# The Lone Texan

Lass Small

MAN of the MonthTHE KEEPERS OF TEXAS MR. SEPTEMBER The Stubbornest Cowboy: Tom Keeper, youngest son of a proud family, and dead set against falling in love… again! His Sweetest Temptation: Shy Ellen Simpson could be just the little lady to tempt the ornery Texan into marriage. Tom Keeper could single-handedly tame a wild stallion, but get him near a woman… !The most eligible bachelor in west Texas had happily hung up his marriage hat, until sweet Ellen set foot on Keeper land. The prim beauty claimed men were out for only one thing. But Tom was determined to show Ellen that even the romance-wary could enjoy that "one thing" and still dream of a future… together!MAN OF THE MONTH: This sexy Keeper of Texas is Lass Small's 50th Silhouette hero! 50th book

Celebrate Lass Small’s 50th title for Silhouette Books with another unforgettable story in her series: Letter to Reader Title Page About the Author Letter to Reader Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Copyright

Celebrate Lass Small’s 50th title for Silhouette Books with another unforgettable story in her series:


Every book’s a keeper in this sexy saga of

untamable Texas men and the stubborn beauties

who lasso their hearts.

You met sweet-talkin’ Rip and his lovely lady Lu in

TAKEN BY A TEXAN

(Desire #1137)

And who could forget the wonderful romance

between Andrew and JoAnn in

THE HARD-TO-TAME TEXAN

(Desire #1148)

Now that infamous bachelor Tom Keeper finally

gets his own chance at romance in

THE LONE TEXAN

But will bright-eyed beauty Ellen be the girl to

change his mind about love and marriage? Read on

to find out...and read a personal message from

author Lass Small herself!

Dear Reader,

This month, Silhouette Desire is celebrating milestones, miniseries—and, of course, sensual, emotional and compelling love stories. Every book is a treasured keeper in Lass Small’s miniseries THE KEEPERS OF Texas, but this month, the continuation of this wonderful series about the Keeper family marks a milestone for Lass—the publication of her 50th book for Silhouette with The Lone Texan, also our MAN OF THE MONTH selection!

Desire is also proud to present the launch of two brandnew miniseries. First, let us introduce you to THE RULEBREAKERS, Leanne Banks’s fabulous new series about three strong and sexy heroes. Book one is Millionaire Dad—and it’s a story you won’t want to miss. Next, meet the first of a few good men and women in uniform in the passion-filled new series BACHELOR BATTALION, by Maureen Child. The first installment, The Littlest Marine, will utterly delight you.

Continuing this month is the next book in Peggy Moreland’s series Texas BRIDES about the captivating McCloud sisters, A Sparkle in the Cowboy’s Eyes. And rounding out the month are two wonderful novels—Miranda’s Outlaw by Katherine Garbera, and The Texas Ranger and the Tempting Twin by Pamela Ingrahm.

I hope you enjoy all six of Silhouette Desire’s love stories this month—and every month.

Regards,


Melissa Senate

Senior Editor Silhouette Books

Please address questions and book requests to:

Silhouette Reader Service

U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

The Lone Texan

Lass Small


www.millsandboon.co.uk

LASS SMALL finds living on this planet at this time a fascinating experience. People are amazing. She thinks that to be a teller of tales of people, places and things is absolutely marvelous.

Dear Reader,

This is a milestone for me in that Silhouette is celebrating my 50th book published by them. It is a marvel.

I was always told that I should write. My mother and my teachers all commented on that. Instead, I got married and had kids. It wasn’t until our third was twelve that I went back to art school.

In the early ’80s everybody was scrambling for publication, because suddenly all of the publishing houses were launching romances. Home with a little boy, idle, I was already writing short stories and novels. And being turned down.

Finally, I published several books with another house. Then I was asked to write a book for Silhouette. I was surprised. I said, “You’ve turned down five of my books.” And that editor replied, “We’ve matured.”

Now, how could anyone ignore that kind of response? I laughed, and she had me.

All of the publishers have been very kind to me, and I salute them all. Of course, Silhouette Books is now my publishing home. I don’t know how they manage to find such kind editors. My current editor is Melissa Jeglinski. She is another jewel.

Obviously, my mother and my teachers were right all along. I was fortunate to be where I was, at the time the opportunity was open, and I’ve been especially fortunate in editors. It has been a pleasure.

With writer’s love,


One

On the Keeper ranch in northwest Texas, the problem with the senior Mrs. Keeper was that she could never really, actually abandon anybody. She simply could not quit, give up or let any of them go, for crying out loud.

That was why she spent so much time...enduring people. She was so earnest that the most recalcitrant person finally just gave up and relaxed and allowed her to—well, actually, she reprogrammed their brains.

It wasn’t easy.

However, no person who landed at the Keeper place in northwest Texas ever left there for good.

That immediately gives an observer the sound of a closing tomb like in an Egyptian pyramid. And one considers the dead pharaoh and the trapped, live wives and servants who were sealed inside the tomb with the corpse.

Well, with Mina Keeper, it wasn’t that way. Not at all. It was just that Mrs. John Keeper, Sr., couldn’t allow a misdirected human to be rejected. In her mind, everyone could be straightened out and made logical. Sure.

Mina Keeper was picky. Everybody has their own little quirks. First, Mina learned in which direction was their own stance. Everybody has one. Most of those she monitored were hostile or self-protective.

Off the big dining room was a small, private dining room. It was there that Mina had lunch with the individual ones, subtly directing their table manners. To her, table manners were prime.

Oddly enough, one of her current isolated lunch partners was her own son, Tom. He’d been turned down by women so many times, by then, that he’d decided to be a loner. He was silent and somewhat bitter.

Tom was the version of always a groomsman, never the groom. He’d just stood up with yet another pair who were married. The married couple included Andrew Parsons, a man who had been lost in time; and JoAnn Murray who had—almost—abandoned the time laggard.

Andrew, the time laggard, had a sister, Lu, who was living in one of the houses on the ranch with one of the ranch pilots, Rip. Mrs. Keeper was sure no young woman should live in sin. The fact that Lu was living on the Keeper land, with Rip, was another weight on Mina Keeper’s shoulders.

In their bedroom, John Keeper told his wife, Mina, “It’s their business.”

And Mina said rather woefully, “They’re so young.”

“They’re old enough to decide their own lives. They are deciding if they match.”

She turned her head and smiled at her husband on his back, sideways across their bed. “We did that.”

“Hush. The walls have ears!”

She laughed in her throat in the way a woman does when a man pleases her, and—

Well, that finished that mind-irritating subject—for a while.

It was several busy days later when an old friend from school, Jenny Little Drew, called Mina Keeper. They laughed and gossiped and exchanged memories, then Jenny mentioned, “Remember Maggie Williams Simpson? Her woebegone daughter, Ellen, needs a place to heal.”

“Physical?”

“Everything.”

“Uh-h-h...”

“Ellen is not dangerous. She’s just silent and wants to be alone.”

Mina Keeper gasped, “Out here?”

“I’ve always considered the Keeper Place as a haven.”

Mina mentioned with some stridence, “I’ve always thought you were a little strange.”

Jenny was very serious and said into the telephone, “Ellen needs a haven in which to heal.”

“What happened to her?”

“A man abandoned her some time ago when he found she was...with child. She lost the baby. Two losses. Him and then the baby. It was too much.”

“The bastard.”

Jenny was silent a blink. “Why...I’d never realized you knew that word.”

Mina replied with some lack of endurance, “I know them all. Send her to us. We’ll see if we can help.”

In a wavering voice, Jenny said softly, “Ahhh. Thank you. I—hoped—you—could—”

Stridently, Mina warned, “Don’t you dare bawl on me. I can’t survive something like that!”

Jenny’s laugh then was water logged.

The odd guest, Ellen Simpson, arrived three days later! She was like a mouse in a houseful of cats. Under a wide-brimmed hat, her hair was dark and rolled into a severe knot at the back of her head.

At least Ellen hadn’t shaved her head, but she was withdrawn and silent so that she wouldn’t be noticed.

Greeting Ellen, Mina sent a rather strong negative thought to her old school chum Jenny who had very recently become an ex-friend. Unfortunately, Jenny was the kind who never noticed she’d been rejected and abandoned.

Mina smiled gently and said to Ellen, “We are so pleased you could come visit. We have just the room for you.” Mrs. Keeper grinned and lifted her eyebrows as she added, “The crew was delighted to straighten the room. I do hope it’s something you like. If not, we have other choices.”

“It’ll be fine. Mother is especially pleased you invited me here.”

Ellen wasn’t? Mina smiled. To her the woman-child even looked like a reject. Mina said, “Let’s see if you like the room’s view. If you’d prefer another view, we’ll find you another room.”

That gave the guest a reason to see the room and to look outside. Mina always did that to reluctant guests. The choice gave them more liberty and control. She’d had reluctant guests who’d moved immediately, and eventually moved back into the original room.

Mina Keeper acted as if she had the whole day to visit and consider rooms. Ellen didn’t remove her hat for some time. She was hiding? Mina was glad that she knew the circumstances of Ellen. At least that allowed Mina to understand the withdrawn young woman.

Gradually, gradually, Mina began to understand this woman who’d been rejected by a man she most probably loved. A woman who had also lost her child. Here was a suffering woman who didn’t know how to cope with her losses. And Mina wondered how she was to help Ellen?

Mina looked at the sundered girl-woman and her emotions wanted to hold the raw, vulnerable girl and cry with her.

Perhaps at a later time.

Mina showed Ellen the house in a lazy, easy manner. They walked slowly so that the very thin Ellen wouldn’t be totally exhausted. They had morning tea, but she gave Ellen milk.

A clue was that Ellen drank some of the milk slowly and didn’t appear to even know what she did was guided by her upbringing of courtesy. Someone had given her a tea, she’d had milk handed to her and she did not reject it but had courteously sipped it so as not to embarrass the hostess.

Ellen was given a square cookie that was loaded with good foods and laced with raisins and nuts. She actually ate one. It took a while.

How strange it was to Mina that she watched and waited for a guest to actually eat something, when all her years she’d been overwhelmed with hungry people who talked as they ate.

This guest was mostly silent.

Ellen looked at the things Mina mentioned and indicated, but she had no comment.

It was obvious that Ellen’s mother had raised her to be courteous. She endured. How long could Mina keep Ellen by her side? When would Ellen ask to go to her room?

Ellen’s first indication was when she mentioned, “I need to lie down.”

But before that happened, she fainted!

Anyone who lives out as far from civilization as the Keepers, is schooled in basics. And it was a miracle that the Keepers had good M.D.’s not even three city blocks’ distance away.

Mina called. The female doctor came immediately. Dr. Jane Wilkins gave the guest a quick check.

The house helpers were muscular males who lifted Ellen. It was they who quite easily carried the girl to her room.

When Ellen woke, she was in a nightgown, in bed. An intravenous bottle was putting fluid into her system.

Dr. Jane smiled and said, “You’re okay.”

“I’m sorry I...” Ellen’s voice dribbled off.

Softly Dr. Jane said, “No problem.”

“I—don’t know why I did that.”

“Your body has apparently been through a tough time, and you’re not yet ready to do much. This is the perfect place to be—to recover. When you’re up and around, you could come to the clinic. It’s not far, a couple of blocks, and we’ll see what kind of vitamins you might need—or if you need any at all.”

“I’ll probably go home.”

Dr. Wilkins said, “Not right away.” And she smiled. “Mina Keeper said if your momma heard of that, she might be upset.”

The mouth on the white face on the bed smiled just a tad.

“You are all right as far as I can see now. Are there any reasons you might be fragile?”

“I...lost a baby.”

“That takes some getting over. Relax. Sleep. Contact us at the clinic if you need anything at all. Believe me when I tell you, you could not be in a better place, right now. Come to see us in two days, or I can come back then. We’ll be in touch.”

A big tear leaked out of the side of Ellen’s eye.

Dr. Jane blotted Ellen’s temple gently. “You’re okay. Call anytime. We’re here for you, too. Of course, we also take care of the horses and cattle and what the dickens else is around and ailing. Once it was a buzzard. I’ve never cottoned to buzzards. Fortunately, one of the male doctors was fascinated. Males are odd. But we do the dogs and cats. We’re stretched. We won’t actually put a human in one of the animal restraints.”

Ellen’s eyes were filled with unshed tears but she did smile.

Softly, Dr. Wilkins said, “You are okay.”

“Thank you.”

“Sleep for two hours. That’s the limit. Then you’ll sleep tonight—like a log—and tomorrow will be easier. We’ll keep the bottle here until it’s empty. The Keepers can handle intravenous tubes. No problem.” Dr. Wilkins smiled. “I’ll check you later. Rest.”

Ellen almost smiled. Another tear slid out of the side of her eye.

The doctor said, “Hah! The intravenous must be filling you up. You’re overflowing!”

She made Ellen smile but Ellen leaked another tear.

“No more tears,” the doctor ordered. “Tears upset us.”

That made Ellen grin widely, but another tear slid out.

Blotting that casually, the doctor said, “I’ll be back to release you from that gadget. Behave. No dancing. No arguing with these stubborn people around here. Be logical and quiet. I’ll be back.”

Now...how many times had the doctor said she’d be back? What a pushover she was. She washed her hands, snapped her case together and grinned at her patient as she left.

One of the male hands sat with Ellen. Drowsily, she wondered what she’d do if she needed to go to the bathroom. She watched the slow drip of the water down the tube and she slowly slid into sleep.

Ellen woke again some two hours later. A woman was standing above her bed. She had on plastic gloves and was removing the almost empty jar that had held the dripping fluid.

Somewhat wobbly, Ellen asked, “Are you a doctor, too?”

“Naw. But don’t get scared. We all get training in helping each other out here. The doctors over at the clinic give us lessons so we can help one another if we’re out and about and they can’t get to us right away.”

“Oh.”

The woman laughed softly but with a great deal of humor. She asked, “Having a clown treat you’s a shock, huh?”

That did make Ellen smile. “Yes.”

“Don’t fret a-tall. We know what we’re doing. We have directions. We are all very careful—because somebody just might have to do the same thing to us, and we want them to be careful! What goes around, comes around. So you might need to help me some time, and I wanna be damned sure I’ve done you just right!” She laughed.

Even that made Ellen smile.

How long had it been since she’d smiled? And in this strange day now, she’d smiled several times. Would she come to the time when she could be—normal again? And just thinking that she might, another big tear of emotion slid from the side of her eye.

“Now, honey, what the hell’s the matter? Did I do something wrong? I’ve—”

“No, no. I haven’t—laughed—in some time. You see—Well—Things have been—” And she stopped.

“Never you mind. Everybody has troubles. All we gotta do is look on beyond our own selves. It ain’t easy, but if you can, you can see who all needs help. Then you know no matter what all happens, if you can breathe and eat and eject, you ain’t bad off a-tall.”

How strange such words sunk into Ellen’s understanding. She had heard variations of such many times, but it was this woman, whom she did not know, who said what Ellen needed to hear and she’d assimilated the words.

It was only then that Ellen considered herself. She was not healed, as yet, but she was on a better track than that in which she’d been trapped.

How strange.

But she lay there wondering why she was still on earth, and her baby was not.

That caused the tears to leak out again.

The woman said, “No matter what all’s happened to you, you’re okay. Praise the Lord and accept your role in life.”

That set Ellen back a notch. She was not a believer at all, and she didn’t like being told that she should accept anything! Her bitterness returned, and she was again hostile to any assistance.

The woman sighed. “I’ve probably upset you. Everybody tells me to be quiet. I just go right on and talk every damned time, and I always mess it up. I am sorry if I’ve upset you—”

“You’ve been very kind. Don’t fret.”

The woman accepted that with a big smile. “You’ll be okay. Everything has its—My God, I’m talking again and I ought to just shut up.”

“Are you married?”

“Naw, but I’m susceptible, and I got three kids. Nice kids. They’re independent and sassy and we argue most of the time.”

“I’d bet they’re darling.”

“Mostly—strange. A couple of them, I don’t know for sure who’s their daddies.”

Plural? Daddies? That woman? She must be a very willing—partner.

Ellen considered the woman. She was so open and easy. But then Ellen considered herself, and her foolish acceptance of a man who really hadn’t wanted her—permanently. He’d only wanted to taste her. No. To use her.

There was no difference between herself and this woman who was so kindly helping her. As Kipling wrote, “For the Colonel’s Lady an’ Judy O’Grady are sisters under their skins.” Women are women. There is no difference.

With a token tap on the door frame, Mrs. Keeper came into the room. She helped the other woman remove the needle in Ellen’s arm. Mina Keeper smiled and said to Ellen, “You get ice cream. Which kind do you prefer?”

“I don’t believe I care for any right now.”

The brawn-armed woman put in, “You get a spoonful You can handle that.”

Ellen discarded doing anything as she said, “I’ll see.”

The woman whose name Ellen did not know put in cheerfully to Mrs. Keeper, “That sounds like she’s considering.”

Mina Keeper told that person, “Well, Ciggie, we’ll just fool her and make her beg for what’s left after we eat what all we want.”

Mrs. Keeper had called the woman—Ciggie.

Ciggie laughed with real delight. “We get all the ice cream?”

“We can’t throw it away.”

Ellen gave up. “I’ll take—”

But Mina sighed. “We’ll just have to...”

Ellen was a tad irritated and strident, “I said—”

But Mina finished her sentence, “—eat it all.”

Ellen became pushy and somewhat annoyed, “I said I’d eat those first two spoonfuls.”

“Oh.” Mrs. Keeper was astonished. “Would you like a taste?”

“You are speaking of ice cream?”

“Why...yes.” So innocent. Good grief.

Ciggie laughed.

Mina gave the invalid a skimpy two spoonfuls on a tiny plate, while their bowls were enormous!

However, Ellen never did get to see exactly how much they’d actually had, but the two greedy ones licked their lips and made sounds that were not at all necessary!

Then Mrs. Keeper said offhandedly to Ciggie, “I suppose if we’re not going to make her ill watching us be this greedy, we really ought to go out into the hall.”

Over Ellen’s courteous protest, the two just went on out of the room. And Ellen could hear the sound of the spoons in the bowls and the almost silent chitchat and laughter of the two women.

Very irritating. Really, very irritating.

It wasn’t until later that Ellen heard why Ciggie and not a doctor had disconnected Ellen from the intravenous bottle. It seemed some man on the Place had interfered with a bull for some reason, which had annoyed the bull, and the hand’s stomach had been ripped open.

The medical team had done the adjusting of the organs and the sewing of the skin. The medics had found the surgery very interesting. The victim was not that pleased.

In just a short time, Ellen began to see and hear all the different things that happened on the ranch. No day was dull. The senior Mr. Keeper sighed with irritation and mentioned to Ellen, “You’d think people would have a little care for themselves!”

He’d said that to a woman who’d been ignoring herself? Her fragile body? Someone who hadn’t given one damn for anything?

It fascinated Ellen to hear someone like a Keeper be furious and very vocal about carelessness. John Keeper was really irritated. And as he blew off temper, he was looking at her!

Was he chiding Ellen, or was he explaining stupidity, or was he just scared that somebody he liked had been hurt?

Ellen thought of her mother. She remembered looking at her mother and seeing her fury with her stupid daughter. And her daddy was there, and he’d hushed his wife. His hand on his wife had been gentle and he’d tried to calm her.

Then he’d turned his hurting eyes to his daughter—

Ellen couldn’t think about that right then. She might never think of it again.

With Ellen more fragile than they’d first thought, it was the next day the two—Mina and Ciggie—came and said to Ellen, “You’re to get up now and go out onto the porch to sit in a rocker and stare at the beauty of the Place.”

“I believe I’ll sleep a while.” That was kindly said and logical.

Mrs. Keeper told her, “The doctor said you are not to sleep during the day, you are to wait for the night. You must get up and move about.”

Ellen breathed several times in revolt as she was old enough to do that, but she said, “Yes.”

Mrs. Keeper simply looked at her as she would any guest who was difficult and she said, “Ciggie will assist you in rising. She will guide you out to the porch. She will give you a layout of the house and grounds where you will walk. You’ll do that until you get used to the place, then you can ride farther.”

That wasn’t suggestion, it was direction. It had the very strong sense of her mother and father. However, Ellen was not someone these persons could direct. She was a free soul. She could do as she chose.

“Since you have all that water sloshing around inside you, Ciggie will take you to the bathroom first.”

“I can take myself.”

Mrs. Keeper smiled in a very courteous manner and said, “This time, let us help you. You need to know where to go and the layout of the house and yard. Ciggie will help you today. Call me if you need me.”

She left.

Directions. That’s what Mina Keeper was doing to Ellen. She was being structured. Their way. Now. Damn.

Having been raised as she was, Ellen did manage to smile at the abandoned Ciggie as she said, “Well, that’s clear enough. I feel very like a prisoner.”

Not at all taking that as bitterness, Ciggie giggled. “She loves you. You ought to see how gentle she gets when she’s mad. Well, she don’t get mad but she can be—uh—let’s see if I can find the word. Yeah. Annoyed.” That was enunciated just right.

Ciggie made Ellen smile.

Two

With time moving into the middle of another day, it was Ciggie who led the still fragile Ellen down the hall to the side door of the Keeper house. She was careful of the guest. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.”

Just the way Ellen said that made Ciggie stop and eye the guest with some squinted doubt.

As happens in romances, Mina’s son, Tom, came along right then. He hesitated and looked carefully at the women. Then he asked Ciggie, “She okay?”

Being a sentimental person, Ciggie replied, “You ought to see to her getting out on the porch for some air. Be sure she’s in the shade but be surer she’s warm.” Ciggie grinned and her eyes danced...then she turned away and damned near fled!

That left a fragile Ellen standing there by the closed door, which led onto the side porch.

Tom hadn’t actually noticed that Ciggie had left them. His eyes were on the fragile woman. He said, “Tell her I’m a Keeper.”

There was no reply, so Tom looked over and found that Ciggie had vanished. She was no where around at all! How clever.

Since the two were alone, Tom looked at the guest... whoever she was...and he realized she was seriously fragile. He asked, “Are you going out into the sun?”

She altered the word rather vacantly, “Shade.”

Tom waited, but she didn’t move, so he suggested, “Let me hold the door for you.”

She nodded but she didn’t even look at him.

He opened the door, then the screen door and stepped outside as he held it for her.

She almost didn’t move. But finally she did step forward so carefully that Tom put out a hand and clasped her elbow to stabilize her.

She murmured, “Thank you.”

She didn’t look at him or flirt or anything. But she did hesitate.

He took a firmer grip on her arm and led her over to the sun side, and he seated her under a large umbrella that was tall and wide. It was also seriously anchored in the center hole of the table and was not at all movable. Winds only ruffled the fringe around the edge of the big umbrella.

Ellen sat in the shade and again said, “Thank you,” dismissing Tom.

Being independent, Tom sat down in another chair and watched her.

He wasn’t sure if she was ill or a morning drunk, but there was no smell of liquor. She was skinny and probably had been ailing. Tom wondered who had dropped her off on the Keeper doorstep. The guest had not found the Keepers by herself.

He asked her, “Are you all right?”

She nodded once.

That was supposed to be communication? He frowned at her. If she was sick, why had Ciggie directed her to come outside into the sun on the porch?

He asked the woman, “Do you want to be outside? You don’t seem strong enough to be out here alone.”

“I’ll ring the bell if I need help.” She indicated the table bell used for refilling glasses or plates.

Tom asked with narrowed eyes, “What meal are you eating?”

“None.”

“Then...why are you out here?”

That was a logical question. Their parents were friends. They were in an extended group who commented on others. They were distantly in touch. She managed to move her eyes over and look at Mina’s son. “I’ve met you in San Antonio. You were interested in some woman there.”

“Kayla.”

“Yes. She would be worth the attention. But she remarried that lawyer.”

“Yes.”

Then Ellen looked at Tom, having been rejected herself, and she asked him, “Were you—disappointed she married another man?”

He shrugged. “It happens...one way or another. To a man or a woman.” He looked around for someone who might be monitoring this fragile female and, seeing no one, it was he who stayed to be sure she didn’t faint, all alone, out on the porch.

It was difficult to see inside the house because the glass was tinted so the sun didn’t stream in too pushily. That way, Tom did not see the two women backed away and watching the couple on the porch. The two did not speak. That was because Mrs. Keeper had told Ciggie to hush. Therefore, Mrs. Keeper could strain her ears and listen.

However, it was interesting that Mina Keeper hadn’t told Ciggie to run along and mind her own business. But while they didn’t speak, they both watched the odd couple on the porch.

The reason Mina hadn’t told Ciggie to run along was if Tom left and Ellen needed help, Mrs. Keeper could send Ciggie out—casually—and in that subtle way could give help to their guest

Ciggie knew that was exactly so, but she understood Mrs. Keeper and didn’t mind at all. Anything Mrs. Keeper did was logical and planned.

How amazing that Ciggie understood Mina Keeper. Very few others did. Most thought the senior Mrs. Keeper was nosy and intrusive.

Back on the porch, Ellen became relaxed. She actually looked around. She said to Tom, “There’s no need for you to monitor me. I’m fine.”

He looked at her in some shock. She thought she was...fine? He looked around and considered that the jump off the flat porch was not dangerous for such a stranger. But if she went up the several flights to the attic, she might do serious damage to herself jumping from one of the windows.

Then he looked up and remembered the bars that were braced sideways across the windows in a casual, perfectly spaced row. She didn’t have a chance of doing anything drastic.

He considered her. Was she in self-danger?

He finally decided slowly that, like life, even in death she wouldn’t give a damn. She didn’t care one way or the other.

But she’d remembered he had had a serious case of Kayla.

He asked gently, “That man you used to be with...Philip? He left you?”

She nodded.

“Oh.”

“—and then I lost the baby.”

Tom hadn’t known she’d been pregnant. He frowned and looked at her. He told her kindly, “There was some reason for it. Babies sometimes can’t make it There will be another time for you.”

She slowly turned her head and just looked at Tom with ancient knowledge that he would never understand.

He asked, “Have you been ill?”

“I forget to eat.”

“Can you walk?”

She considered. “Some.”

“Let’s go around the porch to the shady side.”

She was slow in deciding. She turned her head carefully. She began to leave the chair, and he reached to help her. She said, “I can do this by myself.”

Tom rose to his feet and just anxiously watched, his hands ready to catch her fall. He wondered if moving her had been a good idea. Maybe she needed the feeling of the warm, Texas winter sun on that side of the house?

She straightened and looked around slowly. She asked, “Which way?”

He could carry her. She didn’t have to go around to the other side of—

Ellen looked at him in a dead glance and asked again, “Which way?”

Tom had never counted the steps of either way. He glanced up and quickly, mentally judged the distance one way or the other. He said, “This way.” It would be around the back.

Watching, inside the house, Mina asked Ciggie, “What the dickens is he doing?” She was huffy and appalled.

Ciggie replied, “We’ll see.”

Mina gave Ciggie a deadly look of shock. Well, she had asked the question, and Ciggie had given a logical reply. Mina breathed carefully to soothe herself and moved instantly to see where the hell Tom was taking that fragile child-woman!

The two women hurried to the various places to see...

Tom had lifted Ellen into his arms and was carrying her around the back of the house! Good gravy! If a woman was so fragile that she had to be carried then she probably should be in bed!

Tom was stopped along the wall of the porch and was indicating something to Ellen that was on beyond. It was horses. No. It was the Longhorns moving slowly and eating grass. Tom Keeper mentioned, “Their horns must be a nuisance but don’t they look elegant?”

Ellen said a nothing, “Mmm.” A response, not any opinion.

He grinned down at her lying on his arms and asked, “Not taken with Longhorn Cattle?”

“I had a steak—”

Indignantly, Tom interrupted, “You ate one? Don’t even say it! How could you?”

“—and someone told us it wasn’t actually longhorn meat, because you all didn’t let anybody kill a-one of them.”

Tom nodded as he said, “That’s a fact.”

The fragile, pale woman smiled.

He asked softly, “Want to go inside now? You’ve been out a while.”

She said, “All right.”

He not only carried her into the house, he asked, “Which way?”

She pointed to a guest room down a hallway on that floor.

Beyond, Mrs. Keeper and her cohort had scurried so as not to be seen. It was frustrating to them not to see what was happening!

As he carried Ellen, Tom offered, “Since I’ve already learned to carry you, would you like a review of the house? The layout is simple and—”

“This time, I’ll just go to my room.”

“Have I bored you?”

“Oh, no. I’m just tired.”

Not having let her go, he asked, “Along here?”

“Yes. The third door.”

He carried her to the door as he said, “I’ve got to be out and about, but I’ll be back for lunch and we’ll eat on the south side. Okay?”

She hesitated, then she said, “Okay.” But there was no enthusiasm.

His foot nudged her door open as she turned the knob and he carried her across the room and carefully laid her on the made bed. Well, he wasn’t cognizant about blankets—and she was dressed.

“Want to change?” He asked that watching her soberly. He smiled. “I could help?”

She lay quietly and barely shook her head as she watched him. She said a formal, “Thank you.”

“I’ll be back at noon.”

“Don’t bother. I’ll probably sleep.”

He grinned. “Too much good Texas air?”

She almost smiled as she said, “Yes.”

“I’ll check on you.” Then he didn’t leave. He watched her. He said yet again, “I’ll be back.”

A tear slid out of her eye.

He leaned over her and frowned. “What’s wrong.” A lead-in, not a question.

Her breaths became disorganized.

He was alarmed and said, “I can take care of anything that bothers you. Just tell me what’s wrong.”

“I was thinking of the baby I lost.” And big old tears slid from her eyes.

He sat down on the bed and lifted her onto his lap. He told her, “That’s tough. It makes you want to rail at God, doesn’t it? Go ahead. God won’t mind. You’ll eventually understand it all. That little kid might not have made it later, either. He might have—”

“—she.”

“—she might have gotten run over by a car or something awful like that And the kid just decided it wouldn’t be long enough, and you could have another.”

She asked, “How do you know?”

Her wet face was against his neck and her thin arms were around his body. He held her on his lap, sitting there on the bed. He replied, “My guardian angel explained it all to me just now.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“You’ve never talked to your guardian angel? Who do you quarrel with when you want to do something and the guardian shakes his head and says Nuhuh.”

There was silence. Then she said, “What did you want to do that the guardian said not to?”

“It’s too long a story to tell you, now. I’ll tell you the whole kaboodle another time. Why not lie here a while and snooze. I’ll wake you when I come back to lunch.”

“We’ll see.”

“Is it food or me you don’t like?”

“Food.”

“Well... We’ll let you watch me eat and you can go on starving.”

And again she said, “We’ll see.”

“Let me see your face. I can wipe tears away real easy.”

He leaned back and exposed her to the light. Her eyelashes were wet and her eyes were closed. She was too thin and very pale. His heart squeezed. “You’re a nuisance, do you know that? I’ve got all this work to do and here you are, lying on the bed and wanting atten—”

“I do not! You’ve been intrusive and bossy and obnoxious!”

He said, “Well, yes. You’re fragile and skinny and no threat at all so I could just go ahead and say what I wanted. Do you realize how seldom I get to say anything I want to?”

“Go nurse the lepers.”

“My grandmother said that! Who told it to you?”

“My grandmother.”

“Well, it’s one of those realities that you can’t knock down. It’s truth. There are always people who are worse off than us. And I think it’s real nasty to pull it out at a time of stress and wallop a perfectly upset person with such a comment.”

“Me, too.”

“You’d rather wallow in being unhappy.”

“Yes.”

He considered that with some elaborate thoughtfulness before he said, “I can see that. For a while. But the time comes when you ought to let the bad stuff go and look ahead. How long’s it been now?”

“Five months and two days.”

“Well, I can see you being upset the rest of that sixth month. Then I’ll expect you to straighten up.”

“Yes.”

“But you’ll have to begin eating again. You’re skin and bones.”

“I wanted to die, too.”

“Naw. You can’t do something like that. Nobody would understand and they’d all be irritated with you. You are strong and you—Hush! I’m talking—and you have to cope. It’s a real nuisance but that’s the way things work. You cope.”

“Damn.”

There on the bed, he held her on his lap and rocked gently. He commented, “If you get a quarter of the good stuff, you can’t complain. Lots of people have it worse than that. You’re killing yourself by not taking care of you. That’s dumb. No! Stop that! I’m giving you good advice that I’ve had. Straighten up and behave and quit feeling sorry for yourself. Let your lost baby go. Have another. Don’t compare them or think the first one would’a been perfect.”

With leaking tears, she had to shake her head and smile. She said, “You are so rough. I wonder if you’ve ever soothed a woman.”

“What the hell do you think I’m doing now? Here—hush—I’ve spent all this time straightening you out when I was supposed to go out and help a mare birth twins, and I’ve let that poor horse do it all by herself with only a dozen or so men with her, and I’ve given you all this valuable time to straighten you out! You’ve exhausted me. Move over and let me lie down, too. I’m worn to a nub!”

She shook her head and laughed through her tears. “You’re impossible.”

He said, “Since we’re in your bed and nobody’s around and I’m free, why don’t you smooth me down and make me feel better.”

She watched him carefully. She said, “Shame on you.”

He pried himself up and sighed very dramatically. “I did try.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll see you at noon. Behave. I’ll be back.”

She responded, “Don’t threaten me.”

He tilted his head back and considered her. Then he said, “Not right away.” And he patted the top of her head. And he left.

Ellen stayed in her room where she was isolated. She lay quietly and didn’t think or anything. She didn’t even sleep. But she did glance at the clock.

She ordered her lunch to be brought to her room. The crew did that easily. Mrs. Keeper viewed the tray and added another flower to it. She smiled at the one who would deliver it and said, “Good.”

Probably the most irritating thing about Mrs. Keeper was that she knew people, she did research, she contacted old friends of theirs, and she learned everything she needed to know in order to spoil one of her guests.

The tray delivered to Ellen was unusual. It had all sorts of goodies on it. Little samples. This and that. Who could resist?

Ellen was human. She did look over at the tray. She saw there was no napkin on it, so she also saw what was on the tray.

That was the sly way of Mrs. Keeper.

Ellen tasted this and that and ate more than she had in some long time. An apricot here, a kumquat there, a slice of banana, a square of a cut-up sandwich, which held lettuce and some mayonnaise. Lit tle bits and pieces of things. It was all alluring.

Wickedly so.

How was a woman to fade away in grief when someone brought a tray like that?

After noon, Tom came up to see Ellen. An empty tray was outside her door. Her door was not locked. He opened it softly saying, “You here?” But he did go inside her room. She was asleep. He considered her.

If it had been she who’d emptied the tray, it was their first victory. She needed some attention. He’d see to it that others hounded her with such care that she wouldn’t notice they were helping her.

He carried her tray back to the kitchen and bragged on the cooks for being so innovative. And he complained because he never got anything like that...as an appetizer! He talked to the kitchen crew and got all the various things he wanted to eat while he teased and complained that he was always ignored.

Knowing full well that Tom Keeper had his life...well, his food exactly as he wanted it, the crew only laughed at him... and with him. Tom was very humorous. He was especially so that day. How interesting.

Probably the most intriguing thing that Ellen found in that house was that the. Keeper cat jumped up on the porch railing and stretched out to ring the doorbell. That way the cat got attention right away and got inside without having to wait.

Dressed in a shirt and long trousers, Ellen was reading a book the next day and the doorbell rang. Mrs. Keeper called down, “It’s probably the cat, would you let him in?”

Ellen did go to the door and opened it but it was a woman her age. She was casually dressed. Her name was Lu Parsons and she was the sister of the throwback Andrew, but Lu lived in one of the ranch houses with the pilot Rip Morris.

Ellen smiled and said, “Come inside. I thought you were the cat.”

Lu blinked.

Ellen laughed softly and said, “I know. I wonder, too. But they’ve told me to answer the doorbell because it might be the cat They say that it reaches over from the railing and presses the doorbell. I just wonder if this is a joke they pull on guests.”

Lu grinned. “I’ll have to stay now just to see that.”

“I’d appreciate the backup. They are probably just giving us something to think about in this rather isolated place.”

Lu considered the idea and then agreed, “You’re more than likely right.”

Ellen moved slowly to a chair, indicated the other to Lu, and sat carefully.

“Are you all right? I’ve heard you were skinny as a rail, and you’re really elegant. Thin.” She considered thin, then she said, “You could use some padding. Have a caramel.”

Very sadly, Ellen told her guest, “I lost a baby.”

Lu knew that already. In their area, gossip hardly passed the original lips before everyone had heard it and knew all the details. But Lu didn’t say she’d heard that. She said, “I’m sorry.”

A great tear trembled on the bottoms of Ellen’s eyelashes.

Lu shook her head and told her companion, “Don’t you dare cry because I will too, and I get blotchy. What’s past is past. Look ahead.”

In halting words, Ellen said, “I’m not sure I know how to do that.”

“Look around and see all the other people who cope or need help.”

Ellen replied, “Right now, if I found someone else was grieving, I’d just cry more.”

Lu advised, “Go see Angela Becker. She has five kids and a very busy husband who is out and around and not available. She’s at her wit’s end. The kids are just one year apart. She’s going nuts. Why not go over and give her a fifteen-minute break?”

“Fifteen minutes?”

“It would be stark relief for Angela. She could catch her breath. Do it once in the middle of the morning and again in the middle of the afternoon. And, Ellen, do not get wishy-washy and stay longer. The fifteen minutes is all! Understand?”

“I’m...not sure...exactly how to deal with children. How old are they?”

Lu repeated, “Six months to age five.”

“My word!”

“I believe she responds to the phenomenon with that same kind of shock. If you do go, she could sit for fifteen minutes, without having to do anything or listen to anybody!”

Hesitantly, Ellen confessed with some caution, “I’m not very sturdy.”

“Neither is Angela.”

Slowly, Ellen rose from her chair and went to the window to look out at the other houses. “Which one is—Angela’s?”

Lu went over and pointed out the house. “Want to come along with me and see the house and kids? Then you could decide.”

“I’m not at all strong.”

“None of us is.”

Ellen asked, “Five children and the eldest is just—five?”

Lu nodded. She watched with great interest. How would the fragile woman respond?

Ellen said softly, “I’m not sure—I can handle—someone’s—children.”

Lu shrugged. “Kids are kids.”

Ellen lifted her watery eyes and said, “Yes. They are all precious.”

Lu grinned at the weepy woman as she said, “When they’re asleep?”

Ellen shook her head, trying to control herself.

“One of these days you’ll have to face the fact that there are—other children.”

“I know.”

In another few minutes, Ellen called to Mrs. Keeper who had to take big steps backward so that her voice reply wasn’t too close. She innocently asked, “Yes?”

Ellen called back in explanation, “Lu Parsons is taking me over to meet Angela Becker? We won’t be long.”

Mrs. Keeper called down, “Hello, Lu. How nice of you to call on us. Just see to it that Ellen takes it easy.”

Lu called back, “Sure.”

Ellen had no clue—at all—that it had all been carefully plotted by those two women.

The two young women got into Rip Morris’s car and drove the couple of blocks over to Angela’s house. Anyone else would have commented on having to use the car in that short distance, but the fragile Ellen accepted that the drive would be just that.

Angela Becker answered their knock almost before they managed it. She was rather in disarray and her hair was not tidy. She held one child under one arm. But she was calm and apparently delighted to have guests. She did not appear harassed.

Angela and Lu talked after Ellen had been introduced. As that was being done, a two-year-old came to them yelling bloody murder.

With some effort, Ellen picked that one up. With her lax muscles, the baby weighed a ton! She asked soothingly what could be wrong? And the baby didn’t squirm out of her hands or arms but babbled baby talk while he pointed.

Ellen carried the little one in the direction he’d pointed, so Ellen missed seeing the exchanged glances made by Angela and Lu who smiled. Angela lifted her eyebrows in pleased shock and stared at Lu.

Lu shrugged, looked at her watch and said in a whisper, “We’ll see. Hers was a little girl.”

“Ahhh.”

The little one in Angela’s arm wriggled free and was set down to the floor. She went to see where her little brother and the lady went. So Angela and Lu sat down in the stiff chairs that had been discarded to the entrance hall because nobody liked the chairs.

When fourteen minutes had passed, the two went to find their guest, Ellen. She was sitting on the floor with the children. She was listening to them. They all took turns talking. Ellen had insisted on that and pointed to who was to speak.

The two-year-old spoke gibberish, which the older kids knew and interpreted the gibberish quite easily. The boy was too young with words to correct them.

Lu said, “We have to go.”

It was some pang for the two women to watch Ellen carefully rise from the floor. She smiled at the kids. They touched her knees and thighs and said, “Come back.” And the little boy said earnest things no adult understood. His fittler sister just watched.

The two women, Lu and Ellen, went out of the house, returning the calls of goodbye that they all said, and they went back to the car.

Since they were out, Lu took Ellen to show her Rip’s house where she was...uh...shacked up?

She laughed. And Ellen did smile. But Ellen was remembering how much she’d missed her lover when he’d abandoned her.

After their short view of Rip’s place, the two women went to the grocery store there that not only sold food but shared all the gossip. And the fact that the Keepers’ fragile guest was there awed them all. Lu took it in amused stride.

Mrs. Keeper had commanded Lu to take Ellen to the grocery store. Everyone would be so curious and they’d all find all sorts of excuses to come out to the house. Mrs. Keeper just did not have the time to give teas for all those people! Having the locals see Ellen at the grocery would soothe their curiosity.

It was just lucky that Lu Parsons’ brother and his new wife were on their honeymoon. The Keepers’ town thrived on gossip.

Three

Ellen was brought back to the Keeper house by Lu. It was obvious Ellen was just about at the end of her strength. It was Ciggie who was at the door first, and she simply took Ellen along to her room, helped her strip and put her naked into bed. She insisted the fragile one drink most of the water in the fresh glass. Ellen did. She handed the glass back to Ciggie. She was asleep in no time at all.

The fact that Ellen was so vulnerable shocked everybody. They’d really just thought she was skinny and grieving. They thought it was primarily attitude. They hadn’t realized how far down she’d gone physically.

Mina called Ellen’s doctor. When he was free, he returned the call. They discussed the whole situation.

It was rather late that day when Tom came from a distant check on what was where. His mother updated Tom. He went to Ellen’s room and with only one tap, he silently opened her door. He looked inside. She slept. He went over to her bed and watched her sleep. She was flat out. She was exhausted.

But—

Tom found his body wanted to be in her bed with her. How stupid of it. The woman was strained to the core. How could he be that intrusive? Intrusion was what he had in mind.

There was no excuse, at all, for Tom to do anything. He could cough, or clear his throat, or touch her or speak to her. While she was as zonked as she could be, he knew full well that he must not do any of those things. He had to leave her be. She was overextended. He needed to leave her alone and let her sleep until supper time.

But he stood and watched her possessively. He couldn’t remember one of the women who’d come to the Keeper Place who had caught his glance as seriously as Ellen did. She made his dreams vivid and sexual. This morning he awoke to a bed that was about torn apart.

How come one woman could do that to a man? He’d lusted for other women. But not with the gentle hunger he had for this one. She’d probably tell him to run along home to his mama and behave himself.

This was his home. He was in charge.

That meant that he had discarded the fact that his mother and father ran the Place and were obeyed by the crew without any question at all. How come he felt he was—in charge?

It was this fragile, soul-shaking woman. She made him feel thataway. He’d wanted other women, but it had never been as serious as this want was.

Maybe it was because he’d never seen one in bed before he’d been in there with them? Was it simply the damned old body hunger? Then if that was so, why was he so quiet and why was he just looking at her sleep-closed face?

Why hadn’t he thought about her body being in those silks she probably wore like just about every other woman he’d known? He hadn’t even thought of it. He’d just known she was asleep. And not being awake, he could look his fill of her face.

Then his vulgar libido wanted to lift the blankets back and look at her body. What was she wearing under those covers thataway? He wanted her nude and raw. He wanted to take off his boots and clothes and even his hat and just get in bed with her and—soothe her. Mmm-hmmmm. That’s what he wanted.

When Tom exited Ellen’s room, by some miracle there was no one in the hallway. It was silent and empty.

It was almost time for the evening dinner gong. Tom went thoughtfully to his room and stripped easily. His sex, which he referred to as Hunter, leaped free of Tom’s underwear, and Tom had several unkind things to say to something so strained.

Ellen didn’t rouse from her dead sleep until Mina Keeper went in and told her kindly it was time for her to waken.

Ellen’s eyes slitted open. She blinked slowly and moved her eyes around to figure out where in the world she was. She asked, “Mrs. Keeper?”

Mina gently said, “You’re here with us.”

Slowly, Ellen commented, “I haven’t slept like that in a hundred years.”

Mina’s eyebrows lifted a tad, and she then had the audacity to comment, “I hadn’t known you were older than L”

Ellen blinked slowly and her smile began. “I really slept.”