The Lady and the Cowboy by Catherine Winchester Page A

five dollars with me!” Ruth hissed.
    “Relax, this is a business purchase and we have an account here.”
    “I can’t let you buy something so expensive for me!”
    “I’m not buying it for you, I'm buying it for the ranch.”
    ‘ More like, to make me feel indebted to you so I’ll let you race Angel ,’ she thought but held her tongue.
    “I’ll pay you back as soon as we get home,” she said, suddenly wondering when the ranch had become home.
    “Fine.” Sam headed to the counter to wait with his mother and now she felt bad for turning him down, but she couldn’t become beholden to him. She wouldn’t! She drifted back over to them a few moments later. Mrs Grant was wrapping the gun belt and holster in brown paper, chatting to Mamma as she worked.
    The bell above the door rang and everyone turned to see who had entered. He was a short gentleman but well dressed and he had an important air about him. He smiled when he saw her.
    “My, who have we here, a new face in town?” he asked approaching her and offering her his hand to shake as he removed his hat. “I’m Tobias Middleton, and who might you be, miss?”
    She wasn’t sure if she was sorry to correct him or not. “It’s Mrs, Mrs Adams.”
    “Well, delighted to make your acquaintance, ma’am.”
    Ruth didn’t notice Sam glowering at the man over her shoulder.
    “You would be Ivor’s widow?”
    “That’s right. Did you know my husband?”
    “Oh yes ma’am, I knew him well. Unfortunately he never mentioned how beautiful you were.”
    Ruth felt a little disquieted but she couldn’t say why.
    “I understood that he didn’t tell anyone about me at all.”
    “Well truth be told, he didn’t, I was just trying to be polite. I apologise.”
    Sh e now felt a little foolish for correcting him.
    “So how are you finding life on the ranch? I have to say, it seems like a hard life for a beautiful lady such as yourself.”
    “I’m adjusting well,” she said, slightly irked that he seemed to answer his own questions, as if schooling her on how she should answer.
    “I'm sure,” his smile widened as his gaze shifted. “Still, it’s a hard life, right Sam?”
    Realising that Mr Middleton still held her hand, she extracted it and turned to Sam, finally realising that he didn’t look happy.
    “Not for those who aren’t afraid of a little hard work.”
    “I prefer to work smart rather than hard.” Mr Middleton chuckled. “Don’t you agree, Mrs Adams?”
    “I’ve never been afraid of hard work.” She sounded timid even to her own ears, wondering why she felt as if these men were fighting over her.
    “Of course not, but there’s no need to break your back, is there?” Tobias asked.
    “I suppose not,” she conceded.
    “Can we help you with something, Tobias?” Sam asked.
    “Oh no, I'm just here for some essentials. You go about your business.”
    Sam put an arm around Ruth’s shoulder and pulled her closer to him and Mamma. Ruth shrugged out of his grip, uncomfortable at being manhandled.
    “Will you be in town for long?” Mr Middleton asked.
    “We have a few more stores to visit,” Sam answered.
    “Then perhaps I could show Mrs Adams around our fine town?”
    “We can show Ruth around,” Sam insisted.
    “Oh no, really,” Ruth weakly protested.
    “No, no, I insist. You don’t want to spend your day in shops, let me show you the sights, maybe buy you a little lunch in Brannigan’s?”
    “Oh, I'm not sure-“
    “You’ll be here a while, won’t you Sam?”
    Ruth turned to look at Sam who was glowering at her. Who was he to glower at her? She hadn't done anything wrong, she was just trying not to be impolite!
    Then she realised that Sam really disliked this man an d right now, she really disliked Sam.
    “Very well, Mr Middleton, I’ll take a short walk with you , but we must stay on the main street, I don’t want to get lost.”
    Tobias beamed at her and offered her his elbow to guide her from the shop. Ruth glanced back