Chief Cook and Bottle Washer by Rita Hestand

Author:Rita Hestand
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: adooption, babies, chied cook and bottle washer, country dances, cowboys, dances, ebook, grannies elbow, love, mom, ranches, rita hestand, romance
Publisher: Rita Hestand

Chapter Six

The silence in the cab of the truck thickened with every passing fence post. Emma wrung her hands, wishing she could still bite her fingernails and look composed.

"You're worried about the stock, aren't you?" Emma asked unable to keep silent any longer, and watching his expression change dramatically. She shouldn't have agreed to come to the dance, what with Jake announcing that more cattle were sick. Guilt riddled her. She should be home with Sammie Jo.

Deke's fingers tensed on the steering column, his forehead creasing. "A little. With more cattle coming down sick, it means it might not be the grain. It might be the water."

"The water?" Emma gasped.

"Yeah, we haven't had rain in over a month, it's been a hundred or over, every day, the water around here is stagnant. Enough to poison a herd." Deke replied.

"I never dreamed." Emma stared at him. "What are you gonna do?"

"Test the area we've been watering in and move them to a safer one. If it's true it'll go before the Cattlemen's Association for further discussions and actions. We'll have to have the authorities out here and check it but I'm pretty sure what they'll find." Deke's voice sounded hollow, worry lines crowded his smooth forehead.

"Maybe we shouldn't go to the dance. It's not necessary on my account. I didn't realize what was going on when Jake came in this evening, I only knew it had to be serious by the look on his face."

"No need you worrying about it Emma. Nothing we can do about it tonight. I'll talk with some of the other ranchers, see what's going on with them."

"Why don't we just turn around," Emma began, her worry multiplying with the seconds that ticked by. His mind was on the ranch, hers on Sammie Jo, this wasn't right. The entire day hadn't been right for that matter. What with that kiss that sizzled her brain, she wasn't thinking straight. She didn't want to be responsible for him losing time he needed at the ranch. She remembered how Frank and her brothers had fretted over every little detail of ranch problems while carrying out their responsibilities to her. She felt a burden.

"Emma," Deke reached for her hand almost on reflex. "Stop fretting. It's all right. We'll go to the dance, you'll have a good time, meet some neighbors, and I'll talk to some of the other ranchers there. Maybe someone there has some ideas."

Emma tried to ignore the electrical charge that ran through her from Deke's touch. She wondered if he felt anything, or if he was merely being kind. She couldn't tell from the hooded glances he'd been giving her. Ignoring the pounding of her own heart, her eyes landed on his hand, and he moved it slowly.

"I knew this was all wrong from the beginning," Emma cried out. "I never should have gone into Sweetwater for a new dress. I should have spent that money on Sammie Jo. I don't know what came over me, I'm usually not that self-indulgent.

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