Nissa (The Widows of Wildcat Ridge Book 3)

by Zina Abbott

  Hal shook his head and lowered his voice. “Now’s not the time, Buck. We’ll be leaving in a couple of days, so…” Hal ended with a shrug.

  Buck snorted. “Be that way.” He turned to Dallin. “So, Boss, what did you want to talk to us about?”

  Dallin shifted his gaze between his two men then took a deep breath. “Well, boys, we’re here for a horse auction. I figure we ought to spend the afternoon seeing if there’s anything worth bidding on. Even if the sellers don’t get back all of them that were scattered, we might as well look at what’s going to be available. If any were injured in this fracas last night, I want to know about it today. As soon as we get our grub and eat, I want us to go over to the corral and look the animals over.” He turned to Buck. “Assuming you can stay awake long enough.”

  Buck yawned again. “I’ll be all right, Boss. If it don’t take all afternoon, I might try to get a couple of hours of shut-eye before the dance. I told the Rafter O boys that while they’re down a couple of men, during the dance I’d help make the rounds at the livery and corral to make sure nothing looks out of place.”

  “You both can take turns, swapping out so you each get a chance to spend time at the dance. Hal, find time while it’s still daylight to introduce yourself so they know who you are. Oh, we got another complication. I heard this morning the train that was supposed to show up Saturday so we can load up our stock and ship it up to the UP line has been canceled. Speculation is it’s Mr. Crane’s doing. We’re going to have to earn our pay and drive our horses we buy up to Curdy’s Crossing to catch the train there.”

  Buck shrugged. “We can handle it, Boss, although I’m not sure what you’re going to do about your new housekeeper and her youngsters you plan on taking back with us.”

  “As soon as I heard, I bought three tickets on the Wells Fargo. It arrives about noon and leaves again about twelve-thirty. I’ll take Mrs. Stillwell’s things over there early so they can load them up. She already understands she needs to get herself and the children on the stage herself. I plan on us being away from here much earlier so I can have the horses settled and meet her in Curdy’s Crossing.”

  After their meal, the trio started up Chestnut Street towards the corral. Seeing a commotion, Buck pointed towards the cause. A slender figure standing upright on the back of a horse guided it towards the corral. By the time they arrived, they realized the trick rider was the pretty, young owner of the Rafter O Ranch.

  Buck clicked his tongue and tipped his head. “That was some stunt. If she planned to show off that horse, she done a good job. Looks like there’s a lot of buyers interested in that mare.”

  Dallin harrumphed. “I’m not one of them. We’re running a ranch, not a circus, boys. I have no need for a show pony. Let’s go see what else they’ve got.”

  The three made their way over to the corral, wending their way between others interested in the horses as they circled the perimeter to get a good look at all the stock available. After talking it through, they settled on about a dozen horses Dallin could bid on, although Dallin stated he only needed four or five.

  Buck left for several minutes, and then he came back with his report. “That’s most of them, Boss. Dub, the foreman, says there’s still a handful out, but they hope to have them found and in the corral by tonight.”

  “Those are good enough for now. See you boys at the dance.”

  “Yep, wouldn’t miss it. Figure I’ll get some shut-eye then catch some supper.” Buck offered Hal a baleful look. “You planning on showing up at the boarding house again, or you going to duck out like you did last night?”

  “Not sure. Buck, as a favor, will you please take the first and last hours of guard duty during the dance? I’ll cover the middle two.”

  Buck narrowed his eyes as he studied his unrepentant partner. “You’re planning to walk her to the dance and see her home, aren’t you?”

  Dallin looked between them. “Who?”

  Hal shook his head. “A nice lady I met, Boss.” He turned to Buck as if to drive his next words home to his partner. “The less said, the better. I have my reasons.”

  Chapter Twenty-two

  O

  nce again wearing her blue dress, Nissa opened the door. She smoothed in place her best gloves that covered the rough skin on her hands. She smiled at the sight of Dallin waiting for her. Before she could turn and call to her children, she felt Molly press against her side and watched Jamie rush forward.

  “We’re ready, Mr. Walsh. Mama made some oatmeal bars to take.”

  A blush crept up Nissa’s neck. She almost felt ashamed about the treat she had prepared for the dance, but she believed she must bring something. Her plain bar cookies contained no preserves or spices like she normally added to her treats. Buying the extra butter and an egg for the mix had been all she could manage. Diantha had told her Blessing Odell, who went by the nickname Buster, intended to pay for all the refreshments for the night. However, as wrong as it might be, Nissa’s pride reared its ugly head. She would not accept Diantha’s and the Rafter O Ranch’s charity without bringing some sort of contribution to the dance.

  “That sounds really good, Jamie.” Dallin looked up until his gaze met Nissa’s. “Are you ready to go? It’s been quite a while since I’ve attended a dance.”

  “Yes.” Nissa reached with one hand for the small plate that held her dessert and grasped Molly’s with the other. “Come, children, and remember. I expect you to be on your best behavior. Mrs. Ames is allowing the town to hold the dance in her former hotel dining area, but we don’t want to damage the hotel or disturb her guests who are not attending the dance.”

  Jamie pointed to the door that led to the hotel kitchen. “Mama, why don’t we go through there? Why do we need to walk all the way around?”

  Nissa glanced at Dallin before she focused on Jamie. “We are keeping that door locked, Jamie. It’s best that those who don’t live in town are not aware our home is on this side of the kitchen. We only go in there when we know no one other than Mrs. Ames will be using it. To be polite, we will walk around and enter through the front like everyone else.” Nissa stepped towards the door leading to the laundry yard, nudging Jamie to leave in front of her. She hoped she had provided enough of an explanation to satisfy his curiosity and stop his questions.

  A vision of the rough-looking man who had followed her and rudely called out to her at the creek filled her mind. She definitely preferred he not know where she lived.

  “What do we do at a dance, Mama?”

  “We dance, Jamie. You can watch your mother and I dance, and maybe we can teach you how to dance.”

  Nissa smiled at Dallin, who had answered for her.

  “Does that mean I have to touch a girl?”

  “Afraid so.”

  Jamie shook his head. “Nope. I’ll just watch you dance with Mama.” He sighed. “It doesn’t sound like it’s gonna be very fun.”

  “Some of your friends you met when you went to school might be there, Jamie. Joey will probably be there. You can visit with them. I’ll warn you right now, I will not tolerate any running around the hotel or going outside without one of us with you.”

  Jamie huffed his displeasure. “All right.”

  Nissa smiled as her son’s dejected tone quickly turned to a whoop of glee as he spotted Joey inside the hotel and rushed towards him.

  Nissa called after him. “No running, Jamie.”

  Next to her, Dallin laughed as he put his arm around her back and rested his hand at her waist. “That will be a tough fight to win. Little boys have a lot of energy, especially when they are excited.”

  Nissa felt the warmth of contentment as, with Molly on one side of her and Dallin on the other, she entered the front door of the hotel and turned left into the room where the dance was being held. As she had before, she admired the gold medallion-patterned wallpaper with its coordinating foot-wide border around the top. The draperies, held back with gold cords, framing the front window and side windows
were a darker shade of gold. The white wainscoting and trim set off the rich golds. Nissa shoved back her wistful awareness that the parlor and dining room of the mine supervisor’s house she had lived in had been decorated in a similar manner, only in greens.

  Nissa greeted a few of the ladies from Wildcat Ridge as she wended her way towards the door that led from the temporary dance hall into the kitchen. She set her plate of oatmeal bars on the counter.

  As Nissa turned to leave, she glanced at a woman she did not know who arranged the platters of refreshments. However, as soon as the woman turned towards her, she realized who it must be. If she had not been at church this past month, she would not have recognized Miss Templeton, the teller at the bank who had given her helpful advice about closing her account so it would not be seized by Mortimer Crane.

  “Miss Templeton, how good to see you. You look very nice tonight.” And the woman did. A glow about her Nissa had not noticed before radiated from this woman Nissa once thought of as painfully plain.

  “Please, call me Birdie.” The joyful smile further lit up Birdie’s countenance. “I told the ladies at church I’d help with refreshments, although…” Birdie’s eyes twinkled with anticipation. “I ended up coming with someone. He has to relieve his partner for part of the dance, so I need to get back to him. I hope he and I will have a chance to dance.”

  Nissa wondered who had brought the straight-laced spinster to the dance but decided to not pry. She would find out soon enough. She stretched out her hand, palm up, in invitation towards the door. “This food will be fine back here. Let’s both go out and dance while we can.” Nissa stepped back into the main room in time to see Jamie chasing after his friends. She reached for him and grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him to a halt. “No more of that, Jamie, or we leave. You and your friends find a corner and visit quietly without disturbing the grown-ups.”

  Jamie opened his mouth to protest until Dallin’s stern voice stopped him.

  “Do what your mother says, Jamie. No more running.”

  Jamie looked down with an expression of meekness. “Yes, sir.” He then turned and walked toward his friends, shaking his head.

  Next to her, Nissa heard Dallin chuckle. “Learning the social graces is hard on a little boy. I remember when my ma tried to tame me. At the time, I didn’t take to it well, but it has stood me in good stead in later years. Shall we dance the first dance?”

  Nissa looked over to the corner of the room next to Diantha’s piano. Mr. Tweedie with his violin and Dub Reilly from the Rafter O Ranch on a banjo tuned their instruments. She smiled at Dallin and nodded. “Yes, I’d like that. We better get our dancing in before these children grow tired and I need to get them to bed.”

  Nissa turned to Molly, who had stuck close to her like a tick on a hound. “Molly, will you stay with Mrs. Ames while I dance with Mr. Walsh? It will only be for a few minutes then I’ll come right back for you.”

  With a frown on her face, Molly shook her head and whined in protest.

  Dallin squatted before her. “Molly, if you will do what your mama asks, I’d like to dance the next dance with you. Would you like that?”

  Molly thought about the offer for a few seconds and nodded.

  Nissa took her by the hand and led her over to Diantha. By the time she rejoined Dallin, the musical number had started.

  Within seconds of dancing in Dallin’s arms, All the trials and cares Nissa had experienced the last several months seemed disappear. She felt whole. She felt peace. She felt joy. Whatever there was about this man that moved her so, she did not know. She only knew her gratitude for being able to go with him to his ranch within a matter of days knew no bounds.

  Focused on the man who held her in his arms, Nissa tuned out most of the people in the room. One couple who passed her caught her eye when she realized the woman was Birdie. She danced with a slender man with well-defined muscles and handsome dark eyes and hair who dressed like a ranch hand. From the way they talked and looked at one another, she suspected they had met before this night.

  As promised, for the second dance, Dallin danced with Molly. Even though it was a folk dance, with the dancers in a circle, Dallin held Molly in the crook of his right arm while he held her hand in his left palm. They danced in their own little circle. With a lightness born of happiness, Nissa watched the two as Dallin sang words of gibberish to Molly, and she responded with peals of giggles.

  Nissa glanced around the room. So many women she recognized, but most of the men did not live in Wildcat Ridge. Some in Army uniforms she understood were here from Ft. Bridger to pick up the men held in the jail for rustling on the Rafter O Ranch. They would be taken to the fort for trial. Other men must be here for the horse auction.

  As for the women, they were for the most part excited and happy. This dance had given them a much-needed reprieve from all the sorrow and loss so many had suffered the past several months. Even if they did not have a mate, or even a man they found interesting, just having a dance hall full of an even balance of men versus woman created a positive outlook for many. Nissa realized that for those who wished to stay and keep their homes in Wildcat Ridge, this dance provided hope that men could be persuaded to come here to fill in the gaps. With new husbands, these women could build up Wildcat Ridge to be even better than what had existed while the Gold King Mine was in full operation.

  Nissa glanced over at the commotion created as several women coaxed Diantha to take a turn on the piano. In her gracious manner, she agreed, but she warned them she did not play the popular music of the day. However, she offered to play a couple of waltzes.

  Dallin walked to Nissa, Molly in hand. “A waltz I can manage, Nissa. One-two-three, one-two-three, right? Looks like Jamie has settled down in the corner with a couple of boys his age. Do you know someone who can keep an eye on Molly?”

  Nissa looked around and her eyes lit on Mrs. Tweedie settled in a chair. Hoping she might watch Molly for one dance, she made her way over. Free to dance once more with Dallin, she moved into his arms.

  Partway through the dance, Dallin nodded towards the man dancing with Birdie Templeton, the same man who had been by her side all night. “I think I’ve figured out why my drover there, has made himself scarce this week. I hope to introduce you to him before we leave after the auction. I’ll catch him as soon as this dance is over.”

  Nissa mumbled her agreement as her mind continued to ponder the changes in Birdie Templeton. How this man had found her and convinced her to shed her spectacles and dress in a more flattering style, Nissa did not know.

  The dance over, Dallin kept hold of Nissa’s arm as he plowed a direct path through the dancers still on the floor towards his ranch hand. Nissa watched the man check his watch then look up at Birdie with an expression of regret. As they grew close, the man recognized Dallin and turned towards him with a nod.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  H

  al suspected from the start Dallin would bring the laundress he had been seen with all week to the dance. As much as he preferred to not explain himself when it came to Birdie, he accepted the inevitable. “Hello, Boss.” Hal turned and acknowledged Nissa with a nod. “Buck told me you found a housekeeper to bring back to the ranch. Do I assume correctly this is her?”

  “Yes. Nissa Stillwell, this is my head drover, Hal Summers. I would have introduced you earlier, but he seems to have been keeping himself scarce.” Dallin turned and gave Hal a pointed look. “Buck also told me you found a woman to spend time with while you are in town.” Dallin turned toward Birdie with a friendly smile. “I assume he was lucky enough to have discovered you.”

  Hal straightened to offer a formal introduction. “Yes, sir, this is Miss Birdie Templeton. Birdie, this is my boss, Dallin Walsh, owner of the Grassy Fork Ranch where I work.”

  Birdie’s smile lit her face. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Walsh. I hope you have enjoyed your time here in Wildcat Ridge.”

  Feeling no self-consciousness about the message
his actions conveyed, Dallin turned to Nissa, his admiration for her written on his face. “I’ve enjoyed it immensely. Even if I don’t end up with even one horse, it was well worth my time to come here.”

  Hal cleared his throat. “Boss, I hate to cut this short, but I promised Buck I’d come to relieve him at the livery for a couple of hours. I need to get going. If you don’t mind, please watch to make sure nothing happens to Bir…Miss Templeton.”

  “Sure.” Dallin narrowed his eyes with confusion. “What should l need to watch for that might happen to Miss Templeton?”

  “She works for Crane Bank, and she might find herself in a precarious position by coming here tonight. I understand you’ve already had one run-in with the man, so you know what we’re dealing with.”

  Dallin nodded with understanding. “We’ll keep an eye out for that sidewinder.”

  “Thanks, Boss, I better be going…”

  g

  Whistling loud enough to capture everyone’s attention, Buck burst through the front door of the hotel. Spotting the other two men, he immediately closed his mouth and crossed directly to stand beside Dallin. “Howdy, Boss. The boys at the livery said things are quiet for now, so they told me to come ahead instead of waiting for Hal.” He turned to face Hal. “They do expect you to show up, though. They’re still down two men from what they planned on, both with concussions. One’s recovering upstairs in the hotel, and the other’s over at the doc’s place.”

  Hal nodded and patted Birdie’s hand that still rested in the crook of his arm. “I was on my way.”

  “Before you go, you going to introduce me? Seems you owe me that much after sneaking out of the boarding house the way you did the last two nights.” He turned to Birdie. “No offense to you, miss, since I figure you have to be pretty special to catch Hal’s eye.”