The Cowboy And The Debutante

by Stella Bagwell

  “Anna! Anna, can you hear me?”

  The deep male voice persisted, demanding she wake up and open her eyes. Anna struggled to see through the cobwebs floating around in her head.

  “Miguel? Is that you?” she asked weakly.

  Cool, rough fingers touched her temple, and she realized something was wrong with her head. Pain was zinging through it like bolts of lightning.

  “Yes. It’s Miguel,” the male voice answered.

  A strong arm slid beneath her shoulders and pillowed her upper body in a half-sitting position. “What...happened?” she asked.

  “You’ve been kicked,” he said grimly. “Can you see me?”

  Anna tried her best to focus her gaze on his dark face. Her vision was still blurred, but thankfully it was quickly clearing.

  “Yes. Was I...kicked in the head?” She brought her fingers up to her forehead. It felt like someone had whammed her with a hammer.

  “Right in the temple.”

  “She took a pretty good lick, boss,” one of the cowboys that were grouped around them said. “Maybe she should go to the doctor.”

  “You’re probably right, Jim,” Miguel agreed. “Can you men go on, while I take Anna back to the ranch?”

  “No!” Anna practically shouted and made a sudden move to get to her feet.

  “Stay where you are!”

  The demanding tone of Miguel’s voice was like a shot of adrenaline to Anna. She shoved herself away from him and stood on rubbery legs.

  “I’m okay. I don’t need a doctor!”

  Another cowhand retrieved her felt hat from the ground where she’d fallen and handed it to her. Anna jammed it back on her head and tried not to wince as it settled over the goose egg that had already formed beneath her scalp.

  “You probably have a concussion,” Miguel warned her.

  “I can see, and I don’t have the urge to throw up. I just have an ache in my head. And you would, too, under the circumstances.”

  Miguel motioned for the men to get back to work, then, taking Anna by the arm, he led her over to the back of the chuck wagon where the two of them would be out of sight from the others.

  “Why are you continuing to argue with me? You were briefly knocked out cold!” he told her, his voice rough with frustration. “I want you to swallow a couple of pain pills, and then I’m going to ride with you back to the ranch.”

  “Why? I don’t need to go back to the ranch.”

  He glared at her with angry disbelief, and Anna wished she had the strength to knock the know-it-all look off his face.

  “You didn’t need to be down in the branding pen, either,” he said, “but you wouldn’t listen to me.”

  “Oh, sure, throw that up to me! I’m sure it tickles you to death to be able to say ‘I told you so.”’

  At this very moment, Miguel wanted to shake her, then hold her as tightly as he could. He’d never been so frightened as when he’d heard the thud of the calf’s hoof striking her head and then had seen her lying white-faced and lifeless on the ground.

  “Nothing about this situation tickles me Anna.”

  She tried not to feel hurt by his attitude. After all, nowhere was it written that he had to like her. “In other words, you never wanted me around in the first place. You only tolerated my presence because of my mother. Well, if you must know, I only came out here on this roundup to please my mother.”

  “And here I thought all this time you were pining to be near me,” he said sarcastically.

  “You really are—” she shook her head “—sickening!”

  Suddenly his hand was cupping the back of her neck and his face was dangerously close to hers. “What would you know about me, Anna Murdock Sanders? You’ve been away from this ranch for more than a year. You didn’t even know your mother had hired a new man to run the place. I can plainly see who and what you care about!”

  Anger turned her cheeks scarlet and made her head pound just that much worse. “I think your hands and your notions are both misguided,” she said through gritted teeth.

  Something flared in his eyes, but before Anna could figure out what it was, pressure from his fingers propelled her forward and a pair of hard lips clamped down on hers.

  She groaned a protest in her throat, and her fists came up to push against his shoulders. But that was where her fight ended. Her stunned outrage was suddenly forgotten as her senses gave over to the overwhelming sensation of being in his arms, tasting his hard, warm lips.

  Anna was certain an eternity had passed before he finally ended the kiss and looked down at her. By then her legs were trembling even worse than before, and her head reeled with pain and the humiliation of surrendering to the man.

  “I’m certain,” he muttered, “that you think entirely too much. As for my hands and my notions—you won’t be bothered by either of them again!”

  “That’s the best news I’ve had in years!”

  Miguel didn’t know what in hell had come over him. He hadn’t wanted to kiss Anna Murdock Sanders! But he had, and even now he still couldn’t find the strength to put her away from him.

  “Can you see straight now?” he asked coolly.

  Her nostrils flared daintily as her eyes focused on the tantalizing curve of his lips. She was probably just one of many women that had tasted his mouth, she told herself. What had just transpired between them had meant nothing to him, except an act of punishment.

  “Straighter than I’ve ever seen before!”

  “Good. Then get on your horse and get out of here before I say or do something I’ll really regret.”

  “Believe me, I already have.”

  She jerked away from him and strode around to the front of the chuck wagon. The cook searched out a bottle of painkillers for her and Anna quickly swallowed one down with a swig of bitter coffee. By the time she’d untethered Ginger and swung herself up into the saddle, Miguel had already dismissed her and gone back to work in the branding pen. Now all she had to do was ride three miles back to the ranch and try to forget she’d ever met the man!

  Chapter Three

  “Anna! Anna, wake up!”

  This time it was her mother’s instructions rather than Miguel’s and the urgency in the older woman’s voice caused Anna to come awake instantly.

  “What’s wrong?” She glanced at the clock on the nightstand and was alarmed to see it was the middle of the night.

  “Don’t panic, darling, but we’ve had a telephone call from South America. It sounds as though Adam has been involved in some sort of accident out at one of the oil sites.”

  Anna bolted upright in bed, and the sudden movement caused her to clutch her head and groan.

  Chloe sat down on the side of the mattress and put her arm around her daughter. “I’m sorry I had to wake you up like this. I know your head must be killing you. But your daddy and I are going to be leaving in a few minutes.”

  Anna dropped her hands from her temples and stared anxiously at her mother. “Now? Tonight? Is he—” She was forced to stop and swallow as fear knotted her throat. “Is he injured critically?”

  Chloe shook her head. “No...it doesn’t sound that serious. The caller said Adam was in the hospital with a broken leg. And that was the only injury he knew about.”

  “Thank God for that much,” Anna murmured as thoughts of her brother whirled through her mind. He’d always been like a third arm or leg to her. Even when they were apart, she always felt his presence, as he did hers. She ached for him now.

  “Don’t you think I should go, too? I want to see him,” she said, quickly throwing back the covers.

  “Not tonight,” Chloe said quickly. “You don’t need to be traveling with that lump on your head. Besides, if it turns out Adam needs surgery on his leg, we might have to stay down there for an extended time. If that’s the case, I’ll need you here to see after the horses for me.”

  Anna nodded at her mother’s reasoning. “Of course, I’ll do anything you need me to.”

 
Chloe hugged her close. “I know you will, darling.”

  She got up from the bed and gently pushed Anna back down against the pillow. “Try to rest and don’t worry. We’ll call you as soon as we find out anything. And in the morning please go over to Miguel’s and explain to him what’s happened and that it looks as though we’ll be away for a few days.”

  “Go over to Miguel’s? Mother, there’s no need for that! The man will probably be down at the stables by daybreak. I’ll let him know then.”

  Chloe frowned at her daughter. “He won’t be down at the stables in the morning. The men are going to be doing roundup without him tomorrow. He was going to Alamogordo to make a deal on some liquid feed.”

  “Then I’ll tell him when he gets back.”

  Chloe shot her an exasperated look. Anna groaned and scrubbed her eyes with both fists. “I know, Mother. I’m being a pain. It’s just that I’m worried sick about Adam, and I’d rather go see him than stay here with...Miguel Chavez! You might as well know right now that we’ve had...a run-in.”

  Chloe made a palms-up gesture as if to tell her daughter so what. “Then the two of you will just have to get back on track. I can’t concentrate on Adam unless I know this place is being taken care of, and that’s going to mean both you and Miguel seeing after things.”

  Anna always loved having a chance to help her parents, to pay them back for all the wonderful years they’d given her. But why the heck did she have to do it with Miguel Chavez?

  “Don’t worry,” Anna assured her mother. “I won’t let you down. If need be, I’ll murder Miguel and persuade Lester to come back.”

  “Fat chance.” She headed toward the door, then paused with her hand on the knob. “By the way, just what did Miguel do to get you so stirred up?”

  “Well...” Anna’s mouth opened and closed, then she decided where her mother was concerned honesty was always the best policy. “For starters he...kissed me!”

  No stunned gasp or words of outrage. Chloe simply threw back her head and laughed. “I’m sure that was sheer punishment.”

  Anna flung her tangled red hair out of her eyes. “Humiliating torture.”

  Chloe chuckled once again. “Oh, Anna, I can see I’m not going to have to worry about you while I’m gone.”

  Her mother hurried on out the door, and Anna groaned and fell back against the pillows. It was after two o’clock. Morning and dealing with Miguel was going to be here all too soon.

  The rambling log house, perched precariously on the side of the mountain, was just as Anna remembered. The front, with its plate-glass windows and wide wooden deck, faced the west and looked out over a deep arroyo. Tall ponderosa pine, spruce and aspen spilled down the rugged bluff behind the house and crowded around the structure, shading the roof and the deck.

  Anna had always loved the quiet, rustic beauty of the place. Even though it didn’t compare to the splendor of the Bar M hacienda, the house was a lovely one, and the solitude it provided appealed to Anna far more than the bustle of activity that was always going on down at the ranch house.

  As she walked across the deck, she wondered if Miguel liked it here in the Hondo Valley, then just as quickly the question of what had brought him to this place floated through her mind.

  However, Anna needed to know about Miguel Chavez as much as she needed another kick in the head. So she did her best to thrust the thought from her mind, then squared her shoulders and punched the doorbell.

  Long moments passed before the door opened. As Anna stood looking at him across the threshold, she was embarrassed to see she’d caught him in the act of shaving. He was dressed only in a pair of jeans and boots. A small white towel hung around his neck. Anna couldn’t help but notice the bold contrast it and the specks of white lather on his face made against his dark skin.

  “Sorry about the interruption,” she said as coolly as she could manage, “but I needed to talk to you before you left for Alamogordo this morning. And I remembered this place had never had a telephone.”

  He pulled the towel from his neck and wiped the remaining shaving cream from his jaws and upper lip. “I have a cellular in case of emergencies.”

  Her mother had failed to tell her that bit of information. The idea Chloe was deliberately throwing her at Miguel deepened the frown that was already marring Anna’s face.

  “I didn’t know,” she admitted.

  His weight shifted from one boot to the other as though he was waiting for her to continue and was irritated that she hadn’t. “Has something happened?” he asked.

  She nodded, and he motioned with his head for her to follow him inside. As soon as she passed through the small foyer and into the large living room. Anna was immediately struck by the difference in the place. All of Lester’s and his wife’s things were gone, along with the clutter and hominess the older couple lent to the place. The room was now sparsely decorated, yet surprisingly neat and comfortable.

  Without waiting for an invitation, she took a seat on a plump sofa covered with brown suede.

  “Did you know my twin had gone to South America?” she asked without preamble.

  Miguel stood facing her in the middle of the large room, as though sitting would encourage her to stay longer than necessary. Well, he needn’t worry, Anna thought. She was going to be out of here like a shot as soon as she got her mother’s message over with.

  “Yes. Your father had talked to me about his leaving. He hated to see his son go, but he thought it would be good for him and his work.”

  Anna nodded. “Well, it seems Adam was involved in some sort of accident, and my parents have flown down there to be with him. They left early this morning around two o’clock.”

  Miguel looked at her sharply. “Was he hurt badly?”

  Anna shook her head. “We don’t think so. I mean, a broken leg is bad enough, but it doesn’t appear to be life threatening.”

  His expression eased. “Thank God for that.”

  Anna sighed. “I do.”

  “So was there something else your mother wanted me to know or do? Does she want me to see after her horses while she’s away, or does she want me to hire someone?”

  “I’ll be taking care of the horses.”

  Anna rose to her feet, then suddenly wished she hadn’t. She could feel Miguel’s dark eyes running up and down the length of her as though he were sizing her up and found her totally lacking.

  “You?”

  “That’s what I said. Do you have a problem with that?”

  Other than the faint lift of his brows, his expression didn’t alter. “Why don’t you go into the kitchen and pour yourself a cup of coffee while I finish dressing.”

  Why was he going to bother with dressing now? she wondered wildly. She’d already gotten an eyeful, and she hated him for being so blatantly sexy. Now whenever she looked at him, she wouldn’t be seeing him in a work shirt. She’d be seeing thick, muscled shoulders and arms, a broad chest and washboard stomach. She wouldn’t have to wonder if his face was darker than the rest of him. She would know that beneath his clothes he was a smooth, delicious coffee brown.

  Unbidden heat filled her cheeks, and she hoped to heaven he was far enough away to dismiss it for makeup. “Do you have any made?”

  He nodded. “But I haven’t eaten breakfast yet, have you?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t want any.”

  He frowned. “Do you know how to cook or does your mama have to do that for you, too?”

  She tried not to show her bristles. “My mama doesn’t have to do anything for me,” she said crisply. “And I know how to cook. Do you?”

  He shot her a little mocking smile. “Of course.” He turned to leave the room, then tossed over his shoulder, “I’ll join you in five minutes.”

  When Miguel entered the kitchen a short time later, Anna was perched on a bar stool, nursing a mug of coffee. At the sound of his footsteps she turned and looked at him.

  Earlier, when he’d discovered her at the front do
or, Miguel had hardly been able to get his gaze beyond the purplish blue lump on her forehead. But now he was very nearly transfixed at the utterly beautiful picture she made with her bright hair, pale skin and green, green eyes.

  She was wearing a rich apricot blouse tucked into a pair of faded jeans. Hand-tooled boots were on her feet and a cream colored felt hat that cost more than an average week’s wages hung carelessly from a stampede string against her back. A silver and turquoise cuff bracelet circled her wrist, and tiny turquoise birds dangled from her earlobes.

  She epitomized everything he despised in a woman. Yet Miguel was beginning to realize there was more to her than just the surface. And that troubled him. Maybe she wasn’t a spoiled little rich girl like Charlene had been. But she was rich and she was young, and he had no business being attracted to her.

  “You haven’t heard from your parents this morning?”

  He went to the refrigerator and pulled out bacon and eggs.

  “No. I talked to both my aunts to tell them what happened. Rose and Harlan said to let them know if you need help with anything.”

  “Rose and Harlan have their own ranch to take care of,” he remarked as he slapped several slices of bacon into an iron skillet.

  From the corner of her eye Anna watched him work at the gas range. And just as she feared, she wasn’t seeing the white cotton shirt he was wearing, she was picturing him without it.

  “You don’t like Rose and Harlan?” she asked a bit defensively.

  “I like them very much. That’s why I don’t want to overload them with work that you and I can take care of. Or am I being presumptuous in thinking you’re going to work out at this job?”

  Anna racked her brain trying to recall any man who had infuriated her as much as this one. Yet it was impossible. She’d never met a man like Miguel. Period.

  “Don’t you mean work, rather than work out?” she asked in a saccharine-sweet voice.

  He didn’t bother turning to look at her as he tended the sizzling bacon. “However you want to say it, I’m not sure you’re up to filling Chloe’s boots.”