me.”
Daisy tried to think. He seemed kindly enough—a smooth-shaven, middle-aged man with the hands of a banker and the sound of authority in his voice. He was mannerly and clean and seemed to pose no threat.
She had little choice in the matter anyway. The trip from San Francisco had taken longer than she had anticipated, and the extra two days had severely depleted the last of her savings. Without enough money left to cover the cost of a hotel room, she couldn’t wait around on the hopes that someone from the ranch would come to town. Nor could she hire anyone to ride to the ranch with a request to send a wagon back to get her. Not that she had any assurance they would honor such a request from a complete stranger.
Well, not a complete stranger—to Jack anyway. Although he’d been so drunk the last time she’d seen him, and for most of the time before that, in fact, he might not even remember her name.
Ridiculous . Of course he would remember her name.
If he was even at the ranch.
“When would you be leaving?” she asked, hoping she was doing the right thing. At least she was younger than Mr. Blake, and fit, and Lucy had shown her a few tricks on managing a rowdy male, so she wasn’t completely helpless. Although she did wish she still had her little derringer, just in case.
“I was on my way to the livery to get a buggy.” He motioned to the small valise at Daisy’s feet. “Can I carry that for you?”
Reluctant, but not sure how else she could get to the ranch, Daisy nodded. Picking up a pouch of baby items with one hand, she resituated Kate on her hip, checked to be sure her daughter still held her stuffed cat, then set out after Mr. Blake.
“Do you know how far it is to the ranch?” she asked, hurrying to keep up with his longer strides. The day was warm enough, but if they had to travel far, it might turn cool later, and she wanted to have ample clothing on hand for Kate.
“A good twenty-five miles,” he said over his shoulder.
That far? Daisy was already bone-sore from spending two days in a bouncing stagecoach. The thought of hours more in a jostling buggy almost made her weep. And what if they wouldn’t see her and she was forced to suffer another twenty-five-mile trip back to Val Rosa? No, by God . They would see her. She would insist.
Blake slowed so they walked side by side. “Are they expecting you?”
“No.”
For some reason that made him smile. “Not to worry. The Wilkins brothers will always welcome a pretty little thing like you.”
That comment almost stopped Daisy in her tracks. “I thought they were married.” The older two anyway.
“That they are. The two I’ve met, anyway. Kids and all. Quite a clan they’ve got going out there.”
Well, that sounded ominous. “What do you mean, clan?”
If Blake sensed Daisy’s growing doubts, his smile didn’t show it. “Why, not a thing. Not a single thing.”
They spoke no more until they reached the livery. Once there, he told Daisy to wait beside a four-wheeled buggy with a fold-down top, then went inside the barn to speak to the hostler.
Kate was becoming fidgety again, so Daisy let her climb around in the buggy to wear off her restlessness while they waited for Blake’s return. He seemed to be taking a long time. At one point, she thought she heard raised male voices coming from inside, but when Blake emerged a few minutes later, he was smiling. However, the livery owner, a muttering, sour-faced elderly man leading a spiritless horse with a runny nose and drooping head, didn’t seem as pleased.
“Clem will have us ready to go in no time,” Blake assured her.
Daisy eyed the listless animal the hostler was backing between the shafts of the buggy. “You sure the horse is up to the trip?” She’d heard about the horse flu sweeping the country. As it hadn’t yet reached San Francisco, she hadn’t witnessed it firsthand, but she recognized a sick horse when she saw one. “That horse looks ill.”
Blake
Daisy tried to think. He seemed kindly enough—a smooth-shaven, middle-aged man with the hands of a banker and the sound of authority in his voice. He was mannerly and clean and seemed to pose no threat.
She had little choice in the matter anyway. The trip from San Francisco had taken longer than she had anticipated, and the extra two days had severely depleted the last of her savings. Without enough money left to cover the cost of a hotel room, she couldn’t wait around on the hopes that someone from the ranch would come to town. Nor could she hire anyone to ride to the ranch with a request to send a wagon back to get her. Not that she had any assurance they would honor such a request from a complete stranger.
Well, not a complete stranger—to Jack anyway. Although he’d been so drunk the last time she’d seen him, and for most of the time before that, in fact, he might not even remember her name.
Ridiculous . Of course he would remember her name.
If he was even at the ranch.
“When would you be leaving?” she asked, hoping she was doing the right thing. At least she was younger than Mr. Blake, and fit, and Lucy had shown her a few tricks on managing a rowdy male, so she wasn’t completely helpless. Although she did wish she still had her little derringer, just in case.
“I was on my way to the livery to get a buggy.” He motioned to the small valise at Daisy’s feet. “Can I carry that for you?”
Reluctant, but not sure how else she could get to the ranch, Daisy nodded. Picking up a pouch of baby items with one hand, she resituated Kate on her hip, checked to be sure her daughter still held her stuffed cat, then set out after Mr. Blake.
“Do you know how far it is to the ranch?” she asked, hurrying to keep up with his longer strides. The day was warm enough, but if they had to travel far, it might turn cool later, and she wanted to have ample clothing on hand for Kate.
“A good twenty-five miles,” he said over his shoulder.
That far? Daisy was already bone-sore from spending two days in a bouncing stagecoach. The thought of hours more in a jostling buggy almost made her weep. And what if they wouldn’t see her and she was forced to suffer another twenty-five-mile trip back to Val Rosa? No, by God . They would see her. She would insist.
Blake slowed so they walked side by side. “Are they expecting you?”
“No.”
For some reason that made him smile. “Not to worry. The Wilkins brothers will always welcome a pretty little thing like you.”
That comment almost stopped Daisy in her tracks. “I thought they were married.” The older two anyway.
“That they are. The two I’ve met, anyway. Kids and all. Quite a clan they’ve got going out there.”
Well, that sounded ominous. “What do you mean, clan?”
If Blake sensed Daisy’s growing doubts, his smile didn’t show it. “Why, not a thing. Not a single thing.”
They spoke no more until they reached the livery. Once there, he told Daisy to wait beside a four-wheeled buggy with a fold-down top, then went inside the barn to speak to the hostler.
Kate was becoming fidgety again, so Daisy let her climb around in the buggy to wear off her restlessness while they waited for Blake’s return. He seemed to be taking a long time. At one point, she thought she heard raised male voices coming from inside, but when Blake emerged a few minutes later, he was smiling. However, the livery owner, a muttering, sour-faced elderly man leading a spiritless horse with a runny nose and drooping head, didn’t seem as pleased.
“Clem will have us ready to go in no time,” Blake assured her.
Daisy eyed the listless animal the hostler was backing between the shafts of the buggy. “You sure the horse is up to the trip?” She’d heard about the horse flu sweeping the country. As it hadn’t yet reached San Francisco, she hadn’t witnessed it firsthand, but she recognized a sick horse when she saw one. “That horse looks ill.”
Blake
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