somewhere between despair and delirious laughter.
"Speaking of manners!" Lupe scolded, wagging a chubby finger at the lean, tall cowboy. "Since when is it good manners to bring home a guest without giving us a chance to prepare for her?"
"Am I supposed to inform everyone on the place before I hire on more help?" he boomed, throwing his hands above his head in exasperation.
"Ooh!" Lupe's thick brows rose in surprise, then her black eyes narrowed perceptively. The look she gave him implied that she doubted his motives for bringing this pretty young woman here, but she turned a welcoming smile on Crystal. "Forgive me, pretty seňorita. I did not know."
"That's all right, Lupe," Crystal responded with a nervous smile of her own. Such a welcome! She was not sure what to think. "I should apologize for making such an abrupt entrance." She was suddenly very tired. Her shoulders sagged perceptibly, but seeing that Garrett was not in any mood to make explanations, she went on. "I've come to tutor the children. I am a teacher."
As understanding lighted Lupe's eyes, she poured out a fresh cascade of welcome, her big hands pounding Crystal affectionately on the back. Crystal had to gasp for air with each pound, but at least her presence here would not be resented, anyway not by this big Mexican woman. Still, she wondered if she could survive much more friendliness.
Garrett interrupted with an order for his housekeeper. "Get her settled. You can visit later. And see to it that Petie brings her bags in and then have him unload the bulls in the feedlot. I'm going to wash up." He began moving away, rolling up his sleeves as he went.
Just then, however, a thin, rangy cowboy came hurrying through the gate in the back wall of the courtyard. When he saw Garrett, he picked up his pace. "Got trouble, boss, over on section three. Hay baler's broke down. I was hoping all the way in that you was back."
The grimace on Garrett's face contained an odd mixture of irritation and challenge. "Where's Rod?"
"Pulling a calf over on section three."
"Well, what about Rick?"
The rangy cowboy shook his head. "Fence down on five." He danced uncomfortably from one foot to another, eyeing Crystal speculatively.
Garrett scowled, then flung a hand out in capitulation. "Oh, all right," he grumbled. "I sometimes wonder what I pay you men for. I always have to do everything myself anyway."
"Yes, sir," the cowboy acknowledged absently, still eyeing Crystal with a furtive sideways glance.
Again Garrett scowled. "This is Miss Crystal Gentry, our new schoolteacher," Garrett introduced, making a great show of the whole affair with a flourishing sweep of his hand. "And this is one of our top hands, Cleave Lawson. Now, if everyone has his curiosity satisfied, can we all get to work?"
"Yes, sir!" Cleave snapped smartly, squashing his hat off with a big bony, freckled hand, showing flaming orange hair and a white smile. "Pardon me, ma'am," he said with a quick bow, jammed the hat back on his head, and started off in a hurry.
Garrett rolled his eyes heavenward, muttering beneath his breath, and followed the redheaded wrangler, with Crystal watching in amazement. At the gate, he paused momentarily to cast her an unfathomable look, then turned and was gone.
No sooner had the two men disappeared through the back gate than Lupe plopped herself down beside Crystal, nearly catapulting the petite woman off the small divan. There would have been room for three ordinary people, but Lupe alone could have filled the divan to overflowing.
"You have nice trip?" she inquired politely, baring white teeth, then hurried on, leaving Crystal nodding an affirmative. "You married? Engaged, maybe?" Crystal's mouth fell open. "No, of course not!" Lupe answered her own question with a giggle. She patted Crystal's hands. "This is a good place. You will like it here. We fix you up nice. You want Lupe to fix you something good to eat?"
"No, no, please!" Crystal found herself protesting more
"Speaking of manners!" Lupe scolded, wagging a chubby finger at the lean, tall cowboy. "Since when is it good manners to bring home a guest without giving us a chance to prepare for her?"
"Am I supposed to inform everyone on the place before I hire on more help?" he boomed, throwing his hands above his head in exasperation.
"Ooh!" Lupe's thick brows rose in surprise, then her black eyes narrowed perceptively. The look she gave him implied that she doubted his motives for bringing this pretty young woman here, but she turned a welcoming smile on Crystal. "Forgive me, pretty seňorita. I did not know."
"That's all right, Lupe," Crystal responded with a nervous smile of her own. Such a welcome! She was not sure what to think. "I should apologize for making such an abrupt entrance." She was suddenly very tired. Her shoulders sagged perceptibly, but seeing that Garrett was not in any mood to make explanations, she went on. "I've come to tutor the children. I am a teacher."
As understanding lighted Lupe's eyes, she poured out a fresh cascade of welcome, her big hands pounding Crystal affectionately on the back. Crystal had to gasp for air with each pound, but at least her presence here would not be resented, anyway not by this big Mexican woman. Still, she wondered if she could survive much more friendliness.
Garrett interrupted with an order for his housekeeper. "Get her settled. You can visit later. And see to it that Petie brings her bags in and then have him unload the bulls in the feedlot. I'm going to wash up." He began moving away, rolling up his sleeves as he went.
Just then, however, a thin, rangy cowboy came hurrying through the gate in the back wall of the courtyard. When he saw Garrett, he picked up his pace. "Got trouble, boss, over on section three. Hay baler's broke down. I was hoping all the way in that you was back."
The grimace on Garrett's face contained an odd mixture of irritation and challenge. "Where's Rod?"
"Pulling a calf over on section three."
"Well, what about Rick?"
The rangy cowboy shook his head. "Fence down on five." He danced uncomfortably from one foot to another, eyeing Crystal speculatively.
Garrett scowled, then flung a hand out in capitulation. "Oh, all right," he grumbled. "I sometimes wonder what I pay you men for. I always have to do everything myself anyway."
"Yes, sir," the cowboy acknowledged absently, still eyeing Crystal with a furtive sideways glance.
Again Garrett scowled. "This is Miss Crystal Gentry, our new schoolteacher," Garrett introduced, making a great show of the whole affair with a flourishing sweep of his hand. "And this is one of our top hands, Cleave Lawson. Now, if everyone has his curiosity satisfied, can we all get to work?"
"Yes, sir!" Cleave snapped smartly, squashing his hat off with a big bony, freckled hand, showing flaming orange hair and a white smile. "Pardon me, ma'am," he said with a quick bow, jammed the hat back on his head, and started off in a hurry.
Garrett rolled his eyes heavenward, muttering beneath his breath, and followed the redheaded wrangler, with Crystal watching in amazement. At the gate, he paused momentarily to cast her an unfathomable look, then turned and was gone.
No sooner had the two men disappeared through the back gate than Lupe plopped herself down beside Crystal, nearly catapulting the petite woman off the small divan. There would have been room for three ordinary people, but Lupe alone could have filled the divan to overflowing.
"You have nice trip?" she inquired politely, baring white teeth, then hurried on, leaving Crystal nodding an affirmative. "You married? Engaged, maybe?" Crystal's mouth fell open. "No, of course not!" Lupe answered her own question with a giggle. She patted Crystal's hands. "This is a good place. You will like it here. We fix you up nice. You want Lupe to fix you something good to eat?"
"No, no, please!" Crystal found herself protesting more
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