Читать книгу Pony Express Hero - Rhonda Gibson - Страница 11

Chapter Two

Jacob mucked out the stall and leaned on his pitchfork. He didn’t like where his thoughts had been all morning but he couldn’t shake his gut feeling. Daisy and maybe even Lilly were in danger.

His gaze moved to the fifteen-year-old boy who took care of the Johnson horses. Upon his arrival, the young man had shown him where everything was and even his room off to the side of the barn. Jacob called to him now. “Caleb?”

“Yeah.”

“How many men work this ranch?” Jacob continued working as if the question were of no importance.

“Well, let’s see. There’s Sam, he’s the foreman. Then there is Cook, Edward, Asher, Lewis and myself. We’re the regular hands. During the cattle drive, Sam hires others. Usually drifters.” Caleb sat with a saddle in front of him. As he talked he rubbed oil into the leather.

“So six,” Jacob muttered.

“Yep, six.” Caleb shook his head. His black bangs fell into his eyes as he picked up a bridle and began to work oil into the thick leather. “How do you like the tack room?”

Jacob stopped and wiped sweat from his brow. “It’s not as nice as the one we have at home but it’s livable.”

Caleb laughed. “Yep, that’s what ol’ Ike used to say.” He deepened his voice. “It’s livable.”

Jacob thought about the tack room. It was a spacious room and the front part nearest the stalls was used for saddles, bridles and all other manner of things needed to work the farm. His portion of the room had a small woodstove, a bed, an end table and a tall chest of drawers with a cracked mirror and washbasin resting on top. Jacob decided that the next trip to town he’d buy a couple of blankets, some rope and maybe a pillow.

Going through the chest of drawers he noted that the previous stock tender had used the top two drawers for sugar, coffee, salt and several other cooking items. He didn’t look forward to cooking his own meals, especially in a room with little air flow. He felt his stomach protest not having eaten since the night before.

“Cook said to tell you, if you’d like to have meals over at the bunkhouse, he’ll set a plate for you,” Caleb said as if reading his mind, or possibly because his stomach rumbled.

Jacob grinned. “That’s right nice of him.”

Caleb nodded. “Cook is nice enough. Just don’t be getting into his sweet cakes. He doesn’t share those.”

A soft laugh sounded from the doorway. “No, he doesn’t share those,” Lilly said as she entered.

Daisy danced into the room behind her. She wore a light blue dress with what looked like cowboy boots meant for a boy. From the looks of the footwear, she’d not had them long. “Look, Caleb. Lilly let me wear my boots today. We’re going riding,” she said, holding her foot up for Caleb to see.

“That’s wonderful, little Miss Daisy,” Caleb answered. He stood and walked toward the tack room. “I’ll get your saddle for you, Miss Lilly.”

“Thank you, Caleb,” Lilly called after the boy. She pulled her saddle blanket from the wall and walked to her horse’s stall.

Daisy looked shyly at Jacob. “I get to ride with Lilly today.”

Jacob leaned on his pitchfork and smiled at the little girl. Her hair was done in pigtails. “I heard. That’s exciting.”

“It is. We are going to check the fences. That’s important work. Huh, Lilly?”

“Yes, it is,” Lilly answered. She rubbed the horse’s nose.

“Want to come?” Daisy asked Jacob.

He looked to Lilly and she shrugged.

“That would be fun. Are you sure you don’t mind if I tag along?” The thought of getting out of the stuffy barn appealed to Jacob.

Both Lilly and Daisy shook their heads.

Jacob quickly went to saddle up his own horse.

Daisy followed. “I wish I had my own horse.”

“You don’t?” Jacob asked.

“No. Lilly said that I might get one for my birthday.”

“When is your birthday?” Jacob asked, pulling the cinch under the horse’s belly.

The little girl sat down on a bale of hay. “In two months.”

Jacob nodded. “And how old will you be?”

“I will be five years old,” Daisy said, pulling straw from the bale.

She spoke very well for a four-year-old going on five. Jacob thought about his adoptive sister, Joy. She wasn’t a big talker, unlike Daisy, who was even now telling him that Lilly said this year she might have a birthday party and everything.

Jacob listened to her continued chatter as he finished up. He looked over the stall toward Lilly. The woman actually stood there smiling from ear to ear. Had she been watching to see how he’d respond to Daisy? And if so, why?

The thought that she might see him as a future husband stopped his hand as he started to lead the horse from the stall. The last thing he needed was a woman pining away for him. No matter how pretty she was or how blue her eyes, he had no intention of becoming romantically involved with her. Women couldn’t be trusted. He’d learned that when his own birth mother deserted him. Jacob shook his head—he realized he was letting his imagination get the best of him. He didn’t know Lilly, how could he think she’d see him as a future husband? Come to think of it, no one had said she didn’t already have a man.

Caleb had named off six men that worked the ranch but hadn’t mentioned a husband for Lilly. He watched as Lilly smiled at Daisy. Without having to ask, he knew Lilly was still unwed and wondered why. She was pretty enough and in most folks’ eyes should have been married a few years ago. So why wasn’t she?

“Come along, Daisy,” Lilly called to her little sister.

Daisy skipped off to join Lilly. She took Lilly’s hand and glanced over her shoulder to make sure Jacob followed. Her little pigtails bounced as she left the barn.

“She is a cute little thing, isn’t she?” Caleb said from the tack doorway.

Jacob nodded. His mind worked with questions. He pushed away the ones regarding Lilly’s marital status and focused on Daisy. Could Caleb have been the one to take the girl from her bedroom? If so, why would he do such a thing? His gut usually told him what type of person a man was when they first met. For instance, he hadn’t cared much for Sam Hawkins on sight. But he’d not had that gut reaction with regard to Caleb.

Caleb pushed away from the door and returned to his oil and leathers. “I have a sister a little older than her. I miss her a lot. Daisy is like a little sister to me and I’ll hunt down any man that is out to hurt her.” Anger filled the young man’s voice and the warning was clear. Hurt Daisy and I’ll hurt you.

No, Caleb hadn’t been the one to take the little girl from her bed. Still, Jacob would keep an eye on the boy. He stepped out of the barn just as Lilly swung up into the saddle behind Daisy.

She was still in her trousers and looking as pretty as a hummingbird on a bright sunny morning. Jacob looked away. Maybe going out on a ride with them wasn’t such a good idea. Still, his protective nature overrode any caution he might have felt at spending time with a pretty girl and her little sister.

Just don’t let your heart get in the way of your head, he mentally scolded himself as he swung up into the saddle and followed the sisters out of the yard and across the pasture.

* * *

Lilly didn’t know who she could trust. The man riding beside her and Daisy was new on the ranch and they weren’t friends, at least not yet. She’d never considered becoming friends with any of the men before, except Sam. But now, with Daisy being threatened and Jacob being the only new person on the ranch...could she trust him? Tell him what she suspected? Or should she tell Sam? After all he was her ranch manager.

Daisy pointed at a rabbit that sat on a small incline. Her joy at seeing the small animal brought a smile to Lilly’s face. She pulled her horse to a stop so the little girl could enjoy the sight.

Memories of riding with her father to check the fences flooded Lilly’s mind. Daisy would never have memories of riding with their father. He’d died when she was a year old and too young to ride out with him. Lilly still missed him. Bitter memories flooded her tired mind. According to Sam, her father had fallen from his horse while chasing a mother cow and her calf, resulting in a broken neck and immediate death.

Jacob’s horse stomped its foot, probably trying to get rid of a pesky fly, and the action pulled Lilly from her sad thoughts. She glanced his way and smiled. He’d been quiet most of the ride. They both had. Daisy talked enough for all of them.

“Lilly, can we go to the pond?” Daisy asked. The little girl tilted her face so that she could look up at Lilly.

“I suppose so,” Lilly said, pulling the horse’s reins to the right and gently kicking its sides. The horse moved toward the pond.

Jacob followed.

When they got to the water’s edge he slid from his horse’s back and let the horse drink, then helped Daisy down from Lilly’s mare. Jacob sat her down on the ground and then looked to Lilly.

She refused his hand and slid from the horse on her own. Her desire to talk to someone grew. Lilly wanted to voice her fears without worrying that they’d get back to the person who had taken Daisy.

Daisy pulled off her little stockings and boots and waded in the water.

“Don’t go too far out, Daisy,” Lilly warned. She moved a little away from her sister and sat down.

Jacob joined her. He pulled up his knees and focused on Daisy, who splashed water with her bare feet. “Can I ask a question?”

Lilly searched his face. From his expression and tone she deduced that the question was of a personal nature. “I suppose so.”

“Do you think someone is out to hurt Daisy?”

She nodded. “After this morning, what else can I think?”

Jacob turned to face her. “I know I’m new here and you don’t know me at all. I’d like to tell you a little about myself, if we have time.”

Lilly knew he was trying to put her at ease so nodded. “If you are sure,” she said.

“I am.” He returned his gaze to Daisy. His voice continued in a low tone. “When I was ten years old my mother dropped me off at an orphanage. She didn’t want to bring me to California with her. I don’t know why she didn’t. Maybe she was ashamed of me, maybe I was a burden she was tired of taking care of, but whatever the reason she abandoned me.”

Lilly laid her hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry.”

He shook his head. “I lived in that place for two years and then Rebecca and John Young came to the home. They adopted me and took me to their farm. John became like a pa to me and Rebecca a ma, even though she wasn’t that much older than me. John died but before he did, he made arrangements with the Pony Express to hire his boys. There are seven of us in all. As he was dying, John told me to take care of his family. And I did.”

Lilly looked at Daisy. Her father hadn’t had the chance to ask her to take care of Daisy. His death had been sudden, but still heartbreaking. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Jacob’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Then a man named Seth Armstrong came along as the station keeper. He and Rebecca fell in love and were married a couple of months ago. He’s now in charge of taking care of my brothers and little sister, freeing me to look for my birth mother. I never forgot my mother and have wondered for ten years why she left me at that orphanage. So, I began making my way to California in search of her. I’m still searching for her.”

Lilly dropped her hand from his arm. “Do you have any idea where she might be?” There were other questions she wanted to ask Jacob, but she started with the one that she felt was the most important to him.

“Rebecca heard that she might be living in Sacramento.”

Jacob turned his warm brown eyes on her once more. “I’ll ask around when I go to town, but after all these years, I’m not sure I’ll ever find her.”

“So how long will you be staying on the Johnson ranch as a stock tender?” Lilly asked, realizing that Jacob could leave at any time.

“Your ranch is my last stop. I can travel from here to inquire about her presence. I’m staying as long as the Pony Express will keep me hired. And, if I don’t find my mother in Sacramento, I’ll just have to live never knowing why she gave me up.” His eyes looked deeply into hers. “I’ve never been in trouble with the law. I have brothers and a sister that I love very much. They might not be my blood but they found their way into my heart. Someday, I’ll head back to Wyoming, where my family lives.”

Lilly watched as Daisy picked up little rocks and tried to skip them across the pond water. He wasn’t staying forever. He’d mentioned a sister. “How old is your sister?” she asked.

“She’s five. Almost the same age as Daisy. Children need people to watch over them, not to harm them,” he answered as he also looked to Daisy.

Lilly sighed. “I’m afraid I don’t know how to protect her. I don’t know who to trust. I’m sure Sam would never hurt her but until this morning, I wouldn’t have believed any of the men working on my ranch would hurt her, but someone tried.” She crossed her arms over her knees and buried her face in the fabric of her trousers.

He laid his hand on her shoulder. “If you will trust me, I’ll help you protect Daisy.”

She looked up into his eyes. There was truth and sincerity in his gaze. Lilly knew Jacob hadn’t taken Daisy—he’d saved her. But how much trust should she put in a stranger? Although, what choice did she have?