The Cattle Drive [The Armstrong Brothers of Cedar Creek] (Siren Publishing Classic) (9 page)

Chris had known Rachael his whole life. There were no secrets between them. Chris, Rachael, and his brother, Robert, did everything together, from little league to causing trouble around town. It wasn’t until they were all in their teens when Chris and Robert started vying for Rachael. When Robert had won her heart, he backed away.

The two brothers shared everything, and Chris knew, thanks to Robert. Even after the two of them married, Chris could always tell. The signs were always there, and the cakes, cookies, and pies were plentiful.

“Chris, what are you talking about?” Rachael said, grabbing two cake pans, and she began to pour the batter into them.

“You know, Rachael, you always did bake a lot when Robert was still alive.” Chris chuckled. “And that’s why I damn near gained thirty pounds, ’cause you damn near baked every day.”

“Would you please get to the point?” she said, turning around to face him. Chris just stood there and stared at her. He looked at her flushed face, her swollen lips, and her tussled hair. He walked closer, and she backed away, returning to her cake.

“So are you going to tell me, or do I have to be blunt?” Chris said, pulling a chair from the table.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Rachael, I am going to tell you something that I promised Robert I would never say. My brother, your husband, let me in on a secret between you two. You want to know what it was?” he asked with a smile.

“Why do I have a feeling you are going to tell me either way?”

“Well, I began to wonder why you baked all the time, and Robert just laughed when I asked him. He told me that after you two… would…you know…play cat and mouse…well, you always had the urge to bake. So I will ask you again, why are you baking, or should I ask, who are you baking that for?” Chris said with a smile.

Rachael froze there at the counter, with the bowl in one hand and the wooden spoon in the other. “I just felt like baking a cake. That’s all.”

“Okay,” Chris said with a chuckle.

* * * *

It was almost four in the afternoon the next day when Rachael saw Henry riding toward her with Kenny. She smiled at the young man, who was looking very uncomfortable in the saddle. “Well, I see you have met Daisy.” Rachael smiled.

“Who?” Henry said as he managed to stop the young filly close to her.

“Daisy, the young Appaloosa you are riding. She is gentle, and she will be good for you. Nice choice, Kenny,” she said, turning her attention to the ranch hand.

“I thought so, too, boss lady. The poor boy damn near turned white when I went to go get Jasper. So I thought Daisy would be better, since this is his first time on a horse.”

“Okay, Henry. Are you ready to learn cattle ranching?”

“I think so,” he said, looking very uncomfortable upon the horse. Realizing the expression, Rachael just smiled. “All right, Henry, today you will get used to sitting in the saddle. I want you to get comfortable riding Daisy, so much so that it becomes second nature to you, okay?”

“That’s all you want me to do?” he questioned.

“That’s all for today. Follow Kenny, and he will get you accustomed to riding. Kenny, take him down by Megan’s Stream and let Henry run Daisy,” she said as she turned Mystic and galloped off.

“Okay, Henry, let’s go,” Kenny said, with Henry following.

* * * *

A couple of hours later, Henry was heading back with Kenny when he stopped and watched Rachael running Mystic. With her hand raised and a lasso in her hand, she threw the rope around a young calf’s neck. She quickly tied the end of the rope around her saddle hook and pulled back on the reins. She jumped down, and before his eyes, she managed to rope the calf’s legs. Stepping back, a man handed her a long branding iron. She took the iron, and with one boot on the calf’s rear, she stamped the hot iron into the calf’s hind end. When she was done, she untied the calf. It got up and ran back to the herd, looking for its mother.

“Holy crap,” Henry exclaimed.

“The boss lady is something else, isn’t she?” Kenny said, watching the scene.

“She does that to all of the animals?”

“Only the ones she is keeping for breeding. The ones that go to market get their ears pierced with a tag. Come on. It’s getting late, and Daisy is tired,” Kenny said, heading back to the ranch house with Henry slowly following.

He was putting Daisy back in her stall when Rachael came riding up. She quickly dismounted and handed the reins to Kenny.

“Henry, follow me,” she said before she turned, walking toward the house. Henry closed the stall door and ran to catch up with her. As she opened the door for him, they entered her kitchen. She walked over and sat at the table.

“You can sit, Henry,” she said, taking off her boots. “So, how did you like riding Daisy?”

“My butt hurts in places that I thought would never hurt,” Henry said, slowly lowering himself into the chair.

Rachael laughed. “Yeah, that can happen for first-time riders. But I asked you in here ’cause I have something to talk to you about.”

“Okay.”

“I talked with your dad yesterday. He isn’t happy with the idea of you working for me this summer. So unless you can get your dad’s permission, I won’t be able to hire you for the drive this fall. Now, you are more than welcome to come over anytime and ride, but as for helping out and learning the ranch, I can’t go against your father’s wishes,” she said, looking the boy in the eye.

“But I’m almost eighteen. I can do the job. I know I can. I just need to learn,” he begged.

“I’m not doubting that, Henry, but until your father says yes, my answer is no,” she said, getting up from the table. Henry just sat there, wondering why his dad would say no. “You will have your yes tomorrow, Rachael. I give you my word,” Henry said, getting up from the table and heading for the door.

“Henry?” Rachael called to him.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, turning to look at her.

“Just be firm and honest with him. Look him in the eye and show him that you are determined, and if all else fails, give him something sweet to eat,” she said, handing him the double chocolate cake she had made the previous night.

With the cake in hand, Henry left and headed home.

* * * *

“So how’s the planning going for the festival?” Michael asked Chris.

“Good. All the ladies have everything under control. You know the ladies. If there is a party to throw, it’s best for us menfolk to get the hell out of dodge until they’re ready for us,” Chris said, laughing. Michael smiled, knowing how true that statement was.

“So word around town is that you were some big-shot engineer for Boeing. What made you decide to give it all up and move out here?” Chris asked as Michael handed him a beer.

“Henry and I needed a change. I grew up on a cattle ranch, Crossfire Ranch in Montana, so I thought since I grew up on a ranch, it wouldn’t be that difficult to farm the land instead of running cattle. Besides, running a cattle ranch is extremely hard work, and I wanted to give Henry the experience of country living without all the demands of running a ranch,” he lied.

“So you picked organic farming instead?” Chris laughed.

“I know, I really didn’t think it through, but we are here now, and I am determined to get the farm up and running,” Michael said, smiling at his guest.

“Well, Mike, I tip my hat to you. Not everyone can just pick up and start over fresh.”

“So tell me something, Chris. What is the story with Rachael? She’s a handful.”

“You’re telling me. That girl has been trouble since the day she was born.”

“So you know her well?” Michael asked, looking for more information.

“You can say that. Rachael grew up in Cedar Creek, and when she was eighteen, she married my brother, Robert. Together they started the ranch from nothing, and after ten years and three kids later, the ranch became a success,” Chris explained.

“After Robert and the kids were killed two years ago last winter, when a semi jackknifed on an interstate in Montana, as you already know, their car exploded. She stayed in intensive care for months. She had to have three surgeries to repair the damage to her,” Chris explained, looking at his beer in his hand.

“I am sorry, Chris,” Michael said, taking a seat across from Chris.

“Since the accident, she works that ranch as if her life depends on it. She doesn’t drive anymore. That’s why she rides. After the accident, she did get into a car, but she tried to kill herself. So her father, who just happens to be the judge of this little podunk town, took her license away, thinking it would help.”

“Did it?” Michael asked.

“Nope, it only made things worse. Sometimes she would get these flashes of the accident. She would get into one of her damned cars and go for a joy ride. You don’t want to know how many times I have had the pleasure of chasing her down. Eventually, she refused to have her license reinstated, but last month, the judge and I got together realizing that we were just enabling her, and concocted a plan. Regardless of how many times she got into one of her cars, I refused to file the statement, so when she had her last court date, her father reinstated her license. Since then, she has refused to get into any of her cars,” Chris said.

“She drove yesterday,” Michael informed him.

Chris looked up at him in shock. “What do you mean? She was driving yesterday?”

“She came after me when I headed toward the quarry, not realizing that the road ended. She flew past me and stopped me before I ended up as hamburger meat,” Michael explained.

“Well I’ll be dammed. She drove. She actually drove.”

“Yep, and let me tell you, if that woman ever decides to try out for NASCAR, I would bet on her for every race,” Michael said, taking a drink of his beer.

Just then, Henry walked in carrying a chocolate cake and placed it on the table.

“Where in the hell did you get that, son?” Michael asked with a chuckle.

“Rachael baked you a cake,” he replied, as Chris spit out his beer across the table.

* * * *

The ranch was busier than ever, and with summer vacation only four weeks away, Rachael had her hands full, sorting out the cattle from those going on the drive and those she was keeping for breeding. There were miles and miles of fences that needed repairing and new ranch hands that needed training. One thing for sure was that she still needed more guys for the drive.

Thinking of what she could do to get more men, her thoughts turned to Michael, that soft, sweet kiss and that orgasmic day in the sun. She could still feel the warmth of his lips on hers. She softly sighed at the thought. His warm hands wrapped around her, gently but firm. Remembering the smell of him sent her head swimming into the stratosphere, making her dizzy. But it was the whole climatic experience of the fierceness of the act, the raw, unadulterated no-holds-barred sex, that sent her pussy pulsating and her heart racing as an orgasm erupted within her.

Breathing heavily, she tried to gain control of her senses. Shaking the thoughts from her, she looked over at the two ranch hands who were bitching like two old ladies.

“What are you two fighting about now?” she asked, frustrated.

“Nothing, boss lady,” Justin quickly said.

“Kenny!” she yelled, looking for an explanation.

“Someone took the herding cattle over to Megan’s stream last night.”

“Who?”

“Don’t know, boss lady. Justin and the boys bedded them down last night at Fuller’s Bend, but when we woke up they were at the stream.” Kenny sighed, taking his hat off.

Rachael looked from man to man, and when she focused on Kenny once more, she sighed. “Something on your mind, Kenny?”

“Well, boss lady, Justin and I were talking with some of the boys, and something fishy is goin’ on around here. First it was the corral being left open, and then some boys discovered the southeast fence had been torn down. Last week we had the small fire out near the pole barn, and now this. Something ain’t right, Rachael,” Kenny explained.

“What are you saying?”

“We don’t rightly know. But somethin’ in my gut is telling me somethin’ just ain’t right,” Justin responded.

“Well, for right now, all those things can be explained. Just keep an eye on the ranch, and let me know if anything else goes wrong,” Rachael said, about to blow her top. She had enough on her plate without someone not doing their job correctly, and since Henry was unable to sway his father, that still left Rachael a man short. Needing another hand, Rachael decided she was just going to have to confront Michael. “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

“What was that, boss lady?” Kenny asked, sitting next to her.

“Stop calling me that!” she yelled as she rode off on Mystic toward the house.

“Damn, Kenny, please stop calling her that. She’s gettin’ madder than a bull on clippin’ day,” Justin said to the ranch foreman.

“She’s just mad ’cause she’s gonna have to do what she doesn’t want to do. She will get over it...I hope.” Kenny smiled. “Okay, boys, let’s get the herd back over to the Bend. They’re gettin’ hungry,” he yelled, as the riders quickly started whistling.