Rough Riders Bundle 1(books 1, 2, 3) (39 page)

“I didn’t want to be rude and ask, but are you?”

Macie smiled. “No. I’m half Lakota Sioux.”

“Oh. So the man with you last night? Is he your…”

“Dad. Cash Big Crow.”

“He don’t look old enough to have a daughter your age.”

She’d fielded this question often enough it was second nature to her. “He was sixteen when he knocked up my mom.”

“I know how that goes. I had my first kid when I was seventeen.” She shrugged. “It happens. What’s your dad doing around here?”

“He’s the new foreman for Gemma Jansen’s ranch.” Macie froze. Maybe that wasn’t supposed to be common knowledge.

“’Bout damn time Gemma hired somebody decent. She’s been trying to do it all since Steve died. Be working herself into an early grave.” Velma seemed ready to settle in for a long chat. “Do you know Gemma very well?”

“No. I just met her yesterday.”

“Seems strange she didn’t offer you a job on the Bar 9.”

“To tell you the truth, Velma, I’m not much interested in ranching. I’m just tagging along with Dad for the summer, but I couldn’t sit around and do nothing. I don’t want to be accused of being lazy.” Macie knew her father still struggled against that racial stereotype—of being nothing more than a lazy, freeloading, boozing injun. An attitude she’d run into a time or two herself.

Velma chuckled. “You ain’t been here for more than twenty-four hours, and you’ve already got a job, so I think it’s safe to say you ain’t lazy.”

“Thanks.” Macie flipped the hashbrowns. “Just so you know, I’d much rather be back here than out front.”

“We’ll get along just fine, Miss Macie, ’cause I’ve had enough years of cooking over this hot griddle. I do believe there’s more grease in my veins than blood.”

Macie laughed. “Must be why you look so young, Miz Velma.”

Velma snapped a dishtowel at her on the way to unlock the front door. “Yes sirree. You and I are gonna get along just fine, squirt.”

*

Gemma woke alone.
She’d gotten used to it in the last three years, but she still experienced a pang of disappointment.

Thank God Cash was conked out when she’d come to bed. But in her restless state she couldn’t sleep. When she’d quietly crept out to stare out the window, the tears started. Unwanted tears, both happy and sad, as she said goodbye to her past and hello to her future.

An odd thought occurred to her. Cash hadn’t overheard her crying, had he?

Pointless to worry about now. She rolled her lazy ass out of bed, realizing she’d overslept by a good hour. Did Cash think she acted the lady of the manor, lolling around between the sheets all day while he was out busting his ass?

Places were sore on her body that hadn’t been sore in a while, so she popped a couple of aspirin. She dressed in her usual attire of jeans, boots and a lightweight, long-sleeved cotton shirt to protect her skin from the blistering sun.

Cash wasn’t in the kitchen. A single bowl and spoon rested in the dish rack beside the sink. No coffee was left warming; the pot was still sparkling clean. Well. Shoot. This wasn’t what she’d expected. Would’ve been nice to share a cup before heading out to feed the cattle.

She stepped out onto the covered porch, shielding her eyes against the bright rays. Cash’s pickup wasn’t parked in front where he’d left it last night, and the ranch truck was in its usual spot. Then Gemma remembered Macie. After devoting last night to her, Cash was probably hanging out with his daughter.

Gemma didn’t want to interfere, but she had a perverse need to make sure Cash was all right. He seemed a more contentious sort than to take off without telling her where he was going.

Are you speaking as his lover? Or as his boss?

She ignored the voices in her head as her strides ate up the distance to the camper. She stopped between the outbuildings when she realized Macie’s vehicle wasn’t around either. What the heck?

As she debated on what to do next, Carter came barreling around the corner of the barn, scaring her half to death.

“Where is she?” he demanded.

“Who? Macie?”

“Yeah.”

“I have no idea. Have you seen Cash?”

“I saw him heading out to the west pasture with a load of hay in the back of his truck about an hour ago.”

“By himself?”

“I guess.”

“Dammit, Carter. Why weren’t you with him?”

His eyes narrowed and he countered, “Why weren’t you?”

She should be beyond blushing at her age. Gemma sighed. “Evidently I overslept. Which means Cash is out there doing everything on his own.”

“So let him. It
is
his responsibility now.”

“That don’t make me feel any less guilty. This is my place. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to turn over full operations to someone else.”

“You’d better at least try. What’s the point of hiring someone if you ain’t gonna let him do the work?”

Her mouth opened, then closed. She couldn’t think of a rational rebuttal.

Tires thudded by the barn, sounding abnormally loud in the morning stillness. A drawn out squeak echoed as the gate was opened. An engine gunned and a
screech bang
followed.

Gemma hustled toward the sound. Her stomach did a little flip at seeing Cash.

He yelled, “Mornin’, Gem.”

Cash’s smile died the second he saw Carter coming from the direction of Macie’s camper. His neutral expression became a frown when Carter demanded, “Where’s Macie?”

“If she would’ve wanted you to know, McKay, she would’ve told you.”

“You ornery—”

“Carter,” Gemma said sharply, “enough.”

Cash said, “Maybe you oughta be doin’ your job instead of worrying ’bout my daughter.”

“At least somebody is worried.” Carter snorted. “Did you see her last night? Or ignore her? I bet you don’t even know where she is.”

“As a matter of fact, I do know where she is, and the chances of me telling you just dropped to zero, boy.”

Good God. This was ridiculous. “Look. I don’t have time for this stupid male posturing. Carter, what did you get done this morning while Cash was tending the livestock?”

“I moved the horses into the south pasture. I sprayed down the stalls and refilled the flytraps. Then I prepped Daisy’s medicine. Didn’t know if you wanted me to give it to her or if you wanted to do it. Then I took stock of the rest of the veterinary supplies and made a list for the next time someone goes to the feed store.”

Cash seemed impressed. “I noticed them flytraps were looking ratty last night. Thanks for taking care of it.” He knocked his hat up a notch and addressed Gemma. “The stock tank out where the cattle are grazing is bone dry. I came back to switch out trucks before I head back out to refill the water tanks.”

“Is that damn pump broken again? That’s twice in the last month,” Carter said.

“I wondered. Thought boss lady could help me out. Show me how, or let me figure out the best way to prime the pump.”

The double meaning in Cash’s words caused Gemma’s stomach to pitch again. “Sure.”

“Did you notice if the salt licks are gone?” Carter prompted. “’Cause it was damn close to nothin’ the other day when I checked on ’em.”

“Completely gone. I couldn’t find replacements tablets.”

“She keeps them in the cellar.”

“I’ll know where to look next time.” Cash angled his chin at Carter. “Far as I’m concerned, you done everything I thought needed doin’, so there ain’t no reason for you to stick around today. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.”

The two men stared at each other. “Fine. I’ll go. Just as soon as you tell me where she is.”

Cash laughed, a little harshly. “If Macie wants to contact you, she will.”

“And when she does? What then?”

Gemma stifled a groan at Carter’s surety where he stood as far as Macie was concerned, after knowing her for one day.

“
If
she does contact you, I’ll abide by her wishes. Until then, you’ll abide by mine. Stay away from her, McKay.”

“You forgot one tiny detail. I don’t think Macie wants to stay away from
me
.” Carter retreated and loped to the barn. Before either of them said another word, Carter mounted his horse Deacon and galloped across the pasture, away from what probably would’ve been an argument as heated as the day.

Cash swore.

She tried to diffuse the situation. “What happened to you this morning? I woke up and you were gone. Was I snoring or something and chased you off?”

“No. You looked so peaceful I let you sleep in. I woke up early to hang out with my daughter, but she’d already taken off.”

“Where is she?”

His eyes narrowed. “If I tell you, you gonna blab to McKay?”

“No. But if he asks me, I ain’t gonna lie.”

Cash sighed. “I called her cell when I couldn’t find her this morning. Evidently she found work at the Last Chance Diner. She’s cooking first shift today.”

“She already found work? I hope I’m not the reason she felt the need to get a job when I told her she’d have to earn her keep if she stayed here.”

“Don’t worry. Though your offer was mighty nice, ranch work ain’t her thing.”

“Glad to hear I didn’t chase her away.”

“Take more than that to scare either of us off.”

Gemma stepped closer. She had an overwhelming compulsion to touch the smooth skin on his cheek, which was still damp from the exertion of early morning chores. She settled for curling her fingers around the window frame. “Is everything all right? You seem…I don’t know…different today.”

“Just trying to get the lay of the land, so to speak. I don’t want to disappoint my new boss lady.”

“Nothin’ you’ve done to me, or for me, has disappointed me so far, Cash.”

He grinned. “Good to hear. What do you say we get the rest of these morning chores done and head over to the diner for lunch? I’d like to see my girl in action.”

“Sounds good. I’ll grab the truck keys, and the salt, and meet you by the gate.”

Something between them still didn’t feel right. Rather than press the issue, she’d see if it resolved itself—or if it was unfounded paranoia on her part.

*

Carter tried not
to fume as his horse cruised across the pasture. Problem was, he suspected he was mostly mad at himself. He should’ve trusted his gut feeling and gone to Macie like he’d planned last night. From the looks of it, Cash and Gemma had been so wrapped up in each other Macie probably spent the night by herself.

How often had that happened to her? Was that the reason for her reserve?

It was a detached attitude, a purposeful distance he recognized. Hell, even his own family considered him aloof. Last night, in the long hours he’d spent alone, he’d attempted to draw Macie from memory. He’d expected that seeing her in the flesh would lift the veil stifling his creativity. It’d worked at first. By the time he’d finished with the half-dozen or so sketches of her, none of them to his liking, it was nearly three in the morning. He crumpled them up and managed to nod off. His dreams weren’t memorable, but on some level they’d disturbed him enough to rouse him from a light slumber.

His sole desire when he awoke was to sculpt her. Dig his hands into clay and immortalize her, then cast her likeness in bronze. But again, rather than give his muse free rein, he literally had to rein in Gemma’s horses.

Normally he loved working outdoors with animals. It gave him a chance to study their movements. The come-hither toss of a filly’s head. The way the stallion’s nostrils flared in response. The gleaming wetness of a horse’s coat after a vigorous ride. How the constant Wyoming wind stirred their long manes as they galloped, so the same horse never looked the same way twice.

He figured Macie had as many different looks and moods. No wonder he was having a hard time capturing her likeness.

Carter checked on her first thing after he’d arrived at the Bar 9 to find her camper empty and her car gone. Taking out his frustration by scooping manure had worked for a while. He knew it was a stupid move to take out the rest of his frustration on Cash. Then again, he suspected nothing he could’ve said or done would’ve convinced Cash to reveal Macie’s whereabouts.

He grabbed a beer, a chunk of wood and his sharpest knife. Sometimes it helped clear his head to just have something in his hands to carve with no specific object in mind. Rather than secrete himself away in the barn, he plugged in his boom box and perched on the front stoop in the sunshine. A mixed CD of country tunes his sister Keely selected lightened his mood. As the wood shavings fell away, he thought of families, his family in particular.