by Bobbi Smith
It was just at sunup when Mira heard Cole enter the kitchen accompanied by some of his men.
"Did you sleep well?" Cole asked when she joined them.
"Very well. Thank you for the hospitality," she answered.
Her gaze was hungry upon Cole, unmindful that Fred and another ranch hand were present. Even first thing in the morning, she thought him the most handsome man she'd ever seen. The dark shadow of a day's growth of beard on his jaw only added to the attraction she felt for him. If they had been alone at that moment, she would have gone into his arms and never let him go, but she was forced to control her emotions and her needs. Damn! She'd been thwarted in this plan, so she was going to have to come up with another. Nothing would stop her from becoming Mrs. Cole Randall.
Mira ate breakfast with the men, then was on her way home. She was not pleased with the way her trip to the Branding Iron had turned out, but at least she had gotten to see Cole for a little while and she'd gotten to sleep in his bed.
Mira wondered how many other women could say that.
She hoped there were none.
"Damn, Cole, that was one hot woman," Fred told him after Mira had gone. "Why in the hell did you spend the night in the bunkhouse with us when you could have had her all to yourself?"
Cole looked over at him and smiled slightly, though he wasn't amused. "That is exactly why I stayed in the bunkhouse."
The men laughed with him. Cole was trying to make light of the moment, but, in truth, he was asking himself the real reason why he hadn't spent the night in the house. Mira was a good-looking woman, and she had made no secret of her desire for him. She had been there for the taking, but he'd turned his back and walked away.
The truth was there for him to see. He'd spent the night thinking of Jenny and of how she'd looked wearing those pants, instead of thinking of Mira, ready and willing under his own roof.
Cole grew irritated.
Mira was gone.
It was a new day.
He needed to start concentrating on the work he had to do.
And he would, if he could keep himself from remembering his first sight of Jenny on that roof.
"We will have so much fun! Haven't you always wanted to experience the real Wild West?" Rose Stanford said excitedly to the friends gathered around the dining room table in her palatial home. Her dark eyes were sparkling with delight. "This is your chance! Who's going with us? Melanie and I are planning to leave a week from Friday, so that gives all of you plenty of time to get your personal business organized so you can travel with us. We'll be away for a few weeks, so plan for a big adventure."
Rose's enthusiasm was contagious-as usual. Rose lived life with such vitality that any time she got excited about anything, others were automatically drawn along with her. Her excursion to the Lazy S Ranch was no exception.
"Aubrey and I will join you," Richard Donathan III announced immediately.
"Good! Anyone else? One hundred dollars a week per person is nothing, really, and that will cover all your expenses except for traveling, of course," Rose told them, making up a figure that she knew her companions could easily afford.
The members of her social group were all from the best families in Philadelphia, and money was no object to them. She knew that if she'd quoted too low a price, they would have considered the trip beneath them. She hoped Jenny wouldn't be upset by the price she'd set, but judging from the tone of Jenny's letter, Rose sensed that her friend needed all the cash she could get, as quickly as possible. She was going to do her best to help her out.
"What exactly does one do on a guest ranch?" Aubrey Miles asked, now that he had been committed by Richard to participate.
"Anything you want," Rose told him, smiling to herself as she tried to envision Aubrey dressed in cowboy garb. High-fashion gentleman that he was, she had never seen him less than perfectly attired. It was going to be interesting to see how he adapted to a rougher, more physically challenging environment. "There will be horseback riding, trail hikes, hunting, and all kinds of outdoor activities, I'm sure. It should be quite wonderful. The Lazy S is a working cattle ranch, so we'll actually get to see real cowboys at work. From what Jenny tells me, the scenery is mag nificent, so I'm taking my camera equipment along to take lots of photographs."
Several others expressed interest in making the trek, and they promised to make a definite commitment in the next day or two.
"For those of you who can't make it, I'll tell you all about the Lazy S as soon as we get back. This is going to be the best trip ever," Rose declared, and she meant it. If nothing else, she'd get to see Jenny again. She missed her friend desperately.
Rose had been interested in the West ever since she'd first met Jenny at school several years before. Jenny's tales of what went on at a real ranch had fascinated her, and she was thrilled now to have the opportunity to go out West and experience it firsthand. She'd taken lessons in photography and prided herself on taking pictures of unusual characters and settings. As popular as everything with a Western theme was right now, she hoped she might be able to sell some of her photos. If that happened, she might establish a career for herself as a photographer.
Her father, of course, thought it was ridiculous for her to even think of a career. Anthony Stanford, business tycoon, wanted his daughter's happiness, but he also believed in following convention. Women were to be cosseted and adored first by their fathers and then by their husbands. They shouldn't have to concern themselves with anything as common as the workaday world. But for all his old-fashioned, almost dictatorial ways, Rose knew that all she had to do was smile at him and he would give in to her wishes. She knew she was most fortunate to have a rich father who adored her, so she took full advantage.
"How is Jenny doing?" Richard asked conversationally, although his interest in Jenny was far from casual.
"From the tone of her letter, I think she's handling everything as well as can be expected," Rose said. "I have to admit I was shocked when she wrote that she'd decided to stay on in Durango. I thought for sure that she'd come back here once she'd taken care of all her father's business concerns."
"It's definitely been too quiet around here without her. Maybe Richard can convince her to come back," Aubrey said with a good-natured laugh as he looked over at his friend.
"I'm certainly going to try," Richard declared.
Tall, sophisticated, and handsome, Richard was the oldest son of a very wealthy family. He was used to getting exactly what he wanted out of life. If he couldn't win it on his own, his parents purchased it for him.
That had all come to a frustrating halt, though, when he'd set his sights on Jenny Sullivan. He'd been attracted to her from the first time he saw her when she arrived in Philadelphia. He'd arranged an introduction and had escorted her to several dances, but as hard as he'd tried to woo her, she'd proven remarkably resistant to his amorous efforts.
Richard had never been so challenged by a woman before. Females usually chased him, and the fact that Jenny was different had intrigued him even more. He'd made up his mind that Jenny was the woman for him. The only difficulty he'd had was convincing her of that fact. Still, Richard wasn't one to give up when he wanted something. Jenny Sullivan was going to be his-even if it meant he had to go to Colorado and bring her back.
"From what you told me about her letter, it sounded as though she wanted to stay on at the Lazy S permanently," Rose's cousin Melanie put in.
"For the time being, maybe. Once she's established it as a successful guest ranch, she'll have plenty of money to hire someone else to run it for her. Then she can do whatever she wants to do, and I'm sure we can convince her to come back here to us."
"This should be great fun," Aubrey remarked. "Just making the trip to Colorado will be interesting. I've never traveled that far west before."
"None of us have," Rose said. "That's why it's such a wonderful opportunity! Once we've experienced it, we can tell others and get people excited about going and really help Jenny to
succeed."
"You're a mastermind, Rose," said Cherilyn Bates, another longtime girlfriend. "You've already got this all figured out."
"When I get excited about something, there's no stopping me!"
"We know! We know!" they all agreed with good humor.
"Who is going along to chaperon you and Melanie?" Cherilyn asked.
"I'm hoping my Aunt Tillie will agree to accompany us. She'd be the most fun, that's for sure."
"Why do you need a chaperon if you're traveling with Richard and me?" Aubrey asked, a wicked, humorous glint shining in his blue eyes.
"That's precisely why," Rose retorted, grinning at him. Everyone knew that Aubrey and Richard were notorious rakes. "No matter how daring and wild I may seem to be in my madcap adventures, a lady's reputation must be protected at all costs." She quoted the last as if she were teaching a course in etiquette.
The conversation drifted on to other things as they all left the dining room. Richard and Aubrey wandered into the study and helped themselves to snifters of brandy, wanting to enjoy an after-dinner drink.
"Why are you so intent on making this trip to Colorado?" Aubrey asked. He'd been surprised when his friend had agreed so quickly to go along.
Richard glanced at him. "Let's just say I have a great deal of interest in the West."
"Since when? I've never known you to care one way or another about anything west of the Mississippi."
He shrugged. "Maybe I'm expanding my horizons."
"And maybe your interest lies with one young lady who just recently moved back there."
Richard's expression turned calculating. "Jenny is proving to be quite a challenge to me. I find that intriguing."
"This should be a most interesting trip," Aubrey mused. He knew his friend considered himself to be a ladies' man, and he also knew that when Jenny had not fallen easy prey to Richard's seductive charm, he'd grown frustrated. Richard was not a man accustomed to being denied anything he wanted. "I don't think I shall be bored at all."
"Indeed."
"You were worried about being bored?" Rose repeated, coming in on the end of their conversation as she joined them. "There's no way you'll be bored, Aubrey. There will be so many different things to do, I imagine we will be going from sunup to sundown with all the activities Jenny has planned."
"I'm not the most active outdoorsman," Aubrey explained.
"Maybe this will encourage you to take up some new interests."
"It also might encourage me never to leave home again," Aubrey said drolly. He enjoyed a quieter life than Richard. Richard was the one who was always looking for new challenges to keep things exciting.
"There will certainly be plenty to keep us busy," Richard said.
"Fine horseman and crack shot that you are, Aubrey, I'm sure you'll find plenty to do. Jenny mentioned that there might be hunting expeditions," Rose went on.
Richard nodded, but didn't say anything more. He was going to Colorado to hunt, all right, but it wasn't big game he was after. He was after a woman-a woman who had proven far too elusive until now. He would be ready to leave as soon as Rose got everything arranged.
Cole didn't know what it was that had drawn him to the high pasture at the Lazy S, but he found himself riding there late the following week. He had stayed away from the ranch on purpose since that day he'd worked on the roof with Jenny. He'd seen that any bills submitted to him for the ranch were paid in a timely fashion, but he had not contacted Jenny again. He didn't want, or need, the aggravation that dealing with her caused him. He didn't want, or need, the conflicting emotions she aroused in him.
Cole was scowling as he rode at a steady pace toward the scene of Paul's accident. His heart was hardened against Jenny. Despite the fact that he might still feel some kind of physical attraction to her, he'd had enough time these last days to think things through, and he knew for certain that he wanted nothing to do with her. Jenny had walked off and left him standing alone at the altar. She'd humiliated him before the entire town, and then she'd run away in the night like a coward, leaving him to face the talk and the speculation about what had gone wrong with their wedding.
His anger returned as he mentally relived those turbulent times. After she'd first gone, he'd tried to drown his fury in liquor and wild women. He'd done a damned good job of trying, too. After a while, though, Cole had realized that he had to sober up. He'd considered leaving Durango and starting over somewhere else, but he loved the area too much. This was his home. His family had been one of the pioneer ranching families there in the San Juan country. They had endured and succeeded. His father had worked hard to establish the Branding Iron, and after his parents' deaths, he'd continued to work at building up the ranch. When the town of Durango had been established and the railroad had come, the area had flourished. The Branding Iron had just been starting to turn around when he'd had the trouble with Jenny. Since it had looked as if Jenny was never going to be coming back to town, Cole hadn't contemplated leaving for very long. If Jenny wasn't around, there was no reason to go.
Cole had forced himself to face reality and had sobered up. He had a ranch to run.
Telling himself that the best revenge was success, he'd begun to work day and night to make the Branding Iron the most successful spread around. At the time, he hadn't known if Jenny would ever find out, but he would know, and that was all that mattered.
Cole was pleased that the endless hours of hard work had paid off. Few ranches could match the Branding Iron. He was by far the most successful rancher in the area right now, and it felt damned good.
Cole was satisfied with the way things had been going in his life. He could have just about any woman he wanted, but he didn't want commitments. His failed wedding with Jenny had left him very cautious about taking any kind of vows with a woman. If a female was out for a good time, he'd oblige, but he wasn't going to get involved.
That was why he'd been so careful around Mira the other night. He was not about to get trapped in a tricky situation that could lead to an unwanted wedding. That was why he made it a point, too, not to spend too much time with any one woman. He didn't want to get anyone's hopes up, because he knew he wasn't the marrying kind.
Cole reined in as he reached the general area where Louie had told him they'd found Paul's body. He dismounted and, leaving his horse to graze, walked around, studying the ground, looking over the lay of the land.
All was peaceful.
All was quiet.
There was no sign that anything untoward had happened there, and that only made him wonder all the more if Jenny was right. What could have caused Paul to have such a deadly accident in such a peaceful spot?
The sound of a horse in the distance surprised Cole. He reached for his sidearm, cautious, wary. He wondered fleetingly if Paul had run into anyone when he'd been riding there. The place certainly was deserted enough.
Cole tensed as he'd waited to see who was riding up. He feared it might be trouble. He knew that it was trouble all right just not the kind of trouble he'd been expecting.
He wondered what twist of fate had brought Jenny there at that particular moment. He'd wanted to spend this time alone, trying to piece together the truth of what had happened to Paul without anyone else around. Now he was going to have to talk to Jenny. In disgust, he slid his gun back into his holster.
Jenny had tied her hair back and was dressed in pants again, but even from this distance, there was no mistaking that she was all woman. His expression darkened as he waited for her to draw near. He didn't like the effect she had on him. He could deny it all he wanted but the fact remained that he was still at tracted to her. Cole told himself that what he felt for her was a purely physical thing. Jenny was nothing to him but an obligation.
Cole prided himself on being in complete control of his emotions. He fought down the desire that stirred within him as he watched her ride closer. He waited for her to come to him, his expression guarded.
When Jenny caught sight of a man in the
distance walking the very ground where her father had been found dead, she pulled her rifle from its sheath, knowing this might mean trouble. To the best of her knowledge, none of her men were supposed to be working up here. Whoever it was, he didn't belong there. She rode forward at a steady, cautious pace, ready to confront the trespasser.
When she drew close enough and recognized Cole, Jenny was surprised. She couldn't imagine what he was doing on Lazy S property. His unexpected presence unsettled her just as finding him at the house on her first day back had troubled her. She felt uncertain and knew she had to be cautious as she rode on to confront him.
"What are you doing here?" Jenny demanded as she reined in before him.
"Are you planning to use that gun or put it away?" Cole challenged, ignoring her question as he eyed the rifle she was holding.
"I wasn't sure who you were at first, so I thought I'd be prepared for trouble," she quickly explained, sliding the rifle back into its sheath. "Feel safer now?"
"I was never worried."
He said it so casually that Jenny was a bit stung by his attitude. She'd always been a good marksman, and Cole knew it.
"So why are you here? I'm surprised to see you."
"I've been thinking over what you said at the house last week about the way your father died. I thought I'd ride over and take a look around."
"What are you hoping to find? Louie and the men looked around the day they found Papa, but Louie said that there was nothing unusual here."
Cole gazed out over the land. "I don't know that I'm looking for any one thing in particular. Just something that might explain the `why' to us. Sometimes, though, no matter how hard we try to understand why something bad happened, we never get a straight answer." His voice turned cold as he spoke, but he never looked her way.
Jenny chose to ignore his unspoken question. "Well, according to what Louie told me, Papa was lying face down on the bank of the stream about ten yards up farther." She pointed, indicating the location.
Cole nodded and walked in that direction. Jenny dismounted and watched him as he moved carefully, studying the ground and surrounding landscape.
