Page 22 of A Letter to Adaya
As the group of men approached, Beau identified Ranger Hardin in the lead. He was easy to identify with his long blond hair and leather duster. Following behind him were several of the other cowboys that worked at the Chapman ranch.
Beau felt a chill run down his spine. The only time a crew that large came to visit unannounced was with bad news. Glancing at the house, he noticed Adaya had moved to the front porch and was standing with her hands pressed on the railing as she watched the riders advance.
“Miss Breckenridge,” Beau called. “Can you fetch Simon for me?” He watched the swish of her skirt as she hurried to do his bidding, just as Ranger pulled his horse to a stop.
“Beau,” he greeted, slipping gracefully from the saddle.
“Ranger. Thought you lived in town.” Beau’s eyes skimmed over the other men that were gathered in a small group. He knew some of them, but they weren’t dismounting. “Looks like you are a long way from home, my friend. What can I do for you?”
“Fraid I’ve got some bad news for you.”
The sound of the screen slamming let him know Simon was coming. The sweet scent of cinnamon and recently baked bread wafted in the air as Adaya followed his brother into the yard. Beau couldn’t deny the warmth that filled him when she stepped up to just behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Um…” Ranger’s eyes tracked to Adaya and Beau tucked her further behind him.
“She’s fine. Speak your piece.”
“Doc sent me to fetch you. Jesse’s in terrible shape. Said to tell you the time was now.” Ranger tilted his head, giving him a sharp look. “The boys came along to help you out. Wanna tell us what’s going on?”
“This isn’t your concern,” Simon huffed.
“You go tell Tater to ride out for Bass.” He dismissed his brother, who didn’t argue. Simon slipped into the barn and out of sight as Beau returned his attention to Ranger and the cowboys. “There’s been some trouble at the saloon lately. Don’t know what else to tell you. We hadn’t really come up with a plan yet.”
He breathed out heavily, not reacting as Adaya removed her hand from his shoulder and interlaced it with his. The sensation was comforting, grounding him for a fleeting moment.
“Word’s getting around about a new set of competitors had made their way to the area. I’ve not been hearing too much about them since Spades trimmed down his time spent at Marcy’s.” Ranger shook his head. “We’ll head to town and meet you there.”
Beau rubbed his chin. “Weston’s not going to love having his riders get into a brawl in town.”
“Take a better look, friend. We’re not all Chapman riders and I’ll settle with Weston if I must.” The cowboy tipped his hat at Adaya and hopped back onto his horse. “We’ll meet you at the diner in a couple of hours.”
Beau watched them ride away without speaking. He felt Adaya squeeze his hand, so he moved his gaze to her. Her hair had fallen from its pins and hung to the side of her face. His fingers reached out of their own accord and tucked the wayward strand behind her ear as he offered a half-hearted smile.
Adaya cleared her throat and turned her head slightly into his hand. “What did he mean they aren’t Chapman riders?” she asked, breaking the tender silence. “Not that I know what that is, either.”
“That was Ranger Hardin. I forgot he bought a plot of land in the hills where his family lives. He rides for Weston Chapman when needed.” Beau looked east and pointed toward the windmill in the distance. “That’s the Chapmans. They own the biggest spread in Flat River. Good people, but sometimes people forget they don’t own the whole town.”
She leaned up and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek, squeezing his hand in hers again before releasing him, and turned on her heel. Giving him a quick glance over her shoulder, she darted back into the house. He watched her until she was out of sight, with a slight scowl on his face.
He should have asked her not to mention the news to anyone else.
Chapter Eight
Adaya brought her fingertips to her lips. They still tingled from where she had pressed them against Beau’s cheek. When she caressed his cheek, it felt both rough and gentle against her lips. The touch made her forget any other man who had tried to kiss her before. A warmth spread across her face as she couldn’t believe what she’d done.Kissing him like that, in front of strangers, no less.There was nothing in her actions that Adaya regretted, so why should she feel embarrassed?
Knowing she didn’t have much time to act, she rushed across the kitchen, her eyes quickly scanning the shelves and hooks until they landed on a small leather bag. Emily had mentioned this was the one Bass used to take food with him out at the back pasture and it surprised Adaya it was still there, likely forgotten in the morning’s flurry of chores.
She wanted to make sure that Beau had something to eat for his ride to town. She knew that Bogey and Tater would grab something from the chuck wagon. By packing it herself, she could send a response to the letter he left for her after breakfast.
Georgia had mentioned there was a ham she was going to use for soup, and bread still sat on the counter from breakfast. Emily had two more loaves proofing near the stove, so the leftover bread would be all right to send with Beau. Adaya would rather make thick ham sandwiches than add the meat to soup. After constructing two thick sandwiches and wrapping them in a napkin, she pulled down a jar of Emily’s pickles and added that to the pouch. It wasn’t likely the woman would notice one missing jar.She hoped not, at least.Moving faster now, she filled two glass jars with water and sealed them shut.
After packing everything into the bag, she grabbed a piece of parchment paper and the pencil left next to the schematic on the table.
Good morning Mr. Pickett,
Thank you for my lovely note.
I know that your day is not going as planned. I will say a prayer for all involved.
