The Rancher Takes a Cook

by Misty M. Beller

  Could it be Edward trying to help out? There was no way it could have been one of the other cowboys. She’d learned early on these men would do almost anything necessary for the longhorns, suffering all manner of hardships and long nights in the line of duty. But it seemed they had a strong aversion to what they called “footwork”—milking the cow, slopping the pigs, feeding the chickens, and anything else they couldn’t do from the back of a horse. Mr. O’Brien even hired a boy from a neighboring farm to cut their firewood every fall.

  The second morning that Anna came into the kitchen to find her early morning chores completed, she couldn’t believe it. After breakfast, she pulled Edward aside to ascertain if he was her secret helper. The boy looked at her in confusion. “Are you kiddin’? I’m tuckered out come time to hit the bunkhouse every night. It’s all I can do to make it outta bed in time for breakfast. I’m not tryin’ to get up any earlier.”

  So the mystery continued. By the fourth day, Anna was determined to find out who was doing her chores. Instead of going through her normal washing and dressing routine that morning, she slid on her grey dress, tied her hair back with a ribbon, and wrapped a shawl around her shoulders. She hurried downstairs to the quiet kitchen, lit a lamp, and headed outside in the chilly morning air. As she stepped into the barn, a soft tenor melody drifted from the milk cow’s stall.

  From this valley they say you are leaving,

  I shall miss your bright eyes and sweet smile.

  For they say you are taking the sunshine

  That has brightened my pathway awhile.

  Come and sit by my side if you love me

  Do not hasten to bid me adieu,

  But remember the Red River Valley

  And the cowboy that loves you so true.

  The song had a haunting sound, and Anna stood outside Stella’s stall until the last note drifted off in the morning fog. The only noise that remained was the “ping, splash” of the milk in the bucket. She finally dared to peek through the open doorway. Jacob’s broad shoulders hunched next to the brown and white cow. Warmth flooded her insides. Jacob had been the secret helper doing her morning chores—the chores no respectable cowboy would be caught doing. She couldn’t stop the smile on her face as she stepped forward and murmured, “G’morning.”

  Jacob’s shoulders straightened. “Morning.” The flow of milk never slowed. His voice was husky and Anna’s stomach did a little flip at the deep tambour.

  She stepped forward and gingerly laid a hand on Jacob’s shoulder, the muscles under his shirt tightening at her touch. “Thank you for doing my morning chores. You didn’t have to.”

  Jacob’s hands stopped milking and he slowly unfolded himself to a standing position. Without looking at Anna, he carried the milk bucket to the corner of the stall, then brushed his hands on his pants and turned around to face her. “It’s no problem. You have plenty of work on your hands without doing the outside chores, too.” He didn’t quite meet her gaze.

  She grinned. “You’re one to talk about working too hard. You’re up as early as I am and work most nights until after dark.” Stepping toward him, she craned her neck forward and up to meet his gaze. “But I appreciate your help.”

  The way Jacob looked at her in that moment made it hard for Anna to breathe. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he reached out to finger one of the loose curls that lay on her shoulder, his eyes never leaving hers. “It’s no trouble.” His voice held an intimate tenor. “Now let’s get you inside where it’s warm.”

  * * *

  After that morning, Jacob continued doing the outside chores, and Anna always met him at the door with a cup of warm coffee. Early morning became Jacob’s favorite part of the day. Anna’s warm greeting was better than the coffee he drank, sitting at the kitchen table while she cooked breakfast. They never spoke many words during this time, but the silence was comfortable, like a favorite shirt. She seemed to understand him without needing to muddy the air with small talk.

  As he sat sipping coffee one Monday morning, Jacob couldn’t keep his mind off the conversation he’d had after church with Jared Thomas from the Lazy T Ranch. It seemed several of the area ranchers were missing cattle from their herds. Jared’s best estimate was about five hundred head missing from the area, but it was hard to tell, because most ranchers allowed their cattle to free range. Five hundred cattle was a lot. Cattle rustlers were pretty common in Texas, especially since so many soldiers, both Yanks and Rebels, were coming back from the war. Most of the time, the rustlers were just hungry men trying to catch a free meal or ten. It had been several years since they’d seen a band of cattle thieves that worked on a larger scale. He squinted, thinking back to the last time he’d seen the full Double Rocking B herd. Had they looked smaller recently? They hadn’t done a head count since the fall round-up, but it sounded like it was high time to do just that.

  “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” Anna’s soft southern accent came from the worktable where she had stopped slicing tomatoes and stood watching him, expectation in her eyes.

  A small sigh escaped Jacob. He didn’t want to burden Anna with his worries, yet she was so easy to talk to. “Found out at church yesterday some of the ranchers are missing cattle. Jared Thomas says they suspect rustlers, but it’s too early to tell.”

  Anna went back to cutting tomatoes, a line forming on her forehead. “Do you think they’ve taken some of our cattle?”

  Interesting she called the animals our cattle. She considered herself to be a part of the ranch, too.

  “Not sure yet, but the boys and I will start counting them today. It’s kinda hard to know for sure, though. We only had about a thousand head of heifers left after we made the drive to Kansas, but the boys have been branding the wild cattle that come on our land, so we should be close to thirteen hundred by now.”

  “Wild cattle?”

  “Yep. There’s always been a handful of loose beef running in Texas. But with all the ranchers leaving for the War these last few years, cattle got loose and owners died. The wild stock are as common as jackrabbits. Nowadays, folks consider them a natural resource if they come on your land.”

  Anna nodded, her brows pinched as she met his gaze. “Is there any way to find out who’s doing the rustling?”

  Jacob shook his head in frustration. “Jared said they’ve reported the missing cattle to Sheriff Brown, but there’s not much he can do until someone catches sight of the men. Don’t know how many there are, but it sounds like a gang of ’em if several ranches are being hit. They’re likely gathering up a herd to drive north and sell.”

  Rising, he carried his empty mug to the bucket of water Anna kept in the sink for washing dishes. She continued her work at the counter, assembling sandwiches for the men’s lunch packs, but she never took her eyes off him as he walked. He could feel her gaze piercing the back of his neck. He turned around to face her and leaned back against the sink. She wore a dark green dress this morning that drew out the same color in her eyes. It was amazing how they could change like that, wavering between brown and green.

  His gaze met hers for a long moment and, for a second, he had an overwhelming urge to wrap her in his arms and kiss her soundly. The desire spooked him a bit, and Jacob gripped the edge of the sink to steady himself. It was time to leave before he did something he would regret. Finally, he offered his usual parting words, “Thanks for the coffee,” and strode past Anna, not waiting for her response.

  * * *

  Edward whistled the tune to Sweet Betsey from Pike as his horse jogged through the brown grass. He’d been assigned as line rider today, so he and his horse patrolled the outer edge of the north pasture to make sure Double Rocking B cattle weren’t drifting off the ranch’s property line. It had taken a while before Monty let him ride line, since the job took him out of sight of the rest of the cowpunchers, and he’d need to be able to think on his feet if danger hit. The men all told him stories of the wild animals that roamed the area, from cougars to wolves to rattles
nakes. So far, Edward had only spotted tracks, but he would be on the lookout.

  “If you run into trouble, Son, just fire a shot and we’ll come a’runnin.” These had been Monty’s parting words before sending him off for the day’s work. He hadn’t found any trouble yet but hadn’t seen any cattle either. Edward was finally getting used to the solitude on the range, although he got tired of talkin’ to his horse sometimes.

  Up ahead, a cow bellowed from a patch of trees. The underbrush was thick around the trees, so she was hidden, but the insistent bawling sounded like she was upset. The cow’s long horns were probably stuck and needed a bit of help to get loose. Edward was learning to respect these crazy longhorns. He’d have to come up on her quietly so she didn’t get riled. No matter what, he had to stay mounted on his horse. Jacob had drilled that rule into him until he heard it in his sleep. “A cowboy on foot is helpless. You’ll lose every time around these longhorns, and you’ll probably die in the process. Never, ever get off your horse for any reason.”

  As Edward entered the trees, a cow appeared through the branches. Sure enough, her horns were caught in the brush. From the trampled bushes and muddy ground around her, she’d been there a while, too. He opened the sheaf that held his hunting knife and prepared to cut the vines restraining the cow. As he rode closer, the cow became almost frantic and started thrashing about. He backed his horse toward the edge of the trees, hoping to give her room to calm down.

  Her flaying must have loosened the vines, though, for she finally twisted herself free. But instead of turning to run away from him, the half-crazed animal charged straight ahead, bellowing like an angry bull. Edward’s horse spun underneath him as it prepared to outrun the frantic cow, but Edward wasn’t prepared for the sudden change of direction. As his horse bolted forward, there was nothing but air beneath him until his back hit the ground with a thud. He rolled over onto his knees, gasping as he tried to suck in the air that had been knocked out of him.

  Just when his lungs began to work again, he became conscious of a raging cow charging about fifteen feet away. One glance told him she was preparing to take out on him all her frustration at being caught in the brush for hours or days. The sharp tips of her dangerous horns would probably be the death of him today.

  Edward lunged to his feet and sprinted toward the tree line, but the cow had the advantage of momentum. When she was about five feet away, Edward closed his eyes, but never stopped running. And then a whoosh clapped through the air. A ghostly scream from the cow. The ground shook beneath him. Edward didn’t stop to look back until he made it to the other side of a stout tree. The sight that greeted him when he turned made his jaw drop.

  Jacob sat atop his horse with a tight rope stretched between his saddle horn and the wild cow, now lying prone on the ground with a rope around her belly and front legs. The cow looked to be in shock and was breathing heavily.

  “Get on your horse!” Jacob yelled, never taking his eyes from the longhorn. Edward scrambled away from the tree and jogged toward his horse grazing about fifty yards away.

  Once he was securely mounted, Edward called, “Okay, I’m on.”

  “Draw your rifle and aim at this cow, but stay where you are. I’m gonna ride forward to loosen the rope, but if she charges again, you shoot.”

  His hands shook as he drew his Winchester and rested the stock in the crook of his shoulder. The men shot often when they hunted, but he’d never needed the rifle for protection before. He’d do whatever was necessary to defend Jacob, though.

  “Okay, I’m ready,” he called.

  Keeping his eyes on the cow, Jacob eased his horse forward, loosening the rope. The animal continued to lay on the ground, breathing hard but no longer bellowing. When Jacob’s horse was within five feet of the cow, he pulled out his hunting knife and cut the rope then backed his horse away from the animal. When he had backed about ten feet, he turned Marshall and jogged away from the cow, waving for Edward to do the same.

  When they were a respectable distance away, Jacob stopped. “I don’t think she knows she’s free. She’s not hurt or she’d be bawlin’. Just scared and thinks she’s still tied up.”

  At last the animal started to struggle again, loosening the short rope, and scrambled to her feet. After standing unsteadily for a moment, she took a tentative step then trotted off in the opposite direction.

  Edward let out a breath and Jacob finally looked at him. “You all right?”

  Edward nodded, still a bit shaken from his near-death experience. “I’m all right. You saved my life, though.”

  Jacob grinned at him. “I reckon someone had to, since ya went and got yourself in a fix. C’mon, let’s get back to the herd for now.”

  Edward shook his head in wonder as they rode. “How’d you throw that cow with just one rope? I thought it took two men to throw a full-grown cow.”

  “Yep, it does when you rope their horns and back legs. That’s the way we normally do it because it’s easier on the cow. The only way to throw a cow by yourself is to land a blocker loop over the hump. The top of the loop settles over the withers, and the bottom catches the front legs while they run and usually makes ’em take a tumble. It’s a hard throw and pretty rough on the cow, so a good cowpuncher doesn’t use it unless he has to.”

  “I reckon you had to this time, huh?” Edward shot him a grin.

  “Yep, your sister woulda skinned me alive if I brought you home all bloody and full o’ holes. She probably wouldn’t let me eat for a week, and that’s something I couldn’t abide.” At the mention of Anna, Jacob added with a serious tone, “What d’ya say we keep this to ourselves and not tell your sister? There was no harm done, and I’d hate to make her worry.”

  “Yeah, she already worries enough for both of us.” Edward scowled. “She’s worse than a mama hen sometimes.”

  Jacob laughed. “Well it appears from your little incident today that you need someone to worry about you every now and then.”

  * * *

  That night the boys were extra noisy at dinner. Juan had given her a recipe for pork carnitas, and Anna had spent all afternoon making them. She’d worked hard to get the seasoning just right while not cooking the meat so long it became tough. Their praise now justified the effort.

  In between bites, several of the Mexicans were swapping stories about crazy longhorns they’d encountered over the years. Anna listened with amazement at the tales the men told. Some of them seemed a bit far-fetched, like the time Juan watched a cow stomp a cougar to death to protect her young calf. She glanced at Jacob, expecting to see the usual twinkle in his blue eyes as the men teased Juan about his wild account. Instead, Jacob’s jaw was tight and he seemed to be eyeing Edward with an expression Anna couldn’t read.

  Just then one of the men spoke to Edward, “You know a bit about loco cows yourself now, Little Brother, don’tcha?”

  Before Edward could answer, Jacob responded in a deep voice that came out almost in a growl. “Let the boy eat, Paco. Can’t you see he’s still growing?”

  The man who’d asked the question looked at Jacob in surprise, but he didn’t question the boss when he’d been given an order. And Jacob’s words had definitely sounded like an order.

  Anna glanced back and forth between Edward, whose red face was focused on the beans he was busy pushing around his plate, and Jacob, who also seemed quite interested in the pork he was loading into a fried tortilla. She had the sinking suspicion something had happened, or almost happened, to put Edward in danger—and she would find out what. Anna knew better than to question either man in front of the whole crew, but the moment she got Edward or Jacob alone, she’d have the truth. Every detail of it.

  * * *

  As Jacob finished his last apple tart, he chanced one more peek at the stony look in Anna’s eyes and the firm set to her jaw. Yep, she was mad. And she hadn’t even heard the story yet. He let out an internal sigh. Apple tarts were usually one of his favorites, but he couldn’t taste the flavor this time with
those pretty brown eyes shooting daggers at him.

  As the men stood and headed toward the bunkhouse, Jacob rose with a mental groan. Edward glanced at him with a question in his eyes.

  “Go on out to the bunkhouse with the rest of the men. I’ll see you in the morning.” And I’ll handle your sister.

  While the room cleared, Jacob stood near his chair, shifting from one foot to the other. Anna stomped back and forth from the dining room to the kitchen, carrying dirty dishes. For a moment it crossed his mind to help her, but she looked mad enough to throttle anything that got in her way. He needed to find a way to calm her down. And she didn’t even know what had happened yet.

  She didn’t stop, just kept charging around the table, stacking dirty plates on her arm. Jacob finally walked up behind her.

  “Anna.”

  Still no response or any sign she’d heard him. Jacob gingerly touched her shoulder. Her muscles were solid tension beneath his fingers. He turned her to face him, then took the stack of dirty plates from her hands and placed them on the table. When he moved back to face her, the hurt in Anna’s eyes made his chest ache.

  Jacob stroked a finger down her temple, pushing an errant strand of hair behind her perfectly-shaped ear. She shivered as his fingers moved over her skin, and he had to fight the urge to wrap her in his arms and press his lips to hers. Jacob’s eyes moved to those beautiful lips. They probably tasted like the apple tart she’d just eaten.

  “Jacob.” Her voice broke through his thoughts.

  “Yes.”

  “Will you tell me what happened with Edward?”

  He looked in her eyes again, read the fear and uncertainty there, then let out a long breath and ran a hand through his unruly hair. “All right. Come sit down in the kitchen and I’ll tell you everything.”

  And he did. Jacob didn’t spend a lot of time on the dangerous parts, and he focused on the fact that Edward was unhurt, but he did tell her everything. When he finished the story, Anna paced to the kitchen window and stood very still, staring out into the darkness. He couldn’t gauge what she was thinking. She just stood there staring, but he held his tongue. She needed time to process this, to work it out in her mind.