Linda Ford - Big Sky Homecoming

After that, Rose had forsaken any idea of finding a beau. But she had not thanked God for her strong nature. Or her red hair.

Cora and Lilly had found men who were willing to overlook their lack of background.

Rose did not expect to be so fortunate.

Especially with someone the likes of Duke Caldwell...

She pressed her hand to her forehead. Where did such foolish thoughts come from?

Duke watched her with steady eyes filled with concern. “We can’t leave her here.”

He’d mistaken her despair for concern for the sheep, not concern for her own security. She knew where caring about a man would lead. Especially a Caldwell.

Not that she cared about Duke. Not in the least. Never had. Never would.

She started to pull the wool from the snow, strand by strand.

Billy murmured comfort to the sheep and Duke worked by Rose’s side, following her example. His hands were sure and gentle. He seemed not a bit put out to be helping a sheep even though he was a cattleman and they hated sheep. How many times had she overheard remarks in town? “Woolies destroy the grass. They eat it to the roots. It never grows back.”

She could have told the cowboys they were wrong, but knew there was no point. People believed what they chose to believe.

But Duke acted as though the ewe was no different than a cow or a horse. Or maybe he didn’t care what others thought of sheep.

It must be sweet to be so sure of oneself.

“This is Lilly’s first ewe. She calls her Mammy. Mammy will come when Lilly calls her.” She couldn’t stop talking. “But she won’t come when I call her. You wouldn’t think it would make a difference, would you?”

“I hear Lilly is married now.”

“And Cora, too. Cora and Wyatt and his brother, Lonny, are on Jack Henry’s ranch. You remember Jack Henry?”

“Yup.” He continued loosening wool and she continued her endless chatter.

“Lilly married Caleb. He has a little son, Teddy. They’re in town for now, though Caleb says he’ll be getting his own ranch come spring. Right now they want to be in town so Teddy can go to school. He couldn’t walk for a while.”

“That so?”

“It is.” And as suddenly as the burst of words had come, they ended. She couldn’t think of a thing to say.

They had Mammy’s wool loosened on one side and together they moved to the other.

A couple of minutes later Duke straightened and stuck his hands on his hips.

She grinned to herself and ducked her head. His stance should look powerful but with snow up to his knees it only looked as if he might lose his balance.

“What next?” he asked.

She waded out of the snowbank and turned to call, “Mammy, come, Mammy.”

Mammy bleated but made no effort to move.

Rose jammed her hands into fists. “Why will you come when Lilly calls you and refuse to come when I do?”

Billy hugged the sheep around her neck. “It’s okay. She’s not mad at you.” He backed up. “Come on, Mammy. You don’t want to stay here. The snow is cold.” As he backed toward Rose, Mammy followed.

“Good job. How did you do that?” Rose asked Billy, so pleased to see Mammy out of the snowbank she could have hugged the young man.

Duke chuckled. “Billy gets along well with animals.”

Billy beamed at Duke’s praise, then turned to Rose. “Where do you want her?”

She led him to the sheep pen and Mammy followed, bleating happily to be back inside.

Rose turned to contemplate the other animals. “Now, if only they would come as easily.” Then realizing it sounded as though she meant to ask them to help, she smiled at Billy. “Thanks for your help.” She turned to Duke. Her breath stuck halfway up her throat at his wide smile and flashing eyes. Must he look so handsome? So happy? So appealing?

“Thanks for your help, as well.” She managed to squeak the words out.

“Thank me when we’re done.” He held her gaze a moment, then turned toward the other milling sheep. “Billy, do you suppose you could call them in?”

“I’ll try... Come, sheepie. Come.”

A couple trotted toward him but the rest acted as though they couldn’t hear.

“Stupid sheep,” Rose muttered as she marched around the furthest one—the headstrong ram—hoping to head it in the right direction. Of course it ran the opposite way.

Duke ran around the animal, waving his arms. “Shoo. Shoo.”

The sheep skidded to a halt and looked around for a way of escape.

“Shoo. I said shoo.” He jerked his hands toward the sheep.

The sheep baaed and lowered his head. Should she warn him about how the ram reacted to being chased?

But before she could, Duke jumped toward the ram. She stared at the way the animal backed up, still bleating his protest. He turned tail and trotted toward the pen, never once losing his voice.

Duke hurried after the ram. “Shoo. Shoo.”

A cowboy on foot chasing a sheep! Who would have thought she’d ever see the day? When she told Lilly, they would get a good laugh out of it.

Grub, their flop-eared, useless but well-loved dog, loped toward the sheep. Until now he’d been supervising Ma and Pa unloading the wagon, hoping for a handout.

He ran straight into the midst of the sheep, scattering them every which way.

Duke’s eyes grew wide. “Stop. Shoo. Shoo.” He waved his arms madly at the sheep.

Rose started to giggle.

Duke pulled to a halt at her side. “Share the joke.”

She shook her head, not because she didn’t want to but because she wondered if he might be offended.

He nudged her with his elbow. “No fair. I like a good joke.”

“Very well.” She fluttered her hands toward the sheep who’d decided to ignore Grub and follow the ram. “Shoo. Shoo.” She tossed her head like an annoyed sheep. “Baa. Baa.”

No doubt seeing in her actions how silly he looked, he grinned at her and then a chuckle rumbled from him. They held each other’s gaze as they laughed.

“They’re all in,” Billy called.

Rose pulled the gate closed and secured it firmly, as she did each and every time.

“How did they get the gate open?” Duke asked.

“Not by themselves, you can be sure.” She slowly came about to face him. “And I think you know it. This is another of the Caldwell tricks.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. His expression grew fierce. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“Oh, come on. Since we moved here, the Caldwell cowboys have harassed us endlessly.” The injustice of it burned a hot path through her thoughts. “Cows stampeded over the garden. Sheep turned out.” She waved at the tracks through the snow. “This fall a lamb drowned.”

Billy gasped.

“And my pa was injured when cows were run through the yard this fall.”

“I had nothing to do with it,” Duke averred.

“You’re a Caldwell.” She faced him squarely, her eyes burning with her raw feelings.

He studied her for a moment. Shock gave way to indifference. “Come on, Billy. It’s time to go.”

Without another word, they returned to their horses.

“Thanks for your help,” she said, reluctant to end the afternoon on such a sour note. For a few minutes they had worked together and laughed together.

Too bad it couldn’t be like that more often. But the land feud put them at enmity. That fact burned up her throat.

“Tell your father that the Bells aren’t leaving.”

* * *

“Rose is a pretty lady,” Billy said.

“She sure is.” In the year he’d been away, she had blossomed from child to woman. Not that she’d ever been ugly. He’d known her most of his life, attended the same school and the same church. But ever since he’d turned eleven years old they’d been separated by a wide chasm.