Rancher And Protector

CHAPTER TWO

AS HE walked to the SUV, Ted came up alongside Jason. “That Cookie obviously doesn’t know who we are,” he said with an edge to his voice. “If he did, he’d be more respectful.”

Jason spared him a quick glance. “We’re helping with the roundup, Ted, nothing more. There’s nothing wrong with how he treated us.” He took a bowl and spoon and moved after Rosemary who had gone to get her bowl and spoon in front of him.

But she wasn’t the first one in line. Others had gone before her. She wasn’t standing on ceremony as Ted seemed to expect. Jason had to admit he was fascinated by Rosemary, but he assured himself it was only because of the contrast between the woman as he’d seen her in Denver and the woman who stood before him now.

When his bowl was full, Jason followed Rosemary to the canvas stools Cookie had set up around the fire. Selecting the one next to her, he sank down, relieved to have canvas under him instead of leather.

“Long day?” Rosemary asked.

“Yeah, but you seemed to hold up well.”

“I’ve done this before.”

“Surely not recently.”

“No, not recently. My father let things slip on the ranch the last two years.”

“I thought maybe it was Wes’s fault.” Jason didn’t mean his remark as an insult, but he realized he’d offended Rosemary again.

“How dare you?” she said before she stood and moved to another camp stool, making her disdain obvious to everyone gathered around the fire.

Wes, who was just now being served as the last man in line, watched Rosemary as she moved to another seat. Then he crossed to the seat she’d abandoned and sat down.

“How you doing, Jason?” he asked.

“Fine. Cookie makes a mean stew.”

“Yeah, he does.”

“Who is Sara Beth? He said it was her recipe.”

“She’s my wife. She’s been the housekeeper on the ranch for a long time. That’s how I met her.”

Conversation had resumed around the fire. The men had all been watching Rosemary, as if to determine she was all right. But with Wes’s approach and general conversation, he’d apparently reassured his men.

“What did you say to Rosie?” Wes asked, his voice lower.

“I’m sorry, Wes. I spoke without thinking. She thinks I insulted you.”

“How’d you do that?”

“She said her dad hadn’t done much on the ranch the last two years. I said I’d thought it was your fault.”

“That’s not unreasonable.” Wes took a spoonful of the meat and vegetables. “Rosie is a little touchy about things right now. She feels she abandoned her dad when he needed her. In truth, the old man sent her away. I think he was just too tired, and didn’t want to admit that to her.”

“That must’ve made things hard for you.”

“Yeah, but I couldn’t abandon him or the men who worked for him. And Sara Beth would never have agreed to leave him or Rosie.”

“I see,” Jason said. “I’m sorry I upset her. I didn’t realize the circumstances. I’ll apologize to her whenever she’ll let me.”

“No need. I’ll talk to her. Just remember this is a hard time for her. Give her a little space.”

Jason knew what Wes was telling him, but something inside him didn’t want to listen. “I’ll be more careful about what I say to her.”

Wes gave him a considering look, and Jason tried to conceal his response. He didn’t want Wes to forbid him to talk to Rosemary.

“Okay. I’ll try to patch things up when I talk to her.”

Jason let out a soft sigh. “Thanks, Wes. I appreciate it.”

“No problem. We don’t want any fights in front of the men.”

“No, of course not.”

Rosemary watched Jason and Wes out of the corner of her eye as she ate her stew. She would demand Jason leave if he upset Wes. She wasn’t going to allow that. Wes and Sara Beth were her family—her only family, now that her dad was gone.

Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of her father. He’d obviously been too tired, too ill, to handle the running of the ranch. Wes had apologized to her, but he’d said her father wouldn’t agree to anything that required any money. Clearly he’d been in financial difficulty, too, though she hadn’t known. She wondered if Wes and Sara Beth had even been paid all their wages, though they’d both told her they had.

The biggest question, for her, had been whether Robert had sold the ranch because he didn’t believe she, a female, could handle running it. Even thinking the thought that she’d hidden in her heart almost brought her to tears.

One of the cowboys sitting next to her leaned over and said, “You okay, Rosie?” Apparently mistaking her upset, he added, “If the man got fresh, we’ll take care of him.”

“No! No, I’m just tired, Nick. There’s no problem.” She even managed to smile. “I’m just thinking about my dad. I wish he was here.”

“Yeah, he was a good man. We all miss him.”

“Thanks,” she said softly and finished her stew. She certainly didn’t want the men to think Jason Barton had insulted her. In truth, he’d insulted Wes, but she supposed she couldn’t hold it against him. He couldn’t know why things had gone downhill at the ranch.

After she finished her meal, she carried the bowl over to the big tin dishpan Cookie had filled with hot, sudsy water. Each man was expected to wash his bowl and spoon and put them back on the tailgate of the SUV. She had suggested that system when, as a teenager, she’d come out on a roundup and seen how hard Cookie had to work.

Rosemary was glad Jason followed Wes to the dishpan to wash his own bowl. Then he motioned to Ted to do the same. She noticed Ted’s reluctance until Jason spoke to him. From what she’d seen of Ted in one day, he seemed ill equipped to lead men. Especially the men on her ranch who were accustomed to a fair, hardworking manager like Wes.

What would happen to Wes and Sara Beth? Surely they would lose their jobs if Jason got the Bar G. Would they hook up with another ranch in the area? She didn’t want to lose touch with the couple she loved dearly. Another reason to fight for her ranch.

She retrieved her bedroll and saddle where she’d left them near the rope corral. She’d put her bedroll next to Wes, and he’d keep an eye out to be sure she was undisturbed by anyone.

Not that she’d expect any of the men who worked for them to be a problem. Everyone had worked there for years, except for Nick, and he’d never caused a problem in the time he’d worked for them.

But with Jason and Ted in the mix now, she wouldn’t take any chances.

Wes got his bedroll and saddle and joined her. He always had her put her bedroll next to the SUV and he slept on the other side of her. They followed the same routine tonight.

“You okay, Rosie?” Wes whispered.

“Yes. I’m sorry about that. I know it was rude.”

“What he said was reasonable, you know. He didn’t know any of us.”

“I know, Wes, but it upset me that he’d criticize you for Dad’s behavior.”

“Don’t worry about it. He understands now. So everything’s okay?”

“Yes, of course.”

“All right. Go take care of business while I keep an eye on everyone.”

When she returned a few minutes later, she found Wes talking to Jason again.

She spread open her bedroll and sat down on it to remove her boots. Then she tucked them in the bottom of her bedroll.

“Why are you doing that?” Jason asked, distracted by her movement.

“Doing what?”

“Putting your boots in the sleeping bag.”

“Because I don’t want any creepy crawlies in there when I put them on in the morning.”

Jason raised his eyebrows and looked at Wes. “Does that happen?”

Wes chuckled. “Not often. But it happened to Rosie once, and she refuses to leave her boots out of her bag. But she’s got a little more room in her bag than most of us, ’cause she’s a lot shorter.”

Rosemary ignored the two men and settled her head on her saddle after removing her coat and pulling up the sleeping bag.

Jason was staring at her, but she pretended not to notice.

“If you’re worried, you can set your boots inside the SUV. Cookie doesn’t mind,” Wes told him.

“Nope. I’m not asking for special treatment. Where shall I bed down?”

“Anywhere near the fire. But be sure you leave Cookie a pathway. He’ll be putting wood on the fire in the morning so he can cook breakfast.”

“How about I put my roll next to you?” Jason asked.

“Sounds good to me,” Wes said with a grin.

Rosemary ground her teeth. At least Wes was beside her. She’d never sleep a wink if she thought the sexy millionaire was in the next bedroll. Her nerve endings seemed to be on full alert whenever Jason was near.

Slowly the camp settled down. The only noise was the crackling of the fire, even though it was banked up so it wouldn’t spread, and the howling of the coyotes and wolves.

Cookie’s activities the next morning awakened Rosemary. She unzipped her bedroll and immediately shrugged into her coat to ward off the cold. The sky in the east was showing some light, but the sun hadn’t yet put in an appearance.

Taking her boots out of the bedroll, Rosemary pulled them on just as Wes sat up. She silently motioned to tell him she was going away from the SUV for a few minutes. His nod meant he’d make sure none of the men went in that direction. When she reappeared, Jason was awake, too, though most everyone else was still asleep.

Cookie had the big coffeepot on the fire and he was getting out the huge skillet he used every morning. Without saying anything, Rosemary got out a large bowl and began breaking eggs in it.

She saw Jason lean over and whisper something to Wes. Though she wondered what he was asking, she forced herself to ignore him. Wes would take care of whatever was his concern. The scent of coffee was waking up the men as much as the small noises Cookie and Rosemary were making. In another five minutes, everyone would be up.

Wes led Jason to the stack of tin coffee cups. After each taking one, they made their way to the fire and Wes poured them both a cup of coffee. They squatted down by the fire, cowboy style, and enjoyed their drinks.

Rosemary handed Cookie the bowl of beaten eggs and took out a loaf of bread he had baked in advance. Taking a sharp knife, she put the bread on a cup towel and began slicing it into fifteen slices, one for each person on the roundup.

“Grub’s ready,” Cookie called.

The men hurried to get their tin plates and get in line for breakfast. Rosemary set the bread in a tin plate near the fire. Cookie served up the bacon and the scrambled eggs.

When Ted received his eggs and bacon, he reached for two pieces of bread. Without hesitation, Rosemary said, “Ted, we each get only one piece of bread.”

“But there’s extra.”

“Because Wes, Cookie and I haven’t eaten yet.”

Behind her a quiet voice said, “Ted.”

That was all Jason said, but Rosemary figured Ted could hear the threat in it as well as she could, because he returned the top piece back to the plate. “Sorry,” he muttered and walked away.

Nothing else was said. They seldom had conversation in the mornings. Some people didn’t want to chat while they were still waking up.

As everyone got ready to ride out, Wes called out, “Has everyone filled his canteen?”

Several nodded since they’d done this for years, but there were always a couple who forgot. Jason and Ted came back to fill theirs, too.

Rosie was looking forward to the start but she couldn’t help worrying about riding with Jason. She felt her life would be simpler if he left. He just made her nervous. And that was unusual for her. In Cheyenne, she’d never felt nervous whether she was speaking to the press or making a presentation to a client. Of course, her “clients” were other states. She worked for the State of Wyoming, promoting tourism. It had been a dream job.

Wes rode up, leading her second horse, a dun named Sandy. He always saddled her horse while she helped Cookie. “Here you go, Rosie. Maggie looks good today, but I thought you should give her the day off.”

“Of course. Yesterday was a long haul. Today won’t be quite as long, will it?”

“Not in distance, but the ride will be rougher as we move on up into the foothills.”

“Will Cookie be able to drive as far as we need to go?”

“Almost. We’ll head farther north before we turn back toward the ranch. He won’t have to move far for the next camp.”

“Good. He’ll need a little rest after yesterday and today.”

“I know.” He waited until Rosemary was in the saddle and got her sandwich before he headed out. The rest of the party was waiting for them.

“Watch for rocks so you don’t lame your horse,” Wes called out to the cowboys. “We’ll be riding a little slower today because of the roughness of the terrain.” Then he led them away from camp.

About half an hour later, Cookie passed them by in the truck, waving a hand as he continued on to the ultimate camp.

Rosie glanced over the cowboys, at the two men in the rear who led the extra mounts on two long ropes. When she caught Jason’s eye, she quickly looked forward. If she looked at him very often, he might realize how fascinated she was with him. Besides, she didn’t want to be the one who caused her horse to go lame because she wasn’t watching.

To her surprise, Jason rode up beside her.

“Everything all right?” he asked.

“Yes, of course. Everything all right with you?”

“Sure.”

“Was your wife upset about you being away for several weeks?”

“No.”

“I’m glad she—”

“I don’t have a wife,” Jason said abruptly.

Rosemary stared at him. When she’d learned he was the supposed buyer for the ranch, she’d look him up on the Internet. In addition to his successful architectural business she found pictures of Jason and his beautiful wife attending society events in Denver. “But I saw—”

“We’re divorced.”

“Oh. Sorry.” She spurred her horse to move a little faster, but Jason fell back beside Ted. Just as well, she told herself, now that she knew Jason Barton was a bachelor.

When they reached camp that afternoon, the sun was just sinking over the rims of the Rockies. In a matter of minutes, it was dark, in spite of the millions of stars visible at night. Rosemary loved the sky out on the ranch. In Cheyenne, there were a few too many city lights.

Cookie had everything ready to eat as soon as they’d taken care of the horses and put up the rope corral. They’d picked their way through the rocks and foothills and the ride actually took longer than the ride yesterday. No question but that everyone was hungry. Tonight, Cookie had made skillet meat loaf and a pot of vegetables. After he’d served everyone, he promised mashed potatoes tomorrow night since he wouldn’t be traveling a long distance.

Of even more interest was the chocolate cake he set on the tailgate of the SUV. “Now don’t you be thinking I made this cake. Sara Beth sent it along. I just had the feeling you’d appreciate it more tonight than you would’ve last night,” Cookie informed them all.

There was a cheer from around the campfire and Cookie grinned at them. “I’ll tell Sara Beth you’re much obliged.” Then he filled his plate and sat down to eat.

Rosemary kept an eye on Ted. She couldn’t help thinking he might do something wrong again. After he’d eaten his dinner he started to get up, but Jason, who was sitting next to him, said something and Ted sat back down.

Jason must’ve figured out that no one got dessert until Cookie finished eating. A cook on a roundup worked hard, and he needed to have time to eat his meal. Rosemary wondered what kind of a roundup Ted ran, or if he ever had. Maybe she’d ask Jason that question if she got a chance.

When Cookie finished his meal, he cut the cake and served each cowboy his piece in his own plate. Even Ted accepted his cake with good spirits.

Jason, who was sitting next to Wes, leaned over and asked something, but Wes smiled. Rosemary wondered what Jason had said that amused her manager. She’d have to remember to ask Wes later.

She guessed Jason had convinced Ted to follow the rules. He certainly hadn’t caused any problems this evening. He was even making conversation with the cowboys around him.

Rosemary let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding. But when Jason squatted down beside her, she jumped.

“Is everything going okay?” he asked with that charming smile that always made her pulse accelerate. She told herself she was safer if she kept her eyes on her cake, rather than the man too close to her.

“Yes, of course, everything’s going well. Doesn’t Wes think so?”

“I assume so. He hasn’t said anything to me about any problems.”

Which made Rosie think of his prospective manager. “Have you ever seen Ted in action, on a cattle drive?”

“No. But he came highly recommended. You can be sure I’ll be looking at that recommendation again when I get back to Denver.”

“I’m not trying to pressure you, but Wes and Sara Beth will be out of a job if you get the ranch. I would feel better if you hired them in place of Ted.”

“I’ve been wondering if you would mind me hiring them.”

At that, she turned and looked at him, and was struck by his deep blue eyes dancing in the firelight. Her effusive enthusiasm tempered into a more professional tone when she finally was able to speak. “I’d be pleased.” She cleared her throat. “If you get the ranch, I’ll go back to Cheyenne, but I’d keep in touch with them. I want them to be happy, and I can guarantee their work.”

“What exactly did you do in Cheyenne?”

She was surprised by that personal question—and more surprised that she answered. But Jason seemed to be drawing her in, and like an oppositely charged magnet she had no choice but to go. “I worked in publicity for the Tourism Department of the state government.”

“You mean you’re responsible for those catchy ads about visiting Wyoming?”

“Well, I worked on the team that came up with them. They were great, weren’t they?”

“Yes, they were. I’d looked for some land in Colorado, but after seeing one of those ads, I turned my attention to Wyoming. I wanted somewhere with roads less traveled,” he said, almost quoting the ad.

She smiled. “I’m glad you liked it, and I suppose I’m glad you considered Wyoming.” She shook her head. “Will you look around Wyoming again if I get to keep the ranch?”

“Probably.” He gave her a devilish grin that nearly stopped her heart. “Shall I hire Wes and Sara Beth even if I don’t get the ranch?”

She wagged her finger in front of him. “Oh, no. They’ll stay with me. But if you do get the ranch, I’d like you to consider them. They’re the best.”

In a quick action he snagged her finger, their first contact sending shivers up her spine. “And what do I get if your guarantee doesn’t pan out?” he asked in a low voice.

“You can name any penalty you want, because I’m sure of my guarantee.”

“Fine.” Then he leaned in close to whisper in her ear, “If I’m not totally satisfied with their performance, you owe me a kiss.”

She almost fell over as she jerked away from him. Jason Barton was a smooth operator—and she’d best remember that. And their deal. She lifted her chin in an indignant pose. “Don’t hold your breath!”

CHAPTER THREE

THE NEXT morning as they all sat around the campfire eating breakfast, Wes organized them. They would begin their search in groups of three. Of course, since Cookie wouldn’t be rounding up cattle, Wes ordered two men to help Cookie move the spare horses and set up the rope corral in his new camp. Then they would maintain the cattle the others brought back to the camp. That left four groups of three.

To Rosemary’s surprise, she was in with Wes and Jason. Since Jason showed nothing on his face, Rosemary wondered if he’d talked to Wes earlier. They had again gotten up a little early and drunk their coffee by the fire.

“After you finish breakfast and wash your dishes, let’s mount up.” Wes had given each group an area to search, so they wouldn’t overlap each other.

Rosemary helped Cookie pack, as she usually did, and Wes saddled her horse for her. Today she’d be riding Maggie, which eased any tension she might feel. Maggie had been trained by Wes, and she was a great horse.

Wes, mounted on his horse, led Maggie over to the SUV. “Here’s Maggie, Rosie. You ready to go?”

“Sure. Where’s Jason?” Not that she really cared, she told herself. But he was a part of their team.

“He’s coming.”

As Rosemary swung into the saddle, Jason joined them. “Are we taking a lunch with us today?”

“Nope. Cookie will have something ready later, after he moves the camp. If we get hungry we can grab something when we bring in any cattle we find,” Wes explained. “Did you talk to Ted?”

“Yeah. I’m not sure he’ll be of much help. I’m beginning to think he’s a complete fraud.”

“Could be. He doesn’t seem to understand how to blend in with the other cowboys,” Wes said as he led them toward the area they were to search. “You, on the other hand, seem a natural.”

Jason chuckled. “I’m just following your lead, Wes. You’re the expert.” Then he added, “You and Rosemary. If you’d told me last week that she’d blend in anywhere, I wouldn’t have believed you.”

“I don’t see why not!” Rosemary said, irritated.

Both Wes and Jason laughed.