"Boy, don't you know better than to wear a hat and spurs to your mother's table?"

Matt looked up with a guilty expression, first at Devlin, then into his mother's disapproving stare. "Sorry, ma'am," he apologized to his mother.

Matt removed the offending items, and Devlin acted as though she hadn't said a word. Sarah smiled at her son's efforts at civility. She had worried about Matt. She wondered if he would learn all that he should, especially with his father gone and no male influence in his life. She realized that her worries were needless; as hard an edge as Devlin possessed, there was a tenderness and a graciousness about her. Sarah felt confident that Matt would learn all he needed.

When the children grew quiet, Sarah led them in thanks for their meal. Not a praying woman, Devlin felt uncomfortable the first time this happened. As time pa.s.sed, however, she realized that Sarah didn't sound anything like the fire-and-brimstone circuit preachers Devlin had run into. Sarah gave thanks for the family, their well-being, and the food. She always said the prayer in that order.

Once the meal began, the dining room filled with talking and laughter. Sarah had a dry wit and a quick one at that. Mattie was much the same. They easily traded barbs and entertained the children with stories of when they were children in Kentucky.

Mattie was the talker and Sarah the introspective one, that much Devlin could see right off. It was amusing to Devlin to see how much in life was relative. To Devlin, Sarah seemed as chatty as a magpie. Compared to Devlin, she was. In contrast to Mattie, however, Sarah was practically mute. Devlin said little herself, explaining a few roping techniques to the boys and occasionally adding to the adult conversation. Devlin knew she would become accustomed to the chatter, but right now, it was something new. Having anyone around her at all was relatively new, let alone the fact that these people were now family.

"So you two should have a honeymoon of sorts," Mattie said.

Devlin's fork hit the china plate and made a high-pitched clatter. Sarah tried to inhale and swallow coffee at the same time. The result was a coughing fit as she tried to regain control of her breathing.

"What did you say?" Sarah finally choked out.

She looked at Devlin for help, but Devlin had taken that particular moment to find something fascinating about her plate. Devlin had her head bent over her food, her dark hair falling across her eyes.

"Look, you two have been through the mill in the last year. I'm not saying to take a trip to New York, just a getaway," Mattie said. "Sarah, you keep saying you have to take a wagon over to the homestead to move your personal things here. Well, why don't you and Dev spend some time over there while I'm still here to watch the children?"

Sarah stared at Mattie. Frankly, a part of her was frightened to be alone with Devlin. It was unreasonable, but Sarah feared that she would be a disappointment to the s.e.xually more experienced woman. At the same time, part of her couldn't wait to be alone with Devlin.

Devlin watched what appeared to be a mini-war being waged within Sarah's brain. She could see the play of emotions in the expressive features on her face. Devlin knew what she wanted, but she wouldn't push Sarah.

"I think you're right," Sarah said.

Devlin nearly choked on her food. She hadn't expected Sarah to agree without even the semblance of a struggle.

"I mean, if you want to." Sarah looked in Devlin's direction.

"Of course. Good idea," Devlin managed to say.

"Well, that's settled then," Mattie said.

Mattie looked at the two adults at the other end of the table and displayed a small, triumphant smile. Although they looked embarra.s.sed, Devlin and Sarah wore expressions of antic.i.p.ation and relief. If Mattie knew her sister half as well as she thought she did, Sarah was probably as reticent to make her feelings known as Devlin was. Mattie continued eating, happy in the fact that she could play a small part in leading these stubborn horses to the trough to drink.

"Don't forget Dolly, Mama." Hannah jumped up and down in front of the wagon. The younger of Sarah's two children, Hannah was six years old. She was a miniature version of Sarah, right down to her stubborn determination.

"I won't, sweetheart. Now you behave for your Aunt Mattie. Okay? Matt, you look out for your sister," Sarah said.

"Yes, ma'am." Matt kissed his mother's cheek. Matthew was Sarah's oldest child. He would turn thirteen that year, but Sarah still stood an inch or two taller.

Devlin moved in front of Matt. "Keep an eye on things, boy. I talked to Hank, and he said you could ride with him for a spell each day if you've a mind. You can learn a lot from a rider like him."

"Yes, ma'am!" Matt said enthusiastically. He remembered Devlin's previous admonitions to him regarding that phrase and grinned. "Sorry, I mean, Dev."

The boy's smile was a mile wide, and Devlin couldn't resist grinning in return. She tugged the brim of his hat down over his eyes and he laughed. Devlin stood towering over Hannah. The girl stretched out her hands and jumped up and down.

"I wanna give you a kiss, too, Dev!"

Devlin scooped Hannah into her embrace. She lifted her high over her head. Sarah and Matt covered their ears at the girl's high-pitched screams and giggles. Hannah threw her hands around Devlin's neck and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Don't forget Dolly, Dev," she cautioned again.

"I won't, Princess." Devlin laughed.

The girl had been unable to sleep since leaving her rag doll back at the cabin. The doll was one that Sarah made when she was pregnant with Hannah. Sarah had put it in the girl's crib, and she carried it with her everywhere as she grew up. Six years later, Dolly had seen better days and Sarah had patched and repaired the rag doll many times. Still, Hannah hated the separation.

"I promise, Princess." Devlin smiled at the girl in her arms. "I will personally guard Dolly all the way home." She had meant to ride over and retrieve the treasured item more than once, but one thing or another had prevented her.

Sarah shook her head as she watched the exchange. She wondered if the normally reserved Devlin realized how tightly she was wrapped around Hannah's little finger.

"Okay!" Hannah smiled as Devlin gave her one more hug and returned her to the ground.

The trip to Sarah's original homestead cabin wasn't a long one, and the weather cooperated. Devlin drove the wagon over the hilly terrain. At the same time, she tried to calm the b.u.t.terflies that flitted around in her stomach. She felt like she imagined a bridegroom must on his wedding day. The trip afforded the two women time to talk about their lives and the direction they wished for their future.

"Our lives are going to be very different, aren't they, Dev?"

"I expect there will be some things that might take a small spell to get used to."

"You know," Sarah began, nervously pulling at her long woolen skirt, "I wouldn't want you to stay if this was all too much. I mean, I wouldn't hold you to any promises. I'm sure there are plenty-"

"Sarah," Devlin interrupted. "I know I'm not much when it comes to letting on about how I feel about things. I can't promise that I'll ever get a whole lot better, but I do plan on trying." Devlin kept her gaze trained on the horizon as she spoke. She was too nervous to see what Sarah's reaction might be. "I've spent my whole life looking for something, the kind of thing that I thought was only meant for other people. Now it seems that I've found something so close that it's d.a.m.ned near perfect. I may be only a rider with a little bit of dumb luck, but I'm not stupid enough to have found what I've always wanted, then keep on looking. This is it for me, and I don't mean just for a summer or two or until it gets too hard. This is what I want for the rest of my life. You're what I want for the rest of my life."

"How is it that you keep saying you're not much on talking, but every time you open your mouth, you cause me to fall in love with you just a little bit more?"

Devlin grinned. She liked the way that sounded. Secretly, she breathed a sigh of relief. She had hoped the words, which came from her heart, wouldn't start Sarah to laughing.

"I guess it must be the inspiration."

"The women must have thought you were quite a charmer."

Devlin chuckled, but she heard the hint of jealousy in Sarah's tone. She would never stop being amazed that somehow Sarah thought of her as quite a catch. Devlin leaned over and placed a light kiss on the surprised woman's cheek.

"That I was, darlin', but from here on in, I only plan on entertaining one woman with my charm."

They laughed, which lightened the moment enough to discuss their plans in a relaxed atmosphere. In no time, they pulled up in front of the cabin. Sarah stared at the painted design and the odd string of bones and sh.e.l.ls nailed on the door. The shape was similar to a bird but was painted a bright sky blue.

"Dev? Should we be worried?"

Devlin smiled at the familiar marking and the fetish hanging from the door. "No, actually, it should make you feel safe."

Devlin explained that the marking was for other Indian tribes in the region. It was an unspoken warning that this chuka, or dwelling, and all its inhabitants were under the protection of the Thunderbird clan. Devlin felt she might sleep easier at night, knowing her people watched over her family.

Sarah cleaned and aired out the cabin. Devlin, in the meantime, situated the barn into supplies they could take with them, items that could be stored at the homestead, and equipment such as harnesses and a.s.sorted tack that she could send someone to retrieve later. A loud bleating sound brought both women outside.

A large cow moved slowly against the fence line, and the noises it made grew louder once it caught sight of Sarah.

"Anabelle!" Sarah cried out and rushed to the animal.

Devlin moved more cautiously to the longhorn cow. She had a history with this animal. It was as large as a bull and Devlin teased Sarah about the animal being a freak of nature. It was as docile as a newborn lamb around Sarah, but according to Devlin, the cow had it in for her. In the short time since Devlin had come to work on Sarah's place, she'd had to rope Anabelle out of more situations than any ten animals. Devlin mentioned more than once that the cow would make one h.e.l.l of a barbecue, only to receive a disapproving glare from Sarah.

The longhorn was a favorite of Sarah's. Its mother had died giving birth and Sarah practically hand raised the animal. Cattle were a lot like wild animals. They shied away from humans, especially the animals kept out on the range where they had little interaction with man. The fact that Sarah had raised Anabelle was probably why the animal had no fear of humans-either that or the cow's size.

Devlin noticed that the cow was even larger than usual because it was about to calve at any moment. Anabelle, by instinct, had made her way to the safest spot she could think of-home.

"She's in trouble, Dev."

Devlin came up beside the animal, and as usual, it tried to kick out at her. "Oh, no, you don't." Devlin quickly sidestepped the cow's rear leg. "I can't believe you even got all the way over here, you big tub of lard."

Devlin had a.s.signed a few riders the task of driving over the few hundred head of cattle from this ranch, where Sarah had lived before her uncle's death, to the Winston ranch. Combining the herds made it easier for the riders to care for the rangelands and the cattle under their protection. There were a number of strays that got away by hiding in the hills, but Devlin made a habit of sending a couple of riders over every few days to catch the stragglers. A number of the strays were cows preparing to calve. They were the animals that usually separated as far as possible from the rest of the herd, hiding among the rocks where there was less chance of discovery by predators.

Devlin examined Anabelle while Sarah held and petted the animal's head. "This isn't good. Looks like her water broke, but she's bleeding, too."

Both women knew that usually meant a stillborn calf. The cow threw up her leg again, only this time Devlin understood that Anabelle wasn't kicking out at her but at her own stomach. That was another sure sign the calf inside was dead.

"Dev, we have to do something." Sarah had tears in her eyes.

Out on the range, Devlin would have let nature take its course. In this country, only the fittest survived and it was usually for a reason. Devlin couldn't stand the sight of Sarah with tears. She unb.u.t.toned her jacket and removed her outer shirt.

"We have to keep her on her feet." No sooner had Devlin uttered the words than Anabelle lay flat out on the ground. Contractions rippled through the cow's body. Anabelle made a terrible groaning sound once two feet appeared. Devlin decided to give the animal a hand and pulled on the feet. Anabelle grunted and tossed her head back and forth. The cow's horns came dangerously close to hitting Devlin.

"What can I do to help, Dev?" Sarah asked from behind Devlin's back. She was a knowledgeable cattlewoman but acquiesced to Devlin's superior skills in this area.

"Get up there and hold her head. Let her see you and see if that helps calm her down some."

With her head in Sarah's lap, the cow relaxed and let another contraction take over. The calf's nose appeared after a few more contractions, but Devlin knew the calf was gone. Its nose was a much deeper blue than it should have been. As she eased the calf's head out of the birth ca.n.a.l, she could see that its eyes held no life. She plucked a long blade of gra.s.s and used it to tickle inside the calf's nose. There was no response.

Suddenly, Anabelle's struggles ceased and the animal grew quiet. Devlin, amazed at the way animals seemed to have a sixth sense about such things, figured that Anabelle knew the calf was dead.

"Dev?" Sarah called out from her position in front of Anabelle.

"It's gone. We need to help her get him the rest of the way out."

"She's sort of given up at this point."

Devlin tried to pull the dead calf but couldn't bring it any farther out than to its shoulders. It seemed to be hung up on something inside the cow, which thrashed in pain.

"Easy, girl...easy." Sarah's words calmed Anabelle some. "Should I get some rope? We could pull him out that way."

"Nah, I'm afraid he's tangled up inside. We'd only be hurting Anabelle more."

The cow lay flat out on the ground, growing weaker as the minutes pa.s.sed. They were at a standoff. The calf wasn't coming out any farther, and the cow, her strength nearly gone, was no longer having contractions.

"Well, Anabelle, just believe me when I say that I don't like this any better than you do." Devlin knelt behind the cow again.

Devlin slipped her hand, followed by her arm, past the calf's shoulders and into the birth ca.n.a.l. Devlin had done this before, but only when a prized cow's life had been in danger. Anabelle was Sarah's favorite, so she was valuable in Devlin's eyes. As Devlin slipped her hand past the calf's body and down its back legs, she felt something in the uterus kick her hand.

"I'll be d.a.m.ned!" Devlin exclaimed.

"Dev, what's wrong?"

"There's another one in here, and it's alive."

Devlin realized that the dead sibling was preventing the other calf from entering the birth ca.n.a.l. The calves were wrapped around each other so neither could break free. Devlin pushed the live calf off the first one, allowing her to pull the dead animal from its mother's body.

"Sarah, come here!"

"Drag this one over there by the fence, he's dead. Don't let Anabelle see him or she's liable to stand up. I've still got to get his twin out of there."

Once Devlin reached back inside, she realized that she was feeling the two rear legs, which meant she only had minutes left before they lost this calf, too. The second calf was bigger than the first, but Devlin managed to maneuver it into the ca.n.a.l by using both arms inside the cow. Two strong pulls and the calf came sliding out. After wiping the animal's face, Devlin dragged the shivering calf around to Anabelle's head.

The cow sniffed at the tiny wet package before her. When Anabelle made gentle lowing sounds and Sarah started crying, Devlin knew the venture had been a success. Within minutes, Anabelle pa.s.sed the afterbirth, lumbered to her feet, and started to clean the newborn calf.

"Devlin, you are wonderful," Sarah exclaimed. Sarah made a move to hug Devlin, but Devlin stopped her.

"Don't come near me," Devlin cautioned, turning toward Sarah. "I'm covered in stuff I'd rather not think about. Let me at least get to a bucket of water, some soap, and a clean shirt first." She grinned.

"I have to admit, though," Devlin turned back toward the sight of Anabelle cleaning her calf, "that is the strangest-looking calf I've ever seen. His head's too big for his body."

Sarah examined the calf, too. "I think...well, he looks like...Dev, he looks like a buffalo," she said in astonishment.

"I told you you'd get nothing but trouble from a cow this big. Doesn't surprise me." Devlin turned to face Sarah. "I'm surprised that there was a buffalo up this high, though. Seems as if your little baby has been in greener pastures." She laughed.

"Dev, look out!"

Devlin turned and jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding Anabelle's rear hoof.

"You son of a-"

"Devlin! She's just an animal, she's not out to get you."

"Yeah, well, the next time she does that, she's going to end up as a steak on my plate."

Anabelle snorted air through her nose, convincing Devlin that Sarah was wrong this time. This cow certainly appeared to understand what Devlin was saying.

"Too d.a.m.n big for a cow," Devlin muttered under her breath. "It just ain't natural."

Chapter 4.

"That was wonderful, Sarah, thank you," Devlin said as Sarah poured them another cup of coffee. "I hope you know that I'm gonna end up as big as Anabelle if you keep feeding me this way." She smiled across the table at Sarah.