by Danni Roan
Her small hand patted his arm, sending a light shiver along his skin. He smiled. Who know a little hand could be so comforting?
“We’d better get some sleep.” He finally offered, and rolled over. Meg patted his arm one more time then turned her back to him and snuggled into the down tick.
The next morning Meg woke feeling warm and safe in her big bed only to realize that she and Clayton lay curled together in the middle of the thick mattress. She blushed and gently untangled herself from his arms, then rising she dressed hastily and slipped silently from the room.
Her mind kept turning over and over the things he’d told her the night before. It must have been devastating to lose everything and strangely her heart went out to him. Grudgingly she admitted that she’d been wrong about him. He was a good man and deserved a chance at a better life. Finally understanding the anger that simmered in him, she could see past the mask of carefree oaf he sometimes portrayed to cover the hurt.
Nona was in the kitchen when Meg got down stairs but otherwise the house was quiet. The others, after their long trek back from Casper, must have been sleeping late, even so dawn had barely touched the horizon.
“What can I do to help Nona?” Meg asked, then started at her grandmother’s sour look. “Is everything alright?” She asked wondering what could have put Nona in a poor mood already.
“Hm?” the older woman asked, obviously distracted. “Oh, I’m sorry Meg, my mind is somewhere else this day.” She forced a smile for her granddaughter. “You mix up the pancakes while I get the bacon started.”
Meg leaned over and kissed her Nona on the cheek. “Whatever it is Nona, I’m sure it will all work out. Remember we’re never given more than we can bare.” She smiled at her grandmother’s startled look then pulled flour, salt and soda from the pantry.
Cathleen was the next to bustle into the kitchen he almost always present smile in place on her pretty face. He cheeks were pink this morning as if tinged with the remnants of a blush.
“What’s on ta menu today Bianca?” she asked cheerfully pulling down and apron and tying it at her back. Cathleen was one of the prettiest woman she’d ever know seeming to glow with some hidden joy that bubbled from within. She was a large woman round and buxom with dark hair and bright hazel eyes. She’d been like a magic elixir for Benji.
She walked over to where Meg stood stirring the batter and leaned toward her offering a cheek, expecting a kiss, which she quickly received.
“Mmm. Pancakes.” She mumbled then with a smile headed toward the door set in the wall of the hall stairwell that led to the basement stores below. “I’ll just fetch some of that lovely raspberry jam.” She called over her shoulder then disappeared.
Meg noticed as Nona smiled despite her earlier dark mood, Cathleen tended to have that effect on people.
“When are Aunt Cathleen and Uncle Benji headed back to their cabin?” Meg asked dropping another egg into the batter and stirring it vigorously.
“They loaded up the buckboard last night but plan to stay to help with the fencing.” The plump matron of the Broken J called as she flipped the bacon with a fork.
“It will be nice having them here a while.” Meg said. “Maybe Cathleen can help Deeks’ wife feel more comfortable.” She mused.
Meg was shocked to see the dark scowl return to her grandmother’s face. She decided to let the subject drop.
Chapter 14
The first of April played a fine joke on everyone as it swept real cold down from the mountains and onto the prairie, dusting the struggling new growth with a blanket of white.
As the older men and Hank began running wire along stretches of already installed fence posts Will and Clayton headed out to drive the Broken J cattle toward what would become their wire boundaries, systematically moving cows and calves into the lowest valleys.
Clayton pushed The Duke higher into the trees as black clouds boiled into the bowl of the Wind River range. An icy breeze ruffled his collar and tugged at his chaps. Snow was falling heavily now and his hands were nearly numb. He’d been following the trail of a cow and calf for nearly a half hour as it meandered into the copse of dark pines. Ahead of him he scanned the earth for any sign of where they’d gone in the quickly accumulating powder. He’d also seen signs of another big cat and hoped the animals hadn’t run a fowl of the beast.
Easing his big body through a particularly thick patch of pine and brush, Duke’s head came up and his ears perked toward a thick shrub. Straining his eyes to see what his horse had sensed, Clayton could just make out the form of a wooly white faced calf, its bright red coat dusted with thick damp snow.
Swinging out of the saddle he worked his way through the branches and lifted the small, shivering creature into his arms, turned back to his horse and slung the little animal across his saddle before climbing aboard himself. He’d go on just a little further to see if he could find the calf’s mother then head back to the ranch before the weather got any worse.
Turning Duke toward the downward slope he eventually came on the carcass of the old cow. She’d led the lion away from her calf but the cost had been high and her bloody remains littered the otherwise pristine white of the fresh snow. The big cat was nowhere to be seen so he headed toward the ranch.
Meg clutched the heavy wool quilt close as she stepped through the blowing snow and up onto the small front porch of her sister’s house. She smiled as she looked at the snug little place that Will and Katie had just that week moved into.
The wood that had only been cut that fall was already turning silver and the two little windows on either side of the heavy wood door sparkled with frost. She could smell the sharp tang of wood smoke puffing from the stove they’d purchased in Casper and Meg felt her heart mellow at the changes to her home.
Lifting a mittened hand she rapped on the front door and waited as heavy snow flakes filtered lazily to the ground. She shivered despite the blanket and her heavy winter coat. This was true cold.
The door slid open a little and Katie peeked out, a bright smile lighting her face when she saw Meg.
“Come in out of the cold.” She said gesturing and opening the door enough for her slim sister to squeeze though.
“Nona thought you might want another quilt.” Meg offered lifting the dark, gold and brown crazy quilt to show her oldest sister.
Katie giggle. “You’d think she’d know by now that Will keeps me warm enough.” The blonde young woman said with a blush.
“Katie!” Meg gapped, then suddenly they both broke into peels of wild laughter.
“Come sit and have a cup of tea with me. I love having my own place but it feels so strange being on my own for most of the day.” She walked to the shiny black stove and moved the kettle onto a hot round then began preparing the tea.
“You know Meg; you are a married woman now as well.” Katie’s voice was casual but it made Meg squirm. She and Clayton hadn’t told anyone about their plans for an annulment yet and she wasn’t sure just how much she wanted to confess to her sister.
“Things are not what they seem.” She said smoothing her skirts.
“Then what are they?” Katie’s voice was imploring. “Meg, you’ve never been so quiet and you don’t seem at all happy. At least not like a newlywed should be.” She turned her jade stare on her sister. “Is he that terrible?”
“No.” Meg replied, still looking at the folds of her skirt. She had actually begun to think that Clayton was not too bad at all.
Pulling out a chair Katie sat down across the table from her sister. Meg had always been so full of spunk and dreams. Katie hated seeing her so serious. “Just tell me.” She pleaded, stretching her hand toward her sibling.
“I just wanted to teach him a lesson.” Meg began her voice quiet as she placed her hand in her sisters. “He was so cocky and arrogant when he arrived.”
Katie smiled as the familiar fire flared in Meg’s eyes and she squeezed her hand encouraging her to go on.
“But now I’m no
t so sure.” Meg finally raised her eyes to her oldest sister’s face. “Katie he has such a temper.”
Katie gasped, eyes going wide with concern for her sister.
“Oh no!” Meg interjected “Not toward me, I know he’d never hurt me but it’s like he’s banked the coals of his anger and it’s always just there waiting to flare.”
“Pa told Will that his father had their ranch in Florida swindled right out from under him.” Katie said. “I supposed that could fester in a man.”
Meg gazed at her sister, she hadn’t known anything about that until just a few nights ago. She’d been too busy trying to get the upper hand. That small core of guilt wriggled inside of her, growing stronger.
“He beat up three men in Casper.” She said watching for Katie’s reaction. Then in a rush the whole story poured out. The agreement for an annulment, the fight, their first civil conversation over coffee and pie.
When her words finally ran out she felt exhausted and yet refreshed at the same time. A cold wind battered the sides of the cabin, and raced down the chimney making the stove whistle and glow.
“You need to talk to him Meg.” Katie said her tone kind and friendly, not bossy as it had often been in the past. “You need to make amends and set things right. Even if you’re not going to truly become his wife he deserves that.”
Meg nodded, shame coloring her cheeks. “I’ve never reacted to anyone like I have to Clayton.” She said watching the snow falling in blankets of white. “He just made me so mad on that first day.”
Katie patted Meg’s hand. “You’d better head up to the house now before this gets any worse.” She said. It’s almost lunch time and if Clayton is in you’ll have your chance then.
No sooner had the words left her mouth then the front door swung over in a gush of wind as the tall lanky form of Will stepped in out of the storm.
“Boy howdy is it ever blowing out there.” He said. “Oh, hello Meg.” He added stomping the snow off of his boots and dusting it from his heavy coat before hanging it on a peg by the front door.
Meg smiled. “I’m just heading up to the house.” She said her eyes bright. “Has Clayton come back in yet?”
“I’m not sure, but I hope he gets in pretty quick. It’s not fit weather for man nor beast out there.”
An icy blast of wind and snow beat around Clayton’s face burning his cheek bones and causing his nose to run. He sniffed and pulled the small form of the calf in close to him trying to share his body heat with it and hoping it would do the same for him.
His feet were numb and the blowing snow was blinding as The Duke plodded into the wind. He trusted the horse knew its way home after just a few short weeks of working the Broken J. Snow matted the horse’s black mane, and clung to his fetlocks making it look like he wore short white socks. The animal’s whiskers were icy, and a dusting of snow stuck to his shoulders and dusted his face where it blew directly at them.
Clayton slipped his gloved hands under his horse’s mane warming them as best he could under the thick blanket of hair. He’d never seen snow like this before, he’d never really seen snow at all. Pulling his collar up against the biting cold he tried to whisper a prayer through lips that would barely move. “Lord, I know I’ve been pretty angry with you lately, well just plane angry but I think I see now.” He closed his eyes, slumping further in the saddle to preserve heat.
“Sometimes you pull us out of where we’re most comfortable and stretch us to the breaking point to make us grow.” He shivered his teeth chattering and he gave up speaking the words.
See that I get home Lord, Meg’s lovely face swam before his eyes at the thought before he continued. I’ll do my best to bury the past and follow the path you’ve set me on. His finall thought faltered as blackness surrounded him.
Mae, bundled in her warmest coat and wrapped in scarf and gloves, stood in the sturdy barn brushing Callie. The little pinto stood patiently munching hay in the big box stall where Scooter and the now large colt were bedded. Walt had brought the most vulnerable animals into the barn out of the worst of the weather while the other stock sheltered in the lean to in the big corral.
No one had expected the storm and they were just fortunate that it hadn’t hit earlier when they were returning from Casper. She glanced at the flea bit gray mule who was curled up on the fresh straw, head nodding. He sure was an ugly critter, she thought but not unkindly. Mae loved all animals.
Scooter jerking his head and then pushing himself to his feet with a grunt was Mae’s only warning before a thunk rattled the barn door. Mae jumped, pushed Scooter out of the way, where he’d begun to unlatch the stall gate and yanked open the door.
The Duke, dusted in snow and head hanging, stepped through the small door, carrying his rider who slumped in the saddle like a sack of potatoes, the black horse had no sooner cleared the door then Clayton Allen slid slowly to the right hitting the barn floor with a thud. A calf bawled softly from somewhere inside his coat.
Mae screamed.
“Thought we’d just get an onion snow like my old pappy used ta say.” Billy grumbled as he sipped a cup of steaming coffee and stirred the big pot on the large cook stove. “It’s to danged late to be getting this kind a’ weather.”
The sound of the front door slamming open made the old man jump and turn toward the sound of running feet.
“Help!” Mae’s voice echoed down the hall. “Help! It’s Mr. Allen, he’s in the barn.” Her breath came in shocked gasps as she skidded to a halt in the kitchen.
Along the big tables the men, who’d been waiting for lunch rose and sprinted for the door.
Mae turned to join them but a gnarled hand fell on her shoulder and she looked up into the crinkled eyes of her great-grandfather.
“Ye-ye?” she questioned, using the Chinese endearment.
Chen Lou looked down at her, his face serious. “Go fetch your Nona.” He said his voice calm. “She’s hanging wash in the bath house.”
Mae nodded once then ran to the back door, wrenched it open and dashed out into the driving snow.
Joshua James and the other men lifted the still form of the black haired cow hunter in gentle hands and carried him into the house. They’d just maneuvered him into the kitchen when Bianca stepped through the back door with Mae.
“Saints have mercy.” She cried as her husband and the big cattle man stood holding Clayton by the arms. “he’s nearly frozen. Quick bring him out to the bathhouse and we’ll get him into that sauna of yours Josh.”
The men lifted the limp cowboy and quickly hustled him out the back door and across to the warmth of the smaller building.
Mae fell into her great-grandfather’s arms. Worry etching her face. “I’ll fetch Uncle Deeks to see to the animals.” She finally whispered and slipped back out into the storm.
Meg, her head full of the things she needed to explain to Clayton, climbed over the fence and made her way around the back of the bunk house. She’d almost come abreast of the bath house when she saw her father, grandfather, along with Walt and Steve carrying something into the bath house. The still form was wearing a black Stetson Meg’s gut went cold with fear.
The interior of the bath house smelled of washing soap and wet linen. Long lines of rope, suspended from the rafters, were draped with a variety of clean clothes and the men ducked their heads as they wound their way around washboards, basins, and mangle, heading for the small room at the far end of the building.
Nona directed them to the bench where they lay Clayton down on the hard wooden pallet that ran the length of the small tightly fitted room. Heat condensed around them from the heavy pan of rocks suspended above the hot stove pipe.
“Careful with his boots.” Nona asserted as she started to remove his scarf and gloves. “We’ll need to strip off this outer wear to let the heat get to him.” Her voice was strong though her eyes betrayed her worry.
The door behind the small crew flew opened again as Meg, eyes wide, face pale entered the sauna’s small
space.
“Don’t just stand there girl.” Nona barked “get his mittens off.”
Meg moved. In just a few minutes they’d stripped the cowboy to his long johns. Walt had carefully pried Clayton’s black boots from his feet and stood by waiting while Nona inspected his toes.
“They’re mighty blue.” She said touching his feet gently “but I think he’s made it just shy of frost bite.” She studied a little longer, the air growing heavy around them with so many people crammed in the space. “You men might as well go on up and let Billy serve you lunch. You can't do any more for him here.” She stepped past Meg and out the door.
Meg quickly stripped out of her winter coat and gloves then settled next to the man who she legally be called husband. He was so pale, she had to get him warm. Her mind raced to remember everything she knew about a severe chill.
“We’ll need to sit him up.” Nona’s voice made Meg turn toward the door as her grandmother walked across the floor carrying a basin of wash water in her hand. “We want to get his feet in this luke-warm water. Hot’s not good for cold. Sit him up and I’ll get his feet in.” she nodded, fully expecting to be obeyed.
Somehow Meg managed to slide behind the puncher, ratcheting him into a sitting position with her arms and the weight of her body. Hiking her skirts up over her knees she leaned against the wall at her back and wrapping both arms and legs around the unconscious man held him upright while Nona lifted each lean muscular leg and place his feet in the basin. He twitched in her arms and Meg knew that some of the pain in his feet must have registered.
She turned worried eyes to her grandmother. “It’s all we can do for now.” Nona’s voice was soft comforting. We need to get him warm and then see if there are any other problems. The boy’s not used to this kind of cold.”
