by Ari McKay
“That won’t be a problem,” Luke replied dryly. “No matter how much you pass off to me, you’ll have a full plate any time of year.” He paused, hoping he didn’t sound like he was trying to take over. “And don’t worry, I ain’t tryin’ to tell you what to do or take your place. You’re the boss, and I’m the foreman, and I ain’t got no mind to switch places. But I don’t mind helpin’ as much as you want me to.”
Stone was quiet for a moment, and then he looked at Luke again. “I appreciate that. Like I said, I don’t know much about bein’ a boss. Always been content to only worry about myself and my horse.” He paused and looked down at the back of Raider’s neck. “Guess that needs to change. I won’t have folks sayin’ I don’t try my best, even if I mess up.”
“You’re goin’ to have a lot of people lookin’ to you now.” Luke hoped he wasn’t making the situation sound too dire. “But as long as you’re fair and carry your weight, ain’t no one goin’ to complain.” He smiled, deciding it was time to lighten the mood. “Ownin’ a big, prosperous spread like this ain’t all bad, and it ain’t all work all the time. You’re goin’ to have a lot of the local gals real interested in you now, that’s for sure. You could have your pick.”
Suddenly Stone reined his horse to a stop, and he looked at Luke with a frown of consternation. “Gals? You mean the ones you don’t seem to think are very interestin’?”
Luke stopped as well, uncharacteristically flustered as he tried to figure out how to answer the question without revealing the truth. This ranch was his home now, and he didn’t want to be kicked out and lose his job and this place all at once because his new boss wasn’t happy about having a foreman who fancied men instead of women.
“Well, just because they don’t interest me none don’t mean one of them might not strike your fancy,” he said at last.
Stone’s expression didn’t change, but Luke noticed a flush had risen under his tan. “Doubt it. Don’t have time for it anyways, if I’m goin’ to learn how to run this place.”
“Well, one day, you’ll have it all figured out, and then you might want to cast your eye around,” Luke pointed out, hoping he wasn’t inadvertently squelching Stone’s social life with all his talk about how busy the ranch would keep them. “I won’t even ask you to take your courtin’ to one of the outbuildings,” he added with a mischievous grin.
For some reason, Stone only turned redder. “You ain’t goin’ to have to worry about that,” he growled, and then he tapped Raider with his heels, spurring the horse into a fast walk.
The reaction puzzled Luke. He wondered if Stone was shy around women or if there was something else going on. A man as handsome as Stone ought to be plenty experienced, not blushing at the mere mention of courting. Unless….
He signaled Mist to speed up as well and caught up to Stone, studying him in silence. Was it possible Stone didn’t fancy women either? He wasn’t sure, and he couldn’t ask outright unless he wanted to risk being punched in the face on top of being fired, but maybe he could find out somehow.
“I guess that means it’ll be real quiet around the big house.” He kept his tone casual. “Just a couple of bachelors sittin’ around together every night.”
Stone gave him a sideways glance. “Sounds fine to me. I’m not much for bein’ social. Don’t need dancin’ and drinkin’ like some cowboys who don’t have no sense.”
“You don’t have to drink and dance to be social,” Luke pointed out. “You can take a lady out for a fancy dinner, a buggy ride, or a picnic.” He was fishing, but hopefully not too obviously.
That earned him a flat out scowl, and Stone’s jaw clenched. “Maybe I could. If I ever wanted to.” His eyes narrowed. “You ain’t got a sister you’re thinkin’ about throwin’ at me, do you? I don’t hold with fightin’, but I just might have to punch you if you try somethin’ like that.”
Luke’s eyebrows climbed almost to his hairline at that, and his suspicions grew even stronger at Stone’s unusually forceful objections to the idea of courting a woman. This had to be more than mere shyness or lack of experience with women!
“Nothin’ like that,” he replied easily, deciding it was time to be a little more direct. “I ain’t got no family that wants to claim me, if you want the truth. See, they found out I ain’t exactly fond of courtin’ the ladies either.” He fixed Stone with a steady, direct look. “My momma caught me behind the barn with my pants around my ankles, and it weren’t no young lady I was with at the time, if you take my meanin’.”
“What?” Stone stopped Raider in his tracks again, and the horse gave a whinny of protest at the sudden pull of reins. He stared at Luke, dark eyes wide in a way that would have been funny if the subject hadn’t been so serious. He had apparently forgotten how to speak, too, since his mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. A few moments later, Stone shook himself like a man who’d felt something walk over his grave and cleared his throat.
“I sure hope you was with another man,” he said finally, his tone as dry as desert sand. “Because if it was a cow or a horse or some other critter, I think we might have us a problem.”
Luke laughed as he guided Mist to stop parallel with Raider, although if he was honest, part of his laughter was born out of sheer relief he wasn’t about to be punched, fired, or shot. “No critters.” He grinned at Stone. “Just another boy lookin’ for a helpin’ hand that I was willin’ to give.”
“Hmmm.” The sound Stone made could have meant anything, but there was no condemnation in his eyes. In fact, Luke thought there might even be the tiniest hint of speculation or maybe curiosity. Yet Stone didn’t make an admission of his own; instead he simply started forward again, gaze returning to the mountains, and when he finally spoke, his tone was casual, as though he were talking about the weather. “I reckon the rest of the hands don’t know, do they?”
“It ain’t something I care to have spread around,” Luke replied, glancing sidelong at him. “I don’t mix business and pleasure, neither. I do my job and leave the hands alone. Anything else is askin’ for trouble.” He paused, debating on whether he ought to admit the full truth or not, but then, he supposed Stone would hear the rumors for himself the minute he stepped foot into town because all the local gossiping tongues would be happy to have a new ear to wag to. “Truth is, everybody thought me and Priss were sweet on each other, and we let ’em. I did love her, but like a sister, that’s all.”
“She knew?” Stone looked surprised again, though not as thunderstruck as he had at Luke’s original admission. “And she let people think the two of you had goings on?” The red started creeping back up Stone’s neck. “But she must have been twenty years older’n you!”
“Well, it helped her, too,” Luke drawled, deciding he might as well spill everything and get it over with. “Actually, it helped her and Sarah both to let folks think what they wanted to about us.”
“Sarah?” Stone looked perplexed. “The housekeeper? What’s she got to do with anything?”
Luke stared at Stone, surprised he hadn’t picked up on the implications, and then he chuckled and shook his head, realizing Stone must be more naïve and inexperienced than he’d thought.
“Everything,” he replied. “Priss and Sarah loved each other for over twenty years. That’s why Sarah couldn’t stay when Priss died. It was too painful for her. Too many memories. When I came along, and we realized none of us had the kind of preferences most people would say we ought to have, we agreed to cover for each other. There had been whispers about Priss and Sarah, you see, but those got hushed up right quick when I moved into the big house.”
“But my aunt was married!” Stone objected. “What about her husband?”
“It wasn’t the same.” Luke shook his head. “She only got married because it was what everyone said she ought to do, but it wasn’t what she wanted. She loved her husband, but she was in love with Sarah.” He paused, thinking about what Priss had gone through in her youth. “It’s sad,” he mused. “Men
can stay single all their lives, and no one thinks badly of them, but women are expected to get married and have babies. We’ve got it easier in some ways.”
“I suppose.” Stone seemed distracted, obviously still trying to wrap his mind around everything Luke had told him. Or at least that’s what Luke assumed, since it didn’t appear Stone even realized what he had just admitted in response to Luke’s comment.
Luke hid a triumphant grin, pleased he’d managed to wring the truth out of Stone, even if it was indirectly, and he resisted the urge to make a comment about apples not falling far from trees. “Anyway, don’t believe nothin’ you hear about Miss Priss and me. Ain’t none of it true. She only had eyes for Sarah, and me….” He smiled lazily. “Well, I’m particular about who I tell my secrets to.”
That pulled Stone’s attention back to him. “Must not be too particular, if you’re tellin’ your boss.” Stone raised a brow. “Not to mention you don’t even know me. How do you know I’m not gonna use this against you?” He scowled. “The point of keepin’ secrets is so people can’t use them to get at you. And you do that by not spillin’ them to every man jack what comes along.”
“I don’t spill them to just everyone,” Luke protested. “Just to you. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m thinkin’ you know a little something about keepin’ secrets yourself, and I’m thinkin’ I can trust you with mine. If you’re like your aunt at all, you’ve got a lot of honor in you, and you won’t go around blabbin’ just because you can.”
Stone looked at him, and then shrugged. “I ain’t goin’ to blab. Just don’t go expectin’ me to start tellin’ you any secrets I might have. I learned a long time ago that trustin’ people don’t work out so good.”
“Fair enough.” Luke briefly considered pointing out that Stone had told him a secret, but considering Stone probably hadn’t meant to, he decided to keep it to himself. Drawing attention to Stone’s inadvertent admission might make Stone angry and defensive, and Luke didn’t want that.
Oh no, he wanted Stone in a more amiable mind, not on guard against him. The more at ease Stone was, the easier it would be for Luke to wriggle under all those defenses—and if he was lucky, maybe he could wriggle his way right into Stone’s bed.
“We’re goin’ to be workin’ together real close, so I reckon we got plenty of time to get to know each other,” he added casually. “Maybe one day, you’ll even start trustin’ me a little bit.”
“Maybe.” It seemed Stone had reached his limit with personal talk, because he suddenly waved toward the mountains impatiently. “We goin’ to chatter all day, or are you goin’ to show me that copper mine?”
“I’ll be glad to show you whatever you’ve got a mind to see, boss.” Luke was unable to resist teasing a little even though he doubted Stone would pick up on it. “If we pick up the pace, we can be there in about an hour.”
“Fine.” With that, Stone kicked Raider up to a trot, too fast for easy conversation.
Chuckling quietly to himself, Luke guided Mist to a fast trot as well, keeping a little distance between him and Stone. He could tell seducing Stone was going to be akin to taming a skittish horse, which meant he’d need a lot of patience. Slow and steady would do it, and Luke had nothing but time. Somehow, he already knew Stone would be worth the effort.
5
STONE stared nervously at his reflection in the glass and adjusted his bolo tie. He had bathed, and his dark hair was still damp, but he’d combed it neatly. His clothes were clean, thanks to Mary, but nothing could be done about the fact that they were pretty old and had been mended over the years. Still, it was the best he could do, at least for the moment, since he’d been a simple cowboy only a week ago, and they’d been good enough then. Maybe they’d be good enough, he hoped, for the church-going people of the little town of Serenity, Nevada.
Stone wasn’t a religious man. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in a higher power, but he’d seen too much violence between the whites and his mother’s people over religion to know exactly what he should believe. But he didn’t want to be the subject of gossip, so he went to church like everyone else. It was just easier that way.
He picked up his hat and left the bedroom, heading down the stairs toward the kitchen. Mary had the day off, but there was plenty of food in the kitchen for breakfast, if he could manage to eat anything with the way the butterflies were fluttering around in his stomach. He never liked being in a crowd of people he didn’t know, not when he was hiding things about himself he knew would make some people want to string him up on the nearest tree.
Entering the kitchen, he put his hat on the table and went to the icebox, deciding that ham and toast might be something he could get down.
A few minutes later, Luke sauntered into the kitchen, looking quite different than usual; he was wearing a blue serge suit with a crisp, white shirt and a bolo tie, and his light brown hair was damp and neatly combed. His strong jaw was clean-shaven with nary a hint of stubble, and his dress boots were shined to the point of gleaming.
“Mornin’, boss,” he drawled, offering Stone a friendly smile. “Want me to make some coffee?”
Stone went still, arrested by the sight of Luke looking so different. He’d not wanted to admit to himself that, since Luke’s admission about his preferences, he’d been noticing just how handsome Luke was, but it was even harder to ignore now. Damn it.
He didn’t want Luke to get the wrong idea, so he nodded. “Please.” He gestured to the bread he was slicing. “Want some toast?”
“If you’re fixin’ it, I’ll sure eat it.” Luke flashed a playful grin at him. For whatever reason, Luke seemed to enjoy teasing him, although it never seemed mean-spirited. Stone got the feeling Luke was trying to make him laugh or smile for some reason, which perplexed him. People tended to leave him be once they realized he wasn’t much of a talker and preferred to be by himself.
He nodded, cutting a few more slices of bread and putting them in the toasting rack before sliding it into the oven of the big iron stove. He forked another piece of ham into the skillet, and then he moved out of the way so Luke could put the coffee pot on.
Despite his effort to get out of the way, Luke’s arm grazed against his, their shoulders brushing, although Luke didn’t seem to notice as he prepared the coffee pot. He doubted Luke even realized he was crowding Stone’s space, but Stone could smell the shaving soap Luke used, and suddenly the kitchen seemed very small.
“’Scuse me,” Stone said, taking a step back. He’d just wait until Luke moved away before dealing with the rest of the food.
Luke gave him an ingenuous look. “Am I in your way? Sorry, boss, I don’t mean to crowd you, but I reckon there’s plenty of room over here for both of us.”
Stone looked at him narrowly. Sometimes he couldn’t tell when Luke was joking and when he was being serious, which kept him off balance. He’d known a lot of cowboys, but he’d never met anyone quite like Luke, and he wasn’t quite sure how to act in return.
He shrugged. “’S okay. But you’re goin’ to have to move so I can open the door and get the toast before it burns.”
“Sure thing, boss.” Luke’s smile didn’t seem quite appropriate for Sunday morning as he looked at Stone with a wicked gleam in his eyes, and he moved just enough to let Stone by, standing with his hip cocked and right at eye level when Stone bent to open the oven door.
Stone retrieved the toast and straightened, looking down at Luke and keeping his expression carefully neutral. “You’re awfully cheerful for a man who ain’t had coffee yet. I’m not so cheerful. Might be safer to remember that.”
“Will do, boss.” Luke seemed unperturbed as he turned his attention back to the coffee, remaining quiet until it was done, and he offered Stone a generously filled cup, prepared just the way he liked it. “Maybe you’ll be a little more cheerful after this.”
Stone filled his plate with buttered toast and a slice of ham, and then he took the cup. “Thanks,” he replied, moving to the table and taking
the seat, which after a week already felt like “his.” He sipped the coffee and glanced at Luke, watching as he got his plate and took the seat across the table.
There were things about the foreman Stone found unsettling. There was no denying the man was a hard worker, and he knew everything about how to run a ranch as big as Copper Lake, but he seemed determined to keep Stone flustered, which, unfortunately, he seemed to find easy to do. Stone wasn’t used to being teased, and while he didn’t think Luke meant it in a hurtful way, he simply didn’t know how to respond most of the time. Especially when the way Luke’s lips curled up when he smiled was beginning to become all too distracting, which only made Stone feel more out of his depth. But he couldn’t deny he needed Luke around, so he would have to put up with the man somehow.
He finished his coffee, then rose and went to fetch the pot from the stove to refill his cup. “More?” He raised the pot and looked at Luke.
“Might as well,” Luke replied, holding out his cup. “I might need it. Our preacher ain’t the most soul-stirrin’ of men in the pulpit.”
“Oh?” Stone poured carefully so as not to spill it over Luke’s hand and burn him. “Well, can’t say as I’ve heard many who are.”
Luke chuckled, and his eyes were warm as he gazed up at Stone. “Neither have I, but Miss Priss was always big on doin’ the right thing, and that included showin’ up at church on Sunday mornin’. If it was up to me, I’d probably stop, but somehow, I can’t bring myself to go against what I know she’d want.”
Stone put the pot back on the stove, then pulled out his pocket watch, pleased to see they had plenty of time before they needed to leave. If what Luke said was true, he’d need the second cup of coffee, too.
“Well, doin’ the right thing makes sense.” He took his seat again, stretching his legs out comfortably underneath the table. “Especially if you don’t want to give folk reason to look too closely at other parts of your life. Seems to me a lot of time people see what they want to see.”
