No Place for a Lady (Heart of the West Book #1): A Novel

by Brendan, Maggie

  “Best I can do is $4.75. Take it or leave it.”

  Crystal handed him the money, and he rolled the belt, then placed it into a small sack for her. Later she found a beautiful shawl and purchased it for Carmen. This was the most fun she’d had in a long time, and it felt wonderful to be under the canopy of a clear blue sky and watch the townsfolk enjoy themselves after a week of hard work of harvesting their fields or rounding up cattle. Crystal was glad that the trail drive was finally behind her, and she had a certain lightness in her heart this fine day.

  Emily and Beth called out to her and fell into step beside her. “We are so glad you’re back!” Emily said. “You’ll have to sit with us for lunch and tell us all about the trail drive. What was it like?”

  “Did you sleep out under the stars too? Did you have to cook?” Beth joined in with her own questions.

  “Whoa, one at a time. I’d loved to sit with you and tell you all about it.” Crystal linked arms with Emily and Beth. “But I’m famished. Shall we eat?”

  They sat at a long plank table surrounded by laughter and conversation. Luke and April joined them, then Kurt and Carmen. Jube hurried over with his plate and sat next to Emily with a look of pure adoration on his face. It wasn’t long before Reverend Alden showed up to squeeze in next to Beth, who blushed a becoming pink.

  Crystal felt like the odd one out. Everyone was paired with a sweetheart, and it pierced her heart. There was much talking, laughing, and flirting. Fighting back her tears, she folded her napkin and tried to appear interested in their conversation. She wished Josh were here, but she had not seen him among the crowds today.

  Flo yelled out to the crowd that it was time for the pie auction. “Now, you men, we need to fetch a good price for these pies. You all know it’s to raise money for the church’s new organ. So all you gather around near the pie table, and we’ll start the bidding.”

  Flo moved over to the pie table. Folks satiated from the fried chicken made their way toward the auction.

  “Remember, if you are outbid, sit down. If your bid is accepted, you must take your dessert and claim the maker of the pie to share it with her. Okay? Let’s get started.”

  Sara picked up the first pie and held it up high for all to see. The bidding started and ended before Crystal could catch her breath. The first pie was none other than Beth’s, and the folks enjoyed watching as the young preacher played a bidding war with a couple of cowboys until he won. He walked up front to receive his pie.

  “Name’s on the bottom, Reverend, so all is fair,” Flo told him as he lifted the beautiful pie up to read Beth’s name on its bottom. “So, whose pie is it?” Sara teased.

  “It’s Beth Johnson’s. Beth, would you do me the honor of sharing this pie?” His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down when he talked, and he smiled at Beth. Beth stepped out to meet him, and they made their way through the crowd to a shady spot under a cottonwood tree.

  The bidding continued with fun and frivolity as the men tried to guess whose pie they were bidding for. Crystal waited and wondered who would pick her pie, if anyone. No sooner than she had the thought, her apple pie was lifted off the dessert table by Sara to start the bidding.

  “I’ll bid $1.50.” Josh raised his hand. Crystal hadn’t seen him earlier, but she was quite pleased that he was there after all and bidding on her pie.

  “I’ll make that $2.00.” Crystal heard a familiar voice behind her. Without turning around, she knew it was Luke.

  “$2.50,” Josh said quickly.

  “$3.00.” Luke spoke again without looking at Josh.

  “I’ll give you $3.50.”

  “Make it $4.00.”

  The crowd was into it now and egging them on.

  “Don’t give in, Josh,” April said loudly enough to be heard above the crowd.

  “$4.25,” Josh said.

  “$5.00.”

  “$5.50. And that’s my final.”

  “$6.00!”

  “$6.00,” Flo said. “Going once . . . going twice . . . sold for $6.00 to Luke. Step right up and get your pie.” Flo handed the pie to Luke, and when he was close enough, Crystal heard her say, “Wise choice, my friend.”

  Luke lifted the pie to read the name and called out, “Crystal Clark!” His voice held surprise. “Would you care to share your pie with me?”

  Crystal, embarrassed that anyone would spend that much on her pie, made her way forward. “I accept your invitation.”

  Crystal stole a look at April, whose face was like stone. April stood with her arms crossed, and Crystal realized she was probably agitated with Luke for not bidding on her pie. Crystal’s heart skipped a beat, and her mouth went dry as she followed the tall cowboy past the cheering crowd. She smiled weakly at Josh, but he stared back at her with a wounded look in his eyes.

  “Hope that pie was worth spending $6.00 on.” April spoke through clenched teeth.

  “Would you care to join us, April?” Luke asked.

  “Yes, please do, April,” Crystal said.

  “No thanks, I’m sure my pie will fetch a fair price when the bidding starts. Too bad you will miss out, Luke.” April’s tone was bitter.

  April tossed her long silky locks and sucked in a deep breath, then whirled around to listen to the next bidding. Her sad-looking pie, frothy meringue now melting under the heat, was the next one up. As Crystal watched from the back of the crowd before leaving with Luke, she noticed that no one was bidding. April’s father made a halfhearted attempt to get the bidding going but wound up with the dubious-looking dessert in his possession. April’s face clearly showed her embarrassment, but she followed Jim McBride out of the spotlight.

  In the rush for preparations before the bazaar, Luke had barely seen Crystal, and he had been relieved—as long as he didn’t see her, it was easier to put off telling her about Kate’s will. But now here he was with her pie and his hand on her elbow. He hadn’t figured on that at all.

  Luke steered Crystal near the creek bed and placed the pie on a big boulder. Taking out his pocketknife, he proceeded to cut large slices of the delectable-looking apple pie. He had been shocked when he discovered the pie belonged to Crystal and not Carmen. If it tasted half as good as it looked, then the money was well spent.

  “Crystal, I had no idea you could bake a pie. You surprise me all the time,” he said. He handed her a slice after she held out her napkin. Luke licked the sticky apple off his fingers. “This is excellent, and the crust is so light. Who taught you this?”

  Crystal beamed at his compliment. “My cook in Georgia did. It’s the one thing I like to do in the kitchen.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me a long time ago when you and Carmen were baking?”

  “Seems you had your mind made up that I couldn’t do anything . . . so I didn’t care if you knew or not.”

  Luke sank his teeth into the last bite and swallowed hard. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings that day. I just assumed the pies were Carmen’s and you were just there cleaning up.” His legs felt weak every time he looked into her large green eyes. Why does she do this to me? He’d better hurry back to the churchyard, or April would be looking for him. He’d seen how upset she was that he picked Crystal’s pie and not hers. It was an honest mistake, but then, he had asked April to join them.

  Crystal continued to look into his eyes, and he felt unnerved somehow about keeping the truth about the ranch from her. Since the trail drive, there had been an unspoken truce between them. Luke genuinely enjoyed being around her with her infectious charm and sweet Southern voice.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Crystal said. “Maybe April cooks a good pie too. For your sake, I hope so, since you’ll be married.” Luke sensed that Crystal felt as uncomfortable being alone with him as he did with her. “Speaking of April, here she comes.” Oh boy, April’s not happy about this, he thought as she headed their way.

  “Luke, are you through devouring that pie? We need to return to the bazaar. There will be a sack race, if you’re interested. I wi
ll be your partner.” Luke noticed that she seemed to ignore Crystal standing there. April placed her arm on his possessively.

  “Sounds like fun, April. Care to find a partner for the sack race, Crystal?” Luke watched her face.

  “Don’t worry about me, I’ll go look for Josh,” she answered in a sweet voice, and then left.

  When Crystal was out of earshot, April turned on him. “Did you have to make a fool of yourself with that ridiculous bid for Crystal’s pie?” April spat.

  Luke knew that April was jealous and answered firmly, “I had no idea the pie belonged to her. It just looked delicious. Matter of fact, it is. Would you like a slice?” he taunted her.

  “I wouldn’t eat it if it were the last piece on earth! You should have been bidding on my pie! Now everyone’s talking about it.” April stamped her foot and folded her arms.

  “You are acting just like a spoiled brat! I’m engaged to you, not Crystal.”

  “That’s my point,” April fumed. “Maybe you wanted to be alone with her. I’ve seen how you look at her when you think no one is looking. I will not play second fiddle to anyone, Luke!”

  Now she was treading on thin ice. Luke did not like this irritable and jealous side of April. It was not becoming, especially since Crystal didn’t have anything to do with it. But it was true, he did steal glances at Crystal. Ever since the trail drive, he had a new respect for Crystal. She was so much tougher than he thought.

  “How was I to know it wasn’t your pie? And I won’t have you telling me what to do!” he slung back at her. He watched as her face crumpled. With pouting lips she came close, fingering the button on the top of his shirt. “Sometimes I get the feeling you don’t want to be married to me, Luke. You never touch me or kiss me.”

  “I must admit, I have been having second thoughts, April,” Luke said. As soon as the words tumbled out of his mouth, he regretted his timing.

  Looking stunned, April took a step back and let her arms drop to her sides. “What do you mean? Are you seeing Crystal behind my back?” she sputtered.

  “No, nothing like that, April. I’m just not sure we’re right for each other. We always end up fighting, and it’s usually about your jealousy and temper.” Luke studied her eyes for clues to her reaction.

  “No, you’re lying. Ever since you got back from that blasted trail drive, you’ve been different. Did something happen out there?” “Nothing. Honest. Just a lot of thinking on my part. I had a lot of time to do that,” Luke admitted. He could see the hurt in her eyes. But he had to be truthful.

  “Well . . . I reckon I’m not good enough for you. Who would’ve thought it? A lowly cowboy without one red cent to his name, rejecting a cattle baron’s daughter. Well, I won’t hang around to be humiliated, Luke. You can consider this engagement off!” April’s eyes flooded with tears, and she ran toward her family carriage hitched outside the churchyard. She climbed aboard and turned the horses out, and with a sharp snap of the whip across the horses’backsides, she flew past the bazaar like the devil himself was chasing her. Luke saw her mother call out to her, but her voice was lost in the wind.

  Luke stood rooted to the spot. He hadn’t meant to pick a fight. But now he was glad this farce was over. He admitted in his heart that he didn’t love April. She was just his ticket to the property on the Blue River, nothing more. While he was ashamed to admit it, if he were honest with himself, breaking things off was the right thing to do. He felt disgusted for letting things go on as long as they did. She deserved better than that.

  The rest of the festivities passed in a blur. Luke knew people were talking about April’s hasty departure. Even when Rusty tried to ask him about it, he brushed him aside. Rusty picked up his fiddle and called a dance, probably trying to lift the mood of the cowboy. Yet Luke couldn’t help but notice Josh leading Crystal by the arm in the dance.

  Luke took his time in getting back to the ranch after the bazaar. He listened to the night sounds of the mountains along the trail and paused along the ridge overlooking the ranch. An owl hooted from its perch, his enormous eyes glowing in the thick darkness. Wind was stirring the spruces around, and their pungent fragrance filled the night air. He saw the lights at the ranch softly glowing in the distance and smoke curling from the fireplace. Crystal was probably getting ready for bed.

  As he thought of her, his heart lurched in his chest. He was relieved that he had admitted to himself that he cared for Crystal. Maybe he loved her. She had managed somehow to creep into his thoughts most of the time. He thought back over the trail drive, how she had worked as hard as the next cowboy. How she didn’t give up and gave it all she had. He was drawn to her, and he thought she felt it too.

  He knew she was strong in her faith, although not blatant about it. He knew she prayed, and more than once she had said she relied on God. Luke wished he could do that. He wanted that confidence she had. Assurance that someone other than himself was in control and cared about him. Luke had never thought God was interested in him. Why would God care about him? He was just somewhere above the stars.

  Luke remembered the night that Curly and Crystal talked about how God had created the stars. Luke looked up into the cold, dark night at the beautiful full moon. Someone had to have created this vast universe. He was awed when he saw the billions of twinkling stars sprinkled across the sky and the moon illuminating the valley.

  Maybe it was just a matter of trust.

  “God, if You can hear me . . . Crystal has something special. I need to know if You are there. The preacher said once that You sent Your Son to die for us. I want to believe that and ask You to forgive me. Bill said we are all sinners. I know I can never be good enough, and I have messed up where April is concerned. Crystal said that You care about everything in our lives. Gosh, even Curly believed. I don’t know how to handle this thing about the ranch or how to tell Crystal. I need someone smarter than me to point me in the right direction. Maybe You are just the One to help me.

  “To be honest, I’ve never thought about dying until Kate died, then Curly . . . I need to get things right with You. Maybe You have a purpose for me since I didn’t die from typhoid when my parents did. Just show me what to do, and thanks for what you did. Amen.”

  Luke felt a heavy load lift from his shoulders. “I think I just talked to the God of the universe, Buck,” he said softly, nudging his horse down the steep slope toward the bunkhouse. Buck tossed his mane, and Luke laughed out loud.

  21

  Indian summer was swept away with a blast of sudden northeast winds that brought heavy frost. The aspen leaves that once shimmered brilliant gold and red were fading to a dull brown, whispering that winter wasn’t far behind. Crystal had settled into a comfortable routine since the trail drive, and now work around the ranch was slowing down a bit. Luke would go over the small details that needed tending with her and then delegate one of the drovers to do the tasks at hand. But for the most part, Crystal and Carmen took care of the cooking and laundry. Rusty was always there to lend a hand, whether it was mending fences or going to town for supplies when needed.

  Crystal was happy to see Carmen and Kurt becoming closer than just friends. Carmen talked less about Curly now, and the sadness was slowly fading from her eyes like the fall colors of the leaves. Now her eyes lit up whenever Kurt was around.

  Crystal hadn’t seen much of April since the bazaar. April had been absent from church that next morning, so Crystal didn’t get the guest list for the shower. She would have to ask Mrs. McBride about it or perhaps send Rusty over to the Rocking M for it.

  Crystal lifted her coat off the peg by the front door and stepped out to the porch, carrying her cup of coffee. She loved the mornings here. They were almost always clear and bright, unlike Atlanta with its morning haze from either humidity or fog, depending on the time of year.

  Carmen had draped blankets across the rockers, and now Crystal placed one across her lap to ward off the morning chill. The heat from the coffee warmed her hands, and she blew on t
he steaming liquid. She saw Luke come out of the barn and watched as he went about his morning chores with Jube. They had pulled the barn doors wide open while caring for the livestock and worked in companionable silence. Crystal was getting used to the fact that most cowboys worked in a quiet fashion and communicated with a mere word or two.

  She sensed something different about Luke. He seemed quieter than normal, but she couldn’t be sure. Maybe he was thinking about his marriage to April. Had they set a date? Life would be easier once Luke no longer worked for her and moved to the Rocking M. Then she wouldn’t be reminded that he belonged to another. She wondered if they could handle everything without him.

  While she followed Luke with her eyes, he paused and tipped his hat to her. Crystal’s heart gave a small flip-flop, and she lifted her hand in greeting. She watched as he crossed the wide yard with long, fluid movements. She liked the way his boots caused his hips to swing slightly. I shouldn’t be having thoughts like this.

  Luke reached the porch, placed one dusty boot on the step, and propped an arm across his leg. He tilted his hat back in order to see her better and smiled. “The mornings are gettin’cold, but it always warms up by lunchtime.”

  “Yes, but I love starting my day on the porch while it’s still quiet.” Crystal thought back to her father’s veranda, of the many times her family had exchanged pleasantries or ended their day together at dusk on a sultry Southern night.

  “Better enjoy the mild weather while you can. This time of year it can change faster than a bronco can buck you off its back.”

  “I guess we need to be prepared for it. Do we have enough firewood cut?” Crystal watched his blue eyes, searching them to see if she was the only one having confusing emotions whenever they were together.

  “Nope. But that’s one thing we’ll take care of today.” Luke gazed at the western sky. “I have a feeling the bitter cold is almost on us. Check out those low-hanging clouds.”