Texas Free (The Tylers of Texas 5)

“You know I wanted to do this on my own,” she said. “I wanted to build my own cabin.”

“With what, girl?” Jasper exploded. “Look around you. Are you going to chop down trees like the pioneers? Or spend a fortune on building supplies you don’t know how to use? Rose, if you want to live on your land, this is the best solution.”

She sighed again. “I know. But don’t you see? It’ll be Bull’s trailer, not mine. I’ll be living off his charity.”

“If that bothers you, you can figure out a way to pay him back.”

Rose handed him the empty pan, from which she’d scraped every last crumb. “All right, we’ll see how it goes. But I’m still going to need a fence. If you’re not busy, you’re welcome to help me salvage the wire and figure out where the post holes go.”

Jasper gave her a grin. “My pleasure,” he said. “Let’s get started.”

* * *

The trailer arrived late that afternoon. Just eight feet wide by nineteen feet long, it was small. But compared to the camper, it was a palace.

It was solidly built, the outside finished in shiny aluminum. The inside was a wonder of efficient design. From the double bed and built-in closet in the rear to the tiny bathroom, the compact but functional kitchen, and the cozy sitting area in the front, it was as charming as it was practical. In spite of her misgivings, Rose fell in love with it on sight.

Bull and Jasper exchanged knowing smiles as she dashed back and forth, opening the cabinets and drawers, checking out the miniature fridge and stove, trying out the bed.

“Now, Rose, the trailer isn’t livable yet,” Bull cautioned her. “The tanks and connections won’t be set up until sometime tomorrow. So you can plan to stay in the duplex tonight.”

“But why?” Rose demanded. “I slept in the camper without lights and water. Surely I can sleep here. I’ll be fine.”

Jasper threw up his hands. “Don’t look at me,” he said to Bull. “It took me most of the day to talk her into this.”

“All right, Rose,” Bull said. “But you’re to show up for supper tonight and for breakfast in the morning. I want to know you’re all right.”

He was bossing her again. Rose didn’t like it, but since he’d just done her a great kindness, maybe he thought he was entitled. She did mean to pay him back somehow. She hated being beholden to anyone, especially Bull.

While the two men were there, they helped Rose remove the camper from the pickup bed and stow it at the edge of the clearing. “It’s a piece of junk,” Bull said. “I can call somebody to pick it up.”

“Let’s wait on that,” Rose said. “It might come in handy as a storage shed, or I could even turn it into a chicken coop. Right now, I can’t afford to throw anything away.”

Bull grumbled but at least he didn’t argue. Rose could tell that it was going to be an uphill battle to keep him from taking charge.

“Now, don’t you worry about stuff like dishes and towels,” Jasper said. “Bernice has a box of things she was planning to donate to the church rummage sale. You can pick them up when you come to supper tonight.”

“And make sure you show up,” Bull said. “If you don’t, I’ll come over here and get you.”

Rose sighed as the two men drove away. Bull was already trying to take over her life. She would have to do something about that. But for now she could only be grateful for his help.

With darkness setting in, she rushed to move her few personal things to the trailer. In one of the bedroom’s built-in drawers, she found a set of sheets, washed and folded. She hummed a little tune as she put them on the bed. It would be pure heaven to sleep between clean sheets tonight.

Supper on the Rimrock was a simple meal of beef stew and fresh sourdough bread. The boys took up much of the conversation, talking about a school track meet. Beau had won in his age group and brought home a blue ribbon. Will had finished third in the older group but was gracious enough to let his little brother take the spotlight.

Rose had excused herself after the meal, thanking Bernice for the box of supplies. “You’re welcome to bring your laundry here, Rose,” Bernice had told her as she was leaving. “We can always visit while your things are in the wash.”

“Thanks for the offer. I’ll see how it goes.” Rose had noticed a Laundromat in town. Using it would mean one less obligation to the Rimrock. But she could think about that later.

Driving home over the rough road, Rose dodged the jackrabbits that seemed to make a sport of leaping through her headlights. She looked forward to spending the first night in her cozy new home, even without lights and water.

She parked next to the trailer and climbed out of the truck with the box Bernice had given her. The night air was mild, the peace and quiet broken only by the babble of the creek and the musical chirp of crickets in the undergrowth.

Rose had unlocked the trailer and set the box on the kitchen counter when a thought struck her. She hadn’t bathed since her last night in the duplex, and she’d just spent a long day digging up fence wire in the hot sun. Her skin was salty with the dried residue of her sweat. The clean sheets on the bed would be wasted if she didn’t wash.

There was no water in the trailer except in the small bottle she’d saved for drinking. But it was dark outside. A splash in the creek would refresh her and rinse off the sweat, and shouldn’t take more than a minute or two.

In the bathroom, she peeled off her dirty clothes. There were a couple of bath towels in Bernice’s box. After wrapping one around her and tucking it at the top, she tiptoed outside, raced barefoot to the creek, and waded in up to her knees. The