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Pony Express Special Delivery

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Год написания книги
2019
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Maggie shook her head. “No, he’s still sore because I won’t sell the ranch to him.”

They sat in silence for several minutes. Then Clayton said, “You could fire him. Since the Pony Express riders come through about every two or three days, I would be happy to help you with the running of the ranch. At least until you can find someone who would do an honest job for you.”

Maggie hated to admit it, but Clayton really was a good man. Not a man whom she’d ever fall in love with or want to marry. Jack had been a good man but he hadn’t loved her. Her marriage to him had been out of his desire for an heir and her need to put a roof over Dinah’s head. Then just as she’d started to fall in love with her husband, he’d up and died. Maggie didn’t want to feel the disappointment of lost love again. But he seemed to really want to help her. “Thank you, but I don’t feel like I can do that at this time. Gus wouldn’t leave quietly, and since he’s Jack’s relative he might go as far as to try to take the ranch away from me legally. To be honest, I’m not sure if I have a legal right to the land.”

“Did Jack have a will or a piece of paper saying the ranch belonged to the child?” Clayton reached for another cookie.

Maggie nodded. “Yes. Right after the funeral Jack’s lawyer called both Gus and me to his office. He had Jack’s will. Jack had left the ranch to our unborn child and given Gus a hundred dollars. Of course, Gus wanted it all, but the lawyer said that as long as the baby lives, he legally owns the land.” She watched as he finished the cookie.

“Well, doesn’t that answer your question? Sounds like you do have a legal right.”

She shook her head. “No, James has the legal right. Not me.”

Clayton drank the rest of his coffee and stood up. “You know, maybe we should make a trip to town and check with Jack’s lawyer. I think that as long as you are James’s mother, you have as much right to this land as he does.”

She stood also. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask.” Maggie followed him to the door.

Just before leaving, Clayton turned to face her. “Maggie, I’ll do what I can to help you with Gus.” His blue eyes softened into clear blue pools.

Maggie’s heart skipped a beat. Her palms grew moist. She wiped them on her apron. Confusion clouded her mind. What was it about Clayton Young that had her brain turning to mush?

* * *

Clayton walked to the barn. He didn’t understand why he cared so much about this family. But the thought of Gus Fillmore taking advantage of Maggie and the children infuriated him.

Over the last week, he’d tried to keep to the barn and do the job of Pony Express manager but had found himself watching the house and wondering what Maggie and Dinah were doing.

He missed his family and decided maybe that was why he felt protective of Maggie and the kids. Clayton went to his room and picked up one of the medical books Doc Anderson had given him. Flipping through the pages, he couldn’t focus on the book. His mind continued to drift to Gus, Maggie and the turmoil with the ranch.

He tossed the book onto the cot and pulled his coat and hat back on. Not expecting another rider for a couple of days, Clayton decided he needed to get some fresh air.

Bones snorted his greeting.

Clayton chuckled and said, “You miss our rides, too, don’t you, ole boy?” He saddled the horse and led him outside.

Within a few minutes, Clayton was riding the fences of the ranch. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for but felt the need to have a good look around.

The ranch was flat in most places, and after riding about a mile he circled around and came upon the river. It gurgled along, and new green grass and shrubs lined its banks. He continued and was pleasantly surprised to come upon a wooded cove with the river running past and a pool of clear water that had washed out a peaceful inlet.

Clayton dismounted and allowed Bones to drink his fill while he looked about. He inhaled the fresh air and closed his eyes to enjoy the sweet sound of running water behind him. His shoulders relaxed and his thoughts moved to visions of having a picnic with Maggie and the kids in this spot.

His eyes snapped open. What was he thinking? This wasn’t his family. He had no business thinking about family picnics. Still, he liked Maggie and the kids. What would it hurt to have a picnic with them? Who said a man and a woman couldn’t share a meal together and enjoy this wonderful fresh air? As friends, of course. Just friends.

Bones snorted a warning. Clayton turned and saw Gus riding in his direction. Clayton remounted Bones and waited for the ranch foreman to arrive.

“I see you’ve found my favorite spot on the ranch,” Gus said as a greeting. “What are you doing so far away from the barn?”

Clayton leaned on the saddle horn. “Getting fresh air.” He looked about at the new leaves and grass. “This is a nice spot.”

Gus stared at him. He tilted his hat back. “Don’t you have the Pony Express to take care of?”

What was Gus getting at? Clayton tightened his grip on Bones’s reins and answered. “Obviously, you don’t know how the Pony Express works.” He looked about to let the thinly veiled insult sink in.

The other man shifted in the saddle. “Just like you don’t understand the workings of a ranch.”

“It’s interesting that you should say that. I’ve been around a ranch or two, Gus, and I know enough to know that you are short on the amount of cattle that should be roaming these pastures and that your excuse to Mrs. Fillmore is weak.” He sat up straighter in the saddle. “I also know it’s branding season and you haven’t started.” Clayton had the satisfaction of seeing the shock on Gus’s face turn to anger. “Is there a reason you don’t want me out here riding the range?”

Gus shifted in the saddle again and ignored the question. “You are free to roam around as much as you like, Young. Just don’t get in the way of my men and our jobs. As you have kindly pointed out, we have work to do.” He turned his horse to leave and then turned to look over his shoulder. “I suggest you focus on your job and let us do the same.” He spurred his horse and left at a gallop.

Clayton had hit a nerve with the foreman. Gus hadn’t answered his question and had clenched his jaw. His shoulders had squared and he’d tightened his grip on the horse’s reins as if it took all that he had not to ball up his fists and swing a punch. Clayton’s ride had been relaxing until he’d met up with Gus. Man and horse picked up where they’d left off and continued their exploration of the ranch. The Fillmore Ranch was a decent-size spread, but Clayton hated that the oversize pastures were sparse in cattle. Baby James’s inheritance was being underused, meaning less money would be coming into the family.

When Clayton arrived back at the ranch house, he noticed a horse tied to the hitching rail in front of the porch. Dinah played on the porch with a rag doll and some blocks. She looked up and saw him and came running.

“Hi, Clayton!”

He slid off Bones’s back. “Hello, half-pint. I see you have a visitor.”

Dinah looked over her shoulder at the house. “Yep, a man from the bank.”

“I see.” Clayton led Bones into the barn.

Dinah followed, swinging her rag doll by its arm. “Sissy asked me to go outside to play while she talked to him.”

Clayton took off the horse’s saddle. “Well, I’m glad she did. Now you can tell me your doll’s name.”

“Oh, this is Charlotte. Sissy was going to name baby James Charlotte, if he was a girl.” She hugged the doll close.

“That’s a pretty name.” He rubbed Bones’s black-and-white coat. Clayton wondered why Maggie hadn’t had a boy’s name picked out for the baby since she’d already had a girl’s name chosen.

Dinah nodded. “Yeah, it’s Mama’s name.”

He looked at the little girl over Bones’s back. Sadness filled her pixie-like face. Poor little mite.

“Dinah! Clayton!” Maggie called from the house.

“Sissy is calling us,” Dinah said.

They left the barn together. Clayton watched as a well-dressed man rode away toward town. Maggie stood on the porch holding the baby.

Dinah ran ahead. “I was in the barn with Clayton.”

“I saw that.” Maggie rocked the baby. When Clayton got close enough, she asked, “Can you hitch a horse up to the wagon for me? I need to go into town.”

The tremble in her voice tore at him. “Sure. Would you like for me to go with you?”

“Can I go?” Dinah asked.

“Of course you are going, Dinah.” Maggie frowned at the little girl. She then turned her attention to Clayton. Uncertainty filtered through her voice. “I don’t want to take you from your work.”
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