The Rancher's Bride. Stella Bagwell

made Rose forget to keep her distance. With a boldness that was completely foreign to her nature, she marched over to within a step of him.

      “Are you threatening me? Is that what this is all about?”

      Suddenly there was a comical twist of frustration on his face. “Look, Rose, if I’d wanted to take your home away from you I could have done it legally several months ago! I’m not a vulture. I’m just a man trying to make a living. All I’m asking for is a little help from the Bar M. And under the circumstances, I don’t think that’s asking too much.”

      Of course he had every right to ask for water. In fact, Rose knew she should be down on her knees thanking God that Harlan Hamilton wasn’t demanding more. Still, the idea of opening the ranch to someone else was like inviting a stranger into her bedroom. The Bar M had been Murdock land for more than forty years. No one had so much as leased a foot of it, or even walked across it. Each section of pasture was like a room in the ranch house. She didn’t want interlopers in her home.

      With a surrendering shake of her head, Rose said, “No, you’re not asking too much. But I must tell you I’m in the same situation you are, Harlan. What bit of grass I have left is burning and I need it for my own cattle.”

      Harlan wasn’t a man to take advantage of anyone who happened to be down on their luck, and that included a beautiful woman. But at the moment he was having tough luck of his own.

      “I can understand that. But I need water wells drilled and pumps installed. Doing that takes lots of money. Money that I loaned to Tomas,” Harlan replied. “I have no intention of going into debt, and I’m not going to sell my cattle. If it makes you feel any better, you can count the use of your water as the first payment on the loan.”

      Rose was backed into a corner with no way out. She had no choice but to let him have what he asked for and hope and pray his wants would stop there.

      Squaring her shoulders, she jammed her hat back on her head, then tugged the brim down on her forehead. “I’m not a difficult woman, Harlan, nor am I foolish. I’ll meet you tomorrow at the boundary fence and we’ll decide what to do with your cattle and mine. Now I should be heading home before dark catches me.”

      She turned to go. Harlan immediately called her back.

      “If you galloped all the way back to the Bar M you couldn’t beat the dark. I’ll take you.”

      “My horse—”

      “The stock trailer is already hooked onto the truck. It won’t be any problem to take you both home.”

      If it wasn’t for Pie stepping on a sidewinder in the dark, she would have insisted on riding back alone. She didn’t want to climb into a vehicle with this man. In fact, if she didn’t get away from him soon, she was certain she’d never be able to breathe properly again.

      “Very well,” she conceded.

      Harlan walked over to an open doorway leading to other parts of the house. “Emily?”

      A few moments passed before the teenager appeared in the doorway. “You wanted me?” she asked her father.

      Harlan introduced his daughter to Rose, then added, “I’m going to drive Miss Murdock back home. Would you like to come with us?”

      The girl threw a suspicious glance at Rose. “No.”

      Harlan sighed. “You haven’t been off the place for several days. It would do you good to get out of the house, Emily.”

      Having been a schoolteacher the past five years had taught Rose many things about children. She knew that underneath petulance was usually a need for attention or love. As for Emily, there was a sad, depressed look about the girl that tugged at Rose’s heart.

      “I know what the Murdock place looks like,” Emily said with a toss of her head.

      “If that’s the way you feel about it,” Harlan said to her, “then I expect you to have this kitchen clean by the time I get back.”

      The bored look on the girl’s face suddenly turned indignant. “But, Daddy,” she protested. “I’ll miss my program and—”

      “No buts. You didn’t want to go, so stay here and make yourself useful. And turn that darn TV off. If I come back and hear it on, it’s going to stay off for a week.”

      Turning to Rose, he nodded toward the door leading to the back porch. “If you’re ready, let’s go.”

      Rose looked at the teenage girl. “Goodbye, Emily. I hope we meet again, soon.”

      For a moment, Rose thought Harlan’s daughter was going to rebuff her but then a faint smile crossed the girl’s thin face.

      “Goodbye, Rose.”

      Once the two of them were outside the house, Harlan said, “I hope you’ll overlook Emily’s rudeness. She’s been in one of her moods lately.”

      “I used to be a schoolteacher, so I’m accustomed to teenagers’ moods,” Rose replied.

      They rounded the house and Rose was relieved to see that Pie was only a few steps away from where she’d left him. She reached for the horse’s reins, but Harlan immediately took them from her. As he led the horse toward the barn Rose followed him. The sun was already down and shadows were lengthening on the dry, cracked ground beneath their feet. While they walked, Rose kept her eyes on the dusty toes of her boots.

      “You say you were a teacher. Does that mean you’ll not be teaching when school begins in September?”

      “The ranch needs me now,” she said frankly.

      Harlan glanced over at her downcast head. Things were obviously much worse at the Bar M than he’d expected and that worried him for more reasons than one.

      A few minutes later they were traveling west across Flying H land. The evening air was beginning to cool. Rose removed her hat so that the breeze coming through the open cab would blow her hair.

      As the ranch house disappeared behind them, Rose couldn’t help but wonder if Harlan’s daughter was cleaning the kitchen or watching TV. Did her daddy spoil her, misunderstand her, love her? The questions pestered her until she finally said, “It must be a very quiet life for Emily during the summer months. Does she do any activities with friends her age?”

      “Sometimes. But it’s not exactly easy for me to drive her into Ruidoso for entertainment.”

      “I understand. We live a long way from town, too, you know.”

      She was hugging the door. Her hands were folded primly on her lap, her eyes fixed straight ahead. Each time Harlan glanced her way she remained as stiff as when they’d first left the house.

      “I don’t think Emily’s problem is all boredom. The way you saw her is pretty much how she’s been for the past year. At first I thought it was her age. But now I’m not so sure.”

      Rose never encouraged conversation with single men. She found it usually led to awkward situations. Especially when the man insisted on getting personal. But she couldn’t remain indifferent to Harlan. With his long, lean body sitting only inches away, his earthy, masculine scent swirling around her, she was more aware of him than she could ever remember being of any man.

      “How long has your daughter been without her mother?”

      A grimace marred his face. “You know she doesn’t have a mother?”

      Rose nodded, then quickly explained, “When I came to your house I asked Emily if I could speak with you or her mother. She told me she didn’t have a mother.”

      “She can be blunt at times.” Harlan downshifted the truck and stopped as the dirt road they’d been traveling intersected with the main highway. Glancing at her, he added, “Karen died when Emily was going on seven years old. She’s thirteen now.”

      Pulling onto the oozy asphalt, Harlan