Wagonload after wagonload of lumber had been brought in from area sawmills, while other supplies were shipped in from the east by train, then transported over the mountains to the ranch. Bram had spared no expense, and the amassed goods were quickly transformed into a house that would rival any eastern society home. Bram had told Dianne he would take great pleasure in putting Koko in such a regal home. She deserved good things, and Dianne agreed. If it weren’t for Uncle Bram and Koko, Dianne knew she and her brothers would probably never have made it in Montana Territory.
Sitting down on the browning grass, Dianne let her thoughts wander. Uncle Bram hoped to have the house completed by winter, but in order to do so, he’d had to let other important ranch duties slide. Gus Yegen, his foreman and best friend, had been handling things quite capably, but soon winter would be upon them, and before the snows set in, the herd would have to be driven to winter range.
Thoughts of the herd gave Dianne a real feeling of contentment. The herd had been small when she’d first come here in 1865, but now, five years later, it had grown to a respectable size. Each year, at Gus’s direction and insistence, Bram brought in more animals from Texas. Gus had good connections in that southern state, and his friends were only too happy to cut Bram generous deals that profited them both.
Watching the ranch grow had blessed Dianne in a way she couldn’t begin to explain. With Faith and Malachi now on hand, they were better equipped than any outfit in the territory. Malachi’s blacksmithing talents had brought in neighboring ranchmen and in turn had given the former slave an extra source of income. Bram never begrudged his employee the opportunity to earn money. In fact, he encouraged it, and Dianne had nothing but the highest regard for her uncle’s generosity.
“We’re all blessed by Malachi’s ability,” Bram had told her once. “No sense trying to hoard that all to ourselves.”
Dianne couldn’t have agreed more. The former slave was only now appearing to be comfortable with his role at the ranch, and Uncle Bram’s generosity helped to teach both Malachi and Faith that not every white man was out to get what he could from them.
To Dianne’s relief, Faith was showing signs of healing. She took great pleasure in helping with the house and the children, and in turn, little Susannah seemed to delight in Faith’s company. To Dianne’s amazement, Koko never seemed ill at ease with all the attention exchanged between the two. Dianne wondered if she herself would feel as content to give her child over to another woman’s care—even Faith’s. But Koko seemed to understand the importance of drawing Faith into her little circle of family. In some ways, Koko almost forced her small daughter into the care of the wounded woman. Koko had a way about her that suggested she was purposefully choosing this path in order to see Faith made whole. Her kindness to a woman who until last January had been a total stranger was impressive. Dianne could only hope to emulate such generosity.
The sound of a horse approaching at a rapid pace caught Dianne’s attention. She jumped to her feet and wheeled around, wondering—hoping, really, that it might be Cole returning. Instead, she found her brother. Morgan brought the horse to a stop just a few inches from where his sister stood.
“You up here moping?”
“No, just dreaming.” She smiled and added, “There’s a difference.”
“Well, dream no more,” he said, thrusting an envelope at her.
“He’s written.”
Dianne’s smile broadened. “Truly?” She grasped the envelope, recognizing Cole’s scrawled script. She pressed the letter to her breast. “Oh, I’m so happy.”
“I kind of figured you would be—that’s why I rode as hard as I could to bring it to you.” Morgan took off his hat and wiped his brow with the back of his sleeve. “Hope it’s good news.”
“I’m just happy to have news, but I hope it’s good too.”
“Well, you gonna read it or just hug it?”
“I kind of figured to read it in private.”
Morgan pushed his hat back on and shook his head. “I rode all that way and you’re gonna read it in private?” His expression suggested she was completely unjust in her thinking.
She took pity on him. “All right.” She opened the letter and sighed at the disappointingly short missive. “‘Dearest Dianne,’ ” she read aloud, “‘We’re in Cheyenne and I figured to send this out on the mail train. Travel west has been impossibly slow. Sickness has overtaken us on more than one occasion, and the travelers are discouraged. Hope to be home by September, but only if the weather holds and we can avoid Indian trouble. Love, Cole.’ ”
“That’s it?”
Dianne nodded, already rereading the words, as if she might find hidden meaning in the few lines. “That’s it.”
“Seems hardly worth riding all that way for,” Morgan said.
She met his teasing gaze, realizing he was trying to cajole her into a better mood. “I suppose he couldn’t write much on the trail. I remember how hard it was. Given his duties, he did well to send this.”
“Well, it was posted in early August. I would think he’d be home any day now, so you’d better lose that dreary look and get a smile back on your face.” He remounted and reached down. “Come on. I’ll ride you back home.”
“That’s all right. I’d rather walk. I want to pray and thank God for giving me this much.”
Morgan nodded. “I’ll see you at the house, then.” He rode off , his pace much slower than it had been when he’d approached.
Dianne tucked the letter into her skirt pocket and headed back toward the cabin. Bram hoped to have them in the big house soon, but in some ways Dianne knew she would always miss the little cabin they shared. That house was a true home of love for Dianne. That home had made the losses in her life seem so much less severe.
Dianne was about a quarter of a mile from the house when Faith appeared from her own home and waved. She and Malachi had been in their new place since late in the spring. Malachi especially loved having his very own blacksmith shop, which was just on the other side of the kitchen wall. Smiling and waving, Dianne was pleased when Faith headed out to meet her on the trail.
“I have a letter from Cole,” Dianne called out. “It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.”
“What does he say?”
“That he hopes to be home no later than September. It was posted in August from Cheyenne, so Morgan says he ought to be back any time.”
Faith drew near and Dianne could see her smile widen. “That’s good news.” She paused and halted in front of Dianne. “I have some good news too.”
Dianne saw the light of excitement in Faith’s expression.
“What? Tell me.”
Faith giggled like a young girl. “I’m going to have a baby. I’m terrified and delighted at the same time.”
“Oh, Faith. That is wonderful news. I’ll bet Malachi is beside himself.”
“He’s scared too,” Faith admitted. “I’m almost afraid to believe it’s true.”
“When’s the baby going to be here?”
“Best as I can figure it should be around the end of April,” Faith replied.
Dianne nodded. “That’s perfect. We’ll have all winter to make wonderful baby clothes. Maybe Morgan and Cole can help Malachi make a cradle and other things you’ll need.” She pulled Faith into a tight embrace. “I’m so happy for you, Faith. We’ll trust God through all of this, and no matter what, I’ll take good care of you.” She pulled away and met Faith’s now sober expression. “I just know this baby will be fine. I feel it deep inside.”
Faith nodded. “That’s my prayer.”
“You are happy here, aren’t you, Faith?” Dianne asked.
“Happier than I’ve ever been in all my life,” the older woman admitted. “I know I’ve said things in the past that might indicate otherwise, but this was a good choice for us. We might not own our land or house, but we are saving money, and someday maybe we’ll be able to buy our own spot.” She looked off toward the river, where th
e aspens grew thick. “Someplace real pretty like that.”
“I’ll bet Uncle Bram will sell you a parcel of land when you’re ready. He keeps adding to his own anyway. I think it would be wonderful for you to own your place free and clear, working for yourselves. I know that would mean a lot to you.”
Faith met her eyes. “It would be like nothing I’ve ever known or could hope to know. Dianne, being here has been a blessing we never expected. We’d thought to find you and stay here just long enough to get back on our feet and move on Didn’t want to be beholden to anyone.”
“I know.”
“But we don’t feel beholden now. We both have our jobs and work hard and earn our keep.”
“That and then some,” Dianne agreed. “You’ve made life much easier for the rest of us. I for one am blessed.”
Faith looked back toward the river. “Heard a fellow call this God’s country. I think he just may have been right. I knew God and loved Him before we came here, but now I feel like I live in a little bit of heaven on earth.”
Dianne drew a deep breath and lifted her gaze to the mountains beyond the ranch. “I feel the same way—a little bit of heaven.”
At dinner that night, Faith made her announcement public. Everyone congratulated her, but Koko actually cried.
“I’ve prayed hard for this,” she said, dabbing her eyes unashamedly. “I’m so happy.”
“Well, seems this is a great night for good news,” Bram announced. “I wanted to let you all know that we’ll be moving into the house at the end of the week. There’s still plenty to do, but the main portion of the house is completed. We can keep working to finish the wings as time permits this winter. With the outside structure in place, we can take our time with the interior.”
“How exciting!” Dianne exclaimed.
“Since we’re sharing good news,” Morgan began slowly, “I guess I’ll share mine as well.”
Everyone turned to look at the young man. He reddened a bit, then cleared his throat nervously. “I’m going to be heading out. I’ve been accepted to join a group of men who are heading south to survey the land along the Yellowstone River.”
Dianne knew her mouth had dropped open, but she couldn’t seem to force it closed. For several moments no one said a word Finally Bram started the conversation again.
“Well, son, I’m sure happy for you. I know you’ve wanted to set out on a project like this for some time. I guess this is exactly what you’ve been waiting for.”
“It is, sir.”
“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Dianne questioned without thinking. “I thought you’d be here for my wedding and for . . .” She trailed off, uncertain what else she might say. What was she hoping for? She couldn’t expect Morgan to spend his whole life here.
Dianne immediately felt guilty. “Forget what I said. I’m happy for you, Morgan, truly I am.” She pushed aside her feelings. “When will you be leaving?”
“Right away—tomorrow.”
“So soon?” Koko asked, her voice betraying the surprise Dianne felt.
“I know it’s short notice, but I just got word on this myself When I was in town, I met with the men and got their final approval. We’ll meet in Bozeman three days from now and head out immediately. The army is giving us an escort.”
Dianne nodded. “Well, then, I guess I’ll have to give you your Christmas present early.” She got up from the table and hurried to her room. Pulling a package from her wardrobe, Dianne returned to the dining table. “Koko helped me make this for you.”
Morgan took the package and untied the string that held the edges of the flour sack together. He pulled out the contents and smiled. “A new coat.” He held up the soft leather fringed coat and smiled. “I’ve never seen anything finer. Where’d you get the fleece to line it with?”
“We have our ways,” Dianne said, laughing. She tried to avoid showing any emotion but joy. The last thing she wanted was to make Morgan feel guilty for his decision to leave, but deep in her heart she was feeling the loss already. She looked at Koko, who nodded, seeming to understand.
“These ladies could come up with just about anything,” Bram said, pushing back from the table. “I can’t imagine how they do it, but I’m mighty glad they’re so capable.”
“You have to be capable in Montana,” Dianne said, her voice a bit too somber. “If you aren’t, it’ll eat you alive.”
A week later, Dianne paced the length of the new dining room. “I never thought it would be this big,” she declared to Koko and Faith. “It’s wonderful.”
“It will take some getting used to eating in a real dining room,” Faith exclaimed. “I was never allowed to eat there,” she murmured as she caressed the backs of the polished oak chairs.
“I’ve never known such a thing either,” Koko said, smiling with great pride, “but I’m happy to give it a try.” She gently touched the river rock they’d used to create a large fireplace.
Dianne laughed. “This will become a favorite room to be sure. Some of my best memories are of time spent around the dinner table. That’s when we heard stories from Papa and when Mama talked about her plans for the days to come. It was always a nice time.” She grinned and added, “Plus, Mama was a wonderful cook and we ate well.”
Faith and Koko laughed.
“Well, what do you ladies think?” Bram questioned as he stomped into the room.
“I think it’s wonderful, Uncle Bram.” Dianne wrapped her arms around the barrel-chested man and stretched up to place a kiss on his cheek. He bent down to receive her offering and smiled. “I never thought it would be so large and lovely. Those were a marvelous surprise,” she said pointing to two large floor-to-ceiling windows.
“I’m glad you like it. I plan to have them all over the house That’s why I’ve laid out places in each room for them. The glass is expensive and pretty hard to get here in one piece, so we’ll have to add them as we can afford.”
“I think we can wait,” Koko said. It was clear she was very proud of her husband and his efforts. “We’ll have our hands full just making draperies and curtains for the windows you’ve already managed to put in.”
“Oh, I can just imagine lovely gold damask for this room,” Faith said, eyeing the open windows. “We have some material in the storage room that would work just perfect.”
“That does sound good,” Koko agreed. “We’ll have to explore the storage room and see what all there is to use.”
“Just don’t work yourselves into a lather,” Bram said, grinning. He was clearly enjoying their enthusiasm.
“I’m especially fond of the wraparound porches,” Dianne added. “And on both the upper and lower levels. It will be so nice in the summer when the days are warm.”
“That was the idea. When we have more money, we’ll add some real pretty railing and some nice trim,” Bram said. He looked as pleased as a young boy at Christmas. “This is gonna be the finest house in the state.”
“No doubt it already is,” Dianne declared.
Bram’s smile broadened as he added, “Oh—I’ve got another surprise for you.”
“Do tell,” Dianne said as she looked to Koko and Faith, raising her brows ever so slightly.
“Gus, Levi, and I are taking a string of horses to Bozeman. I thought since you’ve been working with those animals so closely, you should probably go along and help answer any questions that might come up at the sale. Would you like that?”
Dianne quickly nodded, then realized that Cole was due back any day. “I can’t go. Cole might return and I wouldn’t be here.”
“We won’t be gone that long and he’ll wait,” Bram insisted. “I don’t plan to be more than four, maybe five days.”
Koko came to her and gently touched her arm. “I think you should go. Bram will need your help, and as he said, Cole will wait.”
Dianne nodded. “I suppose you’re right. It’s just that . . . well . . . I don’t want to leave and have this be the time he finally shows up.
”
“Now, even if that happens,” Bram said with a hearty laugh, “I know he’ll wait for you. He knows you’ve been faithful to wait all this time. He won’t turn around and head back just because you’re in Bozeman.”
The next day, Dianne found herself on the trail bound for Bozeman with those very words ringing in her ears. Faithfulness was easy when it came to Cole. Dianne had so long imagined herself with Cole Selby as her husband that any other consideration wasn’t an option. And Cole, though he might be delayed a bit, had only shown her loyalty and trust.
Dolly tossed her head as if able to read Dianne’s mind. The mount had been a good friend over the years. “Sorry, girl, you’ve been loyal too.” She gave the horse’s neck a gentle pat.
Dianne continued to contemplate the meaning of faithfulness and how she could improve on this seemingly small but powerful ideal. God’s faithfulness was guaranteed throughout the Scriptures. He promised to be faithful no matter what other people did or didn’t do.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” she recited mentally. The words warmed Dianne’s very soul. Could it be that God’s faithfulness was based in hope for His children? Should her faith—her faithfulness—be based in hope?
Dianne shook her head. She felt as if she were on the edge of understanding something very wonderful. What did it all mean? How could she come to a full knowledge of what God was trying to help her learn?
Patience, a voice whispered in her heart. You must have patience.
Dianne chuckled. “Not exactly one of my virtues.”
“Did you say something?” Bram asked as he rode up alongside his niece.
She shook her head and laughed all the more. “Nothing you don’t already know.”
CHAPTER 9
BRAM VANDYKE WAS A NO-NONSENSE KIND OF MAN WHO had goals and ambitions for himself and his family. He smiled with approval as he reflected on his growing cattle herd and the exceptional horses he’d managed to acquire for the ranch. When he’d been in Bozeman the week before, he’d been greeted with respect by the town’s leading men. They’d heard of his place and of the fine work he was doing. They carefully avoided mention of Bram’s wife being Indian, something for which he was grateful. Not because he was ashamed of Koko, but rather because he had no desire to beat those poor men to a pulp.
The Coming Storm Page 8
