Coming Home To The Cattleman. Judy Christenberry

on the lessons her father had taught her, lessons of heart and beliefs of heritage and strength. They’d gotten her through. Maybe she’d exaggerated them in her mind. Maybe he hadn’t loved her as much as she’d believed.

      But now she was going to try again.

      She had to.

      She stood and opened the door to her room. Going back down the stairs, she was reminded of going down in the mornings as an eight-year-old, already dressed for her day, eager to get on her pony and accompany her father as he went about his duties.

      Would he let her ride? One of the few battles she’d won with her mother was for riding lessons in Central Park on Saturday mornings. She’d love to ride again on the endless prairies of Oklahoma.

      When she reached the kitchen, she found Rachel preparing lunch.

      “What can I do to help, Rachel?” she asked from the doorway.

      “Why, nothing, child. Just keep me company.”

      “Rachel, I know how to cook. Mother’s chef taught me quite a lot. I’ll be glad to help.”

      “A chef? My, that must’ve been interesting. But lunch is simple. It doesn’t require much effort.”

      “You always made your work seem easy, Rachel, but I know better. This is a big house. It must take a lot of your time.”

      “Well, yes, but it’s my job.”

      “While I’m here, I’d like to help you.”

      “Your father wouldn’t expect that of you, honey.”

      “He should. Now, what can I do?”

      “Come peel potatoes, if you want.”

      “I do.” Jennifer moved to the sink and picked up the potato peeler and began removing the skin from the potatoes.

      As the two women worked, Jennifer said, “Do you think Sam would let me ride out with him once?”

      “I’m not sure, honey. Do you think you can still ride?” Rachel asked.

      “I took lessons every Saturday morning in Central Park. It was on an English saddle, of course, but I’ve done a lot of riding. I’d like to get back on a horse out here on the ranch.”

      “That will surprise your father. He figured your mother wouldn’t allow anything that could remind you of life here.”

      “It was a battle, but not one I was prepared to lose. I didn’t win it right away. At first I thought we would be returning to the ranch. I kept pestering Mom about when we would return, but eventually she told me that she had no intention of us ever coming back.”

      “How long did it take her to tell you that?”

      “It seemed liked forever, but I remember that it was actually just before Christmas. I cried for days. The only thing that made me stop crying was riding lessons. She tried to stop them every once in a while. But I won. I became quite adept at riding.”

      “You’re pretty good at peeling potatoes, too,” Rachel said with a grin. “We’re going to cream them, so cut them into small pieces and put them in this pan with water and salt.”

      Jennifer did as Rachel asked and they worked together in silence for a moment longer. Then Rachel returned to Jennifer’s original question.

      “Ask your dad about riding out with him. I’m sure he’d like for you to, but he won’t suggest it himself.”

      “Thank you, Rachel. There’s so much we need to catch up on, and I don’t want to make any mistakes that might affect my chance to get to know him. I was afraid to mention it.”

      “Don’t be. I think he wants to get to know you as much as you want to get to know him. He hurt badly when you left, and it was hard…for all of us.”

      Jennifer turned to stare at Rachel and noted the affection in the older woman’s voice toward her father. Was she more than the housekeeper these days? Was Rachel in love with her father? Maybe if Jenny got to stay awhile, maybe found a place for herself in this family, she could ask Rachel, but it was still early days and Jenny still had to work out her own relationship with her father.

      “It’s very good of you to be helping me, Jenny.”

      “It’s no big deal, Rachel. I’m happy to help.”

      “It’s nice to have another woman in the house. It’s difficult to talk to men all the time.”

      “I can imagine,” Jennifer said with a laugh.

      CHAPTER TWO

      SAM and Jason entered the kitchen before Rachel could say anything else.

      Jennifer blinked several times, regretting their intimacy had ended. If only it was as easy to talk to her father!

      “Jenny, what are you doing?” Sam demanded when he saw her at the counter with Rachel.

      “Making creamed potatoes,” she said, trying to smile.

      “You don’t have to work while you’re here!”

      “I intend to eat, so it only seems fair that I pitch in with the work.”

      “I think that’s a good idea,” Jason said. “After all, she’ll be causing Rachel more work.”

      Sam and Rachel both stared at Jason as if he’d committed a sin, but Jennifer simply looked at him and said, “I agree.”

      “Really, Jason, she’s not going to cause me more work. I have to cook for you two. Why shouldn’t I cook for one more without a problem?” Rachel demanded.

      “Rachel didn’t ask me to work. I insisted,” Jennifer said, not wanting Rachel to share in the blame. “I’m not here for a free ride.”

      Jason and Sam looked at each other and left the kitchen, explaining that they had paperwork to do, and Jennifer and Rachel were left alone again.

      “I’m sorry, Rachel. I didn’t want to cause any trouble,” Jennifer said hesitantly.

      “You didn’t, Jenny. I can handle their complaints, and I appreciate your help, but it’s the companionship I’m enjoying. You’ve been gone a long time and it’s nice to get to know you again. “

      “Me, too, Rachel. You’ve worked for Sam for a long time, haven’t you?”

      “Actually, he hired me right after your mother got pregnant. She wasn’t very happy living on the ranch, and she didn’t want to clean the house.”

      “I guess that’s something that never changed.”

      “Not even in New York?”

      “No, we had several maids who cleaned, and a nanny to watch over me and a chef in the kitchen.”

      “What did your mother do all day?”

      “I have no idea. The nanny took me to school every morning and picked me up in the afternoon. I did homework or spent my time in the kitchen with the chef.”

      “Ah. I see. You must’ve been very lonely.”

      Jennifer paused for a moment as she thought about her childhood in New York. Some people thought she had been privileged, but Rachel was right, it had been lonely.

      “My grandmother thought it was the only way to live, the proper way, and she paid for all of it until she died. She left everything to my mother and she continued to live that kind of lifestyle. But it was so different from my early years here.”

      Rachel listened and nodded along as Jennifer spoke, but there was a sad look in her eyes. “So do you still have maids and a chef at your home in New York?”

      “No. I let them go and sold the house when Mom died. I didn’t want to live there anymore.”

      “So