A Handyman for Helen Read online

  A Handyman for Helen

  Kansas Cowboys Book Two

  by Amelia C. Adams

  With thanks to my beta readers—Amy, Barbara, Cheryl, Cindy, Dorothy, Joseph, Meisje, Renee G., Renee L., Sandy, Suzy, and Trudy.

  Cover design by Virginia McKevitt

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  Table of Contents:

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter One

  The Lazy Q Ranch

  Just north of Topeka, Kanas

  1877

  Helen Ashby tied the ribbons of her straw bonnet snugly under her chin, then stepped out of the cabin where she was staying and pulled the door closed. She wasn’t looking forward to the length of the wagon ride she was about to take, but she did want to go to town, so she supposed she’d just have to find a way to endure the journey.

  As she crossed the yard and approached the main house of the Lazy Q Ranch, she saw Old Sully Crenshaw sitting on the front steps, whittling something out of a piece of wood with his pocketknife.

  “Mornin’, Miss Helen,” he called out as soon as she was within earshot. “It’s a right nice day, isn’t it?”

  She looked up at the sky, the bright blue shining down with edges of golden sunlight. “It really is.”

  “Should make for a pleasant ride into town.” He scrutinized her. “Seems to me, you’re one of those who wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of bein’ out here, but we’re awful glad you all decided to stay and help out Miss Margaret.”

  She didn’t realize her feelings had been so transparent, but then again, she’d never been known to stay silent when something was bothering her. “You’re right, Mr. Crenshaw—I haven’t been very thrilled, and I admit that my attitude could have been much better. Despite my orneriness, I’m glad to lend a hand where it’s needed—especially in Margaret’s case.”

  He chortled. “That’s Old Sully to you, miss. There ain’t nothin’ ‘Mister’ about me.” He blew some shavings off his carving and looked at it from both sides. “You startin’ to see a wolf in there?”

  She looked at the piece of wood. It was more than just a start—he’d done quite a lot of work on it already. “Yes, I can. It’s beautiful.”

  “Aw, it’s nothin’. Just somethin’ I do to relax.”

  “I think it’s much more than that. You have a real talent.”

  Now his cheeks were pink. “Jack should be along any time now with that wagon. Also heard him say that Zeke was comin’ with to help choose out the building supplies.”

  At the mention of Zeke’s name, Helen felt herself give a little start. She hadn’t planned on spending the whole day with him—she’d thought it would just be herself and Wynonna, with Jack to do the driving and the lifting. This definitely put a different spin on things.

  “Did you get all the breeding done, then?” she asked. “Can you afford to spare two men?”

  “There’s still some to do, but I’ll have enough help. Zeke was worried that Jack’d pick up the wrong things. He’s a mite particular when it comes to his projects.”

  “I can understand that. I’m particular myself.” Some people thought she was a little too particular, but they didn’t understand the importance of doing things the right way the first time. It saved so much effort and energy in the long run.

  Helen looked toward the front door as it opened and Wynonna came out. “Hello there,” Wynonna said, smiling at them both. “I’ve packed up a basket in case we get hungry on the drive.”

  “Thank you. That’s a good idea.” Helen should have gone over to the dining room to eat breakfast before heading to the main house, but she’d been so anxious to be on her way, she doubted she could swallow a bite. In about an hour, though, she’d be ready to eat the basket and the napkins too.

  “Well, now, here he comes,” Sully said as a wagon appeared from around the corner of the house, pulled by two large horses. They looked like the same horses that had brought them out to the ranch a few days previously, but a different wagon.

  “Are you ’bout ready, Miss Helen?” Jack asked as he pulled up in front. “Mornin’, Miss Wynonna. Zeke will be along shortly—he’s saddlin’ up right now.”

  “Zeke’s coming too?” Wynonna asked, glancing at Helen with a worried look on her face.

  Helen didn’t know why her friend was worried. True, she didn’t care much for Zeke, but he didn’t care much for her, so it was even. And as they were both adults, she was sure they’d be able to treat each other with civility throughout the day. She intended to be on her best behavior, regardless of whatever he decided to do. She gave Wynonna a smile, trying to reassure her that everything would be all right.

  Then she noticed that Wynonna’s expression had changed—and she wasn’t looking at Helen anymore. She was looking up at Jack with some sort of besotted grin.

  Helen glanced back and forth between the two of them. Something was going on there. Helen hadn’t spoken with Wynonna since the evening before—she was willing to wager that whatever had happened, it had been within the last twelve hours. She couldn’t wait to get her friend alone and pump her for details.

  “Margaret gave me a shopping list,” Wynonna said, holding up a piece of paper. “I’m set to go if you are.”

  “Let’s get you ladies aboard and comfortable.”

  Jack gave each of them a hand up. Helen didn’t mind taking the end of the seat so Wynonna could sit next to Jack in the center—she figured that’s what her friend was hoping for anyway.

  When Zeke came riding up on a shiny black horse and nodded in her direction, she felt that strange sensation again, the one where she couldn’t quite breathe. That irritated her. Not only did she like being able to breathe, but she disliked that this man could take it away from her. However, she was going to be civil. That was her goal for the day.

  “Good morning, Zeke,” she said politely.

  He didn’t say anything. He just nodded again.

  Gracious. Of all the rude . . . She’d gone out of her way to greet him, and he’d acted like she barely existed. She thought back to the last time she’d spoken with him—she’d asked him to sweep out the bunkhouse, and she’d also asked him to string additional clothesline. Had they argued? She didn’t think so—why this cool reception now? And why was it bothering her so much when she clearly didn’t care what he thought?

  “Zeke’s ridin’ alongside to leave us more room in the wagon for supplies,” Jack said. “If you’ve got your basket safely tucked away, Miss Wynonna, I’d say we’re set.”

  Wynonna glanced over her shoulder to see where Sully had put the basket for her. “It’s safe.”

  “Then we’ll be off.” Jack looked over at Sully. “Whatever you’re not able to get done today, save it for me and I’ll help when we get back.”

  Sully nodded. “That’s a fine plan, but I do intend to be finished. Can’t be draggin’ this out forever.” He looked at each of them in turn, then grinned as he addressed Helen. “You know, I hafta wonder if the chaperone needs a chaperone of her own.”

  Helen frowned, confused. “What do you mean, Sully?”

  He scuffed his boots in the dirt. “Oh, nothin’. Just an old man ramblin’. Y’all have a good day.” He waved as Jack urged the horses onward and the wagon began to lumber across the yard toward the rutted road.

  The chaperone needed a chaperone? Helen glanced over at Jack and Wynonna, and she smiled as realization dawned. Something was definitely going on between them, and it
wouldn’t be fitting for them to be alone. That would make her their chaperone. As far as her needing one for herself? No. Absolutely not. She wouldn’t be caught in a compromising position with Zeke for anything in the world.

  She turned her gaze away from him, refusing to acknowledge the handsome outline of his profile and his strong nose. She’d always liked strong noses. Instead, she’d focus on the beautiful blue sky and her other surroundings. She didn’t think she’d be chatting with Wynonna much on the ride—her friend seemed utterly occupied elsewhere. She’d be better off coming up with her own entertainment.

  As she looked ahead, she noticed a lone figure on horseback coming toward them. Once he drew a bit nearer, Jack waved his hat in the air. “Ho, Dr. Wayment!”

  The man raised a hand in return, and Jack brought the wagon to a halt so they could speak.

  “I’m riding out to check on Margaret, as you likely guessed,” the doctor said. “How does she seem to be feeling today?”

  “I made her breakfast before we left, and she’s in good spirits,” Wynonna replied. “She’s frustrated that she can’t be up and about, but I think that’s just her nature.”

  Dr. Wayment nodded. “She’s never been one to sit around when there’s work to be done. I’ll see if my wife can put together a satchel of novels or some such thing to entertain her.”

  “She asked me to get some soft yarn at the general store, so I know she’s planning a few projects to keep her hands busy. Tiny hats, if I were to guess,” Wynonna replied.

  “Excellent. As long as she’s careful now, perhaps she won’t have to be down the entire remainder of her pregnancy—we’ll see how she does.” The doctor nodded to them each in turn. “Have a good day in town. Perhaps I’ll pass you on the way back as well.” He nudged his horse in the sides, then kicked up a cloud of dust as he rode away.

  “Jack, something’s been weighing on me, and I hope you can help,” Helen said, taking advantage of the quiet before the wagon started to roll again.

  “Of course, Miss Helen,” he replied, turning in the seat to look at her. “What can I do for you?”

  “When we were talking with Wade about staying on, he mentioned wages. That’s awfully generous of him, but that’s not why we said we’d stay, and if he’s building us a cabin—well, I’d feel guilty taking any money from him,” Helen explained.

  “So would I,” Wynonna said. “As long as I have a roof over my head, I don’t need much else. Well, food is nice . . .”

  “Yes, we can’t forget about food,” Helen teased. “For Rowena especially. She gets agitated when she’s hungry.”

  Jack chuckled. “I think we all do. The thing is, ladies—it’s true that Wade’s not a rich man, but he believes in fair pay for a day’s work. That’s why we’re all so loyal to him—plus, he works just as hard for us as we do for him. Once you’re part of the Lazy Q, you fall into that category yourselves. He’s gonna make sure you have everythin’ you need, and if that means savin’ up some money for a train ticket when you finally get tired of us, he’ll see to it.”

  “But it doesn’t seem fair. That’s the problem,” Helen said. “He’s giving us more than we’ll be giving him in return.”

  “What you’re givin’ him is peace of mind where his sweetheart’s concerned, and that’s not somethin’ you can just put a price on,” Jack pointed out. “Take the wages. Maybe tuck ’em away for now if you don’t feel right about spendin’ them, but don’t worry so much about it. This is a good deal for everyone involved—trust me.”

  Helen thought about that for a moment, then nodded. “All right. And I’ll try not to feel guilty, but that’s awfully hard.”

  Jack chuckled again. “That’s one thing I’ve noticed about you womenfolk. You feel guilty about things you never even touched just ’cause they’re there to feel guilty about.”

  “Sadly, I think you’re right,” Wynonna said. “I don’t know if it’s how we’re brought up, but we do tend to shoulder burdens even when they aren’t ours to carry.”

  Zeke had been waiting for them a few yards off, not really looking their way, but close enough that Helen was fairly sure he’d overheard their conversation. Now he turned toward them. “Clouds are starting to roll in,” he said, motioning toward the west. “Let’s get a move on.”

  Jack looked up at the sky as well. “Sure enough. Better be on our way.” He gave the lines a flick, and the horses began to move again.

  “Are those rain clouds, Zeke?” Helen called out, hoping to get him talking a little bit. He did nothing more than give her a curt nod before riding out ahead a short distance where she couldn’t see his face—or his nose—at all. Gracious. She was only trying to strike up a conversation. He didn’t have to be so rude.

  ***

  Zeke held both reins in his left hand and used his right sleeve to wipe his forehead. Nice sunshiny days made for some uncomfortable riding after a while, and he wished those clouds would blow in just a little faster to provide some cover. That would make the rain come faster, though, so he shouldn’t wish for it too much.

  He glanced back at Miss Helen, hoping she wouldn’t notice that he was paying attention to her. Her hair was sure a pretty shade of red, and in the sun, it looked like strands of copper. He’d never seen anything like it, and he wouldn’t mind seeing it again on a regular basis. But that would mean spending time with her, and that . . . that was awkward.

  He’d agreed to go along with the mail-order bride scheme because he wanted Miss Margaret to have lady friends around during her confinement. Well, she had lady friends now, and she certainly was confined, at least for a while. He’d never anticipated feeling this way, though—frustrated and overwhelmed one minute, then distracted and enchanted the next. It would have been so much easier if things had gone the way they were supposed to from the start and they’d all gotten married by now.

  Or maybe it would have been so much easier if the girls had demanded to be taken back to the train station—then they could pretend that none of this had happened at all. Women were just too complicated.

  He’d known from the moment he’d seen her that Miss Helen was the one he wanted to marry, but her temperament . . . it was so different from his. She never hesitated to speak her mind, almost to the point where he’d rather be caught in a stampede than try to deal with her. And she didn’t have any middle ground. It was either black or white, with no gray whatsoever.

  Zeke, on the other hand, preferred to keep the peace, and he’d learned that there were several right ways to do any one thing. He could take advice from three or four different sources and put it all together to come up with a nice solution, and it didn’t require anyone to lose sleep or their sanity because of it. The only area in which he was persnickety was with his projects, but that was entirely different.

  He’d stayed up late the night before sketching out his ideas for the ladies’ cabin, and he ran over those plans again in his mind, hoping he’d done the calculations correctly. He’d be using up some lumber that was left over from previous projects, which would save the ranch’s overall budget, as well as getting some new. He hoped he’d figured out everything else he needed. He knew it wasn’t possible to figure everything out down to the last nail, but he wanted to get as close as possible. He didn’t want to make another trip into town because he’d run short, but he also didn’t want to have surplus. He was trying to use up the leftovers, not create new ones.

  A breeze kicked up, and Zeke smiled. That would drop the temperature a bit and make the rest of the ride more enjoyable.

  “Ho, Zeke,” Jack called out, and Zeke turned his horse to greet the wagon rolling a short distance behind him. “Are you hungry? Miss Wynonna packed us a basket.”

  “I could eat,” Zeke replied.

  Jack brought the wagon to a halt, then helped the ladies down from the bench. “I’m so glad this wagon is shorter than the one we used the other day,” Wynonna said with a laugh in her voice.

  “And if I’m not mist
aken, your dress isn’t quite as cumbersome as the one you were wearing that day either,” Jack replied.

  “True. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again.”

  Zeke looped his horse’s reins over the side of the wagon, then walked around to the back, where the ladies had spread out a tablecloth on the tailgate. Miss Wynonna was lifting some chicken, cheese, and pie out of her basket, and his mouth watered at the sight of it.

  They each took a portion, and Zeke leaned up against the wagon with his tin plate in his hands.

  “Won’t you sit down, Zeke?” Wynonna asked, motioning to the blanket she’d placed on the ground. That woman had certainly thought of everything.

  He shook his head. “No, thank you.” After riding for a spell, and knowing he’d be riding for yet another spell, it felt good to stand.

  She gave him a smile, then turned to sit with Miss Helen on the blanket.

  He finished eating quickly, then put his plate next to the basket on the tailgate, unsure what he was actually supposed to do with it. The ladies hadn’t finished eating yet, but he didn’t think he could wait around any longer—there was a charge in the air coming from the clouds, and he wanted to get on to town before the downpour started.

  “I’ll ride up ahead,” he told Jack, who nodded as he mounted. With a flick of his reins, he pounded down the trail, ready to put the awkwardness behind him.

  He knew the ladies wanted him to sit and chat. Jack found those sorts of things easy, but Zeke—well, he’d rather find, shoot, and skin a rattlesnake. Possibly eat it. He never knew what to say that might be interesting to a lady, and he found himself tongue-tied and thick-witted. It was much better for him to press on than to stick around and make nice. He might even save them time by getting there faster and putting in his order at the sawmill before they arrived.

  And maybe, just maybe, he’d come up with one polite, intelligent thing to say to Miss Helen before the day was out.

  Chapter Two

  Helen stepped to Wynonna’s side and made a pretense of helping her pack the leftovers into the basket. “So, what’s going on between you and Jack?” she asked in a low voice, keeping an eye on Jack as he checked the horses’ lines.