A Cowboy for Christmas (17 page)

“We’ll be careful,” she assured him, and then she gave him another hug before turning to Dwylah to give her one, too. “I know Papa is worried about me getting in trouble, but I want to know if you’re going to keep an eye on him while we’re gone. He might prove to be more trouble for you than I was on the trip.”

“I’ll try, but I don’t think it will be easy,” Dwylah
said, smiling brightly at her and Jack. “He is, after all, your father.”

“Don’t you worry about me, Penny,” Jack laughed. “I’ll be right here waiting for you when you get back.”

“I’m counting on that, Papa. We’ll hurry. Christmas is less than two weeks away. I want to spend it with you.” She kissed his cheek.

At the stables, Dan brought out a deep black horse.

“You’ll be riding Ol’ Midnight,” Dan said as he untied the reins and handed them to Penny. He stepped back to watch her mount and was impressed when she swung easily up into the saddle. He found it hard to believe this was the same girl he’d tracked down in the city at the dance. “You all right?”

Penny nodded as she got comfortable

Dan mounted his own horse and took up his reins. Looking to Jack, he told him, “We’ll be back as soon as possible.”

“I’m counting on it,” Jack said.

Dan glanced over to see how Penny was handling the horse. He knew right away she hadn’t forgotten how to ride, and that was real good news, considering the long miles they had ahead of them. “Are you comfortable on Ol’ Midnight?”

“He’s fine.”

“Good.”

“How far is it to the canyon?”

“We should make it by tomorrow afternoon. There’s a line shack about halfway up, so we’ll spend the night there tonight.”

“That’s going to be a lot better than camping out,” she said, trying to imagine sleeping around a campfire in the cold.

“We’ve been lucky so far with the weather, but that could change real fast. If a blue norther comes through, we’ll be needing a whole lot more blankets than what we brought along.”

“I remember how bad they can be,” she agreed. “One time I think the temperature dropped more than fifty degrees in less than an hour and then it started snowing, too.”

“Blue northers are rough, that’s for sure. Let’s just hope the weather stays decent long enough so we can find everything your father sent us after.”

“I get the feeling this isn’t going to be easy.”

“Your pa never does anything the easy way, but that’s why the Lazy Ace is so successful. In the years I’ve worked for him, I’ve never seen him back down from any challenge.”

“You’re right. I don’t think he’s ever been afraid of anything.”

“There was one thing—” Dan started

She glanced over at him, surprised and curious. “Really? What was it?”

“He was afraid you wouldn’t come back to the ranch. That’s why he sent me to get you rather than just writing another letter or sending a wire. He knew I wouldn’t come back without you.”

“So you’re never afraid of a challenge, either?” she asked, casting him a quick sidelong smile.

He shook his head and smiled wryly. “Not anymore. I’ve learned that challenges just mean you have to work harder, that’s all.”

Even as he said it, though, Dan knew he was facing one of his biggest challenges ever, being out alone with her this way for almost a week. He told himself he was riding with her to help her and to protect her, and he knew he would, but she was proving to be a temptation he was finding harder and harder to resist. He’d overcome serious challenges in the past, and he was confident he could do it again.

“My father got himself a good foreman when he hired you.”

“I like to think so. I do my best for him. He’s a fine man.”

All the lies and negative things her mother had said about her father over the years had haunted her during their time apart, and Penny knew she was going to have to put all of that behind her and try to be the loving daughter she once was. Eager to prove herself ready to take up where she had left off, she urged her horse to an even faster pace.

Dan was surprised by her action and spurred his horse on, catching up with her quickly. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Up to the canyon,” she said with confidence. “We’re going to find that money and get back to the ranch. I want to spend all the time with my father as I can.”

“I understand what you mean.” And he did. It seemed to Dan everything he’d believed about her in the beginning was being proven wrong. She wasn’t the spoiled little girl he’d expected her to be when he’d first seen her at the ball. It would have been real easy for her to have stayed in St. Louis and sent him on back to the ranch alone, but when she’d learned about the deception that had kept her away from her father all this time, she’d proven that she still loved him and wanted to put things right between them. Dan admired her for that. The irritation he’d felt with her early on for going back East and leaving
the father who loved her was over. She realized what she’d lost and she wanted it back.

He knew she was one lucky girl.

Not everyone had the chance to reclaim what they’d lost.

It was getting close to dinnertime when Jack came to join Dwylah in the parlor.

“I wonder how Penny’s holding up, riding astride the way she is,” Dwylah said. “That can’t be easy for her after all these years of living in the city.”

“The first day or two will be hard for her, but she’ll get used to it. She’s my girl,” he said.

“Yes, she is. I’m amazed at how quickly she seemed to adapt to everything here again. Back in St. Louis she would never have been caught wearing pants and riding astride.” She was glad he was proud of his daughter.

“Did you know Elizabeth very well?” Jack asked.

“I did socialize with your wife, but I’m actually closer friends with her sister, Matilda. That’s why I volunteered to come along with Penny. They were desperate, and Matilda knew she could trust me.”

“That was very kind of you to make the trip, and you did a find job, by the way. Penny showed up safe and sound.”

“Danny had a lot to do with that, too. He’s a good man, your Danny.”

“I wish he were ‘my Danny.’ I’d be proud to claim him as my son. He’s been a big help here on the Lazy Ace. But what about you—do you do this sort of thing very often? It can’t be an easy job being the chaperone and traveling across the country this way.”

“Actually, I’ve never done anything like this before. I was excited by the thought of coming to Texas. I’ve always heard about what it was like to live on a ranch, but I wanted to see if for real. It seems like it’s quite an adventure.”

“You haven’t been here very long yet, but what do you think of the Lazy Ace so far?”

“I love it. You’ve done a wonderful job here. You must be proud of the way things have turned out.”

“I am, and I hope Penny feels the same way. I want her to take over the ranch and run it, once I’m gone.”

Dwylah had had a feeling that might be his plan. “Do you think that’s a wise decision?”

Jack was surprised by her reaction. “Of course.”

“I know Penny’s an intelligent young woman, but for her to take over running a big ranch like this one . . . Well, I don’t know if she’s ready for that much responsibility. She’s never done anything like this before.”

“If things go the way I hope they will, everything will turn out just fine.”

Dwylah thought he sounded very confident and when she saw the look in his eyes, she couldn’t
help wondering at it. “What do you mean? Is there something you aren’t telling us?”

“No,” he answered honestly. “But I think it’s real good that Penny and Dan are making this ride up to the canyon together. That’s all.”

She suddenly realized what his motive had been for sending them up to the canyon the way he had, and she nodded in understanding. The way she felt about Danny, she found herself smiling at his plan. “It’s no wonder you’re so successful, Jack. You do know how to make things happen.”

“I try.” He grinned at her.

“Danny is a fine man. Penny could do far worse.”

“I take it they got along on the trip here?”

“Yes, they did. I’ve been impressed with him ever since he came for her at the Chase ball. If Danny wants something, nothing stops him from doing what he has to do to get it. He’s one very intelligent, resourceful young man.”

“That’s right. Dan has proven himself to be smart and loyal, and I’ve found those to be the two finest qualities in a man—especially in a man I’d like to see as my son-in-law.”

“You’re a conniver, Jack Anderson!” Dwylah was giggling.

“Yes, I am,” he answered, not even bothering to try to argue with her.

“Well, I hope your plan works out,” she said. She smiled to herself then, thinking how wonderful
it would be if they did fall in love and get married. Of course, she wanted to be the one who got Danny to the justice of the peace, but if she couldn’t have him, she wanted Penny to be the one.

“Do you play chess?” Jack asked, finding her company quite entertaining.

“I’ve managed to win a game or two in my time,” she answered, not revealing how good she really was.

“Let’s play a game. I have the board in my office.”

“I’d love to.”

She followed him from the parlor and took one last look out the window at the endless miles of the ranch land, and wondered just where Penny and Danny were right then.

It was getting close to dark when Dan and Penny finally reined in at the line shack.

“We’re halfway to the canyon,” he announced as he dismounted and tied up his horse to the hitching rail.

Penny managed to keep herself from moaning as she got down off Ol’ Midnight. The horse had been a good choice for her. He had kept up with Dan and his pace had been steady, but even so, she was definitely realizing her muscles weren’t quite used to the ranching life yet.

Dan glanced her way and saw the slightly pained look on her face, and he couldn’t help
grinning. “Little bit of a hard ride for you today?”

“I thought the buckboard was rough, but that was nothing compared to hours in the saddle. I’ve got to toughen up if I’m going to last out here.”

“You will. I have confidence in you.”

“I know, I know—I’m my father’s daughter,” she came back at him, managing a pained laugh.

Penny went into the shack and took a look around. Starkly furnished, it was equipped with just the basics that the ranch hands would need when they were out working stock. There were two sets of bunk beds, a small table with four chairs crammed in between the beds leaving just enough room to walk around, and a small stove for cooking and heating.

Dan followed her in carrying some wood for the stove. “Let me get a fire started and then I’ll take care of the horses.”

“Do you need any help with them?”

“No, but you can make the beds when I bring our gear.”

“I think I can handle that job.”

“Good. Maybe the boss will hire you on,” he joked. “We can always use another good hand on the ranch.”

“I’ll have to have a talk with him when we get back.”

“You do that,” he agreed as he put the wood in the stove and started the fire. Once he was sure
it was safely lit, he went outside and brought in his rifle, their bedrolls and saddlebags, and her extra bag. He put all their gear on the table.

Penny was ready to make his bed first. Dan was just starting back outside to take care of the horses when she called out to him, “Dan, do you like being on top or the bottom?”

Dan was concentrating on trying to get everything done before dark, and her question took him by surprise. He stopped and looked back at her, his gaze raking over her as she stood there in all her innocence holding his bedroll. He knew she had no idea of the images her question had aroused in him, and he also knew he had to put those thoughts right out of his mind.

“On top,” he answered, and he hurried on to take care of the horses. Being back out in the cold would help right then.

Penny made their bunks and then took out enough food for their meal. When she saw the food they had for their dinner, she was glad she’d eaten lunch earlier that day. Ranch hands were hardworking men, and now she understood why they were always glad to get back to the main house and eat the hot meals the cook was serving up. She was going to feel the same way when they got back from the canyon. She lit the lamp that was on the table and waited for Dan to return.

Dan tended to the horses and came back up to the shack with a bucket of water for washing up and for making coffee.

“It’s getting colder out there. The wind is picking up,” he said as he shut the door tightly behind him. He stopped to take off his coat. The welcoming warmth of the room and the sight of her standing there in the soft glow of the lamp light left him with a feeling like he had come home, and the reaction surprised him. He’d been on his own for so long that he hadn’t thought much about having a home and a family—until now.

Penny found herself mesmerized as she watched him shrug out of his coat. The broad width of his shoulders left no doubt about how strong he was, and there was an aura of masculinity about him that left her acutely conscious of his nearness there in the close confines of the line shack.

“How far do we have to ride tomorrow?” Penny asked as they sat down to eat their dinner.

Dan took the map out of his shirt pocket and spread it on the table for her to see. The drawing Jack had made was simple enough, but Dan knew someone not familiar with the canyon wouldn’t have any idea where to start looking.

Penny studied it for a long moment and then looked up at Dan across the table. “I’m glad you’re riding with me. I recognize a few things Papa’s drawn there, but I wouldn’t have any chance at all of finding the money on my own.”

“I’m sure he planned it that way. We should be able to make it to the first site sometime tomorrow afternoon. Then it will be about another half day’s ride to the second place.”

“It feels like we’re hunting for a buried treasure.”

Dan looked up at her. “We are. Knowing Jack, I’m sure this is no small amount of money, and you’re going to need all of it to keep the Lazy Ace going.” He noticed how her expression got more serious at his words. “What’s troubling you?”