and rode back into town. Lewt stopped at the first café and waited for her to swing down.
She walked in ahead of him and took the table in the corner, placing her back to the door. He circled around and took the chair facing her. When the waitress passed, he ordered two of the specials with coffee.
Emily kept her head low and her hat on.
“You eat here often?” Lewt asked.
“Never,” she answered. “How’d you know what to order?”
“If there’s no board and no menu, they always have a special. If you never eat here, no one is likely to recognize you. This kind of place tends to have the same folks every day.”
“If I keep my hat and coat on, they’ll think I’m a man.”
Lewt laughed. “If you keep them on, I’ll think you’re a man.”
“I don’t care what you think.”
“I know,” he said softly. “I think that’s why you’re so much fun to be around. No matter what I do or how hard I try, you’re still not going to like me, right?”
“Right,” she answered.
“So I guess there’s little chance you’ll help me figure out which one of the McMurray sisters to marry?”
“Right.”
The waitress sloshed their coffee on the table as she slammed the cups down and rushed past.
Lewt tried again. “Come on, Em. Can’t we be friends?”
She couldn’t help but smile. “The last friend of yours has a half dozen stitches in his hand.”
Lewt shoved his hat back and smiled at her. “You’re right. I guess I’m a dangerous man to know.”
“Why do you want to marry one of the girls, anyway? There must be a hundred girls in any big city you could marry.”
“I need a wife,” he said simply. “A good wife.”
After a few moments he leaned on the table and whispered, “I’ve got to have a lady from a good family. I need to get married right away.”
She met his gaze. “In a family way, are you?”
He laughed. “Something like that.”
Em decided she liked this strange man who must have been raised by rich moles and who could throw a knife better than anyone she’d ever seen. “I’ll help you learn ranching, but that’s all. You’ll have to court the girls all by yourself.”
“Fair enough.”
CHAPTER 12
L EWT USED HIS OWN HANDKERCHIEF TO COVER HIS eyes for the ride back, thinking that riding through the mountains blindfolded was about the dumbest idea he’d ever heard.
He spent most of the time asking questions about the ranch, the land, and the history of the family. Now and then he asked a question about one of the McMurray girls, but Em never gave him anything that would help. In fact, she seemed to know less about them than he’d observed. She sounded surprised when he said Beth was unsure of herself and he wondered why Rose worried herself sick trying to make everyone happy.
They came back through the far north pasture. When Em told him to pull his blindfold off, the sight before him almost took his breath away. Horses for as far up the hill as he could see. He guessed a hundred, maybe more, and all beautiful.
He knew this was a working ranch that had raised horses for fifty years, but watching them graze and run across the land made him think they were living wild.
“They’re really something,” Lewt whispered.
“That they are. The first McMurray came to this land with a dozen. There are cattle down by the river and we grow wheat and corn on land on the other side of that hill, but here, in the heart of the ranch, we care for the horses.”
The weather was sunny after the rain, leaving the air feeling frosty. Lewt waited for her orders, but for a few minutes she just watched the animals as if they were hers.
Finally, she turned to him, all business. “There’s a storm coming in. I can feel it in the air. We ride the borders of the ranch until dark.”
His body had taken a beating on the horse yesterday, but this morning when he’d climbed back on for more torture, he’d found the ride easier. Thanks to her constant shouting, he’d learned
She walked in ahead of him and took the table in the corner, placing her back to the door. He circled around and took the chair facing her. When the waitress passed, he ordered two of the specials with coffee.
Emily kept her head low and her hat on.
“You eat here often?” Lewt asked.
“Never,” she answered. “How’d you know what to order?”
“If there’s no board and no menu, they always have a special. If you never eat here, no one is likely to recognize you. This kind of place tends to have the same folks every day.”
“If I keep my hat and coat on, they’ll think I’m a man.”
Lewt laughed. “If you keep them on, I’ll think you’re a man.”
“I don’t care what you think.”
“I know,” he said softly. “I think that’s why you’re so much fun to be around. No matter what I do or how hard I try, you’re still not going to like me, right?”
“Right,” she answered.
“So I guess there’s little chance you’ll help me figure out which one of the McMurray sisters to marry?”
“Right.”
The waitress sloshed their coffee on the table as she slammed the cups down and rushed past.
Lewt tried again. “Come on, Em. Can’t we be friends?”
She couldn’t help but smile. “The last friend of yours has a half dozen stitches in his hand.”
Lewt shoved his hat back and smiled at her. “You’re right. I guess I’m a dangerous man to know.”
“Why do you want to marry one of the girls, anyway? There must be a hundred girls in any big city you could marry.”
“I need a wife,” he said simply. “A good wife.”
After a few moments he leaned on the table and whispered, “I’ve got to have a lady from a good family. I need to get married right away.”
She met his gaze. “In a family way, are you?”
He laughed. “Something like that.”
Em decided she liked this strange man who must have been raised by rich moles and who could throw a knife better than anyone she’d ever seen. “I’ll help you learn ranching, but that’s all. You’ll have to court the girls all by yourself.”
“Fair enough.”
CHAPTER 12
L EWT USED HIS OWN HANDKERCHIEF TO COVER HIS eyes for the ride back, thinking that riding through the mountains blindfolded was about the dumbest idea he’d ever heard.
He spent most of the time asking questions about the ranch, the land, and the history of the family. Now and then he asked a question about one of the McMurray girls, but Em never gave him anything that would help. In fact, she seemed to know less about them than he’d observed. She sounded surprised when he said Beth was unsure of herself and he wondered why Rose worried herself sick trying to make everyone happy.
They came back through the far north pasture. When Em told him to pull his blindfold off, the sight before him almost took his breath away. Horses for as far up the hill as he could see. He guessed a hundred, maybe more, and all beautiful.
He knew this was a working ranch that had raised horses for fifty years, but watching them graze and run across the land made him think they were living wild.
“They’re really something,” Lewt whispered.
“That they are. The first McMurray came to this land with a dozen. There are cattle down by the river and we grow wheat and corn on land on the other side of that hill, but here, in the heart of the ranch, we care for the horses.”
The weather was sunny after the rain, leaving the air feeling frosty. Lewt waited for her orders, but for a few minutes she just watched the animals as if they were hers.
Finally, she turned to him, all business. “There’s a storm coming in. I can feel it in the air. We ride the borders of the ranch until dark.”
His body had taken a beating on the horse yesterday, but this morning when he’d climbed back on for more torture, he’d found the ride easier. Thanks to her constant shouting, he’d learned
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