HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS Eugene, Oregon 97402

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS Eugene, Oregon 97402"

Kellie Lucas
6 years ago
Views:

1 This PDF file contains copyrighted material. Use of this file for any purpose other than viewing on the Harvest House website is strictly prohibited. HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS Eugene, Oregon 97402

2 Cover by Terry Dugan Design, Minneapolis, Minnesota Cover photo Daryl Benson/The Image Bank/Getty Images This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to events or locales, is entirely coincidental. WHISPERS OF MOONLIGHT Copyright 1996 by Lori Wick Published by Harvest House Publishers Eugene, Oregon Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wick, Lori. Whispers of moonlight / Lori Wick. p. cm. (Rocky Mountain memories) ISBN-13: ISBN-10: Frontier and pioneer life Rocky Mountains Region Fiction. 2. Manwoman relationships Rocky Mountains Region Fiction. I. Title. II. Series: Wick, Lori. Rocky Mountain memories series. PS3573.I237W '.54 dc CIP All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America / BC /

3 1 Boulder, Colorado Territory 1870 The tall cowboy and his buckskin mount drew eyes from up and down the street as he rode into town and stopped in front of the bar. He looped the horse s reins over the rail and worked to push Texas from his mind. No easy task. All the towns in every state he d crossed since May sported the same sad little cemeteries, starkly reminding him of his mother s freshly dug grave. For years, while his mother was alive, he felt imprisoned in Texas, but now that she was dead, his only thought was to get as far away as quickly as he could. Not able to remember even half the places he d been, he now found himself in a small town in the Colorado Territory Boulder. It was no different from anything else he d seen. Outside of the church and graveyard, he could see two hotels, a post office, a barber shop, hardware and general stores, and a varied selection of wooden and brick houses. Nothing very special to his mind, but it was already late summer, and he knew if he didn t get settled into work soon, he d be hungry and cold come winter. The barroom doors swung open without a sound as he passed into the smoky interior, which he found rather crowded for midday. Small tables with mismatched chairs dotted the room, and without glancing at anyone he moved to 11

4 Lori Wick a seat at an empty table, one that placed his back to the wall. A moment later, a rotund man in an apron approached. What ll it be? a kind voice inquired. Hat still in place, the cowboy tipped his head back just enough to order his drink. He would have preferred a tall glass of water, and had he been thinking, would have gone to one of the hotels where such a request would have been common. You want the bottle? he was asked when the drink appeared a minute later. No, he said shortly, but without heat. He reached for the glass, keeping his eyes on his own table and drink, but he had already attracted the attention of several patrons, one of whom was bold enough to approach. His name was Lucky Harwell. Just 17 and feeling quite proud of himself this day, he stood and began to saunter over to the stranger s table. Lucky worked at the Double Star Ranch. His boss, Andrew Wagner, had known he was headed to town and asked him to keep an eye out for new hands. Lucky, as wet behind the ears as they came, was feeling so pleased with his task that he would have approached a known outlaw. The solitary man at the table looked a bit menacing, but Lucky wanted to return to the ranch and say he d tried. Mind if I join ya? The head tipped way back this time because Lucky was taller than average, which gave the young man even more confidence. Depends on your business, the cowboy replied. Work. I wondered if you ve ever worked a cattle ranch. The chair opposite the seated man instantly slid out and bumped against Lucky s legs. Lucky had to hide a look of awe. He d never seen such a smooth move; in fact, he hadn t seen that one, but he swiftly recovered and sat down. Who are you? the other man asked before he could say a word. Lucky Harwell. I work at the Double Star Ranch, and my boss is looking for hands. He stopped, waiting for the man to 12

5 Whispers of Moonlight show some interest, but received only a stare. The owner of the Double Star had not said much about the position, but Lucky hated to admit this. For some reason he wanted to bring this man back to Mr.Wagner. The hands sleep in the bunkhouse. He leaned forward as he spoke. It s pretty clean, and you have your own bunk. Umm, we have days off, and the cattle drives aren t as long as some I ve heard about. He couldn t say that he d ridden on any, because the Double Star was his first job. He recognized that he was starting to babble and made himself stop. His expression became slightly mutinous, and his chin rose slightly. He was surprised when the other man put his hand out. Lucky shook it without thinking. I m Travis Buchanan, the deep voice told him. I d hate to ride all the way to this ranch if your boss isn t really looking for men. He is, Lucky told him, all enthusiasm returning. He talked to me about it just today. How many cattle you running? Fifteen hundred head. What direction is this ranch? North. Straight out through the center of town and then to the left at the fork in the road. Again, his age and excitement showed on his face and in his movements. Well, I ll have to ride out there.who do I ask for? Grady. He s foreman. Or Mr.Wagner if he s around. Travis nodded and moved to stand. Lucky saw his intentions and shot up ahead of him. He enjoyed being taller than most men, and the girls liked it too. He didn t want to be caught sitting down. He was certain that if Travis saw how tall he was, he d also recognize his importance at the Double Star. Unfortunately, his view of Travis Buchanan from across the room had been deceiving. Travis stood to full height until he looked down at Lucky from a difference of at least five inches. Lucky s pride in his six-foot frame all but crumbled at his feet. And if that wasn t enough, the bartender s daughter, Gloria, a 13

6 Lori Wick girl he had dated a few times, was now hanging over the bar staring at Travis as though her dreams had come to life. Thanks for the information, Travis said, and Lucky had to drag his attention from Gloria. I ll ride with you, Lucky managed. As disgruntled as he was with the way things had turned out, he had to be at the ranch when this man made an appearance. Travis, who obviously felt no need for small talk, was headed toward the door. Lucky grabbed his hat and left on Travis heels. - You passin through or here for a time? That all depends on the work, Travis told Grady. The older man nodded. He was as impressed as Lucky had been. Travis Buchanan was clean-shaven, something he was partial to, and had a calm, professional air about him. In truth, he was foreman material, but Grady wasn t worried about his position. He was more Andrew Wagner s age than this new man, and the two of them thought much alike. You can start in the morning, if you ve a mind to. He named the wages and mealtimes, and Travis nodded. Lucky was lingering in the background, so Grady called on him to take Travis to the bunkhouse and show him around. From there Grady went inside to tell Andrew they had hired a new hand. He moved toward the office, but the door was shut. It was the only time the boss was not to be disturbed, so Grady left word with the housekeeper and went back out to work. Inside the office, Andrew was sitting at the desk, his hand to his chest.the awful pain was on him again, this time so intensely that he could hardly breathe. On the desk before him was a letter from Rebecca, and he hadn t even had the strength to open it. His breathing came hard and fast for a time, and he laid his head back on the leather chair and waited for the worst to pass. It crossed his mind, as it did often, that 14

7 Whispers of Moonlight one of these days it was not going to pass. This time the thought drove him to prayer. If You re really up there, God, he began, please bring Reba to me. I need her here. I need to show her the ropes, so this ranch won t go to pieces when I m gone. In the past it s been my fault that she s not here, but now Hannah has lost her mind, God. I know it. She s keeping my girl from me. I ll make a deal with You. If you get Reba here, I ll go to church every week. I promise I will. Another pain gripped him and he couldn t think for a time. When it finally receded, he had a terrible headache but still thought of Rebecca s letter. He opened it with a shaky hand, laid his head back again, and read. It s dreadfully hot here, Papa. I envy you the cool of the mountains. The sentence made Andrew s heart leap, since she had stopped asking to come over a year ago. His hopes were dashed on the next line. I m off with friends to the lake this weekend. Marcus will be with us. I told you about him. He lost his arm in the war. I ve never met anyone like him. He has such a natural humor. I know he ll have us laughing every minute. Andrew couldn t read anymore. Clearly she had made a life for herself. How many years had she asked to join him, and he had put her off? It had taken so much longer to settle than he had anticipated. And then the war. Travel had been out of the question. The war had been over for five years, and indeed, he had finally made a home for them. He had considered sending someone from Boulder to Philadelphia in order to fetch her, but he could tell from Hannah s overprotective letters that she would never allow it. It really was his fault that she wasn t with him already. He d been a fool concerning the political situation even Lincoln had been shot and even more of a fool that he d wanted Rebecca to come only if she could live in the lap of luxury. Now he was ready to have his daughter join him in one of the most beautiful homes in the state, but his declining health made him 15

8 Lori Wick helpless to do anything toward getting her there. In the past all of his letters concerning the situation had been to Hannah, but Andrew now wondered if he shouldn t tell Rebecca to make plans herself. She had a good head on her shoulders. She d been educated in the finest schools.the thought gave him hope, and he even felt like finishing her letter to him. Rebecca chattered on about her social life and ended with how much she loved and missed him, but Andrew read it absently. A plan was forming in his mind. - Travis rubbed the back of his neck and slapped his hat against his leg in an attempt to dislodge the dust. He was hot and dirty, and all he wanted was a bath, food, and bed in that order. Some of the boys are going into town tonight, Grady told Travis as he threw a saddle over the stable wall. You goin? Travis head came up. He looked at the older man from over the top of his mount and then went back to the task at hand. No, I m tired of the saddle. They ll probably borrow a wagon, Grady informed him. Travis turned slowly and looked at him. What are you really asking, Grady? After a month of working together, they knew they could both speak their minds. I just thought if you were going in, I wouldn t have to worry about anyone being shot or thrown in jail. A slow smile stretched across Travis mouth. No thanks, Grady.You ll have to get someone else to do your babysitting. The older man grunted, but he wasn t angry. It had been a long week, and he didn t want to go into town on a Saturday night either. He could hardly blame Travis for sharing the feeling. Lucky had a pretty good head on his shoulders, but he was young enough that none of the other men would listen to 16

9 Whispers of Moonlight him. Nothing more was said, but Grady gave Travis a goodnatured thump on the chest when he passed. As Travis was leaving the huge barn, he noticed the ranch cook, Biscuit, stepping to the bell in front of the mess hall. It was early for dinner, and the dusty hand would have enjoyed a bath first, but he was hungry. He changed directions and moved to the long, narrow building. The bell rang in his ear as he passed. You re always first in line, Biscuit snapped at him in his usual cantankerous manner. I don t know why I bother, Travis countered from far above Biscuit s head as he kept moving. The food is never fit to eat. Why you Biscuit began, but cut off when they were joined by the other men. Neither cook nor ranch hand meant any of it. Biscuit and all the men seemed to like Travis enough to give him a hard time. He did his job and was fair and honest. There wasn t a man on the ranch who didn t respect him. Travis himself was well-pleased with the job, feeling as though he d landed on his feet for the winter.the pay was decent, and the living quarters more than adequate. Travis teased Biscuit about the food, but he d had worse. He had only met the owner a handful of times, but Mr.Wagner seemed to be a fair man as well. He would have continued to dwell on Mr. Wagner a little longer had Travis only known he was the topic of conversation in the office right then between the owner of the Double Star and Grady. I know it will be a cold ride, but I want you to go. All right, Grady agreed. Are you going to act as foreman? No, I want Buchanan to do it. Grady nodded. He would have preferred to send Travis on the cattle drive, but he didn t mind going. Coming home was worth the time away. Just drive 150 head into the Denver stockyards, see the auction master, and when you have my money in your pocket, 17

10 Lori Wick get yourself home, Andrew told him. We should have moved them earlier, but I think you can still make it before heavy snowfall. All right. Are you talking to Travis, or am I? Tell him to come see me. Travis was just finishing his meal when Grady approached. He didn t bat an eyelash when told that Andrew Wagner wanted to see him, but wished again that he d been given time to bathe. He made the large ranch house in record time, his long legs eating up the distance, and was surprised at how stark the interior was. Needs a woman s touch. He couldn t figure out where that thought had come from. Unfortunately, it left him scowling when he met his boss. I hope that frown isn t for me, Andrew commented, but you ve just come from Biscuit s cooking, and that could make any man scowl. He smiled, and Travis smiled in return. Grady said you wanted to see me, sir. Yes, I do. Andrew mapped out his wants for the next few weeks. Travis was more than happy to fill in as foreman and take the raise in pay as well. He would be working closer to Mr. Wagner, which suited him fine. He genuinely liked the man.travis left the ranch house just 20 minutes later, once again applauding himself for landing on his feet. 18

Jennifer A. Nielsen. mark of the thief

Jennifer A. Nielsen. mark of the thief Jennifer A. Nielsen mark of the thief Book Two Scholastic Press New York Copyright 2016 by Jennifer A. Nielsen All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., Publishers