Читать книгу Saved By A Texas-Sized Wedding - Judy Christenberry - Страница 8

Suzanne took a step back, her mouth gaping open. Was the man crazy? “What?”

“You heard me. Those women are always trying to match people up, but I’m not that desperate!”

Her cheeks flamed and her temper boiled. “Neither am I!” she snapped.

“Why do you look so surprised? Didn’t they suggest it?”

She started to say that no one in their right mind would suggest such a thing, but then she remembered Mabel’s comment. “Mabel mentioned something about marriage, but I assumed she was joking.”

“Well, now you know she wasn’t. And I’m not interested. Okay? Doug and Hinney will be over in the morning.” He started to close the door and Suzanne stopped him.

“What Mabel and Florence suggested was that we barter.”

“Barter? I don’t think you have anything I want.”

His words were insulting, and she almost gave up. But she needed help. Clenching her teeth, she muttered one word. “Baby-sitting.”

“Daddy?” Beth asked as she pushed past his legs to stand in front of him, looking at the woman.

“Beth, go back to the kitchen. You can go ahead and start eating, okay?”

Suzanne noted that his voice gentled when he spoke to his child. She squatted down. “Hello, Beth. My name is Suzanne. How are you?”

“Fine,” Beth said with a big smile.

“Beth, go to the kitchen at once!” This time his voice wasn’t gentle. It was harsh and threatening. His daughter looked at him in surprise and then scurried back down the long hall.

“I wasn’t going to hurt her,” she protested.

“You don’t know anything about her, and I’d like to keep it that way. Even for baby-sitting, I’m not going to take over your ranch. That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?”

She drew herself up straight, throwing back her shoulders. “They also mentioned water rights.” She waited for his reaction.

“Yeah. You’ve got good water and I don’t. Congratulations. My two men will be there in the morning. Figure out something before the week is up.” Then he closed the door in her face.

Suzanne was furious at his rudeness. But she didn’t dare bang on the door again. He might cancel the two men coming over tomorrow for a week. They were better than nothing. Maybe with Al to help them, they could take care of things for a week. Surely by then she’d find some cowboys who were looking for work. She had to. One way or another she would preserve Josh and Mandy’s heritage.

SUZANNE WAS UP before daylight the next morning, wanting to greet the two cowboys Ryan Walker had said he would send over. She’d told Al the night before of Ryan Walker’s offer of temporary help.

“I’m going to do the cooking today for the three of you. I’d like you to do what you can to help them.” She knew such work would be hard on the old man, but he readily agreed.

Just as the sun first peeped over the skyline in the east, she heard a truck pull in to their place. She looked out the window and saw the horse trailer behind it. This had to be Doug and “Hinney.” What an odd name.

She hurried out and welcomed them. “Have you had breakfast? I can cook something quickly.”

“Yes, ma’am, we had breakfast.”

“All right. I’ll have lunch ready at one.”

They both seemed embarrassed, but she gave them a bright smile and went back inside. She wanted Mr. Know-It-All Walker to know that she could provide for the men as well as he could. She spent the morning baking a cake for lunch, mixing up a special beef casserole, and calling every person she could think of who might be able to help her find some cowboys.

Unfortunately, she heard the same thing over and over again. “Call Ryan Walker. He’d know if there are any good ones available.”

After the fifth such response, she quit trying. She’d had the children coloring some pictures at the kitchen table while she worked, but she wanted them to eat before the men came in. She had them clear the table and go wash their hands.

Once they had eaten their lunch, she put Mandy down for her nap and reminded Josh that it was quiet time. He was supposed to remain in his room, preferably on his bed, reading or looking at picture books.

Then she cleared the table and set it again for the three men. Even though it was early spring, it was warm outside during the day, so she had tall glasses of sweetened tea, ice cubes floating in them, waiting for the workmen.

“Wow, Miz McCoy, this looks good,” Doug told her as they came in.

She took the casserole out of the oven and the salad out of the refrigerator. She also had a bowl of corn, because she’d been told by her cousin that hearty food was important for hard-working cowboys. Hot rolls completed the lunch menu. When she served them big chunks of chocolate cake after they’d finished off the casserole, they groaned with pleasure.

“I just want you to know I appreciate your work.”

“Yes, ma’am,” they agreed enthusiastically.

She repeated the process that night for dinner.

“But, ma’am, we’re expected at the supper table over at Ryan’s,” Hinney protested.

“As hard as you’ve worked, you probably deserve two dinners. Besides, I’ve got too much cake left over.”

The men fell into their chairs.

Suzanne felt a surge of triumph, knowing Ryan Walker would know she’d treated his men well.

RYAN WORRIED all day about his two men working on the Howe place. The new owner, Rodger Howe, hadn’t been a bad man. Just unknowledgeable. He’d visited Ryan several times to ask for advice. Ryan hadn’t minded. That was how a man learned. The fact that he’d learned at his grandfather’s and father’s knees from the time he was old enough to walk made him grateful and willing to share his knowledge.

But not with a city lady. He hoped she fed his men. She probably had only served them salads. That seemed to be the only thing city women knew to fix. He left word for the men to check in with him after they got back.

He ran into town to pick up Beth. He’d told his cousin he’d have someone to take care of Beth by the end of the week. He didn’t want her to lose a job opportunity that would pay her more money than he was paying her. Millie had used the excuse of her baby-sitting options to urge him to consider Florence and Mabel’s marriage suggestion.

All the way home he worried about how he was going to find someone to take care of Beth. When she started school, most of her day would be covered. Except for holidays and summer vacations. Damn. He might as well figure on a permanent housekeeper. A nice meal ready in the evenings would be a bonus. He occasionally even took Beth to the bunkhouse to eat. But, though they tried, the men would forget themselves and let loose an inappropriate word. Beth was old enough to notice now.

He fed her fast food again tonight while he waited for the men to report. Finally he called the bunkhouse. His manager answered.

“Steve, haven’t the guys gotten back yet?”

“Just got in, boss. I’ll send them right up.”

He tucked Beth into bed and stepped out on the back porch to wait for the men.

“Howdy, boss,” Doug said cheerfully. “Everything went fine today, though it’s sad that those men did so little work and then stole from them kids.”

“Hinney, you okay, too?”

“Yeah, boss, she’s a good cook. And she didn’t make fun of my name.”

“Good,” Ryan said, trying not to grind his teeth. “You can tell her you have to come home for lunch if you want.”

Both men jumped to their feet and yelled no, then suddenly sat back down, embarrassed by their reactions.

Ryan eyed them carefully. “She cooks that good, does she?”

Surprisingly, it was shy Hinney who answered. “Yeah, and she makes it all pretty. And she’s so pretty!” he added, his cheeks turning red.

Ryan definitely ground his teeth. “Tell me about the work,” he ordered sharply, unwilling to listen to any more praise about Ms. Suzanne McCoy.

When they finished their report, Ryan, though he already knew the answer, asked if they’d mind going again the next day. He got the answer he expected, a resounding agreement. He discussed with them what they would do the next day. Then he sent them off to the bunkhouse.

He stayed on the porch, his feelings torn. He hated to see the land and animals mistreated as they had been by that thieving crew. He was pleased his men were helping. But he wanted to keep his distance from a city woman…who could cook. Mercy, his men were eating better than he was!

He thought about her offer to baby-sit and share water in return for his help. If she weren’t so pretty, he might even consider it, but he was afraid he’d be easily caught by her beauty and then have his heart broken if he did any such thing.

Not that his wife had broken his heart. By the time she’d run away, he’d already realized his mistake. She hadn’t contributed much to his life except whining and complaining. And Beth. He was grateful she hadn’t taken Beth away with her.

But he wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. He thought about Ms. McCoy last night, in her black suit, her hair tortured into some kind of a knot. She didn’t belong here and she wouldn’t stay. So much for her.

He just had to wait for her to go back to the city and put the place up for sale. He’d buy it and increase his own place, with good water rights. He looked forward to the day.

SUZANNE ACTUALLY enjoyed the week. She enjoyed the domestic routine and the time spent with Josh and Mandy. She’d found a store in Cactus that carried educational materials and she’d bought several books for the children. Mandy loved to draw, and she was learning her colors. They were going to work on the alphabet next. And Josh was learning words, spelling them and sounding them out.

She loved cooking, especially for an appreciative audience, and the cowboys were definitely that. She’d tried several new recipes with great success. Cooking for hungry men was very rewarding.

She was also keeping the house clean and working on a budget she could submit to the lawyer who held the children’s finances. In fact, she was feeling very successful in her new life, except for one thing.

She hadn’t found any new employees. Not even one.

She occasionally wondered if Ryan Walker had told the neighbors not to help her. But they offered good advice, lots of sympathy and the ladies even brought desserts over.

Finally, on Thursday evening, she again made the trek to Ryan Walker’s ranch house. Again she dressed in a business suit, red this time. It was a power color, especially when combined with her red hair and brown eyes. She put on makeup for the first time since she’d last visited the Walker ranch. She bribed Al to stay with the children and headed west down the county road.

“Go west young man,” she muttered an old saying. “Why can’t some of Walker’s well-trained cowboys come east? I’d love to have Doug and Hinney working for me.”

She’d even considered offering them a bonus if they’d leave Ryan Walker, but she refused to stoop to that level. It was tempting.

She pulled into the driveway, noting the lack of lights, but she checked to discover the truck he drove was parked around back. She got out of her car and climbed the steps to the porch, knocking on the front door.

She thought there wasn’t going to be an answer, but the door slowly opened. She had to look down to find who’d opened it. “Beth!”

“Hi,” the little girl said, smiling at her.

Suzanne thought she was adorable, but as a responsible parent now herself, she knew it was dangerous to let children of this age answer the door. “Um, does your daddy know you answered the door?”

Beth shook her head no.

“Is he here?”

“He’s on the back porch, talking to Doug and Hinney,” Beth said.

That information caught Suzanne by surprise. Did the men report in each evening? That hadn’t occurred to her. “Well, why don’t you close the door and go back to bed, and I’ll walk around to the back porch, okay?”

“Okay,” Beth said and slammed the door shut. Suzanne heard little feet padding down the hall.

With a smile on her lips, she walked around the house, regretting wearing her high heels. When she got close she heard male voices talking, but she didn’t stop. She wasn’t going to listen in on a private conversation again. The last time, though enlightening, had led to a disaster.

Rounding the house, she came to a halt. “Mr. Walker?”

The three men on the porch had been casually sprawled in some chairs and they almost toppled over.

Ryan Walker immediately stood. “Ms. McCoy.” His stiff greeting obviously surprised the other two men.

“I’m sorry if I’m interrupting, but I need to talk to you.”

“How did you know I was back here?” he asked, his voice gruff, as if he were accusing her of sneaking around.

She looked him straight in the eye. “Beth told me when she answered the door.” She paused, then couldn’t resist adding, “I don’t consider that safe behavior for a child that young.”

The moment she’d said Beth’s name, his head had snapped around to the back door. “I’ll be right back,” he growled and stomped into the house.

“Hi, guys. You haven’t gotten in trouble for working for me, have you?”

“No, Miss Suzanne,” Doug said, grinning. “Boss might fire us if we keep putting on weight, though. Your cooking is so good, we’re getting fat.”

“Nonsense, you haven’t gained weight,” Suzanne assured them with a warm smile.

A stern voice said, “Flattery won’t persuade them to go to work for you, if that’s what you’re after.” Walker moved from out of the shadows to glare at her.

“I know,” she agreed, keeping her composure.

“But chocolate cake might,” Hinney said softly. Both cowhands laughed and Suzanne smiled, but Walker continued to glare.

The cowhands recognized danger when they saw it. “Uh, reckon we’ll go on to bed, boss, if we’re finished.” The two of them headed for the bunkhouse without waiting for their boss’s response.

“They were just teasing,” she said calmly, wishing that would be all it took to get a good staff. “I need to talk to you, Mr. Walker.”

With narrowed eyes, he waved to one of the chairs the cowboys had used. “Have a seat, Ms. McCoy.”

She did as he asked, but she was uncomfortable, and she didn’t think he was happy either. “You told me to have my problem solved by the end of the week.” She paused, but he didn’t say anything. “I haven’t found even one employee, Mr. Walker, and I’ve talked to everyone I’ve met or even heard of. It’s as if someone told them not to help me. Yet, they’ve brought us food, visited with me and the children, offered advice on every topic but one. All they can suggest about finding employees is to talk to Ryan Walker.”

Again he said nothing.

“I know you don’t care about helping me, but please think of those two little children who have already lost their parents. Must they lose their home also?” She bit her lip to hold back the tears that threatened.

“I’m not the one who’s telling everyone to send you to me. It’s those damn women!”

“What are you talking about?” she asked, irritated by his response.

“Mabel, Florence, Edith and Ruth. They’ve been arranging marriages around the county for several years now. First they got all their sons married. Then they started helping out their neighbors.”

“But surely they wouldn’t try to ruin us. That’s not fair to Josh and Mandy. Please, can’t you help us?”

“Lady, I don’t know of anyone to hire. If I did, I’d hire them myself. I’m shorthanded.”

“But you loaned me Doug and Hinney—”

“I know. I’m not stone-hearted. But I’ve got problems myself. I can’t spend all my time worrying about your problems.”

“If one of them is Beth, I’ll be glad to baby-sit her. My place is closer than town. It would save you some time.”

“Yes, it would. But I need someone to cook and clean my house, too. I’m going to hire a housekeeper.”

“Have you found one yet?”

“No. I’m getting the same treatment you are.”

“Oh.” Suzanne didn’t know what to say. Finally she asked, “So tomorrow is going to be the last day Doug and Hinney come to my place?”

He gave her an exasperated look. “Don’t stare at me with those big chocolate eyes. I don’t have any answers.”

“But—” she began. But he cut her off.

“Go home. I’ll do some thinking about it tonight. In the morning I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. Maybe I’ll even have an answer for you. Right now, I need to think.”

Since she had no other choice, Suzanne nodded and went back to her car. She drove back to the Howe ranch, trying to figure out what he’d meant. Life would be so easy if she could take on the job of housekeeper, taking Josh and Mandy with her to his house and coming back home at night. Maybe she’d suggest that tomorrow morning.

She actually relaxed as she realized that would take care of all their problems. She wouldn’t take a salary and he could take care of the ranch. It even sounded like a fair trade to her.

Okay, in the morning, she’d explain her inspiration and all her problems would be solved.

RYAN PACED the floor until late into the night. The fool thing about it was that Mabel and Florence’s solution was the best one. From what the men said, the McCoy woman was a great cook. She was doing a good job with the children, and the house appeared clean to them. All the things he needed.

She also seemed happy with her lot in life. She wasn’t planning on running back to the city. She’d told them she was staying for the children. He could place Beth in her care without a worry. All he had to do was let her into his life.

As painful as that sounded, he supposed he could do it for Beth’s sake. He’d be rewarded with a clean house, decent food and a happy Beth. He’d even get his fair share of sex. It had been a while since he’d—best not to think about that.

He finally accepted, at least in theory, that marrying Ms. McCoy would be the smart thing to do, but he still couldn’t picture himself going through with it. He saw himself in his dusty jeans and worn boots, watching a football game on a Sunday, while she sat beside him in one of her suits, her makeup perfect and her hair untouchable, reading book reviews and finding art galleries for them to visit.

Damn! He’d be miserable. And so would she. It was ridiculous!

Then he’d start the logic all over again, trying to convince himself that marriage to Suzanne McCoy was the right choice. By four in the morning, he was punch-drunk with lack of sleep. He decided to wait until six o’clock, another two hours, before he told her what he had decided. Then he could come home and fall in bed for a couple or three hours.

Until then, he would pace the floor some more.