by Emily Woods
A protectiveness welled up inside of him, akin to that of an older brother or some such. In all likelihood, she’d been given the clothing, her own burned up in the fire. Knowing her story only served to increase his desire to shield her. He prayed that coming here would be a balm to her weary soul. Before he approached her, he also asked God to give him wisdom to make her feel welcome without being intrusive. She'd probably had enough strangers pitying her. He wanted to be more considerate.
However, it didn't take long to figure out that she wanted nothing like that from him. She seemed utterly distracted and didn't even do him the courtesy of listening. He could credit her behavior to the long train ride or perhaps fatigue, but there seemed to be something about her that made him feel uneasy. He hoped that things would be different after she settled in.
After a few awkward verbal exchanges, he decided to give her a break for the ride home. Once the ranch was in sight, relief flooded him. Small talk was not his strength. He would continue to be courteous and helpful whenever possible, but he wasn’t even sure that she wanted that much from him.
“Oh, but aren't you a sight for sore eyes!” Aunt Marge exclaimed, pulling Kate into a hard embrace. “And you too, little one.” She stooped down to Maddie's level and gave her a big smile. “I've got a chocolate cake like you've never tasted before just sitting and waiting for someone to eat it. Could you do that?”
Maddie's eyes grew large and she nodded somberly. Aunt Marge laughed and extended her hand. To Kate's amazement, Maddie took it and followed her great aunt into the house as though she'd known her for years instead of minutes.
“She has the effect on people, you know,” Luke said a little gruffly, but she heard affection in his voice. “But I think you haven’t seen her in a long time, so I can’t blame you for not knowing.”
“It’s been twenty years,” she managed to say, lifting her skirts a little so she could climb up the front porch. “I was only six.” Unwittingly, she’d given him her age, but she wasn’t in a frame of mind to care, not that she would under ordinary circumstances, but a woman was supposed to pretend.
All of a sudden, a dim memory suddenly appeared in her mind's eye. It was of her aunt, laughing and swinging her around. She'd been a lively woman, full of life and fun. It seemed she was still that way.
While Luke looked after their few belongings, Kate made her way into the house. In the kitchen, she found Maddie sitting in front of a large slice of cake with a huge smile on her face.
“It's her favorite,” she murmured, taking a seat beside her daughter. “You couldn't have made her any happier.”
“Aw, it's nothing,” Aunt Marge replied. “And how about some nice hot coffee for you, dear? Or lemonade?”
Her throat was parched, and lemonade sounded wonderful, but she thought maybe she needed a boost so she chose coffee instead.
“Sorry I didn't meet you at the station,” Aunt Marge apologized. “But Luke had some things to do in town, and I don't think it's good for both of us to be away from the ranch. The hands need someone in charge to see over them. Not that they're bad fellows, mind you, but when the cat’s away and all that.”
“But isn't Luke one of your hired hands?” She sipped the dark brew that her aunt had placed in front of her and pulled her own piece of chocolate cake nearer.
Marge shook her head. “Not anymore. He came on as the foreman a few years back, right about the time that the ranch was slipping away. He turned everything around, so I thought it was only fitting I make him a full partner. After all, without him, I'd probably be homeless by now.”
Kate nearly choked on her mouthful of cake. “P-partner?”
Pretending not to notice her niece's shock, Marge cut another piece of cake for herself and sat down at the table. “Yes, partner. I owe him that and more.”
It wasn't hard to see how much her aunt respected the man, but Kate wondered if there wasn't something more to it than that. Marge was only about fifty years old, not exactly a woman in her dotage, and Luke was probably about thirty-five. Was there something more going on between them than business?
“And he accepted, just like that?”
“Not really. I had to threaten to fire him to get him to accept it, but in the end, I got my way.”
The smile that lit Marge's face now prompted one of her own, but Kate tucked all that information into a corner of her mind to ponder later. She would hate to think that someone was taking advantage of her aunt's good nature. No matter how good looking he was, Kate wasn't going to let Luke take away Marge's livelihood.
Funny how quickly she’d gone from feeling sorry for herself to wanting to protect her aunt from any schemer.
It was a nice change.
Chapter 4
Luke sneaked out of the house without making a sound. He'd been just about to join Marge and her niece in the kitchen when he realized that they were talking about him. For a few moments, he eavesdropped, but when it became clear that Kate was not too happy about his being a full partner in the ranch, he thought he'd better head off to the barn. There was still a lot of work to do there in any case.
As he gave his horse a good brushing, his mind traveled back to when Marge had fairly forced him to claim the ranch as a partner. He hadn't liked the idea, but she'd worn him down. He could see her point, but it made him nervous to take on such responsibility. He didn't like to think of himself as being tied to anything, but that was exactly what had happened. Of course, he didn’t feel like he deserved half the ranch either, not for the little he had done.
Now that Kate was here and asking questions, he wondered if Marge would go back on her intentions. Nothing had been set down on paper yet. They had a verbal contract, but nothing more.
He didn't believe her to be that kind of person, but if she was, there was nothing he could do about it. He would just have to wait it out. In the end, it didn't really matter that much. He was the foreman before, and he would do it again.
“I hope you'll sleep well,” Marge said, bringing them to their rooms. However, it quickly became apparent that Maddie had no desire to sleep in her own room.
“For the past month we've slept in the same bed,” Kate explained. “I think for now, at least, we'll just share a room.”
“Of course,” Marge replied, her eyes creasing with compassion. “Take all the time you need.”
Dinner had been a noisy affair as all the ranch hands came in and sat at the long table. They'd clamored for Kate's attention until Marge had told them to hush up and eat before the food got cold. Maddie hadn't been exactly frightened by the men, but she stayed close to Kate's side and didn't speak.
A few men, especially the older ones, had tried to engage Maddie in some conversation, but Kate just shook her head.
“I'm sorry, but she's very shy, and it's been a long day.” She didn't know if everyone knew about their circumstances, so she didn't mention anything about the fire and neither did anyone else. “Give us some time to settle in.” But that was just an excuse. Maddie hadn't said a word since the fire, and Kate worried that she never would again, even though Mrs. Johnston had told her just to wait and pray on it.
She waited, but she would leave the praying to others.
Although she was exhausted, sleep didn't come easily that night. She stared up at the ceiling, Maddie huddled into her side. Her mind went over the day's events and tried to settle on some kind of conclusion about her new life.
The hands were all friendly and respectful. A few of them seemed to show more than polite interest, but her aunt had let it be known that she was off-limits. It was a relief. If she'd had to battle the attention of any men along with her present difficulties, she feared she might lose the little control she currently had.
However, Luke remained a mystery. He hadn’t said much over dinner, just complimenting Marge on the food and then taking his leave before anyone else.
“Gone for his nightly sermon,” one of the younger hands had said jokingly, a comment which h
ad earned him a cuff on the back of the head from Aunt Marge.
“Don't mock him,” she'd warned. “Do you want to bring down God's wrath around your ears?”
Kate wasn't sure what to make of the comment. Surely Luke wasn't some kind of religious fanatic. He certainly didn't look the part.
There was a tug in her heart that she couldn't identify. The uncertainty of the journey had weighed heavily on her mind since the plan had been resolved, setting her nerves on edge. Then she'd been anxious about what life would be like at the ranch. Now that she'd arrived and had a sense of her new life, the anxiety should have left, but something still gnawed at her insides.
Then it occurred to her. She wanted to pray. She wanted to thank God for the safe journey, her aunt's warm welcome, the friendliness of the other hands and so much more, but the words wouldn't come. She still couldn't bring herself to talk to God.
With a sigh, she rolled over and tried to get comfortable, but it was no use. The better part of the night was spent making a list of reasons why she refused to give in and pray. Finally, just as the night sky was starting to lighten, she fell into a restless sleep.
A light touch on her arm less than two hours later abruptly woke her up.
“What?” she exclaimed, nearly falling out of bed. Her eyes felt gritty and her throat was sore. For a moment, she was confused, but then she remembered. She was in Montana on her aunt's ranch.
After blinking a few times, she realized it was Maddie who had touched her.
She pulled her little girl close. “Good morning, dearest,” she murmured, her voice hoarse, as it often was when she didn’t sleep enough. “Something sure smells good, doesn't it? Let's wash up and go downstairs.”
After pulling on the same clothes they'd worn the day before, Kate and Maddie descended to the sound of laughter and utensils clinking against plates.
“Sorry for sleeping in,” she said at the doorway of the kitchen. “I guess the journey was more exhausting then I thought.”
A chorus of voices told her not to worry, but she still felt uncomfortable. However, it was nothing to do with them. Giving the six men a small smile, she headed over to the stove where Marge was working hard making eggs for the hungry men.
“Can I do something?” she asked, eager to help. “I'm a fair cook.”
“Bless your heart, dear,” Aunt Marge replied, “but I'm almost done. Just help yourselves to whatever. Make some room, you big galoots!”
The men mumbled and laughed, but scooted over to make space for Kate and Maddie. Kate apologized profusely before squeezing in beside Luke and another man and taking Maddie on her lap.
“No need for that,” Luke said, standing up and taking his plate with him. “I'm done.” She could see that he was nothing of the sort, but he folded up the last two pancakes on his plate and ate them as he walked toward the basin with his plate, washing them down with some coffee. “Gotta see about the new calf.”
“See you for the noon meal then,” Marge said with a nod. “Go with God.”
Kate watched the man's face soften as he gave her aunt a small smile. She wasn't sure if that meant something or not. Her mind was still unsettled about whether or not there was something going on between the two of them.
However, as each man left, her aunt sent them off with the same words, at which each man nodded or made some kind of soft reply. After the last one left, she watched her aunt go to the window and murmur something.
“What are you doing?” she finally asked curiously.
Aunt Marge turned around and smiled. “Asking for God to bless them and keep them safe. Ranching can be dangerous sometimes. One of our hands was hurt very badly last month and is still recovering.”
“Where?” Kate asked, looking around the house.
“Not here. He's in Great Falls at the doctor's. We're all praying for him.” She left the window and turned her attention to the dishes. Kate came alongside her and helped with the washing. As they worked together, Kate thought about what her aunt had said, that they were praying for God to heal this man.
Her mouth twisted a little, and although she wanted to say something harsh, she bit her tongue. “I hope he gets better soon. Doctors are able to do great things these days.”
There must have been something in her tone, because Marge turned and eyed her sharply. “Don't you believe in God anymore, Kate?”
She hated to cause her aunt any grief, especially when she'd been so good to her, so she tempered her answer. “I don't know what to believe. So many bad things happen to good people. I have a hard time believing in a loving, powerful God, the one my mother and father taught me about.”
A sigh escaped her aunt's lips, and she turned from the washing to look into her niece's eyes.
“Life is hard, no doubt of that, but how much harder is it without the promise of a loving Savior?” When Kate made no reply, Marge sighed again. “I hope you don't have to find out.”
Kate wanted to say that she already knew, that life would be completely worthless if not for her daughter, that she would have given up, given in to the fire that had consumed her parents, but her little girl needed her and she would not give up for that reason alone.
Suddenly, she realized that Maddie was not in the room with them, and she couldn't hear her playing in the front room.
“Maddie?” she called out, her voice tense. “Where are you, love?”
Kate strode to the front of the house, but Maddie wasn't there. Trying to keep calm, she looked in their room and out the window.
“Maybe she went out to the barn,” Marge suggested, not looking the least bit concerned.
Without another word, Kate raced out of the house and made a straight line for the barn. When she entered, she saw that Luke and two other men were there, tending to the horses. Behind them, she saw the petite figure of her daughter, standing on a stool and calmly petting a horse.
“Maddie!” she exclaimed, rushing forward and pulling her close. “Don't leave the house with telling me...I mean, without...” She struggled for the right words, but couldn't find them. “I didn't know where you were, and it frightened me.”
“Uh, Miss Kate?” one of the men ventured. “She can't come to much harm out on the ranch, you know. It's not like in the big city.”
Whipping around, she glared at him, tears on her cheek and fire in her eyes. “I know this isn't the city, but Maddie doesn't know about animals. She could have been bitten or kicked or worse.”
“We wouldn't have let that happen,” Luke assured her calmly. He wasn't even looking at her, but continued to brush the horse in front of him.
“Oh? And how would you prevent it? You're so involved in your work!”
He turned now and frowned at her. “Many children have grown up on a farm and have lived to tell about it. Don't worry.”
“Don't tell me not to worry!” she fairly shouted. “Maddie didn't grow up on a farm, so she doesn't have the least idea about horses! I have every right to worry!”
At that moment, Maddie reached out and patted the nearest horse’s nose, a large smile on her face. She was clearly oblivious of the distress she'd caused. Kate saw her mouth open and sucked in her own breath. Was Maddie about to speak? Would this be the moment she'd been waiting for, hoping for? But no, all the little girl did was let out a breath similar to a horse, her lips flapping and spittle going everywhere.
Two of the men laughed out loud, and when she turned to frown at them, she saw that Luke's nostrils were flaring and his jaw was clenched as though trying to suppress a smile.
Her own fears dissipated in an instant and a laugh fought its way forward. She resisted at first, but when Maddie made the noise again, she opened her mouth and allowed it to flow forth. Her laugh sounded strained at first, tight even, but then she relaxed and let herself enjoy the silly moment.
Maddie, clearly pleased at the reaction, continued to make the noise until the adults were laughing heartily, Kate included. The release was cathartic at first,
but before long, she knew that the laughter was on the verge of turning to sobs.
She turned her attention to the horse in front of her and patted its muzzle. In return, the horse nickered a little.
“She likes you,” Luke said quietly, coming over to where the two of them stood. “You could take her out for a ride sometime. Maddie too.”
At this comment, Maddie's head pulled up and she turned pleading eyes on her mother.
“Ah, I’m not sure about that,” she replied, her throat tightening. “I'll let you know.”
She scooped up Maddie and fairly ran back to the house, her emotions burning inside her chest. The man was confusing. First he was friendly, then reserved, then completely withdrawn, and now compassionate.
“You found her,” Aunt Marge said with a smile. “I knew you would. There aren't too many places for a child to run off to around here. Where was she? In the barn?”
Kate nodded and set Maddie down on the floor. “How about you go play with your dolly? I'll come read to you in a few minutes.”
With a little nod, Maddie went to do as her mother had suggested, leaving Kate in the kitchen. After a few deep breaths, Kate turned to her aunt.
“What can I do for you? I want to be a help, not a burden.”
Marge laughed a little. “Well, you don't have to throw yourself into it your very first full day, I think. You can rest a little, go for a walk and see the ranch if you like. The weather is perfect.”
It was true that the sun had come out and was shining down warmly already even though it was only nine o'clock. She hadn't had much chance to enjoy it when she went out before because she was in such a panic.
“I'd still like to do something,” she replied stubbornly. “And then I'll take Maddie out for a walk, maybe after lunch.”
Marge could see that she wasn't going to win this round, so she handed over a broom and let her sweep the floor. It was good to do a bit of manual labor after nearly a week on the train. It released the tension in her muscles as well. After sweeping, Kate went to the bedrooms, pulled the quilts off the beds, and took them outside to air.
