Fallen Angel (3 page)

Angelica walked out into the bright spring sunlight.  She wasn’t sure where she was going but she felt like she was drawn outside. She looked around she saw several buildings the biggest was clearly a barn, the next looked to be a bunkhouse. She didn’t see anyone around but she could hear hammering and other activity from somewhere.  She walked slowly across the yard to the barn and peered inside, it smelled of fresh hay and she felt herself smile, the scent was comforting even if it didn’t conjure any real memories.  She walked down the aisle and looked in the stalls. The first stall contained a palomino mare with a very extended belly, Angelica assumed this must be the pregnant horse that Luke had been referring to. Upon seeing her at the stall door the horse approached. Angelica smiled as she rubbed the horse’s nose. She spoke quietly to the horse running her hand down its neck as far as she could reach finally she just opened the stall door and stepped inside. She picked up a brush off the shelf and began brushing the horse. This felt right, for the first time since she woke up here she found something that felt good. She brushed the entire horse before she left the stall.  She felt better as she walked through the rest of the barn looking at the other animals there were a few other horses and a very pregnant cow, and in the very last stall a big bay stallion that was beautiful but when she stopped at his stall door he just looked at her and snorted then went back to munching on a hay flake.  She turned and walked back through the barn pausing to stroke the mare’s nose again on her way out.  She walked around the other side of the barn towards the sounds. She passed an empty corral and a couple of empty pens and continued until the source of the sound came into view.  She saw Luke and John working on a small building.

“
Alright John, give me that last board.” Luke held out his gloved hand but when John didn’t place the board in it he turned to see what the problem was. John wasn’t looking at him he followed John’s line of sight and saw the problem, it was Angel.  An unfamiliar woman on the ranch was distracting enough but a beautiful one was going to be a disaster. She was definitely a beauty. Even he was staring now, her hair had looked dark brown inside but out here in the sun it glowed a deep red.

“
John.” He barked regaining the other man’s attention, irritated that she had distracted him as well even if it had only been momentary.

“Sorry Boss.”
John mumbled handing him the board he had requested.  Luke took the last board and hammered it in place before climbing down, by that time Angel had reached them.

“What are you building?” She asked. He
r voice was soft but clear. She was standing with her hands clasped behind her back and her head held high. She looked as if she were out for a stroll in the park. Luke felt his irritation grow.

“A chicken coup, ma’am.”
John said quickly.

“Oh are there chickens?” she turned and looked back the way she had come as if she were checking to see if she had missed them and Luke rolled his eyes.

“They are in a temporary pen on the other side of the house where there is shade.”

“Oh I see.  Where is everyone?”

“They are working,” Luke interjected his irritation finally getting the better of him, “This is a working ranch princess. It’s what we do here.”  He saw the look of surprise cross her face and immediately regretted his burst of temper. Her back was already perfectly straight but her chin rose a fraction.

“I am ve
ry sorry to have interrupted,” she said in the same even tone before. She turned and strolled away as calmly as she had strolled up. Luke was that much more irritated at her haughty demeanor.  He grabbed the board for the siding and nailed it up not meeting John’s eyes.  He didn’t know who this woman was but he knew her type, he would wager she had never worked a day in her life. She was one of those women who thought just because they walked around with their nose in the air looking pretty and put together that everyone should wait on them.  She hadn’t even dished up her own food at breakfast that morning.  He wasn’t about to wait on her and he didn’t want anyone else doing it either. There was more than enough work to go around she didn’t need to add to it. His distraction and frustration caused him to miss the nail he was holding and he slammed the hammer into his thumb. He cursed loudly shaking his hand, he caught sight of John’s surprised expression and felt his irritation grow that much more.

Angelica walked around
the house and found the pen John had mentioned. As she stood there watching the chickens pecking and scratching she wondered what she had done to warrant the animosity that Luke had shown.  She was trying to stay out of the way, she didn’t think she had really gotten in the way. Either way it seemed that he didn’t want her there.

Angelica drew a deep breath and went back into the house.

“Ella, I am feeling a little useless. I don’t know what I know how to do but is there something I can help you with that doesn’t require me to have any actual skills?”  Ella laughed and patted her arm reassuringly.

“I was just going to alter a couple of these dresses for you, I am going to need you to be my model.”  Angelica sighed, that wasn’t really what she had in mind but she relented and did as she asked.

“How did you come to be here?” Angelica asked watching Ella sew.

“Well I have lived on Ranches my whole life, first as a
rancher’s daughter, then as a rancher’s wife. After my husband passed away I met Matt, he’s Luke’s brother he talked me into coming here and I fell in love. I’ve been here ever since.”

“You’re in love… with Luke?” Angelica said surprised. Ella laughed.

“Heavens no, I mean I love Luke, I love all the boys but like they were the sons I never had.  I fell in love with the ranch, and with being needed again I suppose.  Luke has a tendency to try to do everything on his own, he’s a proud man he won’t ask for help and he was nearly killing himself trying to run the ranch and the house by himself. Matt wasn’t kidding when he said Luke needed the help. “

“Where is Matt now?”

“Oh Matt is not really interested in being a rancher, I don’t think Luke has given up the idea that Matt will come back and run it with him one day, that’s why he named it the Double H you know, but Matt is more of a wandering soul I think. He comes and visits, we never really know when he’ll turn up.”

“Would you show me how to do that?”

“Sure.” Ella began showing her the process she was going through
to lengthen the dresses.

Luke entered the house and found Tom and Angel already seated at the table. From the sounds of it Tom was telling her about their last cattle drive, knowing Tom it was probably a highly romanticized version of the events but she was listening to him intently and that was all the encouragement Tom needed. He barely kept himself from rolling his eyes as he hung his hat on the back of his chair and sank into it. He listened for a few moments before he looked and Angel and said,

“You know he’s completely full of bull, right?” Angel looked at him and laughed and he realized that if she was a woman that always got what she wanted, that was how she did it
. That smile, that laugh, the way her eyes lit up, it was almost enough for him to be willing to give her what she wanted, almost.

“I am just taking a little poetic license, nothing wrong with that.” Tom protested in his defense. Luke had lost his will to participate in the exchange. He just shook his head and let the matter drop. Tom resumed telling the story and Angel turned her attention back to him. George came in a short time later and interrupted
the story to introduce himself, but Tom just resumed his story after the interruption. Luke heard Angel laugh again but he didn’t look this time, thankfully the rest of the men filed in and Tom wrapped up the story. 

Luke noted that she dished her own food this time, that
was good, a minor improvement, but the men at the table were still clearly uncomfortable with the exception of Tom no one said anything a couple were even fidgeting. Although Luke had to admit that they all looked and smelled better. They all seemed to have bathed and shaved.

“Any trouble today?” He asked George.

“Nope.”

“A
ny more signs of coyotes?”

“Nope.”

“You guys hear anything last night?” He looked at Charlie and James, both shook their heads.

“You finish that chicken coup?”

“Yeah, it’s finished, we can move the chickens.”

Angelica got up as soon as the sun hit her window. She was determined to make herself useful, she was soaking up everything that Ella was willing to teach her but it just didn’t feel like it made a difference.  Luke thought she was a princess, that she wasn’t willing to work and for some reason that really bothered her. She didn’t know enough about herself or her past to argue against his assumption but she would like to think that he was wrong.  Over the past few days she had come to greatly admire Ella and she would like to think that she could be more like her than anything pampered.  She dressed and braided her hair the way that Ella wore hers and quietly left the room. She smiled when she reached the kitchen, she had beat Ella up for once.  She hummed to herself as she made the coffee, she could see why Ella had fallen in love with this place. It was beautiful especially in the early morning light. It was more than that though there was just something about this place and these people, it was comforting. The idea that she didn’t know who she was or where she came from had been nearly overwhelming at first but now that she had been here a few days it wasn’t nearly as terrifying.  She liked it here, it wouldn’t be so bad if she didn’t remember who she was. After all there was a possibility she might not want to remember. What if she didn’t like who she was.  The only problem was despite the fact that everyone else seemed to be gradually warming up to her Luke wasn’t, his demeanor was still as icy as his eyes. This was his ranch, it was up to him to let her stay and he wasn’t going to unless she could prove she could be useful to him.

“My goodness you’ve been busy this morning.” Ella said looking at the pile of potatoes Angelica had cut.

“I just thought I would get some of the prep work started for you.” Angelica smiled at the older woman. “Ella, I just wanted to say thank you. You have been very nice to me and you have taught me so much, and if I never remember who I am,” her voice caught and her eyes filled with tears, “then I am going to need to know this stuff so I really appreciate it.”  Ella stepped forward and put her hands on Angelica’s arms squeezing them slightly.

“You are very welcome dear, but don’t worry it’s only been a few days. You have plenty of time.”  Angelica nodded trying to blink back her tears. The door opened and she saw Luke come in. She turned and walked swiftly from the room, she didn’t want him to see her emotional state that would be embarrassing.

“What was that?” Luke asked after Angel had disappeared down the hall.

“Nothing.” Ella said turni
ng back to tend to her cooking.

“Ella, I don’t want her to be causing you extra work, I don’t want you waiting on her.”

“Whatever makes you think I am?” Ella asked surprised.

“Because she has that princess air about her that make
s people want to do things for her.”

“Luke you don’t even know her.”

“I don’t have to know her. I know her type.”

“Lucas Harrison.” Ella put her hands on her hips her eyes blazing. “You
cannot classify people by type.  If you are so determined not to like her then at least get to know her first so that you can be accurate about what it is you dislike.”  Luke stared at Ella wide eyed, he couldn’t remember Ella ever having chastised him that thoroughly before.  Charlie and James entered the kitchen effectively ending the discussion not that Luke minded.

Angelica took a deep breath she had been surprised by her sudden onset of emotion, she had been thinking about it all morning and hadn’t gotten emotional so she didn’t know why she should have gotten emotional right then.  She took another deep breath
and walked back to the kitchen.  Everyone was inside now, they greeted her warmly and she smiled.  She retrieved her coffee cup and sat down at the table. She felt a little bad that she hadn’t been in here to set the table but it was already done so she just sat down. 

After breakfast the men went to their appointed tasks and Angelica helped Ella clean up the kitchen.  “What is on the agenda for today?” She asked as she cleared the table.

“I think I am going to make bread. We are getting low again.”

“Great, can I help?”

“Sure. Do you want to go get the eggs before we get started?”

“I’d love to.”

Angelica walked across the yard swinging the egg basket and humming to herself. She hadn’t gotten used to how deserted this place was after everyone left. She had just stepped into the chicken yard when she heard a voice.

“Watch out for that rooster, he’s mean.” She looked and saw that it was James who had spoken he was leaning against the back of the barn smoking a cigarette. 

“Really?” She turned back in time to see the rooster coming at her with his wings flapping she squealed involuntarily and jumped to the side before the rooster could spur her but he turned and came back again she swung the basket in her hands and hit him squarely knocking him back a foot. He stopped and looked at her as if evaluating whether it was worth coming at her again and she heard James laugh. He stepped into the yard with her.