Rescuing the Rancher Read online

  Martha stepped forward to hug her, but suddenly stepped back. Faith appreciated it given the pain she’d endured last time.

  “We are happy to help, my dear. I’d like to think we are helping each other.” She flashed that grandmotherly smile that had already helped Faith feel at home with these people. “Why don’t you lay down and have a rest. You look plumb tuckered out.”

  Jonah, who hadn’t said a word to this point, interjected. “Ma’s right. You look exhausted. Lay down and sleep.”

  The pity on his face riled her, but she knew he meant well. Her first assessment was correct she was sure. They were good people, and she was safe here.

  Faith took off her boots and lay on the bed fully dressed, while Martha closed the drapes again, putting the room in near darkness.

  She was asleep almost the moment her head hit the pillow.

  “Ssssssh. We’re not supposed to wake her.”

  Faith opened her eyes a fraction and saw two pairs of eyes staring down at her.

  “You shoosh. You’re not the boss of me,” Leo told his sister, his hands on his hips.

  Faith couldn’t help but grin. If this was an example of what it was like to have three-year-olds around, she was in for a treat.

  The door was open about a quarter, and she could see light streaming down the hallway. She felt incredibly refreshed, which was surprising after such a short nap.

  “Where have they gone?” Jonah’s voice traveled through the house, and Cora put her fingers to her mouth as she giggled.

  Footsteps carried down the hallway, and Martha quietly entered the room. “You two,” she whispered, taking a hand of each child. “Out you go.”

  “But grandma,” they said in unison. “Faith is awake.”

  Martha glanced down at her. “I’m so sorry, my dear. These little devils snuck away and we had no idea where they’d gone.”

  She swung her legs over the side of the bed, and the children stepped in to hug her around the waist. Warmth flooded her at the unselfish act.

  “Supper will be ready soon,” Martha told her.

  “Supper? How…” She surely hadn’t been asleep that long? “Why didn’t you wake me? I could have helped.”

  “No need – you obviously needed to sleep. There is something I need to warn you about.”

  Her breath hitched in her throat. Had Father found her already? “Is it Father?” she asked in a small voice.

  “Oh good gracious no! I’m sorry if I scared you.” She stepped forward and gently put her arm around Faith’s shoulders. “The ranch hands eat with us, so they’ll all be in soon.” She glanced at Faith and frowned. “Did my son remember to tell you that? You’ll be cooking for them too – twice a day. We provide a hot breakfast and supper for our workers. They sometimes have the noon meal with us, but not often – they’re usually out in the paddocks at that time of day.”

  Her mind was ticking over. How many men would she be cooking for? Why did she come here? She couldn’t do this. Could she?

  “We have three ranch hands, so not many. I’ll be here to help for a while yet.”

  Did that mean Martha would be leaving? Would she be here alone with Jonah? That wasn’t proper, it could ruin her reputation, what little there was left of it. Her father had seen to that with his very improper behavior.

  She suddenly felt deflated. She’d come here to help the rancher, and he’d ended up helping her. She owed it to him to stay and at least give it a try.

  As though she could read her mind, Martha began to reassure her. “You can do it; I know you can. Freshen yourself up and I’ll see you in the kitchen.” She flashed her a smile that made Faith believe everything was alright with the world.

  The four men sat at the table, and all talk stopped abruptly as she walked into the room. They all suddenly stood and glanced her way.

  “Ma’am,” they all said at once.

  She felt herself stiffen at the sudden attention. “Please don’t stand on my account,” she said suddenly feeling nervous.

  The three ranch hands sat, but Jonah remained standing. “Faith, allow me to introduce you to my workers.” He pointed to each man as he introduced him. “This is Hank Daley, my foreman, Percy Langmore, and Rory Constance.”

  She stared at them momentarily. Hank was in his forties, maybe even early fifties by the look of him, but the other two were far younger – mid-thirties at most. “Pleased to meet you,” she said, then joined Martha before she could become more of a spectacle. No doubt Jonah had warned them not to mention her bruises or to stare, because none did either.

  “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Martha whispered. “They are good men, all of them, and will see you are not harmed in any way.”

  She was right, it wasn’t too bad. No doubt Jonah had told them all about her and her problems. She wanted to curl into a ball and cry, but that wasn’t an option available to her. Martha’s hand suddenly covered hers. “It will get easier, I promise.”

  Faith nodded. It surely would; it had to get better than it was today.

  “These biscuits need to go on the table,” Martha instructed. “And the butter.” There were more biscuits than Faith had ever seen before. “These boys are big eaters,” Martha said, reading her mind. “They work hard all day, and we feed them well.”

  She took the food to the table, and it was no sooner there, than hands reached out to grab it. “Fellas, a little decorum,” Jonah said, chastising his men.

  They all stared at him momentarily, then grinned, shoving the food into their mouths.

  She hurried back to Martha. “Are they always like that?”

  “Hungry, do you mean? Yes, they are.”

  She had her work cut out for her. Faith could see she would spend most of her day cooking for hungry men and would have little time for much else.

  When the main meal was served, they joined hands and said the blessing. The children sat with them tonight.

  “The children don’t normally eat with us,” Jonah explained. “I thought it would be nice for you to get to know each other.”

  “Good idea,” she said, before reaching for a biscuit. She felt as though she hadn’t eaten for days. “What time do they normally eat and go to bed?”

  “They eat at five, and go to bed at seven,” Martha said. “That way they get to spend time with their father.”

  “Of course,” she said before taking a dainty bite of her food. The four men stared at her. She swiped at her mouth with a napkin. “Do I have food on my face,” she asked as they continued to stare.

  Martha rolled her eyes. “I’m sure it’s because you’re not eating like a pig, like this lot.”

  They all began to object at once. Faith couldn’t stop herself from grinning. “You’re going to fit right in here, my dear,” the older woman said, then went back to her food.

  “Leo, don’t throw your food,” Jonah said firmly.

  Cora glanced across at him and grinned. Surely she wouldn’t… Oh yes she would. She picked up a slice of bread and threw it at her father. Jonah was losing patience, that much was clear.

  The three workers tried to hold back a grin but couldn’t.

  “Right, that’s it,” he said sternly, and picked them up, ready to put the two to bed Faith was sure. “This is why little children don’t get to eat with the adults.” It was obvious he was at the end of his tether.

  Tears rolled down their little faces, and Faith couldn’t help but feel bad for them.

  “Do you mind if I try?” Faith asked quietly, not wanting to interfere, but also not wanting to see the two punished for being children.

  “Be my guest.” He deposited them away from the table where Faith could talk to them.

  She pulled them aside and spoke quietly. “Would you like to play some games tomorrow? Something special?”

  She looked into the little faces, and they stared back expectantly but said nothing. “Perhaps we could make something? A cake or some muffins.”

  “Muffins!” th
ey both yelled, and Faith knew she’d found their favorite activity.

  She smiled. “Then no more throwing food or misbehaving. If you can do that for me, we’ll make muffins tomorrow.”

  They stared at each other then nodded. Finally, they hugged.

  Faith envied the relationship the twins had with each other. She wished she’d had a twin or a sibling who she could have a relationship with. Not Martin, that was for sure. He showed his true colors from the day their father took him to the hotel for the first time.

  “Are we ready to go back to the table and behave? Remember what I said.”

  “Muffins!”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. Faith reached for their hands and they willingly took hers, then climbed up at the table when they returned. Whenever they looked like misbehaving, Faith reminded them of their promise. They grinned at her and behaved like perfect angels.

  “What did you tell them?” Jonah asked as they sat in the sitting room later that night after the children had been put to bed. “I’ve never seen them so well behaved.”

  She laughed, and he liked the sound her laughter made. It was the first time he’d seen her laugh, and it made him feel good.

  “It was easy – I worked out what they like to do and bribed them with it. Behave at the table or miss out.”

  Very clever. “It apparently worked. You’re good with children – you must have heaps of experience with them.”

  Heat rose in her cheeks and he wondered why. His curiosity got the better of him, but he said nothing. Jonah moved toward the fire and stoked it, throwing some small logs on it.

  “I, I’ve never had anything to do with children,” she admitted, and he was shocked. Faith seemed competent, but that now proved to be a fluke. Could he trust her with his children while he was away for the day working?

  He took a deep fortifying breath.

  He had to trust her. He needed to feel confident in her ability to run the household without him. Besides, his mother promised to stay around for at least another week or two, and he would hold her to her word.

  She suddenly went pale. “Is that a problem,” she asked tentatively. “Because if it is, I’ll move on.”

  His head shot up. “No! I need you here, and you need somewhere to stay.”

  The color slowly came back into her cheeks. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “I don’t know what I would do if not for you.”

  “The feeling is reciprocated.” He sat staring at her for some minutes. “You didn’t say when you wanted to start. Perhaps in a week, to give yourself time to recover?”

  She closed her eyes tightly then opened them. “I’d planned on tomorrow, if that suits you.”

  He began to object, but she put her hand up to stop him. “I am fine, I promise. Besides, Martha promised to help me, so it’s not as though I’ll be suddenly thrown in the deep end.”

  How could he argue with that? The woman had principles. Whether or not she was a good housekeeper and cook as she said she was, remained to be seen.

  Chapter Four

  Faith rolled out of bed at five. Today was no different to any other day except she had more mouths to feed.

  Martha had shown her where to find everything and outlined what she needed to do. She’d insisted the older woman stay in bed.

  Talk about finding herself in the midst of chaos, but it was of her own doing. If she didn’t do it now, she would have to take the plunge sometime.

  The kettle was near boiling, and she had all the mugs lined up on the counter. The bacon was cooking along with nearly a dozen eggs. The toast was keeping warm in the oven, along with the sausages.

  She had butter on the table, and the table was set. She expected the men any minute. Faith hoped they didn’t make too much noise and wake the children, but Martha promised they wouldn’t. They’d been doing this for long enough not to wake them, she’d said.

  She glanced across at the fire and sighed. She hadn’t done as good a job with the fire as she’d hoped, so crossed the floor to stoke it some more, it was growing dim. It was the one thing she hadn’t been able to control this morning. Everything else had been running smoothly.

  “Here, let me.” Jonah’s voice came out of nowhere, and it startled her. He stared into her alarmed face. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  She stood as he crouched down, then stared as the muscles in his back rippled as he got the fire going as it should be. As much as she tried, she couldn’t pull her eyes away. He was a wonderful specimen of a man – surely the best she’d ever encountered.

  “Something smells good,” he said as he stood, pulling her thoughts back to the food, then crossed the floor to the stove.

  She stared out the window at the sunrise, ashamed of her feelings of just moments ago. “The sunrise is beautiful,” she said as she continued to stare.

  “Yes, it is,” he said, about to pour himself a coffee.

  “Here, let me.” Their hands touched as she tried to pick up the mug he was holding, ready to make his morning beverage. Warmth flooded her.

  He glanced at her, and she felt heat flood her face. “You’re not my slave,” he said quietly. “You’re no one’s slave. Remember that.”

  This was something totally new to Faith and she wasn’t sure how to process it. She’d been treated like a slave by her various employers, and even more so by her father.

  She studied him momentarily then nodded, and finally let him pour his own coffee. Moments later the workers came inside, kicking their boots off at the door, and hanging their hats on the pegs that were placed there for that very purpose.

  “Good morning,” she said brightly, trying to block out her feelings of just moments ago. “Take a seat and I’ll get your coffee.” She glanced across at Jonah who stared at her. Was it in disapproval after their conversation of just moments ago?

  “Good morning,” they said back, none the wiser.

  They all sat down as directed, and Faith already knew she was going to love working here, but also knew she had to keep her distance from her new boss. She felt a connection with him that she was convinced she shouldn’t feel.

  ~*~

  It had been a busy morning.

  After cleaning up from the men’s breakfast, Faith began work on a beef stew for supper. There was an abundance of produce available, and Martha had insisted she use whatever she needed. It was a nice change after using the least amount of everything back home.

  Even some of her cleaning clients were penny-pinchers, not to mention her father.

  With the stew now on the stove cooking, she began to prepare for the morning break. Jonah said they’d be working close to the ranch house today, so would be in for coffee around nine. She decided to surprise them.

  Faith hadn’t had a break all morning, and now she could hear the children moving about. This was far more challenging than she’d envisioned, but she would push on.

  She refilled the kettle for a much-needed cup of tea, then quietly went to their bedroom, not wanting to disturb Martha. Their grandmother was not young and had been running this extremely busy household for quite some time.

  She deserved a sleep in.

  She opened the children’s door a crack to see what they were up too. Still in their nightgowns, they were jumping up and down on their beds. She could only imagine what Jonah would say.

  “Faith!” they both squealed when they spotted her. “I’m hungry.”

  She couldn’t help but grin. They were so sweet, even if they were a bit naughty at times.

  As she opened the door, they came running toward her and hugged her legs. She felt moved by the unconditional love these toddlers showed her, and worried if she didn’t end up staying. Jonah had promised nothing, and she was yet to prove to him she was up to the job.

  She hadn’t yet convinced herself she was either.

  After helping the two choose their clothes for the day, and helping them dress, she combed Leo’s hair, then brushed Cora
’s hair and began to braid it.

  “Papa always hurts me when he brushes my hair.” She pouted as she spoke.

  “Poor little Cora. Well I’m here now, and I won’t hurt you.”

  Cora spun around in her arms and hugged Faith tightly. “I love you, Faith,” she said quietly, then spun back for her hair to be finished.

  Faith sat on the edge of the bed in surprise. Did the child really love her, or was it just something small children said? She really had no idea.

  “I love you too,” Leo said, not to be outdone, and finished it with a hug as well. Faith was beginning to see these two were in constant competition. It was both amusing and disconcerting.

  She finished up with Cora’s hair, then the three headed for the kitchen.

  “Sit down and I’ll get your breakfast,” she insisted, then poured them each a cup of milk.

  The twins exchanged a glance. “We have cookies for breakfast,” Leo announced.

  Faith glanced from one to the other. “I think you’re trying to trick me,” Faith said, and the twins erupted into laughter. “I’ve made oats for you,” Faith said gently. “Your grandma told me that’s what you have.”

  “It is indeed what they have.” Until now, Martha’s presence had gone unnoticed. “Good morning, Faith,” she said. “I hope you slept well.”

  She glanced up and smiled at the woman who had become something of a mentor. “Thank you, I did. Coffee?”

  She didn’t wait for an answer, instead pulling a mug from the cupboard and placing the filled mug in front of Martha at the table.

  She dished out a small bowl of oats for each of the children and placed it in front of them.

  “I can’t feed myself,” Leo said with a serious face.

  “Me neither,” said Cora.

  Faith frowned.

  “Take no notice,” Martha said. “They have their Papa fooled, but they feed themselves all the time when he’s not around.”

  The twins began to laugh until they almost cried – their little hands covering their mouths as they bent forward. It seemed they liked to play tricks on her.