The Cowboy's Christmas Proposal. Judy Christenberry

      Jake had learned several things about his new employer over the last day. One thing she wasn’t a flirt, and further she didn’t complain when the going got tough. Both of those won high marks in his book.

      He’d worried about her asking for a lunch break, thinking she would complain about the hard day they faced. But it turned out he’d been wrong. She hadn’t made her eating any big production. In fact, she’d almost acted as if she were ashamed that she needed to eat. And although she clearly wasn’t used to riding such long hours, she’d never complained.

      Now she’d delivered her father’s journals, trusting them into his care. They would help him a lot in understanding the workings of the ranch. He already had a lot of questions and he didn’t think she could answer all of them.

      He took the books back inside.

      “She assign you some homework, boss?”

      “Yeah, she did. It appears her dad kept a journal about the place. I thought it could bring me up to speed quickly.”

      Several of the cowboys sat up, staring at him.

      “Journals? You mean he kept notes about everything?”

      “Yeah. I take it you didn’t know?”

      “Uh-no. You think he wrote things about us in there?”

      “I don’t know. But I’ll let you know after I read them.”

      “Oh, yeah, sure, you do that, boss.”

      Jake went into his room and closed the door. It shut out the television the cowboys seemed to enjoy after a day’s work. He wanted peace and quiet for what he was about to read. After only half an hour, he had already found the journals immensely helpful. The man hadn’t wasted ink on poetry and the information he’d written had been detailed and to the point.

      Settling back against his pillow, Jake turned back the pages and read to the day before the man died. Described there was just an ordinary day without a hint of the tragedy that was to follow. Penny’s father had written about the cattle in the top pasture and how much he was expecting to make for them at a sale. He’d also documented his concerns regarding Gerald and a number of the other cowboys that still worked on the ranch. Jake knew that some of them would love to get their hands on the books now in his possession. He put the journals in a lock box he took with him wherever he lived. After he locked the lid, he slid the box under his bed, out of view. He’d read more tomorrow night, but he wanted to guarantee their safety until then.

      He’d noticed the reaction of some of the men when he’d mentioned the existence of the journals. He hadn’t taken a liking to one or two of the men right away. He might be wrong, but he’d thought those men might deserve a little extra attention.

      There had been several comments in the book about some of them, but each time, Gerald assured the man he was wrong. Penny had been right—it seemed her father had trusted him implicitly.

      Jake decided to tell Penny that her dad had been cleverly lied to by his manager, but that his instincts had been true. Maybe that would take away some of that pain he’d seen earlier in her blue eyes. He’d noticed how beautiful she was, but she was also young, and not to mention, his boss. He didn’t intend to give in to any urges.

      Jake thought back to Dexter Williams’s wife. He hadn’t had any urges for her, even though a lot of people had thought her beautiful. But her beauty had been paid for by her husband. After the death of his first wife, Dexter had fell headlong into marriage with a woman thirty years his junior. He had never realized that he couldn’t trust her.

      As far as Jake was concerned, he hoped Dexter’s marriage worked out. Dexter obviously still believed that his wife was to be trusted and although Jake hadn’t done anything to change that belief, Mrs. Williams had certainly tried.

      Jake believed in honor, in a man or a woman. That was an attribute he looked for in everyone he met. It wasn’t often easy to see, but time would always tell.

      It was way too early to tell about Penny. Her beauty was evident, but he still couldn’t be sure about her true character. What little he’d seen of her today had impressed him though and she was definitely from a good honest family. He was already forming a good opinion of her father’s character, and he had never had the opportunity to meet the man. He looked forward to reading more tomorrow night.

      Now he turned out the light and climbed into his bed. He settled down under the covers and closed his eyes.