Diamond in the Rough

by Diana Palmer

  He nodded. “Yes. I’ve heard of them. Hard working men. One of their ranch hands was in my unit when I first shipped out. He said it was the best place he’d ever worked.” He laughed. “He said the brothers got right out in the pasture at branding time and helped. They weren’t the sort to sit in parlors and sip expensive alcohol.”

  “Imagine, to be that rich and still go out to work cattle,” she said with a wistful smile.

  “I can’t imagine it,” he told her. “But I’d love to be able to. I’m getting my college degree in the military. When I come out, I’m going to apprentice at a mechanic’s shop in Billings and, hopefully, work my way up to partnership one day. I love fixing motors.”

  She gave him a wry look. “I wish you’d love fixing mine,” she said. “It’s pouring black smoke.”

  “How old is it?” he asked curiously.

  “About twenty years…”

  “Rings and valves,” he said at once. “It’s probably going to need rebuilding. At today’s prices, you’d come out better to sell it for scrap and buy a new one.”

  “Pipe dreams,” she laughed. “We live up to the last penny I bring home. I could never make a car payment.”

  “Have you thought about moving to Billings, where you could get a better job?”

  “I’d have to take Mama and Selene with me,” she said simply, “and we’d have to rent a place to live. At least we still have the house, such as it is.”

  He frowned. “You landed in a fine mess,” he said sympathetically.

  “I did, indeed. But I love my family,” she added. “I’d rather have what I have than be a millionaire.”

  His dark eyes met her green ones evenly. “You’re a nice girl, Sassy. I wish I’d known you better before I met my best friend’s girl.”

  “I wish I’d known you better before John Taggert came to town,” she sighed. “As it is, I’ll be very happy to have you for a friend.” She grinned. “We can cry on each others’ shoulders. I’ll even write to you when you go back overseas if you’ll give me your address.”

  His face lit up. “I’d like that. It will help throw my buddy off the trail. He caught me staring at his girlfriend’s photo a little too long.”

  “I’ll send you a picture of me,” she volunteered. “You can tell him she reminded you of me.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “That won’t be far-fetched. She’s dark haired and has light eyes. You’d do that for me?”

  “Of course I would,” she said easily. “What are friends for?”

  He smiled. “Maybe I can do you a good turn one day.”

  “Maybe you can.”

  He climbed into the truck. “Tell your family I said good-night. I’ll drive over tomorrow.”

  She smiled up at him. “I’ll look forward to it.”

  He threw up a hand and pulled out into the road. She watched him go, remembering that there were still a few pieces of chicken left. She’d have to rush inside and put them up quickly before Selene grew reckless and ate too much. If they stretched out that bucket of chicken, they could eat on it for most of the week. It was a godsend, considering their normal grocery budget. God bless Caleb, she thought warmly. He really did have a big heart.

  John Callister had spent a pleasant weekend with his brother and Kasie and the girls. Mrs. Charters had made him his favorite foods, and even Miss Parsons, Gil’s former governess who was now his bookkeeper, seemed to enjoy his visit. There was a new secretary since Gil had married Kasie. He was a male secretary, Arnold Sims, who seemed nice and was almost as efficient as Kasie had been. He was an older man, and he and Miss Parsons spent their days off together.

  It was nice to get away from the constant headache of construction and back to the bosom of his family. But he had to return to Hollister, and mend fences with Sassy. He should have found a kinder way to keep her at arm’s length while he found his footing in their changing relationship. Her face had gone pale when he’d jerked back from her. She probably thought he found her offensive. He hated leaving her with that false impression, but his sudden desire for her had shocked and disturbed him. He hadn’t been confident enough to go back and face her until he could hide his feelings.

  There had to be some way to make it up to her. He’d think of a way when he got back to Hollister, he assured himself. He could explain it away without too much difficulty. Sassy had a kind heart. He knew she wouldn’t hold grudges.

  But when he walked into the store Monday afternoon, he got a shock. Sassy was leaning over the counter, smiling broadly at a very handsome young man in jeans and a chambray shirt. And if he wasn’t mistaken, the young man was holding her hand.

  He felt something inside him explode with pain and resentment. She’d put her hands on his chest and looked up at him with melting green eyes, and he’d wanted her to the point of madness. Now she was doing the same thing to another man, a younger man. Was she just a heartless flirt?

  He walked up to the counter, noting idly that the younger man didn’t seem to be disturbed by him, or even interested in him.

  “Hi, Sassy,” he said coolly. “Did you get in that special feed mix I asked you to order?”

  “I’ll check, Mr. Taggert,” she said politely and with a quiet smile. She walked into the back to check the invoice of the latest shipment that had just come that morning, very proud that she’d been able to disguise her quick breathing and shaky legs. John Taggert had a shattering effect on her emotions. But he didn’t want her, and she’d better remember it. What a blessing that Caleb had come to the store today. Perhaps John would believe that she had other interests and wasn’t chasing after him.

  “Nice day,” John said to the young man. “I’m John Taggert. I’ll be ramrodding the old Bradbury ranch.”

  The boy smiled and extended a hand. “I’m Caleb Danner. Sassy and I went to school together.”

  John shook the hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Same here.”

  John looked around at the shelves with seeming nonchalance. “You work around here?” he asked carelessly.

  “No. I’m in the Army Rangers,” the boy replied, surprising his companion. “I’m stationed overseas, but I’ve been home on leave for a couple of weeks. I’m staying with my aunt in Billings.”

  John’s pale eyes met the boy’s dark ones. “That’s a substantial drive from here.”

  “Yes, I know,” Caleb replied easily. “But I promised Sassy a movie and I’m free tonight. I came to see if she’d go with me.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  THE boy was an Army Ranger he said, and he was dating Sassy. John felt uncomfortable trying to pump the younger man for information. He wondered if Caleb was seriously interested in Sassy, but he had no right to ask.

  She was poring over bills of lading. He watched her with muted curiosity and a little jealousy. It disturbed him that this younger man had popped up right out of the ground, so to speak, under his own nose.

  It took her a minute to find the order and calm her nerves. But she managed to do both. She looked up as John approached the counter. He looked very sexy in those well-fitting jeans and the blue-checked Western-cut shirt he was wearing with his black boots and wide-brimmed hat. She shouldn’t notice that, she told herself firmly. He wouldn’t like having her interested in him; he’d already made that clear. She had to be businesslike.

  “The feed was backordered,” she said politely. “But it should be here by Friday, if that’s all right. If it isn’t,” she added quickly when he began to look irritated, “I can ask Mr. Mannheim to phone them…”

  “No need,” he said abruptly. “We can wait. We aren’t moving livestock onto the place until we have the fences mended and the barn finished. I just want to have the feed on hand when they arrive.”

  “We’ll have it by next week. No problem.”

  He nodded. He tried to avoid looking at her directly. She was wearing jeans with a neat little white peasant blouse that had embroidery on it, and she looked very pretty with her dark hair cr
isp and clean, and her green eyes shimmering with pleasure. Her face was flushed and she was obviously unsettled. The boy at the counter probably had something to do with that, he thought irritably. She seemed pretty wrapped up in him already.

  “That’s fine,” he said abruptly. “I’ll check back with you next week, or I’ll have one of the boys come in.”

  “Yes, sir,” she replied politely.

  He nodded at Caleb and stalked out of the store without another glance at Sassy.

  Caleb pursed his lips and noted Sassy’s heightened color. “So that’s him,” he mused.

  She drew in a steadying breath. “That’s him.”

  “Talk about biting off more than you can chew,” he murmured dryly.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing,” he returned, thinking privately that Taggert looked like a man who’d forgotten more about women than Sassy would ever learn about men. Taggert seemed sophisticated, for a cattleman, and was obviously used to giving orders. Sassy was too young for that fire-eater, too unsophisticated, too everything. Besides all that, the ranch foreman had spoken to her politely, but in a manner that was decidedly impersonal. Caleb didn’t want to upset Sassy by putting all that into words. Still, he felt sympathy for her. She was as likely to land that big fish as he was to find himself out on the town with his best friend’s girl.

  “How about that movie?” he asked quickly, changing the subject. “The local theater has three new ones showing…”

  They went to Hollister’s only in-town movie theater, a small building in town that did a pretty good business catering to families. There was a drive-in movie on the outskirts of town, in a cow-pasture, but Caleb wasn’t keen on that, so they went into town.

  The movie they chose was a cartoon movie about a robot, and it was hilarious. Sassy had worried about leaving her mother and Selene alone, but Mrs. Peale refused to let her sacrifice a night out. Sassy did leave her prepaid cell phone with her mother, though, in case of an emergency. Caleb had one of his own, so they could use it if they were in any difficulties.

  Caleb drove her back home. He had a nice truck; it wasn’t new, but it was well-maintained. He was sending home the payments to his aunt, who was making them for him.

  “I only have a year to go,” he told her. “Yesterday, I got a firm offer of a partnership in Billings at a cousin’s car dealership. He has a shop that does mechanical work. I’d be in charge of that, and do bodywork as well. I went by to see him on a whim, and he offered me the job, just like that.” His dark eyes twinkled. “It’s what I’ve wanted to do my whole life.”

  “I hope you make it,” she told him with genuine feeling.

  He bent and kissed her cheek. “You’re a nice girl, Sassy,” he said softly. “I wish…”

  “Me, too,” she said, reading the thought in his face. “But life makes other plans, sometimes.”

  “Doesn’t it?” he chuckled.

  “When do you report back to duty?” she asked.

  “Not for a week, but my aunt has every minute scheduled. She had plans for tonight, too, but I outfoxed her,” he said, grinning.

  “I enjoyed the movie. And the chicken,” she told him.

  “I enjoyed the macaroni and cheese we had tonight,” he replied. He was somber for a minute. “If you ever need help, I hope you’ll ask me. I’d do what I can for you.”

  She smiled up at him. “I know that. Thanks, Caleb. I’d make the same offer. But,” she sighed, “I have no clue what I’d ever be able to help you with.”

  “I’ll send you my address,” he said, having already jotted hers down on a piece of paper. “You can send me that photo, to throw my buddy off the track.”

  She laughed. “Okay. I’ll definitely do that.”

  “I’ll phone you before I leave. Take care.”

  “You, too. So long.”

  He got into his truck and drove away.

  Sassy walked slowly up the porch and into the house, her mind still on the funny movie.

  She was halfway into the living room when she realized that one of the muffled voices she’d been hearing was male.

  As she entered the room, John Taggert looked up from the sofa, where he was sitting with her mother. Her mother, she noted, was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

  “Mr. Taggert came by to see how I was doing. Wasn’t that sweet of him?” she asked her daughter.

  “It really was,” Sassy replied politely.

  “Had a good time?” John asked her. He wasn’t smiling.

  “Yes,” she said. “It was a cartoon movie.”

  “Just right for children,” he replied, and there was something in his blue eyes that made her heart jump.

  “We’re all children at heart. I’m sure that’s what you meant, wasn’t it, Mr. Taggert?” Mrs. Peale asked sweetly.

  He caught himself. “Of course,” he replied, smiling at the older woman. “I enjoy them myself. We take the girls to movies all the time.”

  “Girls?” Mrs. Peale asked, frowning.

  “My nieces,” he explained. “They love cartoons. My brother and his wife take them mostly, but I fill in when I’m needed.”

  “You like children?”

  He smiled. “I love them.”

  Mrs. Peale opened her mouth.

  Sassy knew what was coming, so she jumped in. “Caleb’s going to phone us before he goes back overseas,” she told her mother.

  “That’s nice of him.” Mrs. Peale beamed. “Such a kind young man.”

  “Kind.” Sassy nodded.

  “Would you like something to drink, Mr. Taggert?” Mrs. Peale asked politely. “Sassy could make some coffee…?”

  John glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to go. Thanks anyway. I just wanted to make sure you were all right,” he told Mrs. Peale, and he smiled at her. “Sassy’s…boyfriend mentioned that he was taking her to a movie, and I thought about you out here all alone.”

  Sassy gave him a glare hot enough to scald. “I left Mama my cell phone in case anything happened,” she said curtly.

  “Yes, she did,” Mrs. Peale added quickly. “She takes very good care of me. I insisted that she go with Caleb. Sassy hasn’t had a night out in two or three years.”

  John shifted, as if that statement made him uneasy.

  “She doesn’t like to leave me at all,” Mrs. Peale continued. “But it’s not fair to her. So much responsibility, and at her age.”

  “I never mind it,” Sassy interrupted. “I love you.”

  “I know that, sweetheart, but you should get to know nice young men,” she added. “You’ll marry one day and have children. You can’t spend your whole life like this, with a sick old woman and a child…”

  “Please,” Sassy said, hurting. “I don’t want to think about getting married for years yet.”

  Mrs. Peale’s face mirrored her sorrow. “You should never have had to handle this all alone,” she said regretfully. “If only your father had…well, that’s not something we could help.”

  “I’ll walk Mr. Taggert to the door,” Sassy offered. She looked as if she’d like to drag him out it, before her mother could embarrass her even more.

  “Am I leaving?” he asked Sassy.

  “Apparently,” she replied, standing aside and nodding toward the front door.

  “In that case, I’ll say good night.” He smiled at Mrs. Peale. “I hope you know that you can call on me if you ever needed help. I’m not in the Army, but I do have skills that don’t involve an intimate knowledge of guns—”

  “This way, Mr. Taggert.” Sassy interrupted emphatically, catching him firmly by the sleeve.

  He grinned at Mrs. Peale, whose eyes were twinkling now. “Good night.”

  “Good night, Mr. Taggert. Thank you for stopping by.”

  “You’re very welcome.”

  He followed Sassy out onto the front porch. She closed the door.

  His eyebrows arched. “Why did you close the door?” he asked. His voice deepened with amusement. “Are you
going to kiss me good night and you don’t want your mother to see?”

  She flushed. “I wouldn’t kiss you for all the tea in China! There’s no telling where you’ve been!”

  “Actually,” he said, twirling his wide-brimmed hat in his big hands, “I’ve been in Medicine Ridge, reporting to my bosses.”

  “That’s nice. Do drive safely on your way back to your ranch.”

  He stopped twirling the hat and studied her stiff posture. He felt between a rock and a hard place.

  “The Army Ranger seems like a good sort of boy,” he remarked. “Responsible. Not very mature yet, but he’ll grow up.”

  She wanted to bite him. “He’s in the Army Rangers,” she reminded him. “He’s been in combat overseas.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “Is that a requirement for your dates, that they’ve learned to dodge bullets?”

  “I never said I wanted a man who could dodge bullets!” she threw at him.

  “It might be a handy skill for a man—dodging things, I mean, if you’re the sort of woman who likes to throw pots and pans at men.”

  “I have never thrown a pot at a man,” she said emphatically. “However, if you’d like to step into our kitchen, I could make an exception for you!”

  He grinned. He could have bet that she didn’t talk like that to the soldier boy. She had spirit and she didn’t take guff from anyone, but it took a lot to get under her skin. It delighted him that he could make her mad.

  “What sort of pot did you have in mind throwing at me?” he taunted.

  “Something made of cast iron,” she muttered. “Although I expect you’d dent it.”

  “My head is not that hard,” he retorted.

  He stepped in, close to her, and watched her reaction with detached amusement. He made her nervous. It showed.

  He put his hat back on, and pushed it to the back of his head. One long arm went around Sassy’s waist and drew her to him. A big, lean hand spread on her cheek, coaxing it back to his shoulder.

  “You’ve got grit,” he murmured deeply as his gaze fell to her soft mouth. “You don’t back away from trouble, or responsibility. I like that.”