Suddenly, she stopped, turned her horse, and waved.
In minutes, Cade rode to her. “We were worried about you.”
Ulyssa was soaked, but her eyes were bright and playful. “We. Did your horse tell you that?”
Cade laughed and helped her down. “Rusty. She was coming to meet me and said she lost you. That woman rides like the wind.”
“You are telling me. I could trot some, but I don’t like it when the horse starts running. It makes me feel out of control.” She smiled at him. “Thank you for finding me.”
“Where’s your partner, Sam, isn’t it?”
“He’s off with Mr. Allred driving cattle to the army. Where’s Rusty?”
“She rode on to the ranch in case you showed up there. I guess you got caught in the rain.”
“Yes, but I found a ledge that kept me mostly dry. I even unsaddled my horse and used the blanket to keep me warm. So, I apologize if I smell like a horse.”
Cade laughed. “You look good to me. I’m glad to find you.” He looked at her saddle. “I guess you resaddled your horse.”
“Yes,” she frowned. “did I do something wrong?”
“Not too bad.” Cade adjusted the cinch. “There, it just needed tightening.”
She shook her head. “I usually work in the cities and take carriages and trains.”
“Oh, really. I’m from Chicago. I’ll probably be going back in a few weeks.”
“I love Chicago.” She grew quiet and looked at him with interest.
“Your husband, he doesn’t look like the city type.”
She laughed. “No, Sam loves the open range.” Her eyes widened, and she laughed. “He’s not my real husband. I mean, I am not married. No. He’s my partner right now, but that is temporary.”
“Partner? What do you two do?”
She sighed and leaned against her horse. “You might as well know. We are Pinkerton agents and were hired to keep you and Rusty from getting married. Please don’t tell her. I am tired of lying to people I care about. This is not the usual kind of case that I do.”
“A Pinkerton agent. Well, that’s a surprise.” Cade smiled at her. She was getting more interesting by the minute.
“I usually do counterfeit cases and embezzlement that type of thing. In the city. Somehow, the boss got my name and ordered me to Denver for this case. I think he’s a friend of Roy.”
Cade took off his slicker and tied it on the back of the saddle. “So, you don’t have feelings for Sam?”
“Ha, I have lots of feelings for Sam. Mostly the I-can’t-stand-this-man feelings. I can’t believe they hired him. But then his sister and a few other agents persuaded my boss to give him a try.” She shook her head. “I can’t wait to be rid of him. I’m supposed to be training him.”
Cade laughed. “Sorry for laughing, but I just thought it sounded funny since you were the one lost.”
Ulyssa grinned. “Yes, you’re right. Go ahead, and I’ll laugh with you. It is funny. Me, the big Pinkerton agent lost on the prairie.”
Ulyssa lost her icy expression. Cade couldn’t look away from her. The transformation was so shocking. He remembered the way Sam had treated her. And at the time, Cade understood why. The woman had been hard and cold.
Now, she was warm and smart and everything he’d thought he’d ever wanted in a woman. Shocked, he looked away and mounted his horse. “We should get back to the ranch before Rusty has the whole crew out looking for you.”
Ulyssa nodded and rode beside him. “I hope you don’t mind if I stay right beside you. I don’t want to get lost again.” She stared into his eyes.
Cade nodded. She didn’t have to worry about getting lost. Never again if he had anything to say about it.
Chapter 15
Sam reined his horse after an ornery steer had eluded capture. Finally, Sam headed the red and white longhorn back to the herd. It felt good to do honest work, and he felt as if he were gaining a part of himself that had disappeared over his outlaw years.
Roy rode over to him. “You handled that one real good. I could use a man like you. If you ever get tired of the Pinkerton life, look me up.”
After swiping an arm across his forehead, Sam nodded. “I will. I like it out here. I even like the hard work.”
Roy studied him. “You think Rusty is wavering on her love for Cade?”
Sam looked at her father. He’d like to say yes for all the wrong reasons. “I don’t know. Ulyssa and I aren’t exactly a good match. She hates me. And I, well, back at the office I heard a couple agents refer to her as the Ice of Hearts. And the name fits her.”
Roy smiled. “I see. Maybe I should have a talk with Rusty and tell her it was all an act.” He scratched his whiskers. “You know, I think you’re wrong about Ulyssa. I see her as a warm, loving woman. Sometimes, we miss what is in front of us because people throw us false pictures to protect themselves.”
Sam shook his head. “Well, she must be a good actress because she’s convinced me.”
“Give her a chance to see who she really is. Most people try to be someone else to protect themselves from being hurt. That’s what I see. Maybe because I’m an old man, but I see a little girl who would love to fall in love with the right man.”
“You see better than I do.” Sam couldn’t even consider Ulyssa as warm and loving, but he knew what Roy had said was true. He’d lived a hard life, and to protect himself, he’d become ruthless and cold.
When his sister had risked everything to save him from hanging, something inside him had changed. He didn’t want to be an outlaw. Take from others. Hurt anyone. Even Ulyssa. He was turning into an old softy.
“When do we meet the army?”
“They should be coming any time now. This is where we usually conduct business. In fact, I think I see the major now.” Roy rode to meet the officer.
Sam hung back. He never knew how far the wanted posters on him had circulated, and the idea of running into someone who might have known him or who might be a bounty hunter made him shy away. He was about to ride to the herd when Roy called for him.
Against his better judgment, Sam rode to him.
“Sam Paxton, this is Major Niven. I usually do business with him.”
Sam nodded. But had a bad feeling by the way the man stared at him.
“Sam Paxton, is it? I believe I knew you as Sam Russell. Frankly, I thought they hung you.”
Sam closed his eyes. Above all else, he hated knowing he hadn’t told Mr. Allred the truth about his past. “Yes, you’re right. My sister rescued me. She and her husband are Pinkerton agents, and they worked to get me amnesty.”
“That so.” Major Niven grinned. “Well, if Colorado doesn’t want you, I won’t worry about the poster at the fort. In fact, I’ll take it down. I know Mr. Allred, and if he says you’re all right, that’s good enough for me.”
Roy stared at him. “I didn’t know Sam in the past, but I know who Sam is now. I’d trust him with my life and fortune.”
Sam stared at him. “Thank you, sir. I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you.”
Roy laughed. “Well, if we went around telling everyone about the secrets of our past, we might not have many friends. You didn’t owe me an explanation. Unless you have your eye on Rusty.”
He did. But Sam had no right to ask the girl to even talk to him. Not if he was playing Ulyssa’s husband. That wouldn’t be right at all. And he didn’t want to hurt her or Ulyssa.
The major called to his men, and they took over the herd.
After a few minutes, Roy turned to him. “I won’t say anything to Rusty. I guess Ulyssa knows.”
“Yes, believe me, she knows.”
Laughing, Roy shook his head. “So, she holds it over your head?”
“Yes. But it doesn’t really bother me. It’s not like I’m trying to win her over.” He stretched his back. “Thank you for not judging me.”
“Oh, I judged you all right. Something I do regularly. You can ask Rusty. There’s not a man on this
ranch I don’t look at. I’ve had to carve my empire out of harsh land and wild men. There’ve been many who tried to take it from me.” He looked at Sam. “They failed.”
“You’re a tough man, Roy. But I judge you to be a fair man. I’m happy to know you.”
“Well, let’s get back to the ranch. I fear Rusty may have run off with Cade Monroe. Sometimes, my daughter doesn’t have a lot of sense.”
Sam cleared his throat. “Sir, you might be a good judge of men, but I think you missed the mark with your daughter. I don’t think she’d run off with Cade or any man without your blessing. She loves you too much.”
“Then that tells me she doesn’t love Cade enough. I consider myself a powerful man, but I know that up against the power of love, well, I don’t stand a chance. When she finds the man who she really wants to give her heart to, nothing will stop her.”
Sam looked at him. “You’re that sure of her. Of love.”
“Son, I have a story to tell you.” Roy shifted in the saddle and looked at him. “It’s about a young man who was looking for an easy way to get through life. Being young, I thought I had all the time to myself to do what I wanted. Texas born I was what my mama would call born to be wild because all Texas boys are wild.
“There’s some truth in that. If we weren’t fighting Indians, it was outlaws. Then one day, I was chasing a gang of rustlers.” Roy looked at him and laughed. “Well, they caught me. And the next thing I knew, I was one of their gang. I didn’t have any cattle. They told me it wasn’t right to risk my life for another man’s goods. There was some sense in what they said.”
Sam pushed his hat. “I can relate. Sounds a little familiar to my escapades.”
Roy nodded. “Thought maybe it might. Anyway, we rustled our way to Colorado Territory. Used to be part of Texas, but we lost it because of the slavery issue. Never believed in owning another man. It’s wrong. But lots of people have done it. Anyway, I got shot and dropped out of the gang. It seems they didn’t care for me like I thought.
“I spent two weeks at a kind farmer's house while they nursed me back to health. I didn’t know it at the time, but that farmer had ideas. He also had a daughter. My Jenny. Prettiest thing I’d ever seen.”
Sam grinned. “Nothing like a good woman to ruin a bad man.”
Roy laughed. “Very well said. You got it. She turned me inside out and found the good part of me. I married that woman, found the Lord, and lived the straight and narrow ever since. I have no regrets.”
“That’s a good story, Roy. I do hope you’re not saying Ulyssa is my good woman, though.”
Roy laughed. “No, I can’t say I’d do that to either one of you.” Roy looked at him with a sly grin. “No, sir. You and Ulyssa aren’t right for one another. A blind man could see that.”
“That we agree on.” Sam looked at the sun. “Think we’ll make it back before dark?”
Roy shook his head. “Nope. There’s a line shack about two miles from here. We’ll spend the night, get a good meal, and head back early in the morning. Rusty knows it takes me a couple days to sell to the army.”
“She’s a tough woman, isn’t she?”
Roy shrugged. “In some ways. There’s not a horse she can’t ride. Nothing she’s afraid of. She can shoot a can at a hundred feet neater than most gunfighters.” He stopped his horse and took hold of the bridle to Sam’s horse, stopping him.
“But in other ways, she’s soft. She needs a good man to look after her. That’s why I won’t let Cade have her. Not that he’s not good, but he’s not right for Rusty. She needs a man who can protect her. And why that’s hard is because she doesn’t think she needs protecting. That’s her biggest weakness.”
“What’s wrong with Cade?”
“He’s not a rancher. He’d get on with whatever it is he’s interested in and let the ranch fall to Rusty. Not that she couldn’t handle it, but that’s not what I want for her. She needs to be free to have children and raise them on the ranch. Worry about what to make for dinner. Not worrying about how to take care of the ranch from some other place. She belongs to the ranch. The man she marries should too.”
Sam nodded. “I can see that. She’s so wild and free.”
Roy shook his head. “No, that’s just an act. She’s not wild. Or free. Once the right man comes around, and she gives him her heart, then she’ll be free. Not until.”
Roy released his hold on the bridle. “You think about that. Let’s go. I’m hungry.”
Sam watched as Roy rode off. Sam held his horse back. He had some thinking to do. There was a lot of wisdom in what Roy had told him. He hoped Rusty would find the right man so she could be free. He hoped he could find the right woman that would bring out the good in him.
Roy was everything that Sam had wanted to be. Strong, wise. Instead, Sam had gone the wrong way and caused his sister to risk her life for him. Well, he’d prove she hadn’t wasted her efforts. He’d prove he was a good man.
Chapter 16
Rusty stood by the gate and watched for Cade and hoped he’d found Ulyssa. Her father wouldn’t be very happy that she’d galloped off and left the woman alone on the range. There were a hundred different ways to die out there.
Oh, she could ride like the wind, and nobody worried about her. But Ulyssa, she was a woman. Smelled like a woman. And she was vulnerable. Rusty could sense it and see it in how the men treated her.
Cade looked at Ulyssa in a way that he’d never looked at her. Rusty had to admit, she was jealous. Maybe there was a reason she galloped away from the woman and lost her. Sam didn’t look at Ulyssa that way, though. Sometimes, she caught him glaring at his wife.
People were strange. They were an odd couple. If she was married to Sam, she’d never let him sleep on the floor. Rusty was uncomfortable thinking about Sam and Ulyssa as husband and wife because, at times, she wondered if she didn’t look at Sam the way Cade looked at Ulyssa.
It seems they might be four mismatched people. Father always told her that she and Cade weren’t right for one another. But Rusty could never see why. Cade always treated her with respect. And he did care for her. She knew he did.
Why was it all right for her to ride all over the range without a thought to her safety, but Ulyssa goes twenty feet out of the gate and even Pedro was watching to see that Ulyssa was safe.
Rusty looked at her clothes. She wore her trousers and a flannel shirt. Her work clothes. Her hair was up in pigtails. Compared to Ulyssa, she looked like one of the hired hands. No wonder they treated her like one of the boys.
Rusty sent one last glance to the open land and then ran inside to her room. She looked in her wardrobe and found a pink skirt and a light blue blouse. Hurrying she, washed up and changed.
Looking in the mirror, she twirled and smiled at herself. She would make Cade want her. Keep him from looking at Ulyssa in a way he shouldn’t look at another man’s wife. Yet, deep inside, she hoped it was Sam who noticed her.
Just as Rusty came around the corner, she heard them talking. Rosalie was making a fuss about Ulyssa. Then she heard Cade’s deep voice. He was talking tenderly and protective to Ulyssa. The way she wished he’d talk to her.
Rusty hesitated, gathered her courage, and walked into the room. Her courage dropped to her toes when she saw Cade holding Ulyssa and helping her into a chair.
“She needs some warm soup and tea, Rosalie.” Then Cade looked at her.
Rusty went forward, noticing that he didn’t smile or welcome her. And making her feel like an intruder in her own house, Rusty went up to Ulyssa. “I am so sorry you got lost.”
Ulyssa waved a hand. “It’s not your fault. I should have told you I wasn’t a very good rider. In fact, I still have muscles that are yelling at me from the ride out to your ranch. I’ll be fine once I warm up.”
Cade looked at her with an accusing glare. “She won’t let it happen again.” Then he smiled at Ulyssa. Without even looking at Rusty, he ordered. “Why don’t you get a blanket.”
&
nbsp; Wanting to cry, Rusty held her tears back as she retrieved a blanket from her room. She brought it to Ulyssa, but Cade took it from her and tenderly draped it over Ulyssa. “There, you’ll warm up soon.” He smiled. “I found you under the rainbow. It was like a miracle.”
Ulyssa drew the blanket around her. “Oh, that feels so good.”
Cade sat in a chair next to Ulyssa and looked at Rusty. “Is your father back yet?”
Rusty shook her head. “No, he and Sam are still out.” She made a point to emphasize Sam’s name. It must have worked because both Cade and Ulyssa sat straighter and looked away from each other.
Rusty felt a hot wind of anger that sweep through her. Cade was hers. Ulyssa was married. But neither seemed to remember.
Rosalie came out with a cup of soup. “Here you go.” The woman scooted between Cade and Ulyssa. “You will feel better soon. I am sure your husband will be back soon, too.”
Rusty shook her head. “They won’t be back until tomorrow. Father was taking cattle to the army. He’s always gone a day.”
Rosalie nodded. “Just the same. Mr. Monroe, you should leave. I know Mr. Allred wouldn’t want you here when he gets back.”
Ulyssa took Rosalie’s hand. “Cade saved me today. Is there room for him to have dinner with us?”
Rosalie looked at Rusty.
With a shrug, Rusty nodded. “Yes, there will be plenty. You can sleep in the bunkhouse. Tonight only. But you’ll have to promise to leave early in the morning.”
Cade looked at her with sadness in his eyes. “Thank you, Rusty. I didn’t want to ride at night especially after the rain.”
Rusty nodded, feeling defeated. Ulyssa had won and now had the two men Rusty could dream about. “Let us know when dinner will be ready, Rosalie.”
With a nod and a knowing glance, Rosalie left the room.
Rusty stood and went to the woman. “Ulyssa, would you like to go to your room and take a nap? There is time before dinner.”
Ulyssa nodded. “That does sound like a good idea.”
An Agent for Ulyssa Page 9
