Closing her eyes, she prayed. She prayed for wisdom, for fortitude and for guidance.
Standing as tall as she could manage, she made sure to look him in the eye and hold his gaze. Show no fear. “You hired me to work with the cook. I’ll be cleaning the chicken crate, taking care of the mules and starting fires. I have the safest job on the drive. Please, you don’t have time to replace me. Let me do the job. You won’t regret it.”
Last year, during a father and son lesson, she overheard her father talk about tending to business. He said the best way to ruin a deal was to overtalk when you were nervous. State your requirements, then stay quiet. She bit down on the inside of her cheek, forcing herself to remain silent.
He crossed his arms, glanced at her, then went back to studying the water. Moving his hands to his pockets, he sighed and looked down.
She held her breath.
“Okay, Tiago.” Sarcasm coated his voice. “I think we’ll stick with that name. It’ll be easier if the rest of the crew continues to believe you’re a boy. Less disruptive. Plus, I don’t really know all of them, and I’m not sure we can trust them.”
Her heart thumped against her chest. She was staying. “Thank you. I’ll be the best cook assistant you’ve ever had.”
“Just keep your head down and stay out of trouble.” Jaw tight, he squinted at her. “You sure about this? There’s still time to go back to the ranch. It’s going to get rough out there, and you’re not going to get any special treatment.”
“I don’t have anything to go back to right now.” Her heart wanted to jump out of her chest. Holding her smile at bay the best she could, she gave him a nod. “I’ve been ready for this longer than I remember.”
He dismissed her with a wave of his hand, and she ran to the wagon. It was official. Jackson knew she was a woman, and she still had a job. One less thing to worry about. Every moment from here on out was a gift from God. She was going across the country with a herd of cattle, all the way to New Orleans.
It was time to get her job done. Going through the crates and barrels and making a list of the supplies wasn’t as fun as roping and herding, but it was what she had for now. With a glance, she checked the location of her boss. He stood with Cook.
Back there, he gave in so quickly. She mentioned dreams and his expression changed, but that couldn’t be all. She wondered if her seeming to be of low status had anything to do with it. Would he be willing to give her this chance if he knew she was De Zavala’s daughter?
Jackson took a deep breath, drawing in the morning air. A light fog hugged the low ground between the hills. Sounds of soft rumblings from the cattle and calls from the cowboys assured him all was going well.
The herd looked good, and everything was going as scheduled. The six drovers were in place, guiding the steers.
Cook had done this trail several times and started earlier in order to stay in front. The wrangler, Estevan, had the horses following the wagon. Jackson had checked on Tiago at daybreak, and she had seemed eager to get started.
One night on the ground hadn’t scared her off. He wondered if she would have the same smile by the end of the week. His wife had hated traveling. She had joked that if they went anywhere, he would need a wagon big enough for a bed and a tub.
His thoughts returned to the wagon’s petite passenger. Had he made a mistake that would put the whole trip in jeopardy?
He needed to stay focused to make sure everyone got home safely.
A horse ran up behind him. He put his hand on the butt of his rifle and turned to face the newcomer head-on.
It was the woman. He had a hard time thinking of her as Tiago now that he knew the truth.
Her smile was wider than the Mississippi. “Cook said it would be easier on the mules if my saddle and I weren’t in the wagon. I saw you up here and wanted to see the herd moving out.”
“This is not a sightseeing excursion. You can’t be running all over the place without—”
“Cook knows where I am, and I don’t need a chaperone. I’m Tiago, remember.” She pulled her horse up next to his as if she wasn’t afraid of him one bit.
He allowed his gaze to take in her profile. Even with the short hair and baggy clothes, she was perfectly feminine.
“If I had any sense, I’d send you home now, before we get too far out.”
The smile disappeared, and with one quick motion she pinned him with a hard stare. “No. We came to an agreement. You have to honor it.”
“Yeah, you also agreed to stay close to the wagon. Less than twenty-four hours out, and you’re running wild.”
The hat wobbled with the panicked shake of her head. “I’m not close to the herd.” The rawhide gloves tightened over the slacked reins. “You need me and I’m...”
Oh no, was she tearing up? He cleared his throat and turned away, not sure what to do or say.
“Look at this, Jackson. It’s breathtaking. I want to hold it close to my heart and never forget it. The sounds and the sights. An endless motion of animals moving as one over the land I love. How could I miss seeing this?”
She looked back to the never-ending line of moving longhorns. “This is what I dreamed about.” Turning to him, her smile was faint, but making its way back. “Thank you.”
He sighed and scanned the wide-open vista. Texas was a place where big dreams found a home. “No reason your dreams can’t come true just because you’re a woman.” What kind of woman would his daughter have become?
Would he have allowed her to have plans outside of the roles set for women? She had been six when she was killed, so he’d never get to know.
That morning he rode out she had asked to go with him, but he thought she’d be safer at home with her mom and baby Jack. The anger that simmered in his gut flared.
If he had taken her with him, she’d still be alive and turning eleven soon. “If you’re not with the wagon, stay close to me. I don’t want the others figuring out you’re a female.”
She nodded, happiness back on her face. “Thank you.”
“Come on.” He nudged his horse down the hill toward the sea of cattle. “What we want is an uneventful trip. That takes awareness and anticipatory action.” In order to make sure he did his job, he had to stay focused. Maybe keeping her close would be easier. Wondering where she was at any given moment was going to wear him out.
* * *
Sofia took in everything around her. Later tonight, she would write it all down. She wanted to burn every detail into her memory.
The future her mother had wanted for her was a pale watercolor compared to the real-life energy brushed across the valley they were passing through.
Jackson checked in with each of the drovers.
Will Redmond and Rory Brosnen covered the end of the herd. Rory, the one she learned was from Ireland, was the first rider they approached.
“You got a bodyguard now, boss?” He smiled at her. “So we have the honor of riding with the tiniest bullfighter in all of the country.” He clicked a couple of times to the cattle before turning back to her. “Maybe we should trade places. I’ve been known to cook up a mean meal, and my ropin’ skills don’t touch yours.” He followed that with a wink.
Sitting straight in the saddle and staring at the horizon, she didn’t respond.
Jackson frowned. “Tiago will be staying with the cook or me. There will be no trading.”
Rory