A Cowboy Of Convenience

Chapter Three

West had never been to the HC Bar Ranch before now. Yet even knowing what a scoundrel Chance Howe had turned out to be, he was impressed at the man’s extensive property. And to think, Vienna’s late husband had owned all of this outright.

Still, the signs of neglect and absence were everywhere. The moderate-sized house featured dusty, cobwebbed furniture, a roof in need of new shingles and a back porch with missing boards. Vienna’s earlier determined look lost more and more of its resolve as she led him through the house.

“Maybe the barn has fared better,” she said with what sounded like false cheer.

West followed her around the broken porch boards and into the yard. But a gaping hole in the barn’s roof and the scratching of tiny claws in one of the stalls told an unpromising story.

“I knew it might need work.” Vienna’s shoulders slumped. “But not this much.”

He lifted his hand to touch her arm as he had on the wagon before remembering how she’d twisted away from him after a moment. Clearly she didn’t wish for more than comforting words right now.

“There is a lot to do,” he said, lowering his arm back to his side. “Both structures appear to be sound, though.”

Vienna shot him a rueful smile. “Sound for whom, West? The mice?” She motioned to the stall where the scurrying noises hadn’t stopped.

“Where are all of your livestock?” he asked as he glanced around the empty barn.

She retreated into the yard. “Gunther Bertram told me this morning at the graveside service that he and Chance had an arrangement that Bertram would care for the horses while Chance was...away. As far as the cattle we used to own, most of them were sold to pay off gambling debts. The rest may have been stolen or they could have wandered off as I suspect the milk cow and the chickens did. I heard Chance had to let our ranch hands go before he left, but I don’t know if they took any of the animals with them or not.”

West moved in the direction of the corral. The fence looked in decent condition. Beyond the house and barn, he spied several empty pastures. There were likely spots that needed fixing along their fence lines, though all in all the necessary repairs to the ranch weren’t as significant as he’d expected after being deserted for three years.

One look at Vienna’s expression told him that she begged to differ. “It’s going to take some time and money, Vienna, but you can get this place up and running again. And you heard what Edward said earlier—there are people willing to help you do it.”

He might not like the idea of her leaving the Running W, but he’d accepted it. If living here was what she wanted, then West would do all in his power to help her.

“It’s not that.” She folded her arms as if chilled, despite the pleasant temperature. “I want a home of my own, for me and Hattie. But even with all of the money I’ve saved, I don’t think I have enough to pay for the repairs and buy more livestock. And even if I choose to give it up and move to town, if I don’t fix up the place, it’s hardly livable and unlikely to sell for a good price.”

He felt the familiar squeeze of his heart at her predicament. “I have some money...” He’d been saving for years for his dude ranch, but he would gladly use it to help Vienna. He owed her that.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I appreciate it, West, really I do. But I don’t want to be a charity case anymore.”

He frowned. “That’s not how anyone sees you. Least of all me or the Kents.”

“I’m sure you don’t, but I want to do this on my own. Besides—” she gave him a knowing look “—I seem to recall you saying years ago that you planned to save all you could to have a ranch of your own someday. Is that still true?”

Nodding, West decided not to press her. “What will you do, then?”

“Well—” she spun in a slow circle, her hands resting on her hips “—I think I ought to finish my conversation with Bertram about my horses this afternoon, and sometime in the next while, I’ll need to come back and clean the house. Once that’s done and Hattie and I are moved in, I’ll just have to see how many repairs I can afford.”

As he trailed her back to the wagon, he glanced over his shoulder at the barn. He could easily repair the roof with materials he knew Edward would donate. Plus the Kents had several cats, any of which would solve the current mouse problem. Maybe he could convince Vienna to allow him to do that much. It would be a paltry attempt to appease his deep-seated guilt, but it was still a small chance to begin to make things up to her.

“The boys and I will sure miss your cookin’,” he said to fill the silence between them as he drove the wagon toward Bertram’s place. And while it was the truth, he couldn’t say that what he’d miss most was her and Hattie.

Still, his words brought a tentative smile to her face. “I think I’m actually going to miss cooking for a crowd. The ranch hands at the HC Bar were responsible for their own cooking, so I never cooked for more than Chance and me. Maybe that’s why running a café or restaurant sounds appealing.”

“Maggy is right—your food is incredible. Any establishment you set up is sure to do well.”

Her cheeks flushed an attractive shade of pink. “How do I know you aren’t just saying that?” she teased, though her blush and the sparkle in her green eyes showed she appreciated his compliment.

He’d thought her beautiful from the first moment they’d met. And while he’d kept things between them appropriate and above suspicion ever since, he hadn’t failed to notice that she’d only grown lovelier the last seven years. She’d also lost most of her timidity since coming to live at the Running W, which West had been relieved to see. Vienna wasn’t weak, regardless of what Chance had made her believe about herself. She was strong and lovely and full of faith. Her blond hair had also once been silky to the touch, and he figured that hadn’t changed, though he’d long ago lost the right to test that theory again.

“Is something wrong?” She threw him a puzzled look, which alerted him that he’d been staring at her and hadn’t answered her initial question yet.

Clearing his throat, he faced forward again. “No, nothing wrong. And the promise of your cookin’ after a long day working on the ranch isn’t something I’d joke about.”

“Thank you,” she said with a light laugh. “Hattie is going to miss you and the wranglers.”

West tightened his grip on the reins, making the horses toss their heads. Only Hattie? “We’ll miss her, too.”

“Is Thurston going to take over as foreman soon?”

He welcomed the change in topic. “Not sure.” West still needed to save more money if he wanted to build his dude ranch and procure the necessary livestock for it. But with Vienna leaving now, the thought of staying at the Running W for much longer held less appeal to him.

When they reached Bertram’s ranch, West helped Vienna down from the wagon. Several ranch hands eyed them curiously as they approached the main house. Bertram met them on the porch.

“Howdy again, McCall, Mrs. Howe.” He removed his hat and held it to his chest as he added, “Like I said earlier, it’s a real shame about Chance, ma’am. I’m sorry for your loss.”

West sensed Vienna’s tension from where he stood beside her. Bertram clearly had no idea what kind of husband his friend had been.

“Once again, I appreciate that, Mr. Bertram. And thank you as well for coming to the service.”

“What can I do for you?” the man asked as he clapped his hat back on.

Vienna’s gaze flicked to the barn. “You mentioned this morning that you have Chance’s...” She looked back at Bertram and raised her chin a notch. “I mean my horses.”

“That I do.” Bertram dipped his head in a nod. “Well, I got twenty of them, anyway, and a couple colts, too. Chance said I could keep three of the horses since I was carin’ for the rest.” He eyed Vienna as if unsure if she’d honor her late husband’s promise or not.

She offered him a quick smile. “I think that sounds like a fair exchange. Can I see the other horses? I can’t bring them home for a while longer, but I’d like to look at them.”

“Home?” Bertram scratched at his jaw. “You’re going back to the HC Bar?”

It was Vienna’s turn to nod. “I am.”

“Well, I’ll be...” The rancher waved them forward as he moved toward the barn. “Chance said you didn’t like ranching. Though that’s a nice-sized spread you got there.”

“It is,” Vienna said, apparently choosing to ignore Bertram’s first remark.

Inside the barn, the rancher showed them several of Vienna’s horses before leading them to a nearby pasture to view the rest. West could see Vienna was as relieved as he was to find all of them looking hale and well cared for.

“They all look very fit, Mr. Bertram.” Vienna offered him another smile. “Thank you for taking care of them.”

Bertram flushed red. “It wasn’t a problem, ma’am. I wanted to do my part to help Chance...and yourself.” He turned to West, a flicker of wariness in his eyes. It was the same look the rancher had given West after he’d interrupted Bertram’s conversation with Vienna at the cemetery. “Did you need somethin’ too, McCall?”

“Nope. Just here to drive Mrs. Howe to and from the Running W.”

His expression relaxed. “So you’re really going to start up the HC Bar again, Mrs. Howe?”

“It’s going to require some work and capital, but yes.”

Bertram led them back toward his house. “You planning on doing it alone?”

“Most of it,” she said, her tone slightly on edge, her shoulders tense.

If the rancher noticed the shift in Vienna’s demeanor, he ignored it. “A ranch is a lot more than one person can handle, especially if that person is a woman on her own.” He hooked his thumbs in his belt loops as if he was the authority on ranching and Vienna knew nothing about it. West barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“Yes, I was raised on a—”

Bertram’s words ran over hers. “Seems to me Chance wouldn’t take kindly to no one looking out for his widow.”

“I don’t really—”

He leaned a little closer to Vienna as he continued. “I think there are those around here who’d readily agree with him, Mrs. Howe. Young bucks such as myself who might be willing to finally settle down when there’s a pretty woman and a ranch in need of helping.”

Was the man proposing to Vienna? West’s gut churned with disbelief and intense annoyance. Vienna’s face had lost all of its color.

“Of course any courting would need to wait a bit on account of Chance’s only been gone a few days.” He shot a glance at the sky and shook his head before he lowered his chin and grinned at Vienna, seemingly unaware of the awkward strain he’d created. “But my offer would still be good when your mourning was done, ma’am.”

She visibly swallowed, her cheeks still pale. “I...um...thank you for your concern, Mr. Bertram.” The rancher looked ready to crow until Vienna added, “However, for the foreseeable future, I have no plans to court anyone or to marry again.”

Relief washed through West, sweet and liberating, though he hadn’t really expected Vienna to take Bertram’s proposal seriously. The thought of her marrying any of the local ranchers didn’t sit right with him. It wasn’t jealousy, though, he told himself. He had no claim to be jealous. It was more a feeling of tight uneasiness in his chest like the tautness in the air before a heavy storm.

“I see,” Bertram said in a clipped tone, his brow furrowed. “No chance you’ll be changing your mind, then?”

Vienna gave a firm shake of her head. “No.”

“Still worth a try, I suppose.” The rancher shrugged. “I’ll keep the horses until you come to collect them.”

It looked as if she tried to smile but failed. “Wonderful. I’ll return in the next few weeks. Thank you.”

West followed her to the wagon and assisted her onto the seat. She wordlessly settled her skirt around her feet.

“That was kind of Chance to give him three horses,” he said as he drove away from Bertram’s ranch. “The others look well.”

She gave a wordless nod, silent anxiety emanating off her in waves.

“I don’t blame you for being angry.” He threw her a compassionate look. “His...uh...offer was rather unexpected.”

Her laugh came out soft but brittle. “You think I’m angry at him for proposing? Shocked, yes, but I don’t feel anger.”

“Then what are you feeling?” he asked in confusion.

When she regarded him, he couldn’t help noticing the depth of her jade green eyes. Why any man would treat her or any other woman so abominably West didn’t know. Were he to ever marry, though like Vienna that wasn’t in his foreseeable future, either, he would cherish his wife and treat her with the utmost respect and devotion—just as he’d hope she would do with him.

“I’m terrified, West.”

He pulled his thoughts to the present. “Terrified?”

“Yes.” She stared down at her hands, which rested decorously on her lap. “Now that Chance is gone and everyone knows his widow and the HC Bar are apparently up for grabs, how many other offers of marriage am I going to have to fend off?”

Her words pummeled him with all the force of a horse hoof to the gut. He hadn’t liked Bertram proposing to her, which meant he certainly didn’t like the idea of every other single rancher or wrangler in the vicinity doing the same.

“So they wouldn’t be welcome offers, then?”

She threw him an arch look, her eyes sparking with green fire. “No, they would not, West McCall.”

“Just want to be clear,” he said with a chuckle, feeling more than a little relieved to hear that her thoughts on the matter matched his own.

Pushing out a sigh, she fiddled with the cuff of her sleeve. “Most of them would probably mean well and they’d be right to think there is a lot of work to be done on the ranch, but I want to make a go of it on my own.”

“Because of last time, with your folks?” He kept his tone gentle.

She glanced at him, her lips tipping upward in a soft smile. “You’re probably the only one who understands why I want this so badly.” That knowledge pleased him, though he wasn’t entirely sure why. “But, yes, I couldn’t keep our home back then and I don’t want to lose another. This time I have some savings, and I have my daughter’s future to consider, too.”

“What about takin’ out a mortgage on the place?”

Vienna appeared to consider the idea. “I don’t think the bank would invest in the property as it stands right now, especially if I just turn around and sell it after making what few repairs I can afford.”

“Then I guess the question is...” He paused and pushed up his hat brim. He didn’t envy her position, though he wished there was more he could do to help her besides driving her around today and possibly patching up the barn roof. “What sort of home do you want for you and Hattie? A working ranch or a place in town above a café?”

* * *

Vienna didn’t have an immediate answer. Instead, she shifted uneasily on the wagon seat, West’s question repeating through her mind. What sort of home do I want?

“I love living out here,” she said after a minute. Her gaze moved to the landscape they passed by. “I’ve always loved the openness of the countryside and being right in the middle of nature’s beauty.” She unclasped her hands and studied them. “And while I love cooking, I miss working with my hands in my garden.”

West regarded her with kindness in his brown eyes. “You could probably still have a small garden plot in town if you wanted.”

She could, but would it be the same? Chance had protested against using their money for anything other than necessary seedlings, so Vienna had set aside her desire to try her hand at growing flowers or medicinal herbs or more colorful vegetables than just carrots, corn and potatoes. Now that he was gone, she could experiment—at least once she had other things on the ranch under control.

“I think I want to keep the ranch.”

The look of surprise from West matched the one that was surely on her own face. “You don’t want to run a café anymore?”

“I do,” she admitted with a laugh, “but even more than that, I want Hattie to keep experiencing life out here.” She lowered her chin and directed her next words to her lap. “Is that completely foolish?”

He didn’t respond, except to turn the wagon to the left and keep driving. After a few moments, she realized they were nearing the HC Bar again. But West kept silent until he parked the wagon beneath the archway.

“What do you see, Vienna?”

She smirked. “A ranch in need of a great deal of work and attention. Some of which I can pay for and some I can’t. I don’t even have enough money to buy new livestock, let alone employ the cowboys to care for them.”

“Wrong answer.” His teasing coaxed a smile from her—not unlike other times, both at the beginning of their friendship and since she’d come to live at the Running W. “You know what I see? I see the promise of a thriving ranch that any man or woman would be proud to call their own. I see it as a home. A place for Hattie to live and grow up where she can someday raise her own children.” He let that sink in before asking her again. “So what do you see? Do you see it as a home?”

The picture he created in her mind so closely mirrored the one in her heart that she had to swallow past the lump in her throat to reply. “Yes,” she half whispered. She could more easily picture this as her home than a place in Big Horn or Sheridan above a café or restaurant. “But how do I make it that way?”

It was as much a question for West as it was for God. She didn’t want to fear the future, and yet, her options were limited. Once Maggy’s baby came, the Kents’ ranch house was likely to feel crowded—something Vienna had already been concerned about the last few months. She didn’t want to be in the way of Edward and Maggy’s growing family. But now, even if her savings weren’t as large as she might have hoped they’d be before leaving the Running W, she had a place for her and Hattie to live, and the Kents could finally have their home to themselves.

“I have an idea.”

Vienna shook her head. “I already told you, West, that I can’t accept any more charity.”

“I’m not offering charity.”

Something in his voice and handsome face hinted at concealed enthusiasm but also wariness as if he feared she’d dismiss his idea. The thought that he distrusted her reaction saddened her. He’d been as good a friend to her as the Kents, and like them, West only wished to help her.

“What is it?” she asked gently.

He swiveled on the seat to face her. “What if we turn the HC Bar into a dude ranch?”

“A dude ranch?” Vienna couldn’t help laughing, but the sound died away when she realized he was serious.

Nodding, West gazed past her to the house and barn in the distance. “This place would make the ideal location once we add housing for guests and just enough livestock to give them the ranching experience. There’s nearby fishing and hunting and horse trails for riding. Plus Yellowstone National Park is close enough for overnight trips.”

She couldn’t recall ever seeing West so excited. But questions crowded her mind, the most critical one spilling from her lips first. “When you say we, what do you mean?”

“I mean me and you, Vienna.” He clasped her hand in his, sending a ripple of feeling through her fingers and arm. Though from the look on his face, he wasn’t even aware of his gesture, let alone its effect. “You can cook the meals, providing the guests with the best food in the country. And I’ll see to the livestock and leading the excursions.”

Vienna turned to look at the ranch, trying to see it through West’s eyes. Only needing two people, at least at first, to run the place sounded far more doable than the large staff of wranglers she’d have to employ if she wanted a regular ranch for Hattie to inherit.

“It’s perfect, really,” West continued. “We’ll combine our resources up front. That way no one’s accepting charity.” He shot her a playful grin that she answered with a chuckle.

Is this what I’m meant to do, Lord?

“Best of all,” West added, “there aren’t likely to be any more unwanted marriage proposals, since we’d be running the place together.”

She had to admit she liked the sound of that. Bertram’s not-so-subtle offer of marriage had been awkward and unwanted. But the stir she and West would create among the area’s gossips, being at the ranch alone together, would certainly bring even more unwanted awkwardness.

“If we do this, the two of us, what would people say? I mean, I’m a widow, and well...” She waved a hand at him, her face flushing with embarrassment. “You’re a bachelor cowboy.”

The enthusiasm slipped from West’s expression, and he frowned. “True. We’d want to do all of this proper-like.”

“Yes.” But what did that entail? Hiring more people so they weren’t on the ranch unchaperoned? And yet, how could they afford to pay anyone wages and still have the money needed to start the dude ranch, even with their combined funds?

He cleared his throat and shot her a sideways glance. “We could marry. In name only,” he hurried to add when she gaped at him.

“Marry?” Her lips tightened in surprise and frustrated confusion. “I just told Bertram I wouldn’t be marrying for the foreseeable future.”

West glanced down at her hand, which he still held. “I know, but it would be a marriage of convenience. A business arrangement. A way to do this on our own, while still keeping things proper. You and Hattie could have the house and I could bunk in the barn. You’d oversee the cooking and housekeeping, and I’d handle the rest.”

The part about concentrating on the household tasks was more than a little appealing. Surely that would give her more time to resurrect the garden than she’d otherwise have as the ranch’s sole caretaker. As West had pointed out, a dude ranch didn’t require such a large volume of livestock, either—just enough to give guests the experience of what a ranch was like. And the less they spent on animals and the cowboys needed to care for them, the more money they would have for other things.

It wouldn’t be as if she and West would actually be married. Not like her and Chance had been. Vienna squelched a shudder at that thought. Was she actually considering the idea?

“So what you’re saying is, if we do this, you’d get your dude ranch and I’d get a home?” The question sounded far more frank than she’d meant it, but she wanted to be certain she understood his motive before she made her decision.

A flicker of emotion she couldn’t identify crossed his face as he glanced down. “Yes, I’d have my dude ranch and you’d have a home.” He withdrew his hand from hers, leaving her feeling a bit cold in spite of the sunshine.

“I do find the whole idea rather interesting.” And she did. “Would our combined savings be enough to get a dude ranch going, though?”

West rubbed his chin. “I think so. It wouldn’t be anything fancy to start, but as we got more guests, we could eventually expand.” When he looked at her again, it was with as much undisguised hope as consternation. “You don’t have to agree to any of it, Vienna. It’s one solution to some of your problems and a plan that could benefit us both, but I don’t want you to agree to anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

“I know, and I can’t thank you enough for suggesting it, West.” That he’d dreamed of owning a dude ranch wasn’t news to her, but the fact that he was willing to include her in that dream in order to help her meant a great deal. “Can I have some time to think and pray about it?”

“Absolutely.” He circled the team, then drove the wagon through the archway and back toward the main road. “If you’d like to see firsthand what a dude ranch is really like, we could take the train to the one I spent my summers at in North Dakota.”

The thought of taking a trip filled her with as much excitement as nervousness. She hadn’t left the area since coming here as a girl. It was a sound idea, though. If she was serious about this venture, she needed to fully understand what it would entail. And traveling with West would surely make the whole experience feel less intimidating.