Chief Cook and Bottle Washer (10 page)

But Deke's mind wasn't on Too Bit, or the
ranch this morning, although he did care about them both. No, today
his mind was on a certain young woman who remained a mystery. Emma
looked an acted as though she could handle just about anything
anyone might throw her way, except–that baby flustered her.
Motherhood didn't seem to come natural to her. He wondered if that
were commonplace? Did all young mothers get flustered by their own
children that easily? He'd seen a case or two of it in his stock
through the years, but never in humans. He might never be sure of
that one, because he knew very little about the subject and aimed
to keep it that way.

Maybe it was because Emma didn't have a
steady man behind her to reassure her. Yeah, that might explain a
lot of things.

And why would a little gal like Emma wear
such clothes? Not that there was a darn thing wrong with jeans and
T-shirts, but her jeans fit kinda baggy like, as though she weren't
accustomed to showing off her figure. Who had raised her to be so
unaware of her own natural beauty?

She was a fine looking woman. "Damn good
looking." He blurted. Couldn't be past twenty-three or four. She
was little but sturdy, and healthy looking. She had beautiful white
teeth and olive skin, fine bones, great hair–and God he'd better
quit thinking along those lines. That's what got him into trouble
the last time. Not keeping his mind on his business. Women and
lying just seemed to go together, even with Emma. He knew to stay
clear of women. Couldn't trust them. How had he let himself fall
for that little gal in Sweetwater was beyond him now. Well he
wouldn't be a fool again.

Besides, Emma wasn't for him, she was going
to be his sister-in-law and he'd better get used to the idea now.
Those were the things that Clint should be appreciating. Clint
talked more than usual last night. Could be Emma brought out the
best in him. Just like Abby had at one time, but then Clint hadn't
been interested in his neighbor as a girlfriend, no they were just
good friends. At least they used to be.

Maybe it was the way she dressed that drove
her husband off? And maybe he shouldn't be worrying about her
husband or the way she dressed. It might be understandable though,
but still, Emma seemed to have a lot going for her other than just
good looks. Trouble was, a lot of men didn't look that deep.

Had the snake even had the decency to marry
her? Deke doubted they had married since Emma was so dead set
against talking about him, and there was no ring on her finger
either. Not even a white ring around the finger, like she had been
wearing one and just took it off. Bile burned in Deke's throat as
he thought about the rattlesnake that had gotten Emma pregnant and
left her. What kind of man was he?

Her clothes weren't his business he told
himself, but how would she ever get Clint to look at her as a
prospect if she didn't wear something a little more feminine?
Evidently that family of hers hadn't given her much appreciation,
she blushed every time he threw her a compliment. Yeah, Emma must
have had it pretty rough.

What could he say to her? He'd embarrass her
and run her clean off the property if he even mentioned her
clothes. No, he supposed Emma was the kind of gal that needed a
reason to fancy herself up. He'd think on that a while.

Most men had to be baited, he reckoned. Clint
was too blind to see past his nose. If he couldn't see how taken
their neighbor was with him, he had to be blind. He needed bait,
and Emma wasn't furnishing much, even though he had seen past the
clothes real fast. Of course he was older.

Clint liked her, Deke acknowledged as he
closed the stall gate. Clint had spent time with her last night,
joking, cutting up and trying to impress. Emma had responded with
short sweet smiles at him too.

Emma was obviously a practical woman. Damn,
that could be a problem. Not to mention the baby. Or the fact that
his brother was about as marriage shy as they come. He'd never
envisioned such details just to marry a brother off. There was more
to matchmaking than finding the right woman, and he didn't have the
time to fool with it. Well, he'd just let nature take its course
and see how things went first. Then if there was no progress he'd
have to help it along. Somehow!

A week had passed and nothing was happening
between Emma and Clint. Oh they were polite as they could be,
talkative, helpful, but nothing was going on between Clint and
Emma. It was as if an "Off limits" sign was hung around her
neck.

It looked seriously as though Deke might have
to lend a hand with nature. Clint just didn't know a good thing
when he saw it.

Jake had been riding fence most of the week
so Deke didn't have to worry about him. But Deke had purposely let
Clint slack off a little giving him time and opportunity to get to
know Emma better.

Clint hadn't taken the hint. Oh they'd had
general conversations at dinner time. He'd helped her off and on
with Sammie Jo. Yet Clint treated her as though she was the last
person on his mind. Why? It made no sense to him. He'd gotten
dumped good and proper only months ago, so now he was having
nothing to do with women?

Deke shook his head as he shod one of the
horses in the barn. "Looks like I'm going to have to do something
to wake those brothers of mine up."

It was Saturday and very early. A light
morning mist had made the barn humid. What Deke and every other
rancher in the area needed was a good hard rain. Deke shucked his
thoughts and dug into his work with a vengeance when Rusty clamored
into the barn nosily.

"Deke, I thought you'd be on your way to
Sweetwater by now."

"What for?" Deke questioned not even glancing
up to see his brother's expression. He instinctively knew by the
sound of his walk which brother ambled into the barn.

"To fetch a gal for the dance, tonight."

"I'd forgotten about that. I've had a few
other things on my mind lately. I doubt I'll go, and if I do I'll
probably just go stag. Besides, I've got too much work to do to run
off to Sweetwater. With Too Bit coming down sick and some of the
other ranchers having the same problems I'm not sure dancing is in
order right now."

"There'll always be problems here at the
ranch, Deke. Lord knows you know that. Why don't you let your hair
down and have some fun. I wouldn't miss the shindig. I'm takin'
Jennifer."

"Are you and Jennifer getting serious?" Deke
held his breath for the answer and looked up at his younger
brother.

"She's my girl, isn't she?"

"Is she?" Deke continued with his work.

"You don't like Jennifer much, do you, Deke?"
Rusty's voice held a note of disappointment as he waited for his
brother's answer.

"It's not that." Deke didn't want Rusty
thinking he didn't care for Jennifer, because some day they might
get married. "She's just so young, immature. I mean if I was
serious, I'd be looking for a girl with staying power. A ranch
girl. And I'd be buying her a ring or something, because Jennifer
is not the steady kind of girl."

"And what do you know about girls? You
haven't had a date since last year." Rusty seemed satisfied with
his comeback. Never disrespectful, Rusty felt comfortable arguing
with his big brother. Deke liked that. He admired honesty more than
any quality in a person. And if the Travers boys were anything,
they were honest. They could say anything to each other without
getting mad. They were a close knit family and Deke wanted to keep
it that way.

"True. But I've been around the barn a few
times kid, and don't you forget it. I'm telling you. If you want to
keep a gal you've got to hog-tie her. Put a brand on her."

"I don't see you hog-tying anyone. Besides,
I'm too young to settle down yet."

Deke ignored his young brother's reasoning.
He needed Rusty's help, and Clint's help too. How could he make
them see this without hurting them. The ranch was too big for him
alone. "How old do you think you need to be?" Deke asked as he
continued to file the shoe.

"'Bout your age, I'd say," Rusty answered
with a big smile on his face.

"My age!" Deke shouted. He'd walked into that
one. Shaking his head he asked innocently. "Don't you think that's
a little too old?"

"Nope, I think you're just about the right
age for settling down with a good woman. So why don't you?"

"Why don't I what?" Deke asked not paying too
much attention to his brother any longer. It was obvious Rusty was
just wasting time, talking nonsense and Deke had a lot of work to
do, today. He wished for once Rusty and Clint would just do what
needed to be done without him having to point it out to them every
time. He wished they took more pride in the land, because it
belonged to all of them. This was their real future, why couldn't
they see it?

"Why don't you settle down?"

"With who? Last time I looked you had to have
a partner for that kind of stuff." He let go of the horse and
rubbed the leg for a few minutes. "That ought to do you."

"What about Thelma?"

"Thelma who?"

"Thelma, the gal you went out with over in
Sweetwater last year."

"Not on your life."

Rusty laughed. "Why not?"

"Because when I took Thelma home, I found out
she had a husband. And I'm not in to dating married women or
liars."

"So you give up on all of them because of
one?"

"I think you should quit worrying about me,
and start worrying about yourself little brother. I'm over-the-hill
anyway." Deke grunted as he hoisted a saddle up on the stall
railing. "Where's Clint?"

"In the house, talkin' to Emma I think."

"Go–" Deke stopped himself from saying good.
He didn't want Rusty catching on to his plan. Rusty couldn't keep a
secret. He certainly didn't need Rusty interrupting his plan, he
was having enough trouble as it was. "Well when he comes out tell
him I'll be out on the south pasture, we're castrating today. You
boys get your gear and hustle your butts out there, pronto."

Rusty nodded. "You know Deke, I've never said
nothing before about it, but you've done a great job with this
place. Made some real improvements, kept it out of red ink. That's
saying something bro."

"This place as you call it, is our home,
little brother. And in case you're in any doubt, it belongs to all
of us. It's our ranch." Deke emphasized his point with a slight
frown.

"Yeah, I know. But just because we were born
on a ranch don't mean we're necessarily cut out to be ranchers
Deke. I mean, look at Clint. He's been doing fantastic in the rodeo
circuit this past year. And I've even considered trying my hand at
it. There's good money in it." Deke got the message loud and
clear.

Deke's head reared and he answered adamantly,
"Have you ever seen a retired rodeo champ, Rusty?"

"Well no, but–"

"But nothing. Take a good look at one of them
next time you run off to watch Clint ride. They are a bunch of
busted up cowpokes who can hardly set the saddle any more. And not
a one of them over probably thirty five. What kind of future is
that?"

"Yeah, I've heard all the stories, but Clint
sorta has his heart in it, if you've paid any attention." Rusty
hesitated to add.

Deke sighed. "I have. That's why we've got to
get his heart out of it, somehow."

"How do you plan on doin' that, bro?" Rusty
asked twisting his head.

"I'm working on it. By the way, did either of
you think to invite Emma to the dance?"

Rusty scratched his chin, and picked up a
piece of straw from the floor of the barn. His blue eyes evaded
Deke's as he put the piece of straw to his lips. "I hadn't even
thought about it. Maybe Clint will invite her."

"Yeah, maybe so," Deke said with a shrug.

All the way out to the south pasture Deke
fretted over the possibility of Clint not thinking about it. What
was wrong with those boys? Didn't they recognize quality when they
saw it? Why weren't they beating down her door to ask her out? She
knew how to cook, she knew how to clean, and she was fair at taking
care of the kid. It was obvious how much she loved Sammie Jo, and
she'd be a great mother if she ever quit worrying about other
people so much.

He was in the middle of the castrating
process, two hours later when it hit him. He hadn't taken his mind
off the problem all morning. He was edgy and biting everyone's head
off and no one knew what was wrong with him. Deke had to get this
plan into action so he could go back to ranching. There was no
other way. Until he settled things, he wasn't going to get anything
done.

Emma might not have anything to wear, and she
might refuse the offer in the first place. God, he hadn't thought
twice about the way she might feel or think.

He didn't give the possibility a chance to
fester, he walked over to the straw boss. "Take over Sandy, I'll be
back later." Then he headed back to the house.

All the way back, he tried to figure an angle
to bring the dance up with Emma. Had Clint asked her out? Had she
accepted? Maybe he'd run into Clint first and could ask him.

How did a man tackle a conversation so
personal about a woman's wardrobe. Well, since he knew nothing
about such things he'd just come out in the open with it, and hope
Emma wouldn't be insulted.

Yeah, a direct approach would be best. He
hoped.

Emma hung the living room rug on the
clothesline and beat it with a broom to get the dust out. In her
action her breast were outlined more decidedly than Deke cared to
notice. He felt himself grow warm in all the wrong places, and for
all the wrong reasons. Dammit, he had to stop reacting like a
teenage boy with the hots. This woman might someday be his
sister-in-law.

She stopped beating the rug when Deke rode
up. Sweat trickled down her forehead.