toward her and she could get his attention. If he would only come back and ride a short while with her, she would find some way of turning the conversation in the direction she wanted.
Not only did he not look toward her, he didn’t stop the herd at noontime either. She kept watch for signs of a halt, but he seemed intent on pushing the cattle and the riders to the ends of their endurance. When the sun started its descent, she twisted impatiently in the saddle to catch Griff’s eye. He urged his horse into a gallop and soon drew alongside her.
“You doing okay up here, gal?”
“We’ve been a long time without a rest.” She swept a hand toward the cattle. “They are starting to look tired, and they seem hungry. They keep wanting to spread out and graze.”
He shrugged. “They’ll be okay. It won’t be much longer now. I’ve traveled this trail a half dozen times, so I know what Luke’s doing. He’ll push to get to a grazing field an hour this side of Hays, and then we’ll stop and let them eat and drink their fill. That way they’ll be at full weight when we arrive.” He peered more closely at her. “This is a cowhand’s life. We grab a bite in the saddle and keep moving. The beef will be okay, but how ’bout you? Belly empty, is it? I have some jerked beef you can chew on.”
She eyed the unappealing strip of shriveled meat he extended. That was one part of trail life she could never get used to. Meals were not meant to be gobbled on horseback. They were meant for sharing with family and friends. Even if she were starving, she doubted she could choke down that dried-out hunk of beef.
“No, thank you.” Instead, she picked up the canteen that hung from the saddlebag and drained the last of her water.
A pair of steers chose that moment to make a break for the open. Emma felt sorry for them, held to an unyielding pace, crowded in with the others, and forced to follow in the footsteps that hundreds of other cows had trampled before them. If she were a cow, she’d be tempted to run away too.
But she wasn’t. She was an Amish girl, and her job was to make sure they followed the herd. She urged her tired horse ahead to cut off their escape.
The afternoon was half over when Luke called a halt. Finally, Emma could let up her vigil and let the cattle under her charge wander into the wide, open plain. They did so, tearing up great mouthfuls of grass along the way, stopping only to drink their fill from a half dozen small streams that crisscrossed the prairie.
Griff rode up from behind. “Let’s head in, gal. I’m ready for a good, long break. The railhead at Hays isn’t more than an hour’s easy traveling from here.”
She nudged Sugarfoot ahead to keep pace with him as they rode toward camp, where the chuck wagon stood sentinel on one side, and the Amish wagon with Maummi’s giant hutch on the other.
“Griff, what will you do when we get to Hays and this cattle drive is over?”
The old cowboy pursed his lips and thought a second before he answered. “I’ll probably hang around there for a while to see if I can rustle up another job. There’s still time to get back down to Texas and start another drive before cold weather sets in. If I don’t find anything in Hays, I’ll head on over to Abilene. There’s always something going on there.”
They rode on a few paces. Was that what Luke planned to do too? Drop off this herd and immediately find another one to lead?
“You mentioned the other day that you might want to settle down sometime.” Though she didn’t look at him directly, she watched for a reaction out of the corner of her eye. “Did you mean it?”
“You know, if I could find me a good woman, I would.” A grin twisted his lips. “But I don’t think your grandma will have me.”
Though his tone was light, Emma detected a note of regret in his words. And he was right. Maummi was as entrenched in the Amish life as her son and granddaughters.
She chose her words carefully. “If you decide to become Amish, I think she would welcome your attentions.”
The laughter she received in response hammered at her hopes. Is this how Luke would react to