For an instant she was near enough for him to see the soft threads of gold in her hair. To smell the warmth of her skin and the faint scent of wood smoke, crisp and clean. Shed lit the morning cooking fire, hed wager, noticing her delicate hands chapped red from hard work. He felt sorry for her, living in that anger-filled house.
She shook the dirt from her apron in a smooth snap, breaking through his thoughts and calling his attention back to watch her fold the length of calico over her lean forearm.
Youll want to head back the way you came, she said in that gentle way of hers. Stay left at the first fork you come to in the road. Buchanans place is about the fifth ranch you come to. Keep our barn in your sight, and youll be fine.
Im indebted to you, maam.
Stop calling me maam. It makes me feel too old. Im not stoop-shouldered yet.
Old? She looked youngnot too youngand easy to look at as she shaded her eyes with one hand. My name is Sarah Redding.
He tipped his hat. Well, Miss Sarah Redding, Ill round up your chickens and be on my way.
Sarah couldnt help the pull of disappointment in her chest. Miss, hed called her. It was a common enough mistake, she supposed, thinking of the several bachelors and widowers whod been by to call when shed first arrived at Aunt Pearls house last spring.
As soon theyd learned she was not as young as they figured and she had a daughter, they nearly tripped over their feet to leave in a hurry and never returned. And if it hurt, she wasnt about to admit it or to expect that this man, as appealing as he may seem, would be any different.
And if that were true, she didnt want him gathering up her aunts escaped chickens. I can catch the hens on my own, she called after him. Theyre my responsibility and besides, didnt you give your word? You have places to be.
It wont take more than a few minutes to help.
Go on, cowboy. Its my work to do.
A chicken squawked, flapping to keep out of his reach. He hesitated, straightening to figure out the best thing to do. Didnt seem right to leave her like this, but she looked determined to be rid of him. Maybe she was one of those independent types, never settling for a husband and marriage.
Or maybe it was him she didnt want hanging around for too long.
Ill be on my way, if thats what you want, maam. He gathered his mares reins, taking comfort in the familiar feel of worn leather against his skin. Something made him hesitate, maybe because she was the most decent woman hed come across in some time.
Maybe he had no right taking an interest, but it didnt stop him. If you dont mind my asking, why are you living with relatives? A pretty lady like you ought to be married.
The truth is, I havent found the right man. Only inferior ones wind up traveling down my road. Her eyes sparkled as she teased himnot coy or enticing, but gentle and honest. She tilted her head to one side, scattering the gold wisps that had escaped her braid.
And revealing a small white downy feather stuck in the hair above her left ear. The breeze lifted and made it flutter. Good luck to you, cowboy. I appreciate your help.
My pleasure, miss. He tipped his hat and mounted. The creak of the saddle was the only sound between them and he waited, trying to think of something more to say.
But the truth was, hed never had much desire to charm the ladies. He was more practiced in keeping his distance from them, not in figuring out how to talk with them. When was the last time hed been interesting in keeping up a conversation with a woman?
He couldnt rightly say. Just as he couldnt rightly explain why his heart ached with her sweetness as the breeze ruffled her skirt and the wisps of hair that escaped from her braids.
He liked the sight of her, faded dress and all.
By the way, you missed a feather. He said it kindly as he nudged the mare with his knees and guided the animal with an experts ease. Just thought youd like to know.
What? Sarahs hand flew to her head and her fingertips bumped into the feathers stiff spine. She tugged it out of her hair, but he was already riding away.
Oh, had it been sticking out straight like that the entire time?
Probably. Heat swept across her face. There he goes, the most handsome man who had ever wandered down her road, and what kind of impression did she make? Certainly not one that charmed him to the depths of his soul.
Sarah brushed at the skirt that had been her mothers. So old, the dyes had faded from the cotton, leaving only light gray. Her hair wasnt even up yet, she realized, a long braid sticking her mid-back as she rescued an escaped hen. A terrible feeling settled into her stomach. Had she made a fool of herself? Most likely.
Well, today wouldnt be the day she fell in love with a wonderful man.
Shed long since stopped expecting love to happen twice in her lifetime, but the tiny hope inside her remained.
Maybe tomorrow. A woman could always hope there would be another man riding her way, tall and strong, with eyes the color of the wind.
Over the last rise the Buchanan ranch came into view, or what he figured had to be the Buchanan spread. Because the split-rail fence alongside the road went from well-maintained to tumbling-down.
He ought to have expected it, the way his luck had always been. Still, this was a fair piece of prairie that went on as far as he could see. A slice of heaven for sale right here on the vast Montana prairie.
Gage reined the mare to a stop and looked. Just looked. What a sight. The sun was drifting over the horizon, gaining in brightness, chasing away the last of the night shadows. He couldnt get enough of these wide-open spaces and it filled him with hope.
Real, honest-to-goodness hope, and that was a hard thing for a practical man like him. A man whod seen too much of the bad life had in it. But that life seemed a lifetime away as the warmth of the morning seeped through his clothes and into his skin. He didnt believe that dreams existed. But maybe here he had a chance. To make a permanent home for his daughters sake. To find some peace for his.
Maybe.
Looking from left to right, he remembered the description in Buchanans letter.
Two whole sections. Two square miles of his own land. Larger than any hed yet come across. It was something to consider even if neglect hung on the crooked fence posts that leaned one way, then another. How they stood up at all was a wonder.
Gage nudged his mare onto the dirt path and considered the desolate fields surrounding him, fields grazed down to earth and stone. Cattle dotted the pasture and lifted their heads at his approach. Several bawled at him, their ribs visible, suffering from hunger. Good animals, too, and valuable enough
He swore. Whoever Buchanan was, he was a damn fool.
Turn around, his instincts told him. Youve looked at better property and kept on riding. Gage knew what he wanted, and this rundown homestead wasnt it. Yep, he ought to turn around and head south. Look at the land for sale near Great Falls. There had to be a better deal for his hard-earned cash.
He touched his knee against the mares flank, turning her toward the main road, but a niggling doubt coiled tight in his chest. Something deep within made him hesitate against his better judgment. Maybe it was the haunting beauty of the plains. Or the vast meadows that didnt hem him in.
Maybe he was just tired of roaming. Gage couldnt explain it. He simply let the high prairie winds turn him around. He guided the mare down the rutted and weed-choked path while hungry cattle bellowed pitifully as he passed by.
After riding a spell up a slight incline that hid the lay of the land ahead, the road leveled out and Gage stood in his stirrups eager for the first sight of what could be his home. As the ever-present wind battered his Stetsons brim, he spotted a structure on the crest of the rise, silhouetted by the sun, shaded by a thick mat of trees.
Get up, girl, he urged, heels nudging into the mares sides, sending her into an easy lope.
The structure grew closer and, as the road curved round, it became a tiny claim shanty listing to the south, as if the strong winter winds had nearly succeeded in blowing it over. One entire corner of the roof was missing.
Thats it. Turn around. There was no sense in talking it over with Buchanan. The place was a wreck. The cattle were starving. For all he knew, they might never regain their health.
A wise man would keep on moving.
Now normally he was a wise man, but for some reason the reins felt heavy in his right hand, too heavy to fight them. So, he let the mare continue along the path and reined her to a halt in front of the ramshackle excuse for a house.
The door squeaked open, sagging on old leather hinges. A stooped, grizzled man wearing a faded red cotton shirt and wrinkled trousers limped into sight, leaning heavily on a thick wooden cane. You Gage Gatlin?
Yes, sir, I am. Gage dismounted and extended his hand. Good to meet you, Mr. Buchanan.
The old man braced his weight on his good leg, leaned his cane against his hip and accepted Gages hand. His handshake was surprisingly solid for a man so infirm, and Gage felt some sympathy for the man whod grown too weak and old to care for his land and livestock.
Pleased to meet you, stranger. You can call me Zeb. Buchanan repositioned his cane and the hard look in his watery eyes was unflinching. Now that youve seen my place, are you still figurin to buy?
Dont know. Trying to decide that for myself.
Gage studied the shanty. It didnt look good. The unpainted boards were weathered to black and where boards were missing, Buchanan had used tarred paper as a patch. Ive gotta be honest. This place is going to take hard work and a lot of it.
Its rundown, I didnt lie to you about that. Shame flushed the mans aged face. The lands good, you keep that in mind, and my herds are fine stock. Dont look like it, I know, but it was a long winter and I had to make the hay last. Others had the same trouble round here. Ill give you a fair price, thats for sure.
A fair price was always something to consider. But still. The house was a disappointment. Barely livable. Gage took a step back, studying the size of it. This looks like a one-room shanty. The stove stays?
Id throw it in for free. Zeb perked up, leaning heavily on his cane as he pointed around the battered corner of the house. Been looking for the right man to come along. The neighbor has pushing me to sell my good animals to him, but he is a rough son-of-a-gun. You Zeb paused. You have horsemans hands.
Gage nodded slowly, knowing well what Zeb meant and didnt say. Maybe Ill take a look at your herd.
Out yonder. Go ahead and take your time. Reckon seein my horsesll make up your mind one way or the other.
There was a glint in the old mans eye, like a promise of good things to come, and it felt infectious. A lightning bolt of hope zagged through Gage as he crunched through tall, dead grass. Couldnt help expecting to find a good herd of horses to work with. Horses to call his own.
Each step he took through dry thistles made him more certain. He could feel it in his bones as he looked beyond the falling-down fences, sad-eyed Herefords and the remains of a barn, rafters broken in the middle, sagging sadly to the ground. Hope beat within him as he hiked past a gnarled orchard and then froze dead in his tracks.
He was looking at heaven, or the closet part of it he was likely to see.
The brown prairie spread out like an endless table below him, breathtaking and free, in all directions. Unbroken except for the faint line of fallen split-rail fencing and grazing horses, stretching all the way to rugged mountains a haze of purple and pure, glistening white, and close enough to touch. The sun gleamed so bright, it made his eyes water.
He wanted this land. This dream.
A gentle neigh shot through the mornings stillness. Gage looked over his shoulder and lost his breath at the sight of a little bay filly trotting up to the fence, head held high, mane flying, ears pricked forward.
Howdy, girl. He held out a hand so she could scent him and see there was no danger. Youre a pretty one.
As she reached her nose over the top rung of the listing fence, he gazed out across the endless meadows to watch heads lift from grazing and long manes flutter in the breeze. He picked out the arched necks of Arabians, the sturdy-lined Clydesdales and hardworking quarter horses. There had to be a hundred of them. Maybe more.
Dozens of breeding mares, he realized, their sides heavy with foal. Most of the herd stayed at a far distance, but several animals trotted close and warily approached, ears pricked, nostrils flaring as they scented him, determining if he was friend or foe.
Negligence hung on them like the dirt on their coats. The filly at the fence nickered for attention. Her sad eyes implored him, as if she were hoping he had food. Her ribs showed plainly through the thick mat of her dirty coat.
Gage took a minute to study her. Good lines, no doubt about it. Underneath all the mud, shed clean up real nice. He rubbed her nose, and she was trusting enough to lean into his touch. She hadnt been abused. A damn good sign.
Gage crawled through the fence and ambled close enough to the small group of mares before they bolted, galloping to safety, their tails sailing behind them. Pleasure filled him like the sweet prairie air. They looked like a fine group. There wasnt a swayback in the lot of them.
Youve struck pay dirt, cowboy. Gage leaned against the fence and watched the stallion pace around his mares. Watched the mares calm down and return to foraging for food. He felt the old hunger rise in his blood.
A man didnt get luckier than this.
He stood there for what felt like hours. Soaking in the sunshine and the freedom. He could feel his old life slip from his shoulders like a coat no longer wanted. A new start. Fresh possibilities. Oh, itd take workand a lot of it. He wasnt fooling himself about that
A sharp chicken squawk interrupted his thoughts. He remembered the pretty country woman and how her simple dress had skimmed her slim hips. Thinking of Sarah Redding made a different hunger rise in his blood, one of longing, one he hadnt felt in a long time.
Hed surely have to return that chicken. Only because it was the neighborly thing to do.
Chapter Two
S arah mopped her brow and clods of dirt tumbled from her fingers. Her back burned from hoeing for an hour straight, and shed only turned one row of the acre patch. She loved gardening, but this was her least favorite part. Her back agreed as she sank the edge of the hoe into the stubborn ground and her spine burned.
The drum of steeled horseshoes rang on the road behind her, growing steadily louder, and she didnt bother to look up. It was probably Aunt Pearl and the children back from shopping in town. Sarahs stomach tightened because her cherished peace was about to end.