The Rancher's Request

by Stella Bagwell

  Today the bar was full, so she found a small table with two chairs at the back of the room. She settled herself in a chair nearest the window and, as she waited for Angie to come take her order, glanced around the busy room.

  Today was obviously sale day at the local county livestock barn. The diner was full of ranchers both young and old and the sound of male conversations and gruff laughter filled the café. As Juliet’s gaze scanned the crowd of eaters, she looked for Matt or a familiar face from the Sandbur, but she found none. Of course, it was probably foolish to think he or any of the men from the big ranch would be attending such a small livestock sale. The Sandbur was in a different league than most of the local ranchers. They didn’t sell just a small herd at a time. They shipped out tractor semi-trailer loads of cattle to buyers in far-off places.

  “Sorry, Juliet. I know you’ve been waiting, but this place is crazy today. I’m surprised you found a seat.”

  Juliet looked around to see a harried Angie standing near the edge of the table. Black smudges of fatigue were under the young waitress’s eyes and her normally shiny hair was dull and pulled back into a nondescript bun.

  “Don’t worry about me, Angie. I have plenty of time. Just give me a taco salad and a glass of iced tea.”

  Angie began to scribble on her pad. “I missed you these past couple of days. Have you been sick?”

  “No. I’ve been eating a sack lunch at my desk, but today I decided I needed to treat myself to something other than a can of tuna and a carton of yogurt. What about you?”

  The other woman let out a weary breath. “I’m okay. I’ll tell you about it later. Right now I’d better put your order in and start making the rounds with the coffeepot. These men have already guzzled about a gallon of the stuff.”

  Juliet shot her a heartening smile. “Maybe you’ll get a bunch of good tips.”

  Angie groaned with misgivings. “I hope you’re right. God knows I need them.”

  The waitress hurried away and Juliet picked up a newspaper that someone had left on the corner of the table. It was the daily issue from the neighboring city of Victoria and she began to scan the articles in spite of her practice to avoid any kind of reading on her lunch break. She needed something to concentrate on other than the dark cowboy from the Sandbur. But even articles about troubled politicians and local immigrant smuggling weren’t enough to draw her thoughts away from Matt.

  Darn the man. Why had he ever invited her to take that walk with him in the first place? If she’d stayed in the barn, where she should have stayed, she wouldn’t be sitting here looking for him, wondering what he was doing, or if he’d thought about her since their tryst at the shed row.

  Somehow she doubted their heated exchange in the shadows had affected him nearly as much as it had her. After all, a man didn’t need much urging when he had a female body in his arms. Nor did he need much motive to seek pleasure where it was so readily offered. She’d been handy and the moment had been right, that’s all there was to the matter, she reasoned with herself.

  Yet these past few days Matt’s awkward apology kept going round and round in her mind— I haven’t wanted any woman since Erica died. But you— What had that meant? That she was special? No. She couldn’t let herself start thinking in that direction. Matt had more or less told her that he had no interest in finding love with any woman. And Juliet had vowed over and over not to let herself get involved with another man—especially one who had issues longer than her grocery list.

  She was staring out the window at the falling rain, trying not to think about the man when a vaguely familiar voice sounded just behind her.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she was more than surprised to see Matt’s cousin, Nicolette Saddler, dressed in a slim peach-colored suit and a pair of high heels. The woman was definitely a class act, Juliet thought.

  “Ms. Saddler, how nice to see you!”

  She smiled and extended her hand to Juliet. “It’s Nicci, please. And I don’t mean to interrupt your lunch. In fact, I’m on my way out. I just happened to see you when you entered the café and I thought I’d come over and say hello.”

  Smiling, Juliet shook the woman’s hand. “I’m glad. Are you sure you don’t have time to sit down and have a cup of coffee or something else?” she invited.

  Her expression regretful, the pretty brunette shook her head. “Sorry. I’d love to, but I’m on my way to work. And since I’ve already taken off this morning, I’m going to pay dearly this afternoon.”

  Curious, Juliet asked, “Where do you work? At the ranch?”

  Nicolette let out a brief laugh. “No. I’ve done my share of ranch work in the past, but I have a safer job nowadays. I’m a physician’s assistant at a health clinic in Victoria.”

  Juliet looked at her with wide eyes. “A doctor! I’m impressed.”

  Nicolette gave her a modest smile. “Not really a doctor. Just close to one,” she corrected, then her expression took on a definite twinkle. “I thought I’d better warn you that you have the whole family abuzz.”

  Turning slightly, so that she would be facing the other woman, Juliet looked at her with surprise. “Abuzz? I’m sorry—have I—done something wrong?”

  Matt’s cousin chuckled freely this time and Juliet realized it was the first time she’d ever seen the woman with a genuine look of pleasure on her face.

  “No. Not at all. In fact, we’re wondering how you managed to do something right.”

  Confused, Juliet shook her head. “I’m afraid I’ve lost you.”

  “Matt,” the other woman explained. “You got him out on the dance floor the other night. That was a complete miracle. And all the family is beholden to you. We’ve been trying to get him to—well—come back to life, so to speak. But with Matt it’s like trying to reason with a wall of stone. When Lex and I saw him dancing with you it really made our hearts glad. You see, he’s been so lonely and bitter for such a long time. And someone like you is just what he needs.”

  Except that he doesn’t want someone like me, Juliet thought. At least not for more than five minutes.

  Dropping her gaze to the tabletop, she said quietly, “Thank you for saying that, Nicci. But it was just a dance. Matt has his own ideas about what he needs and I don’t think it’s a woman. Certainly not me.”

  The doctor’s face turned thoughtful as she studied Juliet’s bent head. “Would you like to be his woman?”

  Shocked by such the direct question, Juliet’s head jerked up. “Are you serious?” she asked in a stunned whisper.

  A gentle smile crossed Nicolette’s face. “I’m sorry for being so forward. Sometimes I forget that asking personal questions doesn’t always work outside the examining room.” She shrugged and began again. “But actually, I was serious. I just get the feeling that you’re attracted to Matt and I wanted to tell you not to give up on him. He’s worth fighting for.”

  Amazed by this whole conversation, Juliet could only wonder what this woman would think if she knew that Matt had nearly made love to her. Would she be happy about that, too, or would she see Juliet in an entirely different light. Like a woman from the wrong side of the tracks looking for a nice little meal ticket.

  “Look, Nicci, your cousin is an extremely sexy man. I’d have to be frigid not to feel some attraction for him. But he’s—well, I’ll just be frank, he’s a walking heartache. And since I’ve had plenty of those already, I’m not too eager to jump into any sort of relationship.”

  The woman’s face went suddenly sober and she nodded perceptively. “I understand what you’re saying, Juliet. And I apologize for sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong. I just happen to like you. And I think Matt likes you, too.”

  A corner of Juliet’s lips curved upward. “The feeling is mutual, Nicci. On both counts.”

  With a brief smile, the woman reached over and gently squeezed Juliet’s shoulder. “I hope we can visit again sometime.”

  Juliet nodded. “I’d like that.”

  As the woma
n turned to leave, Angie glided up to the table with Juliet’s lunch. The waitress cast a curious glance at Nicolette Saddler’s back before she placed the taco salad in front of her friend.

  “That was Ms. Saddler—the doctor from the Sandbur,” she whispered as she leaned toward Juliet. “What was she doing over here at your table?”

  Juliet’s lips curved with amusement. It would never occur to her friend that she was being just a bit nosy.

  “Just saying hello.”

  Angie’s eyes widened. “Really? You know her?”

  The waitress made it sound as though Nicolette was royalty and Juliet supposed to the people around Goliad the Saddler and Sanchez families were the closest thing to monarchs. Their generations had settled this area and over the years they’d built an empire. As with most wealthy people they were envied, admired and sometimes hated.

  “Slightly,” Juliet admitted. “I met her at a party I attended the other night at the Sandbur.”

  In spite of the café being packed, Angie sank into the chair opposite Juliet’s and leaned eagerly toward her. “Why haven’t you told me about this? You, at a party on the Sandbur! How did you ever get invited? Or was it work for the newspaper?”

  Juliet wasn’t one to talk about her personal life. Yet she knew that Angie was lonely and hungry for any kind of socializing, even the secondhand kind.

  Picking up her fork, she stabbed into the lettuce and spicy meat piled upon the fried tortilla shell. “It had nothing to do with work. Matt Sanchez’s daughter, Gracia, invited me. It was her birthday party. She was turning thirteen.”

  Angie looked even more confused and Juliet explained. “I met Gracia at the wedding and we became friends.”

  “Oh. Gosh, rubbing elbows with the elite, what’s that like?”

  Juliet stifled the urge to groan. She’d done far more than rub elbows with one member of the ranching royalty. She’d come close to making love to him. God, what a mistake that would have been, when just kissing her had seemed to riddle him with guilt and regret.

  “They’re just regular folks like us, Angie. They just happen to have more money in the bank than we do.”

  The sparkle of excitement that had been in Angie’s eyes was now replaced with a dull look of worry.

  “They wouldn’t have to have much to outdo me,” she said glumly. “I don’t have any money in the bank. Mine goes as quickly as I get it.”

  “Don’t feel badly. Most of us live that way.” She picked up her tea and took a long drink before she asked, “Angie, I don’t mean to sound critical, but you look terrible today. Are you feeling okay?”

  Sighing, the waitress leaned back in the chair, then took a quick glance around the room to make sure no new customers had strolled into the café. “I’m all right. Just exhausted. Melanie has been sick for the past two days with a fever. I’ve been sitting up at night bathing her with cool cloths. During the day while I’m at work, the babysitter has been tending to her. We give her fever reducer as much as we can, but it keeps coming back.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. What does the doctor say is wrong?”

  The worrisome frown on Angie’s face deepened. “I get my paycheck today so I’m going to take her to the doctor this afternoon.”

  “Angie! Why have you waited? If it’s money—”

  “Juliet, there’s no doctor around here that will see a patient on credit. They all want to be paid right then, Johnny-on-the-spot. Besides, even if I’d taken her earlier, I wouldn’t have had money for medicine.”

  “There’re programs for assistance, Angie. You need help and—”

  Shaking her head, Angie interrupted. “I’d have to give up my job to get benefits. I’m not going to do that, Juliet. I don’t want handouts so—Melanie and me just fall through the cracks.”

  The bell over the café door jingled as another pair of customers stepped through the door. Seeing them, Angie rose tiredly to her feet. “I gotta go. I’ve already sat here too long.”

  Juliet thoughtfully watched the young woman hurry away. Angie’s three-year-old daughter was an adorable child. She could hardly bear to think of her being ill and not getting the medical attention she needed. Yet Juliet understood completely what it was like to be so penniless that it was all a person could do just to keep shelter over her head and food on the table. Once she’d left the haven of her aunt’s home, she’d not taken a penny from anyone, especially her shiftless father, who sometimes had money and oftentimes not. Like Angie, she’d worked at waiting tables and all sorts of odd jobs to pay the rent and tuition for college. The only difference being that Juliet had only had herself to be responsible for. It was difficult to imagine going through those tough times with a child at her side.

  If only there was a doctor around who’d be willing to help Angie and her daughter, a doctor who wasn’t in the business just solely for the money, Juliet thought as she munched through her salad.

  Nicolette Saddler. The physician’s assistant suddenly popped into Juliet’s mind and as she thought about the gentle woman, she couldn’t imagine her turning away an ill patient over money. Especially a child. If she knew the clinic where Nicolette worked, Juliet would take it upon herself to call the woman. But she didn’t have a clue and a city as big as Victoria had many medical facilities. Of course she could call Matt and ask him. But she didn’t think he would appreciate the intrusion. After the night of the party, she figured she would never hear from him again.

  Well, that left Nicolette’s mother, Geraldine. She was slightly acquainted with the woman. Perhaps she could explain the situation with Angie to the Sandbur matriarch and see how things went from there. At least it would be a try.

  Finishing off the last bites of her salad, she took a couple of twenties from her handbag and left them by her plate. Angie would find them later and probably be angry with her, but Juliet would deal with that when the time came. Right now she wanted to help a friend.

  Later that evening in the Sanchez house, Matt had just sat down to the evening meal with his daughter when she turned a pleading smile on him.

  “Daddy, I was thinking it would be nice if we could have a picnic this weekend.”

  The piece of steak on the end of his fork stopped halfway to his mouth. “A picnic. We’ve never done that sort of thing before.”

  Her big hazel eyes were impish and sparkling, a big improvement from the cheerless gaze his daughter usually gave him. He wanted to think it was the concentrated effort he’d made this past week to be with her at the supper table every evening. But a part of him figured Juliet Madsen had a lot to do with it. Since Gracia had become friends with the woman, she’d slowly started coming out of the sad shell that had surrounded her for months now.

  “That’s more reason why we should,” Gracia reasoned. “You work too hard, Daddy, and I hardly ever get to see you.”

  He popped the piece of rib eye into his mouth and chewed slowly. “We’ve been spending every evening together,” he reminded her.

  She nodded. “I know. And it’s nice not to be sitting here alone or with Uncle Cordero. But I want us to do things—together.”

  Gracia needs you. She needs your attention and your admiration.

  Juliet’s words marched through his mind and warned him to choose his next words carefully.

  “And you want us to have a picnic,” he reiterated.

  She put down her fork and looked at him with excitement. “Yes! We could ride our horses down to the river where it’s shallow. And if it’s warm we could even go wading.”

  With a slight shake of his head, Matt said, “Gracia, your dad is too old to do such things. That’s for young people, like you.”

  She pursed her lips. “Well, it wouldn’t be too old for Juliet. I know she’ll like it. If you don’t want to wade, you can stay on the bank and eat.”

  Matt sat up straighter in his chair. “Whoa, now. What’s this about Juliet? I thought you were talking about the two of us.”

  She turned another imploring look
on him and Matt wondered how females were born with the innate ability to know exactly when to turn on the charm.

  “I was. But I thought it would be really cool if Juliet could go with us,” Gracia answered in a rush. “She knows how to ride—she told me so. And it would be neat to have the two of you with me. It would be—”

  She broke off awkwardly and Matt watched her thoughtfully as she twirled a long strand of hair around her finger.

  “Go on, Gracia. It would be what?” he prodded.

  Bending her head, she studied her plate for long moments, then finally she looked up at him, her expression both daring and hopeful. “Well, it would be almost like having a real family with me.”

  Something stabbed him deep in the gut, but he tried to ignore the pain. He didn’t want his daughter to see that she’d rammed a thorn in his side.

  “You mean like a mother and father,” he said quietly.

  Her head suddenly bobbed up and down with the relief that he understood. “Yeah. Like that.”

  He drew in a deep breath and let it out. “Well, Gracia, you need to remember that Juliet is not your mother. And she won’t ever be.”

  Horrified, the teenager stared at him as if he’d just spoken blasphemy and then she blasted out at him. “My mother is gone! She won’t ever come back! And Juliet won’t ever be my mother because of you! Because you’re too mean and you don’t understand anything but those stupid cows and—and—”

  Tears strangled off the rest of her words as she jumped from the table and raced from the room.

  Matt rose slightly from his chair with intentions of going after her, but after a moment’s consideration he eased back down in his seat. It would probably be best for both of them if he allowed her enough time to calm down before he tried to reason with her.

  Several rooms away, he heard a door slam loudly and realized the noise was a result of his daughter leaving the house. More than likely she was heading up to her Aunt Geraldine’s house where she could find a little female solace.