young girl like Maria
wouldn’t be safe out in the bunkhouse, and it might be nice to have some company. But
still… She didn’t like the idea. Wade could slip right out his door and into her room
without anyone noticing. Catherine felt a dark feeling stirring in her gut. Dammit, she
was jealous! It surprised her—why should she care who Wade looked at? Sure, she
found him attractive, but she didn’t want anything from him. She needed to get rid of
this emotion right away. Teachers didn’t have time to moon over cattlemen. Even a
cattleman as handsome as Wade.
40
Catherine’s Awakening
“Come with me,” she said to Maria, making herself to keep a civil tone. “I’ll get you
settled and you can help fix supper.”
That night all but one of the ranch hands made it in to eat, the single men eyeing
Maria hungrily enough to make José bristle protectively. Wade even pulled her chair
out for her, and when she gave a pretty blush Catherine had to walk back into the
kitchen to keep from making a snide remark. It didn’t help her mood that she’d thrown
Maria right into things from the start, putting her in charge of supper by herself.
Catherine had assumed that the young woman wouldn’t be able to put together such a
large meal on short notice. Maria had done better than expected, though, making soft
corn tortillas, beans and thin-sliced steak that the men loved.
“It’s nice to have a little variety around here,” John muttered as he wiped his
mouth. “You’re a great cook, Catherine, but this is different. I like it.”
Catherine pasted a smile on her face as she picked up the dishes and carried them
into the kitchen. As they cleaned, Maria chattered happily at her, oblivious to her
hostility. Every word grated on Catherine, which really wasn’t fair because Maria
seemed to be a very nice girl. And they got the kitchen cleaned up in record time. Early
enough that Catherine had time to heat water and take a bath.
Bathing was a luxury on the ranch, and she knew some of the men went for long
periods without doing more than washing up at the pump before supper. But she
enjoyed a bath as often as possible. Wade and his father liked to keep clean too, so they
were good about hauling water in for the tub. She’d take the first bath, then the men
would follow, everyone using the same tub they set up behind a sheet she would hang
across the kitchen for privacy.
Tonight, Maria recruited José to help with the water, and by the time the crickets
started singing the bath was ready to go. Catherine banished everyone from the kitchen,
hung up the sheet and pulled off her clothing, sinking into the tub with a sigh of
pleasure.
41
Joanna Wylde
This was almost worth hearing about Maria’s cooking at dinner, she decided,
letting the hot water soak the tension out of her shoulders. The light of the lantern
flickered as she relaxed in the tub. She couldn’t afford to rest for too long—she didn’t
want the water to get cold for the men. But five minutes wouldn’t hurt anything, she
thought, sliding beneath the surface.
When she popped back up something seemed different in the room. She looked
around, but couldn’t see anything. Then she heard the thump of a booted foot against
the floor.
“I’m taking a bath,” she called out. “And I want my privacy.”
“I want lots of things,” Wade said, pushing aside the curtain and stepping into her
little enclosure. “But I have a suspicion I’m not going to get them tonight. A man can
hope, though.”
Catherine glared at him, sinking down into the tub, covering her breasts with her
hands.
“You can’t come in here while I’m bathing!”
“I just did,” Wade replied, grinning at her. He pulled up a chair and sat down,
propping a foot against the kitchen table. “And I have to say, the view is a hell of a lot
better on this side of the curtain. Although you give a pretty good peep show through
the sheet. The
wouldn’t be safe out in the bunkhouse, and it might be nice to have some company. But
still… She didn’t like the idea. Wade could slip right out his door and into her room
without anyone noticing. Catherine felt a dark feeling stirring in her gut. Dammit, she
was jealous! It surprised her—why should she care who Wade looked at? Sure, she
found him attractive, but she didn’t want anything from him. She needed to get rid of
this emotion right away. Teachers didn’t have time to moon over cattlemen. Even a
cattleman as handsome as Wade.
40
Catherine’s Awakening
“Come with me,” she said to Maria, making herself to keep a civil tone. “I’ll get you
settled and you can help fix supper.”
That night all but one of the ranch hands made it in to eat, the single men eyeing
Maria hungrily enough to make José bristle protectively. Wade even pulled her chair
out for her, and when she gave a pretty blush Catherine had to walk back into the
kitchen to keep from making a snide remark. It didn’t help her mood that she’d thrown
Maria right into things from the start, putting her in charge of supper by herself.
Catherine had assumed that the young woman wouldn’t be able to put together such a
large meal on short notice. Maria had done better than expected, though, making soft
corn tortillas, beans and thin-sliced steak that the men loved.
“It’s nice to have a little variety around here,” John muttered as he wiped his
mouth. “You’re a great cook, Catherine, but this is different. I like it.”
Catherine pasted a smile on her face as she picked up the dishes and carried them
into the kitchen. As they cleaned, Maria chattered happily at her, oblivious to her
hostility. Every word grated on Catherine, which really wasn’t fair because Maria
seemed to be a very nice girl. And they got the kitchen cleaned up in record time. Early
enough that Catherine had time to heat water and take a bath.
Bathing was a luxury on the ranch, and she knew some of the men went for long
periods without doing more than washing up at the pump before supper. But she
enjoyed a bath as often as possible. Wade and his father liked to keep clean too, so they
were good about hauling water in for the tub. She’d take the first bath, then the men
would follow, everyone using the same tub they set up behind a sheet she would hang
across the kitchen for privacy.
Tonight, Maria recruited José to help with the water, and by the time the crickets
started singing the bath was ready to go. Catherine banished everyone from the kitchen,
hung up the sheet and pulled off her clothing, sinking into the tub with a sigh of
pleasure.
41
Joanna Wylde
This was almost worth hearing about Maria’s cooking at dinner, she decided,
letting the hot water soak the tension out of her shoulders. The light of the lantern
flickered as she relaxed in the tub. She couldn’t afford to rest for too long—she didn’t
want the water to get cold for the men. But five minutes wouldn’t hurt anything, she
thought, sliding beneath the surface.
When she popped back up something seemed different in the room. She looked
around, but couldn’t see anything. Then she heard the thump of a booted foot against
the floor.
“I’m taking a bath,” she called out. “And I want my privacy.”
“I want lots of things,” Wade said, pushing aside the curtain and stepping into her
little enclosure. “But I have a suspicion I’m not going to get them tonight. A man can
hope, though.”
Catherine glared at him, sinking down into the tub, covering her breasts with her
hands.
“You can’t come in here while I’m bathing!”
“I just did,” Wade replied, grinning at her. He pulled up a chair and sat down,
propping a foot against the kitchen table. “And I have to say, the view is a hell of a lot
better on this side of the curtain. Although you give a pretty good peep show through
the sheet. The
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