A Western Heart

  A Western Heart

  Liz Harris

  A novella of approximately 37k words

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  About the Author

  A Bargain Struck Extract

  More Choc Lit from Liz

  Introducing Choc Lit

  Copyright © 2014 Liz Harris

  Published 2014 by Choc Lit Limited

  Penrose House, Crawley Drive, Camberley, Surrey GU15 2AB, UK

  www.choc-lit.com

  The right of Liz Harris to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying. In the UK such licences are issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1P 9HE

  ISBN-978-1-78189-207-7

  Chapter One

  Wyoming Territory

  Early in June, 1880

  ‘Not again.’ Rose McKinley breathed inwardly as she put the last of the hoecakes on to the plate.

  She pulled off her apron, hastily excused herself to her mother and half ran from the kitchen into the hall. It was almost more than she could bear, she thought, as she hurried along the passageway in a rustle of pink and white gingham, having to endure her ma’s continual hinting that it was time she and Will announced their engagement. It was about the only thing her folks seemed able to talk about, and Will’s folks were just as bad.

  She’d started helping her mother and Maria with the cooking just after breakfast, and almost as soon as they’d begun, her ma had started on about her and Will. She’d put up with it for as long as her help had been needed, but she’d reached the point where she knew she’d scream if she heard another word on the subject.

  It wouldn’t have been as bad if Cora had been helping in the kitchen with her, she thought as she reached the front door, but Cora hadn’t been there – she was still at the Hydes’ ranch, where she’d been staying overnight with Will’s sister, Mattie, and she wouldn’t be back till early that evening.

  Her sister could be really irritating at times, but when it came to Will and the wedding she’d been surprisingly helpful. Being only two years younger, she was old enough to see how uncomfortable Rose had begun to feel with all the engagement hints, and to Rose’s relief and gratitude, Cora had started to change the subject as soon as anyone mentioned Will and marriage.

  But with Cora away, there’d been no one to move her ma on to a different topic, and she’d had enough.

  She flung the door open and went out on to the wooden veranda that ran round the house. Pausing a moment, she drew a deep breath and stared across the dusty wide yard to the sprawling acres of green grass and yellow sagebrush that lay beyond the outer fence, stretching out to the low rolling hills.

  On either side of the dirt track that snaked away from the ranch – a wide brown swathe cutting through the seemingly endless grassland – cows were grazing, dark dots interspersed with larger patches of brown where several of the cows had bunched together around clumps of the better grass.

  Feeling calmer, she went slowly over to the veranda railing and leaned against it, squinting slightly in the bright light of the mid-morning sun as she gazed towards the distant blue horizon.

  She loved Will and she knew that he loved her. He’d been her closest friend for as long as she could remember and although they’d never talked about it in so many words, they’d always known that one day they’d marry. And one day they would, she was sure. But it would be when it suited her and Will to do so, not their folks.

  Not that she blamed their parents for being in a hurry to see them wed. Her pa had built McKinley Ranch into one of the most successful in their part of Wyoming Territory, and Will’s pa had done the same with the neighbouring Hyde Ranch. With Will being an only son, he’d one day run Hyde Ranch, and with her being the older daughter on a ranch without a son, the two ranches would be linked from the moment they wed. From that time on, the Hydes and McKinleys would work closely together until the day came that they united and became one of the largest spreads in the Territory.

  She wasn’t stupid – she could see all the advantages of a marriage between her and Will, just as their folks could. But they should be allowed to do things at their own pace, not at anyone else’s.

  Footsteps sounded loud on the hard wood floor of the hall. Rose straightened up. In a moment, her ma would come out on to the veranda and ask her to go back inside and continue helping with the cooking. And as soon as she was back in the kitchen, the hints about Will would start again.

  Well, she’d already had more than enough of that subject, and she wasn’t going to wait around for any more.

  She gathered up her skirts, ran down the veranda steps and hurried across the yard in the direction of the horses’ barn. She’d take the buggy and go and find Will. She knew he’d be somewhere near his house as he’d told her they were going to be branding the last of the late calves that morning. If she left at once, she’d be there just in time to join the Hydes for lunch.

  As she neared the barn, she saw the ranch foreman coming out of the tackle shed next to it.

  ‘Jesse!’ she called to him. ‘I was hoping to find you here. Will you hitch the horses up? I’m going to Hyde Ranch, and I’m taking the buggy so I can bring Cora back with me. If Ma comes looking for me, will you tell her where I’ve gone?’ Behind her, she heard her mother call out her name, and she quickened her pace.

  ‘Don’t tell her for a bit, though, Jesse,’ she added. ‘I’ll wait in the barn till the buggy’s ready.’

  ‘Sure thing, Miz Rose. I’ll get the harness right now,’ Jesse said.

  As she stepped into the barn, she glanced to her right and glimpsed the broad grin on Jesse’s face as he turned into the shed.

  An hour later, Rose pulled up the buggy next to a long metal trough of water at the side of the Hyde ranch house, jumped down and glanced across the yard at a couple of ranch hands who were busy removing bobsled runners from the wagons that had been used for travel in the snow.

  One of the men looked up in her direction, and she promptly waved at him and indicated that the horses needed to be unhitched from the buggy. He said something to the man working with him, then dropped his tools to the ground and started towards her.

  She quickly wound the reins over the hitching rail, waved her thanks to the approaching ranch hand and began to make her way past the front of the ranch house, brushing down her skirt as she headed in the direction of the west barn and the corrals that lay behind it. The distant sounds coming from beyond the barn told her that that was where she’d find the ranch hands, and Will was more than likely to be where they were.

  As she drew near to West Barn, the pungent smell of cow dung hit her. The piles of soiled straw and dung heaped up outside the barn told that it was being cleaned, and she went up to the open entrance and peered into the dark interior.

  ‘Will?’ she call
ed, her voice echoing beneath the high wooden roof.

  A man came out of the front stall, a pitchfork in his hand. ‘He ain’t here, ma’am,’ he told her. ‘He’s out brandin’ with the ropers. I reckon you’ll find ’em all in the far corral.’

  Nodding to him, she went back to the track and made her way quickly past an empty wagon standing alongside West Barn. Her steps slowed as the corrals came into sight. All appeared to be empty except for the furthest one. Standing still, she raised herself on the tips of her boots and stared ahead at the far corral.

  Will was the first person she saw. His brown felt hat low over his face, he sat easy in the saddle as he and three or four ropers urged their horses among the jostling cattle. From the way they were moving, it looked as if they were about to begin the branding. Disappointed, she realised it was too late to let him know she was there – she’d have to wait till they’d finished.

  She glanced back at the barn and the empty wagon. The wagon was in the shade and she’d have a better view if she sat on it. She went quickly back to it and climbed up. A cloud of buffalo gnats swarmed in the air around her as she settled, and she impatiently swatted them away. Leaning forwards, she fixed her eyes firmly on Will.

  Riding high among the cowmen on his chestnut mare, Boy, he had one hand lightly on the reins, the other at his side, a ring of coiled rawhide hanging from his fingers. It was impossible for her see his face, though, as he’d pulled down the brim of his hat so as to shield his eyes from the glare of the late morning sun.

  She looked at the coil of leather in his hand. So he was going to act as a roper that morning, she thought in amusement, and she smiled to herself. He never missed a chance of joining in with the work on the ranch. He might be slow in asking her to marry him, but there wasn’t any part of ranch work that he didn’t throw himself into without a moment’s hesitation.

  A sudden shriek of girlish laughter sounded above the urgent lowing of the cattle and the barking of the round-up dog which would be darting in and out between the legs of the cows and their calves. She looked quickly to the right of the corral and saw that Cora and Mattie were sitting atop the wooden fence, their eyes on Will and the cowmen.

  She sat up in amazement.

  Cora had told her that she and Mattie would be trimming their dresses and lining their bonnets for the annual picnic in Hope the following day. It was why her sister had wanted to stay over, despite the fact there was cooking to be done at home for the picnic. And it wasn’t just for the picnic – they had a special guest for dinner that night. He was going to be arriving that evening and staying a few days while he discussed business matters with their pa.

  Either they’d finished their dresses more quickly than they’d expected or they’d changed their minds about improving them. But even if either of those things was the case, they’d never liked watching the calves being done and they’d always avoided it in the past. So why had they chosen to come outside on what was going to be a branding morning?

  She stared at them, puzzled.

  Cora’s eyes were following Will’s every movement while Mattie’s were fixed on the cowmen.

  Her gaze moved from Cora to Will, and back again to Cora. She saw her sister break out into laughter at something Will had called across to her. She looked quickly back at Will – he’d pushed up the brim of his Stetson and was wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. She could see him grinning across at Cora.

  Her heart missed a beat.

  She looked back at Mattie. The girl’s eyes were on the cowman approaching her, his thumbs tucked into the belt of his denims, a swagger in his walk. He must be the new ranch hand, she thought. She couldn’t see him clearly, but she was pretty sure she didn’t recognise him. He stopped at the foot of the fence, looked up at Mattie and spoke to her. Blushing with visible pleasure, Mattie glanced down at him and giggled.

  So it wasn’t the branding that had drawn them to the corral. It was obvious Mattie had wanted to see the new cowman but wouldn’t have been able to go and watch him by herself.

  She felt sharp irritation with the two girls. Mattie should know that even with Cora at her side, it wasn’t seemly to sit with the men in the way they were, not even if one of them was Mattie’s brother. And Cora should know that, too.

  It wouldn’t occur to Will that the girls shouldn’t be there – he’d see only their admiration of his skill with the rope – but the girls were both seventeen now, and that was plenty old enough for them to know how a lady should behave. Their folks would be real mad if they knew the two of them were hanging around the cowmen like they were.

  The cry ‘Hot iron!’ cut through her thoughts.

  She glanced at the field to the left of the corral. Beyond the fence, a thin wisp of smoke curled into the air. A cowman standing by the plume of smoke was waving at Will, obviously telling him the iron was hot enough for them to begin. She looked back at Will. He’d raised his hand in acknowledgement, and was turning his horse to face the calves in the corral.

  Her elbows on her knees, she watched him choose his calf and line up his horse. The rope in his hand, he raised his arm and swung the rope high in the air above him, circling it with a confident fluid grace, his forearm gleaming gold in the light of the morning sun. Then with a sudden surge of power, he swung his body forward in line with the rope and sent a loop flying through the air and over the head of the calf.

  The new young ranch hand shouted something to him. Laughing, Will jerked the slack in his rein and pulled the rope taut around the calf’s neck. Bracing his weight in his stirrups to hold firm in the saddle against the thrusts of the calf, he turned his horse and started to drag the calf out of the corral, half-hidden from her by the cloud of dust thrown up by the struggling animal and the hoofs of his horse.

  Her eyes followed him as he rode out of the corral, one hand lightly holding the reins and saddle horn, and the other gripping the rope attached to the calf behind him. One of the ropers cantered out of the corral after him. He, too, was carrying a loop of rawhide in his hand. To her great irritation, the mounted roper blocked her view of Will. She moved further along the wagon seat, but still couldn’t get a better view of him than from where she’d originally been sitting. Abandoning the attempt, she turned her attention back to Cora and Mattie.

  They were no longer sitting on the fence, but had wandered across to the entrance of the corral. Mattie had stopped just short of the entrance and was talking to the new ranch hand. Cora was standing a few steps further on, leaning against the wooden fence, staring out at the pasture in the direction of Will.

  She stood up and stared intently at Cora.

  She could see Will better now, too. The roper following him, he was riding back to the corral, his right arm stretched out behind him as he pulled the calf along.

  As he approached the entrance to the corral, Cora took a step back to give him more room to go through, turning as she did so to gaze after him. There was a broad smile on her face as she watched him ride into the centre of the corral, hold his horse firm, and wait while one of the men shook the rope from the calf’s neck so that it could run back to its mother. The calf released, he swung his horse to face Cora, and Rose saw her sister’s smile widen.

  Laughing, Mattie ran forward, gave Cora a playful push in Will’s direction, and then went swiftly back to the new ranch hand.

  Throwing a quick glance in Mattie’s direction, Cora smoothed down her overskirt and walked over to Will.

  Rose’s heart gave an anxious leap.

  She hastily climbed down from the wagon and hurried across to the far corral, wiping the dust from the rear of her skirt as she walked. She reached the entrance, nodded at the nearby ropers and then paused. Standing just inside the fence, she stared at Will and Cora.

  Will was looking down at Cora. She was standing next to his horse, her back to Rose, stroking the horse’s nose. Although Rose couldn’t see her face, from the angle and movement of Cora’s head, she could tell that Cora was sayin
g something to Will. His eyes being shaded by his hat, she couldn’t see the expression in them, but as he started to move his horse away to join the ropers, she saw clearly enough the warmth in the smile he gave her sister.

  As a nameless fear crept through her, coiling its icy hand around her heart, Rose began to walk towards them.

  Chapter Two

  As Cora turned away from Will, she caught sight of Rose. She stopped abruptly and stared at her sister, scowling.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked, annoyance sharpening her voice.

  Will twisted towards Rose in his saddle, and his face broke out into a smile of pleasure.

  ‘Rose!’ he exclaimed. ‘I didn’t expect to see you today.’

  He swung his six-foot frame off the horse, let the reins fall to the ground and walked over to her, rubbing his hands on the sides of his denims. His sweat-slicked shirt clung to his lean chest, outlining the muscles that rippled with his every step. Reaching her, he pulled off his hat and ran his fingers through his sun-streaked brown hair. The smell of rawhide, horse and sweat enveloped her.

  ‘I thought I’d surprise you,’ she said lightly, moving closer to him.

  ‘You sure did that!’ he said with a delighted grin. ‘But that don’t mean I’m not pleased to see you, ’cos I sure am.’

  ‘I should hope so.’ Rose laughed. She heard the tinge of nervousness in her own voice, and bit her lower lip as she looked up at him.

  Open affection shone from the depths of the clear blue eyes that smiled back at her, and the shapeless anxiety that had been welling up in her body drained away. Relief washed through her and she beamed up at him.

  ‘I’m guessin’ you’ve come to help us with the branding,’ he said, a note of amusement in his voice. ‘I sure am sorry, Rose, but you’re too late – we’ve just done the last of the calves.’

  ‘Aw, shucks,’ she said, pouting in exaggerated disappointment. ‘Then I reckon I’ll have to find some other way of amusing myself.’