Chapter 2
Chapter Two
The knowledge that she’d left every bit of security to journey west on a false belief and was now riding into a situation fraught with all sorts of dangers left Amelia stunned and immobile.
I will trust and not fear.
She mentally repeated the words over and over. It was easy to trust God. Easy to trust the Zach she’d grown to know through his letters. But this Zach? Who was he?
They arrived at the ranch, and she took in her surroundings with a sense of familiarity. The house—just as it had been described to her. A two-story log structure. Not overly large, but warm and homey. The logs weathered to gray. To her left, the barn, the corrals, and beyond that, the bunkhouse…
Where we have up to a dozen men in the spring and fall for the roundup. Ours is the oldest ranch in the area. My father moved here, the first man to believe this country could sustain cattle. Cattle, in his opinion, were a more certain way of making money than looking for gold.
Next to the bunkhouse stood the cookhouse, which she understood would not now be in use. The men would be out, and their meals prepared at the chuck wagon.
So many details that she knew. And had anticipated seeing firsthand. In her dreams, Zach had taken her to see every sight. There had been picnics—
Well, that wasn’t to be.
She had yet to discover what lay ahead —except uncertainty. With effort, she filled her lungs and pushed aside her concerns, though she didn’t quite succeed in quelling the tremors racing across her arms.
Zach pulled up to the house, then glanced toward the corrals, and groaned. “Kathy,” he yelled, causing Poppy to jump and whimper. “Get away from that horse.”
A girl stood by the rail fence. Dressed in dungarees and a faded red shirt with a cowboy hat, almost taming the mane of black hair tangled around her shoulders.
As she turned, the hat fell to her back.
She saw Amelia, and her eyes widened. Then she shot Zach a look overflowing with anger and defiance.
She grabbed the bridle hanging from the fence and climbed to the top rail.
In the corral, a horse snorted and pawed the ground.
“Wait here,” Zach said. “While I drag my little sister away from certain death.” He ran across the yard and scooped up Kathy before she could swing both legs over the fence.
He held her under his arm and headed back to the wagon while she kicked and swung her fists, pummeling his back. Each blow sounded a whack, but he seemed impervious.
“Put me down, you big, overgrown hunk of stupidity.”
While Zach remained undeterred, the struggle brought amusement to Amelia’s lips, though she was careful not to let either of them see it.
“Don’t talk to me about stupid.” Zach breathed hard, perhaps as much from anger as from the effort of holding her. “I told you to leave that horse alone. He’s wild. It will take an experienced man to break him.”
“I’ll be experienced once I’ve ridden him.”
Did the girl realize how foolish—and daring—those words were?
“No. You’ll be dead or crippled. And I sure don’t need either one.”
Amelia climbed down and set Poppy on the ground beside her. The child clung to Amelia’s side as the pair wrangled their way across the yard.
“I told you. I intend to be a cowboy. The sooner you accept that, the sooner I can get on with my plans.”
“Don’t know if you realize it.” Zach’s voice was as dry as the dusty road they’d traversed. He brought Kathy as far as the wagon and set her on the ground, keeping a firm hold on one arm. “But you ain’t never going to be a cowboy.”
Kathy had eyes as dark as her brother’s. The two scowled at each other.
Amelia pressed her fingers to her mouth to stifle her amusement.
Kathy jerked toward her. “Who are you?”
Zach’s voice rumbled in his throat, a clear warning for his sister to mind her manners.
Amelia wasn’t offended. “I’m Amelia, and you’re Kathy. Pleased to meet you.”
“I’m not Kathy. I’m Kat.”
“Hi, Kat.” A name most appropriate, indeed. The girl seemed all fangs and claws. “This is Poppy. Poppy, say hi.”
Poppy managed a quick greeting and then buried her face in Amelia’s skirts.
“She scared of me?” Kat demanded.
“She might be.” Amelia wasn’t going to point out that Kat’s yelling and fighting were reason enough for a child to experience a healthy dose of fear.
“’Course she’s scared of you. She thinks you’re some kind of wild animal.” Zach took in the scene. “Is Pa in the house?”
“Pa’s gone.”
“Gone?” He jerked her arm. “Where? When? Where’s Gil?”
“Gil’s behind the house. In the shade. With a bottle.” She broke from Zach’s grasp. “She planning to stay?”
“For a bit,” Zach said. “I have to find Pa. I’ll deal with Gil later.”
“Have fun.” Kathy started to flounce away, then stopped. “Whatcha gonna do with them?”
Them. Kathy meant her and Poppy. Her words were far from welcoming. Lack of hospitality must run in the family. Not an encouraging thought.
“Would you show her to a room? Help her take her things inside.”
“Why me?”
“Could you please just do it?”
The strain of holding his temper must do strange and frightening things to this man’s brain.
Zach didn’t wait for Kat to agree. He got halfway to the barn when a horse rode toward them.
“Here comes trouble.” Kat’s disgust filled her words.
Amelia picked up Poppy and held her tight.
After Kat’s dire warning, she half expected the rider to pull a gun.
The man might have purchased his clothes miles from the place.
Not a speck of dust clung to him. His hat appeared equally new.
He rode a fine-looking bay horse. She checked his boots.
Yes, exactly as the letter writer had described—Boots that haven’t seen anything but a clean floor.
“It’s Mr. Sobel, your new neighbor, isn’t it?”
“Neighbor by closeness but not by any sort of kindness. The man is nothing more than a well-dressed crook.” Kat fairly spat out her words.
The man rode up to Zach, who waited with his arms akimbo and his brow furrowed deep enough to plant potatoes.
“Nice to find you home.” Mr. Sobel sounded pleasant enough.
If one didn’t hear the mocking undertones.
“Too bad you aren’t out looking after your cows.
” He leaned over his saddle horn. His voice grew hard.
“Boy, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.
This isn’t a job for a youngster. Sell out while you have cows to sell.
Move to town where you can tend to your sister and your addled father. ”
Zach dropped his hands to his sides, and his fists curled and uncurled. “I ain’t sellin’, and especially not to the likes of you.”
Amelia’s fingers didn’t coil, but her insides did. How dare the man be so insulting? She glanced at Kat. A scowl marred her pretty features.
“If I had a gun, I’d deal with our unwelcome neighbor the way he deserves to be treated.” The words growled from Kat, and she spat on the ground.
Although Amelia would never attack the man with a gun, Kat’s assessment sure fit.
The visitor continued speaking. “There’ll come a time you’ll be glad to let me take what’s left of your cows off your hands.” Mr. Sobel’s grin was as evil as a snake’s—if a snake could smile.
“What do you mean, what’s left of them?”
“With this drought, there isn’t enough grass for the both of us.” The man reined about, saw Amelia, and stopped. “Well, well, well. You’re a pretty addition to the place. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m—”
Amelia handed Poppy to Kathy. The little one squirmed. “Hold her. I don’t want her running after me.” Amelia lifted her skirts and strode toward Mr. Sobel. “I know who you are. You’re the man who is making life miserable for this family. I detest such unkind behavior.”
Mr. Sobel leaned back and laughed.
Still grinning, although Amelia detected a hint of malice in the man’s pale blue eyes, he studied Zach. “I see you’ve found yourself a little spitfire. That ought to prove interesting.” He doffed his hat.
Three cowboys thundered in on lathered horses. “Boss, boss,” they called. “The cows are way to the east, miles from water. They’re standing around with their tongues out.”
“You have to choose whether to be a nanny to your kid sister and father or take care of your cows.” With that, Mr. Sobel rode from the yard, seemingly pleased with this turn of events.
Zach stared after him, his jaw muscles bunching. “Get my horse. And do something with the horses you’re on before you ruin them.”
The cowboys wheeled toward the barn.
Zach lifted his gaze heavenward and let out a long, weary breath. “I still have to find Pa and sober up Gil.”
“I’ll look after your pa and the cook.” Amelia had come here to do exactly that. Now was her chance. “You take care of the cows.”
“You?” His gaze roved up and down her length, much the same way as Mr. Sobel’s had.
She squinted at him. “I’m capable and because of your”—she lingered on the word—“letters, I have some knowledge of what I’m dealing with.”
“You just got here.” His protest sounded weak.
“You forget I have learned a great deal about your family. Leave them to me.” As she’d read those letters—wherever they came from—she’d thought of things she could do to make life easier for Zach. Now was her time to prove it and perhaps make him see he needed her here.
The cowboys led a horse toward Zach and waited.
He stood there, obviously trying to decide if he could count on her or not. If he’d read her letters, he would know the things she’d had to deal with. “Your experience is with cows. Mine is with hurting, sick people. Let’s each do what we’re best at.”
“I seem to have little choice. None, in fact.” He swung into his saddle and rode off without a backward look, the three cowboys mounted on fresh horses in his wake.
It was a far cry from the expected welcome, but she wasn’t about to sit around and mope. The man needed help, even if he didn’t welcome it from her.
“You’re going to take care of Pa and Gil?” Kat sounded more doubtful than impressed.
“I’m going to do my best. Now, where would your pa go?”