Petticoat Ranch

by Mary Connealy

  She probably also deserved to have Sally and Mandy clinging to her, one on each side, and Laura sleeping dead away on her lap. The seemingly boneless little girl seemed to gain weight with each passing moment.

  “How is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit?”

  Sophie didn’t like to think Satan had filled her heart. She would have sunk further into her seat if she could have—she was practically slouched out of sight as it was.

  “You didn’t really tell a lie,” a quiet voice whispered. Sophie suspected it was the voice of Satan himself, tempting her to justify her disobedience to her husband. Mentally, she told him to get away from her.

  I’ve already decided to change, she thought. You aren’t going to convince me to keep sneaking around.

  Sophie snapped her attention back to the parson when he thundered, “Later Ananias’s wife came in to the assembly and repeated the lie she and her husband had agreed on.”

  That’s when Sophie realized the parson was reading a Bible verse, and it wasn’t her heart that Satan had filled but the heart of Ananias. Whew!

  “Peter said to Sapphira, ‘How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.’ ” Parson Roscoe’s voice kept gaining strength.

  Sally and Mandy squirmed closer. Sophie, ever the mother, glanced down the row at Beth and saw that she was now sitting on Clay’s lap with her face buried in his chest. Sophie wondered if the McClellen clan shouldn’t start sitting nearer the back.

  “ ‘At that moment Sapphira fell down at Peter’s feet and died.’ ” The walls of the church nearly vibrated as the parson roared out the last word. Parson Roscoe stopped to take a deep breath and mop the sweat off his brow.

  Sophie wondered if Sapphira wasn’t Hebrew for Sophie. It was close enough to sting. I’m done with lies, Lord, Sophie prayed in her heart.I am. I’m going to love everyone and be honest right down to the ground. You gave me a miracle, and I won’t give back anything but my very best. Now could You please make the parson quit yelling at me?

  God had given her a miracle all right. But He didn’t give her another one now. About halfway through the sermon—which stretched on so long Sophie began to wonder if there weren’t more liars in the building than just her, since God should have told the parson that she got his point right off—Sally relaxed her death grip on Sophie’s arm. Sophie looked down to see her little girl fast asleep. Sophie looked sideways at Clay, who caught the glance and smiled. He reached across Sally and lifted the, by now, two-hundred-pound Laura out of Sophie’s arms and settled her beside the clinging Beth. Then, with a deft move that should have required a third hand, he shifted Sally’s slumbering form so it rested on his arm, instead of Sophie.

  Sophie whispered, “Your arm.”

  Clay mouthed back, “I’m okay.”

  Sophie wanted to protest, but having the weight lifted off of her was too heavenly. She sighed aloud in relief and Clay smiled at her.

  The parson began to wind down shortly after that. “Ananias and Sapphira died because God looked into their hearts and knew that there was no repentance and no love. There was time for both of them to change their minds and tell the truth. There is time for all of us, right now, to accept the love of God, repent of our sins, commit our lives to Jesus Christ, and accept His salvation.”

  The parson lifted his Bible, draped open over one hand. “It’s the eternal theme. It’s love. There are no lies when there is love. Can any of you imagine a more complete waste of time than lying to God?”

  Several people in the congregation shook their heads, and Sophie found her head moving along.

  “He already knows.” The parson lowered the Bible and leaned forward. “He knows the truth in everyone’s heart. Save your energy for something that has a chance of success.”

  Sophie reached her hand over the top of Sally’s nodding head and rested it on Clay’s strong, wounded arm. She didn’t say anything, since they were in the front row after all. But she smiled at him and made a promise to herself that she’d tell Clay all about her booby traps and hidden weapons this very day. Why, she’d tell him on the trip home without another moment’s delay. No more lies. None ever. Sophie felt a lightness come over her heart, and she knew it was the right thing to do.

  With a quick prayer for forgiveness and a promise to God that she was going to start a new life this second, much as she’d promised last week, Sophie turned back to the parson and sang along to “Amazing Grace.”

  Just as the song ended, a loud crash sounded from the back of the church. It woke Sally and had both Beth and Mandy turning around in their seats.

  “Is everyone all right back there?” the parson asked with a worried frown.

  When he talked like that, Sophie couldn’t resist looking behind her, even though it was bad manners to turn around in church. She thought the noise came from the farthest back pew, which was teeming with toe-headed little boys—the Reeves family.

  “Did something get broken?” Parson Roscoe peered toward the noise.

  One of the five-year-old triplets poked his head out from where he was crouched behind the pew. He said, in a tone that screamed of a guilty conscience, “No, sir.”

  As the raggedly dressed, dirty-faced, little boy stood up, no one could fail to see the wooden rack in his hand that was only moments ago nailed on to the end of his pew to hold the hymnal.

  “Mark, you little liar.” One of his older brothers elbowed the little boy.

  Everyone in the church started to chuckle.

  The parson walked down the center aisle and extended his hand to the little boy. “Don’t worry about the book rack. It can be fixed.”

  Daniel Reeves stood up and took the piece of lumber out of his son’s hand before the parson could reach it. “I’ll repair it, Parson. A Reeves fixes what he breaks.”

  “I’ll bet that keeps him busy,” Clay murmured.

  Sophie tried not to start laughing again. She was a bit surprised to see Adam standing against the back wall of the church. He hadn’t ridden in with them. Luther and Buff were on either side of him, all of them standing, although there were a few seats left. She saw Eustace and Whitey standing off to the side a little, and several others of the McClellen hands were about the room. It struck her that they were doing more than attending church—they were standing guard. It sent a chill down her spine to realize that, even in this holy place, they all needed to be on guard.

  As she turned back to the front of the church to await the closing prayer, her eyes swept the cheerful congregation. She was relieved to see that the people seemed to be unconcerned about a child doing a bit of damage. Then she noticed Miss Calhoun.

  Miss Calhoun sat rigidly facing forward. Sophie had the impression she’d never turned around. This was a woman who minded her manners. A look of such profound disapproval was etched on her face that Sophie wondered if it might be frozen in place.

  Sophie shook her head as she considered what kind of teacher Miss Calhoun must be if she couldn’t accept high spirits and a few mishaps from active little boys. Or maybe there was something more going on. Maybe the Reeveses had begun coming to school this week and proved to be too much for her to handle.

  Well, Sophie imagined she’d find out today. Miss Calhoun was coming to eat with them after church. Even after the craziness of this week and the outlaws, Sophie hadn’t forgotten that, and she had a wild turkey she’d snared early yesterday roasting, waiting for their return.

  Sophie sighed when she thought of the meal ahead. She had to tell Clay to build them a bigger table and a few more chairs. As soon as she thought it, she cheered up. She would never have considered asking Cliff to take on such a project. And Sophie also knew it was significant that her first thought hadn’t been to ask Adam to build it.

  Yes, she was going to let her husband handle nearly everything that could even begin to be considered man’s work
from now on. And she was going to obey him, be honest with him, and most of all love him with all her heart.

  “You are the sneakin’est, most disobedient wife in the whole state of Texas!” Clay snatched his hat off his head and whacked his leg with it. Sophie suspected what he really wanted to whack was her backside.

  The horses pulling the wagon jumped a bit at the sudden motion behind them and picked up their speed.

  Sophie looked over her shoulder at Miss Calhoun, who was riding her own horse. She was trailing along behind them far enough to avoid the dust, so she didn’t hear Clay growling.

  “Now, Clay, I know you’re angry. But remember that I’ve already promised not to do anything like this again.”

  “Rocks! You were hauling rocks!” Clay clobbered his leg a few more times.

  “I told her not to, Pa,” Sally piped up from the wagon box.

  Sophie glared over her shoulder at the little tattletale, and Sally subsided into a sitting position on the floor of the wagon.

  Sophie just barely heard her daughter mutter, “Well, I did.”

  “I deserve any yelling you want to give me.” She stared straight forward, fully intending to accept any criticism Clay handed her way.

  Clay wedged his hat roughly back on his head. “I fully intend to. When I think what could have happened to you on that hillside hauling rocks, I want to—”

  “Just know before you start with your lecture,” Sophie interrupted him, “that I’m used to doing for myself. I’ve been on my own completely for two years, and what with the war and all, I spent most of my married life fending for myself.”

  “I realize that.” Clay clucked to the horses to keep up their speed. “But things are going to—”

  “So it’s been a hard-learned lesson not to just do whatever needs doing.” Sophie gave her chin a firm nod.

  Laura, still asleep, began to whimper on Sophie’s knee.

  “I’ll take her, Ma, so Pa can finish up telling you how stupid you are, without being interrupted.” Mandy poked her head between Sophie and Clay, scooped Laura up in her arms, and went back to sitting.

  Sophie straightened her skirt. “Yes, go ahead, Clay.”

  “Now, Mandy, I’m not going to tell your ma she’s stupid. She don’t like that, and I’d never do something she said she don’t like.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Sophie figured she deserved whatever Clay dished out. “You can call me stupid if you want to. As of today I’m going to learn a new way. If I want something done, I’m going to tell you.”

  “I don’t think you’re stupid, Sophie.” Clay seemed to be sidetracked from his lecture, and Sophie really wished he’d get on with it.

  “Sure you do,” Sophie reminded him. “You called me stupid for going out at night when there might be cougars to eat me, and you called me stupid—”

  “I only called you stupid because I know you’re not stupid.”

  Sophie was unable to think of a sensible response to that, so she fell silent.

  Her girls weren’t speechless. “You called us stupid, too,” Beth said. “Does that mean you don’t think we’re stupid, neither?”

  “Of course I don’t think you girls are stupid. I know you’re a right smart bunch of children,” Clay reassured her.

  “So if you call us stupid when you think we’re smart,” Mandy asked hesitantly, “does that mean when you say you love us you really hate us?”

  Clay pulled his hat off his head and started whacking his leg again. Sophie knew there wasn’t a speck of dust left on his hat or his pants. She was also curious about how Clay would answer.

  “If I really thought you were stupid, I’d expect you to do stupid things. But when I know you’re smart and you do stupid things, then I think I’ve got reason to complain. Do you understand that?”

  “I guess that makes sense,” Sophie said. “You expect better from us. But the word stupid is so hurtful. . . .”

  “Not if you’re smart it isn’t,” Clay protested. “It’s like if I called you ugly, when you’re so pretty. You’d know I didn’t mean—”

  “Did Pa just call you ugly, Ma?” Sally asked from behind them. She stuck her head between them with a worried frown on her face.

  Clay plunked his hat back on his head and ran one gloved hand over his face, as if he could scrub hard enough to wash the whole trip home from church out of his mind.

  “No, Sally, in fact I think he just called me pretty.”

  “But that’s not what I heard,” Sally interrupted.

  “And he didn’t answer about hating us,” Beth added with a break in her voice.

  Mandy said quietly, “That’s mean, Pa.”

  Laura bounced on Mandy’s lap and said, “Mama ugwee.”

  “Quiet!” Clay roared.

  Sophie was afraid that even the trailing Miss Calhoun could hear that one.

  “I think you’re all as smart as any girls I’ve ever known,” Clay shouted. “Of course I’ve never known any girls, but. . .well, just never you mind that. I never heard tell of girls who could be so smart. Don’t ever say I hate you. It’s just a plain dirty lie to say such a thing.” Clay turned to glare at the girls over his shoulder with an expression that was as unloving as any Sophie had ever seen. In a strange way, that made her believe him.

  “I told you all I love you, and if that ever changes I’ll let you know. So unless I’ve said different, I love you and that’s that.” Clay turned back to the horses in a huff.

  “And I think you’re all beautiful. Your Ma is the prettiest lady in church, in Mosqueros, in Texas, and maybe in the whole world. She’s prettier than any I’ve seen before, and you all look just like her, so you’re pretty, too. Now, could we just ride quiet the rest of the way home?” He shook the reins as if he wanted the ride to be over.

  Sophie thought of her work-roughened hands and her scattered hair and her plain dresses. “You really think I’m pretty?”

  Clay looked away from the horses. His expression made her wonder what he’d heard in her voice. “I think I’m the luckiest man alive to have such a pretty little wife as you, Sophie. You have to know how beautiful you are.”

  If Sophie had ever thought about her looks, it had been a long time ago as a dreamy-headed teenager. She hadn’t given it much notice since.

  She looked into Clay’s warm eyes for a long time, wishing she could be alone with him for just a few minutes. She’d tell him she loved him, and she’d reassure him one more time that she’d never lie to him again. Which reminded her, “Um, Clay, I don’t think you ever finished lecturing me about the booby traps.”

  Clay sighed. “Are you going to quit setting your traps now?”

  Sophie nodded.

  “And leave the outdoor repairs to me?”

  “I promise.”

  “And trust me to protect this family?”

  “I will, Clay. I already do,” Sophie said fervently.

  “Then I reckon the lecture’s over.” Clay turned back to the horses and clucked at them again.

  Sophie felt like Clay had been cheated out of his scolding. She deserved it after all. But she couldn’t quite bring herself to urge him to yell at her.

  As the ranch came in sight, Sophie’s mind turned to the dinner ahead and the fussy Miss Calhoun. Sally poked her head between them again and turned to Clay.

  He looked down at her. “What?”

  Sally said with wide-eyed innocence, “I think you’re pretty too, Pa.”

  Clay seemed taken aback for a moment, then he smiled down at Sally and chucked her under the chin with his gloved fist. “Well, thank you darlin’. I reckon that’s about the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

  Sally grinned and pulled her head back. The last few yards of the trip were completed with Clay chuckling softly while he guided the horses.

  Clay helped Miss Calhoun down off her horse just as Adam, Luther, Buff, and the others came riding into the ranch from different directions. They’d ridden out of church ahe
ad of the McClellen wagon and disappeared to scout the trail for danger.

  Sophie thought of the huge bird she had roasting. “Clay, we have plenty of turkey. Ask the men if they want to eat with us.”

  “That’s a right nice idea.” Clay went and talked to them out of Sophie’s hearing. She wondered if they were talking about more than the invitation. She was a mite annoyed to be kept in the dark. But remembering her promise to herself and God, she minded Clay’s obvious wish to confer privately with the men and turned her attention to Miss Calhoun.

  “Did you enjoy your ride out here, Miss Calhoun? We could have made room for you in the wagon.”

  “I need to take my horse out when I can.” Miss Calhoun neatly removed her black gloves, tugging gently on one finger at a time. “He stands idle in the stable too much of the time.”

  Her gloves tucked neatly away, she followed Sophie and the girls into the house. “Let me help get the meal.” Miss Calhoun carried a satchel with her, and she produced a large white apron from it.

  Miss Calhoun proved to be more approachable when she was working side-by-side with Sophie and the girls. Sophie was pleased when the young woman produced a carefully wrapped loaf of bread from the satchel to add to the meal.

  When Sophie called out to the men that the food was ready, they all came trooping in the front door.

  “There’s a stew warming in the bunkhouse, too.” Whitey pulled his hat off his head and twisted it in his hands. “We’ll only have a bite of your turkey, ma’am. Thank you for inviting us.”

  Each of the men had a kind word of thanks to say as they filed through. Sophie became alarmed as she sliced away at the ever-shrinking turkey and filled the plates the men brought from the bunkhouse. The big bird lasted though, and after the last of the men went outside, she began filling plates for the women. She noticed Clay went outside with the men, and Sophie felt betrayed—and a little jealous. Then the very proper Miss Calhoun sat down, and Sophie began to think of her daughters’ table manners.