Never Love a Cowboy (7 page)

Spring, 1866

A
s dawn hovered beyond the horizon
,
Jessye stood and looked with pride at the herd she’d helped round up. With diligence and the additional men they’d hired after they’d returned to Fortune, they’d managed to increase the size of the herd considerably in the two months since Christmas.

She’d noticed, however, the way a few of the men studied her, and her confidence in her ability to handle them had faltered. She’d stuffed her hair beneath a beat-up broad-brimmed hat and wound strips of cloth around her chest until she was almost as flat as a flapjack.

The cattle would stretch out for miles, the men along with them. She closed her hand around the gun she wore strapped to her hip, although she knew in her heart that it was unlikely she’d find the courage to use it against a man—regardless of the circumstances.

She heard a horse whinny and spun around. She forced bravado into her smile as she faced Harry. “I
can’t believe we’re finally ready to take them north.”

His gaze slowly traveled from the brim of her hat to the toes of her boots. “Have you lost weight?”

The heat of embarrassment scalded her face. “No, I…I bound my…” She cleared her throat as his gaze captured hers. “I thought it best to remove temptation with so many men about.”

He gave a long, thoughtful nod. “Don’t suppose you’d reconsider the wisdom of staying.”

She shook her head briskly, her smile broadening. “Nope. I wanna be there when they tally the cattle and hand over the money.”

“We’d bring back your share of the money, Jessye.”

“I just want to be there to see it, Harry.”

He released a deep sigh. “Then mount up, Jessye love.”

She pulled herself into the saddle. “Who’s going to lead the herd?”

“Kit is the man with the details. He wants to have a few words with the men gathered at the supply wagon before we head out.”

Her heart swelled with self-satisfaction as she followed him. Half the cattle belonged to her. Half the profits would go into her pockets…along with an independence that no man could ever take from her.

The cool March air surrounded them, and she saw wisps of smoke curl in front of Harry’s face as he breathed. She knew in her heart that he was probably right. She should stay behind. What sort of investor was she not to trust her comrades?

One who had paid a dear price for betrayal.

As they neared the wagon, she saw the men min
gling around, talking, waiting. None were mounted. It seemed odd to see the trail hands without horses beneath them. She noticed Kit standing near his bay gelding. Harry gave his friend a brisk nod as he drew his horse to a halt and dismounted. Jessye slipped her foot out of the stirrup.

Harry wrapped his hand around her ankle. “Stay where you are. Kit will join you.”

She watched him walk toward the other men, leading his horse behind him. The lonesome image he created surprised her.

Kit mounted his horse and guided it around to Jessye’s side. She’d never realized how small she was in comparison to him as he sat tall in the saddle. Even though Kit was beside her, Harry’s presence dominated the camp. He spoke not a word, but the men who had been mumbling fell into silence. Other men stopped fidgeting. Into the autocratic stillness, Kit finally spoke.

“We have close to three thousand head of cattle and a short span of time in which to move them to Sedalia, Missouri. The days will be long, the nights longer. My father taught me that a man was better able to meet his expectations when he knew what they were so here is what I expect: hard work, no grumbling, no cursing, no drinking. You men spent three months burning our brand into the hides of those cattle. A T that rests on top of an L. The Texas Lady. She’s traveling with us because she’s financing this venture. She’s your boss as much as I am. Her voice carries as much authority as mine. Display any disrespect toward her, and you’ll find yourself on a long walk back home with no coins jingling in your pockets. If you
have any problems with my expectations, don’t bother to mount up.”

Silence grew thick until Harry swung up onto his saddle. Magpie quickly followed his example, then Dan Lincoln. One by one, the men mounted their horses.

Kit gave a brusque nod. “Gentlemen, let’s take these cattle to market.”

He started to guide his horse away. Reaching out, Jessye grabbed his arm. He glanced back at her.

She swallowed, her mouth dry, her heart pounding. “Thank you for that.”

“Don’t thank me. They were Harry’s words.”

Jessye walked through the camp, her muscles protesting. The first day of their journey had begun before dawn, and they’d continued moving until dusk. The cattle were settling down for the night, several riders circling the herd to calm them.

She smelled the aroma of baked beans and fresh coffee. Her stomach rumbled, but she wanted to remove some of the dust before she ate. Kit was talking with the young wrangler he’d put in charge of the remuda. She had to give Kit credit. He left no details to chance.

Slim walked away as Jessye approached. Kit smiled. “Rough day?”

“You’d think after all these months I’d be used to it.”

“We pushed a bit harder today, plus there’s the excitement of actually being on our way.”

She jabbed the toe of her boot into the dirt before
peering up at him. “You’re still upset with me over that contract I wrote up.”

“I think you’ve misjudged Harry.”

“He doesn’t seem to have a problem with it.”

Kit scratched his chin. “He wouldn’t let you know if he did. British pride and all that rubbish.”

“Maybe you’ve been his friend for so long that you no longer see his faults.”

“Or maybe I’ve simply learned to see beyond them.”

“Then you have an advantage over me, but I’m not going to change the terms of the contract.” She angled her chin defiantly. “But I
am
going to mosey down to the creek and clean up a bit.”

“I think most of the men are either with the herd or at the wagon eating.”

“If you hear gunfire, come running.”

“Did you want me to accompany you?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m just gonna wash up, not take a real bath. Have you seen Harry?”

“Not since we stopped for the night.”

Nodding, she glanced around the campsite. The men they’d hired were all respectful toward her, but deciding where to bed down wasn’t going to be easy. “I’ll be back in a bit for supper.”

“If you see Harry, tell him he has first watch.”

She smiled broadly. “He’ll love that.”

“No, I imagine he’ll find some unsuspecting man and gamble his way into a full night of sleep.”

Laughing, she strode into the copse of trees near the camp. Kit was no doubt right. Until the men learned that they couldn’t trust Harry with a deck of cards, he would probably never have a watch.

She heard the gurgling of the nearby brook, smaller, more secluded than the river beside which they’d left the cattle. She should have some privacy here. She was on the verge of stepping into the opening when she spotted Magpie sitting on a log near the edge of the water, poking a stick into the mud. She’d never seen such a dejected soul. She took a step forward.

“Magpie,” Harry called out, striding along the bank, “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Jessye stepped back, hiding in the brush, watching as Harry crouched beside the young man.

“What’s troubling you, lad?” Harry asked.

“Nuthin’.” Magpie tossed the stick into the creek.

“You’ve been awfully quiet.”

“Got nuthin’ to say.”

“Kit’s going to be disappointed to hear that.”

“I doubt it. I ate dust most of the day.” Magpie jerked his hat off his head and scrunched it. “I ain’t complaining.”

“Of course, you’re not.”

“I just…I just thought since you hired me first that I’d get to be trail boss. Instead you give the job to Dan Lincoln.”

“Kit and I discussed it late into the night. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but Lincoln has a lot of experience herding cattle in very unfavorable conditions.”

Magpie nodded solemnly. “And I’m just a bogger.”

“On the contrary, you’re our chief advisor.”

Magpie snapped his head around. “What?”

“Kit’s concern was that if he gave the responsibility of trail boss to you, you wouldn’t have time to advise
him, and he wouldn’t know for certain if he was making the right decisions. Why, this very moment he is waiting on a report regarding your thoughts on the progress we made today.”

“You’re joshin’ me, right?”

“Certainly not. Kit values your opinion and writes down every word you say.”

“There was a few things I noticed today that I think we oughta do different.”

“Then you’d best let him know.”

“On account of me being the chief advisor?”

Harry placed his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Let’s keep the title of your position between us, shall we? We don’t want to cause discontentment or rebellion among the men.”

“Yes, sir. You’re right about that. You reckon I oughta tell Kit everythin’ I’m thinkin’?”

“Every thought.”

Jessye waited until Magpie had disappeared through the brush before stepping from her hiding place. “Chief advisor?”

Groaning, Harry glared at her over his shoulder. “How long were you there?”

“Long enough.” She sat on the log Magpie had vacated. “Didn’t think you liked Magpie.”

“I don’t, but it’s bad enough riding at the back of the herd without having a morose rider beside you. Besides, I needed to punish Kit. He botched his speech this morning.”

“You mean he botched
your
speech.”

He narrowed his gaze. “That’s exactly how he ruined it—by telling you they were my words. I wanted to throttle him when he told me this evening. Instead
Magpie will do it with constant chatter.”

“Don’t you worry about losing Kit’s friendship?”

“Our friendship was forged within the fires of hell. It can withstand the heat of anger.”

“You’re incredibly lucky,” she said quietly.

His eyes widened. “
I
thought
you
thought I cheated.”

She scowled at him. “I do think, no, I
know
you cheat at cards, but I meant you were lucky to have the friendship with Kit that you do. The closest thing I’ve ever had to a friend is Abbie, but I’ve never bared my soul to her.”

“I would think that you would have an abundance of friends.”

She frowned. “Working in a saloon? Men were only willing to be friends if I was willing to give them more than friendship, and women always worried that I was flirting with their men. Abbie had no worries because her first husband never came to the saloon.”

“And neither does her second.”

“Not now that he’s married to her.”

“Must have been lonely,” Harry said with a hint of speculation in his voice.

She shrugged. “I had my pa. Reckon he was always my friend, but there are some things you can’t tell your pa.”

“Like finding yourself in a troubling situation?”

She stared at the small creek. “Yep. I never told him about all that. I was afraid he might go after Gerald—”

“Gerald?”

Grimacing, she felt the heat burn into her cheeks.
“The man I loved.” She jerked her head around and held his gaze. “I
did
love him.”

“Of course you did. You wouldn’t have lain with him otherwise.”

She pressed her hands between her knees. “You believe that?”

“Why shouldn’t I? Good God, Jessye, you’ve got two dozen men out there, and you’re doing your damnedest to make certain none of them think of you as a woman. Your morals are commendable. Your judgment…questionable.”

“You never knew Gerald. He was such a dreamer, and he had me dreaming right along with him. But then the dream turned into a nightmare. I never told Pa anything. I was afraid it would hurt him too much. He never asked me why I left or why I came back.”

“I suspect he knew. He was aware your heart had been broken.”

“But I don’t think he knows the specifics.” She held his gaze. “I suppose you mentioned my shameful past to Kit. He told me once that you bare your souls to each other.”

“I would bare
my
soul to him, but never yours. As for your
shameful
past, I’ve told you before that the shame rests with the man who abandoned you.”

“I can’t figure you out, Harry. You only let me see tiny parts—”

“Believe me, you would completely dislike the whole portrait.”

“I’m not so sure. Kit wants me to make you a partner.”

“There are many things that Kit wants. Ignore him.”

She averted her gaze, trying to find the words.

“Jessye, you worry about things that are of no consequence.”

She twisted around and faced him. “I trust you more than I once did.”

He grinned wickedly. “As well you should.”

“But you gotta understand that this cattle drive is everything to me, and I can’t afford to make errors in judgment.”

“I do understand. More than you realize.”

She nodded. “I’m a little curious. What were your father’s expectations?”

Harry looked toward the water. “That I would fail, and I was quite successful at meeting those expectations.”

“I wish I could make you a partner, Harry, but I just can’t. Not on this cattle drive.” She rose to her feet and walked away, wondering why the guilt continued to fester.

The camp grew quieter as the darkness deepened. Jessye sat on the fringes of the camp, close enough to hear, far enough away so she wouldn’t be noticed. She enjoyed watching the camaraderie between the men, wanted to be part of it, but knew she was safest if she kept herself apart from them.

Some of the men slept, preparing for their watch. Most were studying the cards Harry had just dealt them. She’d considered banning gambling—after all, Harry had banned cursing and drinking—but what else was there for a man to do but stir up trouble?

And trouble they didn’t need.

Kit sat beside her, his ever-present pad of paper and
pencil in hand. The man did more writing than a school marm.