“After this last week? Yes!” Cate emphatically answered.
“I talked to Jacob about us living at Sam Larson’s old place until the Hamners get here and move in. But that would only work for a month or two, not enough time to build us a house…”
“But it would give us time to ourselves, and let Sarah and Marcus get established on their own without us around. I assume they’ll let us move back in temporarily if we need to…”
“I’m sure they’d welcome our help with the children again in exchange for room and board,” Isaac chuckled.
The ranch buildings were in view as they descended the hill. Cate thought of the different places she’d lived over the years and the memories created in them.
With her parents and sister in their house in Illinois and helping in her parent’s mercantile. School days, church and community activities, while always being with a special group of friends. Falling in love….
Marrying Moses and living on his family farm at the edge of town. Learning to be a wife, supporting his work on the farm while taking care of a household. The births of her three sons, the attack and Sarah’s birth resulting from it. Worries of the Civil War and their decision to leave their families to move their children west.
Homesteading land in Kansas, enduring a year of living in a dirty dugout before they could build a small house, which they added on to over time to its current size. Being lonely until the town was established nearby. Watching her husband die a slow death. Watching her children grow into adults and marry.
And for the past month, Cate had been living in the large house of a rich bachelor cattle rancher while taking care of a group of orphaned children.
She joked about wanting to move away from the full house, but after they marry and move to another house, it would only be her and Isaac living together. She was circling back to her youth and starting over—no, given another chance to love a special man she’d known since childhood.
And how long would it last before it might be taken away? One could never tell, so she’d enjoy being with Isaac in this next phase of her life for as long as God gifted it to her.
Chapter 8
Sarah and Faye were bickering like they were sisters all right, but more like eight and eleven, instead of eighteen and twenty–one. This had gone on for over a week, and it was time to let them work things out between them, by themselves.
Cate took off her apron and hung it on the hook on the back of the kitchen door. Before she got to the stairs, Sarah called out. “What’s wrong, Momma? Are you sick?”
“No, why?” Cate only had one foot on the first step when Sarah asked.
“We need to start lunch, and feed the babies again.”
“Yes, you do.” One more step.
“Aren’t you going to cook, Momma?”
“No, I’m going upstairs. You two can decide what to fix for lunch.” Another step.
“Okay, we’ll call you when it’s time to come down and feed the infants.”
“No, you and Faye can do that. I’m going out for a while.” Another step.
“But…we need help.”
“Sarah, you wanted a big family and now you have it. I’m the grandmother, so I don’t have to take care of them all the time. That’s your responsibility.” Up to the fifth step on the stairs.
“Yes, but between mine and Faye’s, we have nine children.”
How did Isaac word it when she made the same comment? “That’s four and a half children each, so you two can easily take care of them.”
Sixth step.
“She doesn’t know how to take care of the children!”
“Then you can teach her, because you’re a good mother.”
Seventh step, three more to go to the top of the landing.
“Mother!”
Cate continued up the steps and walked into her room. It was time to let them be women on their own. So, what should she do? Get out her carpet bag and fill it up. Cate opened her dresser drawer, pulled underthings enough for a few days and tossed them into the bag. Comb, brush, hair pins and other essentials went in next. When was the last time I took a trip? Never by myself…
Cate took off her work dress, dusted talcum powder under her arms to freshen her sweaty body before slipping into her Sunday dress. She put her hat on, securing it with a hat pin, trying not to stab herself as her temper started to rise.
She was stomping out the bedroom door when she realized she hadn’t changed her shoes, so she toed off her work boots, and sat down in her bedroom chair to button on her good shoes.
Where was she going? On a vacation, but she needed money to travel. Cate picked up her reticule and carpet bag, and descended the staircase.
Luckily, Sarah wasn’t still at the bottom of the steps, so Cate tiptoed down the hall into Isaac’s office. Neither Isaac nor Marcus were in the room, so Cate quickly walked over to the wall safe. She’d never looked through the contents of the safe herself, but Isaac had shown her how to open the safe should she ever need to—and today was the day.
She felt like a thief when she pulled two hundred dollars from Isaac’s stash of currency. Cate didn’t plan to spend a quarter of the money, but she really might decide to take off on a longer trip. To calm his worry and his thinking someone had actually opened his safe and stolen money, Cate wrote a quick note to put in the safe before she locked it again.
“Isaac, I’m going to a big city to buy a new dress. Thank you for the money. Love, Cate.”
Stuffing the money in her reticule, she picked up her carpet bag and walked into the noisy kitchen. Besides Sarah and Faye fussing at each other, Maggie and Molly were having their own verbal tug of war.
“I’m going away for a few days, so I’ll see you later.” Her announcement stopped all conversation.
“What?” Sarah sputtered. “You can’t just leave! Besides cooking, cleaning and the babies, there’s all the babies’ diapers to wash!”
“So you’ll be so busy you won’t miss me.”
“Miss Cate, where are you going?” Faye found her voice.
“I’m not sure. I may go to Rania’s for a few days…or Paris, France. You are on your own,” Cate stated before walking to the back door.
“Grandma?” Molly’s little voice about broke Cate’s heart, but she still had to leave.
“Molly, I’m going on a trip but I’ll be back in a few days. Then you can tell me all you’ve done when I get back. Okay?” Cate leaned over and gave each child who was in the kitchen a hug and kiss before strolling out the door. She felt sick and happy at the same time. Cate would miss her family, but she was ready to take off on her own adventure.
“Rusty, do you have time, or could one of the hands take me to Clear Creek now?”
“Yes, ma’am. Uh, where you headed? Isaac didn’t mention you was leaving the ranch,” Rusty asked, looking a little confused at her standing there with a carpet bag.
“Let’s just say I’m…taking a little time away from the family,” Cate said, patting Rusty’s arm. “Ready to help me escape?”
“The buggy will be ready in a few minutes and I’ll drive you into town. Isaac and Marcus are out with the herd. Do they know you’re leaving?”
Cate smiled thinking of the money stashed in her reticule. “No, but I left Isaac a note, and the girls know I’m leaving.”
By the time they arrived in town, Cate still didn’t know where she was going, but she would ride the train to Hays or Abilene at least. She relished the thought of getting a hotel room for overnight, sleeping late, eating in a restaurant and shopping. It had been a long time since she’d done anything or bought something for herself.
Her conscience was starting to pinch, though, when they pulled into town. “Rusty, please let me off at the church. I want to talk to Pastor Reagan, then I’ll go over to Millie’s. When I’m ready to go back to the ranch, I’ll have Adam bring me home.” She wouldn’t tell Rusty her plans, but she’d tell the pastor, so someone other than family knew where she
was going.
“Hello, Cate. Come in, come in. I thought of something today and was contemplating riding out to talk to you.”
Pastor took a stack of hymnals off the chair so she could sit. “I had my boys clean the hymnal covers and they haven’t put them back out yet.”
“Thank you, Pastor. I’ve decided to leave town for a night or two to give Sarah and Faye time to themselves—and to give me some much needed rest, too. I…didn’t tell the family where I was going, but thought I should let someone know, so you’re my confidant.”
“I’m sure my wife would love to run away with you for a few days, but then I’d be stuck with our six boys, so I won’t mention it to her,” Pastor chuckled. “Where are you going then?”
“I’ll take the train to Hays and stay there a few days. I want to shop for a nice gown for my wedding.”
“So, Isaac finally came around, then, about setting a wedding date?”
“No, but I’m optimistic. Now, what were you going to tell me?”
“I kept thinking the name Felix Longoria sounded familiar, so I checked, and I’m fairly positive I’ve met the man during this last year.”
Cate stared at the pastor. “Where? Were you visiting someone in the state penitentiary?”
“No, why do you think I met him there? He’s the preacher at the Community Church in Topeka.”
Cate didn’t know what to think. “Pastor, the last Isaac knew, his stepbrother was in prison and ready to hang for a train robbery. Surely it’s not the same man.”
“Actually, it could be. Pastor Longoria said he had spent time in prison before becoming a preacher. He was accused of a robbery, but he was cleared. Said his time in prison was a wake–up call to change his life around.”
“Black hair, blue eyes? Looks like he has some Spanish ancestry?”
“I recall his hair was starting to gray at the temples, but yes, those are his features.”
Here Cate thought Felix was dead and no longer a threat to Sarah and Faye. This news twisted her insides. “Are you sure he’s really a preacher?”
“I sent some telegrams to find out because I knew you’d ask. Longoria went to the seminary in Chicago and he’s been at the same church for six years. Pastor Longoria is well liked in his congregation, according to the Topeka town marshal.”
Cate realized she was rubbing her neck, but she stopped before she made Pastor think she was going crazy. This fear had to stop once and for all.
“Pastor, I’m going to Topeka instead of Hays. I need to confront the man about what he did to me, and about Sarah. And if the man has any compassion, he’d want to know his daughter Faye’s, situation, too. They haven’t seen each other in years, and I’m guessing he didn’t know where Faye went after leaving her grandmother’s care.”
“Cate, I didn’t tell you so you’d confront the man by yourself. Please take Isaac with you if you want to see Pastor Longoria,” Pastor Reagan pleaded.
“I’ll check in with Topeka’s town marshal and ask him to introduce us if that makes you feel better, but I will meet with him. If there’s any way he could repair the damage he’s done to my family, I’ll drag him back to Clear Creek myself.”
***
Cate enjoyed the train ride to Topeka, talking with fellow passengers, studying the little towns where the train stopped briefly to pick up passengers. But she also missed her family. More than once, she wanted to point out something which each grandchild would have enjoyed seeing.
Topeka had changed since she, Moses, and their young family passed through here a dozen years ago. Instead of a new town with wooden buildings along a dirty street, the downtown now featured businesses in brick buildings and established homes in neighborhoods.
Cate asked the depot agent where to find a nice hotel and she only had to walk three blocks to find it. When she arrived last night, she had ordered a tub of hot water and sat in it until her skin pruned. There was no reason to take a quick bath because she had all the time in the world, and she thoroughly enjoyed it.
She slept in, enjoying not having to get up to feed an infant in the middle of the night or being woken when a small child crawled in bed with her. Cate leisurely strolled downstairs to the dining room and ate a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon and a wonderful cinnamon roll slathered in butter. She studied other diners as she enjoyed a second cup of coffee, wondering why they were in town, and where they were from. Many of the unaccompanied men looked her way, but she compared them all to Isaac and didn’t see anyone with whom she’d rather spend her life. She hoped the next time she stayed into this hotel—or town—it would because she and Isaac were sightseeing.
Cate went into every mercantile, dress shop and millinery she passed downtown. She went back to one store which had ready–made dresses available to be altered to fit. Cate finally decided on a plum–colored satin gown, with a square neckline trimmed in white lace. It had a matching jacket so she could wear it almost year round. The dress needed to be hemmed and taken in a little at the waist, but the clerk said it would be ready to pick up tomorrow morning.
Next, she strolled through shops looking for small things the grandchildren would enjoy, a jewelry shop, thinking a pair of cuff links would be a nice wedding gift for Isaac—all the while knowing she was putting off the reason she came to Topeka in the first place.
After taking her purchases back to the hotel and eating lunch in their dining room, she asked the desk clerk if he knew of a Pastor Longoria at the Community Church. He gave her directions and now she stood in front of the church door, scared to open it and face her past.
“May I help you, Ma’am?”
Cate gasped in surprise and whirled around to face the man who asked her the question…and her left hand went immediately to her throat. If her right hand had been around the derringer in her reticule, the man would have a gaping hole in his gut.
“Ah, yes. I’m looking for Pastor Felix Longoria?” Cate tried to keep her voice from shaking, but she wasn’t having any success.
“That would be me,” he replied with a puzzled smile. “May I help you? Would you like to step into my office in the vestibule?”
Why did I come here by myself?! “I’d…I’d prefer staying…outside in the breeze. Could we sit on the park bench I saw just down the street? It…it’s under a nice shade tree.”
“Oh, of course. That would be fine.” He offered her his elbow to hold on to during their walk to the bench, but she couldn’t touch him. Cate moved a few feet away to walk by herself, while breathing deeply to calm her nerves.
She waited until Longoria was seated before sitting on the opposite side of the bench, wishing it was twice its length. Now what do I say? I’m here to face the past and make the future better for everyone.
Cate straightened her spine, opened the drawstring on her reticule.
“I’m here about your daughter,” Cate’s voice was now strong.
“What? Faye? You know where Faye is? I haven’t been able to locate her in years!”
Cate hesitated a moment when seeing her little pistol, but took out a tintype photo and handed it to him.
The man brought it up close to his eyes, studying the details of the young woman featured. “She’s all grown up! I missed so many years of her life. I…left her with my mother, Faye’s grandmother, but Madre said Faye’s mother came and took her away.”
“That’s not your daughter,” Cate clearly stated.
“What? Yes, it is. I’m sure of it! Where did you get this photo?” he demanded.
“You’re holding a portrait of my daughter, Sarah Wilerson Brenner.”
He looked confused at the mention of Sarah’s full name. The pastor looked at the photo, then turned to stare at her. “Who are you?” but his face turned pale while saying it.
“Cate Wilerson, a friend of Isaac Connely.” Saying hers and Isaac’s names together made her feel stronger now. She consciously took her left hand off her throat, watching the man’s eyes travel to her throat and back to
her eyes.
He shut his eyes and hung his head. Cate stayed silent, waiting for him to speak.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry…” She could see his profile, his eyes filling with tears, but he didn’t turn her way as he spoke.
“My late husband, Moses, knew of your attack, but there was a chance Sarah was his daughter instead of yours, so we never mentioned it anyone. It wasn’t until Faye showed up at Isaac’s ranch this week…that I knew Sarah was not Moses’ daughter after all. I thank God he never knew the truth when he died a few years ago. It would have devastated him.”
“How and why did Faye come to find Isaac?” Longoria kept his eyes averted, but was apparently over the initial shock.
“According to Faye’s account, your mother gave Ruth Reed money to take Faye off her hands. They…ended up in Kansas City and Ruth disappeared after a few years…leaving Faye where her mother was working…” That revelation snapped his eyes to Cate’s.
“Faye’s mother was a…soiled dove. Are you saying…Oh Lord, give me strength.” Longoria gave out a long sigh but didn’t continue.
“Yes, Faye’s been working…in a house of ill repute. She had kept the envelope when Isaac wrote to your mother that he had moved to Kansas. When the house owner was going to take away her baby, she stole some money and came to Isaac for help.”
“A baby? My little girl has a baby?!”
“She’s eighteen now, and she has a three–month old daughter. And since I’m sure you’re wondering, no she’s not married, nor does she know the identity of the baby’s father.”
The pastor wiped his face with his hand and looked back at the church. “When I saw you, I assumed you were interested in joining the church and the Ladies Guild.”
“Do you have a family now, Pastor?” Cate had to ask, wondering if Sarah and Faye had other half–siblings.
The pastor groaned and buried his head in his hands again. “Yes, I married a young woman five years ago, and her age is closer to Sarah’s than mine. We have two children, Devin is four years old, and Dorothy is two. My wife knows nothing of my past. Nothing…”
Cate Corrals a Cattleman Page 7
