Love's Rescue (26 page)

After a lengthy silence from Jake, she added, “They’re sound ideas, Bennett. I thought them through the whole time you were gone, and now the numbers have convinced me that they could work.”

Jake was staring at her, but Jess decided his look was a thoughtful one. Pleased that she had likely just contributed to the prolonged success of the ranch, she leaned back in the wooden chair, stretching her arms and letting the chair rock on its back legs. The room had cooled pleasantly with the door open wide, and there was little to break the relaxing silence but an occasional voice drifting over the compound and the slow, homey creaking of the chair.

Suddenly, Jake’s gaze shifted in alarm to the floor behind the chair.

Jess carefully slowed her rocking, eyes wide. Somehow, she knew what was there—she could sense what was coiled up on the floor behind her.

Jake’s voice was low and steady as he spoke to her, still leaning against the wall, his gaze on his target. “In the bottom drawer, there’s a revolver. Hand it to me, Jess, nice and easy.”

Her breath trapped in her throat, Jess slowly reached down toward the drawer.

A sudden, loud rattling broke the silence.

Jess’s heart nearly exploded. Her eyes flew to Jake.

“Keep going,” he urged her.

Jess’s breathing resumed in shallow, rapid pants. Her fingers found the drawer pull.

The rattling broke, then snapped in warning.

Shakily, she slid open the drawer and saw the holster. Slowly, slowly she lifted it out.

With a steady hand, Jake reached for it. The piece barely made a sound as Jake slid it from the holster. He cocked the gun, took aim…BOOM!

Jess jumped as though lightning had struck. Through the ringing in her ears, she heard the snake slump to the floor.

Ranchmen burst into the front room bearing an assortment of impromptu weapons, their manners defensive.

Jake’s voice sounded muted as he told them about the snake. Jess forced herself to stand up, refusing to let the men think her fainthearted. Aware of her audience, she glanced at the snake, then turned to Jake.

“He was just a little snake, Bennett. Surely you didn’t need to blow him in two.”

The men chuckled. Jake eyed her as he reholstered the gun. Jess nodded slightly, silently thanking him for allowing her to save face. She was going to have nightmares for a month.

The ranchmen shuffled out. A few called back their intent to get a few supplies so they could repair the splintered floor.

Seeing Jess’s fingers trembling, Taggart paused in the doorway, then came back and picked up the two large pieces of snake. With a wink to Jess, he headed out again.

“Hey, Dough Chen!” she heard him yell across the yard. “Have ye any recipes for rattlesnake?”

Her strength having gone out of her, Jess leaned her elbows on the back of the sofa and dropped her head onto her forearm. “That was exciting.”

“More than that,” Jake said.

As she glanced up to determine his meaning, Jake dashed upstairs. He returned moments later with a spare gun belt. Moaning again over her mishap, Jess rested her forehead in her hands while Jake lifted the holster from the desk and slipped it onto the belt.

“I think you’d best wear this from now on,” he said. “I need to know that you have the means to defend yourself if there’s ever a need. Keep only enough rounds chambered to hit what you’re aiming for. Our shooting practice hasn’t given me a lot of hope for your accuracy.”

Jess’s eyebrows rose in mock indignation. “Perhaps I just need a larger target.”

He slid the holster along the belt. “Just how big a target were you thinking of?” His eyes were teasing.

Hers teased right back. “About the size of an irksome rancher, I think.”

Jake stepped up to her, adjusting the belt in his hands. “Then I’d best work on my manners, so that you don’t find me irksome.”

They shared a smile.

Getting back to the matter at hand, Jake’s gaze dropped to the circle of sturdy leather in his hands that was big enough for a large man, then rose doubtfully to Jess’s tiny waist. She watched him with amusement as he slipped the wide leather belt around her.

Jake pulled the end through the buckle until it was snug. Enough belt was left over to go around her a second time.

As he raised his eyes to hers, his expression changed. His fist tightened on the belt.

Suddenly, he felt too close. Jess gave an abrupt half-shake of her head. “Bennett.”

Jake searched her face and then slowly relaxed his grip. After a moment, he pulled the leather free of the buckle and gathered the belt in his hand.

Going over to the desk, he pulled out a knife. He swiftly cut her belt down to size, then poked a few holes through it with the point of the blade. He put away the knife, then handed her the custom-fitted belt, complete with holster and gun.

With murmured thanks, Jess drew it around her, buckled it, and settled the heavy sidearm at her hip. “I’m going to the cookhouse,” she said.

“Jess.”

Wary, she hesitated.

“We’re going to have to talk about this—what’s between us.” The deep timbre of his voice wended through her, as did the meaning of his words. Even so, she gave no indication of just how deeply her thoughts had become absorbed with him. Without giving an answer, she turned and walked out.

***

Jess woke before dawn and quietly dressed, anxious to begin her new job caring for the stable horses. She hadn’t heard Jake’s footsteps in the hall or on the stairs, so she assumed he was still asleep—for a little while longer, anyway. Jess quickly twisted her hair into the long braid she always wore, then pulled on her boots and gun belt and hurried from her room.

Jess ducked into the small kitchen to grab a biscuit from the covered basket Ho Chen replenished each day. Taking quick bites, she slipped out the door and hurried to the stable.

A lantern had already been lit, and it hung on a square post, throwing dark shadows and pale yellow light over the stalls and ceiling high above. At the far end, the doors stood open. A wagon stacked with hay sat beyond them.

Popping the last bite of biscuit into her mouth, Jess brushed off her hands and moved down the rows of stalls, grinning like a goose. Eager foals were nursing while their mothers stood passively, their eyes drowsy, as if they were still partly asleep.

Her heart light, Jess stopped before the stall of her own horse. As soon as Meg saw her, she walked over and lowered her head to be petted. “Good morning, girl,” Jess murmured, running her hands along the warm, velvety fur under her mane. “I’m sorry I haven’t been to see you lately, but that’ll be different now. Yes, it will,” she crooned softly.

“I thought you wanted to feed the horses.” Startled, Jess turned to see Jake beyond the high gate of a stall across the way, grinning in his lopsided way. “Now I see you’re only going to pet them.”

“I guess it’s a habit I never outgrew. Pet them first, while they’re still restful. There’s no better way to begin a day.”

“For them?”

Jess scratched Meg lightly under the chin. “And for me.” As she watched Jake, she attempted to discern his mood, but she found none of the previous day’s fervor there—only the calm she had come to enjoy.

Still, since they would apparently be spending a part of the morning together, she faced her single concern head-on. “Is there anything you intend to talk to me about?”

The horse behind him stretched out its muzzle and nudged Jake’s shoulder. Jake took the hint and rubbed its nose. “Not today.”

At his relaxed manner, Jess felt her momentary uneasiness melt away.

***

Lone Wolf had told Jake that he would need the heart of a warrior to save Jess from her fear of love. Jake watched her treat the Appaloosa to a nibble of grain. Jess possessed a rare and natural beauty. Most men would press after what they wanted, ignoring the needs and desires of their women. He was not like most men. If it was indeed a warrior’s heart within him, then it was, above all, a heart of patience.

Jake knelt down to wrap the leg of the horse he’d been inspecting before Jess entered the stable, trying to hit upon the moment when that thrumming organ in his chest had taken charge of his will. He loved Jess. He had long known that she stirred something inside him—something more than admiration, more than caring—but until now he hadn’t put a name to it. He loved her. Jake stilled, allowing that realization to settle in.

It was dangerous to feel so much for Jess, dangerous for him to risk losing someone again. And how was he supposed to let Olivia go? He would never forget her or their little Sadie.

As Jake continued to wrap the horse’s leg, he recalled additional reasons he’d been fighting this feeling for months: Jess refused to see him as more than a friend, she was determined to leave the ranch as soon as possible, and a group of murderous fanatics wanted her dead.

Loving her certainly did complicate matters.

But then, nothing worthwhile ever came easily.

He tied off the bandage and stood up. For now he would keep his feelings to himself so that no one would question Jess’s honor. He pushed open the gate of the stall and closed it behind him. He held out an arm, inviting Jess to go before him, and they started together toward the far side of the barn, where the hay wagon awaited them.

***

Shortly after Jake and Jess had begun carrying in giant forkfuls of hay, several other ranchmen entered the stable. Once the horses were fed, Jake and the cattlemen met outside the rear doors, where Jake assigned them the day’s tasks. Some of them saddled up, then rode out to see to the cattle; others went to mix manure into the garden, grumbling at the indignity of it. Still others were sent to plow firebreaks—just a yearly routine, the men hurriedly explained to assure Jess. There were also minor repairs to be done to one of the corral fences, cows to be milked, troughs and water barrels to be filled, and so on.

While Jake finished speaking to the men, Jess went to fill a bucket from the pump. She returned to water the rosebush just as the group was breaking up.

Jess bent over to lift the bucket. Growing thoughtful, she tucked a loose wisp of hair behind her ear and glanced aside at Jake. He was writing notes in his little book.

“Bennett?”

“Hmm?”

“Why do you keep a rosebush?” Though Jess carefully kept her eyes on the bush, she felt him tense beside her. She knew she was breaking one of the cattlemen’s unspoken rules about not prying into another’s private matters, but the presence of the rosebush had gnawed at her for quite some time. She turned to him, almost wishing she hadn’t brought it up, but since she had, she pressed on. “I’m sorry, Bennett, but when we were first at the ranch together, you rode off with what looked like two rose stems in your hand. Another time when you left, the stems had buds. When you go, the men behave as though you’re invisible, and they treat the rosebush the same. What’s more, I have the feeling you’re intentionally trying to keep something from me—something that has to do with the roses.” Her voice softened. “I’d just like to know what’s going on, Bennett.”

Jake tucked his notebook and pencil away. “Let’s go for a ride,” he said.

Ten minutes later, the two of them were galloping east past the Paiute village and out onto the open range. The few cattlemen they saw were far off. When they had gained a great enough distance, they reined in and stepped down.

Jake looked out over the sage plains, then finally glanced down at her, his eyes lightly guarded. He began in a roundabout way. “Has it occurred to you that maybe I like roses?”

“Is that why you brought me out here? To tell me that?”

Jake inclined his head, acknowledging her incredulity. They began to walk, leading their horses behind them. “When was the first time you saw this land?”

Jess’s brow wrinkled as she thought back. “Ambrose took me riding several times before he left to go back East. Mostly, he took me into the mountains, or we’d race in the valley. Lake Tahoe was the farthest I rode.”

“What about outings with your folks?”

“With all the work there was to do? No, my father rarely wasted time on leisure. That isn’t a complaint,” she explained. “That’s just who he was.”

“Sundays?”

“On Sundays, we went to church and had dinner together—Ho Chen saved his best surprises for Sunday—then my father spent the afternoons at the store. Since there was always work to be done, I’d often go with him.” Sensing his disapproval, she defended herself with a deflection. “Well, it’s no different here. The men don’t work as hard on Sundays, but chores need to be done, the same as every other day. During roundup, there’s a month of no rest at all.”

“This is the life we all chose. The men work when they want, they leave when they want, and they go into town about once a month to let loose.” He glanced at her, his eyes teasing. “You haven’t had a break since you’ve been here. Do you want to go into town with them?”

“Hardly. No, I think I’ll just stay here. Nate told me that Hiram once rode his horse straight into a crowded saloon, boasting to the townsmen that real men don’t walk—they ride, even into an alehouse. He said the horse nearly trampled the sheriff.”

Jake shook his head. “I’d nearly forgotten about that. Hiram had to work six months to repay the money it cost me to bail him out that night.”

They both laughed.

The black carriage horse that Jake had ridden out suddenly snorted and danced sideways, jerking against his tether. Meg skittered away from him.

Jess figured they had been startled by a rodent or some other creature. The black’s behavior reminded her to ask Jake about his progress retraining the carriage horses. She did so with a tease of her own. “You didn’t appear to be wearing as much dirt to supper last night as you did to the snake-killing. Did the horses get tired of throwing you?”

“No,” he said agreeably, “they just realized they couldn’t breathe as well through all that dust I was raising.”

Jake paused in mid-grin, his eyes snapping up to stare over her head.

Suddenly, both Meg and the black pranced uneasily. Startled, Jess scanned the desert.

Far off to the east, a wide dust cloud rose, rolling swiftly toward them. A low rumble rose with it.