“Who’s been talking to you?” Marguerite asked, fascinated.
“Nobody has,” Nell replied. “I’m just tired of holding up the world. Why don’t you get a job?”
Marguerite’s gasp was audible, but Nell had gotten up and left the table before she had time for any outbursts.
* * *
Tyler took Marguerite and the boys riding the next morning. Marguerite did look good in a riding habit, Nell had to concede, but the redhead was obviously out of sorts at having the boys along. Tyler hadn’t fussed about taking the boys, either. He liked children. Nell smiled. She liked them, too, but it was Marguerite’s job to be their mother, not Nell’s.
She wandered out to the kitchen and picked up a biscuit, having refused breakfast because she hadn’t wanted to hear Margie raising cain about the boys going along on her romantic ride.
“And what’s eating you, as if I didn’t know?” Bella asked.
Nell laughed. “Nothing at all.”
“You’ve got Margie running for cover. Imagine, you talking back to her and refusing to be pushed around. Are you sick or something?” she added, her keen old eyes probing.
Nell bit into the biscuit. “Not at all. I’m just tired of being worked to death, I guess.”
“And watching Margie flirt with Tyler, I’ve no doubt.”
Nell glared at the older woman. “Stop that. You know I don’t like him.”
“You like him. Maybe it’s my fault that things never got going between you,” Bella confessed gently. “I was trying to spare you more heartache, or I’d never have said anything when you put on that pretty dress….”
Nell turned away. She didn’t like being reminded of that day. “He isn’t my type,” she said gruffly. “He’s Margie’s type.”
“That’s what you think,” Bella murmured dryly. She put her towel down and stood staring at the other woman. “I’ve wanted to tell you for years that most men are nice critters. Some of them are even domesticated. All men aren’t like Darren McAnders,” she added, watching Nell’s face go pale. “And he wasn’t even that bad except when he was pushed into getting drunk. He loved Margie.”
“And I loved him,” Nell said coldly. “He flirted with me and teased me, just like Tyler did at first. And then he did…he did that to me, and it wasn’t even because he was attracted to me. It was just to make Margie jealous!”
“It was despicable,” Bella agreed. “But it was worse for you because you cared about him, and you felt betrayed and used. It was a good thing I happened upstairs when I did.”
“Yes,” Nell said tautly. The memories hurt.
“But it wasn’t as bad as you’ve always made it out to be, either,” Bella said firmly, ignoring the shocked look she got from Nell. “It wasn’t,” she added. “If you’d ever gone out with boys or had a date, you’d understand what happened a lot better. You hadn’t even been kissed—”
“Stop it,” Nell muttered miserably. She stuck her hands in her jeans and shifted. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. I’m plain and countrified and no man is ever going to want me, no matter what I do. And I heard what Tyler said that night,” she added with a cold glare. “I heard every word. He said he didn’t want a ‘lovesick tomboy hanging on to his boots.’”
Bella sighed. “So you did hear him. I was afraid that’s why he was getting the deep-freeze treatment lately.”
“It doesn’t matter, you know,” Nell said with deliberate carelessness. “It’s just as well I found out early that I was annoying him. I’ve been careful not to bother him since.”
Bella started to say something, but obviously thought better of it. “How long is Her Highness here for?”
“Just until tomorrow afternoon, thank God.” Nell sighed. “I’d better get cracking. We’re going riding, and then this afternoon I’ve got a busload of shoppers to take into town. I thought I’d run them over to the El Con mall. They might like to get some real Western gear at Cooper’s.”
“The silversmiths are over near San Xavier,” she was reminded. “And they could have some Papago fry bread for refreshments.”
—Tohono o’odham,“ Nell corrected automatically. “That’s a real Papago word, meaning people of the desert. They changed it because they got tired of being called ’bean people’ in Zuni.”
“I can’t say that,” Bella muttered.
“Sure you can. Tohono o’odham. Anyway, the fry bread is a good idea if we have any time left from the shopping.”
“Are any of the husbands tagging along?” Bella asked.
Nell pursed her lips. “Do you think I’d look this cheerful if the men were coming with us?”
“Stupid question,” Bella said with a sigh. “I’d better get started on chow, or is Chappy laying on a barbecue tonight before the square dance? He never asks me, he just goes ahead with whatever he wants to do.”
“Chappy did say something about a barbecue. Why don’t you make a bowl of potato salad and some homemade rolls and a few pies to go with it?” She put an arm around Bella’s formidable girth. “That will save you some work, too, won’t it? Actually, I think Chappy’s kind of sweet on you.”
Bella flushed and glared at Nell. “He ain’t, neither! Now get out of here and let me get busy.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Nell grinned and curtsied before she darted out the back door.
Nell went down to the stables to check on the mounts for the morning ride. Chappy Staples was alone there, and after all the years, Nell was still a little in awe of him. He was older than most of the men, but he could outride the best of them. He’d never said a thing out of the way to Nell, but she couldn’t help her remoteness. It was the same with all the men, except Tyler.
“How is the mare this morning?” she asked the wiry man with the pale blue eyes, referring to a horse with a bad shoe.
“I had the farrier come over and take a look at her. He replaced the shoe, but she’s still restless this morning. I wouldn’t take her out if I were you.”
She sighed. “That will leave us one mount short,” she murmured. “Margie’s gone riding with Tyler and the boys.”
“If you can handle it alone, I’ll keep Marlowe here and let him help me work the colt, and one of the guests can have his horse,” Chappy said. “How about it?”
“That sounds great.” She sighed, thanking her lucky stars that the foulmouthed Marlowe was being kept clear of her guests. If he kept it up, he’d have to go, and that would leave them a man short. Nell didn’t like the idea of adding on new men. It had taken her long enough to get used to the ones she already had on the place.
“We’ll start at ten,” she told Chappy. “And we have to be back in time for lunch. I’m taking the ladies shopping about one-thirty.”
“No problem, ma’am.” He tipped his hat and returned to work.
Nell wandered back toward the house, deep in thought, almost running head-on into Tyler because she didn’t see him until he rounded the corner of the house.
She gasped, stepping back. “Sorry,” she said, faltering. “I didn’t see you.”
He glared down at her. “I was about to head off riding with Margie and the boys when I heard that I’m escorting Margie to the square dance tonight.”
“Are you?” she asked, all at sea.
He lifted