CHAPTER 6

	Joey flipped through the photo album, slowly studying the faces staring back at
her.  She had started out on her own, in her room, but many of the pictures weren’t
labelled and she was sure there were stories to go with each one.  Armed with a pencil
and paper, she had carted the whole pile of albums down to the staff kitchen in search of
Mable.
	“That there is young Mr. Blake.” Mable said, pointing to a dark haired boy staring
out at the camera.  “And this is my Clayton, and Clara.”  There were several pictures of
the same three children together, and many of Clayton and Blake looking like the
dynamic duo.  Obviously the two boys had been best of friends, and Joey could see why
Blake would have been asked to stand up with Clayton at his wedding.
	She flipped a page, and spotted a picture of the three children once again, this
time all lined up side by side on horses, all bedecked in cowboy hats and toy gun
holsters.  They looked to be about eight to twelve years old.
	“The boys didn’t mind Clara playing with them?” she asked, and Mable laughed.
	“They would have had the dickens of a time getting rid of her if they had.  They
never paid no mind to her bein’ a girl, she just was Annie Oakly is all.”
	“And who were Clayton and Blake?”
	“Oh, any number of cowboy heroes, or outlaws.  They were never at a loss for
games to play.”  Mable turned the page this time. “Oh, there’s William.  Mr. Blake adored
him.  He taught him all about horses, right from how to break a wild stallion to how to
cure a sick one.”
	Joey looked at the wrinkled face framed with long grey hair.  A young Blake was
sitting on the old man’s lap and their faces were close together.
	“It’s amazing,” Joey said, as she studied the old man. “I swear they look alike in
some ways. It’s the eyes.”
	Mable looked a little closer. “Well, like I said, Cordelia Winters once told me there
was Indian blood way back on Mr. Winters’ side of the family. Must be something to
that.”
	Joey stared at the two faces. The old man was looking down at the boy with a
kindly smile.  Joey remembered the look on Blake’s face when he had shown her
William’s tombstone. It was obvious the old Indian had meant a lot to him.  There were
many people who crossed a person’s path over a lifetime, and some that made a
difference in how one turned out in the end. Joey had a feeling that for Blake, William
was one of those people.
	“Look here, this is Harvey.  He was a handsome man now wasn’t he.”  Mable
was saying, and Joey had to agree.  Harvey was quite dashing as a young man.  Joey
looked at the next picture and turned a knowing grin toward Mable.
	“And this?” she pointed to a woman and Mable laughed.
	“Yes, that’s me,” she nodded.  They turned another page and Mable clicked her
tongue and pointed to a picture of a blonde woman in a fine looking dress. “Now that’s
Cordelia Winters,” she said, handing the book to Joey for a closer look.  “And Mr.
Winters beside her.”
	The picture had obviously been taken at some fancy dress function.  Samuel and
Cordelia Winters were standing side by side, with Blake in front of them.  Cordelia looked
like a picture out of a fashion magazine, hair and dress just perfect.  Samuel smiled
beside her, although his expression was more like someone who wasn’t really where he
wanted to be  Then there was Blake.  He looked about twelve years old and the look in
his eyes was so mischievous it made Joey laugh. 
	“Look at that face! I swear, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Clayton was just
off the edge of that picture and Blake was just waiting for the flash to go off before
high-tailing it out of there to get into trouble somewhere.”
	Mable smiled. “I doubt that Clayton was anywhere around when that picture was
taken.  This would have been at some fancy dinner party for Cordelia’s father I imagine. 
They went down there a few times.  Mr. Winters didn’t like going but he went to keep
Mrs. Winters happy.  Blake, well, he went along with them ‘til he was ‘bout fourteen. 
Don’t think he’s been to a Layton event since, come to think of it.”  Mable stared at the
picture thoughtfully, then a grin crept slowly onto her face.  “But no doubt you’re probably
right about him counting the seconds before he could be free.”
	Joey peered at the picture, trying to imagine Blake with his parents. He had the
same jawline as his father, and the same nose, but Samuel Winters wasn’t as dark as
his son.  It was easy to tell they were father and son, though.  Cordelia, on the other
hand, bore no resemblance to her son whatsoever, although Joey was pretty certain her
hair colour wasn’t natural.	
	Mable broke into her thoughts once again.  She had found an album with
pictures of Clayton and Suzannah’s wedding and was bubbling with pride to show them
off. The bride and groom looked lovely, but it was the best man that Joey couldn’t take
her eyes off.  He was exactly what she would have considered a heart throb back in her
high school and college days.  Tall, dark and handsome, and athletic looking, although
Joey knew his muscular physique would have been from his work on the ranch.
	“He must have turned the girls’ heads in his University days.” Joey observed.
	“Mr. Blake?” Mable asked. “Aye, I reckon he must have.  I always thought he was
such a handsome young man back then.  Not that he isn’t still, of course.  Now he’s a
handsome grown man though.”
	Mable was flipping pages of the album and suddenly began to coo. “Oh look,
there’s Mr. Blake and Ethan!” She pushed the book closer so Joey could see the picture
of Blake holding a baby Ethan, looking as proud as if he were the father himself.  Joey’s
heart lurched.
	Why the sight of Blake Winters holding a baby should make her heat skip a beat,
she had no idea, but there followed several pictures of Blake and Ethan over various
stages of the boys life, and every one of them evoked the same response from her.  
	“I bet he would have been a great father,” she thought out loud.
	“Aye,” Mable said thoughtfully.  “I’m sure he would have. He’s godfather to our
Ethan, really loves that boy. Then there’s all them children that charity of his helps out. 
He missed out not having younguns of his own, for sure.  But then, it’s not too late yet.
Mr. Winters wasn’t a young man when Mr. Blake was born. There is still time.  All he has
to do is find hi’self a woman what wants to spend her days on the Silver Star.”
	Joey frowned. Her first thought had been that it would be a daunting task,
followed quickly by ‘why? I’d love to spend my days on this ranch.’  She quickly chased
that thought from her mind.  They were talking about the prospects of Blake Winters
finding a wife, and she definitely was not in the running.  They didn’t even like each
other!

	On the fourth day Ethan rode out across the grazing land to see f there was any
sign of he crew.  There was none.  Mable explained that they should have reached the
high country by the day before.  If they camped there that night it would take them a full
day and then some to reach home, even without the herd to slow them down on the
return trip.  By nightfall there was no sign of them, and Ethan said he would go out the
next morning to scout for them again.  When that day came, Joey found herself just as
anxious as Mable was.
	“I just want to get going with this book.” she told herself. “I need to feel like I’m
making some progress.” Then she frowned.  “And sure, the ranch feels empty without all
the men around.”
	She was sitting on the veranda when Ethan came riding over the grassland like
the wind.
	“Mable!” Joey called.  “Ethan’s back!”
	The older woman stepped outside and watched her grandson ride into the
courtyard.  “That ain’t the ride of a disappointed boy.” Mable commented.
	Ethan slowed his horse and pulled up to the front steps. “They’re coming across
from the east, probably about an hour out,” he announced. “I’m going back to ride in with
them”
	Joey itched to say wait, she would saddle up Candita and go too, but then
instantly felt silly for thinking it. Blake Winters didn’t even want her on his ranch, he
certainly wouldn’t want her out in the field with the cattle crew.
	“I’ll start cooking,” Mable called out as Ethan turned with a wave.  He called to his
mother as he rode past his own house, then headed back in the direction he had come.
Mable turned a bright smile toward the young woman at her side.  “Them men will be
glad of a good home cooked meal when they get back.”
	Joey turned a shocked expression toward the older woman.  Was there so much
she still didn’t know about this place even after almost two weeks there?  “Do you cook
for all the men on the ranch too?”
	Mable laughed. “Today I will.” Then she shook her head.  “Have you seen ol’ Burt
Clemens hobblin around here with a cast on?”
	Joey nodded. “I saw him, but I didn’t know who he was.”
	“Aye, well that be the bunk house cook.  He broke his leg a month ago. Been
able to cook for the crew jus’ fine, but ain’t no way he could go on round up with them.
That’s why Ol’ Jock came over to help out.  Burt went in to Draper with Harvey and Tilly
the other night.  He’s got a daughter there and he was gonna rest up a spell and see the
doctor while he was at it.  Harvey’ll go and fetch him tomorrow likely.  “’Til then, I’ll cook
up a good home cooked meal for them men tonight.”
	“Can I help?” The words were out without even thinking about them. She couldn’t
sit around doing nothing, just watching the horizon for the next hour, she had to make
herself useful.  Mable opened her mouth as if she were going to refuse, but the look on
Joey’s face stopped her, and she smiled.
	“Alright, child, you can give a hand.  Mind, I’m not used to havin’ no helpin’ in my
kitchen while I work, but we’ll manage.  Come along.” She stepped down off the veranda
and Joey followed eagerly.  If there was one thing Mable was never short of, it was
conversation.  She started talking again almost as soon as they were in motion, and
Joey smiled.  It seemed quite likely that she was being allowed to help because Mable
enjoyed having someone to talk to for a change.
	“The kitchen in the bunk house is stocked for cooking for a gang of men,” the
cook said, as they neared the building.  “There’s room for ten men in the bunk house. 
Right now Mr. Blake has a staff of six living here, because Ethan lives with his folks and
Harvey and I live up at the main house.”  They entered the long building and Joey was
surprised to find herself in a large sitting area.  Somehow she had pictured a bunk house
as an open building with a row of beds.  Of course, they very well might be, she
reminded herself, but since when had she found anything on the Silver Star that was
done like any other place on earth?
	“The bunks are in there,” Mable said as they passed an open door, and Joey
could see that it was indeed a large room with a row of beds along each wall.  Each bed
had a trunk at the foot and a bedside table beside it, and it appeared as if each man
could get his privacy by drawing curtains around his bed.  There was no time to linger,
however, for Mable was disappearing through another door which Joey discovered led
into the eating area.  A long table with rows of chairs on each side dominated the room. 
It wasn’t fancy, but it was functional.  Across the room, there was a long counter, and on
the other side, a kitchen area obviously equipped to cook for a large number of people. 
Mable was already pulling out pots and pans and getting ready to cook.
	“Potatoes are here,” she said, showing Joey where the large bin of potatoes
could be found. “We’ll need enough o fill this here pot.”  While she talked, she pulled out
a long shallow pan and began to lay out  frozen steaks.  :The men will have had their fill
of stew out there on the range.  A good grilled steak will make ‘em feel at home.  Now,
my Clayton might go home to eat with Suzannah, but mark my word, Mr. Blake will eat
here with the men.:  She punctuated her statement with a curt nod, and Joey looked at
her in surprise.
	“Really? I would have thought he’d have gone up to the house.”
	Mable shook her head. “He’ll stay here,” she repeated. “The men are like family
‘round here, and there ain’t nobody up at that house to go see.”  She left the steaks and
pulled out a large bundle of carrots, then pointed to a big window that overlooked the
ranch.  They’ll be comin’ from that way.  If you see ‘em first, give a yell.  I’ll put the steaks
on as soon as we see ‘em comin’.”	And with that, the two women set to work.  By the
time Joey saw the first rider rounding the bend toward the stables, everything was ready
but the steaks.
	‘They’re here!” she called to the cook, who was digging for something in the
pantry.  The large indoor grill was already hot and waiting, and as Mable set the steaks
on Joey watched as each rider dismounted, unstrapped their saddle, and set it on the
top rail of the fence, letting the horses free inside the corral.  A few of them took off their
hats and wiped their brows with their sleeves.  They all looked weary, and dusty, but
every one of them had a smile on his face.
	And none bigger than Ethan’s, she noticed, as the boy rode up between his
father and Blake.  He was clearly happy to see them home, and couldn’t stop talking. 
Blake was giving the boy his full attention, with a big grin on his face, and Joey couldn’t
help but smile at the exchange.
	Mable threw open the window and started clanging a metal stick around a
triangle  hanging just outside, and Joey’s attention was drawn away from the action
outside to the traditional mess call. At least some things were the way she had expected
them to be, she thought, although she felt somewhat sheepish that all of her
impressions of what ranch life should be had been based on movies up until this trip to
Montana.
	Almost as soon as the bell sounded, the voices of hungry men could be heard
piling into t he bunkhouse.
	“Wash your hands before you sit down!” Mable called out, and Joey could hear
the men talking in the other room.
	“Mable’s in charge!” one of the men said, in a voice he knew would be
overheard.
	“And don’t you forget it, Tom Drummond!” Mable called, just as the man entered
the mess hall.
	“Smells good, Mable,” Tom said, grinning from eat to ear, and Joey could tell he
was trying to soften her up. “Better ‘n what Ol’ Jock’s been feedin’ us out on the range.”
	“Hogwash!” Mable insisted.  “Jock Hammond is one damn good cook for an old
ornery ranch hand.”
	Joey’s eyes widened at Mable’s description of the old man, then she spotted the
playful look on the cook’s face and turned toward the door.  Jock was standing there
with a wide grin on his face.
	“What you sayin’ ‘bout ma cookin’, y’ol goat?” he said.
	Mable straightened.  “You better talk to young Tom there, he’s the one done bad
mouthed your cookin’.”
	Now Tom was caught in the middle, holding up his hands in defence, between
the two older people who were obviously enjoying themselves.
	“Was ‘e now?” Jock turned an eye toward Tom.
	“Think I’ll go wash my hands now.” Tom said, as he beat a fast retreat to the
sound of Jock and Mable’s laughter.  As he left, some of the other men were starting to
move into the mess hall and there was soon so much conversation that Joey couldn’t
keep track of it all.  Maria even came in with Martin and her brother Tom, who had
washed his hands and returned.  Joey smiled.  If she hadn’t already been told Martin
was sweet on Maria, she would certainly have been able to tell on her own.  He looked
at her with the eyes of a man smitten, and Maria smiled up at him the same way.
	Behind them, Ethan, Harvey and Blake brought up the rear, and Joey scolded
herself for holding her breath at the sound of Blake’s voice.
	“Ah, now Ethan said his Gramma was cookin’ and everyone picked up the pace
5to get here faster.” Blake said, and the room full of men all chorused their agreement to
their boss’s statement.
	“Nonsense.” Mable said as her husband made the distance across the mess hall
into the kitchen to give her a big hug and kiss.  She smiled up at him, welcomed him
home, then handed him two large bowls of potatoes for him to take out to the table.
	“Nobody comes in here without gettin’ themselves a job,” she announced
playfully, then winked at Joey.  “Our Miss Joey found that out.”
	And that was when Blake noticed her.
	He stood at the far end of the table with one hand on a chair and the other hand
on his hat, and for a few seconds he was motionless as his eyes held hers.
	Damn the woman, Blake thought to himself. Wasn’t it enough that she had
occupied his thoughts the whole time he had been out on the round-up, without her
being here too?  The bunkhouse mess hall was supposed to be safe.  The last thing
he’d expected to see there was Joey Webber’s smiling face greeting him from the bunk
house kitchen! Cordelia would never have been caught dead in the bunk house.  Until
Joey showed up he had thought he’d known exactly how things were. City women didn’t
like things country women did.  he frowned to himself.  Maybe Harvey was right after all. 
Maybe he’d been wrong in thinkin all city folk were created equal.  Just because
Cordelia, and Clark Nielson, found the ranch distasteful, maybe it didn’t have to mean
Joey would too?
	As he stood there, Maria made her way into the kitchen and Joey’s attention was
drawn back to the work at hand.  The moment was passed, and he pulled out his chair
and set his Stetson on an empty one beside, stretching his long legs out under the table
as he sat down.  But he couldn’t’; stop watching her as she and Maria bean bringing the
food out to the table.
	“Wake up, boy.” Harvey’s voice broke through, and he realized the man was
handing him a bowl of potatoes, and looking at him with a teasing grin.  Blake scowled at
him and took the bowl, dishing himself out a generous helping, then passing it on.
	“You’re gonna have to spend some time with her sooner or later.” Harvey said,
glancing toward the kitchen to where Joey was already washing up pots and pans and
looking like she didn’t mind the job one bit.  “After all, she’s got a book to write.  Ya never
know what you’ll find if you just get to know her a little more.”
	Harvey winked and Blake’s scowl deepened. “Just pass the carrots, Old Man.” 
Blake grumbled, but his gaze followed Harvey’s into the kitchen.  “Besides, she’s the
one who has to get to know me a little better, and I’ll be damned if I like that idea!”
	Harvey shrugged and handed his boss the bowl he had asked for. “Maybe so,
but what choice you got, other than callin’ up Clark Nielson and callin’ the whole deal off
and sendin’ Miss Joey home?”
	Harvey reached for his steak and pretended to pay no  more attention to his
boss, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Blake’s scowl deepen even more, and his
eyes not moving from the kitchen.  The older man grinned to himself and took a bite of
his meat.
	“Mmm Mmm, now this is good steak.  I always knew I was married to the best
cook on the ranch,” he said, deciding it was time to bring Blake Winters back down to
earth.
	“Well, I hope it’s Mable you’re talking about,   Blake drawled, “’cause I’d hate to
think of you married to Burt!”
	Harvey’s laughter rang through the mess hall and spread to the other men, and
Blake straightened in his chair and finally began to eat.  He would have to decide what to
do about Joey Webber later. For now, he hadn’t realized how hungry he was until that
first bite of Mable’s delicious food.
	When the men had had their fill, the women made themselves plates of the
left-overs.  Mable took her plate to sit beside Harvey, and Maria moved in next to Martin,
who immediately draped an arm across the back of her chair and picked a carrot off her
plate.
	“You had yours, Martin Stanley!” Maria scolded, hut he just grinned and popped
the vegetable into his mouth.  Joey picked up her plate and looked out over the table
with a frown.  There was only one empty chair, and that was the one Blake had set his
hat on.  Just as well, she thought.  She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be sitting that close
to the man anyway.
	But Harvey wasn’t going to give her a choice. “Come ‘n join us, Miss Joey,” he
called, waving at her to come out of the kitchen. “Blake, man, where’s your manners? 
Give the girl a chair.”  Blake moved his hat and Joey reluctantly slid into the seat beside
him.
	“So, everything went well?” she asked, hoping to draw the men into talk about
their cattle drive to avoid having to actually take part in any conversation herself.  Her
ploy worked, for several of the men began to tell tales of their trip and joked with each
other over various things that had happened.  Joey smiled at them, enjoying their
animated story telling as much as she was enjoying Mable’s cooking.
	“It must be wonderful, sleeping out under the stars,” she said, then blushed as
she looked around the table, realizing she had spoken out loud.  The men were all
looking at her, which was exactly what she had wanted to avoid.  Silently she cursed
herself.
	“Nobody should come to the country and not experience it,” Harvey was saying,
coming to her rescue.  “Now, I’m an old codger, spent my share o’ nights out on the
range, but still, it’s kinda peaceful like out there at night. You need to try it.”  He shot
Blake a glance.  “Ain’t that a fact, Boss?”
	“Right.” Blake agreed, because everyone was waiting for him to answer.  What
was Harvey trying to do, he thought, get him suckered into taking the woman camping
for God sake?  He glanced from one to the other.  Harvey was grinning mischievously
and Joey was intent on her plate.
	“Maybe you should find some time to take our guest on a camp out while she’s
here?” Blake suggested, eyeing Harvey and daring him to respond.
	Harvey countered with “Aye, somebody should do that.”
	A chorus of “I will, I will!” circled the table, and Blake frowned at Harvey.  Much as
he trusted any man on his staff with anything on the ranch, including his own life, he
wouldn’t trust any one of them for two seconds out in the wilderness with a single
woman as attractive as Joey Webber.  Any of them, except for Harvey and Ol’ Jock
maybe, but neither one of them had joined in the chorus offering to take her.
	“Maybe Maria should take her.” Blake said, and the men all laughed, knowing
exactly what he meant.  With that, he turned the conversation toward the work they were
going to have to do, and immediately the men followed suit, and soon they were talking
shop again.  Joey finished her food and stood up and began to collect the empty plates,
escaping to the kitchen, glad to have something to take her away from Blake Winters for
a while.