Authors: Annabelle Weston
She picked up her purse, brushed off the dirt and tucked it
into the waistband. She found her whip lying in the middle of the street and
the crowd backed away as she snatched it up and coiled it.
“Here comes the sheriff,” someone shouted from the sidewalk.
Sheriff Poole pushed his way into the center of the ring that had formed around
them. The circle widened to give him room.
“What is the meaning of this?” Sheriff Poole scowled as he
was prone to do.
“That man,” Kate indicated with a nod, “stole from me!”
“Lock her up, sheriff.” Mack shot out the words. “She’s gone
loco
. See what she did?” He raised his chin. “The woman just attacked
me! And that’s a fact.”
Sheriff Poole took stock of the situation, his eyes rolling
from Mack to her. She could see not only his consternation with her behavior,
but a speech coming up. She’d give him the raw side of her tongue if he dared
to side with the lying thief.
“What has he stolen, Kate?” the sheriff asked, a patient man
if there ever was one.
“My reputation,” she mumbled under her breath. His kiss
still stung her lips, his nasty breath insulted her nose and the wretched taste
of him poisoned her mouth. “He took my money and squandered it on a card game,
and when I fired him he grabbed my purse.”
“Mack, what do you say to these charges?” the sheriff asked,
sighing deeply. The man appeared to have aged in just the few minutes he’d been
out there.
The crowd parted and Carly walked to her husband’s side. Kate
took comfort from having her there. She’d been the first person to pay a call
on Kate and Jolie after Pa was shot. Folks claimed Mrs. Poole was no lady but
Kate thought differently.
“Fair compensation,” Mack hollered like a wounded buffalo.
“The woman fired me without cause.”
“You got your compensation playing poker,” she countered.
“Did you have to hit him?” Sheriff Poole asked patiently.
“The damn man kissed me.”
There was a murmur of agreement and sniggering. She’d never
live this down.
“You were begging for it,” Mack replied with a snort.
“You deserved her retaliation then, Mack. I’ve never seen a
woman who looked less like she wanted a kiss,” Carly said with a smirk. Her
husband gave her a sideways, stay-out-of-it glance.
Kate bit down on her tongue to stop the vicious retort she
was about to hurl at Mack. Arguing with the bastard would give Sheriff Poole no
choice but to defend the no-account. She’d no wish for the sheriff to correct
her in front of all these folks.
The sheriff took off his hat and scratched his head. “Mack,
you need to clear out.”
“What about my wages?”
Kate couldn’t hold back her anger a second longer. “You
don’t get paid if you don’t work, you lying, no-good son of a—”
“Kate!” Her sister, pretty as a desert flower, pushed
through the crowd.
Heat flamed Kate’s cheeks as Jolie stepped into view. Kate
suppressed a sigh. No two sisters could be more unalike.
Jolie’s long honey-colored curls poked out from a calico
bonnet. Kate’s mane was dark as night and as unruly as her temper. Kate favored
a black Stetson, same as any man in the territory, and she dared anyone to tell
her she had to wear different.
Jolie was sweet as corn puddin’ in a ladylike calico dress
and wearing a proper bonnet that framed her face. Folks said Jolie Crowley
didn’t have a mean thing to say about anybody. They were right.
Kate rebelled against the notion that you caught more flies
with honey than with vinegar. Who wanted flies anyhow?
Time ago, the locals did consider her a proper young lady,
but since Pa’s death she’d changed. All the fine manners in her just dried up
and blew away.
She’d exchanged her dresses for a blue-denim shirt and men’s
britches. She wore a kerchief around her neck to keep the sun from burning. No
fancy shoes for her. She preferred shit-kicking boots.
“What’s got into you, Kate?”
At her sister’s soft, questioning eyes, arched brows and
puckered mouth, the fight fell out of Kate and her arms went limp at her sides.
Kate’s behavior had become highly notorious in the small town, causing her
sister a great deal of embarrassment.
The two of them were hitched together, a team trying to keep
the spread their pa left them. The ranch was unfortunately falling apart. They
needed each other and Kate’s riotous temper was slowly driving a wedge between
them.
“Jolie, there’s nothing to be concerned about. Go finish
your shopping.”
Mack growled. “Let me tell you what she did, little sis. She
fired me, that’s what. I tell you, she’s as mean as a cornered bobcat and a
menace to society.”
“If my sister fired you, I’m sure she had a good reason,”
Jolie replied sweetly.
Kate cracked a smile. Did Mack think Jolie would turn on her
own sister? Blood was tighter than a man’s pride.
“I’ve been injured. I’m asking the sheriff to arrest your
sister. She’s a menace, I tell you.”
“I’m sure Kate will apologize.”
“Like hell I will.”
Jolie shook her head.
“Do as I told you,” Sheriff Poole said. “Leave this woman
be.”
“Time we skedaddled,” Kate said.
Luckily, Jolie gave up trying to pacify him. “I won’t be but
a minute.” She went back inside the store.
“Best find a new town to reside in before you get into more
trouble,” the sheriff told Mack.
“Don’t you worry. I’m outta here!” Mack raised a fist. “Good
luck getting your cattle to live through the harsh summer.”
Having said his piece, and with some dignity restored, he
slunk away in the direction of the Blue Belle saloon.
Kate needed to go after him and retrieve what was left of
the money she’d given him that morning for supplies. She started in that
direction but the sheriff stepped in her way and placed a firm grip on her
shoulder.
He leaned in close so no one else could hear what he said.
“Kate, you’ve got your purse.”
“He has the money I gave him to buy supplies.”
“Do you owe him wages?”
She nodded. Mack hadn’t been paid in a while.
“Let it go. Count him and you even.”
Sheriff Poole had been a good friend to Kate and Jolie, one
of the few men who could be counted on when trouble blew their way. She
wouldn’t contradict him.
Despite what Mack said, there probably wasn’t much money left
anyhow.
Carly, her lips pursed, entered the mercantile.
Kate turned back to the sheriff and saw pity in his eyes.
She’d seen that expression before when he’d come out to her ranch after Pa’s
murder. Seemed as if everyone looked at her and Jolie that way—two women who
had more trouble than most.
Reluctantly she agreed, calculating how they would be able
to afford the supplies they needed. The answer was they couldn’t. They would
have to go without until she could figure out how to raise some cash.
“You’re right as always.” She grimaced. “I’m happy to see
the back of him.”
The sheriff relaxed a mite. “Mack isn’t the kind of man you
want to mess with. Now you go on home. I’ll be out to check on you all soon.”
“You’re always welcome,” she said sincerely. She’d never
forget the days after their pa’s murder, when Jed had worked so hard to find
out who’d killed him. She’d sort of fallen for him then. But Sheriff Poole was
married. And she’d grown fond of Carly, respected them both. She was at least
glad for his friendship. Too bad there weren’t any more men like him around.
The crowd dispersed, watching over their shoulders. No doubt
her antics would be the topic of conversation tonight at the supper table, with
a warning to sons and daughters to steer clear of Kate Crowley.
Sheriff Poole frowned. “What are you gonna do out at the
ranch without help? I’ll wager you and Jolie can’t do all the work yourselves.”
Kate looked away. The sheriff’s use of the word
wager
did not go unnoticed. Why was everyone betting against her? Since her pa’s
passing, there’d been all kinds of speculation about what would happen to the
homestead and the Crowley women. Mack wasn’t alone in his belief that Kate and
Jolie were headed for failure.
“Don’t you worry,” she said. “I’ll think of something.”
Kate spotted her younger sister through the store window.
She’d stopped to chatter with a bevy of friends from their school days. Jolie
chanced to catch her watching. Despair fell over Jolie’s features, pushing the
knife a little deeper into Kate’s heart.
Jolie was her responsibility and she couldn’t let a little
thing like being without money ruin their lives. She couldn’t let this setback
spoil Jolie’s chances for happiness.
Kate had gained a reputation as a force to be reckoned with
and she would show them all. She was determined to keep the ranch running and
profitable. They’d do just fine without a man.
Kate plastered a cheerful, pretend smile to cover her
anxiety. “I appreciate your concern, sheriff. Jolie and I will be just fine.”
Sheriff Poole tipped his hat and followed his wife into
Finney’s Mercantile.
“Appears to me this is your lucky day.”
Kate spun around. “I beg your pardon?”
A tall stranger leaned against a hitching post. Denim hugged
his muscular thighs and his well-muscled arms were crossed over his broad
chest. His Stetson rode low over his brows, challenging her to say otherwise
and sending her heart aflutter. A true cowman, and in her opinion a man who
thought a great deal of himself.
“Looks like the two of you could use my services.” His deep
voice sent a shiver up her spine, which completely unnerved her.
Tanned skin, dark stubble and those eyes… They bored right
into her, saw through the mask she put on, right down the woman she was.
His mouth curled into an inviting smile, a confident smile.
She tucked her whip into her belt, all too aware he was the type of man who
could steal a woman’s good sense with one brush of those lips.
She wasn’t that kind of woman.
So what the hell was he after?
Chapter Two
Jake straightened. He’d been biding his time, drawn to the
ruckus—along with a respectable number of citizens—of a woman carrying on and a
man protesting.
He’d watched with interest as a burly man with a neck as
thick as a bull’s got his comeuppance from a hellcat who didn’t weigh in at one
hundred twenty pounds dripping wet, in his estimation.
She’d decked the fool, giving him plenty to holler about.
Now, Jake had seen plenty of fights in his life,
participated in a few, but never had he seen a woman flatten a man with her
fist. It had his denim stretching tight at the groin, wondering if she was just
as feisty in the bedroom.
So this was the infamous Kate Crowley.
His blood raced with anticipation. Let the taming begin.
“Who might you be?” A doe-eyed beauty stepped down from the
sidewalk and joined the hellion.
Jake doffed his hat and held it against his buckskin vest.
“Jake Madden, ma’am.”
There was no mistaking Kate’s opinion of him. She eyed him
up and down, her expression cursed with suspicion and contempt. A definite
contrast to the openly curious innocence of the other gal. Kate’s obvious ire
only made him want her more.
“Where are you from, Jake?” the younger woman asked,
obviously not shy about making his acquaintance.
“I’ve just rode in from up north, searching for temporary
work. I’m a fair hand with cattle and ride the best cutting horse in the
territory.” He stuck his thumb in the direction of Rascal tied to a hitching
post and swishing flies with his tail.
“How do you do, Mr. Madden? I’m Jolie Crowley.”
Jake shook a hand as delicate as a calf’s ear. Jolie had a
way about her that would make any man’s mouth water. Kate’s eyes smoldering as
she took a position in front of her sister would give anybody pause to think
twice about asking Miss Jolie to step out with him. He’d have never figured the
two to be kin.
“This is my sister Kate.” Jolie nudged the fire-eater with
an elbow.
“Kathryn Crowley,” the hellion said. She wasn’t inclined to
offer so much as a howdy-do. But he’d not missed her reaction when she first
spotted him. Her eyes had widened in appreciation. She’d run her tongue over
her bottom lip. There had been an invitation there.
Definitely an invite before she’d wiped the slate clean and
become the fiery-tempered grizzly the boys back at the Box T said she was. He intended
to stay on her good side lest she use that whip of hers to graze his flesh as
she’d done with the foreman. He’d no intention of returning to the Purdys
nicked up.
His stomach muscles tightened. He’d never seen a woman use a
whip before and he had to admit it would take some getting used to. Although
part of him wondered if she used the leather in bed. She looked like she might
try.
Yep, he wanted her to use that whip on him…completely naked,
her breasts swaying as she reached back to wallop him.
Damn. He’d never considered a woman taking the lead before.
His cock twitched thinking about her standing over him in
the nude, whip poised and ready.
He couldn’t help widening his grin as he took his time
giving her the once-over. Her britches showed off the curve of her thighs and
roundness of her hips. He couldn’t wait for her to skedaddle so he could get a
good gander at her backside. If he had to guess he’d say it was round, firm,
delicious enough to eat off.
She couldn’t hide her womanly figure beneath that large
denim shirt. Her plump breasts pushed against the fabric. He dragged his gaze
away from her body, aware how much his cock strained against his buttons.
While Jolie wore a man-pleasing dress, Kate dressed for the
range, a flat-crowned hat tied under her chin, covering up unruly dark curls.
Everything about her was appealing and damn if he didn’t thank his lucky stars
he’d taken this bet. He might be winning a hell of a lot more than two grand.
This woman would be a pleasure to bed.
Boy howdy, taming Kate sure was going to be fun.
“Well, Mr. Madden, we happen to have an urgent need for a
foreman,” Jolie said, yanking his ponderings from where they’d wandered. “A
very urgent need.”
He addressed Kate when he answered, grinning wickedly as he
said, “I’m your man.”
“Let me be the judge of that,” Kate sputtered. Her eyes
widened again as if daring him to disagree.
He got under her skin, Jake decided. Not the usual reaction
of a lady in his company but he’d change her opinion quick enough as soon as he
got her alone, maybe in the barn. An image of stripping her down then licking
her entire body came to mind. He’d have her on the ground, begging for more.
Funny how quick he wanted to be the one in charge. Maybe they could take turns.
Hell, what was wrong with him? Jake ascribed to the notion
that a woman was a civilizing influence on a man but this woman—she did the
exact opposite. His blood ran hot in her presence.
“Maybe I should take up my employment with your pa,” he
said. Better to deal with a man upfront, learn the scope of his parameters—and
how much of a fight he might put up with Jake being around his daughters.
Taming a woman was a heck of a challenge; convincing her old man would be
another.
Her coal-black eyes glared daggers.
Shit! What did I say?
“Our pa is dead and he left me in charge. Anything you need
to be taking up will be with me, Mr. Madden.”
Jake raised his hands and backed off. “I’m mighty sorry. I
had no idea.” He shook his head. Those boys at the Purdy ranch could’ve told
him Crowley had passed.
Misgivings started about this scheme being such a good idea.
He hadn’t counted on Crowley being deceased. It wasn’t in him to take advantage
of a woman. All he’d wanted was to show this lovely lady some of the Jake
Madden charm. Like bending her over, sliding inside her hot, wet sheath and
hearing her beg for more.
Something else troubled him. Something he hadn’t counted on.
Kate was proving to be an altogether extreme temptation, which worked in his
favor, making his job so much easier, but it was obvious these two women were
in trouble. They were trying to run a ranch by their lonesome. By the reaction
of the townsfolk, he judged they were doing a poor job of it. How was he going
to concentrate on winning the bet if he was worrying about these ladies and
their affairs?
Jolie touched her sister’s sleeve. “What do you think, Kate?
Do you think we should hire him?”
Kate dismissed him with a scowl and a thinning of her
pouting lips. He felt as if he was being assessed like a side of beef—and found
wanting. The woman surely was fickle. One minute checking him out with interest
and the next flicking him off like a piece of lint on her shirt.
“Are you experienced?” she asked.
“Yes ma’am.” He grinned, hoping to ease her out of her
disgruntled mood. “Experienced in a great many things.”
Her lashes fluttered.
Ah
, Jake decided. She’d
understood his meaning
“Would you care to be more specific?” she asked, recovering
her orneriness with lightning speed.
His mouth nearly fell open at the spark that flared in her eyes.
For a brief second, he believed she was asking about the ways in which he could
pleasure a woman. Of course that was a ridiculous notion. He gulped, trying his
best not to stare at her britches, which sat tight across her hips. “Spent the
spring rounding up calves for the Box T,” he replied.
“That’s Silas Purdy’s spread,” Jolie said. Two perfect
dimples showed at the corners of her mouth and her eyes lit up.
“That’s right. I rode
segundo
to his foreman. Reckon
I can step into a foreman’s shoes easily enough.” He tucked his thumbs into his
pockets.
“Purdy’s spread?” Kate snapped.
“If you need references,” he said, “I’m sure Purdy will
oblige.”
Anger colored her cheeks once more. The woman was a
windstorm when it came to emotions and each damn one blew over her, causing her
to be unpredictable. “Why would I trust anybody who worked for Silas Purdy?”
“Ma’am?” He’d figured the Purdy name would make an
impression. He’d figured wrong.
“You heard me. Silas Purdy is nothing but a snake.”
Jake scratched his stubble. Did the woman have any friends
at all?
“I bet you’ve done some bronco riding,” Jolie said, moving
the conversation to safer ground.
Kate glanced at her sister, her mouth open to reply. He
could only guess what she was about to say.
He flexed his hips forward for her benefit. “I gave a
mustang or two a righteous ride for their lives.”
Kate huffed. “I suppose you want me to hire you because of
your skills busting wild horses?”
Jolie colored slightly.
He played his trump card. “If you have doubts about me then
I’ll leave you two ladies.”
“No, Mr. Madden, please,” Jolie pleaded, grasping her hands
together.
He’d won her over but it was Kate who needed to be
persuaded. He understood her problem. Two ladies would have to be careful about
who they hired on. Especially as they were alone.
Could there be another reason Kate had such a stick up her
backside? Jake reckoned she was scared. Her tough exterior did a bang-up job
hiding her fear.
Jolie frowned for the first time. “Come on, Kate. Give Jake
a chance. Mr. Purdy only hires the best.”
“If he’s so good, why did he leave the Purdy ranch?”
Both girls stared at him. He had a lie ready for this
eventuality. One his mama would’ve believed.
“There’s only room for one foreman at the Purdy ranch and
I’ve got ambition to better myself.”
Kate’s face softened a mite—but not too much. She was a
prickly woman, he decided, who couldn’t afford to appear weak.
Still, she hesitated, putting all she’d learned about him in
perspective, he reckoned. She was mighty suspicious and had every right to be.
Convincing her to hire him would take more doing than he’d figured.
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” She crossed her
arms.
“Do I have the face of a man who’d lie to you?” He winked,
hoping to get on her good side with a little playfulness.
Her cheeks colored up pink, one of the prettiest sights he’d
ever laid eyes on. Blushing made her less like a tigress and more like a
kitten, which could be part of the problem.
Kate came across as though she needed to be in charge.
Apparently she couldn’t tolerate anyone else making decisions. He would let her
be the one on top…for now.
“Maybe you never worked for Mr. Purdy.”
“What’s the name of Silas Purdy’s dog?” Jolie spoke with
desperation.
“His bitch or his heeler?”
“His heeler.”
“Lucky.”
Her frown melted. “That’s right, Kate. The hound is called
Lucky.”
Kate chewed her lower lip. “I guess you are who you say you
are. I will still pay a call on Silas Purdy and ask for his opinion of your
work.”
Jake planted his hat back on his head. “I wouldn’t have it
any other way.”
Silas would give him a bang-up reference. He was party to
the bet and had a sawbuck riding on the outcome. Jake would give the cowhands a
full accounting of what he’d be up against. Kate was definitely a woman in need
of taming. She was more than a shrewish rancher’s daughter. She carried a whip
and wasn’t shy to use it.
“Room and board is included, Mr. Madden, with your pay.” She
gave him a figure that, while low, would be sufficient.
“Sounds plenty to me, Miss Crowley,” Jake answered.
“And you’ll sleep in the bunkhouse.”
“Kate!”
Kate ignored the protest. “When can you start?”
He nodded in the direction of the saloon. “As soon as I
clear the trail dust from my throat.”
She placed her fists on her hips and stared him down. No doubt
she meant to disagree. “I don’t tolerate drunkenness from anyone who works for
me.”
“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” He settled his thumbs
inside the waistband of his blue jeans and gave her a lazy smile.
Kate huffed.
It was easy to get her riled, Jake realized. Tarnation if it
didn’t get him all hot and bothered. With a volatile temper, he must proceed
with care.
She walked down the boardwalk at a fast pace. Her ass was
everything he’d dreamed it would be, two harvest moons fitted tightly into her
denim. Those hips swayed enticingly from side to side.
“See you soon,” Jolie said, following his gaze. “We’re only
five miles from town on the stagecoach road.”
“I’ll find you,” Jake said. Had Jolie noticed how he watched
her sister? Seen the interest flaring in his eyes?
She kept a poker face and waved a delicate hand as she
strutted after Kate. Maybe Jolie would help him simmer Kate down a bit.
Kate looked over her shoulder, glared at him with a word to
her sister to hurry along. Jake could’ve sworn there were flames shooting out
of her ears. Her foul mood would give any man cause to think twice about
bedding her but her ass-hugging britches reminded him what he was here for.
Now he could see why the bets had gone up to two-thousand
bucks. The men back at the Box T must be laughing their asses off about now,
believing he was in for a rough ride with Kate Crowley.
The two women climbed into the sorriest buckboard Jake had
seen in a long while. The box would fall apart at the first rut in the road.
Kate released the brake and gave the reins a shake. They creaked down the dusty
road, one wheel wobbling.
Damn!
What had he gotten himself into? Jake shook his
head. He wasn’t worried about the work. He could run a ranch. He could most
likely turn a profit for them if Kate gave him a little extra lead on the
reins, but he wasn’t sure she would.
In fact, he could say with nearly a certainty that he’d be
checking things off a list she made for him each day. She’d probably remind him
often to keep his mouth shut and his limbs working. He wouldn’t tolerate any
bossiness from a woman.