A Baby Left on her Porch (Preview)

Chapter One

Stone Ridge, Colorado 

Late September, 1862

Why do things have to be so difficult? Sarah Harper thought, standing on the covered porch of the large ranch house she called home.

She’d lost two more ranch hands over the last week.

Glancing down the long driveway at her land stretching out on either side, she saw fat, red-brown cattle grazing contentedly on the lush grass. She tried not to notice the shoddy repair of the fence in places, or the leaning shed that was one strong wind away from crashing to the ground.

How had things declined so rapidly in the four months since her father had passed away? True, the shed had developed a sag and lean the year before his passing, but it hadn’t been so severe.

The fence damage was more recent, however, and none of the hands had gotten around to fixing it yet. She’d asked them to take care of it several times. But so far no one had bothered.

She wasn’t sure what they were doing all day, but other than moving cattle from pasture to pasture, it didn’t seem like much work was being done.

Though perhaps she was imagining it or at the least exaggerating their lack of work, most of them had been loyal to her father to his dying day. Just because ranch work wasn’t as obvious as the shed or fence, did not mean plenty was happening.

Her gaze drifted off to the distant horizon where the mountains jutted up from the earth. Even at a distance they appeared majestic as the sun warmed their rugged granite peaks.

Her father had loved the land like no one else she knew. He loved the land and the people who occupied it, both the men who’d settled the land and the Native Americans who shared the land with them.

“Afternoon, Miss Sarah,” Charlie Burke said as he limped by with a handful of harness.

“Afternoon, Charlie.” 

Maybe she should talk to him and see if he had any ideas why things on the ranch seemed to be, if not at a standstill, at a noticeably slower pace. Her father had trusted Charlie more than anyone else. If there was one man on the ranch she could talk to, it was Charlie.

Maybe she would do that later. At the moment, she had other things that needed tending.

****

Sarah wiped sweat from her brow as she guided her big red gelding into Stone Ridge. The horse kicked up dust with each hoof fall onto the parched ground.

Stone Ridge was a small town that bustled with activity. She’d always enjoyed coming into town with her father to pick up supplies or attend to other business matters.

Her father had always asked if she needed or wanted anything. She’d never taken advantage of his generosity and only purchased things she needed. Which was fortunate, since she had to restrict herself only to purchasing what the ranch needed to function.

Had she been spoiled and accustomed to spending extravagantly, the loss of her father would have been even harder. But she’d never been foolish with money, thankfully.

As Sarah rode further into town, a few women glanced at her with clear disapproval on their faces. 

So she wasn’t dressed like a lady? She couldn’t work a ranch dressed like she was about to attend a tea party. Sarah didn’t care what they thought. They just didn’t know the things she had to do every day.

Her life was not one of leisure, and the women in Stone Ridge should know how hard it was on the ranches without menfolk and plenty of help. Those were luxuries she didn’t have. 

Maybe there was a time when she could dress appropriately, but with the death of her father, it seemed like she would never be a real lady again. And she wasn’t going to let it distract her from what she had to do in order to survive.

She worked hard to manage and keep the ranch running. It took precedence over everything. She had no one to turn to for help. The responsibility for everything sat on her shoulders. And it seemed to grow in difficulty by the day.

Admittedly, she could have donned a dress and taken the buggy into town, but why should she pretend to be someone she wasn’t? It was better to be honest with herself and everyone else.

Riding into town in breeches and a simple work shirt was quicker and more efficient. So that’s what she did. 

Sarah rode up to the post office and dismounted. She tied her horse and unhooked her purse from the saddle horn. She’d done the very same thing every month for nearly a year now. Would she ever get a reply? 

What is my brother doing? Is he safe? Is he hungry?

So many questions and no answers. If only he would write. Well, maybe he did but the letters didn’t make it through. She wanted to hear from him so badly.

With a sigh, she headed into the post office, plucking a letter from her purse as she went to the outgoing mail slot. Hesitating a moment, she looked at the address, checking it for correctness one last time.

I hope Jacob receives it.

Six long months had elapsed since she’d received his last letter. It was too long to wait. Did he know that their father had succumbed to fever four months ago? Sarah wished she knew if he was getting her letters. Maybe he was just like her and never received the letters she faithfully wrote.

With hope in her heart, she ran her thumb over the envelope, feeling the smooth texture of the paper. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so alone and vulnerable. If only she would receive just one letter from him.

Her eyes burned and she blinked quickly to ward off the tears that threatened to roll down her face. She didn’t need anyone to see her like that. Appearing strong and confident was important, no matter how much she needed Jacob’s strength and guidance.

She had to hold on to the hope that the war would end soon, and he would come home as soon as he could and help her run the ranch. Jacob had always been her protector, and her heart ached to have the comfort of knowing he was there if she needed him.

With a whispered prayer on her lips that her letter would find its way to him, she dropped the letter into the mail slot. 

Sarah left the post office and made her way to the sheriff’s office. She went to the announcements board on the front of the office and perused some of the posted notes.

She had to hire two ranch hands to replace the two that had left without notice or explanation—though she was fairly certain they’d left for what they considered more stable employment.

She’d overheard them speculating about her ability to manage the ranch in her brother’s absence and whether or not Jacob would return.

She couldn’t even blame them for their decision. She might have done the same in their place.

But she was determined to make everything work. And with a resolute heart, she pinned up her ad.

She looked over the work wanted notices, but none were for what she was seeking. Good ranch hands usually didn’t have to post that they were looking for work. They simply rode to another ranch and talked to the manager. If there was a need, they were hired.

Sheriff Samuel Rivers came out of his office. “Sarah, everything okay at the ranch?” he said with a warm smile.

“It is,” she said. “I just needed to post up a job.”

He nodded. “May already have what you’re lookin’ for on the board.”

“No, I already looked. I need a couple dependable men to help with the cattle and repair work.”

“I’m sure you’ll find some capable help,” he said.

Sheriff Rivers’ smile faded. 

Sarah’s gaze followed the sheriff’s to a man approaching his office on a lovely dapple gray horse.  Sitting straight and confident in the saddle, with his hat pulled low, he rode with the easy sway of someone who understood the animal he sat astride. 

She could tell he was tall, and his shoulders were broad. Rich brown hair, which looked very short, was visible beneath his hat.

He led another horse with a man tied to the saddle.

The man, apparently a bandit, had a face-full of scraggly whiskers, narrow eyes, and an expression that would scare a rattle snake. He glared at the man leading his horse.

The broad-shouldered leader glanced in her direction and his fierce blue eyes met hers and locked. An unfamiliar jolt rocked through Sarah.

He tipped his hat at her, sending a breathless and curious flash of something she couldn’t quite name through her. Something that was all feeling.

He dismounted and tied the horses, leaving the bandit on his horse.

Was he a bounty hunter? Must be. 

She’d never seen one before. 

Sarah wondered what life was like for a bounty hunter. What was it like to chase a man down and capture him for reward money; to have a captured bandit on the trail and have to camp at night? It had to be a strange and dangerous life.

It didn’t sound anything like the wonderful times she’d shared with her father and Jacob when they went on trips to trade with the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. Her father had taught her and her brother respect and understanding of the Native people.

Their father had earned a solid reputation among the Cheyenne and Arapaho, and she had many great memories of those times. They were adventures she would never forget. They’d filled her heart with joy.

Now those wonderful memories had become overshadowed by the weight of responsibility piled on her.

Sarah shoved away the memories. She only needed to focus on her goal of keeping the ranch going until Jacob returned.

The broad-shouldered man came up on the sidewalk and approached Sheriff Rivers. “I have a little something for you,” he said, and pulled a wanted poster from his pocket. He unfolded it and handed it to the sheriff who gave it a look over.

“Bring ‘em in,” the sheriff said.

The man shifted his gaze to Sarah and warmth filled her.

He quirked up one side of his lips in a half grin as if he had the urge to say something then thought better of it.

“I must be going,” she said to Sheriff Rivers, who nodded.

Sarah tried not to peek at the bounty hunter one last time but lost the battle. He was looking at her and his lips curled into a full smile.

She quickly looked away and rushed to her horse. 

Why the blue-eyed bounty hunter made her feel so…unlike herself, wasn’t clear to her. But she didn’t care, she just wanted to be on her way and get away from him before he caught her looking again.

She untied her horse and mounted up. With one last peek at the man, she turned her horse and trotted away.

As she rode out of town and headed down the road toward the ranch, she kept thinking about the bounty hunter. Who was he really? Who hunted other men for money?

As much as she didn’t want to even give him a second thought, she couldn’t help but dwell on him.

She couldn’t help but be intrigued. 

 

Chapter Two

Sarah felt a tug of annoyance when she spotted two broken rails on the fence. Only the bottom rail remained, and that wasn’t enough to contain cattle that were notorious for walking the fence line. They could easily step over it. And if one did it, the others would follow.

She glanced around. A dozen or so chickens had migrated up from the coop and scratched and pecked in the grass. But there wasn’t a ranch hand in sight.

Where were they? Perhaps moving the horses to one of the higher pastures. They were aware that the ranch herd needed to move off the grass in the bottom pasture so it could grow and not be grazed down to bare earth.

But surely one of them had seen the fence and could have repaired it better than she could?

Sarah didn’t mind the work, but she wasn’t a foolish woman. Any one of them could have managed it easier than she could.

She headed for the small outbuilding where they kept the tools and equipment needed to keep up with repairs.

Opening the door, her gaze landed on a small, brown and white dog with long matted hair and protruding ribs. A single, tiny, white puppy lay snuggled against her.

“Oh, my goodness, where did you come from?”

The little dog thumped her tail on the dirt floor.

Sarah glanced about and spied a hole under the wall. The little dog had dug her way in. She squatted down. “Are you hungry?”

The dog whined and thumped her tail again.

The poor little thing looked half-starved.

She slowly held out her hand for the dog to sniff.

“Will you let me pick up your baby?”

Gently, she rubbed the dog’s head and received a friendly lick on her palm.

“Well, little lady, I don’t have a whole lot, but no one’s going hungry. How about you come to the house with me, and I’ll find something good for you so you can feed that cute little baby?”

This time the little dog barked as if acknowledging the offer.

Sarah reached slowly for the puppy while watching the mother. The dog allowed her to pick up her baby.

“Well, I guess if I feed you I have to keep you. Isn’t that how it works?”

The dog barked and Sarah laughed.

She didn’t need a dog, much less two. But she certainly wouldn’t turn away a hungry mother and baby.

She would ask Charlie to build a doghouse for them. He loved animals and was excellent at working on the buildings. 

The dog followed her up on the porch. Sarah set the puppy down and the dog immediately curled up beside him.

“I’ll be right back with something for you to eat,” Sarah said and went inside the house. 

It didn’t take her long to fix a pan of leftovers for her new friend. By the time she was ready to go feed the little dog, she already had names for them: Mandy and Max.

After giving Mandy food and water and finding an old rag rug for her to lay on, Sarah turned her attention back to the fence. She still had work to do. The dog and pup had just been a pleasant diversion.

****

The late afternoon sun beat mercilessly down on Sarah as she hammered on one of the two spare fence rails she’d taken from the storage shed.

She stopped long enough to whisk away sweat from her forehead before it had a chance to reach and burn her eyes.

She was having difficulty keeping the middle rail in place while hammering in the nails to secure it. It was a two-person task, and she was trying to do it by herself.

She let out a sigh. She needed something to prop the rail on until she could get the nails hammered into the post.

It dawned on her that the large crock stored in the shed would support the middle rail at about the right height. If she had to, she could use a few folded newspapers she kept to start a fire in the kitchen cook stove to support the rail at the right height.

Pleased with herself, she found the crock and rolled it to the fence where she balanced the rail long enough to hammer in the nails.

The rhythmic hammering resounded around the quiet ranch. It was actually a pleasant distraction now that her problem was half solved. And it kept her from thinking too much about the difficulties of running the ranch in general.

She still had the top rail to contend with, but at least with the middle and bottom rails intact, the cattle wouldn’t get out and go Lord only knew where.

Their propensity to walk the fences was one aspect of the animals that she couldn’t stand. If they found a small opening, they would get out. And she had a large herd.

She glanced up from the fence and caught a glimpse of her neighbor, Clara Hayes, walking along the trail that wound between their properties. Clara waved at her.

Sarah smiled and turned from the fence. She could devise a way to brace the top rail later. Of course, she could ask Clara to hold the rail, and she would. But she didn’t want to do that.

Her friend had come to visit. That was enough. And it would give her a pleasant reprieve from the fence. Maybe by the time Clara left, some of the ranch hands would have returned and could help with nailing up the last rail.

Sarah headed to the porch to greet Clara and invite her in.

Clara hurried toward her with a large picnic basket and a big smile that lit up her soft features. Warm brown hair framed her face and made her look younger than her forty years.

“Oh,” Clara said when she spotted Mandy and Max. “When did you get the cute dog?”

“A couple of hours ago,” Sarah said. “I found her and the pup. Looked like they needed a home.”

Clara nodded. “Poor little things.”

“They’ll be fine now.” She would see to their care. “Come on in.” She motioned to the door.

Clara followed her inside the large entryway.

“I brought a few goodies to share with you,” Clara said. “I baked a couple pies this morning and wanted to give you one. Plus a few other things.”

Clara popped open the lid and the sweet aroma of a cherry pie wafted from the basket.

“That smells wonderful,” Sarah said.

“They turned out well,” Clara replied and set out the other supplies she’d brought over.

“Thank you for the pie and the supplies. That was really kind.” She was fully aware that Clara was trying to ease her burden a little.

Clara and her husband, Gideon, were very wealthy.

“Have a seat. I’ll make some coffee and we can cut the pie.”

“Just coffee for me,” Clara said. “I have pie at home.”

She probably just didn’t want to take any of the pie so Sarah could have all of it. Clara was a true friend, and Gideon was, too. They were good people.

Sarah loved sitting in the kitchen. It was homey and comforting. And it always smelled like coffee and apples.

Apples were one of her staples, and she frequently used them in different dishes.

The tranquility of the haven she’d made of the kitchen was in contrast to her day to day struggles to keep the ranch running.

She put coffee on the stove and then joined Clara at the table.

“How have you been doing? Really?” Clara asked.

“I’ve been managing all right,” Sarah replied. She was getting by. Not as well as she’d like, but she was making do.

“I know things have to be difficult,” Clara said. “With the loss of your father, and everything put on you to take care of by yourself.”

Sarah got coffee cups and milk and sugar for their coffee. 

“It was a lot harder at first,” Sarah said. “I really didn’t know if I’d be able to make a go of it.”

Clara nodded. “I’m sure it was tough. I couldn’t even imagine losing my parents. But I know I won’t have them forever. They’re in their sixties already. It doesn’t seem possible.”

“I understand,” Sarah said. She’d lost her own mother when she was an infant, shortly after her birth. What she would have given to have known her mother!

“Father was so good to us,” she said. “My brother, too. He was my protector.” They had been a family that had thrived on their love for one another.

“Have you heard from Jacob?” Clara enquired.

“No. I posted another letter to him yesterday. All I can do is hope he gets them.” 

“I hope he replies to you soon,” Clara said with a smile.

“The coffee’s ready,” Sarah said. She fetched the pot and filled their mugs.

Clara stirred sugar and milk into her coffee.

“You know,” Clara said, “if it becomes too much for you to deal with, Gideon is still willing to purchase the ranch. If you sold, you could remain on the property with a salary. Or maybe you could consider placing a mail-order bride ad to secure a wonderful future away from the hardships of life on a ranch.” Clara took a sip of coffee. “This is really tasty.”

“Thank you,” Sarah said. Clara and Gideon were trying to help her, she knew that. But he didn’t need the ranch, and she couldn’t sell it. It would be wrong to sell her father’s dream.

“I really appreciate the offer,” Sarah said. “But I can’t sell. It would be disrespectful to my father.”

“Well, if you change your mind, talk to Gideon,” Clara replied.

“I’ll keep his offer in mind.” She had no intention of selling the ranch. Though if something unforeseen happened and she did decide to sell, Gideon would be her first choice. But she didn’t want to seem harsh in any way to Clara.

Clara and Gideon were such kind friends. She was thankful to have them for neighbors.

“We worry about you being over here all alone,” Clara said. “There are dangers for a young woman in such an isolated place.”

Sarah was touched by her concern, and wanted to assure Clara. “Well, I’m not really alone. There are the ranch hands. And Charlie would protect me to his last breath even if all the others ran off.”

Clara nodded. “I’m glad you have Charlie around. He’s a good fellow.”

“I don’t know what’d I’d do without him,” Sarah said and sipped her coffee. Charlie was the one person on the ranch who she could count on to never let her down.

“We were never able to have children,” Clara said wistfully. “The one thing we truly wanted. And we were denied it. Now that we’re in our forties…” She looked down at her folded hands and shook her head, then glanced up at Sarah. “We’ve grown fond of you, and see you as the daughter we never had. We just worry about you.”

Sarah replied with a smile, “You have no idea how much I appreciate your support.” Now that she was truly alone on the ranch, she understood what it was like to have no one. Her heart went out to her friends, and she wished there was something she could do for them.

“But I’ll be okay here,” she continued. “I have to keep the ranch until Jacob returns as a way of honoring my father’s memory and wishes.”

Clara’s smile faltered slightly, but she nodded. “I understand.” She reached over and patted the back of Sarah’s hand reassuringly. “The offer will remain open if you ever need it.”

“Thank you,” Sarah said. “I truly appreciate all you and Gideon have done for me.”

Clara brightened. “Do you know Sheriff Rivers’ pretty little wife is expecting their first child?”

“No, I didn’t,” Sarah replied. “They must be so excited!”

“They are,” Clara agreed. “I’m so happy everything worked out for them. Mail order brides aren’t always what they say they are. But she is even more than he hoped for. They seem so happy together.”

“I know. They both did well. Sheriff Rivers is a solid man,” Sarah said. “We’re lucky to have him.”

“We are,” Clara said. “I think I’ll bake a cake for them the next time I go into town.”

That was just like Clara to always be doing something sweet for someone. She would have made a wonderful mother. What a shame that they’d never been blessed with children.

“Well, I guess I’d better be going,” Clara said. “Gideon will be home soon, and I like to be there for him.”

“I’m so glad you stopped by,” Sarah said. “Thank you again for the pie and supplies.”

“Think nothing of it, my dear. I’ll see you soon.” Clara rose to leave.

Sarah accompanied her to the door and watched her go.

Sometimes she envied Clara. Her friend often accompanied her husband on business trips. Many times she would bring a little something for Sarah when she came home. Clara had been to many interesting towns and places. Once they had even gone to England for a two-month stay.

She would never admit it out loud, but the familiar longing for adventure and travel still lived in her. Probably from the days she’d traveled with her father and brother on trading expeditions with the Native Americans.

Those had been some of the best times of her life, and she thought of them so often. But her place was here on the ranch. She was resolute on that. And she would do whatever was necessary to keep it operating until Jacob could take it over. Right now, this was her responsibility and she would see to it as best she could.

With a sigh, Sarah headed back to the fence to finish the repair with a sense of renewed determination. She would see her father’s ranch not just survive, but thrive, no matter what obstacles lay ahead.