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  “Honey, you need to start paying attention to the male of the species. That little boy of yours needs a daddy.”

  “Will and I are doing just fine. We don’t need a man. I have my brother. Michael spends time with Will. And Uncle Jesse takes him fishing all the time.”

  “Well, I wasn’t thinking in terms of fishin’. What you need is a man to warm your bed.”

  “Mrs. Wells!” Rachel took a quick look at Will, but he was busy counting the licorice sticks in the jar on the counter.

  “Mrs. Stevens, I have your wagon loaded.” Mr. Wells entered the store and walked behind the counter. He pulled out a candy stick and handed it to Will. “Here you go, son. I’ll put it on Big Bob’s bill.” He winked at Rachel.

  “No, I’ll pay for it.” She fished in her drawstring purse and dug out a penny. She plunked it on the counter. “Come on, Will, let’s get moving before that storm blows in.”

  Hand in hand, she and Will walked to the wagon parked in the front of Wells’ Mercantile. It had been loaded with a month’s worth of flour, salt, beans, coffee, sugar, spices, a round of cheese, and enough cloth for her dress and pants for Will. What made this load extra heavy were the tools Big Bob had her pick up. She climbed into the seat and tugged on her driving gloves as Will settled himself alongside her, sucking on his licorice stick.

  With the wind kicking up, she retied her calico bonnet to make sure it was secure, and then snapped the reins to get the horses moving. They headed out of town, past the stores getting ready to close for the day. She shouldn’t have taken so long in the mercantile. The ten-mile drive to the ranch would take about two hours, putting her there early evening.

  As was typical on her once-a-month trek into town, she’d left fresh baked bread and cold meat for the men’s supper, along with potato salad, cold beans, and plenty of pies. Mac would make the coffee and clean up afterward.

  She kept her eye on the sky as they traveled. Oklahoma weather was tricky. Deep blue sky, lots of sunshine, and then within minutes a storm could blow in that uprooted trees and sent hail down on your head the size of a child’s ball. She tried to move the horses along, but with the heavy load they were towing, they could only go so fast.

  “Ma, why were you and that man fighting?”

  “We weren’t fighting, sweetie. He was just a grouchy person, that’s all. Don’t pay him any mind.” She glanced once more at the darkening sky.

  “But I did run into him, and knocked him against the counter.”

  “Oh, I’m not discounting what you did. I’m just saying he didn’t have to be so nasty about it.”

  “I’ll bet he’s a cowboy.” Will bit off a piece of licorice.

  “Probably.”

  “I like cowboys.”

  “You see plenty of them every day.”

  “And I like all the cowboys at Big Bob’s ranch, too. That’s what I’m going to be when I grow up.”

  “Well, don’t get your heart set on it. You are going to college. Like Uncle Jesse and Uncle Michael. No cowboying for you.” Her one regret was getting married young and missing out on going to college. Her sister and brother went to college, and now Michael was a pharmacist and Ellie a schoolteacher like her Aunt Tori.

  When she married Billy she’d expected to spend her life taking care of him, their home and children. College was the furthest thing from her mind. Then Billy died when Will was a mere baby and she found herself either having to live off her aunt and uncle, or finding a way to support her and her son. Since she’d always been a good cook, she was fortunate to find a job as a cook at Big Bob Richardson’s ranch, The Lazy Sunset.

  “What about Uncle Hunter? He didn’t go to college.”

  “That doesn’t matter. He works as a federal marshal. They don’t need college.”

  “Then I’ll be a federal marshal like Uncle Hunter.”

  Rachel had learned shortly after Will had begun to talk that it paid to pick her battles. Fighting about college when her son was only nine years old didn’t make a heck of a lot of sense.

  “Ma, are we gonna make it home before the storm?” His licorice stick finished, Will wiped his mouth on his sleeve as he looked anxiously at the sky.

  “I hope so. Mr. Wells did a good job of covering everything with a canvas, but if the rain is strong enough, we might have a problem.”

  They continued on in silence, the sky becoming darker and more threatening. When the first fat drops of rain started to fall, Rachel pulled the wagon over, under a copse of trees. The shelter wouldn’t be perfect, but it was better than nothing.

  The storm was violent, but quick. They huddled together, Rachel doing her best to keep as much of the rain off Will as she could. Her bonnet was soaked, the sodden brim covering her eyes and nose.

  “Ma, I think it’s over.” Will wiped the water from his cheeks and pulled away from her embrace. Only nine years old and already he felt uncomfortable when she hugged him. Rachel sighed; he was growing up much too fast.

  “I believe you’re right.” She turned up the brim to push it out of her eyes and slapped the reins to get the horses moving again. Although the storm had passed, the sun had begun its descent and the encroaching dusk made the ride difficult. If she didn’t get back to the ranch soon, with the cloud cover, darkness would make the rest of the trip impossible.

  The sound of horse’s hooves behind them cheered her. Perhaps whoever was traveling this same path could ride alongside them for a while until she reached the turnoff for the ranch. Even though she’d never had a problem on this road before, she reached under the seat and patted the shotgun she kept just in case. No sense in being reckless.

  “Howdy, ma’am. Not a good night to be out, is it?”

  The deep voice prickled the hairs on the back of her neck. Please, God, it couldn’t be. She turned, and the brim of her hat fell once more to cover a good part of her face. She tilted her head back and groaned.

  “You!” the man said.

  “Yes. I can assure you, sir, I am as thrilled to see you as you no doubt are to see me.” Rachel flipped the brim back once more and stared into the green eyes of the man in the store. It was just her luck he would be the one behind her that she’d hoped to have as company.

  “Why are you riding around in the rain?”

  “I am not riding around in the rain. I’m sure you can see from my wagon that I’m returning home with supplies. We were caught in the storm.”

  “I can see that. Where is your husband?”

  Oh, the man was just full of nerve. How dare he question her, instead of being a gentleman and offering to help them reach home safely. “I am perfectly capable of traveling to town on my own to get supplies.” Did the entire world think a woman couldn’t deal with life without a big, strong man to boss her around?

  He grinned as if she made a joke. “Well in that case, ma’am, I’ll be on my way.”

  “No, wait!” Lord, how she hated to ask this man for any favors, but it was getting darker by the minute and she was afraid the horse would step into a hole, or the wagon get caught in mud. As much as it pained her, she would have to ask the man to stay with them until she reached her turnoff.

  “As a matter of fact, I could use the company. I’m only a couple of miles from home, but I don’t want to run into any trouble in the dark.”

  “Ah, and yet you are perfectly capable of traveling to town on your own to get supplies.”

  She gritted her teeth to keep from telling this obnoxious man to go on his way, and she would be fine. But she couldn’t take a chance with Will alongside her. Swallowing the sour taste of her pride, she attempted a smile. “I guess once in a while things don’t quite work out as we planned.”

  He threw his head back and roared with laughter.

  “I fail to see the humor, sir.” The brim fell once more to cover her face.

  “I’ve seen men eat rotten food with a more pleasant look on their face than yours just now, ma’am.”

  Her stomach in knots with
having to deal with this horrible man again, Rachel snapped the reins and the wagon moved forward.

  “With the mud, it might go easier if I drove the wagon for you.”

  She raised her chin. “No, thank you.”

  He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

  Then the dratted man began to whistle. She felt as if the top of her head would blow off with her anger building so. In her agitation, she failed to see one of the horses wander too close to an indentation made by another wagon wheel. She yanked the reins back but not before the wheel hit the rut and the wagon slid, then came to an abrupt halt. Slowly the front wheel sank into the mud.

  “Is there a problem, ma’am?”

  If she spotted a smile on his face she would haul out her shotgun from under her seat and shoot him. Taking a deep breath, she turned, the smile on her face as stiff as Uncle Jesse’s starched shirts. “It appears we’re stuck.”

  The man swung down off his horse and sauntered over to her wagon. Crouching down, he examined the wheel in the fading light. “Yep, you’re stuck.”

  Rachel huffed. “I know that.”

  “You and the boy, out of the wagon.” After issuing this order, the man strode into the woods as she and Will climbed down to stand alongside the wagon. He hauled back a large tree limb.

  Rachel and Will waited, shaking from their wet, soggy clothes. If she didn’t get Will home soon, he would end up sick. She pulled him to her side, trying to warm him up, but the child’s teeth chattered.

  After wedging the limb under the stuck wheel, the man turned to Will. “You think you can climb up on that wagon seat and hold those reins to steer the horses?”

  Will’s eyes rounded and he nodded furiously.

  “Wait a minute. Why can’t I steer the wagon? Will is too young.”

  “No offense, ma’am, but Will weighs less than you, and you and I will be pushing the wagon from behind.”

  Rachel shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t like the sound of this.”

  The man nudged the brim of his hat back and rested his hands on his hips. “Do you want to get out of here? Or would you prefer to spend the night shivering in your wagon?”

  “Ma, I can do it.” Will was almost jumping up and down in his excitement. “I can.”

  Soon it would be full darkness, and truth be told she had no idea how to get them out of the mud. She glanced at the man who viewed her with raised eyebrows.

  “Very well. Will, climb up onto the wagon seat. But be very careful.”

  He climbed up and took the reins in his hands, then turned to look at the man. “Now what?”

  “Hold on, son. Just let me and your ma get behind the wagon. When I tell you to, slap the reins, but not too hard, we don’t want the horses bolting. This has to be slow and easy. Slow and easy usually works just fine.” As he looked at her, his grin told Rachel he was not talking about the wagon.

  Oh, how she wished when they pushed the wagon, he’d fall head first in the mud.

  The brim of her hat landed on her face again.

  “Put your shoulder to the back of the wagon, ma’am. When I give your son the word, we both push. Use all the strength you have. If we do it right, the wheel should go over the limb and out of the mud.” He rotated his neck. “Ready?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, Will, go ahead and slap those reins—not too hard.”

  “Yes, sir.” Will had to slap the reins twice before the horses paid any attention. They started up and Rachel and the man pushed. After several grunts and pushing with all her might, the wagon moved forward and the wheel rolled over the limb. The whole thing rocked and she thought for a minute it would overturn.

  “There you are, ma’am.” The man leaned back and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Then he tugged on the brim of his hat and headed to his horse.

  Rachel scooted onto the seat and took the reins from Will. As much as she hated to do it, the good manners she was raised with took hold and she looked in his direction. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” That lazy grin did strange things to her insides. She was most likely hungry and cold. It couldn’t be anything else.

  The group continued on their way until they reached the turnoff for the ranch. “Thank you again, sir. I appreciate your help.”

  He gave her a brisk nod and frowned as she turned onto the lane underneath the arch with “Lazy Sunset Ranch” in large letters. “You live here?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  His frowned deepened. “Are you Mrs. Richardson? Big Bob’s wife?”

  “No. I’m the cook for the ranch.”

  He grinned. “Well, I’ll be.”

  “What?”

  “I’m Rusty McIntyre, the new foreman for Big Bob.”

  Chapter Two

  Two weeks later, Rusty stepped out the front door of his small house on the Lazy Sunset ranch and slapped his hat against his thigh before settling it on his head. He glanced to his left as the ball of energy named Will Stevens raced from his house next door. “Hi, Mr. McIntyre. Whatcha doin’ today?”

  The kid had been following him around from the minute he’d moved into his quarters. He would have preferred bunking with the other men, but they were crowded in the bunkhouse. And after the awkward introductions were made between him and Rachel, Big Bob had slapped him on the back and walked him in this direction, telling him the foreman always occupied this little house next to the cook’s home.

  “We have some fixing to do today with the north fences,” he told Will.

  “Can I come?”

  Rusty squatted and eyed the boy. “Now you know your mama doesn’t want you hanging around the men. I heard her tell you she wants you to do your chores and then catch up on your schoolwork.”

  “I hate schoolwork. Everyone in my class reads real fast, even the little ones, and I’m always last. And Miss Ames writes stuff on my slate that makes no sense to me.”

  Rusty tugged on the boy’s hat. “Well, it appears you should be doing your schoolwork then, because you must need the practice.”

  Will kicked at the small pebbles on the ground. “Mama wants me to go to college like Uncle Jess and Uncle Michael.”

  “That sounds like a good idea to me. I wish I’d gone to college.”

  His eyes grew large. “For real?”

  “Sure. I wouldn’t mind getting all dressed up in a suit every day and making my money with clean hands.” Since the kid’s ma had her heart set on the boy going to college, the little white lie about wanting to dress in a suit for work every day didn’t trouble him. Frankly, he agreed with the kid. School was always hard for him, too, and he loved working outdoors. If he had to be cooped up in an office all day, he would surely lose his mind.

  “Will? Where are you?” Rachel’s call from her front door had the kid leaning in close to Rusty.

  “Once I finish my chores and schoolwork, can I come with you? Please?”

  Rusty stood, one knee bent, his hands tucked into his back pockets. “That depends on your ma.”

  As Will raced away to plead with his mother, Rusty thought back to the night when he arrived at the ranch. After Rachel swallowed her surprise, they’d proceeded to the main house. Several of the cowboys came out of the bunkhouse to unload the wagon. Rachel and Will scurried away, most likely anxious to get out of their wet clothes.

  Big Bob had made it a point to introduce the two of them the next morning. Rachel continued to look as if she’d swallowed something nasty each time she had to deal with him. He chuckled. If he was interested in a forever woman—which he surely wasn’t after his erstwhile fiancée, Beatrice’s deception—he would certainly look in Mrs. Rachel Stevens’ direction.

  A young widow, she was feisty, curvy, hard-working, and not too bad on the eyes. Hell, she was easier to look at than any woman he’d seen in years. And that little bit of feistiness would give him something to overcome, and channel in the bedroom. Yes, she would be a fine wife for some man.

  Forget that. I’ll sta
y as far away from forever women as I can get. Lesson learned.

  After speaking with his mother, Will entered his house, his shoulders slumped. A righteous mama bear proceeded in his direction. “Mr. McIntyre, a moment, please?”

  “Sure. Good morning, Mrs. Stevens. Another lovely day, it seems.”

  “Yes. Lovely day. Mr. McIntyre, I do not wish to have my son following cowboys around all day.”

  Rusty used his thumb to tip back the brim of his hat. “Well, ma’am, that would appear to be somewhat of a problem since y’all live and work on a ranch.”

  “I realize that, Mr. McIntyre. However, I want more for my son than just being a cowboy. He will be going off to college to have a better life.”

  He grinned, knowing it would set her off. “Really? I knew the boy was smart, but I had no idea he was ready for college.”

  She huffed. “You know what I mean. Just see that you stay away from my son. I don’t want him getting ideas that I’m working very hard to avoid.”

  Her blue eyes flashed, her cheeks grew rosy, and he couldn’t think of anything but kissing those pursed lips. All that fire would be exciting in the bedroom. Instead, he opted for a gentleman’s response. “As you wish, ma’am. I will no longer speak with the boy.”

  “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. Of course you can speak with him, just don’t—you know—encourage him in a lifestyle I don’t want for him.”

  “Did you ever think perhaps what he wants is more important?”

  “He’s a child.”

  Rusty tugged on the brim of his hat. “I will honor your request, Mrs. Stevens. Have a pleasant day.” He strode off, having wasted too much time already.

  ***

  Rachel watched him swagger away. That was the only word that fit the man’s stride. All loose limbed and comfortable. And his backside in those tight Levi’s he wore was definitely something to admire. By other women, of course. She had no interest in Mr. McIntyre or his backside.