Cowboys and Highlanders (39 page)

“Perhaps now would be a good time for us to discuss my responsibilities.”

TJ growled low and his hands tightened on the reins. What before lacked any expression, now clearly looked annoyed. “I haven’t had much time to think about it.”

“If you didn’t want to hire me, you could have said no.”

“Sandy never asks for anything. Wasn’t about to say no the first time I could pay her back some for what she does for me.”

“I thought you paid when services were rendered,” she mumbled.

When TJ didn’t respond, she wondered if he heard her. He didn’t seem like a man of patience. If she wanted to stay at the Bester Ranch, she suspected she was going to have to abide by certain rules. Train intimated as much on her first attempt at employment.

TJ pulled the canteen from under his seat and took a large swallow before handing it to her.

Allison took the canteen. She trembled from the touch of his hand when it brushed against hers. Apprehensive and at the same time desperate, she wanted to work for him. Just work, she reminded herself. She didn’t need him to see her eagerness to please, giving him the wrong idea. She did not intend to fill Sandy’s position. She closed her eyes. She didn’t even want to think about those positions. It caused an unwelcomed warming heat between her legs. 

Regardless of how the opportunity arose, she was determined to make the most of her new job. Without much experience in the kitchen, she knew that would be her biggest challenge. The children and the cleaning would be a snap. When she was through with the floors, they would shine. The windows would sparkle. When he came home for the day from whatever it was he did at the ranch, the children would be clean and fed.

Truthfully, she didn’t have much exposure to country life. Living in Copper City was rural compared to life in Boston.

“You’ll have the room you slept in when you were at the house before,” he said. “I’m concerned about Sissy. She likes to take care of me, and I’m not sure how receptive she’ll be to another woman moving into the house. She’s not over the loss of her mother, and I don’t want her hurting.”

“I promise I’ll be careful with her feelings. Until she lets me know differently, I won’t attempt to take over any of her duties.”

“Including Michael. We call him Tiger. She’s taken over the mothering. Don’t push her to give that up.” He growled again and ran his hand through his hair. “I wish I could’ve prepared her for this.”

She clenched her hands in her lap. “A few weeks ago, my employment wasn’t an option. Are you changing your mind just for Sandy?”

“Yep. I wouldn’t have brought you out to the ranch. It’s going to be disruptive. Too disruptive,” he mumbled. “So yes, Sandy is the only reason you’ve got the job. Whether or not you keep it, is up to you. As long as you know and follow my rules, we’ll get along fine.”

She knew it. There were bound to be lots of rules. Nothing new there. Her mother reigned as queen of rules. It seemed TJ intended to be king. She’d learn to be a loyal subject, unless she wanted a life in a brothel.

TJ watched her face. She was an oddity. He didn’t have to ask what she was thinking. It clearly expressed in the tilt of her eyebrows and the curve of her mouth. He had no business thinking about her mouth. Lips like velvet, soft in appearance.

TJ had never seen a woman like Allison before. When she had shown up on his doorstep, he’d wondered if he’d ever see her again. He hadn’t liked the look of her then and he liked it even less now.

Life was comfortable with his visits to Sandy and the memory of his wife keeping him warm at night. His wife had been the only woman who’d ever stirred him. He neither pined for nor wanted another woman crashing into his life. But like a head-on collision between two trains, he could feel the tension tightening between him and his new hire.

TJ was a good judge of people, just one of the reasons contributing to his success. He recognized a trustworthy individual. Ms. Lake, he decided, was just the kind of woman he could find himself in trouble with. The last thing he wanted was an entanglement.

“Do you need a rest?” TJ asked. The sun blazed directly above them. Good weather promised around the corner. Afternoons finally felt the warmth of the sun. Trees budded and spring green bloomed where snow melted. In the mountain passes, the wind still whipped and the snow still sparkled, but there was definite evidence that the time for change had come.

Allison nodded and TJ pulled the rig into a clearing. She excused herself into the nearby trees. When she returned, TJ had built a fire and heated water for coffee.

“Have you always lived in Montana?”

He liked the way she tucked her legs underneath her skirt when she sat near him on the ground. “I’ve lived my whole life in this valley.” He returned her smile. “It’s my home.”

They talked about life in Montana while they sipped coffee and ate. “We’ll be home for supper. Cake does all the cooking for the help.”

“Cake? Does anyone have a traditional name at your ranch?”

“Ranch life is lonely. Most of the men don’t have families and of the ones that do, some live on the property and others go home on Sunday. We’re a family and naturally everyone earns a nickname. Wouldn’t surprise me if they give you one on the first day.”

Allison raised her eyebrows, and her mouth slowly spread into a smile. “And what name do you think they’ll give me?”

TJ’s neck grew hot. He could feel the red racing into his cheeks. He liked the twinkle in her eye. He needed to stop acknowledging the parts he liked, and refocus on the fact that he didn’t want her at the ranch. He ought to stop trying to convince himself. If he didn’t want her at the ranch, she wouldn’t be going, favor to Sandy be damned.

Allison laughed. “I don’t care if the world knows I worked in a brothel. I wasn’t a whore. So, I don’t have anything to be ashamed of.”

“No one will comment about your previous employment.” TJ’s stern voice brooked no argument. “Sandy told me as much as I need to know of your history. Boston, young, alone, and as far as she is concerned, you’re too good for a whorehouse. She doesn’t warm up to strangers the way she did to you. I admit I’m intrigued to discover the fascination.” With that TJ stood. He took the canteen, dumped the water, extinguishing the fire. “Time to go.”

Allison gathered her skirts. TJ held his hand out, helping her onto the buckboard. The calloused touch of his fingers against the tender flesh of her arm caused her to stumble with her footing.

“Careful.” The subtleness of his voice, close to her ear, made her shiver with awareness.

“Thank you,” she said, taking her seat. TJ vaulted to the buckboard and sat beside her.

They continued to the ranch. Like a watercolor painting, the dusky sky was streaked with hues of copper and pink. The ranch house appeared majestic on the canvas of colors. On the other hand, TJ’s posture stiffened and eyes darkened like the approach of a winter storm.

“I’ll explain your presence to Sissy tomorrow. Tonight let her believe you’re visiting.”

“Do you really think she’ll be upset?” Allison asked. Sissy was just a child. Adults made decisions and children obeyed. At least, when she was growing up her mother dictated the movements of the home.

“I honestly don’t know what she’ll say. I figure she’ll be easier to talk to if I take her for a horseback ride in the morning. Get Tiger his breakfast, and we’ll meet up with you midday.”

Allison followed TJ into the house. Lamps blazed. A man Allison hadn’t met before sat in the living room with the children. When Sissy saw her father, she squealed and ran into his arms. She had a smile for Allison and a nod of acknowledgement.

“I remember you,” Sissy said.

“I remember you, too. It’s nice to see you again.”

TJ went to his son. He picked him up and gave him a hug. “Ms. Lake decided to come for a visit.”

The man who’d been watching the children looked amused as he excused himself. “See you in the morning, Boss.”

“Thanks, Charlie.”

TJ and Allison took the children into the kitchen. Supper warmed on the stove and the house smelled of beef stew. Allison could imagine evenings like this every night. TJ coming home from work, only she would have prepared the meal, and the house would be neat and tidy instead of dusty and in need of cleaning.

“Are you hungry,” he asked coming up behind her.

If she expected to remain unflustered in TJ’s company, she had to get over the butterflies flitting about in her stomach. Otherwise, she was going to find it difficult to carry a conversation. “Yes,” she said, managing not to squeak. “Starving, actually.”

Chapter Five

The sound of a rooster roused Allison from a fitful slumber. Granted, she hadn’t had long to adjust to the brothel, nonetheless, it had become home. Sleeping in a strange bed without the bustle of town nightlife outside her window made her strangely uncomfortable—isolated.

The Bester Ranch had been her dream, but nothing thus far had gone as she imagined. She wasn’t exactly sure what the day would bring, but she was determined to be ready.

Rugs lined the wood floor. Her feet crushed the soft texture as she made her way to the dresser. Her body shook uncontrollably in the chilled room.

Fumbling for the matches, she finally lit the lamp. She quickly dressed in a plain brown dress that served well for cleaning. She stood at the window and watched the sun peak over the mountains on the horizon as she pulled her hair into a bun. She turned at a soft knocking on the door.

“Come in.” She stood straight and smoothed the folds of her skirt knowing it would be TJ. Breathing in, she prepared to face the man who’d invaded her dreams most of the night.

“Good morning.” The scent of wood and flannel followed him into the room. It mingled with the smell of rose lotion she wore. “How did you sleep?”

“It always takes a few days to adjust to new surroundings. I’m sure it’ll improve.”

TJ slid his hands into the front pockets of his work jeans. “We’ve got a problem with one of the irrigation canals. I’ll be in the fields most of the day.” Why did he suddenly feel the need to explain his whereabouts?

She looked at him with a smile on her lips, almost as if she knew the images in his mind. But of course, that wasn’t the case because if she could, he was sure to feel the sting of her hand across his face. The dress she wore clung to her small frame and gave a graceful swell to her hips. He wondered how he could have ever thought she was a well-fed girl. Her feminine figure was not as he remembered.

“I hope it isn’t serious.”

“The children will be up soon. I’m going to talk with Sissy, but I don’t have time this morning. Can you keep the conversation simple?”

She nodded.

“Don’t give anything away about your permanent position here. I’ll explain it. Just make yourself comfortable, and we’ll talk about how we proceed when I get home tonight.”

“Can I get you coffee before you go?”

TJ shook his head. “No, I drink coffee with the men.”

Allison followed TJ out of the room and watched as he headed down the stairs. His boots landed hard on each step.

“I’ll keep Train close to the house,” he said over his shoulder. “If you need wood or anything, he’ll be happy to help.”

Allison stood at the top of the stairs. TJ’s footfalls trailed through the kitchen and disappeared. The back door shut and he was gone.

“Where’s Papa going?” Sissy asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

“He went to work. How about some breakfast?” And with that Allison began her first day of work.

She started in the kitchen. Sissy sat on the counter and chattered. Michael didn’t seem to mind sitting in the wooden highchair. She polished the glass windows until the sun reflected a clear luster. Curtains, once mustard yellow, were washed, pressed, and now the color of summer sunflowers.

“It’s going to take a bit longer than I had originally thought,” she said to Sissy. “But I think we’ll eventually get this place as shiny as a new penny.”

When she first put water on the floor, it turned the dust to mud. She scrubbed with a bristle bush and hot water until skin started to peel from her knuckles.

“When my papa gets cuts on his hands he has me wrap them in clean linen.” Sissy took Allison by the skirt and led her to the pantry. “Do they hurt?” Sissy instructed Allison to sit in a chair while she took strips of linen and carefully wrapped each of Allison’s fingers.

“Not since the bleeding stopped.” She smiled at the top of the child’s head. Sissy’s fingers gently tied knots in the bandages.

“Hi.” Train stood in the doorway of the pantry holding his hat in his hands. “How’s it going? Oh shit!” His smile dissolved into a frown when he looked at the little girl. “Sis, what happened?” He threw his hat to the counter and hurried to Allison’s side were he knelt and examined the fingers Sissy hadn’t yet bandaged. “I mean—” He nervously glanced from Allison to Sissy. “Sorry for the cussin’, ma’am. Do you need a doctor?”

“Of course not.” She stood and gave Sissy a gentle pat on her cheek to say thank you. “Now get out of this clean kitchen with those dirty boots. I’m damaged enough for one day without having to redo what’s already done.” She scooted Train toward the door. “And I’d appreciate your discretion about my injuries. I don’t need TJ getting mad because of a few blisters and a scratch.”

“Whatever you say.” He tipped his hat and bowed. Allison thought of Marion when Train smiled. Marion could tell the difference between a smile of friendship, and one that asked a question of a woman. Allison not only wanted to recognize the difference, but when she looked at TJ, she wanted to be able to deliver the one that said friendship. She worried the one she wore revealed the secret yearnings driving her to distraction. She couldn’t help wondering how many women had fallen into TJ’s bed.

Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to Train. “Thank you for stopping by. Did you need something?”

He gave her a crooked smile. “Nope, just checking in. If you need me, give a holler. I’ll be close enough to hear.” He winked, turned, and left.

Allison fixed Sissy and Michael lunch before tackling her next project. The house had been neglected for the year and a half TJ’s wife had been deceased, but it was clear the children hadn’t been. TJ made sure they wore clean clothing. Some of Sissy dresses had been satisfactorily mended even if the stitches weren’t straight.

“How come you’re doing chores?” Sissy sat on her bed and combed the hair of her doll. “Company isn’t supposed to clean.”

“I know guests usually don’t clean the house. I thought I might stay a while. Is that all right with you?”

Sissy shrugged.

“What’s your doll’s name?” Allison wiped the top of the dresser. “I had a doll named Cocoa when I was about your age. My mother was very strict about sweets. I loved sugar, especially chocolate. Probably because I wasn’t allowed to have any except on special occasions. At the time, I thought my mother was mean. Now I’m grateful. I still have all my teeth. See.” Allison smiled wide.

“I don’t got a mother.”

Allison stopped cleaning and sat on the bed. “I know.” She reached out and touched Sissy’s hair, letting a silky tendril curl around her finger.

“I thought Papa was bringing you home to be my mama,” Sissy said in a soft whisper. “When you were here before I told him I thought you were real nice. He said you were pretty, too.”

Allison was alarmed…then thrilled at hearing those words. “Did your father say anything else?”

Sissy smiled and nodded her head.

“I heard Papa talkin’ to Train about the wiles of women. It must hurt because Papa said he tried to avoid it.”

“He thought that about me? I’ve never used feminine wiles.” She contemplated her behavior with TJ. “Well, maybe I came close with Train when I was looking for a ride to the ranch in two feet of snow.” She looked down at Sissy who sat curiously watching her.

Sissy continued, “Train said he ain’t never seen a woman as pretty as you and that you could give him wiles if you had the mind to.”

Allison sucked in her breath.

“Papa told him he didn’t know what he was asking for. That’s how I figured it must hurt to get the wiles. I’m never going to be a woman. There’s my brother.” She jumped from the bed and hurried from the room to get Michael up from his nap.

* * * * *

Well past supper, the sun blazed low in the West. Allison and the children were outside when TJ finally walked up to the house. Sissy jumped rope and Michael played with his wooden toys in the dirt of a neglected flowerbed. There was crispness to the air, but one that refreshed rather than chilled.

Allison sat on the bottom step of the porch as TJ approached. “Hungry?” she asked.

TJ shook his head.

“The children have already eaten. There’s chicken on the stove. I kept it warm.”

“You didn’t need to do that,” he said without looking at her.

“I thought the children could play for a while before their bath.”

He stood close to her keeping his eyes on Sissy as she did cartwheels across the yard. “I don’t expect you to work from sunup until sundown for me, either. I’ll get Sissy and Tiger ready for bed.” He walked past her, up the steps, and called for the children to come into the house.

Suddenly Allison was alone. Her day had been busy. Trying to manage the children and the housework proved more difficult than she’d expected. Now with the quiet evening, she could relax. She hadn’t realized just how exhausted she was. The fatigued muscles in her legs burned when she climbed the stairs and retired to her room. It wasn’t yet dark when she went to bed, preparing for another night of restless dreams about a certain rancher with wide shoulders that flexed beneath worn-thin homespun. With such an inept servant to run his home, it was no wonder he was churlish. At least asleep, she was safe to dream of him as the tempting man from the brothel, the one that took a whore—like he believed her to be—to bed.

* * * * *

In the morning, Allison woke first. The sun still slept as well as the roosters, the crickets, and the family. It was perfect. Carrying the lantern from her room, she made her way down the stairs, careful not to cause them to creak. Once in the kitchen, she breathed a little easier. She glanced at the clock. She hadn’t been up at three-thirty in the morning on many occasions. After tossing a few logs into the stove, she set the coffeepot on to heat.

While the coffee simmered, Allison threw together a quick batch of yeast dough and made rolls. It surprised her that she remembered the simple things she’d seen done a thousand times in her own home as a child. Hopefully, she wasn’t forgetting any of the steps for sweet bread. She almost wept remembering the delicious aroma. During the cold months, she loved hot bread and apple cider.

“Couldn’t you sleep?”

“Aye!” Allison let out a little scream. She hadn’t heard TJ approach. “I’m sorry.” She clutched the fabric at her neck. Her heart pounded. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said. “I didn’t expect you to be up. I saw the light and wondered if something was wrong. Is it your hands?”

“No, and I told Train not to tell you. Just a couple of scratches.” Allison stuffed her hands into the pockets of her apron. “I made coffee. Would you like a cup?”

TJ nodded and then sat at the table.

The lantern offered a modest amount of light to the room. Dancing shadows played tricks with TJ’s mind, shifting the angles of Allison’s face. The belt of her apron silhouetted a trim waist, and the thin fabric of her dress molded to her shoulders. He didn’t like his body’s response. His cock thickened and his heart skipped into a quicker tempo.

“Sissy told me she bandaged you up. I talked with her last night.” TJ ran his hands through his hair. “She’s confused. She told me mamas clean the house. She’s a bit smitten with you. It hasn’t been easy on her since Janelle died. I guess I should be grateful Michael is too young to remember.”

Allison set two cups of coffee on the table and then sat across from him. “For what it’s worth, they seem well-adjusted.” Allison pushed a stray tendril of hair from her face.

TJ wondered how the silky tresses would feel running through his fingers. When she looked back at him, a flash of heat burned in his gut. He shouldn’t stare, but was powerless to turn away. A moment passed. Young and beautiful, like Janelle had been when he married her. With that, the spell weaving around them broke. Reality crashed into his thoughts.

“I think I’ll try and go back to bed,” he said, pushing the chair from the table. As he was about to leave the kitchen, he turned. “Goodnight.”

“I’m up for the day. I’m making sweet bread.”

“Then I think I’ll eat breakfast with the kids.”

Allison smiled. “Then I’ll see you in a couple hours.”

TJ nodded and left the room.

Allison spent the next hour getting ready for the day. She braided her hair and changed into a yellow dress embroidered with small cranberry colored flowers. She’d purchased the dress while working at the brothel. Perhaps it was a bit much for house cleaning, but for reasons she wasn’t ready to admit, she wanted to look nice.

TJ returned to the kitchen before the children woke. He sat at the table. Allison, not yet familiar where Janelle kept supplies, attempted to locate certain items she needed. But with TJ watching her, her palms grew damp. Anxiety had her blood pumping and her nerves on edge. Taking steady breaths, she maintained outward composure. At least, she hoped TJ wasn’t aware of her responses to him.

“Where’s your family?” he asked.

The only sounds in the kitchen were her nervously dropping dishes.

“Boston.” She stood on a small step stool to look in the cupboards just out of her reach. “My father made his fortune, then quit working. I don’t think working ever crossed my mother’s mind. She would absolutely forbid my being here. I have two brothers.” She sighed and her shoulders relaxed. “I wonder if my mother has married them off. Probably,” she said more to herself.