11

“Would you just listen to the noise that rabble is making out back!” Louise let the kitchen curtain fall back in place.

Sarah continued cutting potatoes.

Grace poured cornmeal into a bowl. “Now, Louise, you shouldn’t talk about Sarah’s hired hands like that.” She grinned mischievously at Sarah.

“They aren’t my hired hands, Grace. They work for Mr. Reinhardt, who works for me.”

Mama turned from the stove. “That Mr. Reinhardt is one handsome man, and rugged too. I’ve seen him out there working with the cattle. Now that’s a cowboy!”

“Ew, Mama, don’t talk like that. You’re too old to think about men in that way. Besides, Mr. Reinhardt is absolutely revolting,” Louise said.

“Have you seen the tobacco spittle running down his chin, and how he scratches himself?” Grace shuddered and picked up an egg.

“I can’t believe I raised such prissy girls! The three of you wouldn’t know a manly man if you saw one.” Mama’s tone was lofty.

“Don’t include me with those two, Mama. I like manly men.” Sarah frowned at her mother.

“Oh? Like who, Sarah? Frederick Chessher?” Grace asked.

“Hold your tongue, Grace!”

“What’s this all about?”

“It’s nothing, Mama. Grace doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

Grace wrinkled her nose at Sarah.

“Hush up, you two.” Mama had a faraway look in her eyes. “I don’t know…having Mr. Reinhardt here reminds me of how virile and handsome Sarah’s daddy was. It takes a mighty strong man to run a ranch.”

“Yeah, Sarah, Mr. Reinhardt is a good-looking man, and he’s proven how much he knows about cattle.” Louise patted her belly. “Since you want to run this ranch so bad then maybe you should marry him.”

Louise and Grace had a laugh.

Sarah glared at them. “He’s an old man, Louise! He might be handsome, but if you knew Reinhardt, you wouldn’t even want me going on the cattle drive with him.”

Concern washed over Mama’s face. “Why do you say that? Has he given you reason to doubt his integrity?”

“You don’t need to worry about me, Mama. I’ll have Pedro and Inez to protect me. Besides, there are two more things I’m taking to ensure my safety.”

“Oh, what’s that?”

“My Derringer pistol and Daddy’s Winchester rifle.” Sarah was convinced she’d be safe on the trail.

~*~

Sarah leaned against a fence post and watched the vaqueros practice their roping skills. The three days they had camped out on the ranch with Reinhardt gave her time to see how proficient the men were with handling cattle.

Reinhardt ambled up beside her and crossed his arms. “Good lookin’ bunch of vaqueros, aren’t they?”

“I don’t know about that, but they sure know what they’re doing.”

“Yeah, they do…even if they’re a bunch of pepper bellies.”

“Don’t call them that.”

“Just calling it the way I see it.”

“They are a wild bunch. Mama is none too happy about all their singing and carousing until all hours of the night. She’s afraid to let me go with you.”

“I can appreciate that. I’ll see what I can do.” Reinhardt rubbed his chin. “So, how’s the supply gathering coming?”

“Almost done. We’re still on schedule to head out in the morning. How about you, are your men ready?”

“Ready as they’ll ever be.” Reinhardt stretched and yawned. “That Mexican woman of yours a good cook?”

“Inez happens to be a good cook, as well as close as a family member to us.” Sarah didn’t contain the censure in her voice.

He held his hands up. “Oh, well, pardon me. I just want to make sure me and my men have some good grub to eat. A man can work up a powerful appetite driving cattle.”

“You don’t need to worry. Inez will make sure you and your men won’t go hungry.”

“Mr. Reinhardt…there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“On your advertisement you stated you wouldn’t work in Dickinson County, Kansas. Would you mind telling me what that’s all about?”

Reinhardt acknowledged her question with a slight nod. “Young lady, you might as well learn now that not everyone in the world is honest and trustworthy like you might think.”

Sarah’s thoughts turned to one Laird Crosby. In no way did she think everyone was honest or trustworthy. “I don’t think that, Mr. Reinhardt.”

“Good. Then I’ll just say that I worked hard for a man and wasn’t paid the money I was promised. So I took something of theirs in exchange for what I was owed. Don’t know for sure, but there might be a bounty on my head.”

Sarah’s eyes grew. “What did you take?”

Reinhardt got a faraway look in his eyes. “She was a tall, beautiful blonde with the longest legs you could ever imagine. And best of all, she didn’t even mind going away with me.”

A loud gasp escaped Sarah’s lips. “Mr. Reinhardt!”

The man laughed loudly as he walked toward the stock pens. He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled three sharp notes.

When the magnificent Palomino trotted toward him, Sarah’s shoulders dropped, frustrated. Oh, how ignorant can I be! Beautiful, tall, blonde…horse!