Part 36 (1/2)
”But you can't go on living like a vagabond,” Adora protested. ”You'll never find a decent man to marry you.”
”I will,” Guy said.
”I'm not sure I want to get married. At least not for a while. People like Mrs. Esterhouse will always draw attention to my size or some other part of me that's not socially acceptable. I don't want to be apologizing for myself for the rest of my life. Nor do I want my husband doing it for me,” Daisy said when Guy started to voice another protest. ”Besides, I like living out here. Maybe I was meant to be a rancher.”
”No woman was meant to be a rancher,” Guy said with conviction.
”It looks like a lot of hard work,” Adora observed.
”It is, but now my muscles have gotten used to being on a horse, I don't mind it. My parents did me a great disservice by teaching me only how to live back East.”
”Couldn't you run your ranch from Albuquerque?” Adora asked.
”I'd let you run it any way you wanted,” Guy added.
”You'd soon start telling me what to do and expecting me to do it,” Daisy said. ”Men are like that.”
”What about Tyler?”
”He works for me. If I don't like what he does, he doesn't do it or he leaves.”
”He looks like he's here to stay,” Adora said.
”He'll leave,” Daisy said. She had never questioned that. The only question was would she go with him. Would he ask her? But she didn't mean to tell Guy or Adora that.
”Then you'll have to come back to town.”
”By then I intend to have my own crew and start rebuilding my house,” Daisy said. ”This is my land, and I mean to live here.”
”But you don't belong here.”
”I'm beginning to think it's the only place I do belong.”
”Then you don't mean to return to Albuquerque?”
”I don't know what I mean to do,” Daisy said, honestly. ”I may change my mind next month or next year. But for the time being, I like where I am. I don't mean to give it up.”
”And marrying me isn't good enough?” Guy asked.
”We've already been through that.”
”I'm not giving up. I'll be back.”
”I hope you'll always be my friend.”
”I want to be more than that.”
”Guy . . . ” but Daisy didn't finished her sentence. Tyler rode up unexpectedly.
”The rustlers struck again last night,” he said. ”What do you want to do about it?”
”Follow them, of course, and get my cows back.”
”Good. I'll need Rio.”
”Rio can stay here. I'm coming with you. They're my cows.”
”You can't,” Guy exclaimed. ”It would be indecent.”
”You said you trusted me before,” Daisy said, turning to Guy. ”Can't you trust me again?”
”It's not me, it's--”
”I only care what my friends think. n.o.body else.”
Guy wiggled uncomfortably under her gaze. Tyler's was just as intense.
”I've always trusted you. You know that.”
”Me, too,” Adora added, ”but that doesn't mean you ought to be chasing after rustlers. You could get hurt.”
”I imagine they'll give up the cattle rather than risk a gun battle,” Tyler said. ”You can rest a.s.sured I have her back safe and sound before nightfall. Now if we're going, we'd better get started.”
Neither Adora nor Guy appeared happy with the decision. Tyler went off, to get things ready Daisy supposed.
”Don't worry,” she told her friends. ”The men compete with each other to make sure nothing happens to me, especially Rio and Tyler.”
”I don't trust that man,” Guy said.
”I was safe before,” Daisy said, beginning to become impatient with Guy. ”I'll be safe again.”
”But you'll be going after rustlers this time.”
”I know. My life has never been so exciting.”
”I don't understand you,” Guy said. ”You were never like this before.”
”I don't understand me myself, but then I don't know myself either.”
”Be careful, and let us know if there's anything you need,” Adora said. ”Anything. Your feelings haven't changed, have they?”
Daisy shook her head. ”Neither have his.”
”There'll always be a place for you with us if you want to come back.”
”I know. I can never thank you enough for what you've done for me.”