The Texas Cowboy’s Courtship (Testament Creek Book 1)

  THE TEXAS COWBOY'S COURTSHIP

  Testament Creek series Book 1

  By

  MAYA STIRLING

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  © 2019 Maya Stirling

  Dear Reader,

  This is the first novel in a miniseries set in the Texas Hill Country town of Testament Creek. The series is about three Kansas City women who inherit an equal share in a ranch. Through the course of the novels all three of the women shows their unique strengths as they work together to build their new lives.

  And, of course, each of them finds love along the way.

  I hope you enjoy the series.

  MAYA

  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

  1 John 4:11

  CHAPTER ONE

  TESTAMENT CREEK, TEXAS

  JUNE 1875

  "The stagecoach is late," Cal Logan said irritably to attorney Lyle Warner who was standing next to him on the boardwalk in front of the only hotel in Testament Creek. It was midday, and the boardwalk which stretched both sides about half a mile up Main Street was busy with a few dozen of the roughly seven hundred inhabitants of the Hill Country town. Stores were open and doing brisk business. And, judging by the noise coming from inside them, so were the two saloons, one on each side of the street. Cal didn't much care about that, seeing as how he wasn't the type to spend much time in saloons.

  Lyle, a short, stocky man dressed in a dark suit, scooped a watch from out of his waistcoat, squinted at it in the bright sunshine, and frowned. "I hope there hasn't been any trouble," he replied.

  Cal nodded. "There's been some robberies this year between here and Austin."

  Lyle tapped his foot impatiently. "It would be most unfortunate if anything were to happen at this late stage in the proceedings."

  Cal smiled. Lyle couldn't help talking like a man who spent his days up to his elbows in law matters. The curiosity which had been pulling at Cal for weeks, tugged on him one more time. Cal decided to try one last time before the stagecoach arrived. Maybe Lyle would spill the beans. "You sure you can't tell me, Lyle?" Cal asked and lifted a brow, looking down at the older man. Cal gave Lyle his best smile.

  Lyle shook his head. "You know I can't break client confidentiality, Cal. You'll know soon enough."

  Cal sighed heavily. He'd been trying for the last month to find out who it was who'd inherited the Circle T ranch just outside of Testament Creek. As foreman of the spread, Cal had figured he might be entitled to know the identity of who was about to take over the running of the ranch. Not just the running, but the complete ownership. But it seemed Lyle wasn't going to budge. Cal would have to wait for the arrival of the stagecoach. Then he would know to whom Silas had left the biggest ranch for miles around. Cal hoped it would be someone who knew about ranching. If not, he was sure there would be trouble coming his way.

  Cal tugged at the collar of his cotton shirt and leaned against the hitching rail. He wasn't used to standing still for this long. He was itching to be back at the ranch. There was work to be done. The sooner this was over, the better, he told himself.

  He thought about the old man. At least that was what Cal had called Silas Rowen while he'd been alive. The truth was, Silas had been something of a father figure to Cal. Thinking about the way Silas had died still made a hard pain twist in Cal's gut. Just over a month ago, at the end of April, Silas had been riding into town when his horse had stepped in a hole, broken a leg, and fallen. Silas had ended up beneath the fallen horse. A few of Silas's ribs had broken, busting his insides, and he'd bled out before he'd been found by one of the ranch hands.

  Cal sighed. It had been a tragedy, alright. Texas was a dangerous place to live. Silas had known that. But it hadn't stopped him from coming here a year ago from Kansas City, buying up a ranch and starting a new life at the ripe old age of forty. Silas had been looking for excitement, and he'd found it. Maybe not in the way he'd imagined when he'd first gotten the idea to come to Texas and start life as a ranch owner.

  Now he was gone. And a cloud of uncertainty had been hanging over the Circle T ever since Silas had been buried at the church. He'd been laid to rest in the Texas land he'd hoped would be his home for years to come.

  Cal heard the roar of wheels and turned his head, looking north. A stagecoach came thundering down the trail.

  "There it is," Lyle exclaimed, sounding relieved.

  "Sure is in a hurry," Cal observed.

  And it was. Horseback riders and folks just crossing the street leaped out of the way to avoid being run over by the stagecoach. When it slid to a halt in front of the hotel, a huge plume of dust enveloped Cal and Lyle. The older man coughed as he stepped back. Cal wiped dust from his eyes and peered up at the two men on the stagecoach's seat. A few large trunks were tied down on the roof of the stagecoach.

  As the dust cleared, Cal took a step toward the stagecoach and tried to see inside. Whoever was in there had drawn down the dark brown blind. The taller of the two stage drivers leaped down from the seat.

  "You're late," Cal said to the burly-looking man.

  The driver shook his head. "Had some trouble on the way here. A couple of galoots got the idea there was some good pickings to be had here."

  The other man held up his Winchester rifle and laughed. "We gave them some lead to change their minds. They left with their tails between their legs."

  Cal glanced at the stagecoach window. "What did your passenger think of that?"

  "They didn't see any of it," the driver replied.

  Cal frowned. "They?"

  The man nodded. "Just as well, if you ask me. They're not used to that kind of thing. Being from Kansas City and all."

  Cal glanced at Lyle, but the attorney just gave him a blank look.

  The driver went to the stagecoach door and pulled it open. Leaning his head inside, he said: "We're here, ladies. If you'd just make your way out, we can get your belongings down." He turned and looked at Lyle. "I take it you're here to welcome them?" he asked.

  To Cal's astonishment, Lyle smiled. "We sure are. We can take it from here." Lyle looked up at Cal. "That's right, Cal, isn't it?"

  Cal frowned. For the moment he was speechless. Finally, he managed to blurt out: "What's going on, Lyle?"

  Before Lyle had a chance to reply, Cal saw a gloved hand emerge from inside the stagecoach and grasp the side of the open door. It was followed by the figure of a woman dressed in a green gown. But not just any kind of woman. Cal felt his pulse race as the woman's gaze met his. Her green eyes shimmered and she smiled. Cal swallowed.

  She was beautiful.

  The woman stepped down from the stagecoach and delicately clasped her hands at her middle. She was poised and elegant as she peered back into the stagecoach. Whoever she was, she had fine manners, Cal told himself.

  For a moment, Cal told himself that the new owner of the Circle T must still be inside the stagecoach. Then he saw another figure emerge. Another woman. She was as equally well-dressed as the first woman. She possessed pretty features and blonde hair, in contrast to the dark hair of the first woman.

  The blonde-haired woman was blue-eyed and dressed in a light blue gown and
matching bonnet. She took her place by the side of the first woman and gave Cal the briefest of smiles.

  Cal stepped down from the boardwalk and peered inside the open door of the stagecoach. As he did so, a voice rang out. "I thought we'd never get here."

  The sound of the woman's voice made Cal lean back and watch as yet another figure started to step out of the stagecoach. The woman, this time a brunette, was dressed in a red gown. She looked at Cal, extended a white-gloved hand, and made it obvious she expected Cal to help her out of the stagecoach. Cal did just that, assisting her down onto the dusty street. The brunette took a place alongside her traveling companions. Glancing inside the stagecoach, Cal realized there was no-one else in there.

  Three women? Cal frowned at Lyle, seeking an explanation. Was this why Lyle had steadfastly refused to answer any of Cal's questions?

  "Mr Warner," the first woman said brightly as she shook Lyle's hand. She had a pleasant voice, but there was a firm and decisive quality to it. "A pleasure to see you again."

  "Miss Taylor," Lyle said to the first woman.

  She smiled and shook her head. "No more formalities, Mr Warner. First names only please, from now on. Call me Prudence."

  Lyle nodded. "I shall do just that."

  Prudence peered quizzically at Cal. "And you must be Mr Logan. The foreman of the Circle T. Mr Warner here has told us about you."

  Cal restrained the urge to demand an explanation from Lyle. Instead, he forced himself to smile and lifted his Stetson from his head. "That's me, ma'am," Cal said.

  Cal glanced from Prudence to the other two women. All three women were in their early twenties, he guessed. And all were beauties. Each of them was staring at Cal. Maybe he was the first cowboy they'd ever seen. That thought made Cal feel uneasy. He shifted on his heels and stared at Lyle.

  Now was the time for some introductions, Cal told himself. And explanations.

  There was the sound of luggage being removed from the roof of the stagecoach. The stage drivers were lifting what looked like heavy trunks down from the roof.

  Lyle smiled awkwardly at the women and gestured toward the boardwalk. They followed Lyle up onto the boardwalk. As Cal helped the men lift the trunks down from the stagecoach he heard Lyle explain to the women: "Ladies. We will transfer your luggage to our carriage. It is only a short ride to the ranch. I'm sure you all must be tired after your long journey."

  Cal felt like he must be dreaming. As he took hold of one end of a trunk and started walking with the other man toward the nearby buckboard, he saw Prudence watching him carefully. Cal and the drivers worked for a few minutes loading the trunks onto the rear of the buckboard. Finally, wiping his hands, Cal stood waiting by the side of the buckboard. He couldn't hear what Lyle was saying to the three women. But, whatever it was, it was making the women nod their heads in unison.

  They came over to the buckboard. He saw the blonde's eyes widen as she looked at the buckboard. Cal figured she looked unpleasantly surprised. Maybe she was used to finer carriages, he told himself.

  Curiosity was burning Cal up, now. Lyle and the women paused before getting up onto the wide seat. It was going to be a crush, and no mistake, Cal told himself. Lyle had his own horse which was tied up to the rail alongside the buckboard. He'd be riding behind as they headed to the Circle T. That would leave Cal with the three woman. He predicted some awkward moments during the coming ride to the ranch.

  Cal smiled at the three women. "Since we're on first name terms, you can all call me Cal."

  All three women raised their eyebrows.

  Lyle stepped forward. "This is Prudence Taylor," he said gesturing toward the first woman who'd emerged from the stagecoach. "This is Miss Grace Murray," he said nodding toward the blonde beauty. "And this is Miss Hope Paterson."

  Cal shook their gloved hands, one by one. As he did so, he was sure he saw each of their faces flush a slight shade of pink. Maybe they weren't used to the Texas heat, he told himself. Or maybe it was the sight of a Texan cowboy which was making them blush.

  Shaking the hand of Miss Prudence Taylor, Cal was taken aback when she leaned closer to him and spoke softly. "You seem surprised, Mr Logan."

  "Me, ma'am?" Cal shook his head. "Just admiring all this fine beauty on display. That's all." He'd figured it was a humorous remark to make. Cal liked keeping things friendly. Especially when he met someone new. But, he realized he'd made a mistake when he saw the reaction to his playful comment. Maybe it was because her was still trying to make sense of what was happening. Were these really the new owners of the Circle T?

  He saw Prudence's mouth drop open slightly.

  Lyle cleared his throat. "Cal. Just so you know. These three fine ladies are now the owners of the Circle T ranch."

  Prudence lifted a brow. "I guess that means we're your boss, Mr Logan."

  Cal dragged in a deep breath and schooled his features. He forced a smile. "That's mighty good news, ma'am." Then he looked at all three women who were about to take possession of the ranch. Three outsiders who probably didn't know a single thing about ranching, let alone what it took to live the Texas life. Cal didn't know what to make of it. But there was one thing he did know for sure.

  His world had just been turned upside down.

  CHAPTER TWO

  "How many head of cattle are there on the ranch, Mr Logan?" Prudence asked as the rancher guided the buckboard northward on the trail. The trail cut across a wondrous landscape of rolling hills, the colors a mixture of bright greens and dusty browns, distant forests and the occasional rocky outcrop. For the last half hour Prudence had gazed upon the landscape with amazement. This wasn't Kansas City, she told herself. Glancing at Hope and Grace, she saw her two companions were also impressed. Lyle, the lawyer, had ridden ahead and would meet them at the ranch. It seemed there were some papers all three women had to sign.

  The foreman of the Circle T straightened abruptly and cast a curious glance at Prudence. He seemed momentarily lost for words, as if she hadn't the right to ask a question like that.

  She saw him force a smile, just like he'd done back at the town when Lyle had told him that she, Grace and Hope were now the co-owners of the ranch. He'd looked shocked then. Now, he just looked perplexed.

  "My name is Cal, ma'am," he insisted, clearly avoiding her question.

  "Is it a large spread?" she repeated. Before heading out to Texas, Prudence had done some reading about ranches. She was no expert. Not yet, anyway. That would come in time. But she knew enough to ask questions.

  "About a thousand head at the moment," Cal revealed. "More on the way."

  Prudence nodded thoughtfully and said nothing in reply. She glanced at Hope and Grace who were sitting alongside her on the buckboard seat. Prudence had only met them for the first time a few weeks ago when Lyle had come to read them the contents of Silas Rowen's will. It would be an understatement to say that all three women had been shocked to learn that Silas had left an equal share of his ranch to each of the three women. The only thing which united Hope, Grace and Prudence was their professional connections with Silas before he'd come out to Texas just over a year ago to start a new life as a ranch owner.

  Cal interrupted her recollections. "Does a thousand head sound like a lot to you, Prudence?" There was a mischievous quality in his voice. She thought he might be testing her knowledge.

  "A thousand does seem like a large herd," she answered tentatively. "I'm sure it takes a lot of work to manage a herd of that size. But that's what we're looking forward to learning about. Now that we're here."

  Cal nodded slowly and glanced at Hope and Grace. "Uh huh. What about you ladies? How do feel about taking ownership of the ranch? Are you looking forward to becoming ranchers?"

  Prudence saw Hope and Grace glance at each other. She knew that both women had some reservations about the great adventure upon which all three of them had embarked. She'd heard Hope and Grace express some concerns during the rail journey to Austin and also while they'd endured the roug
h and tumble trip on the stagecoach.

  Hope smiled at Cal. "I think we all feel a great debt of gratitude to Mr Rowen for leaving this place to us. It really is a great privilege." Hope smiled at Prudence. "I think we're still a little in shock, to be honest."

  Cal nodded. "Silas was a good man. A hard-working man. A man of fine character." Cal scoffed. "And, around these parts, that's not something you find too often."

  Grace was sitting pressed up against Prudence. She felt Grace stiffen. "Are you saying there's problems with law and order around these parts?"

  Cal's mouth turned down. "No, ma'am. Any trouble there is comes with the territory. This is a place where folks come to try and get what they want. Sometimes that attracts good people, like Silas. It also attracts the bad."

  Grace frowned. "I'm used to dealing with legal matters, Cal."

  "You are?" he asked, lifting a brow.

  Grace nodded. "I worked in an attorney's office. That's how I met Mr Rowen. He came into the firm where I worked seeking legal advice on buying the ranch. We met and he seemed to take a shine to me." Grace blushed slightly. "I think he found our advice useful."

  "Is that so?" Cal replied. He glanced at Prudence. "And you, Prudence. How did you meet Silas?"

  "I was his instructor for a while. He wanted to learn Spanish. And he employed my services as a tutor."

  That seemed to surprise Cal. "Spanish, huh? Well that sure did come in handy in these parts. Silas was fluent. You did a fine job, Prudence."

  Prudence felt herself blush at the unexpected compliment. "He was a very good student. A quick learner."

  She thought back to the many months she'd spent tutoring Silas. The man had applied himself with fierce rigor to the learning of the Spanish language. Silas had told her he had big plans and that they involved acquiring land and property near the border with Mexico. Silas had planned to make trips into Mexico. Apart from that practical concern, Silas had been an enthusiastic learner because he saw it as part of his new life. Silas had been the kind of man who always wanted to broaden his horizons. And he'd had the money to do so. The question of where that money had some from had never been brought up in any of her conversations with Silas.