Cowboy 12 Pack Page 19

  “Is this for the cattle drive?” she asked.

  Sadie nodded.

  “How exciting!” Bessie sighed. “I’m jealous, you know.”

  Sadie looked up from the pretty pair of lace-trimmed pantalets she was admiring. “Jealous. Why?”

  “Because you’ll get to spend your days and nights with all those hot, sweaty cowboys who work for you,” Gertrude Banner answered for the other woman. Petite and dark-haired, Gertrude was married to the owner of the general store and good friends with Bessie. “Especially your handsome, new foreman, Jake Wagner.”

  “I saw him in town yesterday and almost swooned on the spot.” This from Rose Manning, the town’s schoolteacher.

  Bessie and Gertrude echoed her sentiment.

  “That man could put his boots under my bed any day,” the shopkeeper added.

  Sadie ignored the little stab of jealousy that pricked her and concentrated on trying not to blush instead.

  “All kidding aside,” Rose said. “You will be careful on the trail, won’t you, Sadie? It’s no secret that awful Harlan Boone is after your ranch.”

  Gertrude let out an unladylike snort. “I don’t think Sadie has to worry. Boone is the one who should be trembling in his boots. I was out sweeping the stoop the other day when Boone’s man asked Mr. Wagner out to the ranch. While I wouldn’t pitch him out of a hayloft anytime soon myself, it’s those eyes of his that tell me everything I need to know.”

  “What do you mean?” Sadie asked.

  “You obviously must know. You’re the one that hired him.” Gertrude shivered. “I thought Boone’s man was going to piss himself at the look your foreman gave him. That man has eyes as cold as a snake. If he had reason enough, he would have shot Boone’s man dead, then stepped over his corpse like it was a rut in the road, and not have lost a night’s sleep over it.”

  A chill not unlike the one she’d felt the other day ran down Sadie’s back. “Jake isn’t like that. He’s polite and considerate and caring. He’s the best man I could have ever picked to be foreman. There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for me or my ranch.”

  “Maybe so,” Gertrude agreed. “I can’t say I’m surprised. You have a way about you that makes me think you could tame a mountain lion. But mark my words, Sadie. If anyone ever makes Jake Wagner cross, I wouldn’t get between him and whoever it is.”

  Sadie didn’t say anything.

  Bessie cleared her throat. “Would you like to buy those along with the corset, Sadie?”

  It took a moment for Sadie to figure out what the redhead was talking about. Then she realized Bessie meant the pantalets. Sadie fingered the lace. It was a silly purchase and not something she could wear on the trail. But then she thought of the expression on Jake’s face when he saw her in them, and knew she had to have them.

  “Yes, please.”

  When she left Bessie’s shop with her purchases a little while later, Sadie found Sheriff Ennis leaning against a post, rolling a cigarette.

  He inclined his head. “Miss Buchanan. What brings you to town today?”

  “Just picking up some last minute supplies for the cattle drive.”

  “That so?” He put the cigarette in his mouth and then lit it, then slanted her a hard look. “You have no idea what kind of man you’ve hired to be your foreman, have you?”

  Sadie grit her teeth. “I know he’s the kind of man you don’t like, which makes him just fine in my mind.”

  “Then it wouldn’t interest you to know he’s a cold-blooded killer.”

  “Says you.”

  The sheriff puffed on his cigarette. “Say a lot of people. But since you don’t believe me, ask him yourself. Ask him what happened in Caldwell’s Bluff. Ask him how many men he killed.”

  Sadie wanted to know what he was talking about, but she’d be damned if she’d give the rat-faced sheriff the satisfaction of asking him. He’d probably only make up lies anyway. If Jake killed those men, he must have had good reason.

  “I don’t have to ask Jake about anything,” she said coolly. “I know exactly the kind of man he is. But if you think he’s so dangerous, maybe you should be telling Harlan Boone the story. He’s the one who needs to be afraid.”

  The sheriff’s eyes narrowed. Oh, hell. Maybe she shouldn’t have said that. If Boone so much as fell off his horse, he’d blame Jake, and Sheriff Ennis would only be too happy to arrest him.

  She gripped her parcels tighter and turned to go, but the sheriff’s voice stopped her.

  “I suppose it really won’t matter what kind of man Jake Wagner is. He’ll be gone soon enough.”

  Icy fingers grabbed hold of Sadie’s heart. Was that a threat?

  She slowly turned to face the sheriff. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  A snide smile curled his lip. “Only that men like him don’t stay in any one place for too long.”

  Sadie swallowed hard. The sheriff didn’t know anything about Jake. He was only taunting her. He probably figured if he frightened her, she’d be more vulnerable to Boone’s threats.

  “Good day, Sheriff.”

  Head held high, she walked down the street. As she made her way to the general store, she mentally tried to go over the list of the things she needed to buy, but all she could focus on was her conversation with the sheriff. What if he was right about Jake? Was he already planning on leaving when they got back from Cheyenne? The thought made her eyes fill with tears. She could handle the dark secrets from his past, even those about Caldwell’s Bluff, but the idea of him leaving were simply too painful to think about.

  *

  EVERYONE WAS UP early the next morning, including Sadie. She’d spent most of the night tossing and turning, torn between worrying about the day ahead on the cattle drive and Jake. While Sadie didn’t believe anything the sheriff had said—or Gertrude for that matter—she’d feel better if she talked to Jake about it. Unfortunately, Jake hadn’t been around when she’d gotten back from town yesterday, and she’d only seen him briefly when he and the men had come to the house to grab a quick bite to eat before going back out. He’d been so busy getting ready for this morning, she wasn’t sure if he’d even gone to bed last night.

  As she neared the barn, she looked around, hoping to see Jake, but he was deep in conversation with Ned and some of the other hands who were staying behind at the ranch. So much for stealing a few minutes alone with him.

  The rest of the hands were either loading up the horses or saying goodbye to their families. Old Elmer already had the chuck wagon out on the road ready to go, a string of extra ponies attached to the back of his rig.

  A hand on her arm caught her attention. She turned to see Jake standing there. Haggard from too much work and too many sleepless nights, he was still the most handsome man she’d ever seen.

  “We’re just about ready to leave,” he said.

  She nodded. “I’ll get my horse saddled.”

  “I already did it.” When he paused, she started to thank him, but he continued. “I’ve got you on drag today.”

  She blinked. “Drag?”

  “I hate to, but I don’t want the men thinking I’m giving you the choice jobs simply because you’re the boss.”

  She nodded. “I understand, and you’re right.”

  Drag was definitely not the best place to be on a cattle drive. In the back, she’d eat dust all day. Good thing she’d packed a long handkerchief.

  “I’ll come back and check on you every chance I get,” he promised.

  Sadie watched as Jake gathered everyone around to give them last-minute instructions. Dakota and Lonnie would take trail lead; Clancy, Jessie, Bert and Hugh would act as pointers, riding on either side; Everett and Lloyd as flankers; Mack and Gus would take on the role of swingers, riding at the back half of the line. Wayne and Emmitt would be on drag along with her. Everyone looked shocked she’d be pulling up the rear, but no one commented on it.

  “I want this drive tight. No long straggling line,” Jake added. “If
Boone’s men hit us, I don’t want a big gap between riders. Mohan, Brody, I want you two wide on the outside—at least a half mile. I want advance notice if anything is coming our way.” He looked around. “Any questions?” Everyone shook their heads. “Okay, let’s move out.”

  *

  THE DAY WENT surprisingly smooth. Jake had been right about it being hard work, though. As drag, Sadie spent her time herding one cow after another back to the group. She yelled, whistled and cajoled the stragglers in any way she could, including smacking them on the rump with her hat. The cows protested loudly at that. Apparently, they didn’t like spankings as much as she did.

  Jake made a continuous circuit around the herd, checking the riders and the chuck wagon to make sure everything was going well. He’d ride beside Sadie for a while, then head off to either side to check with the outriders. She would have liked to talk to him, but there was work to be done and he was the one who made it happen. Her job was to eat dust and chase lazy cows.

  That didn’t keep her head from spinning with all kinds of crazy thoughts. She spent half the time worrying she’d find out Jake was wanted by the law for some horrible crime, and the other half fearing he’d tell her he was leaving when they got back from Cheyenne. In between, she was terrified Boone’s men would ambush them.

  She snatched her horse’s reins as they threatened to slip out of her hands. Dammit! She was going to fall off her horse if she didn’t focus on what she was doing. There would be time enough to talk to Jake tonight. As for Boon’s men, she’d worry about an ambush when—and if—it happened.

  They made brief stops about every hour, but it was only to check the horses and cows. Then they got moving again.

  By the time Jake called a halt for the day, Sadie was beat. Even though there were still a couple hours of daylight left, Jake hadn’t wanted to push the longhorns too hard, and this area had good grazing. While they’d stopped moving forward, that didn’t mean they were done working. They had to cajole the herd out of their long, thin line into a tight circle. There was no fence around them, however, so if anything spooked them during the night, there’d be hell to pay. Which was why Jake immediately sent scouts out with orders to keep a sharp eye out for trouble. Sadie felt bad for the men until Jake announced everyone would be pulling a shift on guard duty that night. She bit back a groan. There wasn’t going to be a lot of sleep for anyone.

  While Elmer got dinner going, Jake had her and the men take a slow ride through the herd looking for injured animals. Sadie breathed a sigh of relief when no one reported seeing anything out of the ordinary. So far, so good. But it was just the first day.

  As they gathered around the chuck wagon for supper, Sadie noticed Jake looked as pleased as she did.

  “We made good time today, even with resting the cattle,” Jake said. “At this pace, we could be in Cheyenne within the week.”

  That made the men happy, but Sadie could tell everyone was secretly holding their breath wondering when Boone would do something to screw it all up.

  Sadie listened to the men chat as she leaned back against a rock eating her supper of beans and bacon. If it wasn’t for the sense of impending doom hanging over her head, she might actually have enjoyed herself. Before today, she couldn’t understand why anyone would want to drive cattle for a living, but now she saw the attraction. The work was hard, but sitting around the fire like this at the end of the day made her think all the hours in the saddle were probably worth it.

  Beside her, Jake was as animated as the rest of the men. If he was concerned about an ambush, it didn’t show.

  He gave her a sidelong glance. “So, what did you think of your first day on the trail, Miss Buchanan?”

  It was strange hearing him call her by her surname. It seemed so formal, especially after making love with him. But they had to keep up appearances. “I thought it was dusty.”

  His mouth twitched. “Oh, you definitely ate a bit of dust. Maybe more than you think.”

  When she gave him a quizzical look, he pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped her face, then held it up for her to see. The cloth was covered in dirt.

  Her eyes went wide. She looked down at herself and realized she was covered from head to toe in a thick layer of dust. Dear God, she’d have to soak in a tub for a week to get all of it off.

  The ranch hands laughed at the look on her face.

  Jake chuckled. He rose to his feet. “Come on. I’ll show you where you can get cleaned up. I need to talk to you about what to expect on guard duty anyway.” He gave the men a nod. “We’ll be back in a bit.”

  Sadie gave them a look that would have been stern if she wasn’t smiling so big. “And Wayne has my permission to shoot anyone who follows in the hope of getting a peek.”

  She thought Jake would take her a little ways upriver, so she was surprised when he led her over to the horses. They followed the riverbank for a good ten minutes until they were almost enclosed by the canyon walls that rose up on either side.

  Her pulse skipped a beat as she dismounted. If Jake had led her this far from camp, he had more in mind than simply showing her where to get cleaned up. That was fine with her. She was dying to feel his strong hands on her bottom again. At the same time, she was also concerned they were taking a risk being away from the rest of the men and the herd.

  “Boone won’t make a move this early,” Jake said when she asked him about it. “He’ll wait until we’re in the middle of nowhere before he strikes. That way, we won’t be able to get help from anyone. When he hits us, he’s gonna want to do it once, and he’s gonna want to hit us hard.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “Because it’s what I’d do if I were him.” Jake brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “Besides, I figured you wouldn’t mind a little privacy while you get cleaned up.”

  Her lips curved. “Privacy so I can clean up, huh?”

  He grinned. “And so I can watch.”

  Her pussy purred at the image that conjured up.

  Jake did in fact lean back against a rock and watch while she stripped out of her clothes and beat the dust out of them against a rock. She never thought cleaning clothes could be an erotic experience, but the glint in his eye quickly had her changing her mind.

  Giving him a shy look over her shoulder, she walked into the river and washed off. On the shore, Jake stood to take off his clothes. A moment later, he waded into the water and took her in his arms.

  “You have goosebumps,” he said.

  She shivered as he ran his hands up and down her arms. “The water’s chilly.”

  “I think I know a way to warm you up.”

  Cupping her chin, he tipped her head back and closed his mouth over hers. While she loved the feel of his lips on hers—not to mention what his hands were doing to her under the water—her mind kept going back to the questions she had about him. Jake must have picked up on her hesitation because he stopped kissing her.

  “What’s wrong, darlin’?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing.”

  He frowned. “It’s obviously something. You’ve been distracted all day.”

  How had he been able to tell with so much going on?

  “Come on.”

  Scooping her up in his arms, he strode out of the water and over to a big rock that was nearby. He set her down on it, then sat beside her. The rock was warm from the afternoon sun, but she still shivered as the breeze blew across her wet skin. Jake grabbed the blanket he’d taken off his saddle earlier and wrapped it around her, then sat beside her.

  He brushed her hair back. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”

  She looked away, partly because it was difficult to think with him sitting there naked and partly because she felt so completely foolish. Now that they were alone together, all the fears she had about him seemed absurd. There was no way Jake could possibly be the cold-blooded killer Sheriff Ennis claimed.

  When she didn’t answer, Jake slipped his fingers beneath her chin and
gently lifted her face to his.

  “Sadie?”

  She swallowed hard. She didn’t want to ask, but she had to know. “Tell me about Caldwell’s Bluff.”

  He jerked as if she’d slapped him. “Where did you hear that name?”

  “Sherriff Ennis mentioned it to me when I was in town yesterday.”

  “What did he tell you?”

  “Nothing more than a name.” Coward. Why couldn’t she come out and just ask him? Because she was afraid to hear the answer. “But he made it sound…bad. Like when people whisper the name Donner Pass.”

  Sadie waited for Jake to give her that charming grin and tell her the sheriff was a no-good, lying varmint, but he didn’t.

  She wet her lips. “He said I should ask you about the men you killed there.”

  Jake didn’t answer. Instead, he turned his head to look out at the gently flowing river, his jaw tight. Dear heavens, had the sheriff been right?

  “Did you kill them, Jake?”

  “I’ve never killed a man who didn’t have it coming, Sadie.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question.”

  Jake turned to look at her, his dark eyes full of regret. “Yes. I killed them.”

  Oh, God. Sadie shivered again, and this time it had nothing to do with the breeze. She wrapped the blanket more tightly around herself. She should have left well enough alone. But if she and Jake were going to have a future together—which was highly unlikely if Sheriff Ennis was right about him leaving, too—she needed to know what kind of man he really was.

  “Tell me what happened,” she entreated.

  Jake was silent for so long Sadie thought he wasn’t going to answer, but then he spoke. “The people of Caldwell’s Bluff, Colorado needed a sheriff, and I needed a job. It was a small silver mining town, so there wasn’t much to do really. Not compared to a lot of other places anyway. My job consisted mainly of breaking up barroom brawls and keeping the miners from cheating each other blind at the poker tables.

  “Then one night a miner got drunk and beat up a saloon girl real bad. When I went out to the mine to haul his ass in, the other miners told me the man had already run off. I couldn’t find hide nor hair of him around the place, so I figured they were being straight with me.”