Colorado Heart (9781101612026) (6 page)

SEVEN

A
bark from Max alerted Cassie to the prospect of visitors. She shaded her eyes against the bright sunshine and watched as three riders stopped on the rise. She knew exactly why they stopped. The last thing they expected to see in the middle of cattle country was three hundred sheep. There was no hiding it now. Her secret was out and there was nothing left to do but own up to it.

Manuel was on the opposite side of the sheep pen, which they had hastily erected last fall by weaving tree branches together. Libby, short for Liberty in Cassie's mind, stood in the middle, seemingly oblivious to the milling of the sheep around her legs. Cassie waved to Manuel to get his attention and pointed at the riders. Manuel nodded and whistled for Max.

Cassie walked toward the visitors, who were moving once again, coming down the drive to meet her. Her short jacket hung on a corral post and she put it on. She checked to make sure the revolver was still in the pocket. She picked up her rifle, which was leaning against the post, and continued on, around the corral where Puck and the two mules pricked their ears with interest toward the approaching riders. Cassie glanced up at the house and saw Rosa had come out. Cassie's mother sat in a chair on the porch, wrapped in a shawl with her face turned to the sun. Rosa went to her side. Cassie stopped beneath the big oak tree that sat at the foot of the rise to the cabin and waited.

Even though she'd only seen them once, Cassie recognized the lean silhouette of the sheriff and the broader frame of the saloon owner. Which meant the third rider was Jake Reece.

Libby must have recognized who it was at the same instant as Cassie. She brayed long and loud and charged to the side of the pen. Cassie cringed at the sound of snapping wood. Their quick job last fall was enough to hold the sheep, but it wasn't much against a determined donkey. Libby kicked her way through the loosely woven branches and passed Cassie in her haste to get to the riders. The men pulled up as Libby charged up the road, braying with all her might. She stopped when she got beside the horses and lipped at the boot of the man Cassie had accused of stealing her. At least now she understood why the man had her in his possession. Obviously Libby was in love with him. That knowledge, while humorous, didn't make the situation any less humiliating.

The sheep discovered the opening in the pen and milled about, adding their questioning baas to Libby's brays. Max ran to the front of the flock and proceeded to nip at the sheep in his gallant efforts to herd them back into place. The sheep were torn between their devotion to the donkey and the strictness of the dog, and they jumped over each other and turned back and forth until the entire flock was nothing more than a big fluffy mass of confusion that tumbled back and forth until the three riders, the donkey and Cassie were nothing more than sentinels in a sea of wool.

“Well this has turned into a fine day,” Cassie muttered. There was nothing left to do but keep going, although she felt a bit foolish with the rifle in her hand. If the three men wanted to shoot her on sight she'd have to say they were justified.

“Good afternoon, Miss Parker,” Ward called out over the constant baas. “Fine day, isn't it?” The man seemed to be having a good time. The sheriff looked cautious while Jake looked downright furious. All of the horses stood with their ears laid back at the noise and general confusion. Cassie felt like she was in the middle of a kettle that was fixing to boil.

“I guess that depends on why you came calling,” Cassie yelled back. The situation might be next to impossible but it was still her place and she didn't recall inviting anyone to drop in. “Why are you here?”

The sheriff took a piece of paper from his pocket and waved it. “Is there someplace we can talk?” he yelled.

Cassie looked up toward the house. Rosa had gotten her mother inside while all the madness was going on. She knew the piece of paper was about her taxes. She could only hope that she had enough money left to pay them. If not, the lot of them would be kicked out of here in a hurry because of the sheep.

“Up at the house,” she said and pointed. The men turned their horses and started for the house. Libby followed. The sheep followed Libby. Max barked and circled in an effort to herd the sheep, the donkey and the riders into the pen. Cassie watched the disaster and wished that the earth would just open up and swallow her. Finally Jake motioned his friends onward. He turned his horse and loosened the rope that hung from his saddle. He quickly and effortlessly looped it around Libby's neck and led her to where Cassie stood. The sheep followed and Max nipped at their flanks to keep them moving.

Jake handed her the coils of rope and looked down at her with his flinty eyes, while the sheep milled around them. “You have got to be the most gol-durn woman I have ever met,” he said.

Cassie grabbed the rope close to Libby's neck and pulled her close. She was having a bit of trouble hanging on to the donkey with one hand and the rifle with the other while the sheep jostled her. The presence of the overbearing man on the horse right before her didn't help much either. Still, she refused to be intimidated.

“Well at least I now know where this donkey learned her manners from,” she said.

What was it about him that set her on edge more than any other man she'd come across? For the most part she ignored men, only dealing with them when it was necessary. She made sure she was free of any unwanted attention by the way she dressed and the threat of her guns, but this one . . . it was the third time she'd met him and it seemed as if his plain purpose for being on this earth was to harass her.

“Are you comparing me to an ass?” he asked incredulously.

“If the ears fit . . .” Cassie smiled sweetly. It was a nice revenge for the way he'd been haunting her dreams lately also.

“At least I've got more sense than to bring a bunch of sheep into cattle country.”

“Oh, is it cattle country?” Cassie responded. “I don't recall seeing any signs. Not once did I see anything that said
sheep unwelcome
or
shepherds keep out.
”

“You know good and well that this is cattle country or you wouldn't have snuck this herd in here last fall without saying a word to anyone.”

“What business is it of yours if I have sheep?” Cassie's voice raised a pitch at his audacity.

“I'm the man who wrote you the letter telling you your grandfather was dead,” Jake snapped back. “So everyone in the country is going to blame me for you and your gol-durn sheep.”

“You are the one who found him?” Cassie said in surprise. The kind and thoughtful letter didn't match her imaginings of the man sitting before her.

Jake took off his hat and wiped his gloved hand over his hair. It was light brown in color, thick, and cut short and neat. For some reason, when she'd thought about the man who found her grandfather and written the letter, she'd imagined someone older and kinder. Not someone like Jake Reece, who seemed to be put on this earth just to agitate her.

“I am,” he said. “And if you'd quit waving a gun in my face every time I come close I might tell you about it sometime.”

She really couldn't argue with that since he was right. She'd met him three times and two of those times he'd see a gun in her hands. Still, it was hard to let go of both the gun and her pride. They were the only things that kept her safe.

The sheep were finally under control again. Manuel and Max had them rounded up and back in the pen. Half a day's work was wasted as they'd been trying to separate out the pregnant ewes when the men rode up. Cassie led Libby to the corral. She leaned her rifle against the boards, opened the gate and sent Libby trotting inside with a slap on her rump. Cassie lifted the lasso off as the donkey went by and coiled it up. She walked back to where Jacob Reece waited and handed the lasso up to him.

She took a deep breath and looked up at the man who seemed to tower over her from his horse. “I'd like to hear about it, and see where you buried him, if you don't mind,” Cassie said.

“I'll show you when the sheriff is done with his business,” he said. Then to her surprise he held a hand out to her. “Want a ride?”

Cassie was taken aback by the offer. His eyes on her were steady yet cautious. The thought of climbing up behind him, of being that close to him . . . not just him but any man. She couldn't show her fear.

“No thanks, I'll walk,” she said.

“Suit yourself.” If she hadn't been standing so close she wouldn't have seen the slight twitch of his knees that told his horse to move. The horse jumped forward at a trot and flicked its tail right in her face. Jacob Reece rode up to her house without a backward glance.

EIGHT

“N
ow that wasn't a bit neighborly,” Ward said as Jake dismounted from Skip and joined him and Cade on the porch of Cassie Parker's house.

“Which part? The part where she showed up carrying her guns or the part where we were surrounded by sheep?” Jake asked.

“The part where you just rode off and left her,” Ward said.

“I offered her a ride and she didn't want it,” Jake groused. “Of course it might be because she's loco. She'd have to be to bring sheep into cattle country.”

“Maybe we should hear her side of the story before we pass judgment,” Cade said.

“I don't know,” Ward said. “No matter what her reasons, it's still not a good decision. I imagine the reaction when the Cattlemen's Association finds out there's a couple of hundred sheep around won't be good.”

“Yeah, and I'll be the one that will have to deal with it,” Jake growled. “What difference does it make to you anyway?” he asked Ward. “It's not like you've got a dog in this fight.”

“My income depends upon the happiness and well-being of everyone in this valley,” Ward said. “And since things seem to come to a head in the Heaven's Gate, I'd like to know what's going on so I can keep the peace and my furniture.”

“Well I got a feeling things are going to get a whole lot worse before they get better,” Jake said as Cassie stepped onto her porch. Once more he was struck by how small she was. She barely came up to his shoulder and he was six feet tall. Next to Ward and the sheriff she looked downright miniscule. Yet she was feisty. She'd put him on his back quick enough on the trail and she knew how to hold a gun.

“I'm sorry about the sheep,” she said right off as she leaned her rifle against the wall. “Not that they're here,” she quickly amended. “Just that they got out and in your way. It's not the usual way I welcome visitors.”

“You don't have to explain yourself to anyone,” Cade said. “As long as you can pay what you owe you've got the right to do whatever you want with the property.” He handed her the tax bill.

“Wait just a doggone minute,” Jake began. He could not believe that the sheriff wasn't protesting the presence of sheep. But then again, why would he? After all, the man had posed as a preacher. Allowing sheep in cattle country wasn't that much of a reach after that.

“Don't you have something for Miss Parker too?” Ward interrupted.

“Tell me again why you're here?” Jake asked Ward, who was having entirely too much of a good time. Jake took a moment to work his jaw when he realized it hurt from being clenched so tight. Something about Cassie Parker had him all twisted up inside. In the past few weeks he'd just put it down to her getting the best of him on the trail but after the recent events, he was certain she had come to Colorado for the express purpose of aggravating him.

Right now she looked a bit paler than normal as she perused the tax bill. It had to be high, with the property being two years in arrears. Maybe she didn't have enough, even with what was in the bank.

“Can't a body be neighborly?” Ward said in reply to Jake's question. He gave Jake a look that would have shamed a lesser man. But a lesser man didn't have to worry about having sheep on his range. Still, Jake was an honest man, even if he was feeling a bit stubborn at the moment. He dipped in his coat and pulled out the bank book.

“After your grandfather died I took his stock to market with mine. I sold them and deposited the proceeds in an account in Denver at the Curry and Hayes bank. It turns out they just opened up a branch in Angel's End when they took over the stage line. All we have to do is go to the bank and I'll add your signature to the account and take mine off and the money is yours.”

There. He felt better about telling her, especially when he saw the relief on her face when she realized how much money was in the account. Still, he couldn't help but think maybe it wasn't a good thing that she had the money. Without it she'd have to go. There were a whole lot of people who weren't going to be happy about her sheep and Jake knew good and well that Raymond Watkins would be one of them. Eventually the word would get out. It was impossible to keep this many sheep hidden, especially now that spring was here and the hands would be out, searching all the ridges and valleys for strays.

“It's so much,” she said. Her blue eyes were full of gratitude when she finally tore them from the bank book and looked up at him. “Thank you.” Her words were genuine but guarded and her eyes quickly changed when she realized that perhaps she'd given too much away. Jake took it as a challenge. She could let her guard down, when she wanted to. What could he do to bring back that look? But more important, what was it that she was hiding? Cassie Parker was a mystery, a tiny woman with secrets and a herd, no, they didn't call them herds, it was a flock. A dang flock of sheep.

“If you two don't mind working out a time to go to the bank I'll let the mayor know when he can expect the money,” Cade said. He tipped his hat as if in apology. “Just doing my job, ma'am.”

“Whenever it's convenient for you,” Cassie said to Jake.

“How about tomorrow morning,” Jake said. “Say nine?”

“I'll be ready,” she said.

“I'll let Gus know,” Cade said and in one graceful motion stepped off the porch and onto his mount. Ward, always one to take his time, walked to the edge and looked out across the valley. Jake had to admit it was a pretty sight, even with the sheep. The land rolled a lot more than his. The house sat snug against a line of pines that served as a windbreak. The barn and corral and a few outbuildings lay down a small rise to the left, while the road out curved up and to the right. A stream ran behind the house and barn and split the valley. A flat bridge, wide enough for a wagon, went over it, and the overgrown trail led to the ridge that separated their property. The stream meandered on down and ran parallel to the road they came in on. Eventually it crossed Watkins's land. Even though it wasn't his only source of water, Watkins would have plenty to say about the sheep fouling up his water when he found out. And eventually he would.

“You live out here by yourself?” Ward asked.

“No,” Cassie said. “I have Manuel.” She waved at the Mexican who walked toward the house with the dog at his side. “And his wife, Rosa.”

“I thought I saw two women on the porch when we rode in,” Ward continued.

“My mother.” Cassie, with her will-o'-the-wisp hair sticking out in all directions, looked directly at Ward and spoke in a tone that would put a momma grizzly to shame. “She's not well, and she doesn't take to strangers. They upset her.”

“I'd be the last one to do that.” Ward put his hands up in surrender. “Just wanted to make sure you were well taken care of.” He stepped off the porch and mounted up beside Cade. “Ranching is a hard life for a woman on her own.”

Cassie shaded her eyes against the sun that poured onto the porch as she looked at the two men. “As you can see, Mr. Phillips, I'm quite capable of taking care of myself and all of those in my care.”

“Some might think it's too big of a burden for such narrow shoulders.” Ward's tone teased.

“Those who think so can keep their opinions to themselves.” She might be tiny but there was no fear in her. She reminded Jake of a honey badger he'd seen in a traveling zoo. The critter came all the way from India and was as feisty as they came. He'd felt sorry for the creature when he saw it, at the way its keeper kept poking into its cage with a stick. But it never gave up; in spite of all the odds being against it, it kept on fighting. Still, Cassie Parker needed to know what she was up against if she was determined to stay.

“That's because no one realizes you've got these sheep up here,” Jake said.

“Why, Mr. Reece, if I didn't know any better I'd think that was a threat.”

Yup, she was definitely a honey badger. “Confound it,” Jake sputtered, “you've really got no idea what kind of trouble will be coming your way once everyone finds out there are sheep up here.”

She turned to face him. “As the sheriff said, what I do on my property is my business.”

“You see that stream?” Jake pointed. “It comes down from those mountains. Before it gets here it runs underground and then out again, right before it hits your boundary. The water in it is as pure and sweet as water can be. It goes clear across your property, and then it crosses the road, running onto a property owned by a man named Raymond Watkins. And I know for certain that Raymond Watkins will have something to say about your sheep fouling up his water.”

It took Jake a moment to realize that he was practically shouting at her. There was something about Cassie Parker that agitated him to no end. Especially when she stood before him, no bigger than a minute, with her arms crossed as if she were daring him to cross some invisible line. It also didn't escape his attention that Ward and Cade were both sitting on their horses watching the two of them as if they were putting on a show. He felt like the keeper in the zoo, poking the stick at the honey badger. Poke. Poke. Poke.

If she was aware of the two men watching them, she didn't show it; instead, she drew herself up as if she could sprout a couple of inches and came right back at him. “That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard,” Cassie said. “Are you telling me that there is no other water on Watkins's property? There's water all over the place here. That's one of the reasons we came here, plenty of water, plenty of land and plenty of room for everyone and everything.”

“Oh he's got water, and plenty of it,” Jake came right back at her. “He's also got the most land and the most hands and the most cattle and the most money, which means if he don't like something he's got the power to make sure it's gone, and I guaran-damn-tee you that he's not going to be happy about your sheep.”

“Language, Mr. Reece,” she said in a voice that was suddenly silky smooth. “You seem like an educated man. Can't you come up with a better way to express what you're feeling?”

Jake opened his mouth and shut it again. She had to be the most frustrating woman ever put on this earth. Why was she here of all places?

“I don't know, I thought that was pretty creative.” Ward grinned. “How about you, Sheriff?”

“Definitely creative,” Cade agreed. “But after my brief time as a minister, I also have to agree with Miss Parker. Cursing is just a lazy way of saying what you're thinking.”

Jake had to resist the urge to shoot both of them on the spot. “Neither one of you is helping,” he said.

“And you consider this to be constructive?” Ward asked. “It's like watching the rams butt heads up in the high country.”

Ward was right. There was no talking to this woman. There'd been no talking to her the night he met her on the trail and there was no talking to her now. She'd figure it out soon enough and with luck she'd pack up her sheep and her people and hightail it back to wherever it was she came from. Maybe he'd even offer to buy her out, to make it easier on her.
Why would I even care?

Jake took a deep breath, took off his hat and ran his gloved fingers through his hair. In a much softer and polite tone he offered, “If you can spare the time right now, I'll show you where your grandfather is buried.”

He caught her off guard. Cassie blinked and nodded. There it was. The unguarded look that showed there was another side to her. “I would greatly appreciate it,” she said in a tone that matched his.

“You can go now,” Jake said to Ward and the sheriff. “I'm not likely to kill her today.”

“Make sure that you don't,” Cade said, and the two men rode off, Ward wearing a big grin. Jake was certain he'd be the subject of much conversation, but it wasn't the first time Ward had a good laugh at his expense, and it probably wouldn't be the last.

They stood on the porch for a moment with an uncomfortable silence growing between them until finally Cassie spoke. “Just give me a moment to check on my mother.”

“No problem,” Jake said while she slipped through the door as if she were afraid he'd follow her. “Well don't that beat all,” he mumbled to himself when the door shut firmly behind her. Jake walked to the end of the porch that offered the view of the mountains.

Cassie and the sheriff were right. It shouldn't be anyone's business what she did on her own property. He knew good and well that he'd resent it if someone tried to tell him what he could and couldn't do, but still . . . sheep . . . it was like she was asking for trouble, yet it was also like she was hiding. Was she so skittish because of the sheep? Or was there more to it? Dang it all, he was the one who was going to have to deal with all of the backlash since he was the head of the Cattlemen's Association. Jake huffed out a breath of air.

Manuel and the dog arrived at the house. The Mexican seemed as cautious and standoffish as his employer. “Hello,” Jake said as the man stepped onto the porch. “I'm your neighbor, Jake Reece.” He crouched down and motioned for the dog. The dog looked at its master for a moment. Manuel made a slight motion with his hand and the dog went to Jake slowly and cautiously. Jake removed his gloves and let the dog sniff his hand. The dog's tail wagged a few times as the animal allowed Jake to pet him. “I love a good dog,” he said. “And you are a fine one indeed.” He looked up at Manuel. “What's his name?”