The Rancher Takes a Cook (28 page)

“Well,” he contemplated as they ambled
along, “the San Fernando Cathedral we saw today was somethin’ else,
but I think my favorite is still the Alamo we toured on the first
day. You could just about hear the bullets still ricochetin’ off
the walls in there.”

Anna chuckled. “A real piece of history for
sure.”

Jacob paused his strolling to turn and face
the water, hands deep in the pockets of his trousers. The river was
wide in this spot and flowed slowly. Not as much like the Guadalupe
that bordered their ranch. No birds sang in the trees here, or
rabbits bounding into the underbrush. Actually, no underbrush at
all. Still, there was the earthy smell of the water and the gentle
murmur it spoke.

“The clerk at the hotel told me the San
Antonio springs are only four miles north of here. He said there’s
one spring in particular, the Blue Hole, that’s a pretty sight and
would be worth the drive. Whatd’ya think?”

Anna allowed her smile to blossom. “It
sounds perfect for our last day.”

Jacob glanced over to gauge her expression.
“Are you sad we’ll be leavin’?”

Anna turned to face the river, the breeze
ruffling her hair. “In some ways, yes. It’s been a little bit like
heaven to have you all to myself.” She cast a sideways glance at
him then focused on the flowing water again. “I miss home, though.
And Aunt Lola, and the boys, and my kitchen. And our own
river.”

“Mmmhm.”

They stood there for a long time. Like trees
on the river’s edge. The breeze caressing, the water flowing. No
words needed. Just silent companionship.

* * *

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect,
sunny but with a little bit of breeze that tasted almost like fall
was in the air. The hired gelding kept up a steady jog until Jacob
reined him back to a walk when they reached a sign that read
The
Blue Hole Spring ahead
. An arrow pointed to the left toward a
wide trail that led from the main road.

When the spring came into sight, Anna gasped
at the vision that lay before them. Water shot several feet into
the air, spraying over thick green foliage and moss-covered rocks.
The play of light through the clear water created a rainbow of
colors, and the effect of it all was stunning.

“It’s amazing,” she breathed.

Jacob set the brake on the buggy and leaned
back in the seat, propping a boot on the buckboard and an arm on
the seat back behind Anna.

“It is that,” he agreed in a low, reverent
tone.

Anna nestled into Jacob’s arm and the two
sat for a while admiring the natural beauty God had created in this
place.

Anna was the first to speak. “I wonder if
there’s a spring like this at the head of the Guadalupe?”

“I heard an old rancher one time say it
starts up in the Texas hill country and comes from two river forks
that join together near Kerrville. Maybe we could take a trip up
there to check it out one day.”

She gave him a hopeful grin. “I’d love
that.” After a few more peaceful minutes, Anna gave voice to her
thoughts. “As pretty as this is, I miss our own river. It feels
like I’ve lived a lifetime there on the banks of the
Guadalupe.”

Jacob chuckled, “Me, too, Darlin’. Me,
too.”

* * *

Thursday dawned overcast, but as long as the
rain held off, Jacob figured that would probably be the best
weather to travel in. Not as hot if the sun wasn’t beating
down.

He sat in their hotel room in one of the
overstuffed chairs by the fireplace, working the buttons on his
shirtsleeves into place. Anna stepped from the washroom and brushed
her long wavy brown hair in front of the full length mirror. His
fingers itched to touch it again. There sure was something special
about his woman’s hair.

Anna’s eyes caught his in the mirror and she
flashed a shy smile. “What is it?”

“Oh, I’m just sittin’ here thinkin’ how
lucky I was to get the prettiest gal in the state of Texas.”

A mischievous light twinkled in her eyes.
“Lucky, huh? Seems to me luck didn’t have much to do with it.”

Jacob nodded and rose to his feet, grabbing
his hat from the table. “Reckon’ I know better than to argue with a
lady.” He strode forward, laid his hands on Anna’s shoulders, and
nuzzled a kiss on the side of her neck, breathing in the
honeysuckle scent that always clung to her. “I’m gonna head
downstairs and send for the buggy. I’ll be up to get you
shortly.”

Anna leaned back against him, and he was
tempted to forget all about the buggy for a while.

“I’ll have things ready when you get back.”
Her words helped him refocus on his mission and he pulled himself
away.

Before long, they were on their way, headed
back toward Seguin. The trip was a long one, almost thirty miles.
He usually dreaded it, especially in a buggy or wagon instead of on
horseback. It seemed to pass more quickly this time, though. It
surely helped to have Anna snuggled in next to him. How was he ever
really happy before her?

They made it to Seguin by suppertime and
stopped at the café inside the Magnolia Hotel. They were almost
home.

It seemed like everyone in the restaurant
stopped to congratulate them on the marriage. By the time the fifth
person had approached their table, Anna stopped turning pink from
all the unexpected attention. Most of the people knew them both
from church, but Jacob spied a plump, matronly woman moving toward
them whom he doubted Anna had ever met.
“Here comes Mrs. Catherine LeGette,” Jacob whispered, preparing his
wife for the approaching guest. “She lives in the big Sebastopol
house over on Zorn Street. The one that looks like a Grecian
temple.”

Anna’s eyes widened as she pressed the cloth
napkin to her mouth.

Her response was cut short by the delighted
pitch of the lady’s shrill voice. “Oh, if it isn’t the newlyweds.”
Mrs. LeGette stopped in front of their table, panting a bit as if
striding across the café had winded her.

Jacob stood politely. “Mrs. LeGette. Always
a pleasure, ma’am.”

She waved him down. “Sit, sit. I thought
that was an O’Brien man when I saw you from the door.” She turned
to Anna. “These O’Brien’s, you can spot ‘em in a New York crowd.
Broad shoulders, tall, and the prettiest blue eyes you ever did
see. And wearin’ cowboy boots like they was the latest in Paris
fashion. Mmmm…” She looked like she might eat him up right then and
there. Jacob caught himself edging backward.

Anna’s soft chuckle soothed his nerves.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. LeGette. I’m Anna O’Brien. And
how do you know my husband’s family?”

She raised a single eyebrow, a half-tilt to
her mouth. “Oh, every single gal in Guadalupe County knows about
the O’Brien men. The two most eligible bachelors around.” She spun
back to Jacob. “And now you’ve gone and broken the heart of every
maiden under the age of thirty-five. Tsk, tsk.” She released a
dramatic sigh and Jacob wanted to sink right down under his chair.
She was drawing the attention of people at nearby tables, too.

Before either one of them had a chance to
respond, Mrs. LeGette turned back to Anna. “But I hear he’s made an
excellent choice, my dear. I couldn’t be happier for you both. And
I insist you come and visit me the next time you’re in town. No
advance notice needed, just stop by my home. It’s the one with
columns along the front over on Zorn Street.”

Anna’s eyes lit. “That’s so thoughtful. I’d
love to. I’ve seen your home from the street and it’s beautiful.
The architecture reminds me of something from Ancient Greece or
Rome.”

The matronly woman puffed a bit at the
praise. “They call it Greek Revival style, and my brother Joshua
built it for me about ten years ago. We always dreamed of traveling
to exotic lands when we were little, and I guess we never got it
out of our systems.” She almost giggled.

Anna rested a soft hand on Mrs. LeGette’s
arm. “Well, I hope you’ll give me a tour when I visit.”

The older woman bloomed like a rosebud after
a rain shower. It was amazing the effect his genteel wife had on
people. “I’ll be counting on it. Now I’ll leave you two lovebirds
alone to enjoy your supper.” Sending a final pert look in Jacob’s
direction, she said, “You take care of this gal, Jacob O’Brien. You
hear?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The food at the café was decent, but these
bland hotel meals were losing their luster. They didn’t hold a
candle to the food that came out of Anna’s kitchen. After the bill
was paid and Anna rose to her feet, Jacob stood and stretched his
long arms, feeling a bit crowded in the little tea room where they
stood.

“Well, would you like to stay in town
tonight or head on out to the ranch? We have another hour of
daylight left before the sun’ll start to set, so I’m fine either
way.”

Anna chewed her bottom lip and peered up at
him through her long lashes. “If you’re not too tired, I’d love to
go home. It feels like we’ve been gone for ages.” And then her eyes
went wide and her cheeks pinked. “I mean…it was a wonderful trip,
though. I enjoyed every minute of it.”

He couldn’t quite hold in a grin. He reached
for Anna’s elbow and guided her toward the front door. “I know it,
darlin’. I’m a bit homesick, too.”

* * *

Jacob kept the bay gelding in a steady jog
for much of the road to the ranch. As the familiar live oak tree
came into view that marked the corner of the O’Brien land, he
reined the horse back to a walk. As much as he was looking forward
to seeing the family again, it was like a little slice of heaven
having Anna to himself. He hated to break the spell just yet. An
idea began to form in Jacob’s mind. He turned the horse and buggy
off the road and into the meadow, heading toward a familiar line of
trees in the distance.

Anna sat up beside him, her hand touching
his forearm. “What are we doing? Is everything okay?”

He tried to keep his face as stoic as
possible, but this was going to be fun keeping her guessing.
“Everything’s fine. We’re just taking a little detour.”

Anna didn’t say anything else, but her
fingers twisted the blue muslin of her skirt. It was eating her
alive, not knowing where they were headed. Well, hopefully the
outcome would be worth the suspense.

When the buggy rolled onto the road through
the woods that led toward the Guadalupe River, Anna’s shoulders
relaxed and she leaned back into his side. He avoided looking at
her until the river was before them and he’d reined the horse to a
stop.

He finally dared a glance and was caught up
in the delight that had spread across her face. “Do you wanna get
down or enjoy it from here?” He spoke softly so he didn’t break the
magic of the place.

Without answering, Anna lowered herself from
the wagon and stepped forward to the edge of the water. He strolled
up beside her, and Anna reached for his hand without moving her
gaze from the flowing river, entwining their fingers together.

For a while they stood like that, listening
to the gentle murmur of the water and the twitter of birds in the
nearby trees. The sun was making its progress toward the western
horizon and flashed brilliant oranges, pinks, and purples across
everything in its path. The way the colors illuminated Anna’s face
only served to enhance the pure pleasure there. She looked like an
angel.

“Jacob.” She still hadn’t looked at him, and
for a moment he wasn’t sure if she’d actually spoken.

“Yes.”

She finally turned to face him, love shining
in her gaze. “Welcome home.”

Please read
on to
learn
more
about the author, Misty M.
Beller,
and
to
read
a
sample
from
another Prism
Book
Group title,
Year of Jubilee
.

Please
enjoy
this
sample
from
Year of Jubilee
by
Peggy Trotter
available
from
Prism
Book
Group!

Gibson County, Indiana, December
31
^st
, 1849

Jubilee Stallings’ forehead collided with
the wall. Stars flashed behind her closed lids. She lay completely
still. Her face heated and her body ached, yet she dared not
move.

“You’re worthless,” her husband’s slurred
voice continued.

She heard his footsteps stagger across the
floorboards.

“You’re nuttin’ but a dog, and…and…a
piece…of dung.”

The floorboards thundered as his body hit
the floor. Scraping sounds emitted from the other side of the
room.

“I…oughta…”

He continued mumbling unintelligibly.
Jubilee pressed her bruised brow against the icy wood of the wall
and prayed. Fresh tears wet her face.
Please fall asleep.
Almost on command, Colvin gave a snore. Jubilee continued to lie
immobile, although, now that the initial rush of adrenaline had
worn off, the frigid air made her naked body want to shake. She
clenched her teeth and fought against her body’s urge. Snores
filled the air.

She pushed to a sitting position and eyed
the straw mattress where Colvin had sprawled. Moving as cautiously
as a newborn colt, she crawled to her dress by the door. She pulled
it on as a set of shivers ripped through her body. With her sweater
in hand, she crept to the fireplace. Only dying embers remained,
but Jubilee couldn’t risk adding another log. Her teeth chattered
as she tucked her feet beneath her skirt and pulled up the ragged
cardigan to ward off the chill.

She grimaced as she rubbed the swelling on
her neck where he’d choked her. The moonlight broke through the
clouds, highlighting the marks scratched into the wall near the
stone mantel. She’d carved the last one this morning—December 31,
1849. More than a full year had come and gone since she’d begun
marking. Tomorrow would be her second birthday in this house. Once
again, tears threatened. She’d be eighteen.