Chapter Three

"Thanks, sir. I sure appreciate the ride," Hunter said as he climbed out of Gideon McBride's shiny new Ford automobile parked in front of the house at the B Bar D Ranch.

"Anytime, Hunter. Just glad I was heading out this way and could give you a lift."

"Me too." Hunter shook the man's hand, then waved as Gideon put the auto in gear and left.

Hunter was grateful he'd gone to Gideon's restaurant for a bite to eat before walking out to the ranch. Gideon had stopped by his table and, after a minute of conversation, offered him a ride.

Hunter had figured he'd need nourishment before he trudged out to the ranch since Nik had been out on a call and unable to give him a ride. He could have telephoned his sister to come get him, but he didn't want to bother Dally. Besides, she would have given him a hard time about being too good to walk out from town, even if it was a handful of miles from Pendleton.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have minded the walk, but his boots weren't exactly made for walking, he didn't relish listening to the spurs jingle with every step, and he was hot and weary after helping Luna Campanelli.

The girl—enticing young woman, he corrected himself—had scared five years off his life when she'd reacted with such fright to the noise at the depot, then fainted. For a moment, he thought she might have suffered heat stroke, but he sensed her troubles weren't a result of the weather. He had no idea what had caused her to react that way, and it wasn't any of his business, but it bothered him that someone so young and full of life seemed to bear a great burden.

Before he let thoughts of her ripe lips, sweet smile, and becoming face turn his head, he decided to forget all about her arrival in Pendleton. He already had far more to deal with than he'd expected when he'd arrived in town two weeks ago. Originally, he'd planned to spend the summer helping Dally with her horses from time to time while scouting out the perfect piece of land to purchase.

Only, he'd arrived at the B Bar D to discover his sister was expecting her first child, and hadn't bothered to tell any of her North Carolina relatives. She'd sworn him to secrecy, claiming their mother and grandmother would board the first train to Pendleton and spend all summer fussing over her, driving her crazy.

Although he'd understood and even conceded she was likely correct in what would happen when news reached his parents, he hated keeping secrets. He'd finally agreed not to mention her condition to their family under the stipulation she share the happy news with their parents by the first of September, since the baby was due near the end of October. If she didn't, he would tattle.

Dally had accepted his terms and put him to work. Nik had deemed it unsafe for Dally to continue riding the horses she trained in her condition, so Hunter took over the job for the summer. Dally had offered to pay him, but he'd refused. To him, the work was a fair trade for his room and board.

He thoroughly enjoyed training horses. That wasn't the problem. He just hadn't expected to spend every waking hour working with them.

Rowdy Logan, the foreman of the ranch and a seasoned cowboy who could break any horse with a gentle hand, already had more than enough to do running the B Bar D. During the summer season, they hired extra hands to help with the cattle and additional workers when it was time for wheat harvest. Rowdy assisted Dally all he could, but his time was limited. And Dally, being Dally, didn't trust just anyone to train a horse to her exacting specifications.

So, Hunter found himself working far more hours than he wanted, keeping secrets he thought should be shared, all while trying to sort out his own plans for the future.

He walked around the house and entered through the back door, toeing off his boots and leaving his hat on a hook before stepping into the kitchen.

"Hey, Corni, do I smell ham baking?" Hunter asked as he moved over to the sink and grinned at a woman he'd known since birth. Cornelia had been his mother's personal maid, trained from a young age in how to serve a woman of a grand manor. For years, he and Dally and even Jeff had tried to coax Corni into coming to Pendleton with them for a visit. Finally, she'd relented, and she'd fallen in love with Rowdy. The two of them had wed, and Corni had taken up the task of trying to learn to cook and clean a home.

Although she'd made great strides and kept the ranch house in an immaculate condition, Corni still hadn't perfected her cooking skills. Most of the time, they ate at the bunkhouse unless Dally fixed a meal.

However, Corni could make a tasty baked ham, and if she was cooking a ham, Dally would likely fix a batch of biscuits. The two together were among Hunter's favorite things to eat.

"You do smell a ham, Hunter. How was your trip to Baker City?" She glanced at the clock as she continued stirring a pot of something bubbling on the stove.

"Long and hot, but I got the horse delivered. Jack said he'd likely have another horse for Dally to work with soon." Hunter dried his hands, walked over to the new refrigerator, and opened the door, letting the cool air wash over him.

"If you aren't fetching something out of there, close the door, Hunt. You'll spoil the potato salad your sister made for supper if you leave the door open all day."

He gave her a charming grin as he lifted a pitcher of lemonade and poured two glasses before he returned the pitcher to the refrigerator, lingering a moment longer than necessary and sticking his face inside before he shut the door, and Corni tossed him a scornful look.

Hunter set her glass on the counter near the stove. "Is that vanilla pudding?"

"It certainly is. I found a recipe in my latest issue of Woman's World. It seemed simple enough that even I could make it without causing a disaster. I thought we could enjoy it with fresh whipped cream and strawberries. Dally and I picked enough early ripe berries this morning to serve for dessert this evening."

"That sounds tasty. You know how much I love strawberries, Corni." Hunter opened the lid on the cookie jar and fished out a molasses cookie. Since they were soft and not burned, he assumed his sister had baked them. Dally was a good cook when she wanted to be, which wasn't often. He bit into the cookie, found it quite tasty, and fished two more from the jar before he returned the lid.

"Don't spoil your dinner," Corni warned, then smiled, knowing he wouldn't. It never failed; each summer when he arrived in Pendleton, his appetite increased. Dally blamed it on the air and warm temperatures. Hunter attributed it to being so much more active than he was when he was at school or even at Bramble Hall.

"Where is Dally?" Hunter took a step toward the doorway into the rest of the house.

"She was exhausted, so I told her to take a nap. At first, she fussed and fumed, but she finally went to take a rest about an hour ago."

He glanced back toward Corni, sure he'd misunderstood. "A nap? My sister, who can't ever sit still, is taking a nap?"

Corni nodded as she removed the pudding from the stove and spooned it into pudding cups. "That is correct. She needs extra rest in her condition, despite what she might tell you and Nik. Now, leave her be. I'm sure you can find some work to do down at the barn or with the horses until suppertime."

"I can. In fact, I have more work to see to than I care to think about." Hunter drained his glass and set it in the sink, then walked across the kitchen toward the back door. He pulled on his boots, settled his hat on his head, and picked up his leather work gloves. "I'll see you later, Corni," he called before stepping outside.

As he walked to the barn, he thought about Luna Campanelli and sent up a prayer she would be well, and her time in Pendleton would bring her joy.

The last thing Hunter needed at the moment was for a pretty girl to turn his head, but he couldn't get Luna's sweet, expressive face out of his thoughts.