Thinking back to three years before, he recalled the day his father passed away. He had left him the responsibility of taking care of the Law Ranch, and accordingly, the entire family.
At twenty-five years of age, Dan knew everything he needed to know about running the business. The overwhelming sense of duty, however, was what led him to work as hard as he could, day in and day out, to prove to himself that he was worthy of his father’s trust.
A bitter smile drew itself on his lips as he approached the stables, and he shook his head. He knew that his sisters worried about his health and wellbeing, but that was why he had hired some help who would come in weekly and assist.
Clearly, that was not enough to put their troubled minds at ease.
And he did not have the time.
Spending the rest of the day working and exchanging the occasional banter with Michael and Pete—the two men who helped him with the herd and the horses—was how Dan typically spent his days.
By sundown, they were done with their work and Dan looked forward to nothing more than a warm bath and a hot meal before he could retire to his study with some tea and a good book.
Upon his return to the house, visibly sweaty and filthy, he was met with rather unusual excitement.
“Danny? Brother?” Cathy’s childish expression let him know that she was in a good mood.
“Yes, Cat?” Shaking his head, he raised his eyebrows, unamused.
“We would like to speak with you.” She grinned cheerfully and it came out exaggerated, at least to Dan.
He sighed, patience already running low. “Could it possibly wait until, maybe, I bathe?” With two fingers, he pulled the shoulder of his shirt up, pointing to a muddy stain before letting it drape back down.
Embarrassed by her own rush, Cathy blinked a few times, flashing him one of her sweetest smiles. “Of course! I’ll go help with dinner!”
While she gracefully turned around and skipped to the kitchen, Dan glanced at Josie and Mary as they quietly watched from the distance, both smiling. He sighed and made his way up the stairs.
Not looking forward to the impending conversation, Dan took his sweet time thoroughly rubbing himself with the washcloth. The only thing that prompted him to finally dry himself and get dressed was the water eventually getting cold.
At the dinner table, the three ladies and their matriarch patiently waited as Dan slowly treaded each step down the stairs. From the smiles on their faces, he could tell it was one of their many interventions. Knowing how he was going to talk his way out of it, he felt confident enough to initiate.
“The food smells great,” he sat down, “thank you all!” He then pressed his lips into a thin line. “So…” his eyes landed on Cathy’s face and fixed, “spill?”
Glancing quickly at their mother, Cathy cleared her throat. “Dan, we believe the time has come for us to step in and get you matched to a suitable eligible lady.”
“I thought we talked about this before.” Furrowing his eyebrows, he pretended like he had not seen it coming. “Did we not?” He tilted his head before taking a big bite of bread.
“We have talked about you finding a wife, yes,” Josie’s calm voice joined the conversation. “But this is a new approach—almost poetic.”
Knowing that Mary spoke the least and felt the most, Dan’s eyes darted towards hers, searching for clarification.
Mary took a deep breath, and, without changing the plain expression on her face, she sighed, “We’ve agreed on holding a shindig out in the barn.” Her steady gaze did not falter. “All ladies of eligible age and suitability are invited, along with their families, of course.” Her lips slightly curved into a faint smile. “You should not worry. There won’t be that many.”
“A party?” He turned to Kitty, who settled quietly at the head of the table where her late husband used to sit. “Mother?”
“Quite honestly, Dan,” she slowly moved her head from one side to the other, “I can’t see why it would be a bad idea. Can you?”
“How about I would much rather spend my rest day resting?”
“And you shall!” Cathy’s voice prompted him to quickly turn. “It will be tomorrow night. You will have all Sunday to rest!” Her excitement was impossible to ignore.
“All you need to do is be there and be nice to our guests!” Josie proposed matter-of-factly.
While his eyes moved between the hopeful faces, he assessed their enthusiasm. Cathy, always being the liveliest of them all, was beaming with eagerness. Josie’s expression was one of encouragement and reason, while Mary’s eyes quietly implored him to agree.
When he finally turned back to where Kitty was, she had already started eating her soup. Her face reflected nothing but sheer determination to support her daughters’ idea.
“Understood,” he sighed, “seems like I have already been outvoted.”
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A Spinster in the West Page 7
