Caring for the Cowboy Read online

  Caring for the Cowboy

  Cowboys and Angels Book 33

  Kit Morgan

  Contents

  License Note

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Also by Kit Morgan

  About the Author

  ANGEL CREEK PRESS

  Caring for the Cowboy

  (Cowboys and Angels Book 33)

  by Kit Morgan

  © 2018 Kit Morgan

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher. All characters are fictional. Any resemblances to actual people or livestock are purely coincidental.

  Cover design by EDH Design.

  If you’d like to keep up with Kit’s books and other fun happenings, then sign up for her newsletter at www.authorkitmorgan.com or text COOKE to 22828.

  License Note

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Chapter 1

  Somewhere near Creede, Colorado, 1892

  “Get a move on, Maja Mae! You’re as slow as your dumb cow of a mother was!”

  Maja stumbled, righted herself and picked up the pace. Her father Balthazar Van Dyne was drunk. Didn’t matter it was half past ten in the morning, the man could slug down whiskey any time of day or night. She didn’t turn around to acknowledge him, just concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. She was cold, hungry, covered with dirt and grime … just the way Pa liked it. “Ya don’t want no men sniffin’ round ya, girl,” he’d say. “I ain’t ready to part with ya just yet …”

  And he meant it. He’d kept her dressed as a boy ever since her mother died six years ago, cutting her hair now and then to add to the illusion. But her hair grew fast and was once again long enough to pin up. She took advantage and kept it tucked under her hat so he never saw it. But she couldn’t wear a hat forever. Soon he’d get out his hunting knife and …

  “Well, will ya lookit that?” Now Maja turned around. Her father had stopped their horse Bo in the middle of the road. “Looks like there’s somethin’ up there in them trees. Could be shelter.”

  Maja studied the hill, then looked at him and shook her head.

  “Look harder, Mayaaaahhh,” he scolded.

  She cringed. She hated when he dragged her name out like that. With a sigh she looked again and saw a glint of something as it caught the sun. A window? She looked at her father again.

  “Well, don’t just stand there, go see what it is! If’n it’s shelter, then give a whistle.”

  Maja sighed, then scampered off the road and up the hill. It was rocky and rough going. Maybe if Pa had ridden a bit further, he’d have seen the obvious trail from the road to whatever it was up the hill. She rolled her eyes, stepped onto it and followed the winding path to what looked like an abandoned cabin. She glanced over her shoulder. She wasn’t going to whistle just yet. Best check things out first.

  She crept around the perimeter of the structure before going to the front door. The cabin was small, only one room with two windows. She knocked on the door out of courtesy, waited, then went inside.

  There was a small potbellied stove, a table, two chairs – one broken – and a single cot with a tick mattress. Dust was everywhere. She examined the stove and wondered if it was in as good of shape as it looked. She hoped so. The nights could be bitterly cold time of year. “Hmm,” she mused to herself as she continued to look around. “Why’s this empty?” Her voice was raspy and foreign-sounding. She never talked, because Pa hated it when she did. “Women should be seen and not heard” was his belief, and she had the bruises to prove it. Her mother had more before she died, lots more.

  She searched the cabin for any signs of recent occupancy and, finding none, went outside and whistled long and loud. Pa could figure out how to get up the hill on his own. She smiled at the thought and went back inside the cabin.

  By the time he stumbled through the door, Maja had brought the mattress outside, found a coffee pot and was now examining a bucket. She did her best to listen to her surroundings and wasn’t disappointed – she could hear a creek nearby. Though with her luck it was down the other side of the hill.

  “Whatcha doin’, girl?” Pa asked and staggered her way. “Found anythin’ good?”

  She shook her head.

  Pa’s attention was drawn to the left. “Water. Hear it?”

  She nodded again and lifted the bucket.

  “Go fetch some. Now.” He turned, almost falling over, and weaved back toward the front of the cabin.

  Maja shook her head in disgust and, bucket in hand, went to find the creek. Thankfully there was a worn path that took her straight to it. Hauling water back up the hill wasn’t to her liking, but what could she do? They had to have it.

  She washed out the bucket, filled it and set it on the grassy bank, shivering and rubbing her arms to warm herself. Her coat was threadbare and she desperately needed a new one. But that wouldn’t happen any time soon –

  “Hello.”

  Maja jumped and spun around. An old woman stood staring at her with a silly smile on her face. She looked the woman up and down. The poor thing didn’t look strong enough to be trekking through the hills. But … could this be the cabin’s owner?” Maja licked her dry lips. She hadn’t spoken to another human being for a long time. “Hello,” she said softly.

  “Oh, it’s all right, you can talk to me.”

  Maja’s eyes went wide. The woman spoke with a cultured British accent. “Whe … whe …”

  “Where am I from? Of course you’d be wondering such a thing – I would be if I were you. Imagine a fancy Englishwoman traipsing about in the woods. Who wouldn’t be curious?”

  Maja looked her up and down again. There was nothing “fancy” about her except her accent – the woman was dressed just as badly as she was. Her dress was dull grey and patched in at least a half a dozen places, hanging on her cadaver-thin frame. But her blue eyes were bright and her incredible mass of curly silver hair made her look like she had a halo. She was the oddest-looking person Maja had ever met.

  “Oh, I know it’s not much.” The woman brushed at her skirt. “But I didn’t have time to change before coming to meet you.”

  Maja’s blinked a few times. “Meet … me?”

  “Of course, my dear. You’re all mine.”

  “What?” Maja said in shock. Her eyes flicked to the bucket, hoping she wouldn’t need to use it as a weapon.

  “Poor choice of words – I do apologize. Allow me to introduce myself.” She curtsied. “I’m Myrtle. And you’re Maja. Though I do like the American way of spelling it – M-a-y-a. But the Swedish have their own way of doing things, don’t they?”

  Maja could only stare. How did she know her name? Or that she was Swedish? “Yes,” she whispered. “I mean, my ma was Swedish …”

  “You haven’t any accent.”

  Maja shook her head. “No.”

  “Hmmm … well, I don’t think he’ll mind. I’m sure he’ll love you just the way you are … or perhaps not.” She stepped closer and peered at her. “You are u
nder there, aren’t you?”

  Maja took a step back. “Under … where?”

  “All that dirt, child.” She sniffed the air. “Hoecakes and fish heads, is that you I smell?”

  Maja took a few whiffs, caught her own odor and cringed.

  “Well not to worry. A good hot bath, some lovely soap and perfume and you’ll be good as new!”

  Maja blinked. She had to think of what to do. The woman was completely loco. “Do you … need help getting home?”

  “Of course not. Though now that I think about it, home is a funny notion, don’t you think? You have one on Tuesday and by Saturday it’s gone. Happened to me once, you know.”

  Maja gulped and shook her head.

  “Oh, I suppose you don’t. Doesn’t matter, it happened a long time ago.” She gave Maja a questioning look, shrugged and went to the water. “Isn’t it a beautiful day? The sun’s shining and love is in the air.” She looked at Maja and smiled. “Or at least it will be if you do what I tell you.”

  Maja could take no more of this nonsense. “I have to go.” She picked up the bucket and headed for the trail.

  “Of course you do.”

  Maja glanced over her shoulder at the woman. She was standing in the ice-cold creek with her skirt hiked up around her knees. “Ma’am, your shoes!”

  “What about them?”

  “You’re getting them all wet.”

  “So I am. But they need a good washing.” She smiled at her. “As do you, my dear. But never mind that. Your father is fit to be tied – you’ve taken far too long fetching that water.”

  Maja couldn’t breathe. How did this woman know such things? “Who are you?”

  She smiled. “You mean you don’t know? Why, I’m your guardian angel.”

  Maja took one last look at the woman before she turned tail and, water sloshing, ran all the way up the hill.

  “I can’t wait to tell Pa that Gavin finally broke Diablo for me,” Cooper White told his best friend.

  Baxter Hicks smiled and did his best not to cringe. Cooper’s new business partner was better with horses than Baxter was. It was bad enough Gavin Knight was Cooper’s new partner to begin with. After Cooper built himself a new ranch house and got himself established as a horse breeder, Baxter was hoping he’d have the honor. So much for that.

  The hard fact was, Gavin was an experienced bronco buster and Baxter was just a cowboy, a hired hand. He was good with horses, but not as good as Gavin.

  “Baxter, are you listening to me?” Cooper asked.

  Baxter shook himself out of his thoughts. “Oh, I am, yeah.”

  Cooper looked him up and down. “No, you weren’t. You had that look on your face that says you’re a thousand miles away.”

  Baxter took off his hat and ran a hand through his brown hair. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

  “Like what? Women?” Cooper’s hands went to his hips as he laughed. “Why don’t you just find a wife, stop torturing yourself?”

  “I do plan on getting a wife. Come payday I’m gonna go see about a mail-order bride.”

  “So you finally made up your mind,” Cooper slapped him on the back. “Congratulations! You’re going to be a husband!” He shoved Cooper toward the ranch house. “Let’s go tell Hattie. I’m sure she’ll be excited. Any thought as to where you’re going to live?”

  “Whoa, whoa,” Baxter said. “One thing at a time. I still haven’t figured that out. I was thinking about Texas.”

  Cooper sobered and nodded. “I know you’ve mentioned it the last few weeks. I guess I’ve been so busy with Gavin and getting our partnership set up, I haven’t given much thought to you leaving. It won’t be the same around here if you do.”

  “There’s more work in Texas, Coop. We both know that. At least for someone like me.” He glanced around the barnyard, then looked at the new ranch house. “Your new place is beautiful. It’s a good thing your wife has a pa with money.”

  Cooper nodded. “I’m one lucky man, I won’t argue. I hope you do as well as I did when it comes to a wife.”

  “I just hope my wife doesn’t mind moving around if we have to.” He kicked at the dusty ground. “I’ve never been good at settling down, Coop. To tell you the truth, the thought of a wife scares me.”

  “It shouldn’t. Having one woman in your life is the best thing that ever happened to me.” He put an arm around Baxter and steered him toward the ranch house. “Come on, let’s go see what Hattie’s been baking this afternoon.”

  “I hope my bride can cook,” Baxter commented as they walked.

  “Put that in your letter to the bridal agency. Do you have a particular one in mind?”

  “No, not yet. But at least I’ve saved up the money.”

  Cooper stopped and looked at him. “Are you really thinking of leaving and going to Texas?”

  Baxter shrugged. “That all depends.”

  “On what?”

  “On whether or not I can make it here in Creede, Colorado. You have a ranch, Cooper. I have a cot in a bunkhouse.”

  “Why don’t you start your own ranch?”

  Baxter laughed. “With what? I don’t have enough capital, you know that.”

  Cooper scratched the back of his head, then arched an eyebrow. “You know there’s a simple solution.”

  Baxter knew where this was going. “No. Absolutely not.”

  Cooper threw his hands in the air. “Why not, for crying out loud? There’s plenty of work here.”

  Baxter bit his tongue. He didn’t want to tell his friend he felt like he came in second behind Gavin. Not that it was Gavin’s fault – he was the logical choice for Cooper’s new business partner. But every time Cooper brought up working for him and Gavin, it felt to Baxter like he was a charity case. He hated that. Worse, Cooper was right – it’d solve all of his problems. He could make an honest living working for Cooper and Gavin and be able to support a wife to boot.

  Cooper gave him a playful shove. “Baxter, you’re doing it again.”

  Baxter sighed. “I just can’t, Coop. You have to understand.”

  “I understand that your pride’s getting in the way of your good sense.”

  Baxter glanced at his horse tied to the hitching post in front of the house. “I think I’d better go.”

  “Oh no,” Cooper said. “My wife will kill me if you don’t come inside and say hello. Then she’ll kill you.”

  Baxter laughed. “She’s too sweet and kind to kill me. You, on the other hand … well, I’ll hold you for her if I have to.”

  “Some friend you are.”

  Baxter grinned as they stepped onto the front porch. “What are friends for?” Joking was their way of relieving the tension whenever they got into a disagreement. And though most of this particular disagreement wasn’t voiced, it simmered just enough to put both men on edge.

  “Baxter!” Hattie said as they entered the house. “It’s good to see you. How long can you stay?”

  “Not long, I just thought I’d come by and see how you were doing.”

  Hattie smiled and put a hand over her belly. “It’s too early for anything to bother me. Though I’m sure I’ll go through what all women do when they’re with child.”

  “I hope you don’t mind Cooper telling me. He caught me in town yesterday and gave me the good news.”

  “Of course not – you’re family,” she said. “And just think, you’re going to be an uncle!”

  He smiled. “Uncle Bax. Kinda has a ring to it.”

  Hattie laughed. “It certainly does. Come into the kitchen and I’ll get you some coffee. How about a piece of pie?”

  “Have you ever known me to turn it down?” He followed her to the kitchen.

  “Baxter here’s ready to send away for a mail-order bride,” Cooper announced, slapping him on the back again.

  Hattie’s eyes lit up as she turned to face him. “Oh, Baxter, that’s wonderful news! The two of you could build a small house on the edge of the ranch.”

 
Baxter slowly turned to Cooper, who grinned and shrugged, then back to Hattie. “Tell me, what makes you think I’ll be around to do that?”

  She glanced between the two men. “Because you’re coming to work here. Where else would you build a house?”

  Baxter glared at his friend. “Cooper, what have you been telling your wife?”

  Cooper went to the table and sat. “Only that you’ll be working for me and living out your days on this ranch.”

  Baxter rubbed his face a few times. “I did not say yes.”

  Hattie turned to him in shock. “But Baxter, what in Heaven’s name would make you say no?”

  “His pride, that’s what,” Cooper said. “And don’t tell me it’s not, Bax. We both know it is.”

  Baxter pulled out a chair and plopped onto it. “What does a man have if not his pride?”

  “Don’t start, you two,” Hattie said. She brought a pie to the table and began to slice it. “So tell me, Baxter. What kind of wife are you hoping to get?”

  “I don’t think I have a lot of say in the matter, sending for a mail-order bride. But one can hope.”

  She put a slice on a plate and handed it to him. “Very well then, what would be the ideal wife?”

  “The ideal?” He laughed. “I can come up with a lot of things for an ideal wife.”

  “Such as?” She handed Cooper a plate next.

  “Well, let’s see,” he said. “She’d have to be gorgeous.”

  “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” she chided. She served herself, sat and picked up her fork. “What else?”

  “I always thought an educated woman would be interesting. You know, someone like you?”