No Place for a Lady (5 page)

She helped herself to a cup of very strong coffee. How she would
love a bowl of grits or a stack of hot pancakes.

Carmen came in carrying a huge tray and began clearing the
sideboard. "I was waiting for you to come and eat." She slammed
the dishes onto the tray.

"Oh. Please, come and sit here with me and have a cup of coffee
while I finish. I'd enjoy the company."

Carmen cast her a suspicious look but set the tray down. "Only
for un momento. I have much to do:"

I won't mince my words," Crystal drawled. "I believe that you
purposely made sure that I would eat those hot enchiladas." When
Carmen's face flushed red, Crystal held up her hand. "Never mind
apologizing, I just wanted to let you know I may be a greenhorn,
but I catch on fast. I don't intend to get in your way here. Besides,
I'm here for only a short time, and I don't need any enemies. Do
you think we could just try to be friends and start over?"

"Si, senorita. I am sorry. It was just a little joke:" Carmen looked
down at her bare toes sticking out of her sandals.

"Good:" Crystal sighed with relief. "Please call me Crystal:"

Carmen's wide, flashing grin was her response.

Early morning, before the rest of the world was stirring, was Luke's
favorite time of day. Hed been up a while already, puttering around
the tack room. He liked things neat and tidy. The cowboys didn't
always put things back in their respective places, even though
they'd all been warned to.

Thoughts of the trail drive in the not-too-distant future filled
his mind. He'd have to hire a few more hands to move the cattle
to Denver. Unlike last year, the pastures were rich and high. He
could either let the herd fatten up a little more, which could raise
the price per pound but risk the market falling, or go ahead to
make plans to ship them from Denver to Chicago. He'd have to
talk it over with Kate and Rusty.

He saddled two sorrels and was just leading them out of the
barn when he noticed Crystal walking toward him. He patted
Buck's muscular neck to control his laughter as his eyes took
in Crystal's wide, baggy britches, which seemed to swallow her
small frame. They were cinched at the waist, defying them to
fall down. Her plaid flannel shirt, open at the throat, exposed a
slender, white neck. The long sleeves had been clumsily rolled at the cuffjust above her delicate wrists. To ward off the sun's strong
rays, Crystal had chosen a wide straw sombrero that almost hid
her eyes from view. She was swinging a knapsack that held their
lunches. There was something awfully sweet and innocent about
Crystal that was reflected in her countenance. Careful, Luke. Don't
let those wide eyes fool you.

"What are you staring at?" she asked. She tilted the oversized
hat back to look up into his face.

"Mornin, ma'am. Don't you think you'd better lace those shoes
a bit tighter?" He struggled to keep his face somber.

Crystal looked down at the brogans she'd borrowed from Kate
and frowned. "They are a little on the big side, aren't they? Besides,
they have very little style."

"They're not meant to. Kate uses those for hiking and working
in the garden:" Luke slipped the bridle over the horse's head and
the bit into her mouth. "This is Bess. You'll like her. She's real
gentle and knows her way around these parts by heart. Buck here
is a mite feisty with certain folk, ain't that right, fella?"

Buck stamped his hoof, tossed his beautiful mane, and snorted.
Luke watched as Crystal let Bess nuzzle her hand, looking for a
treat.

"Hello there, girl" Her low voice was as smooth as warm honey
as she ran her hand down the horse's cinnamon-brown side.
"You're a real beauty;" she cooed, patting the ripple of muscles
on Bess's side. Gathering the reins in her left hand and placing
her left foot in the stirrup, Crystal reached for the pommel with
her right hand and pulled herself into the saddle before Luke
could offer assistance.

"You seem to know a little about horses:" Luke raised a dark
brow in surprise.

Crystal smiled down at him and then explained, "My father did
have some fine riding horses once. He taught me a little. We didn't
just sit on the front porch all day fanning ourselves, you know." She
threw her head back, and rich, silvery laughter bubbled out.

From where Crystal sat she could see Luke's shiny black hair,
fine and straight across a deep forehead looking naked without
his hat. His shoulders were as broad as a mule's back, and he was
small hipped. Without a doubt, he had the longest legs she had
ever seen, and large hands and feet. Those hands, despite their
size, stroked Buck's withers with affection. She couldn't help but
compare him to Drew, whose slight frame was always impeccably
dressed for whatever occasion-from his clipped, groomed hair
and neat, clean fingernails all the way down to his shiny black
shoes. Two totally different people, Drew and Luke. Now why was
she even comparing? Luke meant nothing to her, and-shed wait
for God's direction on Drew.

Realizing that she was staring, Crystal nudged Bess out of the
corral with a poke of her heel.

Plucking his hat from the fence post, Luke mounted Buck and
came abreast. "We'll ride down to the lower pasture and let you get
a look at some prime beef, and then back along the Blue River. If
you get tired, just say so, and we'll take a rest and have that lunch
Carmen packed for us."

He led the way down the drive and away from the house, following a trail lined with thick aspens, their leaves rustling on the
early morning breeze. Columbines of violet blue were scattered in
their wild fashion, and chipmunks scurried across the rocks. The trail widened, and Luke spurred Buck into a light canter across
the valley floor, glancing over his shoulder at Crystal. She knew
he was surprised at her riding skills by the look on his face.

The flat trail gave way to a narrow, rocky incline as Luke slowed
Buck to a walk. They were climbing now, and Bess picked her way
among the rocks for sure footing. Crystal figured Bess knew the
trail so well she could have been blindfolded, and she realized she
would be safe on the horse's broad back anywhere.

Luke stopped in a sheltered thicket of spruce trees, swung off
his mount, and turned to help Crystal down.

"Come along, I want to show you something." He grabbed
her hand and pulled her partway up to the rocky ledge. "Watch
your step now."

The rock-strewn pathway eventually led them above the timberline. Crystal was panting as they reached the top of the ridge.
The altitude made it difficult for her to catch her breath. From
this vantage point she could see the mountains to her left, craggy
and purple with their snow-capped peaks. On the other side, tall
spruces and firs surrounded a wide, deep canyon. Water rushed
below, spilling over rocks worn flat and shiny by its never-ending
flow. It was so quiet with just the stirring wind lifting the pine
boughs with its gentle rustle. In the distance, a hawk soared with
ease and grace with the crystal blue sky as its backdrop.

"It's so beautiful:" Crystal stood transfixed. Luke's face reflected
such peace as he looked out over the canyon that Crystal sensed
his true love of this beautiful land. Up here the wind was so strong
that she had to use one hand to hold her blowing hair out of
her line of vision and the other hand to hold her hat in place.
A small thrill pricked her soul. Ah ... God was so big, and His handiwork displayed His nature. Everything seemed well in the
world today.

"This is where I'll have my own place someday. It has fertile
pasture land just perfect for raising cattle;' Luke said.

"Who owns it now?"

"Jim McBride, but I'm pretty sure he'll sell to me. I've been
saving for a long time ... Shoot! What's a few measly acres to
him when he owns hundreds? You'll meet his family at the party
Friday night." Luke stepped closer to the ridge and gazed out at
the grand landscape before him. His conscience pricked him
about the conversation he'd had with McBride concerning his
daughter's hand in marriage and the parcel of land.

Luke propped one foot on a huge rock and placed an elbow
on his knee. "Yep, this time next year, I'll have me a snug cabin
nestled in those pines and a few head of cattle to boot." His jaw
was set with a determined angle as his heavy dark brows knitted
together in thought.

"How about a wife and children? Do they figure in your ideal
picture?"

"Yessiree, they do. But it will take a strong and determined
woman who would have to make sacrifices till we get on our feet.
What I need, Miss Clark, is a partner"

"Sounds like you want a workhorse to me" Her eyes flashed.

"Afraid of hard work? Listen, little missy, this part of the country was founded on hardworking men and women. They had big
dreams. Some didn't make it, but I intend to. It's pure struggle
against the elements and nature just to survive, but that's part of
the challenge, and I like a challenge."

Luke thought of his parents, who had worked so hard to scrape out a meager living but never owned much before typhoid took them. How or why Luke had survived, he wasn't
sure.

"Is that why you brought me up here? Proposing already?
And we don't even know each other," she teased with a lopsided
smile.

Luke became flustered. "Why, heck no. I ... just wanted to
show you what I have in mind someday."

She turned to face him but in her haste tripped over her large
shoes. She fell hard against Luke and sent them both sprawling
in the underbrush.

"What-" Luke muttered under his breath while he stared into
Crystal's emerald eyes. Her weight atop him was light and soft.
She struggled to untangle her legs from his.

"I'm so sorry." Crystal's face flamed red.

Luke continued to hold her against him. He could feel the
outline of her legs through her britches. Luke knew he smelled of
leather and horses mixed with soap, and he wondered if Crystal
considered the smell offensive. She, on the other hand, smelled
fresh with a light fragrance he couldn't place.

"It's all right, greenhorn. Guess Kate's shoes are real hard to
fill:" The corners of his moustache twitched as he chuckled, and
for one long moment they assessed one another. Her eyes were
large and sparkled such that Luke had a hard time dragging his
own eyes away. Crystal's nearness was somehow unsettling. He
released her and helped her to her feet. He retrieved her sombrero and slammed it none too gently on her head. Dusting off
his own hat, he headed to where they had tied the horses. "Better
get moving, if I'm gonna show you the ranch."

Crystal plodded behind Luke, thinking about what he'd just
told her. One would think he already had someone who wanted
to share his life by now. She wasn't good at guessing his age. No
matter. She'd never be anybody's workhorse.

The ride to the summer pasture was a long but beautiful
one. Crystal loved the smell of the spruces and the quietness
that surrounded them, but the fragrance was soon replaced by
the smell and sound of bawling cattle long before they came
into view.