Ambush Valley by Dusty Richards

hitch rack, not trusting him not to break his set of reins.
    â€œOh, he must be a little broncy,” the Mexican said and shook his hand.
    â€œA little and its his first trip to town.” He hugged the shorter man. “Marge said they wouldn’t let you go and help me.”
    â€œThat won’t happen again. I told her I did not want to make that man mad. She told me no one was my boss in a case like that.”
    â€œShe told you right. Did she come?”
    â€œOf course I came.” She rushed around the structure. “My foreman tell you everything?”
    â€œNo, but congratulations, hombre .” He realized she’d promoted him.
    â€œGracias.” He showed his snowy teeth. “Now I am the boss.”
    â€œWhat do you know?” he asked her quietly.
    He kissed her on the forehead and damn near had to stand on his toes to do it. “Good to see you. They said that you met my ranch women this week.”
    â€œOh, yes. You do any good up there with the loggers?”
    â€œI think so. We’re sending them some horses, men, and wagons so they can get the timber out. The old bunch got bought off to go to Tombstone and work in the mines down there.”
    â€œYou sure moved around a lot in a week.”
    â€œTrying to hold a ranch together.”
    â€œI know. Is your sister coming?”
    â€œI expect her. How have you been?”
    â€œSad.”
    He took off his hat and beat his leg. “Why?”
    â€œI didn’t have you to hold my hand.” She took his arm as they walked toward the tent. “These men don’t need either of us. Let’s go talk to some others and see what else is happening.”
    â€œSorry, Raphael,” he said over his shoulder. “I’d help you but she needs me.”
    His friend laughed.
    â€œI’m glad you made him foreman.”
    â€œHow could I do anything else? Monica and you were both hounding me.”
    He nodded. “You find out what had the sheriff up a pole.”
    â€œI spoke to him when I was in town. He sounded awfully interested in my business.”
    â€œWas it because of us?”
    â€œHe has a wife. I never have been anything but on the up and up with him.”
    â€œSometimes men attach themselves to other women. Even married ones.”
    She frowned at him. “Oh, I can’t believe he did that.”
    â€œGood.” He still felt there was something the man was stirred up about.
    They stopped and looked over the camp from the highpoint in the grounds. “I love your sister.”
    â€œShe said she met you. She’s coming.”
    She lowered her voice and toyed with the side of his wool vest. “Would you ever think about simply getting on a good horse and riding off with me?”
    â€œWhen can we go?”
    â€œI’ve thought of it many times, since you came back.”
    â€œRunning away from me.”
    She frowned and then laughed. “No, silly, with you.”
    He laughed. “Your daddy sent you to finishing school and all that so you could run off with a poor Texas cowboy.”
    She winked. “I would.”
    â€œOh, we both have responsibilities. Let me get my boot soles on the ground better. I need to do several things.”
    â€œChet Byrnes, you will always have lots more things later. I know how you think.” She pulled him behind a thick cottonwood tree and kissed him. “They won’t ever—ever all get done.”
    His palms cradled her face and he looked deep in her eyes. “The rangers brought my dad home plumb delirious when I was teenager. They’d found him unconscious somewhere out in West Texas, brought him back. I was about eighteen. We’d lost a boy younger than me when he was ten. No one ever saw him again. Then there were the twins, and Comanches got them—a boy and a girl. He was out there looking for them. He’d stayed out there too long and never was right after that. I took over the Bar