No Place for a Lady (8 page)

"Oh, go on with you! I'm used to being charmed by the likes
of you!" Flo laughed with obvious affection.

Kate seemed more interested in the reason they had come to
Steamboat in the first place. "What kept you, Luke? Did you sign
on anyone for the trail drive?"

"Yes, ma'am, I did. Five to be exact. Up from Durango most
of 'em, looking for work. Sorry, I didn't mean to hold you ladies
up." He looked at Crystal.

"Manners don't seem to be your strong suit, Mr. Weber;" Crystal
said. "A gentleman always removes his hat indoors, and he doesn't
keep a lady waiting:'

"Is that a fact, Miss Georgia Cracker? Maybe a gentleman does,
but not a cowboy. The only time a real cowboy removes his hat
is for a funeral, a wedding, or church. A cowboy likes to keep his
hat close by in case he needs to get out in a real hurry. That thing
you call a hat on your head is big enough for two barnyard owls
to roost in"

Crystal felt her face burn at his reprimand and glanced at
Kate, who looked amused at the two of them arguing. Before
Crystal could think of an appropriate retort, Kate looked at
Luke and nodded to him, indicating that he'd better remove his hat. Grinning at her, he flipped it over the back of the empty
chair.

Talk centered on the particulars of the trail drive, and both
women watched in amazement as Luke wolfed down the steak
and gravy and polished it off with two large pieces of pie and what
seemed a gallon of coffee.

The afternoon ride back to the ranch proved to be very hot.
Not even a breeze obliged them, and the ranch with its few cottonwoods surrounding the porch was a welcome sight. Kurt waved
his hat in greeting as they rode past the corral, where Jube was
breaking in a new mare. Crystal waved back, and Kurt hurried
over to help her down.

`Afternoon, Miss Crystal:' He beamed at her.

"Hello, Kurt" She wrinkled her nose at the smell of horseflesh
intermingled with perspiration from the heat. He was covered
with dust, which he attempted to brush off his britches.

He seemed pleased that she would allow him the privilege of
assisting her. Jube joined them and helped unload the supplies
they would be using on the trail drive. He was quiet and seemed
to be a man of few words, especially around womenfolk.

"Those things there go in the kitchen to Carmen;' Kate said,
pointing to the last of the supplies. "They're for the party Friday
night."

Luke stood near the barn, talking to Rusty about the hands he'd
just signed on, but out of the corner of his eye he watched Crystal
conversing with Kate, Kurt, and Jube. She seemed unaware of the
effect she had on either of them.

"Save a dance for me now," Kurt was saying.

"Uh ... and one for me too," Jube stammered.

"Be careful how many you promise, Crystal:" Kate laughed.
"It's been a while since we've had a shindig. They could dance
your legs right off."

Luke knew from Crystal's reaction that she wasn't crazy about
dancing with the cowboys. But most of them could dance, so her
feet would be spared.

"Better get washed up for supper, boys, before Carmen rings the
dinner bell," Kate reminded them. She walked over to where Rusty
stood smiling in open admiration for the tall, husky woman.

Crystal excused herself to wash up. Luke noticed the two cowboys gazing at the gentle sway of her hips.

"Well, I'll be switched!" Kurt exclaimed. "What a woman, huh,
Jube?"

"Yep. She's too pretty for the likes of us, though;' Jube said.

"Never sell yourself short where the ladies are concerned, dear
boy." Kurt smoothed back his dark hair.

Two days before the party for Crystal, Aspengold was in a merry
flurry of activity. Any excuse to take a couple of days off work
and socialize with surrounding ranchers was a blessed relief
from the June heat. Knowing that the trail drive was a few
weeks away, with many long days in the saddle, the drovers were
rowdier than usual with the anticipation of partying, dancing,
and flirting with the women. Although Kate ran a tight group
with strict moral codes, sometimes the cowboys could get a
little raucous.

Carmen was busy preparing the needed food, and their delicious smells wafted throughout the house. Kate and Crystal lent
a hand in baking the desserts. Carmen looked at Crystal, her
eyebrows arched in question. "You can cook?"

"If there's one thing a Southern girl must learn beside manners,
it's baking pies;" Crystal remarked as she rolled up her sleeves.
"Now, just hand me an apron so I can get started. Where's the
fruit? How many pie pans do you have?"

Kate watched as Crystal sifted flour onto a muslin cloth and
began making piecrusts in a large bowl with the hand of an experienced cook. Carmen hurried to gather pans, sugar, and
the dried apples she had put up from the last year's crop.

After a few moments, Kate slipped out the kitchen door, leaving the two young ladies humming with fervor in their mutual
endeavor.

Crystal looked out the kitchen window as she kneaded the
pie dough. She watched as Kate walked over to the porch where
Curly, Jube, and Kurt awaited instruction on how to set up for
the party.

"Swept out the barn yet, Jube?"

"Yes, ma'am;" he answered in a respectful tone.

"Curly, you and Kurt go ahead and get the spit set up over
the coals for Carmen. Jube, find some two-by-fours and throw
together a few tables to hold the food. We don't have near enough
tables" She issued orders in her no-nonsense fashion, and they
scrambled to do her bidding.

Rusty and Luke were cleaning up the oil lamps they would
need and discussing the trail drive when Kate joined them. "Luke,
I'm pleased to hear that you hired Sourdough as the cook again.
Carmen's uncle and the cowhands regard him as the best cookie
west of the Colorado River. That'll make for a happy crew."

"Glad that you approve. Ready for the party?" Luke poured
the oil into the last lamp.

"Gettin' there" Kate stood close to Rusty, watching every move
he made.

"Wear that blue dress that matches your eyes;' Rusty said affectionately, gazing back at her.

"Now why would I want to do a thing like that?" she teased
just like a girl with the first blush of love.

Luke got the distinct feeling they wanted to be alone and made
up some imaginary chore that needed seeing to. He stopped by the
bunkhouse to retrieve a small brown bag that he tucked into his
vest pocket, then headed to the house. Wonderful smells assaulted
his nostrils, and he took a deep breath and stepped through the
back kitchen door.

"Carmen, I declare you're outdoing-" He stopped short as
Crystal, with her back to him, bent over the stove and muttered
to herself, `A few minutes more ..

Carmen was nowhere to be seen. Several pies, cooling in the
breeze, lined the windows. When Crystal turned she jumped.
"Oh! I didn't hear you come in;' she said, wiping her brow with
a flour-covered hand. Her hair, damp from the heat of the stove,
curled against the nape of her neck and at her temples. Her face
was flushed a rosy pink, making her green eyes stand out under
their thick lashes. She looked utterly domestic and feminine. She
stood there fanning herself with the bottom corners of her spattered apron.

"If you're looking for Carmen, I told her to take a rest. She's
been up since dawn cooking," she said, dropping her apron. She
walked over to the sink, sunk her arms up to the elbows in hot
suds, and began washing pans.

"No, I wasn't looking for Carmen." He took a knife from the
table and helped himself to a chunk of apple pie. It was delectable.

Crystal glanced over her shoulder, then flung the dishrag into
the sink, sending suds and bubbles flying.

"What do you think you're doing?" she yelled as his tongue
flicked around his moustache, reaching for the remains of the
pie. He gave her one of his incongruous grins, showing rows of
small, even teeth.

"Carmen always lets me sample her fine cookin' Boy! Every
pie she cooks is better than the last one"

He would have reached for another helping had Crystal allowed
him to, but she popped him on the forearm with a dish towel and
said, "Not another bite, Mr. Weber! Those are for the party, and
since I'm in charge of the kitchen right now, I suggest you take
your big paw off that pie:"

Luke spun around and caught her arm. "Since when did you
start giving orders?" His arm stung from the dish towel. He wasn't
sure he liked this new Crystal.

"Since I started doing the dishes," she retorted. He was standing so close that he could smell her lilac perfume, and he stared
into her green eyes. She yanked her arm from his grasp, and he
stepped aside to let her pass back to the stove, where black smoke
was billowing out.

"Oh no! Now see what you made me do;' she cried as she flung
open the oven door. With the end of her apron, she pulled the blackened pie out and howled as the heat went right through her apron.
The pie fell to the floor, and she dropped in a heap next to it.

Luke leaned back his head and roared with laughter. "Seems the
kitchen just isn't your cup of tea. Here, let me help." He reached
down and took her hand. It was red and already forming a blister.
It was so small and soft.

"Ouch!" She groaned and bit her bottom lip. She pulled her
hand from his. "I can take care of it myself, Mr. Weber:'

"Call me Luke. Mr. Weber sounds too formal, kind of like your
upbringing."

"There's nothing wrong with my upbringing," Crystal said
through clenched teeth.

"Well, I'll bet you learned how to pour tea but not how to make
it;' he teased her.

"I couldn't care less what you think. It doesn't affect me one
way or the other"

She got up and stepped to the pantry for a piece of muslin and
a mop and bucket. Luke leaned against the table with his arms
crossed and his hat pushed back. Did he have to watch her? He
always thought everything was funny. His dumb grin infuriated
her. She wrapped the muslin around her hand and began scooping up the remains of the pie into the slop bucket. And still he
watched, saying nothing.

"Mr. Weber, if you have nothing better to do than to stand
around, maybe you'd like to take this out for me" She thrust the
slop bucket into his hand.

"I don't do women's work, but I guess that makes two of us."
He laughed, took the bucket, and strode from the room, his spurs
jingling across the hardwood floor. Crystal attacked the floor with
fury, muttering under her breath. Something about him made her
feel inadequate. She wasn't sure why. His manners were deplorable, yet he made her feel silly. She heard footsteps approaching
again and steeled herself for his taunting.

The door opened and Kurt stuck his head in. "Mornin', Miss
Crystal:' Crystal straightened up, smoothed back her hair, and
wiped her hands on her apron.

"Hello. I was just cleaning the floor. Seems I had a minor accident and burned my hand. Is there something I can do for
you?"