Lenox Ranch Cowboys: Complete Boxed Set - Books 1 - 5 Read online

  "You're more worried about his being a good lover than his control over me?"

  "Well, is he?" Why did she have to be so dang calm?

  "An accomplished lover? Yes!" I replied, shouting.

  "Then what is the problem, young lady?"

  "I want to run my own ranch," I countered.

  "Yes, I'm aware of that. So are your sisters, Miss Esther, Big Ed, as well as your husband."

  "Everyone knows?" I thought I'd kept my dreams secret, but that did not appear to be the case.

  "There are no secrets here. You know that."

  I looked down at the worn table. It had seen so much of our lives. Meals, school work, everything was done while sitting at this table. Now, my first conversation as a married woman was here as well.

  "I can't have my dream if I'm married, especially when he keeps me from participating."

  Miss Trudy stood, went over to the coffee pot. I hadn't even noticed she'd put it on to boil earlier. "Why ever not?"

  "Because I'm married!"

  Miss Trudy turned to face me. "I think you're going to have to explain yourself, for I do not understand."

  "You did as you wished, and you weren't married," I replied.

  She didn't answer right away. Instead, she turned and retrieved her cup and filled it. She blew on the hot liquid and took a sip before speaking.

  "When I was sixteen, my parents were too poor to feed me. I'll skip a few details, but I found myself on the doorstep of a brothel, where I worked as a whore for the next ten years. Esther, as my younger sister, appeared on the brothel's doorstep a year after me and we slowly saved our money and bought the business from the woman who ran it. We went from homeless to whores to madames. Neither of us could marry, for we were too tarnished. Husbands weren't for either of us; too many men had crossed our paths. What neither of us had, but both desperately wanted, was a child."

  She took a sip of coffee, letting her words settle. I knew a little of her story, but this was the first time she'd shared it all.

  "Then came the fire. Such devastation. Somehow, through that tragedy, God gifted us with you girls. Imagine, eight orphans! And girls, oh, we knew all about girls. We wanted all of you. There was no decision to be made. Esther and I just sold the business, took our money and eight tiny girls and started over. Here in Clayton."

  "You took just what you wanted from life, without a husband," I said.

  She took her seat, and smoothed down her dress. "Do you think I wanted to become a whore? That I wanted to watch my own sister follow me into the profession? That my childhood dream was to work on my back?"

  I felt contrite at her words. "No, but—"

  "Do you think I wanted to run a brothel? I wanted other things, but sometimes life doesn't work out as you plan, Rose. Looking back, though, God gave me just what I wanted."

  She meant us girls. She'd wanted a child and received eight!

  "I don't want children right now," I replied.

  "Based on the very satisfied look on Chance's face earlier, you may want to think again about that."

  I just glared at her, wishing she and Chance didn't have such similar thoughts. Why did they have such insane notions about what kind of wife I should be—that I would be birthing a baby before the winter? There was no way we'd made a baby. I'd know if I were expecting and I felt the same, albeit sore in very new places and definitely loose muscled. I should be with my husband, not left behind like a weak-willed woman. I should be on the cattle drive with him. Beside him. As Miss Trudy left me to complete her daily tasks, I formulated my plan.

  CHANCE

  * * *

  The trip was fucking miserable. An hour out of Clayton, it started to rain—a veritable deluge that made the creek swell, forcing us to backtrack to a spot where it was easier to pass. One of the men fell off his horse and broke his leg. I had to let another man accompany him back to Clayton for the doctor, as it was closer than Parsons. By that point, there were just two of us forging on in the wet. It didn't let up the first night. We had to sleep under a stand of Ponderosa pines that did little to shield us from the elements. The rain didn't stop until we were an hour outside of Parsons and by then, neither of us cared where the hell we were as long as there was a bed. But there wasn't. The only boarding house in town had burned down the week before so we had to bunk in the livery with our horses.

  I missed Rose and our bed. Hell, I missed Rose. A bed wasn't needed. We'd proved that readily enough in the past few days. Besides my desk, the stairs, the front door, the kitchen table and even the hip tub were exceedingly pleasurable places to fuck one's wife. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat in the home office of Jim Reeves, the man who sold me his cattle. A cock stand was not something I needed while closing out our business.

  "It's good to have you here," the other man said, smiling amiably. "Although I'm sorry to hear about your man breaking his leg. And to top it off, the one who made it all the way to Parsons is sick." He shook his head.

  Powell, my man who'd ridden into Parsons with me, fell ill after his night in the livery, most likely from being cold and wet, and was settled in the Reeves' bunk house recuperating.

  "Yes," I replied.

  "I'll send two of my men with you in his stead. It's all I can offer this time of year, but a herd like that isn't something one person can manage alone."

  I nodded, relieved. "I'm much obliged."

  Mr. Reeves was older, perhaps middle fifties, with salt and pepper hair, a portly physique and a mild demeanor. His equally mild daughter came into the room then, carrying a tray with two mugs of coffee and slices of cake. I stood at her entry.

  "May I introduce you to my daughter, Beatrice?"

  She was quite pretty, with dark hair and eyes. Her build was slim and willowy and her smile warm.

  "Hello," she said.

  I nodded and held my hat in my hands.

  "Ever since my wife passed on, Beatrice has been such a help here." He came around the desk to get his mug from the tray. "I've been telling her about you."

  I inwardly groaned, knowing the direction of this man's thoughts. It usually came from women of the same generation, who were usually referred to as meddling mothers or even matchmakers. Having a father eyeing a match for his daughter was new to me, but with no mother, it was kind of him to assist in finding a suitable husband.

  "Oh?" I asked neutrally.

  "When we met in the winter, you seemed a fine young man. I thought, being as you're here on the ranch and all, that you might want to take a day and visit."

  I arched a brow, unsure of what to say. Money had exchanged hands, but moving five hundred head of cattle wasn’t an easy task. I had men to muster, food to gather in preparation for the trek to my ranch, and no time to linger and socialize. But, I couldn't insult the man in his own home by declining his invitation. I could, however, resolve this situation quickly enough.

  "That's mighty kind of you, Jim, and you as well, Beatrice, but I'm newly married and I have a hankering to get back to my bride as quick as I might."

  Beatrice flushed to the roots of her dark hair.

  "I had not heard the news. Congratulations are in order," Jim said, shaking my hand.

  "While I may not be an eligible suitor, I will most certainly share with your father some names of men who I feel would be worthy of a woman such as you." She was quite fetching, and if I judged her based on her father's demeanor and kindness, she would make quite a catch.

  She nodded and excused herself. I couldn't blame her hasty departure, but there was no way to make the blow of embarrassment any less. "I'm sorry if I've hurt her feelings."

  Jim sighed. "No, don't be. She isn't the one pining for a husband. I'm the one who wants her to be happy."

  He moved back to his chair behind the desk, so I sat again as well.

  "Is it her dream to be married?" I asked. I was surprised by my own question, for it was the thought of Rose that prompted me to ask.

  "Dream? She's an accomplished painter and would love nothing more than to travel around the area painting landscapes. Summer or winter she'd be with her brushes."

  I looked up at a lovely painting on the wall. A winding river cut through a verdant prairie, thunderclouds building in the distance to make it striking. "Is this one of hers?"

  Paternal pride showed on his face. "Indeed."

  "She's excellent. Would having a husband help her with her dream or stifle her?"

  Jim frowned and I held up my hand.

  "I ask because I'm newly wed and I wonder if I've trampled on my wife's dreams by binding her to me."

  Jim nodded in understanding. "It's all about sacrifice. Both people in the marriage will have to sacrifice. I'm guessing your wife will sacrifice quite a bit to meet your vision of marriage."

  "She believes she is," I countered.

  "Now, I'm just an old coot, so you can ignore my words if you wish, but my sweet wife Laura put up with not only me, the ranch, the cattle, Montana winters and everything that went along with it for thirty-two years."

  He took a sip of his coffee. Nothing he'd said so far sounded any different than what Rose wanted.

  "She also had to put up with birthing and raising five children."

  My mug was halfway to my mouth and I paused. Five?

  "Four boys and then Beatrice. My eldest son lives in his own home on the property, and the three other boys live on spreads of their own. They're all married, except for Beatrice. Seven grandchildren."

  "Congratulations," I replied. "Quite a legacy."

  He nodded. "To be sure. Laura wouldn't have traded the children for the world, but she gave up a part of herself in raising them. Me, I ran the ranch. Still do. But children grow, make lives of their own. I think Laura would have wanted to make her ow
n mark on the world, instead of helping all of us make ours."

  I drank my coffee as I thought about what he said.

  "A woman's going to sacrifice more than a man will ever know for her children. If you're blessed with them, her sacrifice will be heftier than yours. Meet her halfway, young man, in all things."

  "That's sage advice, sir. May I ask you one question?"

  He nodded.

  "If your wife wanted to join you on a cattle drive, would you have let her?"

  His eyes widened. "Hell, no."

  I relaxed in my chair.

  "I did let her help sort the animals after and brand them. If your wife wants to get her hands dirty, let her. Then take her off somewhere and get the rest of her dirty."

  He winked at me and I couldn't help but grin.

  11

  CHANCE

  * * *

  It was the second day out of Parsons and the cattle were fanned out in a wide line moving east at their slow, plodding pace. We followed behind on horseback, the three of us spread out to maintain control. The one on the right flank, Ivers, led a stray back into the herd. Overall, their job was to keep the cows wandering in the right direction. The sun was behind us, the air cooling as the evening began to settle. It had been a dull day, fortunately. Excitement on a cattle drive meant something was wrong. Fortunately, with the rains there wasn't any dust to kick up to choke on. There was nothing but open expanse of prairie in front of us, Cottonwood trees dotting a creek in the distance. It was while I was considering how much the creek levels had receded when I saw her. A rider at such a distance should be unfamiliar, but I knew her well. I knew every line of her body, every creamy patch of skin, every soft sigh, even her scent.

  Rose.

  Holy hell, the woman had the gall to disregard my every word and wish. The woman was going to be the death of me and we hadn't even been married a week! She rode right through the center of the cattle line and directly toward me. I spurred my horse to meet her.

  Her hat was low on her head, her hair pulled back in a single braid that hung thick and long down her back. She wore her usual work attire of blouse and pants and I glanced left and right to see if the men noticed her. Of course, they noticed her! They'd have to be dead to miss seeing a beautiful woman in the middle of a damn cattle drive! She was akin to a mirage in a desert; the men were probably wondering if she were real. She was beautiful, so fucking pretty it made my chest hurt. The sun was on her face, cast her in a soft glow, the long tendrils of hair that had come free of her braid looked like spun gold.

  "Is there something wrong at home?" I had to be rational and give her an opportunity to provide a reasonable, logical reason for her defiance. "Is someone sick?"

  She looked at me with confusion. "No, of course not. Why?"

  "I wanted to see what kind of life threatening problem existed to have you show up against my wishes."

  Her chin rose defiantly. "These are my cattle now, too."

  "They'll be your cattle when they are grazing on our land as well. What the hell are you doing here, Rose?"

  Her chin tipped up defiantly. "If we are going to run the ranch together, then I should be involved. You can't just leave me behind!"

  I thought back to Jim's words, how sacrifices had to be made. Her safety was not one of them. Neither was letting the men see her in pants. Her figure, those shapely legs, were for no one else to see. Hell, I was a greedy man when it came to Rose.

  I glanced left and gave a shrill whistle. The nearest man, Stills, turned my way and at my hand motion, rode over.

  He glanced at Rose, even raked his gaze down her body, lingering in places that made me see red. I cleared my throat and he looked to me, although not in the least bit quick enough for my liking. I ground my teeth together, wanting to put him in his place, even wanting my fist in his nose. But neither the words nor the actions, were fit for Rose to witness.

  "Can you two handle the herd for the night?" I said instead.

  The man gave a curt nod.

  "I need to see to my wife." I didn't give the man more time than to tip his hat to my bride before I grabbed her reins and rode off.

  We headed westward back the way we'd come, heading toward a creek and one of those groups of Cottonwoods. With the men and cows headed in the other direction and the large trees sheltering us from view, we had ample privacy. There was no one about. I dismounted, and then dropped the reins to the ground to let the animals walk to the creek to drink. I took off my hat, ran my hand through my hair, and then hooked the hat onto the pommel of my saddle.

  "Get down, Rose."

  She eyed me carefully, but easily swung her leg over. I put my hands at her hips to help her down whether she needed it or not.

  "You're angry," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Clearly, she wore that wrap to bind her breasts, as I knew now the bounty they were. They were hidden well, and for once, I was thankful for that infernal contraption—glad the men hadn't seen all of her lush curves.

  "Angry, kitten? Let's talk about the reasons why I might be upset with you." I held up my hand with a finger raised. "You defied me when I said you couldn't come on the drive."

  She humphed, but did not reply.

  I raised my second finger. "Did you even let Miss Trudy know where you were going or did you just disappear before the sun came up?"

  She looked away and I knew my answer.

  Another finger went up. "Did you ever consider that you could be in any kind of danger, alone on the prairie?"

  Instead of looking away, she turned around so I had her back.

  "What's the first rule you learned growing up?" I asked.

  I heard her mumble something but couldn't discern the words.

  I put my hands on my hips. "What was that, kitten?"

  I took a step closer.

  "I said, always tell someone where you're going." She sighed.

  "Why is that, pray tell?"

  She tilted her head to the side as if she were a recalcitrant adolescent. "Because there are dangers everywhere and no one will be able to find you if you were hurt."

  I took the few steps that separated us, took hold of her shoulders and spun her around. I knocked the hat from her head, letting it fall to dangle by the string down her back. "If you'd been bitten by a rattlesnake, I would have been two more days on the trail before I even knew you'd left, then I'd have had to go and search for you, over a vast prairie and by then you would have been dead!" My voice went up as I spoke. I couldn't help it. I gave her a little shake then stepped away.

  I was breathing hard and I felt my pulse racing.

  "I'm sorry!" she called out.

  "Sorry?" I turned my head to look at her. "Jesus, Rose, you could have fallen from your horse or been hurt some other way and I couldn't have helped you."

  "You should have taken me with you to begin with," she grumbled.

  I pursed my lips and counted to ten. I went down to my horse, which hadn't ventured far eating the tall grass, and grabbed my bedroll. "We are not going to discuss my decision again." I spread the blanket out and pointed to it. "Now, you are going to get on your hands and knees, drop your pants and I'm going to give you a spanking you won't forget."

  "I will not!" she shouted. Her eyes were filled with fire, every line of her body defiant.

  "Where are you going to go, kitten?" I lifted my arms in the air. "There's no one here. Scream all you want, but you know you deserve a punishment. You put yourself in danger and that is not allowed."

  "Chance!"

  "It was going to be twenty-five, but now it's thirty."

  "Chance." Instead of hearing indignation in her voice, I now heard pleading.

  "Forty." I crossed my arms over my chest, not willing to back down in the slightest.

  She grumbled something as she pulled the string for her hat over her head. With no grace whatsoever, she got onto her hands and knees, then looked at me over her shoulder.

  "The pants, kitten."

  When she was going too slowly, I helped her, reaching out and undoing the button, then tugging the snug fabric down over her hips. How Miss Trudy allowed her to wear the pants in the first place was beyond me. The fact that she'd continued to allow her to don them after she became a certain age just showed how relaxed rules had been for Rose. She needed guidance. She needed direction. She needed a firm hand. It was my job to give them to her. Right now.