Quil's Careful Cowboy (Tales from Biders Clump Book 2) Read online

  “Byron swears he can match a horse to a rider every time. That old hostler can be downright stubborn about it.”

  “I’m glad he was in this case,” Cameron admitted. “It’s nice to see you smile.”

  Quil smiled up at the man. “I’ve seen Snap in town a few times; our former hands all purchased our saddle stock. They said they were good working horses and didn’t want to give them up.”

  “You’re Pa must have had a good eye for horse flesh.” Cam smiled. “This pony is sure smooth.” He smiled again and patted the horse, who was now nibbling the young woman’s cuff. “I was actually wondering if your mother might be around. I’d like to speak with her.”

  “Oh, yes, of course. I’m sure you didn’t ride all the way out here for me to see my old pony.” Quil smiled, her face bright but her eyes sad. “Please come in.” Turning, she hefted her skirt and climbed the few stairs to the wide porch. “Right this way, Mr. Royal.”

  Cam followed Quil along the porch and into a wide living space with a high ceiling. To his left was a big fireplace surrounded by comfortable-looking furniture. His boots echoed hollowly across the polished plank flooring as they turned past a long wall and into a homey kitchen.

  “Mrs. Adams,” Cam spoke before Quil had a chance to introduce him. “I hope you remember me. I’m Cameron Royal.”

  “Hello Mr. Royal, it’s nice to see you again. And what brings you out here, may I ask?”

  Cam rubbed at his beard a minute before speaking. “Ma’am, it seems to me you could use a good hand, someone to help you get back on your feet, so to speak.” He didn’t want to hurt the older woman’s feelings, but if what everyone around town was saying was true, she needed ranch hands and quick.

  “Please have a seat, Mr. Royal,” Maud replied, her keen eyes sharp on his face. “Quil, why don’t you get us some coffee and some of that gingerbread you made earlier?”

  Cam pulled out a chair and sat as Maud cleared the table. “Mrs. Adams, I’m not much of one to beat around the bush. I’m a good hand and a hard worker and I need a job.”

  “I see,” Mrs. Adams appraised him carefully.

  “I’d like to sign on for you, but I don’t exactly want any pay for it.”

  He watched as the woman across from him squinted suspiciously. “I’d like a share in the ranch.” He stated flatly, meeting the woman’s hard eyes.

  “What assurances do I have that I can trust you?” she asked, as her oldest daughter placed a cup of coffee on the table along with a piece of dark cake.

  “Mrs. Adams, I can’t make you any promises and I won’t try. All I can do is offer to work and at the end see to it that you are making a profit. If I’m in for a share, I’ll work that much harder to see that it happens. I sink or swim with the ranch, so to speak.”

  Mrs. Adams picked up her coffee in both hands and blew on it softly, her eyes never leaving his.

  “Mama,” Aquila had slid into a chair next to her mother, “I think we should give him a chance,” she said, looking across the table at Cameron. “We need help and this time we know what to watch for. No offense, Mr. Royal,” she added, offering him a serious smile.

  “None taken, ma’am,” he said, nodding, “just to be upfront with you, I’d like you to see this,” Cam spoke, reaching into his pocket and handing her the tattered notice. “I found this in a store in Laramie and thought it was worth considering.”

  Maud read the notice. “Oh my!” she exclaimed. “I never posted anything like this. I sent word to a few of my late husband’s contacts but this…” her voice trailed off. “Was this the only one?”

  “As far as I could tell, ma’am, yes.”

  “Mr. Royal.” Quil’s voice pulled his attention away from Mrs. Adams.

  “Yes?” Her eyes sure were pretty.

  “If we take you on, you’ll have room and board, of course. The bunkhouse will be all yours but you will have to take meals with us. Would that be acceptable?”

  “Yes, ma’am.

  “Mr. Royal.” Maud spoke again, tucking the notice into her apron pocket. “I would be willing to offer you a share in the ranch and a residence as well but we will first need to see a lawyer and draw up papers. I believe my precautions are only sensible.”

  “I couldn’t agree more, Mrs. Adams. I’ll just be glad to know where I’ll be layin’ my head every night and that I’ll have a decent meal at the end of the day.” He smiled, feeling hopeful for the first time in a long while.

  Maud Adams reached a hand across the table to her new employee/partner.

  Cam shook it firmly, and then blinked as Quil reached toward him as well. He took her proffered hand. Feeling her warm palm in his sent tingles racing up his arm. What a strange thing. He must be more relieved at his good fortune to have a steady job than he realized.

  “Eat your cake, Mr. Royal,” Maud spoke, her eyes still thoughtful, “then Quil can show you around.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  ***

  “The bunk house is over there.” Quil pointed along to the far side of the barn near the tree line. “Did you bring your things?”

  “No ma’am, I believe that would have been presumptuous.”

  Quil grinned. “I see what you mean. It will give my sisters and I a chance to get it cleaned up for you as well, I’m afraid no one’s used it in over a year.”

  “I don’t mean to be nosey, Ms. Adams,” Cam spoke softly, “but I’d like to know exactly what the situation is for the ranch. I mean if I’m to help sort it out, I’ll need to understand where to start and the best ways to get ready-cash available for everyday needs.”

  “That’s no problem. I have all the information in the office at the house,” the girl replied.

  “You do?”

  “Yes, I keep the books so I know all the details,” she replied. “I can show you once you get settled.”

  Cam had known of other women who were involved in the running of their father’s ranches, but this was the first one he had known who kept the books. Many women didn’t seem to want to bother with the numbers of the day-to-day work.

  Quil smiled at the cowboy’s scowl. “I like numbers, Mr. Royal,” she quipped. “Some women are very good with numbers, you know.”

  Cameron Royal felt his face flush. How had she known what he was thinking? “I meant no disrespect, ma’am.”

  “There was none taken. Even as a young girl, I loved arithmetic. I enjoy reading and writing and keeping life orderly.”

  “An orderly life sounds kind of nice,” Cam commented.

  Together they walked to the barn. A tall, roan buggy horse trotted to the edge of the corral and whinnied. “This is Sadie,” Quil said, reaching up to stroke the horse’s neck. “She’s our buggy horse.”

  “She’s the only stock you have?”

  “Yes, her and the milk cow.” Quil turned away from the corral and headed into the barn. It was a big structure with well-built stalls, a tack room and a wide aisle. A hayloft above was brimming with hay.

  Soon they had made the full circuit of the place, Cam making note of each out building, fence and useful item.

  “Thank you for the tour,” he offered as they walked back to the house. “I’ll head back into town and either return in the morning or meet your mother at the lawyer’s office when she’s ready.”

  “I think we need to go to town tomorrow, so we’ll plan on meeting you there. Will you be staying at the boarding house again tonight?”

  “Yes, Polly and George have made me feel right at home,” Cam replied, a soft grin gracing his handsome features. “Miss Polly sure is a character.”

  “She’s something else,” Quil agreed. “She tells the most amazing stories, too. You should sneak in to one of her Sunday school lessons sometime,” Quil chuckled, her eyes bright.

  The sound of laughter coming from the pretty young woman next to him trickled down Cam’s spine like warm honey. It was delicious.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he finally said, pulli
ng Snap’s reins from the hitching post and swinging into the saddle. “Thank you again.”

  Cameron pulled the reins of the brown horse toward town and tapped the animal with his heels but Snap didn’t budge. Pushing his hat back, he clicked his tongue and squeezed with his knees. He could not understand it; the horse had been fine when he left town.

  “I don’t think he wants to go.” Aquila Adams looked up at Cam, her eyes laughing, “He knows he’s home.”

  “I’d hate to have to walk all the way back to Biders Clump without my brand-new horse,” Cam half joked.

  “Oh, don’t worry. Snap always comes through in the end.” She reached forward, taking the reins in her hand, near the bit. “Come on, Snap,” she coaxed, “you can come back and see me again tomorrow.”

  Slowly she led the pony forward, toward the road leading to town. At the edge of the yard, she let go of the gelding’s bridle and smacked the horse on the rump.

  Snap lifted himself into a trot and headed toward town with no more than a grunt as complaint. It was funny how a horse could be so attached to a place.

  Chapter 4

  Moving into the bunkhouse felt right, somehow. Cameron could not explain it but it was good to have room, to have a space of his own. The big open building had been built with solid, log walls. A sturdy, wood-burning stove sat in the middle of the room, along with a long-battered table, chairs and a cupboard with a few dishes and a coffee pot in storage.

  Plopping down on his bed, Cam folded his arms behind his head and looked up at the pine-clad ceiling. Overall, the entire situation seemed like a very good one. Cam and Mrs. Adams had agreed on a ten percent share in the ranch, a number that suited him just fine, and of course room and board. Now he just had to get a handle on where to start and how to get the ranch up and running.

  Pulling in a deep breath, he swung his boots over the edge of the bunk he had chosen and stood. No time like the present to get started.

  His boots made a heavy clunking sound on the plank floor as he moved to the door, pulled it open and stepped into a bright spring day.

  He found he liked the setting of the bunkhouse; it was to one side of the barn, nestled back against a ring of trees that nearly surrounded the place. He had no sooner started across the yard to the pretty log home than he caught a glimpse of the youngest daughter slipping into the trees, her red-brown hair glinting in the sun.

  Moments later, he knocked on the front door. Mrs. Adams opened the door and welcomed Cameron in. “Won’t you go through to the office,” she spoke, “Aquila will catch you up on the daily workings of the ranch.”

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Cam replied politely, following the older woman down a hallway to a room with a large window. As he stepped through the doorway, the smell of honeysuckles wafted toward him. The sweet, soft smell was pleasant and seemed to fill him with a sense of ease.

  “Afternoon, ma’am,” he offered, approaching a desk where Aquila Adams sat staring at a large ledger. She looked up at him seriously, her bright green eyes pinched with concern.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Royal,” she offered politely, “won’t you pull up a chair and we’ll begin.”

  Cam grabbed a wooden chair, placing it beside her and settling in.

  “I’m afraid that at the moment, capital is at a premium.” Quil’s voice held a hint of embarrassment. “I know mother explained earlier.”

  “Yes, ma’am. It is most unfortunate what has happened to you. I can’t make promises, but I’ll do my best to see that things get back up to snuff.” Was that a hint of suspicion in her eyes?

  “What’s this expenditure for Herman?” he asked, placing a thick index finger on a column.

  “Herman’s our bull,” Quil replied. “We have the vet out each year to have a look at him. He’s a Herford my pa bought a few years ago to improve the herd.”

  “How’s that worked out?” Cam studied the book further.

  “We’ve had good cattle production and the new steers have been beefier, if you’ll pardon the expression.”

  Cam half smiled, beefier was just what a rancher would be looking for. “Sounds like your pa had a good plan.” He noticed how the girl’s eyes fell at mention of her father. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Where’s your bull now? I mean do you keep him in a specific place, or is he out with the herd?”

  “He’s with the cows,” Quil replied. “Mr. Brody would know where he is more exactly. We agreed to let Herman mingle with his herd in payment for his keeping an eye on things.” She blushed prettily at the inferred information.

  “Do any of the other ranches in the area have a bull like Herman?”

  “No, though I believe Mr. Dixon shipped one in from the East recently.”

  Cam remembered meeting Rafe Dixon only days before. The excited cowboy interrupting their conversation now making much more sense.

  “What about the other ranches, are there others who’d like to have Herman’s services?” he asked as delicately as possible.

  Aquila blinked up at Cam, her soft lips parted as she gazed into his dark eyes. “I don’t know,” she admitted; the thought had obviously never occurred to her.

  “I think it might be a way of getting some ready cash in pretty quickly, or possibly we could do some bartering for other stock.”

  Cam studied the little crease that had formed in the young woman’s brow. “We do need saddle stock,” she agreed as she began chewing her bottom lip in thought. “I could put up a notice at the mercantile.”

  “You write it up, I’ll post it,” Cam said, smiling. “Now let’s get down to work.”

  The next few hours were spent going through the books and it was obvious that things looked bleak. At least they’d come up with one plan that might bring some cash into the mix, and if he could garner enough from Herman’s services in the community, he might be able to get the ranch up and running instead of leaving a herd of cattle to their own devices.

  Cam ran a work-roughened hand over his eyes, now tired from studying Quil’s neat, even numbers. She was a clever girl and understood the situation the Rocking A was in quite well. She had a good head for numbers.

  “Dinner!” a bubbly voice called from the doorway.

  As if in response, Cam’s stomach gave a grumble, making Quil smile.

  “Not a moment too soon, I think,” she said with a smile. It was a nice smile, but too often hidden by worry, he thought.

  He followed Quil along the hall to the kitchen where delicious smells were floating around, his mouthwatering.

  “Something smells nice.”

  “Oh, it’s just ham and potatoes,” Prissy said as she scraped crisp, browned bits of potato from a large skillet onto a plate.

  “Is dinner ready?” Sara stepped through the door, a basket of wild flowers in her hand. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes shining as if she’d had a wonderful day out.

  “You’ve been gone ages.” Mrs. Adams stepped around the corner. “What lovely flowers.”

  “Mother, they’re growing so well just now. I thought I could dry some and make sachets for the store. I’m sure they’d sell.” Her eyes twinkled.

  “What a good idea.” Prissy spoke up, setting the dish on the table, “and you have some dandelion leaves. Here, I’ll make a salad.” She smiled, taking the bundle from the basket as her sister set it by the sink.

  It was a cozy scene, each woman busy with the routine of the meal. In a matter of moments everyone was seated at the table and Mrs. Adams bowed her head to say grace.

  Each of the woman did their best to make Cameron feel at home and soon he started to feel comfortable as the only male at the table. It quickly became apparent to Cam that each woman had her own special strengths, preferences and tastes in the household.

  “How was everything?” Priscilla, the middle daughter asked, her blonde curls bouncing as she place her chin in her hands.

  “Wonderful,” Cam replied honesty.

&n
bsp; “Not too much pepper?” she grinned, her eyes falling on her older sister.

  “Not, not at all.”

  “I told you so.” Prissy, said looking superior. “I never over-season my food.”

  Quil smiled and again, Cam was struck by how much a smile softened her features.

  “What else did you find out there in the back woods?” Mrs. Adams asked, turning to Sara.

  “I pulled a few logs in to use for fire wood. Nothing big, but at least they’ll be useful.”

  “I hope you weren’t climbing any more trees,” her mother chided softly, “not after what happened at Christmas.”

  “Mama, you know perfectly well that I had never fallen out of a tree before.”

  “Yes and no one was hurt,” Prissy added cheerfully.

  “Well I’d better turn in,” Cam spoke, “it’s been a long day.” He really did not want to be in the middle of a family argument.

  “See Mama, you’ve scared poor Mr. Royal right off,” Priscilla giggled. “Don’t worry, Mr. Royal. Ma just fusses over Sara since she always seems to be outdoors.”

  “It’s perfectly normal for a girl to enjoy outdoor activities,” Mrs. Adams said. “It just isn’t necessary to worry one’s mother while doing it.”

  Cam smiled, finally understanding, but still pushed himself to his feet. “Thank you for a lovely dinner,” he said, turning toward Quil. “If you’ll have that note ready for me in the morning, I’ll take it into town.”

  “Of course.”

  “Good night, then,” he offered and left through the kitchen door.

  ***

  Quil lay awake for what seemed like hours after everyone had gone to bed. It bothered her that she hadn’t thought of using Herman for stud services. It was such a simple thing really, well if they could find Herman. Surely, other ranchers in the area would very much like to improve their herds in the same way her father had planned.

  She was not even sure what to charge for services. Mr. Brody had been happy to let Herman expand his range and mix with his cows, so surely for a reasonable fee others would be willing to do the same.

  “I hope it works,” she whispered into the night. Quil knew just how worried her mother was about the ranch, and old Harland Dixon was nagging to buy them out. She hated the thought that her home could be lost. The ranch and her family were everything to her.