Sea Of Grass (9 page)

He stared off and looked as if he may break down. He shook his head. “No, Mrs. Redmond. My son died in a riding accident a couple of years ago. He was thrown from his horse,” he said, and Mrs. Redmond heard the incredulous undertone.

“Oh, God, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be, you had no way of knowing.”

Mrs. Rawlins sank in a chair across from him, shaking her head. “Unbelievable,” she whispered sadly.

“Yes, it was. He was an excellent rider just like Tess,” he said and chuckled. “They were always competing, bringing out the best and the worst in each other.”

“Sounds like they loved each other very much,” Mrs. Redmond said. Jed nodded.

“They did.” He sighed and looked around the kitchen. “There was an awful lot of love around here. I miss having children running around. When the kids were little, before my brothers and sister moved away, there’d be kids all over the place. Especially at my dad’s house, where we grew up. Good Lord, we had a big family. Emily had a few miscarriages. We only had the two.”

Mrs. Redmond brought the coffeepot over and filled his cup, and Jed nodded his thanks. She was about to ask him about his wife but figured she had passed away, and she didn’t want to make another blunder.

Jed Rawlins stared out the kitchen door. “She had cancer. Took her quick. Hard to believe. Emily was a sturdy woman.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Rawlins,” she said.

Jed drank his coffee. “Well, enough of this. I’m going to see where Jack is. Maybe I’ll take a drive up to the ridge and see how Tess is faring with the branding. Would you like to come along? I’m sure Jack would love to see it.”

Later in the day, Mrs. Redmond decided to take lunch to the men. Jed tried to explain it wasn’t necessary, but she insisted. They drove the Jeep up the dusty road as far as it would take them.

“It’s just up a ways,” Jed said. “We can walk the rest.”

Mrs. Redmond looked over the landscape as Jack and Jed hauled out the baskets full of lunch for the ranch hands. “It is magnificent here. I can see why you and Miss Rawlins love it.”

The grassland stretched for miles on the sloping ridge with the cattle dotting the landscape. The men had fires going, heating the hot branding irons.

“Does it hurt them?” Jack asked as they walked up the ridge.

“Not really. They have tough hides. But we need to put our mark on them, son. They roam all over, and even though it’s the twenty-first century, there are still cattle rustlers out there. This is our only way of proving the cattle belong to the Double R,” he said, and the boy nodded in understanding.

Jack and his mother set up the baskets and thermoses. She looked up to see Tess riding close by. She barked her orders to a couple of men who nodded and took off, chasing down a few strays. She put her hand up to shield her eyes from the warm midday sun and watched as the two men roped and tied a calf, leading it to the branding fire.

They watched for a while until Jed let out a short whistle. Tess quickly turned their way and waved. She tossed the iron into the fire and motioned to the men.

Like bees to honey, they were at Mrs. Redmond’s side in a heartbeat. Laughing, she passed out the sandwiches and coffee. Tess stood back and carefully watched Stan and Luke, the two culprits from dinner. Both men took off their hats as they took the sandwiches.

“Thank you, ma’am,” they said solemnly.

“You’re welcome,” she said and leaned in. “Her bark is worse than her bite, correct?”

Both men blushed and chuckled nervously. “Nope. She bites hard.”

The three laughed heartily; she saw Tess frown, knowing she was the subject of conversation. Tess glared at the two laughing men, who made a beeline for a shady spot.

“Something to eat, Miss Rawlins?”

“No, thanks. I just ate the cinnamon rolls. I will take the coffee, though.” She took off her dusty hat. She wiped her forehead with her sleeve and looked up into the sun.

“Looks like we have a few new men.” Jed motioned to the three new hires.

“Yes, Chuck found them. They’ll do fine. One’s a young man like Jack here,” Tess said.

Jack’s eyes lit up. “He’s a cowboy?”

“Yep. Maybe we’ll get you two together and Manny can help you.
Whattaya
say?”

“Sounds fine to me. I’d like to earn my keep here,” Jack said.

“If it’s okay with your mom, then it’s all settled.” Tess wiped her brow once again. “Warm for late April, huh, Dad?”

“Yep. How’s the branding coming along?”

Tess took the offered cup of coffee. “Just fine. Chuck said we didn’t lose as many as we suspected in the winter. We’ll fatten ’em up.”

“Planting that new grass seed on this pasture was a marvelous idea, Tess. I’ve never seen the pasture this green.”

Tess nodded and looked around. “Uncle Jeremiah was right. It was his idea. The tractors did a good job of broadcasting it. It took a while, but it produced some fine grass and alfalfa. As Pedro says, ‘mar de
hierba
.’”

“Sea of grass,” Mrs. Redmond repeated.

Tess raised an eyebrow. “You speak Spanish?”

“
Sí
,” she said with a grin.

“
Bueno
. You’ll be our translator along with Manny. Things are coming together, Dad.”

Mrs. Redmond watched Tess as she spoke with Jed. Tess was certainly not your average woman. Dressed in Levi’s, leather chaps, and cowboy boots, in no way did Tess Rawlins look like a college professor. Glancing at the full curve of her hips and swell of her breasts, suddenly Mrs. Redmond’s mouth went dry, and she took a deep breath and a long drink of lemonade.

Tess looked over at Jack, who was gazing at her horse tied to an oak tree. “Her name’s Stella, and if it’s okay with your mom, you can go over and say hi.” Tess smiled at the look of hopefulness on the boy’s face. His mother gave a worried look that Tess found too irresistible to pass up. “Unless you think Stella might eat Jack. I know she hasn’t had her oats today.”

“I’m just concerned. He’s never been around this many animals.”

Tess nodded in understanding. “Ah, okay, Jack, wash your hands first.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Mrs. Redmond explained, then saw the lips twitching with amusement. “Fine. Jack, go ahead. Just be careful.”

Tess laughed, looked into the basket, and plucked out an apple. Taking her pocketknife out, she cut the apple in half. “Here, she’s hungry.” She took the half and laid in it the palm of her hand.

The tall chestnut mare easily snapped it up. Jack watched carefully. “Stella, this is Jack. He’s a friend, so watch your manners. His mother is a bit skittish and afraid you’ll eat her son, so behave.”

Jack snorted a laugh and tried not to look at his glaring mother.
 

Tess glanced at her and laughed. “Here, hold it in the palm of your hand and leave your hand flat.”

Jack licked his lips and did as instructed. “Hi, Stella,” he said, and the mare gobbled up the remainder of the apple. Tess cut another and Jack had the time of his life.

In moments, he was stroking the long neck of the gorgeous horse and kissing her nose.

“Aw, Jack.” His mother winced and picked up a towel.

Tess rolled her eyes and grabbed at the towel. “Mrs. Redmond, let him be. He has a way with animals, can’t you see that?”

She reluctantly looked at Jack and had to agree. The horse was perfectly content to receive the attention from Jack.

“He must get that from his daddy,” Tess teased.

“Miss Rawlins…” she started in a terse voice.

“Tess…”

She blinked and opened her mouth, then shut it and laughed at the innocent look. “Tess, I just don’t want him hurt,” she said evenly.

“I don’t, either. Do you honestly think I’d allow that, whatever your first name is?” she asked, grinning wildly. She took a healthy bite of an apple.

“Claire,” she said.

Tess cocked her head. “That’s a pretty name. I like it.” She announced her approval with another crisp bite.

Claire shot her a look. “Thank you. Do I get to keep it?”

Jack laughed behind them as he petted Stella. Tess tossed the remainder of the apple to Jack. She took the pocketknife and closed it. “Here, use this, Jack,” she suggested and tossed that, as well.

“
Ahh
!” Claire exclaimed in horror as she watched the knife fly through the air. Scaring the hell out of her son, Jack jumped back and the closed knife fell to the ground.

Tess rolled her eyes and picked it up. “Claire, holy cow. It’s closed,” she assured her. She opened it and cut the apple.

Claire turned red and fidgeted with the lunch baskets. “I-I’m sorry. I’m…”

“A city slicker,” Tess offered with a teasing grin.

Claire closed her eyes and counted to ten. Jack laughed into the horse’s neck.

“We’ll have to do something about that,” Tess said. “C’mon, we’re going into town. I have to go to Tom’s, then we’re going shopping.”

Tess mounted her horse with a stifled groan. “Jack, wanna ride back with me?”

Jack almost swallowed his tongue. He gave his mother a pleading look.

Claire hid her worried face. “Sure,” she said, mustering all the courage she could find.

Tess saw the petrified face. “We’ll ride slowly,” she assured her. She looked around and found Chuck and called to him, “Chuck, let Jack borrow your horse. You can ride back with Dad.”

They waited while Chuck rode over. Jack grinned as he mounted the black horse.

“Be careful,” Claire pleaded.

“Mom, I’ll be fine,” Jack insisted, his embarrassment evident.

“We’ll go slow,” Tess said again.
 

Jack gave Claire a look of pure gratitude and delight that it nearly broke her heart.

“Oh, God,” she mumbled to herself.

Jed put his arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, Tess is an excellent horsewoman. He’ll be fine. C’mon, I’ll race ya back!” he yelled to Tess.

Claire saw the gleam in Tess’s eye and nearly fainted. Tess laughed openly and slowly trotted across the grassland with Jack at her side. Claire whirled around at the older Rawlins.

“Sorry, Claire. Can I call you Claire, too?” Jed asked and backed up.

Chapter 6

Tess was tempted to take the old station wagon into town but opted for the more reliable Jeep. Claire sat in front and Jack in the back leaning in between them, filled with anticipation. She pulled in front of Tom’s store. He was sweeping up in the front and turned when he saw them.

“Tess, hey,” he said and shook her hand. Tess offered the introductions. “How’s the order coming?”

Tom grinned. “Just about done. We’ll deliver the last of the grain on Tuesday.”

Tess nodded. “How much am I saving, Tom?” she asked with a wicked grin. Tom laughed evilly and glanced around.

“If you’d have gone to the big stores in Missoula and Helena, it’d cost you over four thousand dollars. With me getting those distributor prices, it’s costing ya two thousand seven hundred fifty dollars.”