A Love of Her Own

by Maggie Brendan

  After dinner, Natalie rose from the table. “Anyone interested in Louise’s cherry pie?”

  “Sounds like a delicious way to top off the meal,” Willard said.

  “Then why don’t we retire to the parlor. We can have our dessert in there and relax a bit.” Margaret stood and the others did likewise.

  “Mother, Natalie and I will bring the tray in a few minutes,” Louise said.

  “What fine daughters you have, Miss Margaret.” Willard took his wife’s arm and followed Margaret into the parlor.

  Margaret’s heart warmed at his words. “Indeed I do. I couldn’t ask for any better than my two girls.”

  As they entered the parlor, she couldn’t help but notice the scorched spot in the shape of a flatiron on the back of April’s dress. Dear me . . . first the tub of laundry and her torn dress, now this. Whatever has April been up to? Not to mention that peculiar smell mixed with rose water that clings to her. It was very apparent to Margaret that April was indeed a free spirit. April caught her staring, but Margaret only gave her an amused smile.

  9

  Miss Margaret stepped out onto the front porch, thanking God for His beautiful cloudless blue sky this September morning. Sighing deeply, she embraced the day and thanked Him for living to see another one, though she longed for her husband. On days like this, when her stiff knees didn’t want to carry her, joining him would be a blessed relief. She knew in her heart that God had a reason for her to still be alive. Two daughters who needed her, for one thing.

  She’d been a spinster and had long given up on love when she’d met and married George. He had swept her off her feet, and right away they’d started a family. Maybe that was why she had such sympathy for Louise. Being the eldest daughter, she seemed to be destined to spinsterhood. Well, not if I have anything to do with it! It was Margaret’s dream to have her daughters settled before the Lord took her home—as if she had any choice in the matter.

  She turned to go back indoors and hoped the girls were up now and dressing for church. She wasn’t too sure about the rest of the boarders. She’d invited everyone at dinner last night and watched as April raised an eyebrow.

  That April was quite different from the boarders she was used to dealing with. Maybe the hotel would have a vacancy and April would move back over there where she could be waited on properly, as she seemed to think was her due. Then again, Margaret was interested enough in April’s shenanigans to want to keep her around, if for nothing else but pure entertainment. Besides, she needed Margaret’s prayers.

  Natalie and Louise met her in the foyer, all set to go to services. “Mother, April asked if we would wait for her. She’s changed her mind and decided to join us,” Natalie said with a doubtful look at Louise.

  “Wonderful! As long as she doesn’t take too long. Nothing’s worse than walking into church after the preacher has started his sermon.”

  “I told her not to take too long, but I don’t think hurrying is in her nature.” Louise twisted her lips together.

  Natalie touched her mother’s arm. “Mother, I think you should say something to her about the condition of her clothes. Perhaps we should have her see about having them sent out to the laundry down the street.”

  “There’s a peculiar smell that seems to linger too,” Louise said with a disapproving tone. She stood with her arms crossed. “I don’t want to be late today since I’m playing the piano—”

  Margaret interrupted. “I know what you mean, Natalie.” She smiled up at her daughters. “I’m not too sure she would appreciate us being nosy. And Louise, we have plenty of time to get to the church before the service starts.” Putting a finger to her lips, she shushed them. “Here she comes. Now be kind.”

  April joined them in another poorly pressed morning dress of pale green, its white collar curling up at one edge. “I’m sorry if I’ve kept you ladies waiting. I guess I sleep better than I thought in the toile bedroom.” She laughed.

  Natalie pressed her gloved hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle as her eyes swept over April’s appearance.

  “We must hurry now,” Louise said tersely. “Had I known we would have to wait for you, I’d have hitched the team to the wagon, but since we’re walking, we really must go or I’m going to be late!”

  April rolled her eyes and gave Natalie a conspiratorial glance. “Isn’t it just a short walk to the church?” she asked, but Louise simply ignored her question.

  “Don’t worry, April. Louise is not happy if she isn’t ahead of schedule, no matter what it is.”

  “Humph! You’re not the one playing the music at church.” Louise proceeded to fling open the front door after giving her sister a sharp look.

  “Girls, please! This is the Lord’s day. You will rejoice and be glad in it.” Margaret heard another “humph” escape Louise’s pursed lips. Her voice softened. “Natalie, fetch my Bible for me.” Motioning with a wave of her cane for them to follow Louise, Margaret stepped through the door.

  It was only three short blocks to the church whose steeple was sparkling white against the cloudless blue sky. The adjacent cemetery was enclosed with a wrought-iron fence, and its tombstones were aged gray from the passing of time and harsh winter weather. Tall spruce trees, bent permanently from past Chinook winds, leaned against the fence. Several people were standing about in quiet conversation near the church entrance when Margaret and the girls arrived. Louise scooted on past them with a nod and hurried inside.

  “Well, I declare! If it isn’t Morgan Kincaid in the flesh!” Margaret hobbled up to her friend standing at the top of the church’s broad steps.

  The tall man turned, and a generous smile split his face as he reached out his large hand to Margaret’s small one. “Miss Margaret. Good to see you again.” Turning to Natalie and Louise, he said, “Hello, ladies.”

  “Hello, Mr. Kincaid. Nice to see you taking some time off,” Natalie said.

  “My sentiments as well,” Margaret agreed.

  Morgan smiled back at them, then turned to April and asked, “How’s it working out for you living at the boardinghouse, Miss McBride?”

  April crossed her arms. “It’s okay for now, since the hotel was full. After Josh returns, I plan on staying with him and Juliana at some point before I return to Colorado.”

  “Really?” Morgan’s eyes squinted from the morning sun. “He has Andy and Nellie living with him. It might get a little crowded.”

  “I daresay I have no idea who you are talking about.” April shrugged.

  “I thought you met them at the wedding,” Margaret said.

  “Did I?” April was looking around the church grounds as though she wasn’t interested in the couple staying at her brother’s ranch.

  Morgan chuckled. “Well, if you didn’t, you will soon. Andy works for your brother herding sheep. Nellie is his wife. You’ll like them. They’re a sweet couple.”

  “Is that so? I guess I’ll find out for myself soon enough.”

  “Oh, I’m sure they’re inside the church already. I’ll introduce you afterward,” Natalie said.

  The church bell pealed the hour, and they all went inside. Louise was playing the piano while everyone scrambled for a seat, and the preacher took his place at the podium to greet the congregation. The singing commenced, and after several hymns Reverend Carlson gave a message about putting others before your own needs, bringing an “Amen” or two from the crowd.

  Later, Morgan stood outside under the huge cottonwood tree talking with Margaret. “It’s good to be in church today. When I’m on the road, I really miss Reverend Carlson’s sermons,” he said.

  “I know what you mean, Morgan. How have you been? Are you taking a little break from the stage routes this week?”

  “Just a little. We’ll be back on the road Thursday on the route to Billings.” He peered down at her, his face serious. “I’m having some rheumatism in my hips and wondered what you take when you feel like your joints just won’t move.”

  Margaret patted her upp
er lip with her lace handkerchief. “So that’s what’s ailing you? Probably too many years sitting on that stagecoach perch.” Margaret considered Morgan a true friend, having met him years ago on her first stage ride to Billings. She’d immediately appreciated his good humor and the way he treated most everyone with respect, even ones who didn’t deserve it.

  “Well, are you gonna tell me or just keep it to yourself?” he teased.

  “I’m sorry, my mind was wandering—it’s been doing that a bit more with every passing day. I use salicylic acid. It’s an alkaline treatment I got from Dr. Barnum. He said to take it when my rheumatism is acting up. It’s a bicarbonate of soda or something like that. I’m trying to remember exactly what it was that he told me . . . Anyway, you take it every three or four hours. I add a little lemon juice for taste, but don’t take it on an empty stomach.”

  “Then I’ll drop in to see the doctor about getting some. The older I get, the stiffer my hips and fingers are,” Morgan said, rubbing his hands together. “Is that April gal giving you any trouble?”

  Margaret just laughed. “No, not really—she’s just different. Not at all like Josh,” she said, gazing over at April talking with Wes and Natalie. As she watched the three young people, it suddenly struck her that Natalie was looking up at Wes like he’d hung the moon. Now why hadn’t she seen that look on her face before?

  “Is something wrong, Miss Margaret?” Morgan asked, following her eyes to see what had captured her attention.

  Margaret wrinkled her forehead. “That all depends on whether my daughter has set her eye on Wes, especially after the way April’s face softened when she looked at him.”

  “April—are you sure?” Morgan’s bushy eyebrows raised in question.

  She adjusted her glasses. “I know my eyes aren’t as good as they used to be, but I think I know what I saw in their faces. I never would’ve dreamed it.”

  Morgan lifted his hat off the hitching post, placing it back on his salt-and-pepper head of tight curls. “Natalie might have a little competition in that area. But I’d say Wes is not April’s type of man. Besides, she’s only staying until Josh returns.”

  Margaret laughed. “You have April pegged about right. Underneath all that air of authority hides a spoiled little girl who’s always had her way, but she’s secretly hoping for someone to take her in hand. She may not know it now, but she will sooner or later. Mark my words, Morgan.”

  “Spoken with wisdom, Miss Margaret.” Morgan bowed slightly.

  Margaret started toward Louise, who had now joined the group of young people with Billy at her side, but then she turned back to Morgan. “Why don’t you and Billy join us for lunch today?”

  Morgan shuffled his boots in the dust. “Well, I’m not sure—”

  Tapping her cane in the dirt, Margaret interrupted. “No need to be sure. I’m the one asking, so I’ll take that as a yes.”

  “Then we’d love to have lunch with you.”

  “You can invite your sidekick too.” Margaret watched as Morgan’s face softened. “Is he here?”

  “You mean Leon? I don’t even know where he is this morning. I’m not sure if I want to know . . .”

  “Then just come on over whenever you’re ready—all we have to do is heat up the roast. It won’t take long to do. See you in a little bit.” Margaret walked over to let the girls know she was ready to start back home.

  Nellie and Andy had joined the young people, and Margaret’s heart warmed as she watched the affection between them. “April, did Natalie introduce you to Nellie and Andy?” she asked, joining them.

  April turned from the cluster. “Yes, Miss Margaret, she did,” she answered. “I’ve learned that Josh and Andy get along like brothers.” Margaret thought there was a slight edge to her voice. Could it be that April was jealous?

  Andy patted Nellie’s hand in the crook of his arm. “Josh is about the best employer and friend I could ever hope to have, and we miss him. Don’t we, Nellie?”

  Nellie answered in a thick English accent. “To be sure, Andy. Josh and Juliana have made us feel right at home.”

  “Yes, I guess he did,” April said coolly, her eyes narrowing.

  “Oh, but me and Andy can make up a pallet in the upstairs bedroom, if you’d like to come home with us. It’ll be no problem at all. Or better yet, we could give you our bedroom and we’ll sleep on the pallet, right, dear?” She looked at Andy.

  “Of course we can. I’m sorry, guess I wasn’t thinking. Josh hasn’t had time to furnish the rest of the house yet. I reckon that Juliana will be busy with all that when they return.”

  April straightened her shoulders. “No, no. Don’t do that on my account. I’m comfortable at the boardinghouse for now.”

  Wes, who stood quietly by, made a move to leave. “Excuse me, I’ve gotta head on back. Miss April, I’ll be at the ranch this afternoon if you decide you want to ride over and check out my horses.” He touched his fingertips to his hat and winked at Natalie, who blushed and looked away.

  “I can loan you my horse until you return to Colorado, April,” Nellie offered.

  “Thanks, but I wouldn’t want to put you out.” Turning to Wes, she said, “I’ll come over after lunch then.”

  Wes’s eyes locked on April’s. “Okay,” he answered. “I’ll be waiting.”

  Margaret watched the exchange with interest. She knew Nellie, but she hadn’t been around Andy much. He seemed to be a right likable chap. April’s comments didn’t appear to bother him much, which was good. She doubted that much of anything bothered Andy for very long. He was simply good-natured.

  Margaret noted that Natalie and April both watched as Wes mounted his horse and rode off, leaving a trail of dust behind him. Natalie’s look was wistful, but Margaret couldn’t tell what April was thinking.

  10

  April could hardly wait to slip out after lunch at the boardinghouse, leaving Miss Margaret and her guests in the parlor to relax or play checkers or just nap. But napping was not on April’s mind. It was a glorious September afternoon, and she was going to enjoy it. She changed her clothes to her riding jeans and slipped on her boots for a ride out to Wes’s ranch. She loved the smell of her leather belt and the feel of the embossed leaves on her matching cowboy boots. April had paid a pretty penny for the set. She’d also ordered the smallest pair of men’s Levi’s from the Montgomery catalog when she was only fourteen. She remembered how her mother had gasped when April first donned her riding outfit. It had taken some convincing for her to allow April out of the house. No one at home seemed to mind anymore, and now her curves filled out the jeans in all the right places.

  I’ll bet Wes has a nice ranch with good horseflesh, especially if he’s the expert everyone says he is. It’d be good to have her own horse to ride while she passed the time in Montana. She was looking forward to exploring what the countryside had to offer.

  She passed the parlor and heard Willard and May talking about their family to Miss Margaret. She was glad she didn’t have to stay and listen to their constant banter and lovesick talk.

  April walked in the direction of the depot. Billy had told her he’d have a horse saddled for her that Mr. Kincaid said she could borrow for the trip. Billy planned on going with her, but she would tell him that today she’d rather take a ride on her own. He was a good young man, and she wondered how hard it must have been for him growing up the way he did. April couldn’t imagine life like that. She’d always had everything she needed in life given to her. In fact, she’d never wanted for anything.

  April’s conscience pricked her, and she felt a momentary twinge of sadness for people like Billy, or the crippled girl Jane, whose sad eyes haunted her. And she wondered too about Beth and her baby, Anne. But thinking there was not much she could do for so many less fortunate, she shifted her mind to more pleasant things, like having a horse to ride.

  Rounding the corner to the depot, April saw Billy on the porch waiting for her. He hopped up and ran to greet her but stood back
a ways. His eyes swept over her outerwear, but he simply said, “Ready to go? The boss isn’t back from Miss Margaret’s yet, but I came on back here and saddled up a horse for you and one for me—if you want me along.”

  Such eagerness in his face was too hard for April to refuse. “All right then. I’m ready to go if you are.”

  “I’m more than ready. It sure beats sitting around with old folks talking about rheumatism and such.”

  Billy hurried over to the corral adjacent to the depot building and led two horses out. He handed April one set of reins. “You’ve already ridden Gus, so I know you can handle him. I’ll take Star. Do you know the way to Wes’s place?”

  “No, I thought you knew.” She grinned at him from under the brim of her hat.

  Billy laughed good-naturedly. “I do. I asked Mr. Kincaid this morning.” He led the way past the corral and to the road. “We’ll just follow this wagon road until it ends and then veer off through the meadow for another couple of miles. His place is not too far after that.”

  They cantered along in silence, each enjoying the carefree afternoon ride. April observed that Billy knew how to handle a horse well and seemed very confident.

  “Billy, how do you like your job?” He appeared happier than the day he’d picked her up in his cart at the stage depot in Billings.

  “I like working with Morgan. I don’t even have to call him Mr. Kincaid. He’s different from anyone else I’ve worked for and treats me just like a son.”

  “Is he married?” April asked. She’d never seen any women other than passengers around the depot, and certainly not dark-skinned ladies.

  “I think he is, but I’m not sure where his wife is. It’s not polite to ask him since I just work for him. But I’ll bet you could.” Billy reached down and patted Star’s neck affectionately.

  “I’m glad you’re working for him. Maybe someday you can drive the stage—who knows?”

  “Now that would be just dandy! I’d like that. Maybe if he’ll let me learn how, he could take some time off.”