by Danni Roan
***
“Prim, would you mind running to the mercantile again?” Olive asked a few days later as she checked supplies in the kitchen. “We need more flour and cornmeal. I’d send Orville but he’s working extra hours to get the lumber ready for Dan and Anderson.” The older woman shook her head happy that the work was going well but worried that Dan Gaines hadn’t taken any interest in Prim. She had been so sure that he would lay eyes on the young woman and be smitten.
“I’d be happy to go,” Prim replied. “I’ll ask Mr. Scripts to post my letter the next time he goes for supplies as well.”
Olive smiled at the lovely young woman who had come to Needful on her urging. Perhaps she hadn’t done the right thing in bringing the girl there as a mail-order bride, but so far things had worked out, at least to some extent. Next time she would have to take another tack, but she was sure that Dan needed a wife, and it was only a matter of time before she could fix it all up. After all as the Mayor of Needful, the young man should be properly married and cared for.
“You go get your letter ready,” Olive said, “and I’ll write out the list. If you need help, I’m sure William will carry anything too heavy back for you.”
Prim hurried up to her little room gathering the letter she had been working on for her mother and sister and wrapping a tattered shawl around her. Scanning the document she tried to think of anything else she wanted to include. She had explained her own situation and how there was work in Needful if Peri wanted to join her at the Hampton House. The Hamptons had already told her that she was welcome to bring her family there, and with Peri helping at the eatery and living space, they would consider work payment for both room and board for all three of them.
Smiling Prim added on last post script to the letter.
“Dearest Peri, you would love it here. There are dozens of cowboys, miners, and farmers looking for a wife. Perhaps your perfect fancy man is right here in Texas.
Love Primrose,
Folding the letter neatly Prim placed it in the envelope and sealed it shut with wax from her candle thinking of Mr. Bowlings as she did so.
She hadn’t mentioned the man to her sister, though he seemed the type Peri would like. He was handsome, well spoken, and building his own personal empire. For a moment Prim thought of the handsome man, his green eyes and ebony hair coming to mind.
Prim didn’t ever remember thinking of a man as handsome before and tried to convince herself that she only felt a kind of affection for him because of how he had helped her on her first day in Needful. However, deep inside she was starting to suspect it was something more. Why else had she hesitated to write to Peri about him?
Mr. Gaines was a nice enough looking man, though he didn’t capture her interest in the same way Mr. Bowlings did, and suddenly Prim was even happier that it had been Mrs. Hampton and not Mr. Gaines who had sent for her. She couldn’t fault the older woman for her actions as it was obvious that Needful was, well, needful, now she only had to discover her place in the town.
Chapter 15
The crisp air of autumn seeped over Needful bringing blessed relief from the heat of summer and the grass lands turned from green to gold.
The big day was right around the corner and Orville Hampton was having a wonderful time pitting Dan Gaines against Anderson Bowlings.
Orville had decided to keep the moment he would have the two men draw cards for the lumber a secret and had built a good deal of excitement and energy for the big day, ensuring that the whole town was invested in the building. A good old-fashioned barn raising, or house raising for that matter would go far in developing strong ties among the community.
Whichever rancher won the draw would start their building like a huge barn raising with the whole town pitching in to get the structure up in record time. With the enthusiasm among the wranglers both structures would be well under way before cold weather set in.
“I’m sending a rider out today,” Orville said to Olive that morning as Prim and Rosa hustled around the Hampton House serving breakfast. “Then come Friday, I’m givin’ all my men the day off, and we’ll bring everyone over to the ranch that wins and start building.”
Olive shook her head. “I have to say Orville; you got this whole town invested in this little competition. Two men that seem to have to compete for everything are pulling things together. I hope it won’t be a problem later though.”
“It ain’t a problem,” Orville said. “Everything’s done in fun and it has the ranch hands and town’s folk interested in making something happen.”
Olive nodded, casting her eyes toward Prim. “Well maybe if Dan wins, he’ll be more ready to consider marrying and starting a family of his own,” she said in a low whisper.
Orville nodded, his dark eyes hiding his own thoughts. “I guess we’ll just have to see,” he finally said. “Now’s the time for building though. The weather’s good, we’ve got the mill running straight, and folks are starting to see Needful as more than a little place to pick up a few items now and again.”
“Did Dan really write to the stage company about having the stage stop here?” Olive asked pouring them both a cup of coffee. “It’ll be a good thing if it happens.” She had been pleased when Spencer and Daliah had told her of the idea over dinner the night before.
“Yes, he wrote last week, but it’ll be awhile before we hear anything. If it comes, we might even start a post office and get mail regular like.”
Olive nodded happy about the possibilities. “Needful is growing,” she said with a contented sigh. “Now some folks would just come to understand what’s good for them, we can get on with everything else we need.”
Orville shook his head knowing his wife was not going to let go of her notion that Needful needed more women and specifically wives for the men who had settled in the area.
“We’ll have to see,” he commented. “You can’t force these things Olive.”
“We’ll see,” Olive said hearing Dan and Anderson entering the dining hall arguing loudly.
Orville grabbed his old deck of cards and headed to the larger room, a bright smile on his face. “About time you two got here,” he said flicking through the cards. “It’s time to find out who gets to start their building first.”
“I’m ready to start today,” Dan spoke up as all eyes in the place turned to where the three men stood in the middle of the room.
“I am also ready,” Andersons said. “I’ll be starting with the house and going on from there. My men have almost finished the log bunk house as it is.”
“It don’t matter to me which one is the most ready,” Orville said. “This is all up to chance. You’ll each draw a card and the one with the highest pick gets their lumber first. The loser will also provide workers to come out and start work on Friday. Those of us here in town will help as much as we can, and Olive and the other woman will cook.”
Anderson looked at Dan who shot him a hard look before they both turned back to Orville and nodded.
Orville held out the deck of cards then split it into two stacks holding out one half in each hand and letting the rivals draw.
Prim stood in the kitchen door watching and not even breathing. In her heart she wanted Anderson to win, but had no rational reason why. He had been kind to her, and she wanted him to get his home.
“Ten of hearts!” Dan announced loudly showing the card to everyone in the hall with a wide grin.
Anderson drew his card flipping it over and peering at it cautiously. “King of Spades,” he drawled Dan a bright smile spreading across his face as men began to cheer.
In the doorway Prim let her breath out with a whoosh. There would be a big building party on Anderson’s property that weekend, and she couldn’t help but smile as the handsome rancher looked her way.
On Friday she would be cooking up every dish she could think of and taking it along to see what kind of home an Englishman would put up on the rolling Texas prairie. Needful Texas was going to be something someday, an
d this was only one-step in a long journey.
“Congratulations,” Prim said to Anderson walking toward the huddled group. “I’m very pleased that you’ll be getting your new home.”
Anderson smiled his heart pounding as he looked into Prim’s face. He was one step closer to having everything he wanted, but he couldn’t pull his eyes away from her slim form.
Chapter 16
Prim didn’t remember ever going to a barn raising or any other kind of building party. Around her in Needful a variety of building activity always seemed to be going on but this was different. Today Mr. Bowlings’ new home would go up all at once.
“You load those baskets into the wagon for me Prim,” Mrs. Hampton called hurrying around the kitchen and checking that she had everything she wanted. “Anderson said he was having his cook roast a calf on a spit, so he’s providing the meat, but we’ll need to make sure there’s plenty of everything else.”
Prim smiled hefting two large baskets and heading for the buckboard outside. Olive had been cooking for two days straight, and her offerings alone would probably feed an army. When you added what other families were bringing, there would be no lack of food at the shindig.
“Miss Perkins,” a cowboy in dusty pants and scuffed boots tipped his hat. “Can I help you with those?”
Prim looked up at the man sure she had seen him eating at the Hampton House at least once, but she couldn’t place him.
“Thank you,” she replied handing the baskets off to the man.
“Would you mind saving me a dance?” the wrangler asked as he settled the baskets under the driver’s seat. “I’m sure they’ll have music later tonight.”
Prim nodded not sure what else she should say. “I’d be honored,” she replied. “I’ll see you at Mr. Bowlings place.”
Again the cowboy tipped his hat hurrying down the street with a smile.
With the next load of baked goods Prim carried outdoors another wrangler approached her taking the baskets and asking for a dance to be saved as he loaded the wagon.
“At this rate,” Prim called walking into the kitchen for the last time, “I’ll have a full dance card and I don’t even have a card.”
“Well you’re a right pretty young thing,” Olive said. “You should dance with anyone you want to. No point keeping yourself shut up here when you might find the man of your dreams kicking his heels at the house raising.”
Prim smiled at Rosa who shook her head with a laugh. “Today will be a big day,” the petite woman said. “We will see much accomplished and much cheer.”
Prim chuckled feeling the excitement for the day bubbling inside, and it was only diminished when she thought about how much Periwinkle would have enjoyed the whole thing.
As Orville drove the wagon to the Double B range, some five miles from town, Prim took the opportunity to take in her surroundings. Since arriving in Needful she’d seen little more than the place where she worked or the general store.
With no official church service or even a real school, social gatherings were few and far between. Mr. Ben, as everyone called the former trail boss that had brought the Hamptons and Daliah to Needful, had started teaching in various homes, and a rotation of houses had been created so that the town’s children knew were to be each day, but other than that nothing official really took place.
“This is our first big building project,” Mr. Hampton said as he guided the horse and wagon around a bend in the rough trail. “It won’t be the last by a long spell though,” he added with a happy grin.
Prim twisted around in the back of the wagon trying to get a glimpse of the ranch as they approached. On one side of the long road she could see a low log structure near a large corral but nothing else seemed to distinguish the place.
“Is this where Mr. Bowlings lives?” Prim asked absently, noting other wagons pulling into various spaces around the spread.
Across the grassy yard Prim could see Mr. Bowlings walking around an area that had been staked out earlier. The space was large and Prim was surprised when Orville indicated that the entire area would soon be a house.
“It’s so large,” Prim said. “Whatever does he need such a large place for?”
“I reckon he’s English, and they like big houses,” Orville said.
“Nothin’ wrong with a big house,” Olive said. “Our place back in Smithfield wasn’t exactly small, and the Hampton House is the second biggest place in town, next to the saloon.”
Orville helped his wife down from the wagon while Prim climbed out of the back of the wagon and began gathering baskets.
The smell of roasting meat filled the air and the noise of men and woman chatting as they began setting up plank tables and gathering tools drifted across the golden prairie on the breeze.
“I’m goin’ to talk to Anderson and get things started,” Orville said. “You ladies holler if you need anything.”
Olive reached for a basket drawing Prim along with her as she headed for a table where Mrs. Scripts was placing dishes on a blue and white tablecloth with the help of Daliah.
“Prim you come along with me, and we’ll see what we can do. Once Orville gets the men organized, we’ll have plenty to do.”
Prim watched Orville approaching Anderson and smiled as the loop black-haired man looked up at her and grinned. The feeling of expectant excitement was contagious and intoxicating.
Something fluttered in Prim’s stomach as their eyes connected and she wondered what it was from. She was excited about the big day, but it didn’t make sense to feel like she had butterflies in her stomach just because Mr. Bowlings smiled at her.
Anderson looked up seeing Miss Perkins smiling at him, and he couldn’t help but straighten his shoulders a little. He had won the chance to be the first to build. He wondered if Miss Perkins would be impressed with the place he was building.
He wanted his house to stand out in Needful. He wanted it to be a place that his mother and father would be proud of. He had found where he belonged here in Texas and knew that in time his ranch would rival anything in the state or even the country. After a youth where he had done little of importance, he felt that he was being given the chance at something new.
A verse an old preacher had shared with him on his way to America came to mind and he stopped surprised by the impact of the words. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all you ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.
Anderson had never been a religious fellow, though his family had attended weekly service in his home town. Something itched between his shoulder blades, and he wondered if someone else truly was directing his paths. Pushing the strange thoughts away, he turned back to the work at hand.
***
“Prim, bring that basket over here,” Olive said beckoning Primrose to the long table, breaking her study of the Englishman then casting a glance toward where Anderson still stood looking back at them and shaking her head. “Well what do you think of that?” she mused.
“Excuse me?” Prim asked looking at Olive oddly.
“Oh nothin’ dear,” Olive said with a grin hurrying off to find Alice Scripts. “Just talking to myself as old folks do.”
Prim walked to the long table laying out food along with the other women of the community. Mrs. Scripts was in conference with Olive and Mrs. Smith was laying out pies, while her little girl played with a rag doll on the grass.
“How are ya keepin’?” Aida asked with a quick grin. “Looks like Olive has you hopping.” Mrs. Smith had come to Needful in the wagon train led by old Ben and Spencer Gaines. She was a tiny woman who had married Terry taking the man’s son as her own and blending the family with the birth of her own sweet little Beth. Prim thought her brave for taking on a fully formed family.
“I’m happy to have a good job,” Prim said unpacking the bread, rolls, and other goodies that Olive had prepared the night before. “Back home I couldn’t find anything, and now I have a home, a job, and the hope
of my family joining me soon.”
“You’re whole family?” Aida asked.
“What’s left of them,” Prim admitted. “I have a sister and my mother who I would love to have here in Texas.”
“Now wouldn’t that be lovely,” Aida said. “It’s never easy starting out new. I remember when I came out to Smithfield to meet Terry, I was scared half to death, but when I met Billy, I couldn’t help but love him and in time I loved his father too. We were married almost as soon as we met and let me tell you that is no easy thing.”
Prim smiled over at the other woman. She was so tiny and petite that it seemed logical she’d be afraid of everything. Answering a mail-order bride ad herself Prim could identify with Aida, though her story had worked out very differently. Thinking about it now Prim was happy that she hadn’t needed to marry a complete stranger after all.
