Rachel that the woman grew weaker by the hour, and she knew the trip was taking longer than normal to accommodate plenty of rest stops. The journey seemed all the longer for Rachel because of her plodding steed. Patch, the cantankerous old work horse, was her only choice of transportation, short of walking all the way out. Her sidesaddle wouldn’t fit the animal’s broad back, and she felt precarious riding astride the draft horse. But the big mare’s teammate, Checker, had an even broader back and more wretched gait, although she did have a somewhat more pleasant disposition; she followed behind on a lead rope, tethered to Patch’s saddle horn, oblivious to the wooden cage holding several squawking chickens that was strapped across her back. The two milk cows and Sabrina’s orphaned calf trotted along beside them, kept in line by a rambunctious Joker. The young wolfhound seemed to have learned a few things from his parents, but his enthusiasm got him into trouble a time or two with Patch. More than once, as Joker chased the calf between the two work horses, Patch sent a swift kick in his direction, nearly unseating Rachel. Luckily for Joker, he was faster than the horse, but his antics didn’t go far toward endearing the mutt to Rachel. Twilight was already spreading a gray mantle over the serene countryside as Gavin led his tired band of travelers into the yard of the Lucky Strike, six days after departing the Stanley Basin. Rachel was too weary to take more than a cursory glance about her before sliding from Patch’s broad back with a sigh of relief. She leaned momentarily against the horse, waiting for strength to return to her legs. She ached from head to toe and wanted nothing more than a hot bath to soothe her sore muscles.
Stubs and Jess Chamberlain appeared out of the bunkhouse. Stubs exchanged a few words with Gavin about the trail drive out of the basin as he lifted the girls down from Princess’s back. Gavin nodded absently.
“We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Take care of the livestock, will you, Stubs?”
“Sure thing.” Gavin’s voice softened.
“Just hold onto my neck,” he said as he held his arms out toward Dru. Rachel watched as Dru slipped from the saddle into Gavin’s strong embrace. The woman’s head nestled into the curve of his shoulder and neck, her fingers laced behind him. She looked terribly small and fragile. Gavin turned and his gaze collided with Rachel’s. The gentle tone disappeared.
“I’ll need your help,” he said abruptly, then strode up the porch steps and into the ranch house. Rachel didn’t know which she wanted more—to be furious at him for his tone of voice or to burst into tears of frustration. But she hadn’t the strength for either. Besides, she thought as she pushed herself away from Patch and started after Gavin, it was what she’d wanted. She’d purposefully set out to make him see her as shallow and selfish. And it appeared she had succeeded. all too well.
Chapter Fourteen
Rachel sat up in her bed, her blankets tucked snugly around her. She stared at the cold black iron stove across the room from her. Perhaps it wasn’t going to be so wonderful having a cabin all to herself if it meant having the fire go out every night. Well, it wasn’t going to get any warmer in here unless she did something about it. With a swift motion, she threw back the covers and hurried over to the stove. She filled its darkened belly with wood and kindling, thankful for the tiny bit of warmth she felt emanating from the coals in the bottom. By the time she’d struck her fourth match, her teeth were chattering so hard her face hurt. But, at last, the fire took hold. She waited just long enough to make sure it was going to keep burning, then hustled back to her bed and leapt beneath the quilts. Impatient though she was, it wasn’t long before the fire began to take the chill from the room, and she was able to relax and survey her surroundings. She’d been too tired last night to care what the small cabin looked like. As long as it had a bed, she was satisfied. In the pale light of morning, she was pleasantly surprised by her new lodgings. The cabin had only a single room, but it was a comfortable size. In addition to the stove and the bed, there was room for a table and chairs, as well as a sideboard for dishes and a cupboard for storing food supplies. There were curtains over the lone window, no doubt hung there by Dru, and a rag rug covering the board floor. It had been Gavin’s home before he married Dru. Her pulse quickened. It had been Gavin’s bed before he married Dru. A strange heat spread through her loins. An aching heat. She snuggled down beneath the covers and closed her eyes. She forced herself to take several slow, deep breaths as she silently lectured herself. She couldn’t allow herself to think such things. Besides, she was mistaken about her feelings for Gavin Blake. He was an attractive man—there was no denying that—but her feelings for him were no different than what she felt for Dru and her daughters. They were a nice family who’d had their share of heartache and hard times. She liked them all and wanted to do her job well for them. That was all there was to it. All there would ever be. And once spring came, and Gavin was ready to take his family and his cattle back into the basin, Rachel would return to Boise. She would most likely marry one of Boise’s up-and-coming men of business. They would have a fine home on Main Street or Grove and she would entertain the good women of the city and she would raise a family and she would be happy. That had no doubt been her destiny all along. Look what had come of her silliness, thinking that something special, something unique was in store for her. Look what had come of her leaving home, of her trying to make something extraordinary happen. What had ever made her think that she deserved more than the next person?
“Silliness and bother,” she said aloud, her voice echoing in the silence of the cabin.
“That’s all this is. I’m homesick.
Nothing more.” With a sweep of her hand, she tossed her tousled blond locks behind her shoulder and once more lowered her feet over the side of the bed. She hadn’t time for lollygagging in bed. Dru shouldn’t have to worry about preparing the family’s breakfast. Rachel had been hired to do a job, and it was time she got to it. She dressed with haste. She intentionally didn’t fuss with her hair in front of the mirror, being satisfied to simply tie it back from her face with a ribbon. She slipped into her coat, then opened the door to the chilled mountain air. Ribbons of smoke curled skyward from the chimneys of both the main house and the bunkhouse, and there was the delicious odor of frying bacon lingering in the air. Tardy again. Feeling chagrined, she hurried toward the ranch house. She knocked on the front door and waited for the command to enter. It was Gavin’s voice that called to her. As she came through the door, he looked up from his place by the stove. Pork sizzled and spat from a frying pan as he flipped it with a fork.
“No need to knock, Miss Harris.” He waved the fork in the air.
“Grab a plate off the shelf there ‘fore this turns to charcoal.” Rachel shrugged out of her coat and tossed it over a nearby chair before crossing the room. She grabbed a blue-and-white platter from the shelf and held it out to him. As he scooped the bacon out of the frying pan, he said, “Dru tells me you’ve changed your mind again. You’re going to stay.”
“Yes, “I… I gave my word.”
“We wouldn’t want to put you out any.” Rachel met his hard gaze. She’d spent her waking moments convincing herself that she felt nothing more for Gavin Blake than she did for the rest of the Blake family. But with one look into his steel-gray eyes, she knew it was all a lie. She felt much more. She tried to remember how hard she had worked to make him think the worst of her, but she was unable to stop her honest reply.