When All My Dreams Come True, page 3
“Going somewhere?”
The deep voice raised the hair on her scalp. Alarm skittered over her skin. She thought Grant had left with the others.
She didn’t turn but reached for the cinch. “Just for a ride.”
Footsteps shuffled closer. “Want some company?”
Her throat grew tight, and her heart hammered. She hurried to finish with the saddle. “Not really, but thanks for the offer.”
He entered the stall and moved beside her. “Are you sure? I think the two of us could be good friends.” He placed his hand over hers. “Know what I mean?”
His touch sent a hard shudder through her. She yanked her hand from under his. “I know what you mean, and the answer is no.”
He moved still closer until his breath washed down her neck. “Now, that’s not very friendly.”
She turned away. He grabbed her arm and jerked her around to face him. She swung at him with her free arm. He seized it and shoved her backward until he pinned her against the wall.
“Stop it!”
His eyes gleamed so dark, they looked black. “If we’re going to work together, we better learn how to get along.”
He leaned down toward her mouth. She twisted away. He chased her every move. She struggled only to have him grip her tighter. She opened her mouth to scream for help.
Then he was gone.
She leapt to the other side of Mack, then looked around. Jace had Grant by the shirtfront. Tears formed, and she panted from a mixture of exertion and relief. She swallowed hard to keep from sobbing.
Jace flung Grant out of the stall. Grant came at him and threw a punch. Jace ducked and rammed his fist into Grant’s belly before shoving him to the ground. Grant stood and pulled his gun, but Jace already had his out and cocked.
“Pack your things.”
Grant holstered his pistol. “Why? Because of her?” He jerked his thumb in Bobbie’s direction. “She expected this to happen. Why else would she spend time with a bunch of men?”
“She deserves the same treatment and respect as anyone else on this ranch.”
Grant crossed his arms. “You need me here.”
“I don’t need anyone on this ranch who would treat a lady that way.” Jace waved his gun. “Get your things together. Then find Dew for the last of your pay. I want you off my place within the hour.”
Grant didn’t move for several seconds. “Fine. There’s plenty of other ranchers who could use my help.” He spat in the dirt. “I might even head to Texas. I’ve had my fill of this territory.”
Jace stood as a silent guard while Grant saddled his horse. Once Grant left the barn, Jace finally replaced his pistol and turned to Bobbie.
“You all right?” He moved inside the stall and examined her face before lifting and looking at each of her hands. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
A little embarrassed by his attention, she stepped back and shoved her hands into her coat pockets. “I’m fine.” When he remained and didn’t say a word, she tried to smile her reassurance. “I’m not hurt. But thank you for coming when you did.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry it happened.”
“I hate that I caused you to lose a wrangler. Has he been here long?”
He shrugged. “About five months. A little longer, I guess.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No need. I don’t abide men who…act like that.” He patted the saddle on Mack. “Going for a ride?”
She grabbed the bridle from the nail. “I thought we both could use some exercise.”
Once she had it on, she led Mack out of the stall. Jace followed on her heels.
“You feel up to some company? You’ll need to know the boundaries of my property. I thought today would be a good day to get started. We’ll be busy again tomorrow.”
Bobbie sent him a sidelong glance, then shot him a smile. “Let’s go.”
“Great. Give me a chance to change clothes. I won’t be long.”
Bobbie had his horse saddled and ready when he returned. She spent a relaxing afternoon alongside Jace while he gave her a tour around a portion of his ranch. He showed her areas she hadn’t yet seen, explaining why he ran the ranch as he did, and telling her how his father came to be the owner.
“My dad was foreman of this ranch years ago for Mr. Hillyer. The man had a daughter, but he hadn’t seen her in years. They had some sort of disagreement and she left. From what I know, she never came back or kept in touch.”
“How sad.”
“I think that’s the reason Mr. Hillyer and my father grew so close. Dad told me Mr. Hillyer treated him like a son. When Mr. Hillyer became old and sickly, he told Dad that rather than have his land go to someone he didn’t trust or like, he’d sell it to my father. The charge was one dollar.”
Bobbie’s mouth dropped open. “One dollar?”
Jace grinned. “That’s really something, isn’t it? Dad took care of Mr. Hillyer until he died, and then buried him under his favorite tree near the creek.”
She shook her head. “That’s an incredible story.”
“Yes, it is. It’s amazing how God provides.”
Her back went ramrod straight. She turned and stared at him.
He returned her gaze. “You don’t think God had a hand in that?”
She shrugged. “I think one man did something incredibly generous for another man.”
“Well, I believe God has a hand in everything that happens, no matter how big or small.” Jace stopped his horse and looked around. “If God can create the world and everything in it with so much detail and obvious love, why wouldn’t He want to have a hand in what happens in our lives?”
His statement scraped across raw wounds. “So, you’re saying if He has a hand in everything, I’m right to blame Him for my parents’ deaths and putting me in the position of fending for myself?”
Jace leaned on his saddle horn and looked into her eyes. “I’ve come to believe that most problems are self-inflicted.”
A slap on the cheek would have been just as effective as his words. “How can you say that! You think I’m at fault for my parents’ deaths?”
“No, but how you handle it is.” His eyes turned sad. “Trust me. I know from experience.”
The hairs on the back of her neck calmed. She remembered his loss. “Can I ask…how your parents died?”
Jace’s jaw tightened. He refused to meet her eyes, and she thought he wouldn’t answer.
“They were killed. Murdered.” He sat up straighter and threw a glance at her. “Maybe I’ll tell you about it someday.”
They rode in silence until the sun started to dip toward the mountains in the west.
“We should probably head back,” Jace said.
“Um, do you mind if I stay out and ride a bit longer?”
Jace stared at her, then cocked his head. “You’re not going to get turned around and make me come out looking for you, are you?”
She couldn’t help but smile at his teasing voice. “I think I’ll be fine.”
He gazed at her a moment longer before touching a finger to the brim of his hat. He turned his horse toward home and prodded him into a gallop.
The number of years Jace sat in a saddle were evident with the ease and grace with which he rode. His strong back straight, one hand on his thigh, Jace flowed with the movement of his horse.
Bobbie turned Mack toward the mountains. The day had been a shower of new things, good and bad. She needed time alone to work through it all.
Jace wasn’t like most believing men she’d met. Many were like Grant Wilcox, who acted like a gentleman when people were around, then would turn into a mongrel when alone. Jace’s sister and brother-in-law were just like her new boss, kind and thoughtful. Maybe the church where they worshiped was different from others. She might have to consider taking them up on their invitation to join them some Sunday.
The beauty of the landscape surrounding her grabbed and held her attention. She loved this territory. She loved the mountains and all they contained. Their permanence gave her peace when life became unstable. The tall pines reached to the sky as though seeking to touch heaven. Bristlecone added texture to the open areas and flatlands. The mighty oaks demanded admiration for fighting the harsh winters in order to house a multitude of birds in the spring. She knew there was plenty of country yet to be seen, but why would anyone want to leave the Colorado Territory? Surely there wasn’t a more glorious place on earth.
Movement in the distant sky caught her attention as she approached an area of scrub pines. Buzzards circled. She urged Mack into a canter.
When she broke through the cluster of trees, she jerked back on the reins. Mack’s hooves skidded in the rocky soil. She jumped to the ground, a gasp stuck at the back of her throat.
FOUR
The pounding of a horse’s hooves forced Jace to pause at the threshold of his house. He’d heard the urgent pace too many times lately. He strode around the corner. “Bobbie?”
She was headed toward him at a gallop and held what looked like a calf in front of her. She reached him and yanked back on the reins, dust billowing from the sudden stop. Bobbie dismounted just as fast, stumbling and losing her balance with the weight of a newborn calf in her arms. Jace braced her up, then took the animal from her.
“I think you have some cattle missing.” Her chest heaved almost as hard as Mack’s. “I can’t tell how many. But there are plenty of hoof-prints heading away from your ranch.” She reached to scratch the head of the calf. “This one’s mama is tied to a tree. She has a lot more brands on her than just yours. I left her there so I could get back here before dark.”
Jace clenched his jaw and peered into the distance. “Find Dew. Tell him I need him.” He ran to the barn, still holding the calf.
Jace, Dew, and Bobbie arrived at the copse of trees as the sun greeted the tips of the mountains. Shadows cast an eerie glow over the scene. Jace pulled his rifle from its scabbard, metal against leather the only sound beyond the chirping crickets and the crunching of rocky dirt under the horse’s hooves. He searched the area before dismounting. Gun in hand, he headed toward the trees. Dew and Bobbie followed with their own rifles.
Without a word, they looked over the ground, their eyes trailing the hoofprints leading away. While Bobbie and Dew headed toward the cow tied to the tree, Jace dropped down beside one set of hoof-prints—that of a horse. Maybe, just maybe, there was some outstanding mark on the shoe that his blacksmith friend, Cade Ramsey, would recognize. As usual, nothing.
“You need to see this, Jace,” Dew called.
Jace headed toward them and stepped around the cow to stand next to Dew and Bobbie. With his finger, he traced the strange branding marks stamped on its side.
“What does it mean?” Bobbie asked.
“I have no idea. I’ve never seen brands like that before. Except for mine right in the middle of the rest.”
Bobbie shivered and ran her free hand up and down her arm. Her gaze darted around the area. “I wonder how long ago this happened.”
Jace grunted and traced the hairless markings the color of saddle leather. “Couldn’t have been too long. Still looks fresh.” He saw her shiver again. “We need to get back, but we can’t leave this cow out here. Dew—” but his foreman had already moved to get his horse. Jace removed the rope.
Dew maneuvered his horse behind the cow and gave a shrill whistle to get the beast moving.
Bobbie all but ran toward Mack. Jace would have smiled at the look of relief on her face, but he couldn’t find anything funny in the situation. With a flick of his tail followed by a cloud of dust, Mack raced off.
Why would someone steal only my cattle? Jace wondered. Not that he wished any trouble on his neighbors, but why only him? And what were the brand marks saying? The answers eluded him on the ride home.
Those same questions continued to haunt him the next morning. He didn’t get much sleep during the night, adding to his already foul mood. He poked his head inside the door of Annie’s house. “I’m not staying for breakfast, Annie.”
His sister hurried to the door. “Do you know something about the cows?”
“No, not yet. I’m on my way into town to see Morgan. Maybe he can wire some other sheriffs in the area and find out if they’ve seen anything like this. Or at least they can keep an eye out for my brand.” He didn’t wait for a reply and strode toward the barn.
Standing in front of the sheriff’s desk a short time later, Jace couldn’t believe his ears.
“Calm down, Jace.”
“What do you mean, calm down? Someone is stealing my cattle, and all you can tell me is to calm down!”
Morgan Thomas leaned forward over his desk and peered up at Jace above the rim of his spectacles. “Getting all riled up won’t help us catch the men who did this. Besides,” he smoothed the ends of his mustache, “I’m not the one you’re angry with, so stop shouting at me.”
Jace took a deep breath, ready to tell Morgan exactly what he thought about his methods of keeping the law, but the sheriff was right. The breath left him in a hiss. He had been fighting his temper since the day he found out about his parents’ death, and his frame of mind seemed no better today. They still needed to find his parents’ killer, and now he had another mystery to solve. He dropped down on the chair near the desk. He’d never been so weary.
“I’m sorry, Morgan.”
Morgan pulled off his spectacles and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I know. Now, let’s take a minute to pray. Then we’ll look at these brands you drew from the cow and see what we can figure out. After that, I’ll send out some wires.”
An hour later, atop his horse and taking in the beauty of the mountains, peace settled over Jace. The time in prayer with Morgan worked wonders on his attitude. He couldn’t stop his mind from wandering to his father as he rode home. Had his dad ever run into a similar problem? He couldn’t remember, but it didn’t matter. The ranch was his problem now, and he needed to figure out what to do about the latest challenge.
FIVE
Bobbie and Mack zeroed in on their next target. Since she’d been hired almost a week ago, their main task was cutting and roping calves while Jace and Coop tossed and branded them. She learned in a hurry not to question Jace’s decisions. The first day he’d told her they’d be branding calves. She’d looked up at him. “Branding? Don’t you think it’s a bit—”
“Early? Yes, but I’m not about to let the rustlers get away with any more of my calves without at least getting my mark on them.”
And in that moment, Jace had her convinced of his ranching abilities. She didn’t mind roping and branding. The work was hard but honest, and the help capable.
Jarvis Cooper. She smiled at the sight of him. When they had first been introduced, he was in the middle of stuffing his jaw with tobacco. He’d scooped his finger along the inside of his cheek when he saw her and discarded the brown wad into the dirt with a flick of his wrist. After wiping his finger on his pant leg, he extended his hand. Once they exchanged greetings, he restuffed his cheek.
A shudder went through her at the memory. She guessed he was only trying to be polite by removing the wad, but she would have preferred he left it alone. Since then, Coop became comfortable with her and apparently no longer felt the need to do away with his tobacco. She’d found him kind and thoughtful, as were all the men. Even her opinion of Adam changed once she got to know him better, though she could tell he still burned because of their encounter that first day. She didn’t miss Grant Wilcox in the least, though the ranch could have used his help.
With a quick jerk of her arm, Bobbie sent her lasso flying around the head of the next calf. She whistled a quiet tune, more confident than she’d been the first few days. Her decision to ignore the stares, work hard, and prove she could do her job helped set the tone. Everyone soon relaxed and began treating her as one of the men.
Bobbie drew the calf in and pondered the fine job Jace had done in selecting his hired hands. Her stomach grumbled, and Beans came to mind. The cook reminded her of her father, and that gave them a special bond. He did more grunting than talking, but he treated her with kindness.
Dew Wellman, Jace’s foreman, deserved the position. He worked harder than all the other men and knew a great deal about cattle. The rest of the wranglers, Sonny Marshall, David Lundy, and Adam Taylor, had followed Dew out early that morning to round up more cattle. That left Bobbie at the ranch to do all the calf roping while Jace and Coop did the branding.
Determined to make a good impression, she made certain she had a calf ready for Jace and Coop at all times. She looped her rope three times around her saddle horn and sat back to wait until they were ready.
The sight of Annie hanging clothes out on the line made her smile. The lady was easy to like though she was as completely opposite from Bobbie as two women could get. Bobbie towered over Annie by a good five inches, and Annie was an open, kind, and giving person, while Bobbie kept to herself. Still, given time, they might become great friends.
Coop approached and sent a disgruntled glance in her direction. He flipped her lasso from the calf’s head. “Hey, Bobbie, you trying ta kill us?” Coop tossed the calf on its side and then sat on its head, struggling with the legs while he waited on Jace with the branding iron.
She dismounted in stunned silence and grabbed the calf’s hind legs, pulling them back and holding them tight while casting a questioning glance at Jace. He met her gaze for an instant before turning his attention to the calf. He pressed the hot iron against the calf’s hip. It let out a loud baw-w-w. Moments later the scent of burned hair and seared flesh drifted across Bobbie’s nostrils.
Jace looked at her and squinted against the bright sunlight. “What he means by that is, you can stop working yourself into a sweat. You’re doing fine, and your job is secure. But as I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’m a bit shorthanded. You’re keeping us so busy, we don’t have a chance to breathe.”
