The Rancher's Girl Read online

  The Rancher’s Girl

  By

  Dina Chapel

  Copyright © 2016 by Dina Chapel

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

  Chapel, Dina

  The Rancher’s Girl

  Cover Design by THE KILLION GROUP, INC.

  This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults.

  Table of Contents

  The Rancher’s Girl

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 1

  “Howdy, Miss.”

  Cal Monroe tipped his hat and smiled at the pretty young woman who was being shown around the ranch by Sara Arnot, his boss’ wife.

  “This is Calvin Monroe, Rose. He’s Jim’s right-hand man. Officially he’s the ranch foreman.” Mrs. Arnot smiled at Cal. “How are things going, Cal?”

  “Just fine, ma’am.” Cal removed his hat and ran a hand through his sweaty hair, his attempt to make himself more presentable becoming simply an exercise in futility. It was too hot.

  “Cal, this is Rose Weatherby. She’ll be helping out cook and doing general housekeeping for me.” The older woman turned toward her newest employee. “If there’s anything you need having anything to do with outside the house, Cal’s the one to see about that.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Cal nodded his agreement. “Don’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything I can help you with, Miss Weatherby.”

  “It’s Rose. And thank you.”

  Cal smiled and nodded again and the pair walked on to continue with their tour, leaving Cal to imagine already the fights that would ensue in the bunkhouse over that little filly. She sure was a looker. And there were quite a few single men working on this spread, himself included.

  James and Sara Arnot owned and operated the largest and most lucrative ranch in the territory and employed quite a few folks as a result. They did well, and they were nice folks too. Good employers, fair and kind, and Cal always got paid on time.

  Jim had mentioned to him a few weeks back that they were looking for someone to help out in the house, seeing as how their youngest daughter had married and left a few months ago. Sara had apparently thought that she could handle the extra work on her own, but Jim quickly decided that it was a bit much for her, and they had placed an advertisement in several papers in the neighboring towns.

  “Hey, Cal!”

  A hand passed up and down in front of Cal’s face. “Where’d you go?” The good-natured teasing brought him back to the present.

  “Just thinkin’ is all.” Cal put his hat back on his head. “What do you need?”

  “I need a name. Just a name to start.” Beau Cummings was staring after the two woman as they walked toward the orchard. “I think I’m already in love.”

  Cal gave the young man a disgusted look. “You’ll give that young lady some time to settle in and get her bearings before you start in to chasing her around like a lovesick puppy.” Cal didn’t even think Beau heard a single word he said. “Y’hear?”

  “Oh, I hear somethin’,” Beau had that goofy faraway look in his eyes already. “It’s bells, I think. Wedding bells.” He straightened up then and looked at Cal seriously. “You didn’t answer my question. What is my future wife’s name?”

  Cal proceeded to remove Beau’s hat and then hit him over the head with it.

  “Hey!” Grabbing his hat from Cal, Beau plunked it back down on his head. “Y’know, you’ll never get a wife with that rotten disposition of yours. It’d serve you right, too. All I asked for was a name,” Beau grumbled as he walked away, probably getting himself back to work before Cal told him to and added a few things on for having made him do so.

  They were still walking about the property and Cal couldn’t help but steal another glance at Rose. She had to be the prettiest gal he had ever seen. And he had felt something mighty strong for her from the moment he laid eyes on her. A feeling he hadn’t had for any woman since Penny. He thought the reason for that had been because Penny had broken his heart and he had closed himself off from those feelings. But here was this young woman whom he barely knew, having just been introduced, and those feelings came upon him so fast and so strong he had barely been able to speak. She was special, he was sure of it. He had a piece of news for Beau Cummings. If she was going to be anyone’s wife, she would be his.

  * * *

  Rose tried desperately to focus on what Mrs. Arnot was telling her. The woman was kind and she didn’t want to give the wrong impression right from the start. She didn’t want her new boss to think she was lackadaisical or that she couldn’t be bothered paying attention to what she was being told. It was most likely information she would need to perform her daily tasks.

  So she tried. She tried to focus, but all her mind wanted to do was think about that man. That man she had just met. Cal was his name.

  And what a man. Rose had never met anyone like him and his effect on her had been instantaneous. She felt he had looked right inside her. Her entire body and her mind had reacted to him in a way she couldn’t seem to control even as she was aware that it was happening. Rose didn’t recall a man ever having that effect on her, ever. Not even Luke. She tried to figure why.

  He was good-looking for sure, but not the kind that most gals would swoon over. Rose knew this only because it had been her experience thus far in her life that she always found the men handsome that her friends deemed unworthy of a second glance. And vice versa. Which had always been just fine with her, since she never had to compete with anyone for a man that way.

  He had a sort of rugged handsomeness. But there was always a certain quality present that was what drew Rose to a man and this man apparently had that quality in spades. This quality had nothing to do with looks either and Rose could only describe it as a kind of quiet confidence. She couldn’t stop thinking about him and they had only just met.

  “You seem overwhelmed by all this,” Mrs. Arnot’s voice interrupted her thoughts, “so I think that’s probably enough for one day.” The older woman smiled kindly at Rose. “It’ll take time to get a handle on everything, so don’t fret if you feel lost for a bit. We’re all here to help.”

  Rose smiled back. “Thank you.”

  “Now why don’t we get back into the cool house and help Ida see to the midday meal?”

  Rose fell in step next to her new employer. “Yes, ma’am.” She sneaked a peek in the direction that Calvin Monroe had been when they had been introduced and was disappointed to see no one about anymore. Inwardly, Rose chided herself for her foolishness. Had she expected him to be standing there, just waiting for her to pass by again? The man surely had work to do. And that’s what she was here for also, Rose reminded herself.

  * * *

  Later that evening, when the kitchen had been scrubbed down after the last hand had eaten, and dried apples had been set to soaking for the morning meal, Rose stood at the large kitchen table folding the last of the linens from the wash she had hung out midday. She was tired, but not overly so, and was feeling good about her first day’s work on the ranch. It was all a bit overwhelming, but she didn’t think she wouldn’t get the hang of it soon enough, and the Arnots had told her that she had done a good day’s work.

  She looked forward to retiring to her room for the night, where she planned to write a letter home before getting a good night’s sleep so that she’d be well rested fo
r the next day’s work.

  Rose absently gazed out the window over the sink as she folded towels. The stars sure did seem brighter out here on this ranch. Maybe as soon as she was done folding she could slip outside for a few minutes and gaze up at them. She knew she shouldn’t allow herself to dwell, but she couldn’t help it sometimes. Rose felt the tears well up as she let her mind drift. She missed him so much it hurt.

  Rose finished folding the last towel and laid it on top of the others. Reaching for the locket that was always hanging around her neck, she pulled it away for her body, out where she could see it, and opened it to see the picture tucked away inside. A few of the tears that had been sitting in her eyes rolled slowly down her cheeks as she gazed lovingly at that photograph. She felt fortunate to have a likeness of him. It had been an extravagance at the time, completely unjustifiable, but something she never once regretted.

  Rose closed the locket and made short work of tucking away the clean towels in their proper drawers in the sideboard. When she was satisfied that her work was done for the day, Rose stepped quietly out the back door onto the porch, then off the porch, where she wandered aimlessly between the ranch house and the stables. The crickets were singing a chorus and she heard the horses making their soft evening noises, nickering and snorting.

  There was an occasional unidentifiable animal noise from far off, the mountains in the distance most likely, and Rose paid it no mind. It never sounded close enough to be something she should consider a threat.

  “What in tarnation are you doin’ out here?”

  Rose jumped out of her skin at the stern voice that boomed behind her, seemingly out of nowhere, since she hadn’t heard anyone approaching. She turned quickly, heart pounding, to face an angry Cal Monroe.

  “Mr. Monroe, good evening,” Rose started, suddenly shy and speechless at being not only face to face with this man, but having incurred his ire. “I…I…was just…I…”

  “You what, Miss Weatherby?” Cal Monroe folded his rather bulky arms across his chest as he waited for Rose to respond. “I’m waiting, young lady.”

  “I…I…was just, um, taking some air before bed,” Rose stammered out. Who was this man? He had seemed so nice earlier and now he was scaring the speech right out of her.

  “Have you any idea just how dangerous it is for you to be out here alone? In the dark?” he barked at her. “Well, do you?”

  Rose barely managed to shake her head to indicate her lack of knowledge on the subject, seemingly to his satisfaction.

  “We’ve had a cougar attacking our herd at night and we haven’t caught him yet.” His angry eyes pierced her, even in the dark. “Were you planning to be his next meal?”

  “No, sir.” Rose squeaked out, barely above a whisper. “I…I…didn’t know…”

  Cal nodded his agreement at her statement. “That’s right. You didn’t know, but you don’t need to know that. All you really need to know is that it’s not safe for you to be out here on your own in the dark.”

  Rose shivered then, whether from the night’s chill that was settling in or the scare of the cougar, she couldn’t be sure, but it did not go unnoticed by the formidable Calvin Monroe.

  “And you’re not even dressed proper for being out in this night air.”

  He had reduced her to feeling as if she was an irresponsible child in a matter of a few minutes.

  “Let’s get you straight back to the house.” Cal took her arm then and Rose knew better than to argue. He led her straight to the porch steps, but stopped at the bottom and took her upper arms in his hands and turned her to face him. Cal held her arms as he spoke so she had no choice but to look straight at him and listen. Rose found herself perplexed by the combination of his stern demeanor and words coupled with his firm but gentle hold on her arms and the effect his very touch was having on her.

  “I know that I didn’t expressly inform you, and I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt this one time that Mr. and Mrs. Arnot failed to inform you also that you are never to walk the property on your own at night.”

  Rose shivered again, and this time she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the chill in the air. This no-nonsense man was having an effect on her she had no control over.

  Cal didn’t seem to miss the shiver, because he immediately softened at the sight, just a bit. “You’re cold. I’ll make this brief.” His voice had gentled, even though his stern demeanor remained intact. “We can always continue this talk in greater detail in the morning.”

  Rose was pretty sure she didn’t want to have another talk with him in the morning.

  One large work-calloused hand left Rose’s upper arm and a finger lifted her chin, getting her full attention and forcing her to look nowhere other than at his face.

  “You listen to me, young lady, and you listen good. If I ever catch you out here at night on your own again, I’ll put you over my knee and give you a spanking you won’t soon forget.” Cal let go of Rose’s chin but her face remained in place, the shock of his words freezing her.

  Cal turned her and gave her a gentle push up the stairs. “Now you just get yourself inside and straight to bed, missy. And remember what you’ve been told.”

  Rose practically ran into the house then, after the few seconds it took to get past the shock of Cal’s words, and went straight to her room, closing the door behind her and then leaning against it and breathing a sigh of relief.

  Had he really just threatened to spank her? Rose couldn’t quite believe it. Could he do that? He wasn’t her boss; he had no authority over her. Well, she just wouldn’t take any chances. She’d make sure that she never went outside at night by herself anymore, or at least only when she knew Calvin Monroe wasn’t about the place. Maybe later in the evening, when she could be sure that everyone had retired to bed for the evening.

  She wasn’t going to let Cal Monroe—or anyone for that matter—tell her what she could and could not do, once she had fulfilled her obligations for the day. She was a grown woman, after all!

  * * *

  What she thought she was doing out just having a stroll after dark was beyond him. Cal could barely contain his urge to set down on the closest step or hay bale, pull her over his lap and wallop the daylights out her careless behind.

  He had mentioned the cougar. Really just one of the things she should fear at night around here. The ranch employed good men as regulars, but their temporary cowhands were a different story altogether. They really didn’t know where these men came from or where they were going to when they left here. They only stayed for a few weeks at most anyway, so as long as the womenfolk were guarded, well, that was all that mattered.

  When the Arnots’ daughters were younger, much more care was taken to ensure that the men and the family were kept separate. And the regulars just knew to keep a watchful eye out. It wasn’t something anyone needed to ask them to do. They all had wives, daughters, sisters. It came natural.

  The guard had been let down a bit of late, as there were now only the two older women on the ranch, and truth be told the young troublesome men didn’t spare them a second glance. But a young, pretty gal like Rose Weatherby was a different story. She was already, unbeknownst to her, stirring up trouble among their good, reliable men.

  Cal hoped that his promise to deliver a spanking was enough to keep Rose inside at night where she belonged. He couldn’t be sure though. He had just met her and couldn’t know yet how headstrong she was. Some women just had to test a man. Maybe Rose was one of those women.

  Well, time would tell. And if a good spanking was what was needed to keep her in line for her own safety, Cal had no qualms whatsoever about delivering it. He was already fond of that young lady and wouldn’t allow her to risk getting hurt if he could do anything to prevent it. The little bit of hurt that a spanking would cause would be nothing compared to what could happen to her, alone outside at night. And if she didn’t like his heavy hand, then so be it. He couldn’t (and wouldn’t) change who he was to please anyon
e, even a woman as appealing as Rose. She would have to accept him for who he was.

  Cal paused in his thoughts when he realized that he was even considering taking that young woman over his knee. He hadn’t done that to a gal since Penny. Rose had already gotten inside his head. He would need to stop thinking of her in that way, since he really didn’t even know that much about her yet. He only knew what little Jim Arnot had told him earlier today, which was that she was to be live-in help for Mrs. Arnot, and that she was widowed. He didn’t even know if she had a fella or not.

  Chapter 2

  The water looked so inviting Rose couldn’t get her clothes off fast enough. The tall grasses that grew all around the pond, Miller’s watering hole one of the hands had called it, weren’t moving at all. There wasn’t even the slightest breeze. It was one of the hottest days Rose had experienced ever, and certainly one of the hottest since she had been here on the Arnots’ ranch.

  Rose paused for a moment. She already had her dress off and now there was just the matter of her petticoats. She planned on swimming in her drawers and then lying in the sun to dry off a bit before donning her dress and petticoats again. She’d probably be just as hot after all that as when she arrived but there was nothing for it. She couldn’t very well walk back to the ranch house in her bloomers and corset.

  She smiled at the thought of Cal Monroe catching a glimpse of her then. The naughty side of her actually wished it was a possibility, but the sensible side of her knew it was improper and unladylike. She’d never actually do that. And she could just imagine what his reaction would be too.

  He had proven himself thus far to be a stern taskmaster. Not just with her, but everyone that worked on the ranch. In the few weeks that Rose had been in the Arnots’ employ, she had learned that about him. Cal made sure that rules were followed. Everyone seemed to just know that they would never get away with anything with Cal in charge, so it seemed no one even ever tried to. Rose was positive that if he caught her in her drawers outside in the light of day, he would most definitely spank her.