Wyoming Mail Order Brides Boxed Set 1- 4 Read online

  Just before they decided to take a lunch break Cora caught a gelding that she knew would be perfect for for Mrs. Miller. Jeremy caught a two year old stallion and they grinned at each other as they subdued their quarry.

  "Nice work Miss Cora O'Malley."

  "You are a good horse hunter too Mr. Jeremy Paine."

  They washed up at a small stream and Jeremy could not help admiring the woman beside him. Her tousled hair, far from making her look shabby, added to her appeal. This was a woman with a zest for life and when she was on her horse it seemed as though she came alive.

  He looked at her in amusement as she threw herself down on the soft grass, reaching for their meal without ceremony. Another woman might have acted out the lady even in the wilderness and tried to see to the man's needs, but not this woman. She waved at him.

  "Sit, Annie packed us a hearty meal. Let's eat and then we can work it off by going after some more horses." She pushed the food at him and he helped himself.

  "I understand you lived in Granger for only four months Cora. Were you a rider back East because I find it hard to believe that you learned how to ride in the short time you lived in Granger?" he asked.

  She shook her head, her mouth filled with food. She turned away from him and he noticed a slight tensing of her neck muscles. This was a touchy subject but he wanted to find out more about this woman who was causing him sleepless nights.

  "How did you learn how to ride so well and also work with horses? You're a natural."

  "Some lessons are learned the hard way," she said cryptically and he could get nothing further out of her.

  They resumed their riding and by mid-afternoon they decided to call it a day after catching two more horses.

  "We work well together," Jeremy said. "We should do this again."

  "I would like that," Cora said, although she felt shy, but at the same time thinking she was going soft in the head for saying it. This man and indeed all men were off limits and she had to be careful not to lose her head over Mr. Jeremy Paine. He was like no other man she had ever known but she was still distrustful of him. Perhaps he was just pretending to be kind and tender... and when she became his wife he would turn out to be just like her father and Bart.

  Then she almost laughed out loud. The man had not even made any romantic gestures towards her and here she was already imagining him as her husband. It would not do to get too close to Jeremy. He was a heartache and heartbreak waiting to happen, since she admitted that she liked him. Spending time with him was wonderful and he didn't mind when she won their race. With a twist of her lips she recalled the one and only time Bart had challenged her to a race and she defeated him. The rage in his eyes had been frightening and he hadn't spoken to her for two days afterward. From that time on she deliberately held Thunder back and let him win all their subsequent races.

  Jeremy wasn't like that at all. He seemed to want her to excel and urged her forward. Maybe it was just a front but it made her happy to know that she was good at racing. She would treat Jeremy like a friend and not allow herself to be drawn into anything else. That was the best thing to do and with resolve, she prepared herself to lead her two horses back home.

  Jeremy could not remember the last time he'd had so much fun. He loved the outdoors and always prayed that when he fell in love, the woman would share his interests. Spending time with Cora had been an eye opener for him. She was not chatty but at the same time she was not aloof. She knew when to speak and when to be silent and they shared a few moments of quiet without it becoming uncomfortable. Though he didn't still know much about her past, he was more than convinced that she never liked speaking about it because of the painful memories it evoked. He had noticed the sadness when she thought he wasn't looking and he wanted to be the one to bring deep joy into her heart and wipe away the past pain. But first, she would have to allow him past her defenses and that did not seem like it was going to happen for a long while yet.

  And then there was his mother. He was more than sure that Myra Paine would never accept Cora as she was, and if he wanted Cora to fit into his life she would have to become the kind of person his mother would approve of. But then that would mean her changing into someone else, and he loved her just as she was; untamed, unladylike and independent with a mind of her own. She was a woman more at home out on the range than indoors. It was a dilemma and he did not know how he was going to solve it.

  ~#~#~#~

  "Do you hear that?" Cora stopped Thunder and when her other charges realized she'd stopped, they did so too.

  "Yes," Jeremy nodded. "That" was the sound of cows mooing and he wondered who would be grazing their animals this deep in the wilderness. They had decided to take a different route home so Jeremy could show her some more of the range but the truth was, he didn't want their time together to end. They broke out of the trees and came to an abrupt standstill. Right in front of them was a primitive corral and in it were ten cattle. He took his rifle from his saddle, ready for anything and was amused when Cora did the same. She had a fierce look in her eye.

  There was no one around and as they went around the corral, noticed the abandoned campsite.

  "Someone must be getting ready to move these animals tonight," Jeremy pointed at the shards of clay which were definitely from vessels of some sort. "They're waiting for dark so they can move the animals."

  "Do you know whose animals they are?" Cora was on the lookout, her keen ears alert to the surroundings. This kind of thing was nothing new to her. She'd seen it in Granger. Cattle rustlers liked to steal people's animals and hide them out on the range and when they found a market, they'd move them on and sell them.

  Jeremy got off his horse and spoke angrily. "These are my cattle," he pointed at one branded cow. "This is the brand for my ranch."

  "How did you not notice any were missing?" Cora frowned. "Or are your men stealing from you?"

  "My men are all trustworthy. It's just that the herd is so large and we take it in turns to take them out on the range. If someone steals some away it might take us one or two days to find out that some animals are missing. I'm sure we would have realized by tomorrow or the next day and by then it would be too late. The rustlers would already have moved them." He kicked the dust at his feet. "I'll have to hope that no one comes to get them while we ride home and send one of my men back to collect them."

  "It might be too late by then, besides, there are only a few hours of sunlight left. Why don't you drive them home now while I take the horses back to Richard's place?"

  Jeremy looked at Cora and new respect dawned in his eyes. This was one exceptional woman. "Can you manage four unbroken horses?"

  "These are mild natured horses so they should be no trouble. They're also weary from all the running around we made them do. Just get your cattle free and let's be on our way before those thieves decide to come back."

  Jeremy nodded and immediately opened the corral door and led his cows out. He was glad because they seemed to know their way home and he didn't have to strain himself herding them. They separated at the fork in the track to their respective farms and Jeremy smiled as he thought about Cora. He had agreed to let her help him break in his two horses and he would pay her for the services. His own ranch was too busy for him to take the time to do it. She was the woman he'd been praying for. She understood exactly what needed to be done and did it without making a fuss. Cora O'Malley was the perfect companion for him and he realized just how lucky he was to have met a woman who suited him completely.

  Any woman that Myra Paine approved of would definitely be of good stock, ladylike and capable of spending hours upon hours hosting teas for the genteel women of Tipton society as his mother did, and making embroidered linens. The picture caused him to shudder. It would be a life of misery and he had no intentions of going down that road.

  Give him wild Cora O'Malley at any day, a fearless and fierce woman. That was his woman, the woman of his heart.

  ~#~#~
#~

  Chapter Five

  Myra Paine twisted her lips. She was a beautiful woman in her late forties but the constant scowl on her face made her look older. Her green eyes were flashing with anger and she wanted to shout or do something, but all she did was pick up a peach and squeeze it in her hands. It did not pay for a lady to show outbursts of emotion and she fought for control. Her thick dark hair was held in a neat and tidy bun at the back of her head, and she had a small bonnet over her head. She was the epitome of the perfect lady...with not a stitch out of place.

  How dare Jeremy tell her to ensure lunch was prepared because he was bringing a friend home? When she had asked him about this 'friend' he had given her a vague answer and she knew that it had to be a woman. No woman was welcome in her house unless Myra herself extended the invitation. In this case Jeremy had not even sought her advice but just declared that he would be bringing a friend home.

  "Samantha," she barked out and a woman of about thirty rolled her eyes at the older woman in the kitchen who was obviously the cook.

  "The mistress is in a tiff, I would be careful," Janet Thompson told the younger woman. "I wonder what got her in such a flurry."

  "Only one way to find out," Samantha said and schooled her features into submission as she left the large kitchen.

  "Yes Mrs. Paine?"

  "You need to set the table. Your master is bringing a guest home for lunch but because I am not sure who it is, bring out the ordinary Chinaware. No need to set out my crystal ware for common folk."

  "Yes ma'am," Samantha answered docilely but her heart was raging with irritation. This woman had such airs. Without a word she went to do as she was bid, sighing within her heart. Mrs. Paine was very difficult to work for however the wages her son paid were very good. That Samantha was still here working at the ranch was down to Jeremy. He was a very fair boss and cared for all his employees, including the almost twenty cowboys who worked with the cattle. The one thing that irked Myra Paine to the point of becoming demented was the fact that she could not fire or hire anyone as a result of her many whims. Her son was adamant about it and that included the indoor staff who she claimed were under her domain.

  If Myra had a complaint against any of the workers or servants, Jeremy insisted on hearing both sides of the story and only then would he make his judgment. Most of the time Myra was in the wrong and what he would then do, was to reassign the worker so he never came in contact with Myra again.

  It was harder for Samantha and Janet but with time Myra had learned to work around them. Because Jeremy allowed her to pay the two women's wages she found many excuses to deduct money from their pay, by claiming they had broken items in the house, wasted food or other materials. In these cases Jeremy did not argue with his mother however she was unaware of the fact that he would seek out the two women, find out how much had been deducted and then reimburse them with strict instructions never to let his mother find out.

  All the workers on Dancing Stars Ranch put up with Myra because of Jeremy. They respected him for being a good and fair boss like his father before him and for him, they put up with his mother and her eccentricity.

  Myra critically inspected the food in the serving bowls and then went to sit on the wide front porch to wait for Jeremy and his guest.

  ~#~#~#~

  Cora wished Jeremy had consulted her before making lunch plans for them, especially at his house. She was not afraid of meeting Myra Paine, who was spoken of as being a first class snob. Annie had informed Cora that Mrs. Paine never greeted her, even if they met face to face in town. The woman would simply turn her nose up and walk past. Not that Annie was bothered because there were many other nicer folk in Tipton who she would meet and chat with. One embittered woman would not cause her to lose any sleep.

  What made Cora wary was the fact that this was Jeremy's mother she was dealing with. She finally admitted to herself that Jeremy meant more to her than just being a friend and she wished something would develop between them, something deeper, but she had to accept that she was definitely not of his class and Myra Paine likely thought so too. Though the two women had not met face to face, Cora had seen Jeremy's mother in town on many occasions. It was also hard to believe that they attended the same church since Myra only spoke to those she thought were of equal standing with her. Everyone else did not exist for the woman.

  Jeremy was proving to be just the kind of man she could fall in love with. He was not annoyed by her independence, if anything it seemed to amuse him.

  "You are like a high spirited filly that needs a gentle, guiding hand to lead you home," he told her once and she almost bit his ears off.

  "No one asked you to provide a gentle guiding hand for me," she hissed at him. "You cannot tame me. I like myself just the way I am and if that is not good enough for you, then I don't see why we should continue to come on these horse catching expeditions together."

  Rather than become angry Jeremy had thrown his head back and laughed. "That is exactly what I am talking about. No one wants to tame you, or at least I don't. I like how you think on your own and aren't afraid to stand up for what you believe. It's just that even the most independent of us sometimes needs someone to lean on."

  Now as she thought about it, a smile broke out across her face. She was just finishing her work in the barn and would then ride over to Jeremy's ranch for lunch. Her only regret was that Jeremy seemed to expect her to cook and keep house like Annie did. She was a good cook and could keep a clean house, but why waste time on things that didn't really matter anyway? Annie was a naturally born homemaker, while Cora was a natural outdoors person. She was not the right person for the likes of Jeremy Paine and the sooner she realized it, the better it would be for all of them. However, that would not stop her from being his good friend because she really did enjoy his company.

  He understood her need for independence and that was rare in a man. He had accepted her offer to drive his horses home while he returned his stolen cattle to his ranch. It was as if sharing important work with her was quite normal for him. Her father and her late husband had expected her to do women's chores, however in Bart's case, the moment he realized she could make him rich with her horse handling skills, he grudgingly allowed her to accompany him out to the range, much to his mother's chagrin.

  Dancing Stars Ranch was about five miles from the Wests' place and because she did not see any need to dress up for lunch, Cora jumped onto Thunder and made her way to Jeremy's place. Her pants skirt was sufficient and she gave a critical eye to her cotton blouse. It was clean and decent enough.

  Myra Paine was still seated on her front porch when she saw the lone rider coming down the driveway. It was definitely a woman and she stood up and moved closer to the railing. When the person drew near Myra's gasp was audible enough to make Samantha, who was putting the finishing touches to the lunch table, draw closer to the sitting room door. Her mistress was red in the face and when Samantha saw the woman getting off the horse, she hid a chuckle and rushed back to the kitchen to tell Janet about the latest developments.

  Cora saw Myra standing on the porch groaned in dismay. Jeremy was just walking out of one of the barns and a few of his men were with him. She called out a greeting and the four men trooped over to where she was and she made Thunder prance in front of them, much to their delight.

  "Good to see you Joe," she saluted a grizzled old man, Jeremy's foreman. "How is the missus doing?"

  "Very well Miss Cora," Joe smiled and his gnarled face crinkled like old leather. "She was asking when you will be by."

  "Tell her first chance I get, I will drop in and say hello."

  Cora was comfortable with Jeremy's men who also liked her. Once in a while when she was out on the range she would meet them as they grazed the large herd and sometimes she helped them round up any straying animals.

  Myra could not believe how uncouth the woman was, and what was worse, her son seemed to be staring at her like a love sick puppy.
She would not condone such a blatant display of unladylike behavior. And what was the woman wearing! Myra stomped down the porch steps and walked to Cora, her back stiff and lips pursed in disapproval.

  "What is the meaning of this?" She demanded, glaring first at her son, then the workers and finally Cora. "No decent girl shows up at someone's home dressed like a common trollop," she turned to her son. "Is this the kind of woman you are now spending your time with?"

  "Ma ...."

  "Aren't there any decent girls in Tipton... that you have to go for the common ones like a country bumpkin?'

  Cora was horrified at the way Myra showed no respect for her son. She felt badly for Jeremy, especially when she saw how uncomfortable he was looking. It was obvious that he wanted to respond to his mother, but out of respect, he did not want to put her down in front of the hired hands. Myra had no such qualms whatsoever.

  "I expected better of you Jeremy, not this disappointing display you've brought to my home."

  Jeremy could not look at Cora for fear of what he would see on her face. He was mortified at how badly his mother was behaving in front of their guest and he hoped Cora did not form too bad an impression of her. There was silence for a short while but then Cora did the unexpected.

  She could not believe this was the same lady who displayed her airs and graces in public. In private all women, high bred or base born were the same, she thought and she laughed out loud, much to Myra's disgust and Jeremy's astonishment.