At last, she turned to face him. “I’m glad you were there.”
Jacob nodded and slipped over next to her. “I am too. I hadn’t planned to be there. I was riding bog and saw a group of fresh tracks going away from the herd. After I had trailed them for a ways, I heard that crazy cow bellowing and headed toward the noise.” Jacob focused a penetrating gaze on Anna. “It was God looking out for Edward, Anna. If I hadn’t been there, God would’ve used something else to keep him safe.”
Her chin quivered a bit as she soaked in his words. “I know.” Her voice was so quiet he almost missed it.
When she looked up at him again with those luminous brown eyes, he couldn’t stop himself. He pulled Anna into his arms and gently kneaded circles in her back, wishing he could rub away the pain and fear in those windows to her soul. Anna clung to him as if she never wanted to let go. And the feeling was mutual.
At last, she seemed to gather her strength and stepped back shyly. “Thanks for telling me. I need to finish clearing the table.”
Jacob nodded, not sure what else to say. She disappeared through the doorway to the dining room. Letting out a long breath, he turned toward the back door. He needed some air.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
As October progressed into November and the weather began to cool, things seemed to slow down a bit around the ranch. With no more work in the garden and all the wild fruits and berries gone until spring, Anna spent more time helping Aunt Lola with the housework, but the older woman wouldn’t let her do much.
“Now, Anna, if you make me slow down, my bones will get old. I’ve given you the kitchen and the washin’, but the rest of the cleanin’ is mine to do. You’re tryin’ to make me die before my time, ye are.”
So Anna contented herself with her domain in the kitchen and dining room, as well as the laundry and a few of the heavier chores Aunt Lola would relinquish. The bit of free time left to her was usually spent reading or exploring the surrounding countryside on Bandita. Her favorite ride was still to the banks of the Guadalupe, where she would often go with a book or to spend quiet time with the Lord.
* * *
“You’re going to ride all the way to the Wallaces’ by yourself?”
Anna kept her focus on the eggs she cracked for breakfast, but her lips twitched at the protective tone in Jacob’s voice. He sat in the kitchen drinking coffee on this cold mid-November morning, his brow wrinkled and mouth pursed. He was such a good man.
“Theirs is the next farm over, right? I didn’t see them at church on Sunday, and Mrs. Thomas said the doctor’s put Ginny on bed rest.” She flashed him her best pleading smile. “That has to be awfully hard with a farm to manage and a three-year-old running around. I was hoping you could give me directions?”
She tried to appear nonchalant but caught herself holding her breath. Anna had so enjoyed getting to know Ginny at Sunday services, and this was her chance to be there for her friend in a time of need.
Jacob was quiet as she whipped the hotcake batter. At last, he sighed. “It’s not hard to find. Just head west and follow the tree line until it ends. Ride to the top of the hill there, and you’ll see their house in the distance.”
She glanced over at him from the griddle where the hotcakes sizzled next to strips of bacon and gave him an optimistic smile. “Sounds easy enough. I’ll be fine.”
Jacob’s brow still furrowed. “Take a gun with you. We have the herd in the west pasture, so the men won’t be too far away. Shoot once in the air if you need anything at all.” His brow creased in concern. “Do you know how to shoot a gun?”
Anna almost giggled at the way he sounded like a mother hen clucking at her chick. “I already told you I can shoot. It’s been a while since I’ve had to, but Papa always believed girls needed to learn how to take care of themselves just like the boys did. He taught us both how to ride, shoot, and swim.”
Jacob blew out a breath, finally conceding. “Okay, then. But be careful.”
Anna had a sudden giddy urge to run over and hug him, but she contained her impulse and settled for a grin that tugged her cheeks and bubbled over into her heart.
As soon as her chores were done for the morning, she packed her saddle bags with breads and canned goods for Virginia’s family then headed to the barn to saddle Bandita. When she pulled her saddle from its spot on a rail attached to the barn wall, something heavy hung from the back. Anna’s heart squeezed. Jacob had secured a rifle in its scabbard to one of the ties on her saddle. Warmth ran through her at his actions. Pulling out the Winchester, she rubbed a hand over its smooth metal barrel. She certainly didn’t plan to use this, but it was so nice to be cared for.
The ride to Ginny’s was blessedly peaceful, although it took longer than Anna expected. As she rode into the farm yard, a brown and white collie dog bounded out of the barn toward her, barking and tail wagging like a flag in the Independence Day parade.
“Hey there, girl,” Anna crooned as she dismounted and reached out to pet the dog. The animal sniffed her hand for a few seconds then submitted willingly to a bit of rubbing behind her ears.
“You’ll never get rid of her if you do that,” Everett Wallace called in a teasing voice as he strode across the yard from the direction of the barn.
“She’s a sweetie. What’s her name?”
“We call her Rachel. She came with Virginia when we got married, kinda like a dowry.” He said the last comment with a rueful raise of his thick eyebrows.
Anna laughed at his expression as she untied her saddle bags. “Well, every bride does need a dog.”
Everett chuckled, too, and lifted the bags off of Anna’s horse. He had an easy-going, pleasant temperament that was a perfect blend to Ginny’s vibrant personality. No wonder Ginny always got starry-eyed when she spoke of her husband. They were the ideal match for each other.
“Ginny will be thrilled to see you. Katie’s probably still taking a nap since it’s so quiet inside, so maybe you’ll have a chance to talk before the whirlwind wakes up.”
Anna glanced back at him, her voice turning serious. “Does the doctor feel Ginny’s getting better?”
“Yep, he says she and the baby should be fine as long as she stays in the bed. Should be able to carry him all the way until January.”
Anna raised a brow. “Him? The doc told you it’s a boy?”
A sheepish smile came over Everett’s face. “A man can hope, can’t he?”
Anna laughed as she followed him up the porch and into the house. She found Ginny lying on a sofa in the parlor, reading a book. When Anna poked her head into the room, Ginny threw down the book and exclaimed, “Anna. Oh, my dear friend, I am so glad you’ve come. Sit down in this chair and tell me everything you’ve been up to.”
Anna chuckled at her friend’s exuberance. “All right, but first you have to tell me what happened to you and how you’re handling bed rest.”
By the end of an hour, Anna was caught up on Ginny’s condition and the struggles of running a home from the couch, but Anna was relieved to find her friend still in good spirits.
“Everett’s been such a help through everything. He’s patient with Katie, even though I know this has been hard on him, too.” With a wave of her hand, Ginny continued with a devious twinkle in her eye. “Enough about me, though. I want to hear all about how things are going at the Double Rocking B. How is your tall, blue-eyed cowboy doing?”
Heat crawled up Anna’s neck, probably turning her cheeks the color of Ginny’s bright red shirtwaist. She sat back in her chair and played with her thumbs. “He’s not my cowboy. He’s my boss, for goodness sakes.”
“Pshaw.” Ginny dismissed the words with a wave of her hand. “Anyone can see the two of you act like love-struck school kids when you’re around each other.”
“We do not.” Anna was taken aback by the thought.
Ginny leaned forward, propped on her elbow. “Are you trying to tell me you’re not attracted to him?”
“Well, of course I’m attr
acted to him.” This time the heat went all the way down to her toes. “But any girl would be. I just cook his food, that’s all.”
Ginny lay back with a knowing grin. “You’re lying to yourself, Anna Stewart, and you know it as well as I do. Has he kissed you yet?”
Anna gasped and drew back. “No.”
“Oh, he will, don’t you worry. And when he does I want to hear all about it.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
As November progressed, Anna planned a special Thanksgiving meal for her cowboys. The men had all been on the lookout for wild turkeys for the dinner, but the only thing they found was a herd of deer. So Anna killed a few chickens and served roast chicken and smoked venison with truffle gravy. Since Thanksgiving was an American holiday, she skipped the tacos and made traditional Thanksgiving foods, like sweet potato casserole, bread pudding, cranberry sauce, apple pie, and even plum pudding that she brought flaming to the table amidst a round of cheers from the men.
The memory of that happy occasion brought a smile to Anna’s lips as she scrubbed bed sheets in the kitchen one cold December day. Today was laundry day for the family’s clothing, but it was also the monthly day she washed the linens from the beds in the main house. Mr. O’Brien slept in the large bedroom on the first floor, while Jacob, Aunt Lola, and Anna each used a room on the second floor. With Aunt Lola doing most of the housework, Anna was thankful she rarely had to venture into the O’Brien men’s rooms. The rest of the cowpunchers, including Edward, slept in the bunkhouse and were responsible for their own washing. She had a feeling their bedding was not laundered once a month, if ever. Maybe she should offer her services.
Anna added some extra elbow grease as she scrubbed a large stain on Jacob’s shirt. She studied the spot. Was that turpentine or carbolic acid? How in the world had he gotten the stuff on the back of his shirt?
So many emotions flooded her when she washed this man’s clothes. She hated to immerse them in the water that would remove the smell she had come to associate with him, a mixture of man and sweat and horse and cow all wrapped into one very masculine scent. And sometimes a few stronger odors added in for good measure. Anna bit her lip to stop a grin.
She performed a very wifely duty for this man by washing, drying, and folding each of his garments. Her stomach tingled. Of course, she was performing the same service for his father and aunt, but there was something different about handling the clothing that had touched Jacob’s person.
Ginny’s words came back to her. Did Jacob have any feelings for her? Or was Ginny’s reaction just female imaginings? He still did her early chores and stopped in for coffee every morning. Anna treasured those times and tucked them away to remember throughout the day. Sometimes they would talk about the cattle, or the men, or of the latest news from town. And sometimes they would not talk, and Jacob would simply watch her prepare breakfast and pack lunches for the men. Anna’s respect for him grew daily as she observed his wisdom and the deep faith that penetrated everything he did.
Anna sat back from scrubbing and stared down at the shirt in her hands. Was it more than respect she held for Jacob? He certainly made her stomach flutter when he turned those sky-blue eyes on her. Yes, it would be fair to say she was infatuated with him, although she’d worked hard to keep feelings of that nature at bay. He was her employer, and this was a good home for Edward and for her. It was important she not mess this up. Jacob seemed to enjoy her company, but that wasn’t too surprising since he didn’t have much opportunity to spend time around female company. The kind he wasn’t related to, that is. Of course, he didn’t pay much attention to any of the single ladies at church on Sunday. Anna sighed. She wasn’t likely to find answers by studying the buttons on his shirt, and it didn’t really bear thinking about.
She set aside that shirt and reached for another at the same time she reached for a new question. Hopefully one for which she could actually find an answer. What am I going to give for Christmas presents this year? This would be their first year without Papa or their home in Columbia, and it probably wouldn’t be easy for Edward. She fought back the ache that rushed her spirit. She couldn’t focus on the circumstances. Her focus had to be on making this special for Edward. And for their new friends. She planned to add as much festivity as possible to the occasion by putting together a small gift for each of the men and Aunt Lola. But what should she give? She could use a bit of money from her earnings, but that money was precious. It was for their future.
As Anna finished scrubbing the next shirt, her mind ran through various gift ideas. But everything was either too expensive or too intricate to make them all before Christmas day, just two weeks away. As she picked up the next item in the basket, one of Mr. O’Brien’s bandannas, she examined it for stains. The cloth was frayed around the edges. And that gave her an idea…
* * *
Christmas Day dawned clear and cold, and Jacob sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee as the sun rose through the small window. Anna was in her element, already scurrying about the kitchen, peeling potatoes, steaming the plum pudding, and rolling out pastry dough for the pies.
“You’re gonna wear a hole in the floor if you keep flyin’ around the kitchen like that.”
She glanced up with a nervous smile. Then her face turned to a questioning look as she sniffed the air. “My casseroles,” she gasped, spinning around to the oven. Grasping a corner of her apron in each hand, she jerked open the oven door and peered in at the two huge pans full of bubbling yellow something. A wave of tantalizing smells drifted over to Jacob. The aroma was more than he could resist, pulling him to his feet and toward the root of the fragrance.
He peered over her shoulder as Anna set the first pan on a warming pad. “Mmmm… I hope you’re not planning to make us wait ’til Christmas dinner to eat those.”
She shot him a teasing grin as she moved back to the oven to remove the second pan. “Papa always told me good things come to those who wait.”
Something about Anna’s words drew his gaze to her lips, which formed a cute little pout while she focused on the casseroles. Protruding like that, their smooth surface was flawless. How warm and soft would they feel if he lowered his mouth to hers? He jerked his eyes away to outside the window. That rabbit trail was sure to lead toward trouble. His concentration needed to stay with the ranch and the cattle. Getting mixed up with a female was sure to be a distraction. With the talk of cattle thieves in the area, now was definitely not the time to let his attention wander.
Jacob turned back to Anna. She sprinkled loose cheese on the casseroles then stepped back to eye them. She looked so cute with her forehead puckered in concentration.
“Can I help with something?”
Anna glanced up at him as if she just realized he were still in the room. He wished he could forget her presence that easily.
“Would you mind carrying these casseroles into the dining room and set them on the table?”
As he moved forward to lift the first pan, an idea struck him and he turned to the woman. “Anna?”
“Yes?” She looked up from the bread dough she was kneading, a hint of white dust on her cheek making his gut tighten a little.
“I was thinking of going for a ride down to the river after dinner today. If you don’t have any plans, I’d be glad for you to come along.” He cleared his throat. Why did he feel more nervous than a wrangler breaking a new horse?
Her eyes widened and her brows rose. Was that excitement? “I’d love to. I’m afraid it might take me an hour or two to get things cleaned up from the meal, but I’ll be ready as soon as I can, if you don’t mind waiting for me.” Her eyes dipped back to the dough oozing between her tightly-squeezed fingers. “Of course, if you’d rather not wait, I understand.”
Reaching forward to brush the white smear from her cheek, he couldn’t help his answer. “Someone once told me good things come to those who wait.”
With a chuckle at the red creeping into her face, Jacob picked up a casserole and headed
toward the dining room, his mood lighter than it had been in a long time. It was going to be a good Christmas, after all.
* * *
The meal turned out to be everything Anna had hoped for. She’d managed not to burn anything, and the men offered their usual compliments on her talent with flavorings. Jacob seemed to especially like the yeast rolls smothered with warm apple butter, and she made a mental note of his choice.
As they dug into dessert, the men discussed their plans for the afternoon, including a rousing checkers competition. Anna grinned as Edward promised to “take home the pot quicker than any of ya can count the checkers ya lose.” He was sounding more and more like a cowboy.
“Well, Little Brother,” Jacob announced, using the nickname the boys had assigned to Edward, “I reckon you’ll get your chance to prove it right after you and Bo finish cleanin’ up the kitchen.” Anna turned to Jacob, her mouth dropping open. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Edward and Bo did the same.
“Clean the kitchen?” Edward’s voice cracked a bit, probably from disbelief. He would never disobey an order from Jacob, but she had to admit the assignment surprised her as well. Most cowboys considered work in the house to be beneath them.
“Yep, I reckon’ your sister deserves the afternoon off since it’s Christmas and all.”
Edward’s head bobbed in assent, even as his eyes dropped down to the custard on his plate. Disappointment shrouded his features.
But her heart leapt at the idea of not having to scrub pans after the meal. Maybe a little Christmas spirit could lighten his mood.
“Well,” Anna said, as she rose. She picked up a stack of small parcels from the sideboard, each wrapped in brown paper and tied with red ribbon. “I have a little something for each of you to celebrate the day.”
She moved around the table, handing out packages according to the name she had inscribed next to the ribbon on each. “It’s not much, but I wanted you to have a little something special. You’ve all come to mean so much to Edward and me over the last few months.”
The Rancher Takes a Cook Page 9
