Page 27 of On the Mountain

She blinked and remembered he had asked her a question. Nodding vaguely, she dragged her gaze from his face.

“Hell, it has been cold.” Joe grumbled as well. “I don’t think I recall a roundup or cattle drive ever being this damn cold.”

“We are running late into the season.” Wade reminded his foreman.

“Still the same, another night like last night and I may as well forget about seeing Ada tonight. I nearly froze my pecker off.”

Anna immediately turned away, not used to such vulgar speech.

“You men should have used common sense.” Wade told him. “And used each other’s body warmth as the boy and I did.”

Her head snapped up.

“Hell, ya, but I bet the boy smells like a bouquet of flowers compared to these old farts. He ain’t being working up a sweat all day.” Joe said and poked the fire. “Not to mention, them beans are mighty potent and one hell of a hazard.”

Wade smirked and gave her a wink before heading in Prescott’s direction. Anna watched him go. She couldn’t believe her luck. He hadn’t thought anything unusual in finding her in his arms. He had simply written it off as a result of the cold. Which, in fact, it was, but for Anna it meant just a bit more. She was just grateful his hands hadn’t landed anywhere they weren’t supposed to and discovered something that shouldn’t be there. Or worse, wasn’t there.

The ranch hands loaded their plates with the canned goo Joe served and filled their mouths with relish. Anna eyed the contents of her plate with skepticism. She was by far not a finicky eater, but where she relied more on the natural resources available from the land than the processed contents of a can, she wasn’t eager to down her lunch.

“Lord, tonight can’t come soon enough. I can see my Edie right now. Naked as the day she was born.” Frank, one of the ranch hands spoke with delight over a mouthful of food.

“Ah, I can’t wait to get my hands on sweet Molly’s pearly white ass.” Neil jeered and a few men next to her snickered.

Anna buried her chin deep into her chest and decided her lunch looked appetizing after all.

“Hell, yes, there ain’t nothing sweeter than the juices flowing between a bonnie’s legs.”

The plate in her hand rattled. “Mm-mamma.” Another crooned. “I’m going to bury myself deep in those pussy lips and not come out to mornin’.”

Her plate and fork clattered to the ground. All heads turned in her direction. Quickly bending down to hide her red face, she gathered up her utensils with nervous fingers.

“You ain’t getting a refill, boy,” Joe said.

“I think we embarrassed the kid.” Ed, another cowboy who sat closest to her laughed. She tried to avoid him by cleaning the remainder of food off her plate.

“Hell, kid, ain’t you never got laid?” Joe frowned hard across the flickering fire.

Since she sincerely had no idea what he meant, she didn’t feel mortified by his question like she would have had she any inkling of his meaning.

Upon noticing her confusion, however, Wade thought he would be helpful by offering clarification. “He wants to know if you’re still a virgin.”

Anna almost choked on the thick goo going down her throat. Her face burned with humiliation as she quickly looked away. No one had ever asked her that question before. Never had she ever been part of such a conversation.

She heard Wade chuckle. “I think that’s a yes, Joe.”

Some of the other men laughed and Anna hoped the subject was now dropped.

“We’ll have to do something about that.” Joe stated and when she looked over at him, he gave her a big wink. “Set you up with one of those gals down at the saloon. May not be the prettiest fillies this side of the Rockies, but hell can they ride.”

All the men broke out into agreeable laughter while a fresh heat filled Anna’s cheeks. To her humiliation, they did not let up on the subject. Affirmation to their carnal hunger. And more reason for Anna to withhold her silence and truth about her sex. At the least she was relieved the subject of her virginity was eventually dropped. The men might have thought otherwise, but Anna knew that wasn’t going to happen.

By the time the sun sunk beneath the horizon, Wade and his men had herded the last of his cattle into the holding pens in Lantern. Dust filled the air as the hundred or more cattle scurried into the tight quarters. The men whistled and sent shouts of commands to their horses and dogs until the last cow squeezed into the paddock and the gate closed behind her.

They drove their horses over to the livery where a man greeted them like old friends and took Wade’s horse into the barn. Chuck Rhodes scattered after him. The rest of the hands undressed their own horses and led them to their stalls where food and water waited. Anna could not see Wade, but she had seen him follow the owner of the livery into the building and would be exchanging a few words with him before he led his men to the restaurant for supper.

There a woman greeted them with a big friendly smile while the men filled all the tables in her establishment. Prescott had removed his hat and was quietly talking to her.

“Sit down, boy.” Wade shoved the chair closest to him in her direction. She took it and sat down. Having barely touched her lunch, she was starving and couldn’t wait for a home cooked meal.

---