Bobbi Smith (5 page)

For the first time that day, Jack found himself smiling as he thought about Randi. Headstrong and independent, Randi was definitely his daughter.

Randi let out a sigh of relief as she walked out into the hallway. She’d been lucky her father’s anger hadn’t been worse. There had been any number of times when she’d had to take the full brunt of his fury, and it hadn’t been pleasant. She was thankful today hadn’t been one of them.

As she started back toward the kitchen, Randi caught a glimpse of her own reflection in the small mirror on the wall, and her father’s words echoed in her mind:
You are a young woman with a reputation to uphold
.

The image staring back at her bore little resemblance to a lady. If anything, the girl in the mirror looked downright disreputable. Her hair was an uncontrolled mass of curls and tangles. Her face was smudged with dirt, and her clothing was wrinkled and soiled.

If her hair had been tied up under her hat, Randi doubted anyone who didn’t know her would ever guess she was a female, let alone consider trying to ruin her reputation. More than likely they’d think her reputation had already been ruined, or they’d take one look at her and run in the opposite direction. She thought of Hawk’s earlier “rescue” attempt and far too clearly remembered his very real shock when he’d discovered she was a girl.

Randi frowned at the memory.

She continued to stare at herself. Her mother had been a lady through and through. Her father often told her she took after her mother, but at that moment, the only resemblance she could find to her mother was the color of her pale blond hair.

Turning away from her troubling reflection, Randi decided to go up to her room and get cleaned up a bit. She knew it couldn’t hurt.

Once in her room, Randi sat down at her dressing table and went to work taming her hair. It took a few minutes, but she finally managed to brush all the tangles out of her thick, golden tresses. With practiced expertise, she then plaited the now-silky mass into a single, neat braid that hung down her back. With her hair done, she went to her washstand, stripped down to her underclothing, and scrubbed herself clean.

Again, she thought of her father’s words as she washed off the day’s dirt and grime:
You are a young woman . . .

Randi paused for a moment and glanced over at her wardrobe, eyeing the dresses that hung there. She had numerous day gowns and a few fancier gowns for socials and parties. With all the real work she did around the ranch, however, the dresses were practically useless to her. She could start dressing like a lady, but she didn’t think her father really wanted her to stop working. More important, though, she didn’t want to stop. She loved the Lazy S. The ranch was her life.

Closing the wardrobe door, Randi went to her bureau and took out a clean pair of pants and a blouse. Dressed once more in her normal workday clothes, she hurried down to the kitchen to get some lunch.

“So you’re all right?” Wilda asked when Randi came into the kitchen. The housekeeper had been wondering how the girl’s meeting with her father had gone.

“I’m fine, but I am hungry,” Randi replied with a grin.

“Well, good. You just sit down, and I’ll get you something,” Wilda directed.

Randi did as she was told.

“What happened with the new fella?” Wilda asked.

“Pa hired him on.”

“He hired him? But he’s a half-breed, isn’t he?” Wilda asked sharply. She’d seen the man when he’d left the house after his meeting with Jack and had recognized the Indian blood in him.

Randi heard the disapproval in Wilda’s voice and knew there was no point in trying to deny the truth. “Yes, he is.”

“I don’t know how that’ll work out—having someone like
him
on the ranch.”

“Hawk’s a good man,” she defended him.

“There ain’t nothing good about a man with Indian blood in his veins,” Wilda said in disgust. Years before, her own family’s homestead had been attacked by an Apache raiding party, and most of her family had been slaughtered. She witnessed the whole thing. The horror and devastation had scarred her forever and left her filled with hatred for any and all things Indian.

Wilda said no more as she set a plate of food before Randi and returned to her work.

Randi was aware of Wilda’s tragic past, and she knew that nothing she could say about Hawk would change the woman’s mind. Wanting to get away from the oppressive silence that hung between them, she finished eating quickly and left the house, heading to the stable. There was still work to be done.

“Rob’s riding in!”

Randi heard the shout. Anxious to see how Angel had held up on the trek back, she hurried from the stable. Relief swept through her at the sight of her beloved horse being led in, only slightly favoring her injured leg.

“Did everything go all right?” she asked as Rob stopped before her.

“We took it slow and easy the whole way.”

“Good. I’ll take her from here. Thanks, Rob.”

Randi took the reins and led the mare into a stall in the stable. She had just finished unsaddling Angel when Wade and Hawk came in.

“We heard Rob was back. Hawk wanted to take another look at Angel,” Wade said.

“So you’re that eager to start earning your keep?” she asked Hawk with a grin.

Randi’s manner was so relaxed now and her smile so genuine that Hawk found himself smiling back at her. “You heard I got the job.”

“That’s right, and I’m glad my father hired you on. We need all the good help we can get around here.”

“Glad to oblige,” Hawk said. “Wade’s been showing me around. The Lazy S is as impressive as I thought it would be.”

“Thanks.”

“So how’s Angel’s leg?”

“It looks like having her stand in the creek worked. The swelling isn’t nearly as bad as it could have been.”

“Good.”

Hawk moved past Randi to kneel down and examine Angel’s foreleg. After he’d finished checking the animal, he stood up and glanced Randi’s way.

“I’ll make up a poultice for Angel. We’ll need to keep that leg wrapped up for another day or so.”

“Is it that bad?” she asked, worried.

“No, but I just want to make sure the wound heals correctly. It shouldn’t take me long. I’ll be right back. I’ve got all the medicine I need in my saddlebags.”

Wade stayed with Randi while Hawk went up to the bunkhouse to make the poultice. Randi took a look at Angel’s leg herself and knew Hawk had been right. Though the swelling was down, the wound did need some further doctoring.

“I hope Hawk’s poultice works fast. Angel’s got to be healed by the end of next week,” she said.

“Don’t tell me you’re worried about being ready for the Stampede in town?” Wade knew how much Randi enjoyed competing in San Miguel’s annual celebration.

“Of course I am,” Randi answered with a conspiratorial grin. “You know Angel and I always enter the race.”

“And you win most of the time, too,” he finished for her.

“That’s right,” she declared. She was a fierce competitor. Every summer she looked forward to the challenge. “We have to be ready. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have Angel to ride in the race.”

“You might give someone else a chance to win.” Wade laughed.

“I don’t want to do that!”

“I didn’t think so.”

Hawk returned a short time later, ready to apply the healing poultice to Angel’s injury.

Randi was concerned, for there were times when Angel was skittish. She was surprised when the mare remained completely calm with Hawk. She displayed no fear of him at all while he worked on her leg.

“That should take care of it,” Hawk announced, standing up.

“Do you think she’ll be healed enough to run by next week?” Randi asked.

“She should be—as long as no infection sets in.”

“Good. It’s almost time for the big Stampede. We have to be ready to run.” Randi stroked Angel’s neck affectionately.

Hawk had heard of Stampedes, but had never been to one. “You’ve ridden in them before?”

“Randi and Angel compete every year,” Wade explained. “And they’re good—real good. There aren’t many around these parts who are as fast as these two.”

“I can imagine,” Hawk said.

At that moment Randi’s gaze met Hawk’s, and they both were remembering, far too clearly, their first encounter.

Randi was surprised when she felt herself actually blush a bit at the memory of being swept off Angel’s back and into his arms. It wasn’t like her to blush. She looked away, confused by her own reaction.

“I’m going to take Hawk out and finish showing him around. We should be back by sundown,” Wade told her.

“I’ll let Pa know,” she said.

Randi watched them as they walked away from the stable. Her gaze lingered on Hawk’s tall, lean form until he had disappeared from sight.

It was almost dark when Wade and Hawk finally returned. Hawk was more impressed than ever with the ranch. It was obvious Jack Stockton had worked hard to make it what it was today.

Hawk was coming to respect the foreman, too. Wade seemed dedicated to the ranch and his boss. Hawk had been surprised by Wade’s easy acceptance of him. He wondered if the rest of the hands would prove to be as good to work with. His past experiences kept him from being too optimistic.

“Our timing’s perfect,” Wade remarked as they rode in. “They should be getting ready to serve dinner right about now.”

“Good. I’m hungry.”

“You’re not the only one. Come on; let’s hurry up and take care of the horses, so we can get us something to eat before the boys finish it all off,” Wade encouraged.

A short time later, when Wade and Hawk walked into the bunkhouse, all the hands looked up from where they were eating at the long table in the center of the room.

“We were wondering when the two of you would be getting back,” Rob said.

“You know I never miss a meal,” Wade said as they joined the others at the table. “I hope you saved us something.”

“You ain’t gonna starve,” Tom Andrews remarked, pushing a big pot of Wilda’s stew down the table to them.

“Have you all met Hawk?” Wade asked as he started to dish himself up a serving of the savory stew.

Some of the men hadn’t, so he quickly introduced them. Wade noticed the looks several of the ranch hands gave each other when they realized Hawk was a half-breed. He’d known some of the men would hate Hawk for his heritage, but there was nothing he could do to change their way of thinking.

“I’m done eating,” Fred Carter said tersely, pushing his plate back and standing up abruptly.

“Me, too,” Lew Jones muttered in disgust as he followed Fred from the room.

“Well, that leaves more food for the rest of us,” Wade said, taking another helping before passing the dish on to Hawk.

They ate heartily, enjoying the meal and discussing the events of the day with the men who’d remained with them.

“How bad was Randi’s horse injured?” Lyle Moore asked, worried now that he’d heard the story of how Hawk had met Randi. “I’ve been saving up my money to bet on the two of them at the Stampede, but if Angel’s hurt—”

“Don’t worry. Hawk told Randi Angel would be ready to run,” Wade said.

“That’s real good to know.” Lyle chuckled, relieved at the news. “I’m glad Jack hired you on, Morgan.”

Once they’d finished eating, Hawk took the time to get settled into the bunkhouse. He stowed his personal belongings beneath the bunk he’d been given and was about to call it a night when he decided to go down to stable and take one last look at Angel.

Randi had been a little worried when she’d returned to the house at dinnertime. She hadn’t been quite sure what to expect from her father. Because he’d seemed to be so angry with her earlier, she’d decided to hurry up to her room and change into a daygown to ease some of the tension between them. She’d also taken an extra moment to unbraid and brush out her hair before going back downstairs to eat.

The look on her father’s face when she’d walked into the dining room had been worth it. He’d smiled at her, and for the first time since their earlier encounter she’d managed to relax a bit. The meal and their time together had actually been pleasant. No mention had been made of the events of the day, and she’d been glad.

It was getting late when Randi finally made her way upstairs. She’d planned to just relax and read for a while, but as she started to get ready for bed, she looked out her bedroom window and noticed there was light coming from the stable. It was unusual for anyone to be in there at this time of night, and her first and immediate concern was for Angel. Without hesitation, Randi left the house to find out what was going on.

Hawk had just finished looking at Angel’s leg and had left her stall when Randi came hurrying in.

Randi was expecting one of the regular hands to be there, and she was surprised to find it was Hawk.

“Is something wrong?” She looked nervously past him to see Angel in her stall, looking fine.

“No, not at all,” he reassured her, amazed by the change in her appearance. He had never doubted for a moment that Randi was an attractive woman; seeing her dressed this way now only proved how right he’d been. She looked every bit a lady. “I just wanted to take another look at her leg before bedding down for the night.”

“Oh, good. When I saw the light, I was afraid something had happened.” Randi went over to the stall to pet Angel.

“She’s doing fine.”

“Thanks for all your help today,” she said quietly.

“If it hadn’t been for me, you wouldn’t have needed help in the first place.”

“You thought I was in trouble,” she said simply, looking up at him.

“I learned my lesson.”

“So you’re never going to try to rescue me again?” Randi asked with a smile.

“Are you going to need rescuing? Seems to me you can take care of yourself.”

“I try.”

“I appreciate what you told your father about how we met.”

“I was already in enough trouble. There was no need to make things worse.”

“Well, no one will ever find out from me that I mistook you for a boy. I certainly wouldn’t have that problem tonight.” His gaze went over her, and he felt a stirring deep within him. It surprised him. He hadn’t felt this way about a woman since . . .