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“He seems happy here.”
“Well, that’s good.” She sighed and said, “He couldn’t ask for a better role model.”
They exchanged smiles and she agreed to allow the boy to serve at her Christmas party, which was a good thing, Wade thought. Except old Chuck Rhodes and Kim Whong, all the ranch hands had somewhere to go during the holiday. The boy did not. It would be a lonely Christmas if he had to spend it out in the bunkhouse all alone.
* * *
Anna stood alone over a basin of warm water and scrubbed a plate clean. The ranch hands were doing their nightly ritual of playing cards and drinking. Lately, she had begun helping Kim c
lean the dishes from dinner. Since her arrival at the ranch, it was one of the chores she had assigned herself. One she was accustomed to performing back home so the transformation was easy. Furthermore, it gave her reason to remain apart from the other ranch hands. Though it felt like eternity since she first arrived at the Circle H, it had actually only been close to two weeks. She felt she had a pretty good understanding of the men’s characters, but still didn’t want to chance their discovering her true identity.
In all honesty, they were a friendly group of men. Perhaps a little on the boorish side and definitely far too crude and vulgar for Anna’s liking but appeared fairly harmless. They had taken to her as a boy and her silence more than likely helped to make her disappear into the woodwork. The one thing they had noticed lately, however, was her cooking abilities. It was another chore she had been grateful Kim had allowed her to contribute. With all her shortcomings in wrangling, she at least felt useful in the kitchen.
The men began to notice a change in the old Chinese man’s meals after Anna contributed in the kitchen. Admittedly, she felt proud of herself when the wranglers lavished her with compliments. And since Kim did not appear offended, she was allowed to assist at every meal. With the arrival of Kathleen, Anna’s help in the cooking intensified. That evening she was left with the full responsibility of feeding the ranch hands while Kim went up to the main house to cook for the Haddock brothers and their sister.
Admittedly, Anna had looked up at the house many times that day and when Kim left to go cook their meal, she had wished it was her going instead. Not only would she have loved to cook an entire meal for Wade, but it would have also allowed her the opportunity to see their sister. She had heard so much about her and from that small glimpse of her disembarking from the stagecoach, she had piqued her interest.
After she had put all the cleaning utensils away, she slid off to her bunk early as usual. Tonight, however, she went to bed feeling differently than any other night. Perhaps it was the realization that she was in love for the first time. The emotion had no right lifting her spirits since it was obvious Wade would never return them. After all, he believed she was a boy.
She had come close to revealing her identity that morning. Later, she had breathed a sigh of relief realizing what a catastrophe she nearly created. What appeared right in the moment would have only been a tragic mistake in the end. It was one thing to view her as a boy and feel a certain attachment. He had taken her on as his personal charge after the realization that she was left an orphan. She had no idea how he would react on discovering she was actually a woman.
Sleep came quickly and she would have slept peacefully until morning if something hadn’t woke her. The bunkhouse was quiet, indicating the men had all turned in for the night. It was fairly dark, particularly in the corner in which she slept, but a faint glow from the wood stove cast shadows across the room. One shadow in particular had her awake in a flash.
Even in the darkness, she made out the shape of Chuck Rhodes kneeling beside her bed. It was unusual to see him in the bunkhouse for he chose to sleep in the barn with the animals. There was a small bunk above the loft in which he had made his sleeping quarters. So there was no reason for his presence. Or next to her bed.
Anna knew instantly the old man was there for no good.
She went to sit bolt upright, but his hand snaked out and fingers, gnarled but remarkably strong, curled around her neck. He forced her head back down on the pillow and raised one finger to his lips in warning. Her pulse started pounding faster, panic rose swiftly up her throat. Eyes bulging, she stared up at him in the darkness, the sound of her own heart thundering furiously in her ears.
His features were cast in darkness, but she could see his silhouette looming near. While keeping his hand still firmly grasped around her throat, he used his other hand to lift the wool blanket draped over her body.
A feeling of hysteria bubbled in the core of her center and she struggled once again to escape, but his grip on her throat tightened. In that moment, a blinding light passed before her eyes along with the realization he was strangling her to death. For the briefest moment, she thought of succumbing to it. Then Wade’s face took the place of the bright light, and Anna knew she wanted to live.
Knowing her best defense was to go limp in his hands, she fell still and hoped he would release the pressure on her throat. He did. His attention was drawn elsewhere and the hand squeezing her throat eased slightly. Enough for Anna to take a deep rasping breath. She was working hard trying to refill her lungs with air, when she realized the hand which had been wrapped around her throat was now beginning to snake inside the opening of her pants.
Fear had her frozen to the bed, her breath coming out in jagged intervals. Her heart was pounding so hard and fast against her chest, she could feel its vibrations pulse throughout her body. The old man’s crooked fingers had slipped beneath the waist of her pants and descended quickly to the area withholding her secret identity. She felt his fingers touch her and instantly cringed in revulsion, releasing a pathetic gasp. He lifted a finger to his lips again, then removed his hand altogether from her pants. With horror, she watched as he brought his fingers beneath his nose to give them a sniff. And Anna knew instantly what he had been looking for. Confirmation of her sex.
Silently she prayed he would leave her alone now, but instead he used both sets of hands to begin undoing the belt holding up her pants. A memory flashed in her mind and a familiar feeling of terror coursed through her blood. Sounds of screaming echoed in her brain and Anna was overcome with a new emotion. Hatred.
With a strength she had no idea she possessed, she shoved the old man off her. He fell back on the floor and Anna used her legs to kick him with as much power as she could fathom. She heard him gasp in pain, but a fiery wrath had taken control of her now and she went after him like a wild animal. With fists flying she hit him with blow after blow and enjoyed the sound of him gasping for life. Blood covered her hands and she had no idea whether it was hers or his, but the old man continued to live and Anna vowed she would not stop until he was dead.
“Jesus Christ, kid.” She heard Joe exclaim before she was forcefully dragged from the old man’s battered body. “What the hell is going on?”
She vaguely noticed the audience gathered around the bunk area, her savage eyes were intent in seeking out her prey.
“Neil, fetch Haddock.” Joe held her tight as she fought to free herself and pursue her retaliation. “Christ, kid, have you gone mad?”
Her eyes finally focused on the old man laying contorted on the floor. His maimed body covered in blood. Some of the ranch hands knelt next to him and Anna knew they were checking for a pulse. She stopped moving in Joe’s arms to hear their verdict.
“He’s barely breathing.”
Her own breathing was heavy, but finally her sense of awareness came back around. It was as if she was emerging from a black abyss where she watched from a distance. The old man lay on the floor with his already crooked body bent at angles they were not meant to. Every one waited in silence until the door of the bunkhouse swung open and Wade entered followed by Neil.
“What’s going on?”
“We’re not sure,” Joe answered, still gripping Anna with steel arms.
Wade frowned and looked down at her. “Let the boy go.”
