The Glenmore's: Caught (4 page)

Josh helped Justine down from her horse and they walked over to where Loni had already fixed a large section of fence.

“Cain’t do much more boss until they come and get Fergus; won’t be any way to get him out otherwise”

“Yeah
, we cain’t start rounding up the cows until he’s gone either; waste of a darn mornin’.” Josh fumed.

Just at that moment Ben rode up on his palomino mare, Dancer. Sitting tall and straight backed in the saddle; Justine thought he was an awesome sight and chills raced down her spine. He had Doug, one of the Glenmore ranch hands with him and
Ben introduced him to Justine.

“Miss Saunders, Josh, Loni” Ben greeted sullenly.

“Ben, thanks for comin’ so quick” Josh was pleased the bull was being moved so they could get on with rounding up the cows and move them up to the house paddock.

Justine pulled the collar of her jacket closer around her to prevent the cold from the wind which was becoming stronger as the morning wore on. “Yes, Mr Glenmore. Thank you for comin’ so promptly”

Ben thought her attitude was cold and disinterested but at least it was better than her unexplained anger from earlier.

“Okay Doug, lets gets this nuisance back where he belongs” Ben ordered.

Justine watched with interest as Ben and Doug began pushing the bull towards the opening in the fence. Fergus wasn’t at all happy about leaving his ‘girls’ and began to snort with irritation.

“C’mon Ferg, be a good boy and get yerself back home” Ben coaxed gently.

Doug gave the bull a gentle prod of encouragement on the backside but Fergus took objection. He took off at a run headed straight for Justine.

“Justine!” Josh yelled and she looked up to see a one ton, very irritated black bull coming straight at her.

She froze on the spot not knowing what she should do. Within seconds she felt a hand grab her waist; she was airborne and plopped down onto Ben’s horse. Ben had managed to turn Dancer in time, scoop her up around the waist and sat her into his lap away from the danger. Ben moved away from the bull and he could feel Justine trembling as she buried her head in his chest.

“It’s okay, you’re safe now” Ben told her gently. She lifted her head to look at him and Ben watched as a tear slid down her cheek.

“Put me down now please” she demanded as she wiped at the tear.

“How about we get Fergus out of the way first?” Ben asked. He enjoyed the feeling of her shapely little backside against his legs and was surprised to feel his manhood beginning to thicken. He wasn’t in any hurry to put her down
.

“I’m fine now Mr Glenmore. Please put me down near my horse
. I’m quite sure I’ll be out of harm’s way on her” Justine told him curtly as she began to wriggle to get down.

Justine had chills flying down her spine and a feeling she’d never had before deep in her belly. She needed to put some distance between her and Ben!

“Very well Miss if that’s what ya want” Ben said angrily. He headed towards Minx and reined alongside before lifting Justine out of his lap and into her saddle. What was it about this girl? What was it about him that made her react the way she did? Girls usually loved being around him but this one didn’t seem to like him at all and for some reason, which Ben couldn’t fathom, it bothered him.

Ben shook his head and got his mind back on the job of moving the recalcitrant bull. With the help of Loni and Josh and Justine staying well out of harm’s way; they finally got Fergus onto the right side of the fence and headed him home.

“Thanks for ya help Josh, Loni. I’ll take him up to the north paddock so he shouldn’t bother ya again” Ben doffed his hat. “Miss Saunders. I’ll get someone down to fix that fence”

“Don’t worry Ben, it’s pretty much done now but thanks anyway” Josh told him.

“Very well; I’ll see ya at the winter Christmas dance in Cedar Ridge on Sunday Miss Saunders?”

“No Mr Glenmore
; I do not attend dances. Good day sir” Justine turned her back on Ben and watched as Loni finished the repair on the fence.

Ben shrugged and rode off.

CHAPTER FOUR

The rest of the morning was busy as Justine and the men began moving the cattle up to the house.

“Come round behind that one over there Miss” Josh pointed to a cow that had decided she liked it just fine where she was. “Push her back to the rest”

Justine turned Minx and headed for the stray.

“Hey ya; Hey ya!” she called as she pushed the cow back to the group. She then reined in alongside Josh and Loni.

“You’re a natural Miss” Loni told her and Justine beamed with pride. It had been a very long time since she’d had a compliment.

“Thanks Loni; I really am enjoyin’ myself and you have been so patient with me” The two men threw their heads back and laughed. “What?” she asked.

“Wait until you’ve done it a hundred times and then tell us ya enjoy it!” Josh chuckled.

“I guess the novelty will wear off” Justine giggled. “I really like it at the moment though”

“We’ll remind ya of that in a couple of years Miss” Loni told her.

They continued to ignore the protesting of the cows and pushed them on towards the paddock; by early afternoon they had them all happily grazing.

The wind was much stronger and colder now and Justine shivered and pulled her jacket closer around her.

Josh noticed her teeth chattering as they rode back to the barn. “Ya need a warm woollen coat Miss. That jacket ain’t gonna keep ya anywhere near warm enough out here durin’ winter”

“I think I’ll purchase one the next time we go into town for supplies Josh. It’s certainly much colder here than I expected”

“Yeah; we don’t often get snow, apart from up on the hills, but it can get mighty cold just the same”

“I’m beginnin’ to see that” Justine chuckled.
“I might get that coat after church on Sunday”

********

They rode to the barn and dismounted. The other men had already come in and were finishing chores around the yard.

C’mon Minx, let’s get ya all warm and settled eh?” Justine led the horse into the barn and removed the saddle and saddle blanket. She then took a brush from the bench and began brushing her down. Minx softly nickered and Justine laughed and hugged the horse’s neck.

As she brushed, Justine thought about her encounters with Ben.
“Why does he unsettle me so?”
she questioned herself.
“If I was whole I could maybe be interested”
she thought and then sighed.

“I’m headin’ around back with Loni to secure a few things and then we’ll be in. We got a b
ad storm comin’ so we won’t get much more done now. Make sure ya get yerself inside before it hits” Josh ordered.

“I will Josh; I’ll just finish Minx and head on in. Ask Millie to have the coffee ready please ‘
cause I sure could use a cup”

Josh and Loni disappeared out the door and Justine returned to her thoughts. “Why am I thinkin’ about a man Minx?” she asked her new friend. “No-one would ever be interested in me, especially someone as handsome as Ben. He could have any pretty girl he wants. Oh well; I have much more important things to think about don’t I girl?”

Minx nickered in response and Justine giggled as she led her into her stall and closed the door.

The wind was now blowing a gale when she went back outside and Justine battled to keep her feet on the ground as she headed for the house.

“C’mon Miss; hold my hand” Josh told her as he came to her side. Like Justine he was holding onto his hat with one hand and took her free hand in his. They finally managed to get to the house and together they battled the wind to close the front door.

“Woowee; I think we’re in for one big storm” Josh commented as he hung his coat and hat on a peg by the door.

Justine removed her hat and jacket and also hung them on a peg. As they headed for the kitchen she rubbed her cold hands together vigorously.

“Coffee, please Millie” Justine pleaded as she went over to the fire which was roaring in the hearth.

“On its way darlin’; have a seat” Millie answered as Josh kissed her cheek.

********

“Ky, Walt; secure those horses. We got a big one comin’.” Ben shouted into the wind. “Doug, Rod; get that equipment into the shed as quick as ya can. I’ll take ya horses”

The men dismounted and handed Ben their reins; he led the unsettled horses away to the barn where he tied the reins over the rail and began removing their saddles. Just as he removed the last saddle Joseph rode in.

“Pa, I think we’re in for a big one. I got the men securin’ the horses and gettin’ the equipment into the shed”

“Well done son. George is on his way home so Jenny and the girls don’t get scared on their own”

George is the eldest of the Glenmore brothers at age 29. His wife, Jenny, had been found badly beaten and left to die on the track leading to the Glenmore ranch. The Glenmore’s had nursed her back to health and during this time George had fallen deeply in love with her. As soon as she was well enough they had married and they now had twin girls who were adored by everyone. Linda and Lucy are now 3 months old and thriving. The Glenmore boys and their father along with help from their ranch hands had built George and Jenny a cottage in the northern part of the ranch so George could be close to help work the ranch and Virginia could help Jenny out with the girls.

“Don’t think we’re gonna get anythin’ done this afternoon pa. That fence off the east pasture is gonna have to wait until the weather improves”

“With winter well and truly here now we can expect some more of these bad storms. Seems to me they’re gettin’ worse every year”

“Certainly seems that way pa”

The two men got the horses brushed down, fed, watered and settled into their stalls. By the time they headed for the house; the wind was so strong they could barely stand. They fought their way to the house and found Virginia in the kitchen with Nellie.

“Tom came and picked up Alice Joe when he saw we were in for a bad storm” Virginia explained to her husband as he kissed her cheek.

“That’s good darlin’, the sky’s real black out there and the wind is real fierce”

Ben helped himself to a coffee and headed off to the parlour. He removed his boots, picked up his book and sat down in the arm chair nearest the fire which was blazing in the hearth. Within minutes he was lost in his thoughts. He couldn’t get Justine out of his mind and had to admit to himself that he’d enjoyed having her backside pressing against him when he’d pulled her onto his horse. She was not at all the type of girl he usually showed interest in but she made shivers run down his spine and explode out of his toes.

Ben shook his head and drank his coffee before opening his book; try as he might though, he couldn’t stop picturing Justine long enough to be able to read the words.

“Ben, where are ya?” his father called out
which snapped him away from his thoughts.

“In the parlour pa” Ben answered and Joseph appeared at the door.

“Fancy a game of checkers?” he asked his son.

“That’d be good pa, I’ll get ‘em out” Ben stood and went to the cabinet to get out the checkers box while Joseph pulled a table between their two chairs.

Virginia came into the parlour with her sewing kit in her hands and Nellie followed with hers. As the men set up the checkers; the women took a seat on the sofa and began to embroider. They were sewing matching dresses for Linda and Lucy for Christmas which was less than two weeks away.

“Did ya get Fergus in Ben
?” Virginia asked.

“Yeah; I’ve moved him into the north paddock pa” Ben told his father.

“Where was he?” Joseph asked with a puzzled look on his face.

“He’d knocked down the fence again and was in with the Prentiss cows. Mason’s granddaughter came over this mornin’ with Josh to let me know so I took Doug and we went down to get him. He was bein’ real ornery and darn near knocked Justine down, just managed to drag her onto my horse in time. She never even thanked me, just told
me to put her down. Women! I’ll never figure ‘em”

Joseph, Virginia and Nellie laughed. “Lucky she didn’t get hurt son. I’d have felt real bad is she had” Joseph muttered as he jumped one of Ben’s checkers and put it onto his side of the board. “What’s she like son?”

Virginia spoke before Ben could open his mouth. “She’s a tiny little thing Joe and she has the most terrible burns on her face and neck. She’s real feisty too like Rebecca, gave Ben what for about the bull breakin’ down the fence and Ben’s handsome face. Told him he’s used to gettin’ around women with his looks but it wasn’t gonna work on her. She had him worked out real well” She laughed and Joe threw back his head and guffawed.

“Finally a gal who’s not blinded by good looks; sounds like ya met ya match son. I’m gonna have to meet this little gal. Did she say how she got burnt? Cain’t
imagine it’s been easy for her” Joseph mused.

“She didn’t say what happened and I didn’t think it was the right time to ask. Nellie, Alice and
me were too busy watchin’ Ben tryin’ to use his charms on her and her rejectin’ ‘em” Virginia told him.