The Cowboy's Christmas Proposal. Judy Christenberry

help him a lot in understanding the workings of the ranch. He already had a lot of questions and he didn’t think she could answer all of them.

      He took the books back inside.

      “She assign you some homework, boss?”

      “Yeah, she did. It appears her dad kept a journal about the place. I thought it could bring me up to speed quickly.”

      Several of the cowboys sat up, staring at him.

      “Journals? You mean he kept notes about everything?”

      “Yeah. I take it you didn’t know?”

      “Uh-no. You think he wrote things about us in there?”

      “I don’t know. But I’ll let you know after I read them.”

      “Oh, yeah, sure, you do that, boss.”

      Jake went into his room and closed the door. It shut out the television the cowboys seemed to enjoy after a day’s work. He wanted peace and quiet for what he was about to read. After only half an hour, he had already found the journals immensely helpful. The man hadn’t wasted ink on poetry and the information he’d written had been detailed and to the point.

      Settling back against his pillow, Jake turned back the pages and read to the day before the man died. Described there was just an ordinary day without a hint of the tragedy that was to follow. Penny’s father had written about the cattle in the top pasture and how much he was expecting to make for them at a sale. He’d also documented his concerns regarding Gerald and a number of the other cowboys that still worked on the ranch. Jake knew that some of them would love to get their hands on the books now in his possession. He put the journals in a lock box he took with him wherever he lived. After he locked the lid, he slid the box under his bed, out of view. He’d read more tomorrow night, but he wanted to guarantee their safety until then.

      He’d noticed the reaction of some of the men when he’d mentioned the existence of the journals. He hadn’t taken a liking to one or two of the men right away. He might be wrong, but he’d thought those men might deserve a little extra attention.

      There had been several comments in the book about some of them, but each time, Gerald assured the man he was wrong. Penny had been right—it seemed her father had trusted him implicitly.

      Jake decided to tell Penny that her dad had been cleverly lied to by his manager, but that his instincts had been true. Maybe that would take away some of that pain he’d seen earlier in her blue eyes. He’d noticed how beautiful she was, but she was also young, and not to mention, his boss. He didn’t intend to give in to any urges.

      Jake thought back to Dexter Williams’s wife. He hadn’t had any urges for her, even though a lot of people had thought her beautiful. But her beauty had been paid for by her husband. After the death of his first wife, Dexter had fell headlong into marriage with a woman thirty years his junior. He had never realized that he couldn’t trust her.

      As far as Jake was concerned, he hoped Dexter’s marriage worked out. Dexter obviously still believed that his wife was to be trusted and although Jake hadn’t done anything to change that belief, Mrs. Williams had certainly tried.

      Jake believed in honor, in a man or a woman. That was an attribute he looked for in everyone he met. It wasn’t often easy to see, but time would always tell.

      It was way too early to tell about Penny. Her beauty was evident, but he still couldn’t be sure about her true character. What little he’d seen of her today had impressed him though and she was definitely from a good honest family. He was already forming a good opinion of her father’s character, and he had never had the opportunity to meet the man. He looked forward to reading more tomorrow night.

      Now he turned out the light and climbed into his bed. He settled down under the covers and closed his eyes.

      Again the next morning, Penny was waiting for him when he reached the corral.

      He hadn’t slept well last night and was in a tetchy mood this morning. He looked at her, afraid his tiredness might be reflected on his face. “Are you wanting to start earlier than seven, ma’am?”

      Penny stared at him, blinking her big blue eyes. “No, I just didn’t want to be late.”

      “I can stand to wait a minute or two. Quit worrying about it.”

      “Okay. Are you okay, Mr. Larson?”

      “I’m fine.” Jake answered, angry at himself for losing his cool with her. She was his boss, even though she was only a young woman.

      “Then let me know when you’re ready.”

      “Did you bring your lunch with you today?”

      “Yes. Did you want something?” Penny stared at him with her big blue eyes, determined not to be intimidated by him.

      “I wouldn’t turn down an apple if you’ve got an extra one.”

      “I’ll ride up to the house and get an extra one.”

      He opened his mouth to protest, but she was already on her way. Maybe that was best. He’d get his horse saddled without her staring at him.

      She was on her way back when he rode out of the corral to meet her. She handed over a big, red apple to him. “I’ll let you carry it in your own saddlebag.”

      CHAPTER THREE

      OKAY, so maybe he’d asked for her response. He swung down from his saddle and stowed the apple in his saddlebag. Then he mounted again. “Ready?”

      “Yes,” she said, not bothering to look his way.

      He started out in the opposite direction of their ride yesterday. After a few minutes, when they were well away from the barn, he said, “I thought you might want to know that your father had doubts about several of the men riding for him.”

      “He did?” she asked, her eyes wide.

      “Yeah, but every time he talked to Gerald about them, he told him he was wrong.”

      “And Gerald convinced him?”

      “Not entirely, but your father didn’t want to go against Gerald without proof. He was keeping watch, intending to let them go as soon as he caught them red-handed in slacking off, or doing anything they shouldn’t be doing. He hadn’t come to the conclusion that Gerald was the main problem, but he was making his way there.” After a moment of silence, he added, “I thought it might make you feel better to know that.”

      Penny was silent for a moment as she took in Jake’s words. It had been kind of him to tell her about her father’s concerns and it did make her feel better. When she spoke her voice was shaking slightly. “Thank you. Are you going to do anything about the ones he didn’t trust?”

      “Not unless I catch them red-handed, like your dad intended. They could change their ways. It certainly alarmed some of them that your dad had kept a journal.”

      “How could you tell?”

      “By the fear on their faces when I told them.”

      “Then I doubt you’ll be able to return the books, as you promised.”

      “Don’t worry, I locked them in a box and hid it. It will be obvious if anyone tries looking for them.”

      She didn’t look pleased with his security measures. “Let me know if they destroy them!”

      “Penny, I’m sure no one will try.”

      She nudged her horse ahead of him, indicating she didn’t want to chat about the journals any longer.

      He let her lead for the next hour until he had some questions about the use of a pasture they were passing, but Penny didn’t have the answer.

      Jake didn’t push her. He felt sure he’d find the answer in the journals. “Isn’t it