bugs, Auntie Jayne?”

  Jayne pretended to give the question a lot of thought. Then she answered. “I don’t mind bugs…” She crossed to Eddie, who scrubbed up at the washstand. “Unless a brother is threatening to stick one down my back.” She leaned over him. “Like you used to do.”

  Eddie slowly straightened, saw the knife in her hand and backed away, his arms up as if to protect himself. “Me? I don’t recall doing such a thing.”

  She stalked him. “Funny how clearly I recall it. You were such a tease.” The two of them glowered at each other then broke into laughter. She lowered the knife and he draped an arm over her shoulder.

  “I was only trying to teach you not to be a sissy.”

  “Hmm. And yet you continue to treat me like one.”

  He leaned away to look into her face. “How do I do that?”

  “By overprotecting me. By refusing to teach me to shoot.” She tossed her head, sending waves of light through her rich brown hair. “But never mind. Seth has decided to give me lessons.”

  Eddie stared at Seth. “You did?”

  Seth shrugged. Would Eddie feel Seth had encouraged Jayne to defy him? “If you have no objections. I figure it will be safer for everyone if she shoots under proper supervision.”

  Mercy huffed. “It wasn’t my fault she shut her eyes.”

  Eddie rolled his head back and forth. “Are you sure about this? It might be a bigger task than you know.”

  “Yeah,” Mercy said, her tone aggrieved. “How are you going to keep her f
rom closing her eyes?”

  “I’m sure she’ll do just fine,” Linette soothed.

  “I don’t know why she wants to learn.” Sybil sounded truly puzzled.

  Jayne waved her hands. “I’m here, you know. Stop talking about me.”

  But they all continued to talk, each defending their previous statements and adding to them.

  Jayne jammed her fists on her hips and glowered at the lot but they paid her no heed.

  Seth watched her frustration mount and he started to grin.

  She met his gaze and squinted at him. “What’s so funny?”

  He tipped his head toward the others. Then he put his fingers between his teeth and gave a whistle that brought every pair of eyes toward him. “Jayne seems to be annoyed that we’re all talking about her. She’s feeling invisible.”

  Eddie patted her shoulder as if to soothe her which, as far as Seth could tell, had quite the opposite effect.

  He wondered how long it would be before she blew her top.

  Linette no doubt wondered the same thing, as she moved to defuse the situation. “Our food is getting cold. Why don’t we sit down and eat?”

  Eddie waited until everyone was settled then bowed his head and said the blessing. After the food had been passed, he asked, “Where did you girls go this morning?”

  All three spoke at once then by silent consent they let Jayne answer. “We followed the river for a ways. Wondered where the water came from. Lakes, of course, but Seth says there are also glaciers up there.”

  Eddie nodded. “Indeed, there are. Way up in the mountains.”

  Seth took note of the fact that Jayne had said nothing about his promise to take them to one of the mountain lakes. Did it mean nothing to her? For some reason her failure to mention it annoyed him. He’d offered her an outing. At great personal sacrifice. It would mean delaying his return yet another day. Of course, her friends were included. But it was Jayne he’d invited.

  Come to think of it, she hadn’t seemed any more overjoyed at his offer to teach her to shoot.