Chapter Five

The ranch came into view and Justin was sure he was going to fall out of the wagon as he jerked and trembled with nerves. He was calling on Susie Atkinson! He just wished he hadn't gotten that letter that morning. Lorraine's father had somehow figured out where he was and had demanded that Justin come back to New York and settle things like a man. Justin hated to tell the violence loving ogre but he was not stepping foot back in New York! He certainly did not have a death wish.

Justin pulled his cart to a stop and slowly climbed down the side, unaware that Cookie and Thomas were standing together at the door to the barn watching him and shaking their heads with both disbelief and disapproval, "What the hell is that man doing?" Cookie grumbled, "He looks like an old church woman climbing out of that wagon, afraid of tripping over her skirts."

"Look at the way he walks," Thomas added as Justin made his way up onto the porch of the ranch house, "He looks like he's got a big ol' giant stick up his ass."

Suddenly Ryder popped his head in between them from behind, "Who's got a stick up his ass?" he asked as he chewed on a piece of hay. Thomas, who hadn't yet met Ryder, looked at the man as if he was insane. Cookie however grinned and patted the hyperactive boy on the back, "Susie's new beau."

Ryder spit the piece of hay out of his mouth, spraying Thomas in the process and stared at Cookie with offense, "I don't have much of a temper, old man, but, dammit, don't insult me! I don't walk around like I got a stick up my ass!"

Cookie laughed, the sound harsh from his old age and rough life, and pointed at Justin who was currently being let into the house by Jacob, "You aren't the one that's calling on Susie."

Ryder followed his gaze up to Justin and at first Thomas and Cookie were sure they saw anger and jealousy in his eyes but then, much to their surprise he started laughing.

Ryder laughed so hard that he ended up bending over and slapping at his knee. When he finally got control of his laughter he stood back straight and wiped the tears from his face as he looked at both the other men, "I don't know if either of you know this, but I've been pretty popular with the ladies in my time."

Cookie's smile just grew bigger. He'd been right! This was the man for Susie. "In your time?" Thomas asked with a frown, "You can't be over twenty-three years old."

"I'm twenty-four actually but that's not the point. The point is gentlemen," Ryder stepped out in front of them and spread his arms out as if he was a piece of art on display. "The little short man doesn't stand a chance," he finished with a cocky grin.

"Who are you?" Thomas asked as he shook his head.

"My name's Ryder," Ryder replied, though his attention was on the fly that was buzzing around his head. His eyes followed it around and around until suddenly a scarred up hand reached out and caught the fly, inches from Ryder's face.

Ryder glanced over to see Brody standing there, wearing that normal scowl, "Don't you ever smile? Poor Elizabeth. She seems like such a nice woman and she's gotta live with a grump like you," Ryder mused with a good natured grin.

Brody's scowl only deepened as Thomas's eyes widened and Cookie laughed, "Don't you have work to do?" Brody demanded of all three men. Brody didn't know what to make of Ryder. Most of the time when he met men they were scared of him or at the very least intimidated. But this Ryder hadn't acted the least bit afraid or intimidated and Brody wasn't sure whether he was upset over that, or upset over the fact that it impressed him.

"Things are kinda slow....." Thomas started.

Brody shook his head, "Get to work."

Thomas nodded and looked at Ryder, "Come on, death wish, lets go get some work done."

Ryder tilted his head to the side, "Death wish?"

Thomas led him into the barn and nodded, "You'd have to have a death wish to talk to Brody like that when you don't even know the man. I mean, I can get away with it from time to time and so can Cookie and the family but nobody else usually has the nerve. They're too afraid of him. Add to that the fact that you're interested in Susie and well...you've got a death wish."

Ryder grinned as he flung open the storage room door and grabbed a rake to begin cleaning the stalls, "I was born without whatever it is that makes other people scared of things. There isn't anything in the world I'm afraid of."

Thomas snorted as he began to lead the first horse out of it's stall and toward the corral, "That's gonna get you killed one day." Ryder shrugged as he danced around the stall he was raking. Thomas frowned, "There's gotta be something you're afraid of."

Ryder grinned, "When I find it, I'll let you know."

***

"You have a guest," Ellie called as she walked into the kitchen with little Eli in her arms.

Susie looked up from the bucket of hot soapy water she was using to clean the dishes and frowned, "A guest?" she asked, wiping her face with the back of her soap covered arm.

Ellie nodded and laid the tiny baby down in his cradle. She tossed Susie a rag to dry her face and hands with, "Justin Vicks. He's in the den with Jacob."

Susie let out a sigh as she dried her hands and face, "I forgot he was coming," she admitted.

Ellie smiled, "Looks like you've finally got you a man."

Susie thought about Justin. Nice, sweet, safe Justin. Then for some reason an image of Ryder flashed through her mind. Wild, crazy, slightly odd, handsome, funny Ryder. But Ryder wasn't really interested in her, he was just interested in women in general. And she was not about to be some man's play toy.

"I look a mess," Susie fussed as she glanced down at her thread bare yellow gingham dress and stained apron. Her hair was pulled back messily with pins, and strands were sticking out in all directions. She had been prepared for a full day of working around the house, not a day of being wooed by a man.

"You look beautiful."

Susie and Ellie both let out small gasps of shock as they looked at the head sticking into the kitchen through the bright yellow curtains of the open window, "Ryder! What are you doing?" Susie demanded.

Ryder shrugged, "Cleaning the barn."

"No you're not. You're bothering me."

"Bothering you?" he asked with a frown.

Susie instantly felt guilty, "I have a guest waiting on me, Ryder," she replied gently.

"You don't want to waste time on him," he insisted. Ellie looked back and forth between the two of them and she could nearly see the forces of attraction pulling them closer together as Susie made her way to the window.

"Why do you think that time I spend with him would be wasted?" Susie asked, trying not to get lost in those eyes.

Ryder reached out and ran a gentle finger down her arm, "Cause, you were made to be with me," he replied as if that was just a simple fact. It was as if he was saying the sky was blue, grass was green or flowers bloom in the spring.

Susie laughed and Ryder frowned again. Why didn't the woman believe him?!

"What about your fiancée'?" she asked as she pulled her arm out of his reach. His touch had caused a burning sensation on her skin.. But it wasn't a painful burn.. Instead it had lit her very blood on fire and caused sensations she had never before felt deep inside of her.

"Fiancée?" Ryder asked as he took in every line, curve and freckle of her beautiful face.

"From yesterday," Susie reminded him dryly.

Ryder shook his head, "I told you that she wasn't my fiancée'."

He reached out to touch her again and he was disappointed when she took a step away. Ellie nearly laughed out loud. The man looked like a little kid that had gotten a new toy on Christmas morning and then had been told he could look at it but couldn't play with it until New Years.

"Ryder, I am not interested in being one of your many women. You clearly know how to say whatever you have to say in order to get a woman to fall for you and I am not going to be one of them." Susie didn't need to tell him that she was pretty much lying and that she was already falling for him which was strange since she didn't know a thing about him... Was it possible to fall that quickly?

"I'm not that way anymore," he insisted, "I've changed."

"Since yesterday?" Susie snapped. He brow raised and her arms crossed over her chest.

Ellie knew she was either going to have to leave the room soon or laugh out loud at the two of them. She had never seen Susie use that classic Atkinson posture and brow raise before. Clearly Ryder brought out a side of her that no one else did and this Ryder seemed to be sincere... He was certainly looking at Susie as if he was a man who had found what he wanted and didn't want anything else.

"Yes, since yesterday," he replied.

Susie shook her head. She shouldn't encourage his childishness but she couldn't seem to help herself, "And what brought on this great transformation?" she asked.

"You," he assured her simply.

Susie felt her heart skip a beat and her breath catch in her chest. He was good. But how many other women had heard the same lines? Ryder had admitted himself that he said whatever a woman wanted to hear in order to get in her skirts. She would be foolish to take anything he said seriously.

Susie pointed her finger at his nose, "Ryder, I try very hard to be kind to everyone but you are truly pushing me close to the edge. I don't know what kind of game you are playing by saying all of these things to me and following me around but it needs to stop. I don't deserve to be hurt this way."

Ryder looked truly confused, "I would never hurt you... Sure I've had my fair share of fun in my life but that's over now. Why don't you believe me?"

"I don't even know you!" Susie exclaimed.

Ryder shrugged and picked at the yellow curtains, "Then come on out and spend some time with me and you can get to know me."

"You should go with him," Ellie encouraged her. She liked Ryder ever though she didn't really know Ryder and had never meant the man before he had poked his head into her kitchen. She could see the chemistry between the two of them and he was definitely more handsome and right for Susie than that man in the den. Ellie still didn't understand why Sally thought her sister would like a man like Justin Vicks. Of course, in Sally's defense, she had only met Justin one time and that had been nearly a month ago.

"Are you serious?" Susie gasped as she took another step away from the window. "I couldn't possibly do that! Ryder spent just the night before last in jail after destroying the saloon...."

Ryder shook his head, "Not the whole saloon. Just the table and the...."

"The wall, yes I know," Susie interrupted with a shake of her head. "Besides that, Justin actually went about this the right way and asked my brother for permission to call on me and is sitting in the den right now waiting on me to join him."

Ryder frowned, "You want me to ask your brother?"

Susie shook her head and went to the window, "I want you to leave me alone and quit teasing me!" she exclaimed and she shoved him back and pulled the window closed.

"That was awfully rude," Ellie said with surprise. It wasn't like Susie to be rude.

Susie blushed and bit her lip guiltily, "I wasn't too rude was I? I just don't like being treated as if I'm dumb. Just because I'm nice and try to treat everyone with respect doesn't mean they should take advantage of me."

"Are you sure that's what he was doing?"

Susie nodded as she untied her apron and put it over the chair, "Yes. Just yesterday he spouted out all kinds of sweet words and then I find out that he was engaged. Well not really engaged," Susie added seeing Ellie's shocked expression. "But accidentally engaged after getting drunk and saying things he didn't mean. He admitted to me that he says what he has to in order to get into women's skirts! How can I trust a man who tells me something like that?"

Ellie felt sorry for Susie. The girl truly looked confused and lost, "The fact that he told you the truth should mean something.... Listen I know I don't talk about my past much but I used to be kind of like that. Of course I never slept with the men I conned, I just took their money and valuables. I don't know Ryder. I don't know if he's serious when he says he really cares about you but I do know, from experience, that people can change.... Meeting the right person changes you. Just don't shut him out too quickly."

Susie threw her hands in the air, "The man can never hold still! He can't focus for more than ten seconds and I've only talked to him three times! He is clearly a little insane!" Susie exclaimed as she paced back and forth across the kitchen.

Ellie hid her smile behind her hand. She had never seen Susie quite this animated, "Crazy over you it sounds like," she teased.

Susie rolled her eyes, (something else Ellie had never seen her do before) and then she sighed, "I have to go visit with Justin."

"Have fun." Ellie called out as Susie left the room.

Susie walked into the den and had to clear her throat before her brother or Justin realized she was there. Apparently they were caught up in their conversation about industrialization. To Susie that sounded like the most boring topic of conversation that she had ever heard.

"Miss Atkinson," Justin said with surprise once he caught sight of her. He stood quickly and his blue eyes scanned over her. For some reason instead of feeling the heat that she felt when Ryder's eyes had done the same, she felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Hello, Mr. Vicks. I'm sorry I'm not dressed more appropriately." she apologized as she pushed a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.

"You look fine," he assured her.

Susie fought to hide her frown. Fine? That wasn't quite the word she had wanted to hear. She'd never gotten compliments from men before but she found that Ryder's compliments had gotten under her skin and she supposed she wanted to hear Justin say them as well. Justin was supposed to be the man for her... Isn't that what Sally had said? Justin was her type. But Susie just couldn't see herself ever being truly happy with a man like Justin....maybe she just needed to give him more of a chance.

"Well I'll leave you two alone to talk," Jacob said as he stood up. Justin shook his head, "No, you should stay, Jacob. It would hardly be proper for Susie and I to be alone this soon into our courtship."

Susie's eyes widened. Courtship? Shouldn't that be something he had discussed with her first?

"Oh..." Jacob said as he looked at the clock. He had things he was supposed to do today and chaperoning his sister and her beau was not one of those things.

"Have a seat, Miss Atkinson." Justin urged as he tugged on his suit shirt and pulled out a chair for her at the small table. Susie saw that he seemed to be sweating more than usual and she wondered if the house was too hot or if maybe Justin just sweated that much naturally. She certainly hoped not. That could get mighty annoying, and wet, over time.

Susie sat down and then felt herself redden with shame and embarrassment when she realized that Justin was having trouble pushing her chair back in. She scooted herself in and then Justin took his seat.

Susie waited for the man to speak to her since he had come to call on her but instead he turned his attention back to Jacob, "So where were we? I believe you were saying something about the railroad coming through Texas and helping the cattle industry."

Jacob looked at Susie helplessly. He wasn't sure why the man was talking to him when it was Susie he was interested in. Of course Jacob guessed that maybe in the city this was how it was done. Maybe there were rules about how you courted a woman and you weren't supposed to get too personal too quick. It kind of seemed like a waste of time to him but he wouldn't be rude to a guest.

"Yes I was." he replied.

Susie sat politely in her chair with her arms folded in her lap as the conversation between the men droned on. Inside she was annoyed and angry. She had so much more she could be doing... Like cleaning the house, washing the clothes, sewing some tears in her work dresses. 'Spending the day laughing with Ryder' She shook her head to clear that thought. Hadn't she come to the conclusion that he was no good for her?

***

"I need help," Ryder said with desperation and defeat as he raked out the stalls.

Thomas, Sally and Cookie all looked over at him, "We don't even know you." Thomas reminded the man and this earned him a sharp glance from his wife.

"What do you need help with, kid?" Cookie asked from his chair as he patted the old hound, who was lying beside him, on the head.

"It's Susie..."

'What about my sister?" Sally demanded.

Thomas couldn't help but grin, "He's in love with her," Thomas chuckled at the look of disbelief on Sally's face.

"But you don't even know her!" Sally exclaimed.

Ryder nodded, "I know enough... When she walked into that jail I just knew she was the one for me."

Sally couldn't believe what she was hearing. Susie and this Ryder character? She didn't know Ryder but judging by the fact that he was currently leading a horse to its stall by standing on the horses bare back and holding the reins in one hand while balancing with the other, she could guess that he wasn't exactly the kind of man she would have picked for her sister.

"I think the fact that you met in jail says it all," Sally said dryly.

Ryder jumped from the horse, landing much like a cat on his feet. He closed the stall door before launching himself over it and wiping his hands on his pants, "What do ya mean?"

"Susie is a.... Look, I love my sister but she is..." Sally searched for the words to say that Susie was a hardworking bore and make it sound kind. She, Thomas and Cookie were all surprised when Ryder's eyes and posture became more focused than they had ever seen them so far, "Perfect," he whispered, "She's like an angel only prettier. And that's what I told her and she didn't seem to believe a word I said," he looked around at them all desperately, "See that's the problem! She doesn't believe anything I say just because I lied to some saloon girl and said I'd marry her while I was drunk... I mean what man hasn't made those kinds of promises to a whore when he's had too much to drink?"

Cookie nodded in agreement and Thomas threw his wife a guilty glance before staring down at his boots. Sally rolled her eyes, "Men are pigs."

Cookie gave a raspy laugh, "Oink. Oink." .

Ryder's expression turned thoughtful, "I've never understood that... Pigs don't make that sound. It's more of a snort."

Sally snapped her fingers to bring his attention back to her, "Ryder, are you really serious about my sister?"

Ryder nodded, "I don't take much serious but I am one hundred percent, without a doubt serious about Susie. She's so kind and sweet and hardworking but there is something else in there. I've seen a fire in her eyes and when she yelled at me...."

"She yelled at you?" Thomas demanded.

"Of course not," Sally gave a dismissive wave of her hand, "Susie never yells."

"Oh yes she did," Ryder nodded and then he smiled, "And I've never enjoyed getting yelled at quite that much. I want to know her better but she won't give me the time of day."

Everyone was silent for a moment and then Sally sighed, "You'll have to woo her."

"Woo her?" Ryder frowned.

"Romance her," Sally explained.

"Romance?" Ryder asked looking even more confused.

"I've got this," Thomas said holding his hand up to silence his wife, "Look, Ryder, you gotta show the woman that you're serious. Show her that you can be the kind of man that she needs. That's the best way to show her how much you care. You have to prove to her with your actions just what she means to you because clearly you've been too careless with words and she's not going to buy anything you try to tell her."

"Actions huh?" Ryder asked with a suggestive grin.

Thomas frowned and anger flashed in his gray eyes, "Not those kind of actions..."

"Of course not," Ryder replied, making a big show of crossing his fingers. "Thanks for the advice!" Ryder went back to raking the stalls, with more pep in his step then he had had before.

"Good job, Thomas. Now the man is going to bed my sister and Brody is going to kill him," Sally whispered to her husband.

Thomas just laughed, "I slept with you and I'm still breathing."

"Barely, and only because you pissed off the less murderous of my brothers."

"They'll be just fine. Susie and Ryder'll be just fine. I told you all he'd be coming along," Cookie said thoughtfully and then he leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes.