As Emily made her way toward her sister’s ranch, she felt something fluttering inside of her. Sure, the cowboy—Sawyer—must have spent a lot of money to make sure she got a ride he wasn’t even sure she’d want. But, it was the expense of the gesture that touched her. It was the gesture itself. It tickled her to think of anyone going out of their way to do such a thing for her. But, it also caused her reservation. She didn’t know if Sawyer was being chivalrous and kind, or if he’d done what he’d done for some other, less admirable reason.
FIVE
Emily stood on her sister’s front porch with her hand poised to knock on the door. She took a deep breath and said a quick prayer, asking her Heavenly Father to help her through this potentially awkward reunion.
A moment later, Emily wrapped on the door.
“I’ll be right there,” Amanda sang out from somewhere inside. Her voice tugged at Emily’s heart strings. It’d been so long—too long—since she’d heard it.
Several seconds later, the door swung open, and Amanda stood there, wearing a flour-doused apron. The instant she registered her sister’s face, Amanda’s jaw dropped.
“Emily?” Amanda asked, as if she needed confirmation.
“I’m sorry for just showing up here without writing you first,” Emily began. “It’s just that I ran into some problems back in New York with our parents, and I didn’t know what else to do, or where else to turn. So, I ran away and came here, hoping—”
Before Emily could say anything more, Amanda swiftly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her younger sister. “I’ve missed you so much, Ems,” Amanda said, crying as she called Emily by the nickname she’d called her when they were wee children. “I’ve prayed so many times asking God to spur you to respond to my letters… And, now, my prayers have been answered, and I’ve gotten even more than I asked for. You’re here! You’re actually here.”
As Amanda squeezed Emily tightly and saturated her blouse with her tears, Emily knew that she needn’t beg for her sister’s forgiveness. Amanda was obviously happy to see her, and had obviously accepted her back into her life—and it seemed probable, if not certain, that she would help her.
“Please, please, come in,” Amanda smiled, wiping her tears away as she pulled away from her sister. She stepped back into the house and gestured for Emily to enter.
“I’m sure you’re very tired and hungry,” Amanda added. “And, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do. So, take a seat here in the living room, and I’ll run to the kitchen to fetch you something to eat and drink.”
Emily nodded and took a seat of the large sofa in the living room, and Amanda scurried off to the kitchen. While her sister was gone, Emily took in her surroundings and thanked God for giving her such an understanding, loving sister.
When Amanda returned with Emily’s food and drink a few minutes later, Emily scarfed down a few bites, then began telling her sister about the circumstances that brought her here to Texas. She told Amanda what had happened with Leonard Latimer, and about the insalubrious instructions her mother had given her.
“I’m very upset that our parents would treat you that way, and that our mother would suggest you act so unscrupulously,” Amanda sighed once Emily was done recounting everything. “But, I am not at all surprised by it. Our parents have always had skewed priorities, and it seems that Father’s windfall has only further skewed them.
“I’m sorry that you had to put up with such things, and I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you. But, I’m glad that you left as you did, and that you came here, to me, for help. I’ll do whatever I can to be of assistance… You can stay here, with me and Peter, as long as you need.”
“Thank you,” Emily replied. A tear trickled down her face as she continued. “You’re very generous,” she said, closing her eyes, “especially in light of how I treated you these past four years. I’m so very sorry that I never replied to the letters you sent me. I was just upset that you—”
“Hush now,” Amanda interrupted in a soothing voice. She reached out and patted Emily on the shoulder.
“I understand why you ignored me,” Amanda went on. “You were upset that I ran away without warning—and that you, alone, were left to deal with our parents. And, considering how they treated you, in general and as of recent, you had good reason to be upset—and, if anything I should be asking you to forgive me. I failed you as an older sister. I never should have left you there with them. I knew how they were, and I knew that your life with them wouldn’t be easy.”
“Oh you hush now,” Emily retorted, opening her eyes again. When the sisters’ eyes met, the both gave to a sweet laughter that mixed with their tears, and their tears went from tears of sadness to tears of joy. They’d both said what needed to be said, and were both willing and read to move on past their past.
Once they were done crying, Emily and Amanda went on to catch up some more, and shifted their discussion to more pleasant things. Emily updated Amanda on what was going on in the lives of some of their mutual friends and acquaintances back in New York; and Amanda described what life was like in Copper Rock and gushed over the many attributes of her husband, Peter, who, at the time, was out on a cattle run to the neighboring town, from which he wouldn’t return for two more days.
“Oh, you’ll adore him!” Amanda beamed. “I can’t wait for the two of you to meet.”
“I’m sure I will adore him,” Emily replied. “And, I hope, by the time he gets back, I’m in better senses. I tell you, that train ride sure was grueling. I feel as though I could sleep for days upon days and still wouldn’t be recovered from all the stress of travel.”
“Ah, yes,” Amanda laughed, remembering her own experience traveling from New York to Texas. “I’d forgotten how burdensome riding the rails can be… And, apparently, I’ve also forgotten my manners! I really should let you get some rest now, rather than rambling on and on. We’ve already caught up a great deal, and will have plenty of time to pick up on what we haven’t covered.
“So, let me show you to our spare room, which, henceforth, will be your room for as long as you need it. Please treat my home as if it were your own, sister. You are more than welcome here, and I feel blessed to have you.”
With that, Amada led Emily to her bedroom. Once there, Emily hugged Amanda and thanked her, then went into the room, shut the door, and collapsed on the bed, where she slept peacefully for more than a dozen hours.
SIX
The next morning, Emily awoke to the smell of something cooking. She couldn’t quite tell exactly what it was that her sister was cooking, but she could tell, from the smell of it, that, whatever it was, it was sure to taste wonderful.
Emily got up out of bed and readied herself for the day, then headed out to the kitchen.
“Good morning,” she said, walking in on her sister as she pulled a pan of muffins from the oven. “Those smell incredible.”
“Thank you,” Amanda smiled. “And, good morning to you also. Have a seat, won’t you? I’ll get some butter and jam for these and join you in a moment.”
Emily started toward the table. But, then, she stopped and walked closer to her sister.
“You know, Amanda,” Emily said, “I’m very appreciative that you’ve invited me to stay here with you and Peter. Your hospitality, and generosity, is truly amazing. But I wouldn’t feel right just staying here with you. I also need to contribute somehow. I’m not a loafer or leech, and I’d like to earn my keep. I just need you to tell me what you’d like me to do around here.”
Amanda smiled and cocked her head to the side. “Well, I’m very particular about how I keep this house, as well as about the food I eat and the way I wash laundry,” Amanda answered. “So, I prefer to take care of the domestic tasks on my own… But, if you truly want to help, there is plenty you could do to help with the outside chores. Our ranch hands used to tend to such things. But, we’ve been a bit understaffed since…”
Amanda’s voice trailed off, and a sad looked flashed ac
ross her face.
“Since what?” Emily inquired, worried about her sister’s obvious change in emotion.
“I didn’t want to bring any of this up yesterday,” Amanda explained. “We already had a few major issues to address, and bringing another up seemed unnecessary and excessive… But, you need to know. So, I’ll tell you know.”
Amanda walked over to and took a seat at the table, and Emily followed and did the same.
“These past few years, there have been some rather unfortunate events that happened, as related to the ranch and its workers,” Amanda went on. “It started a short while before Peter and I were even married, and it has only gotten worse as time has passed.
“You see, when Peter fist started his ranch operation, he was one of a few ranchers here in Copper Rock. The other ranches were small, recently-started operation, like this one, and the local demand for cattle was met between the lot of them. But, before those ranches started, the local demand had been met exclusively by the Reed ranch, located in the settlement of Silver Field, which is about two hours north of here.
“The old man in charge of the operation—Matthew Reed—was not very happy about losing business to the ranches here in Copper Rock, and he tried to buy them all out. He successfully managed to by three ranches from their owners. But, Peter and another rancher refused to sell.
“And, that’s when bad things started happening. Peter and the other rancher began to experience acts of vandalism every now and then. Some equipment was stolen or interfered with. The gates to the fences were left open or compromised in some fashion.
“We never caught the vandals in the act however, despite our efforts. But, we had a fairly good idea who was responsible. Old Man Reed is a widower, who’s known for being ruthless in business, and he has six or seven sons who can best be described as unruly. They’re all adults, mind you, but they lack any moral compass. So, we assumed they were the ones causing all the problems.
“In any event, these things went on for well over two years. The other rancher eventually caved and sold his operation to Mr. Reed. But, my Peter held out. He wasn’t going to be intimidated by their tactics… But, then, things got worse.”
Amanda took a deep breath and bowed her head in sorrow. “First, some of our cows went missing from the ranch. They were taken by night, we assumed. But, then, about a year ago, the rustling escalated, and Peter and his men were robbed of several cows while on a cattle run. And, then, about seven months ago, another run was intercepted—only this one was much more violent. The masked perpetrators brandished pistols, and they shot and killed Peter’s foreman and another of workmen during the encounter.”
“Oh my heavens!” Emily gasped, bowing her head in sorrow as well. “How horrible.”
“Yes,” Amanda sighed. “They were good men. But, they lost their lives because of greed.”
Amanda and Emily sat in silent observation for a moment, then Amanda continued.
“No one was every arrested or tried for the murders,” she said. “And, as I said, the perpetrators wore masks. But, there’s no doubt in my mind that it was the Reed boys—and, there’s no doubt in my mind that they’ll keep doing such things until they are caught red-handed and apprehended.
“So, my dear sister, that’s why I keep myself busy with housework and baking when Peter is out on a cattle run. Each day that he is gone, I fear for his life. I am afraid he, too, will be a causality of the Reeds’ greed.
“And, that also explains why we are shorthanded here on the ranch. Since the shoot-out several months ago, a few of our ranch hands have quit working for us, for fear that of being asked to accompany Peter on another fatal cattle run. At this time, only his bravest men will join him on his journeys, and we are left with but a few men to tend to the ranch’s daily operations. And, their tasks are so demanding that they simply are not able to take care of the other, more menial outside chores… So, if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, the best way you can help around here is by picking up the slack they can’t handle.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Emily replied, still digesting all that her sister had just told her. But, that was all she could digest. The sweet-smelling muffins no longer appealed to her, as her stomach had been turned by what she’d just heard.
“Splendid,” Amanda smiled, trying to ease away from this ugly chapter of their conversation. “You can start by milking Bessie. She’s one of our most reliable breeders and serves as our dairy cow—and she’s already overdue for a milking. She was too fickle with me when I went out earlier, so I gave up and came in to make breakfast.”
“Alright,” Emily nodded. She forced a smile across her face. But, on the inside, she was a bit hesitant and intimidated. Though she very much wanted to help out, she was overwhelmed by her sister’s specific request. She’d only ever milked a cow once before in her life, and she couldn’t imagine it’d be easy to milk one that’d been fickle with Amanda earlier.
Nonetheless, Emily was determined. She stood up and excused herself to go perform the chore.
Emily found her way to the barn, where Bessie was kept separate from the other cattle. She grabbed a bucket, pulled up a stool, sat down, and awkwardly starting yanking at the beast’s teats. It took her several minutes to figure out how to hold the cow’s glands more appropriately, and took her several more minutes to get into a steady rhythm. But, much to her surprise, Emily eventually got the hang of it and soon was milking the cow as if the task wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to her.
Once the bucket was nearly full, Emily stopped milking and stood up again. Her back felt tight and cramped from being bent over for an extended period of time, and she decided to walk around and stretch out her muscles.
Emily walked to the far end of the barn and stretched her arms high in the air. She kicked her legs out as well and shook them.
Emily proceeded to do a few other exercises, when, out of nowhere, she heard the sound of laughter. She spun around in space, then stopped moving to figure out whence the noise came.
“Don’t stop on my account,” a man said from the other end of the barn. He was leaning against the wall, by the door, washed out by the bright light of the sun pouring in all around him.
Emily could barely make out his face, but she was able to identify him.
“You,” Emily said very slowly. “What are you doing here?”
“Is that any way to greet the man who paid for your carriage ride yesterday?” Sawyer asked, stepping forward. His face came into better view, and Emily forced herself to turn her eyes away from the handsomeness of it.
“So, you are following me, aren’t you?” Emily said. It was more of a statement than a question. “Is that why you paid the man to ride me out here? So that you could find out where he dropped me and come after me?”
Emily grabbed hold of a rake from the corner of the barn. “I don’t know what you want from me,” she added. “Or, maybe I do… But, whatever it is, I assure you, that you will not get it.”
“Calm down there, Missy,” Sawyer said steadily, slowly stepping forward. “It’s not what you think. I didn’t pay for your carriage ride because I wanted to follow you. And, I never asked the driver where he dropped you… What’s more, I didn’t even know that you were here.”
“Then why are you here?” Emily asked, still holding the rake and still ready to use it to defend herself if she had to.
“I work here,” Sawyer replied. “I am one of Peter Cassidy’s chief ranch hands.”
Emily’s jaw dropped and she eased her grip on the rake.
“I just arrived for work a short while ago,” Sawyer went on. “And I went to check in with Amanda. She told me that her sister was out here, milking Bessie, and she said that I should come help you and get you acquainted with the ranch.”
Emily’s concerns were eased, but she was still in defense mode. “I don’t need your help,” she fired back. “I’m perfectly capable of doing this, or any chore, on my own, and I can—”
&nbs
p; “Oh really?” Sawyer asked sarcastically, shaking his head from side to side. “I beg to differ.”
“Why?” Emily asked. “What do you mean? I haven’t done anything wrong. I—”
Emily stopped speaking and followed Sawyer’s line of sight, gazing in the direction he was looking. It turned out he was looking at Bessie, who stood proudly beside two farm dogs who were hungrily lapping at the bucket of milk Emily had just spent so much time extracting.
“Never leave a pale of milk unattended on a farm or ranch,” Sawyer laughed, amused by Emily’s disappointed expression. “There are always plenty of cats and dogs on the prowl, and, as you see, they’re more than eager to devour the fruit of you efforts.”
Emily took a deep breath and carried the rake back to the corner of the barn. Her back was turned to Sawyer, and he couldn’t see her face. But, if he could have, he would have seen that he wore an embarrassed, yet lighthearted smile on it.
SEVEN
“Really, Sawyer, you don’t have to follow me around,” Emily sighed.
It had been two, maybe three hours, since the two of them encountered each other in the barn—and, for all that time, Sawyer had followed Emily like a shadow at high noon.
“I know your sister came here from New York,” Sawyer replied, checking the level of feed Emily had just put out for the horses. “So, I reckon you do too. And, I reckon this kind of work isn’t familiar to a city girl like you.”
Emily shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes. She didn’t want to admit it, but Sawyer was right, and she was actually grateful—and tickled—to have him there. He’d helped her lift a few heavy items by this point, and had told her where certain things were. Not to mention, he was so handsome, and there was a kindness to both his gestures and his voice.
“Isn’t there other work you should be doing?” Emily asked, gazing out at the expanse of her sister’s land. “Shouldn’t you be minding the ranch operations? That’s your job after all, isn’t it?”
New Beginnings Spring 20 Book Box Set Page 57
