Chapter 9

“Where’s Jack?” Claire asked as she wiped her hands on the towel.

“In the stable. He’s a little upset. They have to get Clover back in the herd. Tess is talking to him,” Jed said as he read the paper. He looked over at Claire, who was looking out the kitchen window, and couldn’t help but see the difference from the previous night to that morning.

“What is she doing?” Claire asked as she looked.

Jed walked to the back door and blinked. Tess had a rope around Clover’s neck as she led the calf to the corral. She pushed the calf in and took off the rope. Jack was grinning as he jumped over the fence and hugged the calf around the neck. Tess was talking to him and wagging a finger in his direction. Jack nodded, then leapt at Tess, hugging her around the waist. For an instant, Tess did not know what to do. Then she wrapped her arms around the teenager and ran her fingers through his short dark hair.

She pushed him away then and wagged the warning finger once again. Jack nodded and grinned.

“Hey, Dad,” Tess said as she came in and tossed her hat on the table.

“Take that dirty thing off my table,” Claire insisted.

Tess laughed as she hung it on the back of the chair. “And good morning to you, too, Claire,” Tess said, grinning.

Jed watched for a moment and cleared his throat. “I thought you were putting Clover back in the herd,” he said with a stern voice.

Tess avoided Claire’s curious look. “W-well, I tried a few times. No cow would let her near her milk. I’m thinking maybe one of them that was caught in the thicket might have been Clover’s mama…”

Jed gave her a smug grin. “So?”

“So…” Tess countered. “I can’t let the calf die, for chrissakes. She needs milk.”

“Normally, we’d have veal for dinner,” Jed said.

Claire dropped a fork with a clang and whirled around.

“Dad!” Tess argued and stole a glance at Claire’s horrified face. “He’s joking. Aren’t you, Dad?” Tess glared at Jed, who chuckled.

“Yes, I’m joking.”

Claire was not buying any of it. “You are not, Jed Rawlins. You…you can’t be thinking of killing Clover?”

“We are not killing Clover. Are we, Dad?”

Jed couldn’t help it. He started laughing. Claire just gaped at him, and Tess started to laugh, as well. It was true. When a calf could not be weaned back into the herd, it was sold to the butcher. However, Clover was different.

“She’s family. We can’t just eat her for dinner,” Tess said seriously as her lips twitched.

“That is not funny, Tess Rawlins!” Claire scolded, and Tess stopped laughing. “Would you like to go out and tell that story to Jack?”

Father and daughter contemplated the idea. They looked out the back door to see Jack walking around the corral and Clover trotting behind him. He had the bottle of milk in his hand.

“Nope. I do not run the day-to-day business of the Double R,” Jed said seriously and read the paper.

Later that morning, Claire was in their room stripping the sheets off the bed thinking of poor Clover.

“Mom?” Jack yelled from the hallway.

“Jack, stop yelling. I’m in here,” she yelled back.

“Tess needs you. She’s in the stable,” he said and flounced on his bed.

“Why? I don’t know anything about that stable.”

As she neared the stable, Claire winced. “Smelly place,” she said to herself as she tentatively walked in. “Tess?” she called out.

“Over here, Claire,” Tess said; she was in a stall, brushing a black horse.

“Jack said you needed me,” she said. “That’s a pretty horse.”

Tess grinned. “This is a stallion and he is handsome, not pretty.”

“Okay,” Claire said, watching Tess as she finished brushing the silky mane. “Now what do you want?”

Tess came out of the stall. “I want to ask your permission to do something.”

Claire grinned. “You don’t need my permission. After that kiss last night…”

“Oh, that’s not what I’m talking about.”

“It’s not?”

Tess laughed as she put the brushes away. “You’re kinda cute when you’re all pissy.”

“I am not …” Claire stopped and took a deep breath. “My permission for what?”

“Jack has been riding that mare, but I think this guy will suit him better. I’d like to give this horse to Jack.”

“Give? Tess, I’m no judge of animals.”

“Understatement.”

“But this has to be an expensive animal. You just can’t give it to Jack.”

“Why not? He’s gonna be seventeen in the fall, and he’s taking to ranching and riding so quickly. He needs a reliable horse.”

Claire ran her fingers through her hair. “This is very generous. I…” She stopped and chewed her bottom lip while Tess waited. “What happens when Maria gets back?”

“What about it?”

“The only reason I’m here is because Maria had to go home. When she gets back, I won’t be needed. You don’t need two cooks.”

From the look on Tess’s face, Claire knew she had not thought of the inevitable. When Tess smiled, Claire’s heart skipped a beat. “We’ll work something out when the time comes. Do you want to go back to Helena?”

“What? Tess—”

“Do you like it here?” Tess now stood in front of Claire, who took a step back.

“Well, yes. Of course I do.”

Tess took another step toward her and Claire stepped back again, this time bumping into the stall door. “Do you like me?”

Claire heard the vulnerable tone; her mouth was instantly dry. She merely nodded. When Tess cupped her cheeks with her hands, Claire’s body temperature rose; her heart beat wildly in her chest.

“Then we’ll work something out.” Tess kissed her forehead, then her cheek. “I’m growing very fond of you, Mrs. Redmond. And I honestly don’t want you to get away from me.” She kissed Claire tenderly, her tongue lightly dancing across her lips.

Claire moaned and sagged against the door; she put her arms around Tess’s neck and pulled her closer at the same time, deepening the kiss.

“God, Claire,” she breathed as she pulled away for an instant. Claire grabbed her hair and pulled her back, kissing her deeply.