The Rancher Takes a Cook (13 page)

“Well, Little Brother,” Jacob announced,
using the nickname the boys had assigned to Edward, “I reckon
you’ll get your chance to prove it right after you and Bo finish
cleanin’ up the kitchen.” Anna turned to Jacob, her mouth dropping
open. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Edward and Bo did
the same.

“Clean the kitchen?” Edward’s voice cracked
a bit, probably from disbelief. He would never disobey an order
from Jacob, but she had to admit the assignment surprised her as
well. Most cowboys considered work in the house to be beneath
them.

“Yep, I reckon’ your sister deserves the
afternoon off since it’s Christmas and all.”

Edward’s head bobbed in assent, even as his
eyes dropped down to the custard on his plate. Disappointment
shrouded his features.

But her heart leapt at the idea of not
having to scrub pans after the meal. Maybe a little Christmas
spirit could lighten his mood.

“Well,” Anna said, as she rose. She picked
up a stack of small parcels from the sideboard, each wrapped in
brown paper and tied with red ribbon. “I have a little something
for each of you to celebrate the day.”

She moved around the table, handing out
packages according to the name she had inscribed next to the ribbon
on each. “It’s not much, but I wanted you to have a little
something special. You’ve all come to mean so much to Edward and me
over the last few months.”

Aunt Lola patted her hand as Anna placed the
little bundle into the older woman’s grip.

“You’re a special one, Anna Stewart. I think
we’re gonna keep you around.”

Anna squeezed the older woman’s hand,
emotion clogging her throat at the tears that glimmered in the dark
blue eyes.

When she made it back to her seat, Anna
glanced around. The men looked expectantly at her. “Well, open
them.” She almost laughed at the way they tore into the paper.
These rough cowboys were just overgrown boys after all.

Anna peeked over at Jacob to catch his
expression as he peeled the paper from the blue flannel bandanna,
the same color as his sky blue eyes. He fingered the soft cloth and
rubbed his thumb across the letters
JOB
she had so
painstakingly embroidered. Why had she given him such a silly gift?
What did a cowboy care about a piece of cloth? He wouldn’t know she
had gone to two different stores to find flannel just the right
color and had redone the stitches three times so the letters in his
initials would be perfectly angled. When he looked up, though, Anna
didn’t see scorn in his eyes, only appreciation…and something
else.

“It’s not much.” she whispered, almost
afraid to speak as the intensity of his gaze deepened.

“It’s perfect.” A smile played on his lips.
Yes, perfect.

The “Thank you’s” and “Muchas gracias,
Seniorita’s” tore Anna’s attention away from Jacob as she settled
into the warm spirit of Christmas giving.

The next round of gifts came from Mr.
O’Brien and included a bag of peppermint sticks and a five-dollar
gold piece for each of them. Anna flashed him an appreciative
smile. Gold pieces were not easy to come by since the War,
especially in the Southern states.

After the meal, Jacob held Anna’s chair
while she stood then touched her elbow as he leaned forward to
speak softly in her ear. “If you’re ready, I’ll saddle the horses
while you get your coat.”

Anna nodded, not meeting his eyes. “I’ll be
right back.”

As she hurried upstairs to gather her cloak
and gloves, a tickle built in her stomach.

In the front yard a few minutes later, Anna
rested her left boot in Jacob’s cupped hands and he boosted her
onto Bandita’s back. As she settled the reins in her gloved hands,
a motion on the front porch caught her eye.

Monty settled in a rocking chair and eyed
them with a speculative grin. “You two checkin’ on the cattle or
just headin’ out to enjoy the warm weather?” he asked in a teasing
Mexican accent.

Heat rushed up her neck, but Jacob didn’t
seem a bit embarrassed by the remark. “We’re tired of hanging
around a bunch of grubby cowpokes and thought we’d get some fresh
air.” Mounting his own horse, Jacob called over his shoulder, “Good
luck in the checker match, amigo.” Then he motioned for Anna to
precede him, and they started off. Monty’s deep chuckle drifted
after them.

Anna settled into the ride as they skirted
around the edge of the herd, and Jacob pointed out a few of the
most ornery cattle that had caused particular trouble at one time
or another.

“See that cow with full white face and the
really long horns? Last year she lost a calf in the birthing. She
had a full bag of milk, and Vegas needed to milk her so it wouldn’t
spoil and cause infection. You should have seen the ruckus she
caused. He got the job done but had so many bruises, he couldn’t
sit straight in the saddle for days.”

Anna laughed until tears sprang to her eyes.
It was captivating the way Jacob’s face lit up as he talked of the
cattle and the men. The ranch was so much a part of him, and
passion radiated from his voice as he spoke. She couldn’t help a
bit of envy at the way he seemed to know what he wanted from life.
He’d been settled in one place since childhood, pursuing his
dreams.

When they made it to the river and
dismounted, Jacob tied the horses to a large pecan tree about
twenty feet from the river while Anna strolled toward the water’s
edge. She loosened her bonnet, allowing it to dangle by the strings
as she relished the warmth of the sun on her face. A pair of
Cardinals danced on the bare branch of a small tree down the bank.
The sun glinted off the surface of the gently flowing water, giving
the illusion of warmth. But she had a feeling it was ice cold from
the winter nights.

Jacob joined her, and Anna was thankful he
didn’t speak to disturb the beauty around them. After a few long
moments, he bent down and picked up a branch from the ground then
pushed the dry leaves away as if searching for something. She
looked over his shoulder, curious. He rose and moved along the
river’s edge, following the current but staring at the ground as he
walked. His brow was puckered a bit, like he was trying to figure
out a puzzle.

“What’s wrong?” Anna finally asked. But
Jacob just continued plodding downstream. Anna followed at a
distance. What was he doing? And why was he ignoring her? They were
almost out of sight from where they’d started when Jacob squatted
to examine the ground, then peered across the river. Hundreds of
hoof prints molded the muddy patch of ground at the water’s edge.
They were not the rounded prints of horses, but the two smaller
oval prints of a cow—and there were lots of them.

“Is this where our cattle come to drink?”
she asked cautiously, still not sure what to make of Jacob’s
behavior.

“Not usually. There are a few tracks from
horses, too, and one of the horses is wearing a bar shoe that
doesn’t match what our animals wear.” He sighed, rising to stand
next to her. “These prints don’t look like the cows just came to
the water’s edge to drink. It looks like they walked right out into
the river. My guess is they were driven into the river and came out
somewhere downstream on the other side.”

Anna stared at Jacob in horror, not liking
the implication of his words. “Do you think it was the rustlers the
other ranchers are talking about? How many do you think they
took?”

“It’s hard to say for sure, but it looks
that way. There are enough tracks to be about fifty head but hard
to tell for sure there, too. I guess we’ll be adding a night watch
for the herd.”

Anna studied Jacob’s expression. He had a
hard set to his chin and a worried look in his blue eyes. Losing
fifty cows was not good for the ranch, but he was probably worried
about the threat of losing even more. Still, the thought of their
men running into a gang of bandits in the dark made her stomach
queasy. “Who would you send out for the night watch?” Some of the
older cow hands might welcome the solitude.

“We’ll all take turns, two each night.”

The nausea in Anna’s stomach threatened to
bring back the plum pudding she’d eaten for dessert. “Everyone?
You, too? But what if you run into the thieves and they have guns?”
Then another frightening thought occurred to her. “But surely not
Edward, right?”

* * *

Jacob read the near panic in Anna’s eyes and
tread carefully. He turned to face her and laid a hand on each of
her shoulders. “Anna, night watch is part of a cowboy’s life. We
don’t usually stay with the cattle when we’re around the ranch, but
if there’s a threat to them, it has to be done. We all carry guns
and stay in pairs, so there’s not really much danger. Edward will
be fine. He’s a man now and a smart one at that. He knows how to
handle himself, and I’ll make sure he knows to head back for
reinforcements at the first sign of trouble. In fact, I’ll make
sure I have night duty the same time as him so I can keep an eye
out for him.”

As he spoke the last words, tears pooled in
Anna’s brown eyes. When one of them broke through the dam and
rolled down her cheek, Jacob couldn’t help himself any longer. He
pulled her against his chest and stroked her back. She felt so good
against him, like coming home. After a minute, Anna’s shoulders
relaxed and she drew a deep shuddering breath then took a little
step back, putting space between them. Jacob loosened his arms
around her but didn’t let her go completely, sliding his hands to
Anna’s elbows. He immediately missed her warmth against his
chest.

Anna focused her gaze on his chin, not
meeting his eyes.

“Anna, look at me.”

She raised her gaze until it locked with
his, those brown orbs stirring strong emotion within him. “No
matter what happens, God will be with us.” He stroked her cheek. So
soft, but still a little damp from her tears. “And if I can do
anything about it, nothing will ever hurt you again.”

“Jacob…”

His name on her lips was more than he could
stand. Jacob leaned down and covered her lips with his own. Her
kiss was every bit as sweet as he’d imagined, and he pulled her
closer, sliding his hands around her waist. Anna reached her arms
to his shoulders, touching the nape of his neck and adding fuel to
his desire. He deepened the kiss, kneading her back and pulling her
even closer. Craving flooded his body. Anna moved a hand down to
his chest, clutching his shirt. Jacob wasn’t sure if she was
pushing him away or pulling him closer, but the movement was enough
to help him reclaim some of his senses. He took one last sweet
taste then ended the kiss, bringing his forehead to rest against
Anna’s. He stood there for a moment to catch both his breath and
his self-control. Anna seemed to be doing much the same.

“Jacob…”

“Hmmm…” He moved back a few inches to see
her face and cupped her cheek with his palm. Wow, she was
beautiful.
Lord, I’m still not sure why You brought this
incredible woman into my life, but please help me not to blow
it.

“Do you think we’d better head back now? The
others might start missing us, and I need to get supper started
soon.”

Jacob groaned and pulled Anna’s head back to
his chest. “I don’t know how you can think of food after that
Christmas dinner we had.” Giving her one last gentle squeeze, he
finally released her. “But I guess we’d better get back to the
house, though. Knowing your brother, he’ll be ready to eat a side
of beef by the time we get there.”

Anna laughed, creating a warmth that spread
through Jacob’s chest. “He’s still a growing boy.”

Over the next few weeks, the men took turns
guarding the stock at night. Worry was Anna’s companion during the
darkness, especially when Jacob and Edward were on duty. But as
time progressed and the men experienced no trouble, her fears began
to fade.

Anna handed Jacob a cup of coffee in
exchange for the basket of eggs one morning after he had come in
from milking. The white liquid had a thin sheet of ice over the top
when he set the bucket on the counter, confirming Anna’s suspicion
that it was extra cold outside that morning.

“Temperature’s dropping.” Jacob rubbed his
hands together and blew between them, creating a bit of heat in his
fingers. “It looks like there’s a storm coming.”

“Are the men going to stay in today until
after the storm is over?” Not much snow fell in South Carolina, but
Texas storms might be worse than the mild snowfalls she had
experienced. After all, everything was bigger in Texas.

“Nope. Need to move the stock to cover under
the trees in the north pasture. One of the men will head out to the
line shack, too, so we can keep someone close to the cattle if
things get bad.”

Anna looked up from stirring oats over the
cookstove. “The line shack?”

“It’s a shed out on the northern corner of
the property. That area has the best cover when the snow storms
hit. The men take turns living there for a week at a time during
snow season. That way, someone is always close by to open up water
holes and help with early calving.”

Anna didn’t like the sound of that, but she
was learning these cowboys were a tough breed. They could handle
anything that came at them and then some. And, too, they all
trusted in the Lord to keep them safe. That helped her to bite back
the concern she wanted to voice. “Who will stay in the line shack
first?”

Jacob took another swig of coffee then set
the cup down and shrugged his shoulders. “That’ll be up to Monty.
But I do know you’ll probably want to get food provisions ready for
whoever goes. Mostly beans and cornmeal, but enough to last at
least three weeks.”

* * *

A snowstorm did hit that day, and Anna was
amazed at the fury it unleashed. After two hours of snowfall so
thick she couldn’t see more than four foot out the window, it
finally slowed to a light misting. She’d planned a hot stew for
dinner that night and was relieved when the men came in not long
after their usual time, stomping off snow on the front porch and
shedding ice-covered coats in the front hall.