by Annie Boone
She looked at her with such earnest sincerity, Christina couldn’t help but nod. “Of course. That is, if Mrs. Jessup is all right with that.”
As they continued discussing her coming again, Susannah arrived and they took care of the details. The Jessups rarely needed both their horses in one day so Christina would take one of their horses and a cart over to the Connor’s ranch three days a week and help with the pies. Orders would slow down soon with summertime, or so Eleanor hoped. This would give her the aid she needed, and it would also have Christina doing more than just helping at the boarding house. On top of this Eleanor still promised her payment for her services, and Christina rode home still trying to imagine that. Money just for herself. This was new and exciting.
What would she even do with it? The expenses she had to pay for her rent at the boarding house came from her mother’s savings and some from her aunt and uncle. That money had a purpose and she didn’t feel she had the freedom to use it for anything but room and board since she didn’t know how long she’d be with the Jessups. Though in her childhood her mother had attempted to give her a few coins for candies in the past, there were always other children around to relieve her of them. What would she do with extra money now?
It occupied her thoughts into the next afternoon when she returned to the ranch. The Jessup’s horse, Lemondrop, knew the path well and guided her right to the barn. Men were already there working with a few of the horses and helped her off the cart just like they had the previous day. Christina thanked them and hurried up to the kitchen where Eleanor Connor welcomed her with a smile.
She was a lovely woman, tall with dark hair, and still an Eastern accent. Her children were precious, the little ones who slept or played noisily nearby. Little Susie was getting over her cold very well and insisted on racing around the house, bringing toys to her baby brother and making him coo. It warmed the house with an energy Christina had never experienced, and she was a little disappointed when they finished their work for the day.
“Thank you again so much, my dear,” Eleanor hugged her tightly and then handed over a few coins, enclosing them carefully into Christina’s hands. “I’ll see you on Friday?”
Nodding, she stepped back and squeezed on the coins. “Yes, Friday. You’re very welcome. Have a lovely evening,” Christina added, and turned down the steps of the house. Her boots hit the ground and she took a deep breath. And back to the boarding house she was ready to go.
The young woman fiddled with the coins as she went. Eleanor had wanted to pay her more, but it was all Christina was willing to take for now. And even still, it was plenty of payment. If she ever went into town, she pondered, would she finally be able to purchase a piece of hard candy?
Her eyes wandered as she walked towards the barn. Shivering at a gust of wind, Christina paused and squinted. There was someone on the other side of the fence who caught her eye. A set of broad shoulders was brushing a beautiful dark brown horse. It was a beautiful scene against the mountains and she was drawn in that direction. When she reached the post, she realized her assumptions were right.
It was him. Mitchell Powell. Of course she was drawn to him. He was handsome and he liked him.
The man was near the fence tending to the horse in the pasture. A soft wind brought his soothing voice in her direction though she couldn’t hear the exact words. Leaning against the fence, she watched him for a moment before gathering the courage to speak up. “Good afternoon,” she called out as she waved to him.
Turning around to her, Mr. Powell stared for a minute before tipping his hat. He glanced around before he beckoned, inviting her into the pasture. Christina hesitated only a moment before ducking her head and climbing between the wooden fence posts. Since they had last seen each other a week or so ago, the man had confused her. Their light conversation had been fun, or so she had thought, until he had left so suddenly. She had half a mind of asking him about it outright but was hesitant now to address it.
“Miss Bristol,” he tipped his hat to her.
It reminded her then of the spot she had seen on his cheek before, probably a birthmark. When they’d met, Mitchell had been confident enough to take off the hat, but it was different today. His hat remained firmly on his head. But she didn’t care at all since she could hardly notice anything else after looking into his bright cornflower blue eyes. “Mr. Powell.” She didn’t even bother to try to hold back her smile.
“How are you this afternoon?” He turned his head slightly so she could only see the side of his face that didn’t have the birthmark.
She knew what it was like to suffer stares and judgement from others so she didn’t judge him for this insecurity. How could she?
Slipping the coins inside her coat pocket, she wrapped her arms around her middle. Christina smiled hopefully. “Chilly now, but good. I’m doing very well. And how are you, Mr. Powell?”
He nodded. “Good, thank you.”
Silence ensued, and she considered leaving if he wasn’t going to say anything. He fidgeted, and her eyes turned to the horse. “Is he yours?” Christina asked hesitantly. “He’s lovely.”
Turning away, she noticed how he pulled the collar up to hide his face again. Maybe it was her that he was uncomfortable about, Christina realized. She swallowed. “Actually, it’s a her. And yes, she is lovely. Mr. Connor has brought in a herd that needs breaking in, and I have experience in taming Mustangs.”
“That’s amazing,” she offered hopefully, and paused. “Can Mustangs be girls? I always thought…”
He shrugged when she trailed off, fiddling with the rope harness in his hands. “Mustangs are wild horses. They gather like a family, with a mare and a stallion to lead them. A mare is female, and a stallion is male. This one is going to belong to Mrs. Connor.” Mitchell smiled and his eyes lit up. This time, she also noticed the sharp jaw line angled towards her. Oh yes. He was a very handsome man, indeed, and she really wanted him to look at her.
“She’s a fortunate woman,” Christina breathed softly as she looked at the animal. It was around his height, a deep brown that might even match Mrs. Connor’s hair, with a white star on the forehead. Cocking her head, she sighed. “Oh, she is lovely.”
Mitchell’s gaze was still on her. “Would you… um, do you want to brush her?”
Surprised, she looked to see if he was teasing her. But he almost looked happy and she bit her lip. Maybe he wasn’t annoyed with her after all. It was difficult to tell what he was thinking. “What? Oh, could I? Although I’m afraid I don’t know how to pet a horse.” Christina cleared her throat anxiously. “Brush her, I mean. Not pet her. Horses aren’t petted, are they?” She bit her lip to make herself stop talking. What had come over her?
He chuckled and stepped back. “It’s easy. She’s very calm, and I have her in case anything happens.” He showed her the rope. “Horses use their nose as their primary sense. You’ll want to approach her from the front, never from behind, and put out your hand. Move slowly and let her sense you.”
Respectfully, she obeyed and walked through his instructions to the best of her abilities. Christina stepped closer and closer and felt the animal huff, spreading warm air across her hand. She’d taken off her gloves and though her fingers felt frozen, she was thrilled at the chance to touch this horse. Back home on the farm, they had two horses but she had never touched them. Her uncle loved them so much, that no one else ever tended to them. But there had always been a part of her hoping to someday brush them, or even ride one.
Her breath caught when she was given the opportunity to touch her gorgeous mane. Christina stopped, surprised at the thickness of the creature’s hair. In awe, she stopped and looked at Mitchell. “She really is lovely,” she whispered.
Mitchell nodded, fixing his hat. After a minute of angling with the rope harness, he switched sides to stand beside her. One hand on the rope, the other brushed the horse with her. “She is. Probably the prettiest of the bunch, but don’t tell her mother.” The joke surprised Christina and she laug
hed in delight. “But you’re right, she is lovely. They all are. Horses are incredible animals, and I’ve always loved working with them. There’s nothing I’d rather do.”
The passion seemed to exude right from him and tingled in the air. Christina looked up at him thoughtfully and smiled at the look in his eyes as he brushed the Mustang. It gave her the courage she needed to take a deep breath and ask, “Mr. Powell, would you be willing to teach me to ride a horse?”
12
Susannah
Rain was steadily falling on the other side of the window. This weather wasn’t what Susannah wanted. Humming anxiously, she squinted harder and kept her eyes out for the trail. Any minute they should be coming, she told herself, any minute now.
“Aha!” She cried out triumphantly, slapping the chair she was kneeling on. “They’re coming, Lucas, they’re coming!”
He mumbled something from the hallway but she didn’t bother looking behind her. Now that she had them in her sights, Susannah didn’t want to let them go. Eagerly she kept looking out, squinting as the tiny moving figures slowly became bigger and more life sized.
It was early spring, and a few weeks had passed since the young Christina Bristol had begun going to the Connor’s ranch to help with the piemaking process. Things were going well, but she had noticed the other week that someone was riding home with her.
Eleanor had mentioned it but hadn’t been able to say much at the time. It had been after church and the children were making a fuss. Susannah shifted in her spot, biting her lip. Clearly the two of them had grown close enough that he had escorted her home like this more than once. How long had this been going on? She could only wonder.
Not only was this thrilling, it was equally relieving. Susannah had been pouring over possible suitors for a while but none of the possibilities seemed right. Perhaps he would, whoever it was. What if he was a suitable match all on his own? Susannah watched them carefully, following them as they went around the house and towards the barn. Once they were closer, she ran to the back door. Pulling on her cloak, she was already wearing her boots and snatched a scarf on her way outside. She had to meet him this time.
He was helping her off the cart as Susannah reached them. Her chest heaved in the rush and her breath was visible before her in the cold air. She shined as she saw their hands linger together. “Hello, you two,” she offered brightly.
Christina looked up in surprise. The man turned, and that’s when Susannah realized she did know him. It was the man that had visited with Matthew Connor. What was his name again? “Howdy,” he dipped his hat her way politely. “Good to see you again, Mrs. Jessup. Ma’am.”
Beaming, Susannah glanced between them. They stood close to each other, and she could hardly suppress the excitement bubbling inside her. “It’s wonderful to see you again as well,” she assured him. “I wanted to invite you for supper. That is, we’d love to have the Connors and yourself over to supper. It’s been too long. Do you think Thursday might be too soon?”
After glancing down at the ground, the man shrugged. “Uh, no. No, I think that should be all right. That’s mighty nice of you.”
Susannah chuckled and shook her head. “Nonsense. We would love to have you. If you bring her home again tomorrow, perhaps you can let me know if Thursday is a good day?”
The two of them glanced at each other and she tried to understand their gazes. There was clearly something between them, but she couldn’t be certain about what it was exactly. Had they spoken of a courtship? Were either of them pursuing it? Oh, she certainly hoped so. The two of them were just darling together.
“All right,” Mitchell nodded finally. “I’ll do that.” Then he glanced at Christina and tipped his hat to her. It gave Susannah a chance to notice that while he avoided giving her a straight look, he didn’t shy from Christina’s gaze.
So she took a step back, gradually realizing she was in the way. “Lovely. Well, I’ll be going, then. Thank you, good sir.” Trying not to smile too much, Susannah hastened back to the house. Still wrapped up, she turned around as soon as she got in the door to watch the couple. Just because they didn’t want her there didn’t mean she couldn’t stop for a look, right? She bit her lip and watched them curiously.
Most would turn towards putting away the horse and cart. Young people falling in love would draw closer and closer, talking more and more quietly. Christina and Mitchell chose another course by unhitching Lemondrop to put away the cart, and then fixed the harness on the horse. What were they doing? Susannah squinted.
That’s when something touched her hip and she shrieked in surprise. Clasping a hand over her mouth, Susannah whirled around to find Lucas’s merry gaze looking down on her. Eyes wide, she smacked his chest. “I can’t believe you!” She hissed, trying to keep her voice down. What if they had heard me scream? Hurriedly she peeked out the window again and sighed in relief when they never looked at the house. “You’re terrible,” she mumbled “They could have heard you.”
His hand cupped her shoulder, but she was prepared this time and didn’t scream. “That was you, dear. I didn’t scream.” He chuckled and carefully unwound the scarf from her shoulders. “What are you snooping on this time?”
She hummed a few notes in delight. “Lucas! Will you look at this? Come see. Mitchell has taught Christina how to ride.”
“Ride what?”
Reaching back blindly, she slapped his leg. Lucas just took the opportunity to unbutton her jacket and slip it off her shoulders. “Ride a horse, of course. What else would she ride, silly?” Susannah beamed as she moved some of the curtain aside to see better.
They watched as Mitchell patiently helped her onto the horse where she started out sitting side saddle, but after making two circles around him, she moved one leg to the other side. Susannah reached out and found Lucas’s hand, squeezing it tightly. Lucas fidgeted but took a seat beside her, running his other hand through her hair.
Horses made her nervous, so she tried not to be around them too often. It was Lucas’s job to tend to their horses and to teach the young women to ride. Susannah had been putting that off for Christina, she grudgingly acknowledged, but wondered if that decision hadn’t turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Mitchell’s hands waved in the air slowly as he spoke to her. Christina was stiff, but she kept her eyes on him as she did what he told her to do. Susannah saw that much. At one point the young woman slowed down, but as Mitchell started over, Lemondrop moved away teasingly and the girl’s head was thrown back in laughter. Susannah squealed. “Oh, they are precious! Are you watching? Lucas?”
“Well, I can see they’re having fun together, that’s clear. But don’t you think maybe we should give them some privacy? And I‘m getting hungry. Could we get started on that?” He stepped back and put his hands on his hips as he pursed his lips.”
Soon, Christina stepped breathlessly inside and joined them in the kitchen. She didn’t say a word about what she’d been doing, and only spoke after Lucas inquired about her day. Susannah wanted to ask her all about Mitchell but managed to restrain herself.
The following days were just as difficult as she was forced to conceal her enthusiasm while preparing for their guests. Susannah invited the young woman to cook for the occasion, knowing how much she loved working in the kitchen and also knowing it would impress the young Mr. Powell when he found out that she’d prepared most of the supper meal.
When Thursday evening finally arrived, Susannah was folding the last napkin when they heard the cart pull up just outside. She jumped excitedly and turned to Christina with a nod. The young woman hastily fixed her hair before pulling off her apron and heading towards the door. She wanted to follow but Lucas stepped over and rested a heavy hand on her shoulder.
“Right,” she nodded hurriedly at his unsaid words and gave him a smile. He didn’t need to say anything to get his point across, to make sure she was attentive and not overbearing. Don’t say anything, she told herself, just wait and see how i
t goes. Just listen. The front door opened and a squeal escaped her lips before she clapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry.”
Lucas just chuckled and kissed her forehead before placing his hand on her back to guide her to the hall towards their guests. His long gait slowed to match hers and Susannah eagerly went to greet their friends, wrapping her arms around Eleanor and then Matthew. She shook hands with Mitchell afterwards, beaming cheerfully to everyone.
Clasping her hands together, Susannah glanced at them all. “Welcome, all of you! Come in, come in. Take your coats off, please. Let’s all get comfortable, shall we? Supper is waiting on the table. Christina cooked the meal, and it smells wonderful. Don’t you think?”
Everyone nodded eagerly and they went to the table to be seated, and Susannah sat across from Christina and Mitchell. Grinning around the table, she nodded and motioned to the young man. “Mr. Powell, would you do us the honor and offering grace?”
He hesitated before finally nodding. Then he pulled his hands together and clasped them on top of the table. Everyone copied his action and bowed their heads.
“Dear Father, we thank You for the gift of fellowship with each other as Your children. We appreciate the way You care for us with rain and sunshine, alike. But now, bless this meal. Bless the Jessup family for their kindness. And bless Mis Christina for preparing this lovely supper. Amen.”
It was a delicious meal of tender roasted chicken with green beans and glazed root vegetables. There was fresh bread as well, and a Dutch apple pie for breakfast.
“Oh, this was wonderful. What a lovely meal!” Eleanor put a hand over her belly and sighed once she was finished eating. “I do enjoy eating food that I haven’t had to make, I will say that.” They laughed and she shook her head. “Christina, you work miracles.”
The young woman blushed, looking down. “You’re too kind.”
Susannah grinned. “And you’re too modest, my dear.” She took another bite and glanced at Mitchell who had hardly said a word since saying the blessing. “Mr. Powell, what do you think of the food? You’re rather quiet this evening.”
