Cat didn't feel as confident as she approached the man on the large chestnut. She needed this job. Many a time she should have held her tongue to ensure she didn't get booted off a ranch without receiving her wages. Her feisty opinions got her into more trouble than her gender.
The truth was, she'd swallow her pride if she had to. She needed the wages this year. "Just remember, he's only the son," she said to herself. "He didn't hire you." Rebel snorted in agreement. Cat reined him in as they got close.
The chestnut faced away from her. That afforded her the opportunity to look the horse and rider over from the rear, unobserved. Reluctant to study the man right off, Cat noted the horse's coat had a glossy shine. The gelding was well looked after.
It wasn't a full quarter horse. It was taller and finer boned. It might even have the racing breed in it, an unusual choice of mount for a cattleman.
The horse was also highly strung. It flicked its head up and down wildly, straining the martingale it wore to curb the habit. It's legs danced impatiently. It was not a mount for an inexperienced rider. That told her a couple of things about its owner. He was a good horseman, looked after his animals well, yet had a taste for danger.
Her gaze traveled to the man. A wide, strong back was the first thing that took her eye. A blood red shirt clung to lean, hard muscles, outlined by the dampness of sweat. His sleeves were rolled up past his elbows. A thick, muscular forearm rested on one thigh, while the other signaled to workers further out among the herd.
He wore tanned leather gloves. It was easy to see he was used to hard physical work and wasn't the type to just give orders. He'd do a good day's work along with his men.
She brazenly followed the line of his strong back down to his butt. Cat had seen hundreds of cowboys, had grown up with them. But something about the way this man sat a horse made her flesh tingle. Even though his horse danced, flicked and pulled at the bit, he controlled it easily with a light rein and a firm squeeze from his powerful thighs.
Cat glanced along the length of him. She almost forgot to breathe as a strange heat poured through her. She didn't have time to dwell on her reaction to him though, as all of a sudden, he wheeled his horse around and stared straight at her.
Shadowed, almost black eyes surprised her with their intensity. The dark brows over them pulled up in surprise. He'd been going to say something, but his chain of thought had clearly been interrupted by Cat's presence.
She took a moment to flick her gaze over his tanned, oval face. The dark eyes matched the grim line of his lips perfectly. Smooth flesh stretched over high check bones. A straight nose ended with a softening roundness that clashed with his harsh expression. She guessed him to be close to thirty.
Had this man ever smiled?
The black Stetson he wore hid details of his hair and forehead. His neck was strong and thick, then further down, a few open buttons at his throat revealed a light smattering of raven black hair swirling up from his chest. Sweat glistened, caught in the errant curls. Cat swallowed, wondering why she even noticed, why her breath caught.
"May I help you?"
His was a rich voice, low, more sensual and educated than she'd been prepared for. There was no underlying tension in it. Either he looked grim and angry all the time, or he was very good at curbing his annoyance in the presence of those who hadn't caused it.
Cat took a deep breath and spoke up with a confidence she didn't feel. "Mr Cartwright?"
He nodded.
"I'm one of your new hands. What would you like me to do first?" Just in case he didn't realize she was a woman, she slid the hat off her head and challenged him with a defiant stare.
The eyes didn't change, but the brows arched. He shifted his butt in the saddle ever so slightly, leaned one arm behind him to settle on the chestnut's rear and stared at her for a few seconds. Cat, feeling self-conscious, licked her dry lips and spoke again.
"What would you like me to do?"
"Now there's an interesting question," he said slowly.
Again, Cat was caressed by the rich deep voice he projected. It set her nerves on edge but she pressed on. "I'm a good cutter. I notice the man you were pointing to is very slow. Would you like me to go assist him?" Her voice lost its strength as he continued to stare.
There was just the slightest change in his facial cast. He seemed to become colder. He allowed his eyes to wander all the way from the top of her head to the tip of her boots and back again. Her face heated with his slow, intimate appraisal.
"Ma'am, I'm sorry, there must be some mistake," he finally said. "I don't employ women." He went to turn, as if that was the last he intended to say, but Cat wasn't going to let it go so easily.
"Well, I'm sorry, Mr Cartwright, but it appears you're not the boss of this ranch."
His head flicked back, and his mouth drew down in an even deeper frown.
Cat sat up straight and continued. "I've been employed by your father, and he intends for me to work here."
"Does he?" It wasn't posed as a question but more of a challenge.
"Yes, he does," she answered bravely.
Cat didn't miss the flash of anger, then the quick return to icy calm that crossed his face. She had a feeling that under normal circumstances, Adam Cartwright was an expert at controlling such emotions.
He moved his horse forward. The animal skipped, danced and flicked its head, yet ended up perfectly parallel to her grey stallion. At this distance, she could see his eyes weren't truly black, but a warm hazel brown. Some of his menacing advantage faded.
"I'm experienced," she said, trying not to let her eyes wander over his impressive chest, hidden only by thin red cotton.
He took another long, hard look at her. "Experienced at what?"
There was no mistaking the insult. Cat turned red. She barely managed to hold her growing temper. Rebel felt the trembling of her limbs and shifted impatiently beneath her.
"Ranch work: cutting cattle, branding, fencing, and fighting." She added the last one for good measure. Did his brow lift a fraction more with surprise, or was it amusement?
"Whatever it is that you think you're an expert at, ma'am, you're not practising it on this ranch. I'll get my father to give you some wages for your trouble." He went to turn away again.
"Like hell you will!" Cat answered in a scathing tone.
He turned back, slowly. "What did you say?" Despite his protesting horse, he crossed his arms over his broad chest, governing the animal with only his lower body.
"I said, like hell you will," She repeated bravely. Cat had nothing to lose. "I'm here to work! I'm no pampered school marm out on a Sunday picnic around the ranch. I can cut it with the best your workers." Cat crossed her arms, mirroring his action. "And I could match you any day."
Adam stared her down then suddenly barked out an order.
"Hoss, Joe! Both of you, get over here. Now!"
The two of them heard, but approached with uneasiness. Adam was the oldest and by far the most bossy of the three Cartwright boys. He'd just turned twenty-seven, which made him six years older than Hoss and almost twelve years older than Joe was.
Therefore, instead of an older brother, to Joe he was more like a second father. With the demands of the ranch so enormous, Ben and Adam's relationship had developed into one that resembled that of business partners, rather than father and son. Adam and Hoss were close, but Adam certainly had much more of a business persona, so out here, he was definitely in charge.
While they loved their brother unequivocally, Hoss and Joe were also to some degree scared of him when he was in this kind of mood. He was an intimidating figure, and with it, his preference for dressing mainly in black added to his dark, brooding image. Hoss approached him first, followed by Joe. They both looked worried.
Adam sat his horse with a look of thunder, more menacing than they had ever seen before. Opposite him sat Cat. To her credit, she looked equally as stubborn. She was standing up to Adam with great courage.
"Just what is going on back at the ranch? Pa must have lost his mind. This . . . this lady thinks she's working out here." The voice was loud, but controlled. Adam's dark eyes burned angrily.
"Mr Cartwright, don't talk about me as if I weren't here. Hoss, Joe, kindly tell your brother that I have been employed by your father."
"That's right Adam," Joe managed. "She can ride like you wouldn't believe. Pa hired her last night."
"Yeah, Adam. You should see this little gal ride a bronc, she's amazin'." Hoss's voice petered out when the 'death stare' was aimed in his direction.
Adam sidled up to his brothers and spoke in a low, ominous tone. "Listen up boys, you better get this woman out of my sight right now. I've had it up to here with incompetent hands." He pointed at his throat with a dramatic gesture. "The way we're going, we're never going to get through this herd by next year, let alone next month! You tell Pa he'd better get some decent hands out here, or we'll have a disaster on our hands this summer."
"Adam," Joe began.
"Don't interrupt me, Little Joe. What was he thinking, hiring a woman? He's been out in the sun too "
"-Adam."
"Joe! As I was saying, Hoss you get back to the ranch and-"
"-But Adam!"
"Will you stop interrupting me?"
"But look, she's amazin'!" Joe pointed in a stunned manner at the center of the herd. Adam looked around in frustration, then stared in surprise. Hoss gaped.
Sick of their argument, Cat had galloped away from them and had started to cut cattle. The Cartwright's watched, momentarily stunned. Never had they seen anyone cut, rope and tie a calf as fast and as economically as they were watching Cat do it now. Her horse seemed to separate the animals without instruction.
She slung the rope low and even. Capturing a calf at every attempt, she quickly jumped off Rebel and tied the legs in a split second. The branding team, after a few minutes of bewildered silence, rushed over to each beast and branded it.
Each animal took no more than a couple of minutes. Adam, Hoss and Joe watched for a good while in a kind of shock. Hoss was the first to speak.
"Well, if that ain't the dog-gondest thing I ever did see. I ain't never seen anyone rope like that before, not even Chick Hammond, and he's the best in the territory."
Joe gave a low whistle as he continued to watch.
"That's six I count already. She's makin' me tired just watchin' her." He turned to check Adam's reaction. It was hard to tell with Adam, but Joe made himself an even bet that he was furious. Adam didn't like to be proved wrong.
"Well, big brother, what do you think?"
Adam turned to Joe and Hoss, a frown on his face.
"Let's see what she's like at sundown. Ten hours in this hot sun will soon wear out her enthusiasm."
With that cutting remark, he kicked Sport in the sides and rushed off to the center of attention. Joe and Hoss looked at each other once again, with a knowing glance. Adam was going to make her life miserable.
There was nothing surer. She wouldn't last.
Ben enjoyed a pleasant ride out from the ranch to the branding paddock. Things had been going well for the ranch lately and his sons were getting on remarkably well. The winter had been kind and the ranch was in good condition. They were a little short handed. With the boom in silver strikes recently, most men opted for mining work rather then ranching because of the higher pay. But Ben knew they would get through with honest hard work.
Life was good. He looked forward to overseeing Adam as branding boss. He always did such a responsible job. It was hard to believe it was three years since Adam had returned home from college. For a while, Ben had worried that Adam would remain in the east.
Ben admitted he was at ease with his eldest son in command. Adam was so capable, so cool-headed and in control for a young man. Ben rode over the rise close to the camp.
He was also curious to see how the new girl was doing. As he calmly surveyed the scene, he noticed a small gathering of men over near the stream. There seemed to be something going on.
Astonishingly, he noticed signs of a fight. Startled into action, he kicked Buck and started down the hill. Shouting and badgering sounds reached him as he approached. He hurried his mount towards the ruckus. It wasn't like Adam to allow a fight amongst the hands, even if it was during a break.
"What's going on?" Ben's booming voice rang out and some of the onlookers turned to see the commanding sight of Ben Cartwright bearing down on them. They soon started to scuttle away, clearing a path to the center of the trouble.
Ben was dazed. Half in and half out of the water was his son, Adam, covered in mud, with Hoss straining to hold him back. On the other side and also splattered with silt, was Cat. Little Joe and Hank had hold of her, barely, as she struggled wildly to be free.
"Now come on, you two. Ain't you had enough yet?" said Hoss. Hoss was valiantly trying to hold brother, but due to the slippery conditions, he lost control at the same time Hank and Joe did. Adam and Cat hurtled toward each other.
Ben winced as the two slammed together. Cat grabbed Adam around the waist and forced him into the water with a wrestling lock. Adam twisted around, managed to free himself and wrenched her arm behind her back to try and restrict her movement. All the boys cheered as they watched the best doggoned brawl they'd seen all month. Ben was in utter disgust.
"Adam!" The loud compelling voice had instant effect. Adam emerged quickly from underneath the muddied reeds, where he'd just been unceremoniously dumped. Cat got to her feet too after Adam released her arm out of the bear lock. Both stood at a poor attention, practically falling over from exhaustion. Ben steadied himself for the dressing down.
"All of you, get back to work," he bellowed. The men scattered without trace, including Hoss and Little Joe, leaving him to look at the sorry mess of his number one son and new ranch hand.
"Get cleaned up, both of you. I expect a full explanation. Cat, I want to see you in five minutes at the chuck wagon. Adam, I'll talk to you after that." He turned and stormed off, his bewilderment complete.
He'd hoped the two would work together. Obviously that was not going to be the case. It was amazing any work had been done at all. But as he looked around, he could see a great deal was completed. Thank goodness for small mercies. Reaching the wagon, Ben poured himself a coffee and waited.
About ten minutes later a sheepish Adam walked or rather limped up to the wagon. He was cleaner, but had a torn shirt and dishevelled hair.
Behind him some distance, Cat followed. Also roughed up, she rubbed her arm and held a damp cloth to a bruise on her head. Both avoided walking anywhere near the other. Ben sighed as he got ready to lay down the law.
"Adam, leave me for a minute." Adam slunk off behind the wagon to wait for his father's orders. He might be an adult, but Ben still had a menacing way when he was angry. Cat arrived and stood in front of him, looking very guilty.
Cat, what have you got to say for yourself?"
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
"Well, I, he . . ."
"Why were you fighting?"
"It was my fault, Mr Cartwright. I just got mad, that's all. When he said I couldn't do the work because I was a woman, I snapped. You don't know how many times I've been told that. But, it isn't true, I can do just as good a job as any man."
Ben could imagine Adam thinking that, even saying it. He could see her point, but he still wasn't happy with how she'd handled it. "Even so, Adam is your boss. I can't employ someone who can't follow orders can I?"
"No, sir." Cat looked down, and kicked dejectedly at the ground.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't fire you right now?" Ben looked at her with a wary eye. "Well?"
"You need the branding done?" For once, Cat sounded hesitant.
"Yes, I do, don't I." Ben had a feeling about her, that somehow she'd be a good, loyal worker. It was also quite possible that Adam had behaved unreasonably toward her too. He'd been under a lot of strain recently. They'd both expanded the ranch operations ten fold in the last two years and lost many workers to the gold rush. Adam knew he was behind schedule and had been working long hard hours to try and catch up.
Ben decided Cat deserved a second change.
"All right, go back to the bunkhouse and get cleaned up. I expect you back out here and working after lunch, is that clear?" Ben kept his voice even and calm. She was obviously relieved.
"Yes, Mr Cartwright. I won't let you down again." She backed away and returned to her horse. Ben then sighed and called out to Adam.
Once he appeared, Ben narrowed his eyes and frowned.
"Well, what do you have to say about this, son? You of all people, I expect to set an example. How can I run this ranch if I can't depend on you?" Adam grimaced then offered the explanation.
"She started it!"
"What did you say?" Ben could hardly believe it.
"I said "
"-Never mind! You're acting like a ten-year old school boy. If it helps, she already took the blame for staring it, but I wonder just how far you pushed her first. I don't care who started it, or why anymore. I want a guarantee that the two of you can work together to finish this job."
"But Pa, she's a woman!"
"So? That means nothing out here. Our job is to get these cattle branded and out into the high country for summer grazing as soon as possible. The gender of a person doesn't come into it if she can do the work. And, I think she can, am I right?"
Adam opened his mouth to protest, but seemed to reconsider. "Maybe," he grumbled.
Ben raised his eyebrows. Adam wasn't prone to giving in very easily, and he felt sure this would not be the last of the trouble, but for now, he'd leave it alone. He knew Adam was under strain trying to stick to their tight schedule with the cattle.
They had to have the herds in place earlier than usual this year because they'd won a large timber contract that had to been fulfilled before the cattle drive in the fall. Ben felt sure that things would settle down.
"Want to take some time off to see to your wounds?"
Adam flashed his eyes with stubbornness. "I'm all right."
Ben almost grinned at Adam's damaged ego. "Okay then, I'll see you later."
Ben did chuckle this time as he watched his sometimes pig-headed son limp away. Lucky the Cartwright boys had hard heads, he thought not for the first time.
Although, along with that, Ben also worried that Adam had developed a hard heart as well.
