He stuffed what cans he could into his saddlebags, along with a supply of jerky and the wool blanket, then mounted and rode away. He yawned and patted his sated belly. Maybe he could ride a mile or two then rest for a while. At this pace, it would take him a week to get back to his land.
But he would get there, and heaven help the man who’d thought to make that land his.
Excitement sizzled through Lara as she and Gabe crossed the last creek before reaching her family. Three days had passed since she’d last seen them. She prayed Grandpa had recovered from his last bout of malaria, because they wouldn’t be able to travel far if not. Her gaze scanned the land that looked almost bare with most of the people gone.
“Is that them over there?” Gabe pointed to her left.
Lara pushed back her hat and narrowed her eyes as she searched in the distance. “Yes! It is.” She reined Sunny to the west and nudged him into a trot. She tried to take in everything as she rode up. The camp looked much the same, although it was no longer surrounded by other wagons. Grandpa sat on the tailgate with Michael at his side, working on a fishing pole. Jo was nowhere to be seen, and Betty Robinson’s wagon was gone. Lara felt a bit of sadness about never seeing the friendly lady again. Grandpa looked her way and waved. Michael jumped up and down in the wagon, squealing and waving.
“Mama! Mama! Did you get some land?”
Lara’s heart warmed, and she couldn’t keep the grin from her face in spite of the fact that she’d failed to get a claim, was exhausted from the long ride, and her head ached. She reined Sunny to a stop, slid down, then ran to her son, snatching him up in a big hug. “I missed you so much.”
“Me, too. I was good, Mama. I’m taking care of Grandpa.”
Lara’s gaze raked over the older man.
“I’m fine. The spell wasn’t too bad’a one.” Grandpa’s gaze shifted past her, and she knew he was curious about why a man had accompanied her.
“I’m glad. So where’s Jo?”
He nudged his head to the side and back. “She walked over to the creek to wash off.”
Lara scanned the area he indicated but didn’t see her sister. “Is it safe to allow her to wander off now?”
He shrugged. “There ain’t been many folks around, so I reckon it’s as safe now as it was when there was hunnerds of people. Who’s your friend?”
Gabe dismounted, grabbed Sunny’s reins, and walked toward them with the two horses. He nodded at Grandpa then held out his hand. “I’m Gabe Coulter.”
Grandpa slid off the end of the wagon and shook Gabe’s hand. “Daniel Jensen. I’m Lara’s grandfather, but I reckon she’s told you that already. How do you two know each other?”
Glancing at Lara, Gabe grinned. “Your granddaughter rescued my horse when I first arrived in Caldwell. The train and crowd had spooked him, and she walked through the group of men, straight up to Tempest and calmed him. I was quite impressed.”
Grandpa lifted a brow and eyed the bandage on her head. “That girl always was good with horses.”
She kissed Michael. “Could you run over near the creek and let Jo know I’m back?”
“Yes, Mama.”
She set her son down and watched him race off. “Stay where you can see us.”
He swatted his hand in the air but didn’t slow.
Now she had to explain Gabe’s presence. “Gabe came to my rescue the day I hurt my hand. He took me to the doctor and insisted I get it checked out. Then he graciously replaced the food that was lost when that boy ran into me. Gabe even rented a buggy and brought me home. We saw one another in town several other times”—she sucked in a breath—“and he helped me when I took a fall off Sunny.” She ducked her head. “Because of that, I didn’t get a claim, but Gabe did, and now he’s my boss.”
Grandpa blew out a loud breath as if he were the one who’d told her tale. He studied Gabe as if taking his measure then nodded. “Looks like I owe you a big debt of gratitude.”
Gabe pursed his lips, shaking his head. “You don’t owe me anything, sir. I was glad to assist Lara. And to be honest, I need help on my claim to make a go of it. I’m hoping you’ll be willing to work for me, too, as you’re able, of course.”
Grandpa straightened. “I’ll have you know I was a sergeant in the War Between the States.”
Gabe looked as if he were stifling a smile. “I don’t doubt it for a minute, sir.”
Lara turned to him. “My grandfather is an amazing horse trainer. He used to raise them.”
“Well, that’s providential since I plan on raising horses, too. How many head do you figure I can support on a quarter section?”
Grandpa glanced down at the ground. Most of the grass that had been there the day they arrived was crushed and had turned yellow. “If the ground is anything like up near Caldwell, you might be able to raise forty to fifty head on one hundred and sixty acres, although that might be pushing things if you have a rough summer with little rain.”
Rubbing his thumb and index finger on his chin, Gabe nodded. “I don’t think I’ll own that many for several years, and by then, I hope to have bought out one of my neighbors and have a bigger spread.”
“What kind of horses you plannin’ on—”
A shrill scream broke the quiet afternoon, and Lara spun toward the river, searching for Michael.
Chapter 22
Go away! Leave!”
Lara recognized her sister’s voice, and relief melted her tension as her gaze landed on her son’s backside as he faced the river.
“But, Ma—”
“Michael! I’m not dressed. Go away!”
Lara snickered and glanced at the men. “I had better rescue my son.”
“Sounds like Jo’s the one who needs rescuin’.” Grandpa chuckled.
“Lara, are you back? Come get your son. I’m not dressed.”
“Michael, come here.” She started for the creek.
The boy spun and trotted toward her, a frown marring his sweet face. “Aunt Jo yelled at me.”
She squatted down. “I know, sweetie, and I’m sorry. You surprised her. She’s not angry with you, so don’t fret.” She placed her hand on his cheek. “It’s all my fault. I didn’t realize she wasn’t decent. Let’s go back to camp and wait on her.”
He took her hand. “I’m hungry.”
“Me, too.” Lara glanced at Gabe as she strode back to camp, wondering what he thought about her family. At least they’d been able to talk to Grandpa without Michael overhearing.
While Gabe and Grandpa tended the horses and Michael ran around pretending to be one, she checked the food supplies. There wasn’t much for her to work with. She could whip up a bunch of pancakes and some hot coffee, but that was about it. She longed for the stocks of food back at the claim site, but those didn’t help her now. As she sifted through the mess Jo had made of their supplies, she thanked God for the job offer and that Gabe won a claim. She couldn’t stand the thought of what would have happened to them without his generosity.
Footsteps pounded her way, and Lara looked up to see Jo storming toward her.
“Why did you send Michael for me if you knew I was bathing?”
“I didn’t realize the extent of your bathing. Grandpa said you were washing off, so I didn’t expect that you would be undressed.”
“I’ve never been so mortified in all my life.” She flounced her long hair, flicking water on Lara.
Suddenly, Jo looked past her, and her eyes widened. “Who is that?” Her face instantly paled. “Was he here when I shouted that I was indecent?”
Lara knew she was referring to Gabe and fought back a grin. Jo was so bold that she was rarely embarrassed, and for some reason, it hit her as humorous. “Um…possibly.”
Her sister’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve seen him before.” She gasped. “Is he that dandy that was sniffing around your skirts in Caldwell?”
“Jo! What a crude thing to say.” She glanced over her shoulder, relieved that Gabe was probably too far away to ov
erhear her sister. Then she realized what Jo said. “When did you see Gabe?”
“One day when he was talking to you. He was dressed all in black like a fancy undertaker or something.” Jo glanced up at Lara’s head as she ran a brush through her hair. “What happened to your head? And how is it you know him well enough to call him by his given name?”
Lara shrugged. “He’s helped me a couple of times, like the day my hand got injured. Then during the race, Sunny stumbled and fell down a hill, throwing me. I don’t know if I’d be here now without Gabe’s help.”
Jo’s gaze zipped over to where the men had staked the horses. “Is Sunny all right? He must be if you rode him back.”
Lara didn’t miss the fact that Jo was more concerned about the horse than her.
The hairbrush suddenly stopped. “Wait a minute. If you fell and were injured, I guess that means you didn’t get land. What are we gonna do now?”
Lara had never been so glad to have an answer to that question. “Gabe has offered me a job. Grandpa, too, if he wants one. Gabe won a claim and needs help to make a go of it.”
Jo put a hand on her hip. “How convenient. He just happened to be right there when you hurt your hand and then again when you fell off Sunny. Why, a girl might think he was stalking you.”
“He’s helping and trying to protect me, like a true gentleman. What harm is there in that?”
“Good question. Have you asked yourself why he’s always around when you need help?”
Lara watched Gabe talking to Grandpa as they walked toward them. She could hear the buzz of their voices but not what they were saying. Could Gabe have some ulterior motive for helping her so often? She shook her head, unable to believe it. She didn’t want to believe it. The man had stolen her heart with his kindness. Part of the reason she wanted to work for him was so she didn’t have to say good-bye to him. She hoped that, given time, they might grow closer—that he might come to love her as she was afraid she loved him.
“It all seems mighty fishy to me. I’m just sayin’.”
Lara hated the niggling of suspicion that wormed through her at Jo’s comments. Maybe her sister was jealous because Gabe hadn’t offered her a job, but then he hadn’t even met her yet. As he approached, he eyed her sister then turned his gaze on Lara and smiled, chasing away all doubts of whether he cared for her. A man didn’t look at a woman like that—and totally ignore her beautiful sister—if he didn’t.
Two days after meeting Lara’s family, Gabe walked off the area for the house he planned to build. The view from the small hill would allow him to see a good part of his land from the second story. Lara knew about the house, but she had no idea of the size—or the fact that he hoped she’d share it with him as his wife once it was completed. Last time he was in town, he’d wired a carpenter he knew in Kansas City and made arrangements for the man to come to Oklahoma to build his house. In another week, Jerrold Parnell and his crew would arrive and the construction would begin.
He’d already ordered the lumber and needed to go into town to see if it had arrived and make arrangements for it to be delivered. Though he had some furniture, they would need much more. He had nothing for the kitchen or the spare bedrooms. Maybe Lara would ride with him and help pick out some furnishings from the catalogs at Mark Hillborne’s store. What the man didn’t have in stock, he seemed happy to order.
The whack of Luke’s axe reminded him that he needed to get down the hill and resume his work of helping with the fence posts. He had just wanted to make sure the level place on the hill where he planned to build was big enough for the house he envisioned.
Gabe’s stomach rumbled at the same time the dinner bell clanged.
Luke took another swing with the axe then covered his eyes and looked up the hill. “Was that the dinner clanger?”
“Yep! I’m coming down.” He jogged down the grassy part of the incline then slowed his pace where it turned into the loose rocks that Sunny had lost his footing on.
Luke walked toward him, leading Tempest and Golden Boy, then tossed him the reins to Gabe’s horse. “Hurry up. I’m starved. That woman of yours sure can cook.”
Gabe mounted, remembering the near tasteless pancakes Lara had cooked the day they met up with her family. She was a wonderful cook when she had a good stock of supplies. And the game he and Luke had shot helped, too. He could hardly wait until the large garden they started planting yesterday began yielding fresh produce. The thought of eating newly picked corn on the cob and green beans made his mouth water.
As they rode toward the dugout, where they stored the food and Lara’s family lived, he thought of how she’d outsmarted him by finding and claiming it first, but he really didn’t mind. He preferred that she and her family not have to sleep outdoors. It allowed him to worry less about her safety, knowing no wild animals could bother them once the door was closed. It was still possible a snake or small critter might burrow its way through the dirt, but that probably happened when they’d lived in a soddy, too.
As Gabe rode closer to Lara’s camp, his pulse picked up its pace. He longed to see her—to be close to her—whenever they were parted, as they were most days. It was the nature of working the land. Each person had their own tasks to do, and things worked well when each did their job. He scowled at the thought of Lara’s sister. She ought to help more, but Lara didn’t want to push her, because Jo didn’t like being forced. She was just plain spoiled and lazy, if you asked him. Lara was too sweet and preferred to shoulder the burden of the chores rather than argue with her stubborn sister. Maybe he should talk to Daniel about it. The older man had done well since arriving here. Gabe had trouble keeping him from trying to do too much. Too bad Jo didn’t take after him or her sister. From what little he heard, she sounded more like her brother who’d left the family when they had needed him most.
Michael ran toward them, waving. “Can I have a ride, Mr. Gabe?”
He reined Tempest to a halt, reached down, and tugged the boy up so he could sit in front of him. Michael grasped the saddle horn with both hands. When he leaned back against Gabe’s chest, the boy’s wispy hair tickled Gabe’s chin.
Lara smiled and waved as they drew near. She untied her apron and draped it over a low-hanging limb of a nearby tree, brushed the loose hair from her face, and walked toward him. Her cheeks reminded him of the red rosebush his ma had when he was young. His heart warmed with love for this woman.
He dismounted and set Michael on the ground. The boy ran past her, yelling that he was starved.
Luke walked around the front of Golden Boy and took Tempest’s reins. His lips tilted in an ornery smile, and his eyes twinkled. “You’d better hurry up and marry that gal before someone steals her from you.”
Gabe narrowed his gaze at Luke, hoping his friend wasn’t referring to himself. Luke laughed out loud. “Not me, you dolt. Her sister’s more to my likin’.” He walked away, chuckling.
“I hope you’re hungry. Grandpa and Jo caught some bass, and I fried it. Got a pot of rice, too.”
He smiled, longing to take her in his arms and greet her like he dreamed of, but there were too many eyes watching. “That sounds delicious.”
He held out his arm, and she looped her hand around it. “Do you suppose we could take a walk later?”
She glanced up at him. “I don’t see why not. Just let me get Michael in bed first. “What did you want to talk about?”
“I plan to ride into Guthrie tomorrow, and I’ll need a list of supplies you want me to pick up. Also, I want to talk about the house furnishings.”
“Oh.”
He hated the disappointment in her voice. What had she hoped to hear? The possibilities made his knees weak. He tugged her closer. “And maybe I’d just like to have you to myself for a while.”
When she glanced up, he winked, once again bringing red to her cheeks.
And if things went as planned, he would steal a kiss or two.
Lara pushed the pins into her hair, hoping it looked a
ll right for her walk with Gabe. She had hoped he had a more romantic topic he wanted to chat about than food supplies, although talking about his house would be something different. Her insides quivered as she thought about finally being alone with him. Whenever they were together, someone else was always nearby.
Lantern light flickered on the dirt walls, barely illuminating the area enough to see. Jo watched from her spot on the edge of the bed, arms crossed. “I don’t know why you’re primping for that man. I thought you were smart.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nobody gives a person free land, just for working for them, unless they want something. Just be careful. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Lara blew out a frustrated breath. “You’re too young to be so jaded. Gabe has done nothing to cause me to mistrust him. Grandpa even likes him.”
“Well, I don’t.” Jo stuck her chin in the air. “But that won’t stop me from going into town with him tomorrow.”
“What?” Lara crossed the tiny room. “Why do you need to go to Guthrie?”
“I’m going to find myself a job. I’ve told you before that I don’t intend to work land. I wasn’t cut out to be a farmer’s wife, and I don’t intend to become one.”
“Jo—”
Her sister held up her hand. “Don’t bother trying to dissuade me, because I’m either going with Gabe or going alone.”
Lara swallowed, trying to think of something that would sway her hardheaded sister. “You’d leave all of us? We’re your family.”
“All you want to be is my boss.” Jo rose. “I am not your slave, and I don’t intend to work for you anymore.”
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