The Rancher

by Lily Graison

  "Don't think more into this than there is." She glanced up at him, her cheeks darkening. "I'm just bored is all."

  Holden grinned. He didn't care what her excuse was, as long as he got to spend the day with her, he'd let her make up any ole' lie she felt like telling.

  He offered her his arm and walked her back across the street, lifted her into the wagon and gave Alex a look that spoke volumes. His daughter's mouth tightened into a thin white line, her eyes narrowing to show her displeasure and he ignored it, climbed up into the seat and had the horses moving again before his pulse stopped racing.

  They rode in silence until they reached the prairie and ventured off the main road. He followed behind Morgan and Abigail's wagon as they jostled across the yellowing autumn grass. His father's shock of white hair glinted in the sun as he sat in the back of Morgan's wagon and when he turned his head to look back at them, Laurel asked, "Who is that?"

  "My father." He saw her look at him out of the corner of his eye and smiled. "His name is James but don't worry about trying to talk to him. Chances are, he wouldn't hear you."

  "Is he deaf?"

  "No." Holden shook his head and gave the reins another small tug to get the horses to turn toward the creek. "He's sick. We're not really sure what's wrong with him but he keeps to himself most of the time. Talks to people no one can see and pretty much tunes the rest of us out."

  She turned to look at the wagon in front of them, back at his father, and Holden glanced over at her. The sun made those whiskey colored eyes shine, her complexion, flawless. Small tendrils of hair had escaped the confines of the bun she'd pulled it all into and those stray curls kissed her cheek, sweeping low to tease her lips.

  They reached the creek and Alex wasted no time jumping from the back of the wagon and running toward the thin ribbon of water winding its way through the trees. She was shucking her boots as Holden jumped to the ground and turned to help Laurel down.

  He reached up, placing his hands about her small waist and she stared up at him when her feet touched the ground. Just being this close to her again sent waves a need through him. The tantalizing scent of roses filled the air and he remembered their one night together, of burying his face into the curve of her neck and finding that tantalizing aroma there. How he'd wanted to drown in it and couldn't pass by his mother's rose garden without being reminded of Laurel. He stared down at her, her lashes sweeping against her cheek as she blinked up at him. His gaze traveled her face and if they hadn't been surrounded by his family, he would have kissed those raspberry lips until she begged him to stop.

  He tightened his hold on her briefly before reluctantly letting go of her. Glancing over at Morgan and Abigail, he saw them both grinning at him. Inviting Laurel to the picnic had been their idea. He'd agreed with them until he found himself walking to the schoolhouse. Laurel refusing him hadn't come as a surprise and he'd be lying if he said her initial refusal hadn't torn at his heart a bit. The pain didn't last long though. Not once he saw her by the road, nervously looking his way.

  She turned away from him and walked toward the creek and Holden watched her until Morgan walked over to him and laughed.

  "I never thought I'd see the day you'd go all moon-eyed over a woman."

  "You forget I was married once."

  "No I haven't." Morgan reached around him and lifted the blankets from the back of the wagon. "I know you loved Maggie but trust me when I say, you never looked at her like you do that little schoolmarm."

  Holden watched Morgan walk back to Abigail, his words whispering inside his head. His brother was right. He had loved Maggie, had the first time he saw her, but it felt different from what he felt for Laurel. He wasn't sure why but as he turned his head to look over at her, his body tightened, his pulse leaped and he knew he'd do anything to win her heart.

  * * * *

  "You are such a fool." Laurel sighed at her own whispered words. She'd walked away from Holden with her heart in her throat. The way he'd looked at her when he lifted her down from the wagon sent chills racing up and down her spine and if they'd been alone, she was positive he would have kissed her.

  And she would have let him.

  She still wasn't sure why she'd even stepped out of the schoolhouse and accompanied him on the picnic. Common sense told her to leave him be, to ignore him and he'd eventually leave her alone. But that secret place in her heart, the one that craved the sight of him, wouldn't let her.

  As much as she hated to admit it, she looked forward to seeing him everyday. Just looking into those so-blue eyes caused her pulse to race. To see him smile at her like he had secrets he wanted to share sent her heart soaring and her thoughts racing.

  And she was powerless to do anything about it.

  She stopped by the bank of the creek, turning to look at Alexandra. She was in the water to her knees, the hem of her dress swaying in the current. The need to tell her to get out of the water, that it was too late in the year to be wading in the creek was strong but she ignored it. The child despised her and wouldn't appreciate being told what to do outside of school. The fact her father had asked her along for the picnic was upsetting to the girl enough as it was. She'd seen the look on Alexandra's face when she reached the wagon. She hadn't been the least bit happy. Laurel couldn't really blame her. She probably wouldn't have wanted her teacher along for a family outing either, especially one her father seemed to spend his time trying to talk to.

  Alexandra turned to look at her as if she could hear Laurel's thoughts. Laurel stared at her, her facial expression passive. Alexandra's blonde curls swayed in the breeze and Laurel knew with just a glance, the girl took her looks after her mother. She shared none of the dark looks her father had, except for the blue of her eyes. When Alexandra didn't move, or blink, but continued to stare at her, Laurel sighed. "It's rude to stare, Alexandra."

  "I know. My pa told me that years ago." She turned and started out of the water, climbing onto the bank, the hem of her dress dragging on the ground and collecting bits of grass and dirt. When she stood on solid ground, she lifted her chin, her eyes narrowed. "You like my pa, don't ya?"

  Laurel wasn't sure how to answer. "Define like."

  Alexandra lifted one eyebrow. "You want him to court you?"

  "No." There, the first question she'd been asked where she could give an honest answer. "Why do you ask?"

  "Cause I think he wants to court you."

  He wants more than that, Laurel thought to herself. Thinking of him saying he intended on marrying her caused her heart to slam against her ribcage and those butterflies in her stomach danced in erratic patterns until she felt dizzy. That little voice in her head she'd been trying to ignore, yelled at her to let Holden know it was okay to come calling on her and that she'd be waiting with bated breath until he did.

  Laurel blinked instead and chased the thoughts away, choosing to ignore his whispered admission. "What makes you think that?"

  "Cause he's always looking at ya. He goes all funny too. He don't listen to me when I talk and when he does answer, he makes no sense."

  "That doesn't mean he wants to court me, Alexandra. Maybe he's just preoccupied."

  She shook her head, her curls bouncing across her shoulders. "No, he likes you. I can tell. He's never courted a woman and as far as I know, he don't go near the saloon and those women who live there and I know from what my uncle Tristan told me that every man wants a wife. So my pa likes you all right but what I want to know is, if he tried to court you, would you let him."

  Laurel stared at Alexandra and the first answer to pop into her head was, yes. She shook her head and said, "No," instead. "I have no desire to court anyone so rest assured, you'll not have to worry about me being any part of your life other than the few hours you spend in my classroom."

  Alexandra stared at her for long minutes, nodding her head after finding Laurel's answer sufficient. "Good, cause you're all wrong for my pa. He needs a woman who isn't mean. My ma was as sweet as a flower and my pa lov
ed her with all his heart. Why, I think that's why he ain't never remarried. He can't find another woman as pretty and sweet as she was."

  "You're probably right."

  Alexandra gave her one last look and took off running toward the wagons. Another was coming across the prairie and Laurel watched the man and woman in the seat while Alexandra's words rattled around in her head.

  The girl didn't like her, which was obvious, but knowing Holden had never courted since his wife's death was intriguing. She couldn’t help but wonder why. Had he without Alexandra's knowledge?

  She thought back to the night they shared in Missoula, to the attention he showed her. How… devoted he'd seemed to the task of making love to her. Now that she thought about it, it did seem as if he'd been determined to make it last. Had she been the first woman he'd bedded in a while? The thought caused a shiver to race up her spine.

  The wagon she'd been watching came to a stop, the man at the reins hopping to the ground before turning to help the woman and child down. He turned to face her and Laurel's breath caught. She blinked twice, widening her eyes to make sure she was seeing what she thought she was.

  The man looked exactly like Holden.

  She turned and found Holden near the creek, smiling at something the man in the first wagon said and she looked back and forth between the two men for long minutes before the woman she'd met at the festival, Abigail, joined her. Laurel opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

  "They're twins." Abigail's light laughter caught on the breeze and Laurel exhaled the breath she'd been holding. "It's a bit shocking the first time you see them but it's easy to tell them apart once they're side by side." She grabbed Laurel's arm, turning her attention to where Holden and the other man stood. "That's Morgan, Holden's oldest brother and my husband." She turned them back to Holden's twin and the woman. "And that's Colton, but everyone calls him Colt. His wife is Sarah and that's their daughter, Emma. She's one and Sarah is expecting another come spring."

  Laurel turned to face Abigail and wondered what Holden had told his family about her. Meeting Abigail at the festival and having her rescue her from Edna seemed a bit pre-planned now that she thought about it. She narrowed her eyes and asked. "Holden's told you about me?"

  Abigail looked surprised. "Nothing other than you're the new school teacher." She laughed suddenly. "The look on his face when he talks about you made it obvious to us all that he likes you. Which is why we insisted he invite you our picnic. I've never seen the man blush but he did today."

  Her giggles were constant and Laurel wondered why Holden's reaction was so comical. She had an uneasy feeling, wondering if she was the butt of their jokes and mortification burned in her chest.

  When Abigail turned to look at her, her smile vanished. "I've upset you. What did I say?"

  "Nothing."

  "I did, I can tell by the look on your face." Abigail turned to look back at the men where they were spreading blankets and placing the baskets she assumed contained the food. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just that I've known Holden for nearly two years and this is the first time I've ever seen him the slightest bit interested in a woman. According to his brothers, he's lived like a hermit since his wife Maggie died.

  Laurel's face burned from embarrassment but hearing Abigail say she wasn't making fun of her caused the ache to subside. "That's what Alexandra told me, too, but I wasn't sure if she was correct or not."

  Abigail smiled at her and looped her arm through Laurel's. "I'm sorry if I upset you but please, come join us. I know Sarah is dying to meet you and when Tristan and Emmaline get back from Idaho, they'll have questions we can't answer." She paused and grinned. "Tristan is Holden's baby brother and Emmaline is his wife. You'll get a chance to meet them soon, I'm sure."

  "Are there anymore family members I should know about?"

  Abigail shook her head. "No. No one other than their father, James, but he doesn't talk much. Well, he talks to Sarah but we think that's because she favors their mother. There's just the four brother's and all their wives." She quirked an eyebrow up at Laurel. "And adding one more to the family wouldn't be frowned upon."

  Laurel's heart kicked in her chest. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that isn't going to happen. Well, not with me."

  "So sure already? But you don't even know Holden."

  I know enough, Laurel thought, but kept the knowledge to herself.

  Abigail escorted her to where the others had gathered and Laurel tried, and failed, to not look at Holden. Just seeing him there in the shade of the trees, with shafts of sunlight breaking through the branches caused her pulse to race. He was so handsome and the way he looked at her caused very unladylike notions to fill her head. If things weren't as they were, she'd happily let that man court her and hope for the best but the happily ever after she'd read about in dime novels wasn't in her future. She'd already tried and had failed miserably.

  The men wandered off, leaving the women to set out all the food and when Sarah pulled a familiar looking pie plate from her basket, Laurel's heart skipped a beat.

  "Do you want to know what Holden gave for your pie?"

  Heat crawled up Laurels neck and settled on her cheeks. "He bought my pie?"

  "Just barely." Sarah laughed as she set it on the blanket. "For a minute there, I thought Joseph, the hotel owner, would win but Holden wasn't leaving without that pie. It fetched more money than any other dessert on the entire table!"

  "Edna wasn't pleased by that bit of knowledge either," Abigail said, laughing.

  Their laughter was mingled with good-natured ribbing and they talked quietly as they removed the food from the baskets. Laurel had a hard time keeping her attention on the conversation, and away from Holden, and was glad of the distraction the women's daughters made. Her heart broke when Elizabeth, Abigail's daughter had climbed into her lap and started babbling, telling her in her own special language about the doll she held. She smiled, listened to Elizabeth chatter and hoped her face didn't show her despair.

  Looking up after long minutes of holding Elizabeth, she knew it did. The look on Holden's face told her so. She looked away and hoped the day would end quickly. The faster she got away from Holden and his family, the better off she'd be.

  * * * *

  Laurel had been sitting on the creek bank avoiding most everyone for the past hour and Holden wondered what she was thinking about so intently as he crossed the space to where she sat. She'd looked uncomfortable since coming to join the others, especially when she held Elizabeth. He wasn't sure why, though, and he wanted to know.

  He stopped when he reached her, sat down and lifted his hat, combing a hand through his hair before laying the hat beside him. "You don't look as if you're enjoying yourself."

  "And what gives you that impression?"

  Holden smiled and picked up a blade of grass before tucking it between his lips. "If you want to go back to town, I'll take you. There's no reason for you to be miserable."

  "I'm not miserable." She sighed, her shoulders slumping before she turned her head to look at him. "I'm sorry. I've not been very good company."

  He shrugged one shoulder. "I didn't expect you to even come so I can't complain. Just having you here is enough."

  She sighed again and he turned to look at her. Her hair was falling around her face and he lifted his hand, pushing the strands back behind her ear. "Why are you being so ornery towards me? Towards everyone in town?"

  "What makes you think I'm not always like this?"

  He grinned. "Because despite you not wanting to admit it, I spent nearly twelve hours with you and I know better."

  "Maybe me being nice was all an act."

  Her face held no hint of amusement but her eyes did. Holden leaned back on one arm, straightened his legs, crossing them at the ankle and turned his body slightly toward her. "It wasn't an act. You're just too stubborn to admit that you actually like me."