California Romance (18 page)

“That is good.
Adios,”
he told them. “You have chores to do before dinner.” Solita shooed them out, and Matt turned to Sarah. A wide grin split his tanned face. “Well? How do you like being a teacher?” he asked in English.

She sank into the chair behind her desk, still excited but suddenly tired. She hadn’t fully realized until now how much she wanted to make good in her new job. “I love it. The students—they are so…” She couldn’t find the words.

Understanding shone in Matt’s eyes. “They are God’s precious children.” He ducked his head and idly made circles on the floor with the toe of his boot. “I have a confession. I eavesdropped.”

“You did?” Sarah sat bolt upright. Her pulse quickened.

“Yeah. Good choice of story.” A poignant light crept onto his face. “These children need to know they are special.” He cleared his throat. “The Diamond S treats them that way, but I can’t say the same for everyone in Madera.”

Matt’s words haunted Sarah long after he left. Head bowed, she prayed, “Dear Lord, please use me to touch the lives of these children. Help me to show how much You love them, so much You sent Your Son to die on the cross for them.” A gentle breeze wafted into the silent room like a heavenly benediction—and Sarah rejoiced.

If Matthew Sterling hadn’t already been fathoms deep in love with Sarah, the sight of her conducting school in his home would have sent him head over heels. After eavesdropping on “Sarah’s School,” as Brett Owen and the hands dubbed it, Matt breathed a prayer.
Someday, Lord, if it be Your plan, Sarah Joy Anderson will be telling Bible stories and pointing our own children to You
. The thought set his heart pounding. The sparkle in Sarah’s luminous blue eyes when he asked if she liked teaching was enough to drive a man loco. The vision remained with Matt long after the triangle outside the cookshack clanged, calling the hands to dinner.

That afternoon Matt rested his hands on the top rail of the corral and watched Sarah lead Pandora out of the barn for their usual afternoon ride. Chase was already saddled and waiting. Matt started toward Sarah, but his three youngest cowboys—all just a little older than Seth—beat him to it. Matt frowned. What were Curly, Bud, and Slim up to?

The trio doffed their Stetsons, then Curly respectfully asked, “Beggin’ your pardon, Miss Sarah, but has the boss slapped his brand on you?”

Sarah stared at him as if unable to comprehend. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Before Matt could bellow at the boys, Bud added, “The reason Curly’s askin’ is, if the answer’s no, then we’d like to carry you to the big doin’s in town this weekend.”

“Yeah,” Slim chimed in, “there’s a rodeo an’ a square dance an—”

Matt gritted his teeth, but Sarah said, “Carry me? What do you mean?”

Curly whacked his hat against his leg. “Don’t pay Bud no mind. He’s from Virginny. They talk funny back there. If he were better eddicated, he’da said, take you. Or
es-cort
you. That’s more high-toned.”

Matt saw Sarah’s lips twitch. In spite of his annoyance, he also wanted to laugh. What would the lovable but unpredictable boys do next? More importantly, what would Sarah do?

“Am I to understand all three of you want to escort me?” she demanded.

Astonishment swept over all three faces. Curly—evidently elected spokesman for the group—said, “Why, shore. We’re gonna be the three most important fellers there. I’m the best rider and aim to give the boss a run for his money in the men’s race. Bud’s sure to win either the calf ropin’ or the bull ridin’.”

Sarah let out a silvery peal of laughter. “What about Slim?”

“He’s the modest kind. Don’t like to brag, but he’s the best square dancer in the outfit,” Curly explained. “So, Miss Sarah, are you free to accept our ’nvitation?”

Matt found his tongue. “She is not. Seth and I’ll do any
es-corting
there is to do.”

Bud stood his ground. “Aw, Boss, we’d be mighty proud to carry her,” he protested. “ ’Course, if it’s hornin’ in on you, just say so.”

Matt felt trapped between a rock and a hard place. If he said the cowboys were horning in, it would embarrass Sarah. Keeping silent would put her in a tough position. Inspiration hit him. “It’s like this, boys. If Sarah comes sashaying in with the three of you, it will get her in bad with the other girls, especially those who came all by their lonesome. We don’t want that to happen, now do we?” The crestfallen escorts looked at each other and shuffled their feet. “Reckon we never thought of that,” Curly admitted. A smile broke through the sudden gloom. “Can we at least dance with her?”

Matt laughed. “That is up to the lady.”

Three pairs of hopeful eyes turned toward Sarah. She blushed, mounted Pandora, and rode off, but she called back over her shoulder, “The lady says yes.”

“Yippee-ki-ay!
The Diamond S is gonna ride high, wide, and handsome come Saturday,” Curly shouted. “Say, Boss, Miss Sarah stays in that saddle as if she’d been born there. Why’n’t you get her to ride in the ladies’ race? Since the outfit’s bent on winnin’ all the rodeo prizes, we might as well get one more.”

“Good idea, Curly.” Matt swung into the saddle and headed in the direction Sarah had taken.

Later that afternoon, Sarah persuaded her brother into taking a walk with her on the pretense she needed to consult him about something. When they stopped beneath a tall cottonwood, she gleefully related her invitation to the “big doin’s.”

Seth thought it was hilarious. “Those three are my favorites of the outfit, except for Brett Owen. They’re such pardners they should have been triplets!” He laughed but quickly sobered. His keen gaze bored into her. “They weren’t disrespectful, were they?”

“Oh no! They were polite, funny, and
very
determined to find out if I was wearing Matt’s brand. What does that mean, Seth?”

“Out here, an engagement ring stands for a brand—a mark that a girl or young woman is spoken for. Kind of like a No Trespassing sign.” Seth hesitated. “Sarah, I don’t want to pry, but is Matt going to someday be my real brother?”

“Would you like that?” Sarah held her breath.

“He’s the only man I’ve ever known who is good enough for you. And,” he loyally added, “I’ll bet my bedroll you’re the only woman good enough for him.” His face darkened. “Be careful, though, Sarah. Lydia Hensley did a lot of damage to Matt’s pride. He thinks a powerful lot of you, and the last thing he needs is to be let down a second time.” Seth patted her hand. “Just take your time and be sure.” He cleared his throat and changed the subject. “I figured that Gus and Tice would follow you. Wonder why they haven’t?”

Sarah shook her head. The fear that lay hidden within her and was sometimes temporarily forgotten flared up like a brush fire. “I don’t know.”

“If they do come, it probably won’t be until spring,” Seth comforted. Mischief sprang to his eyes. “Who knows? By then you may have a husband as well as a brother to protect you. What Matt did to Red Fallon isn’t a patch on what he’d do to anyone who
really
tried to hurt you.”

Sarah grimaced but she kept her thoughts to herself.

Sarah had never been to a rodeo and had no idea what to expect. As usual she sought out Solita. “I know what horse racing is, and calf roping must mean the cowboys are going to rope calves, but why would anyone want to ride a bull?”

Solita’s merry laugh bounced off the ceiling of the large, cool kitchen. “You have much to learn if you are to be a rancher’s wife, senorita!” The housekeeper’s laughter died, and she rolled her expressive dark eyes.
“Vaqueros
, they are all alike. They ride anything they can straddle, especially bulls. The meaner the better. It is dangerous, very dangerous.”

Sarah’s mouth dried. She ignored Solita’s comment about being a rancher’s wife and asked, “Does Matthew do that?”

Solita shook her head. “He only rides in the horse races, and usually he wins.”

Sarah sagged with relief. The thought of Matt being trampled by an enraged bull was more than she could bear. She shuddered. “Curly said Bud would either win the calf roping or the bull riding.”

“Sí. He has won before.” Solita patted Sarah’s shoulder. “Do not worry,
querida
. We will pray for Senor Bud’s safety.”

“Matt and Seth want me to enter the ladies’ race. Should I? They say Pandora is fast enough to beat almost any horse that runs, but surely there are western girls who ride better than I do.”

Solita shrugged. “Perhaps, but you will have fun.” She laughed again. “Our Dori won the ladies race when she was fourteen. You will look beautiful in her riding clothes.”

Sarah capitulated when she saw the outfit. The expensive riding skirt and vest, high boots, blue silk blouse, and white Stetson fit as if they had been designed for her. And the way Matt looked when he saw her made Sarah feel beautiful.

The rodeo brought out everyone’s brightest clothing. The cowboys donned fancy shirts and highly colored neckerchiefs. They polished their boots until they shone, regardless of the fact they would soon be dusty from the events. The ladies decked themselves out in their best gowns. Some carried parasols.

Sarah was delighted to discover her friend Abby from the Yosemite Hotel was going to ride in the ladies’ race. “It is so good to see you,” the attractive young woman said. “Everyone is glad to know Seth is much better.” She cast a furtive glance both ways then leaned close to whisper, “Keep your ears open and your eyes peeled. I heard Red Fallon plans to be here today. He never misses a rodeo.”

Sarah gasped. “Surely he wouldn’t come after everything he’s done!”

“You don’t know Red Fallon,” Abby warned. “He’s likely to turn up anywhere. Besides, even though folks suspect him of shooting your brother, there’s no proof.” She sighed. “I just wish Sheriff Meade would get some positive evidence that would send Red to the penitentiary!”

The disturbing news cast a cloud over Sarah’s day. She alerted Matt and Seth to what she’d learned, but Red didn’t appear until the calf roping. To Sarah’s disgust he leaped from the saddle of his black stallion, expertly roped and tied the calf, then jumped up with a smirk and threw his hands into the air. A few minutes later, however, Sarah clapped until her hands stung. Bud’s time was a few seconds less than Red’s. The swaggering cowboy sullenly had to accept second place.

To Sarah’s relief Bud didn’t enter the bull riding event. “Stove up my ankle when I hit the ground durin’ the calf ropin’,” he growled.

“You beat Red,” she reminded.

“Yeah.” A triumphant gleam shot across Bud’s disconsolate face. “Now either Curly or the boss needs to win the men’s race. If you win the ladies’ race, it’ll be frostin’ on the cake.”

“I’ll try,” she promised and mounted Pandora for the race. When the horses took off, Sarah bent low over the gelding’s neck and screamed encouragement into his ear. Never had he galloped faster. Wind burned Sarah’s face and sent her hat flying, along with the hairpins which secured her braids. Her red-gold hair streamed behind her like a flame, and the roar of the excited crowd dinned in her ears. On the homestretch Abby’s palomino mare kept pace with Pandora. A few yards from the finish line, they surged ahead just enough to win.