The Rancher Takes a Cook by Misty M. Beller

lit on the yellow lemons overflowing from
a wicker basket. Lemonade was the perfect thing on a hot summer
day.
    Anna finished setting out the plates and
poured lemonade in each of the men’s cups. She didn’t have an exact
head count for the new cowboys, and she wasn’t sure if Monty and
his men had come in from the pasture, so she set a place at every
chair around the monstrous table. Looking around to make sure she
hadn’t missed anything, Anna nodded silent approval then squared
her shoulders and marched to the front door to ring the bell that
would signal the hungry men to stampede into the dining room.
    And stampede they did. Anna stood by the
door as cowboys raced from every direction to form a line in front
of the water pump, emerging from the other side with shiny brown
faces and damp black hair. Dust still covered their vests and
chaps, but they strode to the porch. The sight of the men
approaching jolted Anna from her fascination with the scene, and
she scurried back into the house to prepare for their arrival.
    Each of the cowboys shuffled to stand behind
a chair, Monty and Edward among them, and waited for the entire
group to assemble. Jacob O’Brien was among them and strolled to the
chair on her left, at the end of the table. Anna’s shoulders
tensed. He seemed to be ignoring her, though. When Mr. O’Brien
entered the room, chairs scraped the floor as they all sat. Every
head bowed, and Mr. O’Brien thanked the Lord for the safe return of
all who had gone on the drive. Anna marveled again at the manners
these tough cowboys displayed.
    At the “Amen, ” the men dove into the food
with more than their usual fervor. She glanced at Aunt Lola on her
right. The older woman eyed the wild display as well, a grin
tugging her mouth. Anna hoped there would be enough food to go
around. Should she slice more bread? But the men were beginning to
slow as clattering forks and chewing took over.
    Sitting back to wipe his face with a cloth
napkin, Mr. O’Brien remarked, “So, Jacob tells me you boys had a
few close calls on the trip.”
    “Si,” answered an older man across the
table. “The old Shawnee trail was pretty grown up in places, so the
dogies would spread out in the brush. Then a big storm hit before
we made it to the Red River. It rained for tres dias and the
River, she was rough. We lost too many young ones there, and it
took a few days for the herd to become strong again.”
    “I’m sorry to hear it, Juan.” A
contemplative expression spread over Mr. O’Brien’s face. “How did
you fare when you passed through the farming country?”
    “Not so good.”
    Anna turned at the strong voice from the end
of the table on her left. Jacob O’Brien spoke for the first time
that night. He leaned back in his chair, blue eyes relaxed as he
gazed at his father. He’d shaved before the meal, revealing a
strong jaw and chin. His face was tanned, but not nearly as
chocolate as his Mexican companions. The skin where his beard had
been was almost as tanned as the rest of his face.
    “They weren’t too keen on so much traffic
coming through their pastures, especially when some of the cows
knocked down a few fences.”
    That seemed to be all he was going to say on
the topic, so another of the cowboys across the table jumped in. “A
group of the farmers came at us with las pistols , but Jacob
calmed them down with quick talking and gifts.” The Mexican turned
to Jacob and grinned.
    “Gifts?” Mr. O’Brien quirked a brow.
    “I gave them a few head of cattle for their
trouble, then they seemed fine.”
    The same cowboy across the table continued,
“After that, we stayed away from the fences and kept the cattle
moving. By the time we reached Kansas, though, the herd was
footsore and tired.”
    After the meal, Monty called orders to the
men in Spanish while Aunt Lola helped Anna carry dishes into the
kitchen. As Anna returned to the dining room, Jacob wrapped an arm
around the older woman and planted a kiss in