Once the daughter of a prominent dentist in Philadelphia, Natalie Allen wasn’t happy with the life she was expected to lead, so she left society behind and headed west. Now, in the little town of Junction, she’s known as Nat, a cowboy working on Boss Daddy’s cattle ranch. She keeps to herself, renting a room in a local boarding house instead of staying in the bunk house, and with her dungarees and short hair, no one realizes she’s living as a man. But Boss Daddy’s pretty daughter Miss Lucille takes a notice to “Mr. Nat,” and the closer the two become, the more conflicted Nat grows. She likes Miss Lucille a lot more than she knows she should, and it’s easy to forget who she’s pretending to be around the boss’s daughter. Then Miss Lucille surprises everyone, Nat included, by announcing their engagement. Nat knows they can’t marry, and if she tells Miss Lucille why, her ruse will be up. Her only choice is to leave Junction behind, even if it means breaking Miss Lucille’s heart. But will Miss Lucille let Nat go so easily?

The Boss's Daughter

Softly, Miss Lucille asks, “Can I ask you a question?”


I nod quickly. “Yes ‘m, of course.”


Startled, I turn back to the stall. The stables can hold two dozen horses but right this minute it feels close and tight. The weight of Miss Lucille’s piercing gaze pins me in place. “What makes you ask something like that?”


“I didn’t mean anything by it.” She laughs, a playful sound like a splash of bright light in the darkness. “It’s just you go into town every night, and I know you eat at Stubs’, and I’m sure Maddy’s tried to take her share of your hard-earned money. But Boss Daddy says you’ve never laid with her.”


I shrug, uncomfortable. “I really don’t think he’d like us talking about this.”


“Is it someone else?” Miss Lucille persists. “A sweetheart back east, maybe?”


I plunge my drying rag into the bucket of soapy water at my feet and wring it out. Then, without looking at her, I shake my head. “I’m just not interested in her, okay?”


Chapter 10