The Independent Bride (40 page)

“Why not?”

“Because I haven’t made up my mind what I want to do yet.”

“It sounds as if you’re saying you don’t love me.”

“Saying I love you when we’re alone in a tent is one thing. Saying I love you with the whole world watching, is another. Maybe you’re sure of yourself, but I’m not sure I want to be a social or political wife.” She struggled to break his embrace, but he wouldn’t release her.

“You don’t have to.”

“Then there’s your family to consider. I’m not what they wanted.”

“They’ll love you.”

“No, they won’t, and you know it. But it’s not just your family, your career, or my uncertainties. I’ve got to figure out what to do about the store and my debts.”

“I’ll pay them for you.”

“I won’t let you do that. Moriah would never agree, either.”

“Have you asked her?”

“I don’t have to. She hasn’t wanted me to accept your help from the beginning.”

Bryce realized he was handling the situation very badly. He had been in a position of command for so long, he had a tendency to forget that not everyone had to do what he wanted. He had to listen to what Abby said. Afterward he could figure out how to solve the problem. He released her. “All right. Tell me what you want to do.”

Abby backed away, looking relieved, not nearly so desperate.

“First, you ought to leave without me. You need to have time to decide what you want to do with your life. Maybe you want to make some changes in your plans, maybe you don’t, but you need to decide without any outside pressure.”

“What will you do while you wait?”

“Save the store.”

“How do you plan to do that?”

“I’ve got to pay off my debts. Those people don’t care whether I committed a crime as long as they get their money. I’ll have it if I can deliver the beef to the reservation one more time.”

“How are you going to do that when no rancher is willing to make the drive?”

“I only know one way.” She hesitated. “I have to buy the beef and deliver it myself.”

Bryce’s first reaction was to tell her she was crazy and forbid her even to think of such a solution, but he’d learned that forbidding Abby to do one thing could cause her to do something even more foolhardy. He’d protected her so well, she didn’t fully realize the extent of the danger she could be in.

“Do you have enough money?”

“If I bargain well.”

“Do you have a crew?”

“I plan to ask Orman, Hobie, and Larson.”

He’d been against her hiring those rowdies to freight her merchandise from Denver, but he had to admit they’d been well-behaved since they went to work for Abby. Obviously she had seen something in them he hadn’t, but that didn’t mean he was comfortable leaving her alone with them for a couple of nights.

“You don’t have a herd.”

“Parker will sell to me. He told me when we were there. He just doesn’t want to expose his hands to unnecessary danger.”

“But you don’t mind exposing yourself.”

“You told me Western men are very respectful of a good woman.”

Abby had obviously thought everything through and come up with what she considered was one solution to all their problems.

“This has all come up too fast for either one of us to have had sufficient time to think about it. I know you believe you have a solution, but surely with time we can think of something less dangerous.”

“But it solves everything.”

“Except what to do about the beef contract next month.”

“I can do the same thing.”

“That sounds like a good idea, but why don’t you wait a few days to give us time to see if we can find another solution? The beef isn’t due on the reservation yet.” Abby looked stubborn, so he didn’t push it any further. “Come here,” he said, holding his hand out to her. “At least we don’t have to keep our love a secret from ourselves.”

She seemed reluctant, started to say something, but Moriah and Pamela chose that moment to return.

“Miss Moriah and I have two secrets,” Pamela announced proudly. “Which one do you want to hear first?”

Two nights later Abby waited under the porch until the guard Bryce had posted passed her in his circuit of the trading post. Bryce thought he’d talked her out of buying the herd and delivering it herself, but it was the only solution that wouldn’t require her becoming even more indebted to him. She was certain if he lent her the money to pay off her creditors, he’d cancel the loan when he got to Philadelphia. She had to forget him. Owing him a debt of gratitude of such magnitude would make that impossible.

Actually, it would be impossible to forget him under any circumstances.

How did you forget the only man you’d ever truly loved? It was impossible when he was also the most handsome, the finest, the most honorable man you knew. It was impossible when you believed he loved you. It was impossible when you loved him enough to give him up. But mere was no point in going over all that again.

Bryce told her it was crazy to think of trying to deliver the herd herself. Dorrie told her the same thing. Moriah refused to discuss it, but no one had come up with a better idea, though Bryce had spent most of last evening proposing and discarding several possibilities. This was the only one that could work. Maybe after this he would realize she was much too independent, much too strong-minded to be his wife. Maybe he would be relieved to go back to Philadelphia without her.

The guard disappeared around the corner. Moving quickly, she picked up her skirts and ran along the edge of the fort until she was around the wall and out in the open. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the men waiting for her.

“I still wish you hadn’t told the colonel what we was doing,” Orman said. “He don’t like it when people goes against his orders.”

“I’m the one going against his orders, not you,” Abby said.

“That’s as may be, but it’s us that will end up with our necks in a noose if anything happens to you.”

“Nothing’s going to happen. That’s why you’re here,” Abby said. “Now stop complaining and help me into the saddle.”

“I don’t like you being out here with us,” Larson said. “People will talk.”

“They’re going to talk about me in any case, so you let
me
worry about it. You concentrate on getting the beef to the Indians.”

“I don’t know why you’re so worried about them Indians,” Orman said. “They gets along just fine by themselves.”

“No one leaves them alone anymore,” Abby said, “but I can’t pretend my primary concern is the Indians. I need the money the Indian agent will pay me to settle my credit debts before I can buy anything else for the store. Now let’s not talk anymore. I want to be at the Parker ranch by dawn.”

They made the ride in near silence. Orman and Larson rode on either side of Abby, with Hobie bringing up the rear. They reached the ranch just as Parker and his hands were getting up from the breakfast table.

“I told you I wasn’t driving a herd to them Indians,” Parker said when he saw Abby.

“I’m not asking you to drive a herd anywhere,” Abby said. “I want to buy fifty head from you. I’ll take responsibility for getting them to the reservation.”

“Does the colonel know about this?” Parker asked.

“Yes.”

“And what did he say?”

“He told me not to do it,” Abby said, “but he doesn’t have the authority to keep me from conducting any business I choose as long as it’s not at the fort.”

“I expect he’ll come after you.”

“He doesn’t know I’ve left. I need fifty of your fattest steers. I’m willing to pay seven dollars a head for them.”

“I wouldn’t sell them for less than ten.”

“I don’t have five hundred dollars.”

“Then I’ll sell them to the miners. They’ll pay me eight.”

“If someone else doesn’t beat you to it.”

“Okay, nine dollars.”

“Seven.”

“Nine.”

“I’ll pay you cash.”

“When?”

“Now. I’ve got it with me.”

“How about eight dollars?”

“How soon can you round them up?”

“I can have them ready by noon.”

“If you have them ready for us to drive by noon, I’ll pay you eight dollars. Any later and it’s seven.”

Parker’s gaze hardened. “Are you sure you mean to do this?” He looked at the men with her. “These men ain’t cowhands.”

“You get the steers here by noon and let me worry about everything else.”

Parker grinned slowly. “You’re one stubborn lady.”

“I don’t see anyone trying to spoil me,” Abby shot back.

“I don’t think anybody’d dare. Mount up, you lazy sons-a-bitches!” Parker shouted to his hands. “The lady wants her beef ready to roll by noon. Tell your men to lend a hand. They might learn a few things that will help them on the trip. You can visit with the wife while we’re gone. Ask her to pack a few things that’d be easy to cook over an open fire.”

Abby passed an uneventful morning listening to Mrs. Parker complain about the difficulties of ranch life. She thought the western plains offered no comparison to her parents’ home in Michigan, but she admitted her husband was much happier.

“Give a man space to roam about unhindered and he doesn’t want for more as long as he’s got a full stomach and a soft bed to sleep in. My husband didn’t like working for anybody else. Couldn’t go back to it now.”

Abby wondered how Bryce would respond to taking orders after three years of being the one to give them. She scolded herself for letting her thoughts run back to Bryce. She’d vowed to begin putting him out of her mind, but she wondered if she’d ever be able to do it.

“You ever driven cows before?” Mrs. Parker asked.

“No. My father won the contract before he died. I didn’t have any choice but to keep it”

“Nobody’s ever wanted it but Baucom,” Mrs. Parker said. “There’s always an attack. My husband says he never delivered as much as half of what he ought.”

“Baucom told me he didn’t want it anymore, that it was too much trouble.”

“That’s queer,” Mrs. Parker said. “He’s the one who convinced my husband it wasn’t safe to attempt a delivery.”

“When was that?”

“I don’t remember exactly, but it was after he lost the contract I think it was some time after you came. Seems to me I remember my husband saying Baucom expected to get the contract again after your father died.”

Mrs. Parker shifted abruptly to asking Abby what experience she had cooking over an open fire. Since Abby had none, she spent the next hour getting advice on every topic from how to build the fire to where to find fuel and water. Abby was relieved when the men arrived with the cows.

“Your men don’t know much about cows,” Parker said to Abby as she counted out the money.

“They only need to know enough to get them to the reservation.”

“I hope they’re better with guns.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You know you’re going to be attacked.”

Abby wondered if she was crazy to be delivering the herd herself. Everyone had advised her against it. But since there was no possibility of a future with Bryce, it was her only way to support herself. She couldn’t imagine herself falling in love with anyone else.

“We’re armed,” she said, indicating her rifle. “I’ll take my chances.”

“Stay in the open as much as you can during the day,” Parker advised. “When you camp at night, make sure you find a place that protects your back. And stay well back from the campfire.”

“You’re making me nervous,” Abby said.

“I’d feel better if I could make you give up. I feel guilty for selling you these steers.”

“I know the risks and I’m willing to take them.”

“Do you know how to get to the reservation?”

“There’s a clear trail.”

“Don’t follow it. Head about ten miles to the south. It’s rougher country and the grass isn’t so good, but you may slip by anybody trying to waylay you. I’ve already talked to your men. I also exchanged your horses for some experienced cow ponies. Army horses don’t know nothing about working cows.”

Abby wanted to be on her way. The sooner she got started, the sooner this would be over. “Thanks for your advice and the horses. Are we ready to go?” she asked Oman.

“As ready as we’ll ever be.”

“Then let’s get started.”

Abby had never been on a cattle drive before, but it took her less than ten minutes to know she never wanted to do it again. Parker said once the steers started moving, they’d gradually line up behind a leader and stay pretty much in that order for the rest of the drive. They didn’t do that at first. Steers kept trying to break away from the herd to get back to their usual feeding grounds. If Parker and his hands hadn’t helped, they would never have gotten the herd on the trail without losing half of it.

After about an hour the cows had settled down and started to sort themselves out. Now the trouble was handling the herd. She didn’t know the trail so Orman had to take over leading. Hobie rode the left flank and Larson rode drag. That left her to ride the right flank. That was fine until a steer broke ranks and headed for a grassy ravine. Her cow pony started after him so quickly, Abby was almost thrown out of the saddle. She held on for dear life while the pony galloped to head off the steer. She managed to get the reins in her hands when the pony got around the steer and hazed him back to the herd. The steer made one more attempt to escape, but the pony used his shoulder to crowd him back to the trail. Giving up, the steer trotted docilely back to his place in the line.