“So long,” CJ said as the cowboy left. “Howdy, Massot. Don’t see you here that often. Have another deposit to make?” The banker was grinning from ear to ear. Much wider than any time Massot had come in the past.
“You seem pretty jovial today.”
“I am. Yes, sir, I sure am. My wife had the baby yesterday. A little girl. Named her Erma after my grandmother. Both are doing fine.”
“Congratulations.” Massot shook his hand, thinking that maybe, just maybe that would be him someday announcing the birth of his child.
“So, do you have a deposit?”
“Not today. I’d like to see what my balance is. My bank book isn’t up to date.”
CJ frowned at him. “I know. You never bring it with you when you come in. Let me get it.”
When he came back with the bank’s copy, CJ opened it and set it on the counter facing Massot.
His eyes widened as he looked at the balance. “This can’t be right. That’s got to be too much.”
“It’s right. I’ve got the receipts for each of your deposits.”
“But…” Massot didn’t know what to say. How could he have so much money in his account? He looked over the columns. Dates of deposits and the amounts he’d added to his account. Looking up, he said, “I can’t believe it.”
CJ grinned. “Look here. See this column? It says ‘Debits.’ You see any entries in that column?” He flipped the pages slowly back to the beginning of the book. There weren’t many numbers in the debit column.
Massot shook his head, trying to settle the whirling in it. He was wealthy. Not like the railroad barons or Nugget Nate, but he had a large nest egg. With his working as steadily as he did, he would be able to support a wife and family.
“Huh.” He lifted one side of his mouth in a lopsided grin. The memory of a woman telling him she wouldn’t marry a man who only wanted to be a carpenter. That he’d not be able to give her the things she wanted if he didn’t aspire to loftier goals. Seems she was wrong. He could give her more than she’d ever imagined. Her image faded and Ruth’s quiet, calm smile replaced it.
“Thanks CJ. That’s all I wanted, to know the balance. I’ll be finishing Eli’s house in a couple of weeks and bring in a deposit then.
“Tell Mrs. Ritter, I’m glad she came through her confinement well and I’ll be pleased to make over the baby when I see them.”
CJ pulled the bank book back and closed it. “Will do. You have a good day now.”
“I will. Thanks.”
~~~~~
Massot worked up the courage to request a meeting with the committee of men responsible for screening anyone wanting to court any of the House Ladies. It was a safeguard Nugget Nate had set up so the women could be assured the men who were interested in the possibility of marrying any of them were upstanding, honest, hardworking men who would treat the women and children well.
On Thursday, Massot went to Pastor Noah’s gun shop and requested to meet with the committee. Noah smiled and said he’d set it up for the next day. Massot was surprised he didn’t ask who he intended to court. Then he realized there were only three women left in the house. It could be any one of them. He was thirty-eight. The ladies ranged from Blanche Basking at thirty-five, Ruth, who would be thirty on Sunday, and Libby, who he thought was in her mid-twenties.
He’d dressed carefully, making sure he put on a clean shirt, one without any holes or buttons missing. When he got to the shop he stopped and combed his hair. He didn’t want it sticking up when he took his hat off in the general store. Massot was meeting Noah at the gun shop, then they’d cross over to gather in the back room of the store. Sheriff Riverby and Eli Steele rounded out the four men on the committee.
Butterflies battled for escape in his belly. When he arrived at the gun shop, Noah exited. He was dressed as usual in severe black, broken only by the white of his shirt. Massot rubbed his sweaty palms on his trouser legs.
Noah must have seen that he was nervous. He slapped Massot on the back. “You’re not going to your execution. Relax.” Then he chuckled. “Well, maybe you are. Some men think marriage is a death sentence.”
As they climbed the boardwalk steps at the corner of the dress shop, Sheriff Riverby and Eli crossed from the doctor’s office. Massot saw smiles of greeting and the butterflies subsided some.
Ben waved them back from behind the counter. In the back room was a table with chairs and five mugs set out. The aroma of fresh coffee lent a welcoming air to the place.
Once they were all seated with filled mugs, Noah began. “You’ve been here all the time we’ve had the Ladies in town. You know the requirements. We know you and your character. All we need to know is which Lady you are interested in courting.”
“That’s all you need?” Massot wondered if they would reject his request if he chose the wrong Lady. “I’m wanting to court Ruth Naylor. She’s been cleaning for me and we’ve gotten acquainted during those times. She’s also planted a garden for the House beside my shop. She and the children work in it and we chat some.”
“What are your thoughts about Kathryn?” Ben asked.
Massot smiled. “She’s a sweetheart. I’m hoping she allows me to adopt her. Don’t tell, but she asked me to make a glove box for her mother for her birthday this Sunday. We made it together. She’s mighty proud of it.” He couldn’t seem to keep his pride in her from his voice.
“She must trust you to ask for your help,” Eli said. The men were all smiling.
“Well, I suppose so. I think I’m a pretty trustworthy man.”
“We do too, Massot.” Sheriff Riverby took a swallow of coffee.
“Massot,” Noah said. “We’d be pleased to have you court Ruth Naylor. Be aware she’s been deeply hurt in the past. Court her carefully.”
“Thank you, I will.” Massot couldn’t believe that was all it took. He’d thought there’d be a raft of questions and rules he had to follow. “Um, that’s all? No questions or orders?”
“Massot, we know you,” Noah said. “We, as a committee, listed the men we knew would be approved as soon as we met the first time. You were one on that list. You fit what Nate wants for all the Ladies. You could have said any of the names and we would approve you.”
“You mean I put on my second-best shirt and took a bath last night and didn’t need to?” Massot never imagined it would be so easy to get approval.
All four men laughed at him.
“No, you didn’t.” Ben slapped him on the back. “But thanks anyway. Especially for taking a bath.”
CHAPTER NINE
TADPOLE DRAGGED RUTH by the hand away from the church. He wanted to get the birthday party started. He’d never been to one. Never seen any kind of celebration for someone. The only celebrating he’d seen was after a successful heist. The men of the King Gang would get drunk and make the women cry. The children stayed away, hidden by their mothers or others.
“Tadpole,” Ruth laughed. “We have to get lunch ready and eat before we have the party.”
“I know, but everybody will be here for lunch. The faster we get there, the sooner we can eat, and the sooner the party’ll start.”
Ruth looked back at a smiling Kathryn trailing behind, and let him drag her to the house. “Normal Sunday routine, Tadpole. Change, then I think you are on table setting duty. Don’t shirk your chore.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He ran up the stairs and she could hear his thundering steps across the floor through the ceiling. Ruth shook her head and headed to the kitchen. Even though it was her birthday, she had duties there.
It wasn’t long before the others began coming into the house. The day was warm and sunny for mid-April. Warmer than usual. It would mean the children could go outside to play and the adults could visit in the dining room after eating. They wouldn’t even need jackets.
Ruth brought a large bowl of mashed potatoes into the dining room. The room was filling with parents and children. Massot was holding on to Kathryn’s hand. She was smiling up at him
. They went to the small table and Kathryn pointed to a brown paper wrapped package. She smiled up at Massot who returned it.
Soon everyone was seated, and Blanche gave the blessing mentioning Ruth especially. Kathryn had Massot sitting next to her, across from Ruth who was next to Tadpole. The boy talked excitedly about birthdays and his problem of deciding when his would be.
Once lunch was over, before they served the birthday cake, the gifts were brought to Ruth. Kathryn’s smile was so wide Ruth thought her lips might split. Tadpole bounced on the chair next to her.
The Ladies gave her a new apron, a scented soap, and a pair of silk stockings, which she covered back up as her cheeks got red. Kathryn pushed her package across the table.
“Massot and I made this for you, Mama.”
Ruth looked at her daughter then at the carpenter. “Thank you.” Untying the string, she pulled the paper off. “Oh, my. This is lovely, Kathryn. You did this?”
She touched the interlaced hearts on the top, then opened the top. There was a brass latch to keep the box closed. It was smooth both on the inside and out. She ran her finger over the swirling grain of the wood.
“Massot helped, but it was my idea.”
Kathryn came around the table and hugged her mother. “I wanted something special for you. I love you. I wanted to let you know how much.”
Tears flooded Ruth’s eyes as she held her daughter to her. “I love you too.” She glanced at Massot and saw something in his eyes that made her insides curl. She could barely pull her eyes away.
“Let me see.” Tadpole got on his knees and closed then opened the box. “Wow, Kathryn. That’s really something. Mr. Massot, can I make something too?”
The cake being served took the boy’s attention allowing Massot not to answer. Ruth would have to explain that it wasn’t always polite to ask someone for a favor in public.
Chocolate stained many faces and had to be washed before the children were allowed to go play outside. Ozzy, Dunc, and Kathryn were charged with watching that the little ones didn’t wander. The twins and Nina (who protested), and several of the married Ladies’ youngest were put down for naps.
Since it was Ruth’s birthday she was excused from her washing dishes duty. She and the other adults moved to other tables to allow for easier conversation. Massot sat next to her.
“Thank you for helping Kathryn. You didn’t need to do that.”
“She traded cleaning my shop for the wood and labor. I enjoyed working with her. She’s a good worker.” Massot leaned down and whispered, “Any progress on who might be watching her?”
“No, I’m hoping she tells me she doesn’t think she’s still having that feeling.”
The couples and Ladies laughed and chatted over coffee. Having most of the Ladies who had lived in the House together was special. Ruth loved them all and since the marriages she didn’t see them as often.
The front door slammed and Mae ran in, going straight to Blanche. She grabbed her hand and pulled.
“What it is, sweetie?”
Mae just pulled and pointed to the door. All the adults stood to head out. A yell, screams, and a splash followed by a yowl had them all running.
~~~~~
Ruth followed several of the men who got to the door first. Kathryn was just coming up the steps.
“I told him not to. He wouldn’t listen.” Tears were streaming down her face. She pointed to the corner of the porch.
Ozzie and Boone were holding Tadpole who was dripping wet hanging half out of the rain barrel.
“He climbed up onto the roof and jumped off. I think he’s hurt,” Ozzie yelled. The teens were not able to lift him up enough to get him out of the barrel.
Ruth’s heart beat hard in her chest as she watched McIlroy and Massot haul the crying boy out and lay him on the ground. She ran to the edge of the porch and looked down at him.
Doc Eli knelt beside him. He lifted Tadpole’s left arm which was bent between the wrist and elbow. Ruth pressed one hand to her mouth, the other to her chest. The arm looked broken to her.
“It’s broken. I’ll need to take him to the clinic to set and put a cast on.” Eli laid the arm across Tadpole’s chest. “Don’t move that if you can hold it still. I’m going to carry you.” He picked up the boy gently and strode up the street. Ruth hurried to follow.
“I told him not to jump. I told him, but he wouldn’t listen.” Kathryn was weeping.
“It’s going to be okay. Doc will fix him up. You stay with Libby and Blanche. I’m going to be with him. He’ll be scared.” Ruth hugged her daughter and handed her to Blanche.
Massot joined her on the walk to the clinic. “That boy is a pistol, that’s for sure. Jumping off the roof into a rain barrel.” He shook his head as they hurried across the street.
“Why would he do something like that?” Ruth wiped the tears from her cheeks.
Massot chuckled. “That’s boys. I did some pretty lame-brained stunts when I was a boy.”
They entered the clinic and went straight to the exam room where Doc Eli was removing the clothing from the soaking wet boy. Tadpole had stopped crying, but pain was written all over his face.
“I’m going to cut this shirt off. I don’t want to try to get it off over the break.” Eli cut along the seam up the side and along the seam of the sleeve. “Maybe you can sew it back together.”
Ruth took the shirt and other items as they were removed. “I should have thought to get dry clothing and bring it.”
Eli wrapped Tadpole in a sheet with only his left arm out. “Massot, I want you to hold him. I’m going to set the arm.”
When Eli pulled the arm, Tadpole let out a scream and began crying again. Eli laid the arm down in Tadpole’s lap and signaled to Ruth to approach, and started to gather what he needed to apply the cast.
She came and wrapped her arms around him carefully so as not to jostle the arm. “The worst is over, Tadpole.” She kissed his head. “Doc will put a cast on it to hold it in place until the bones heal.” Tadpole just cried on her shoulder.
Eli wrapped the arm in strips of muslin, then slathered plaster all over the arm he’d bent at a right angle.
Blanche came in with dry clothing. “Is he going to be all right?” Her worry was evident in her tone.
“Yes. It was a clean break. We got it set easily,” Eli said.
“Easily?” Tadpole hollered. “It hurt like…” Massot covered his mouth before the last word came out. The adults exchanged amused glances. They all knew a swear word was going to end the sentence.
“I know it did, Tadpole.” Eli brushed a speck of plaster on his nose. “I meant that it went back together as it should without any problem.” Finished with the cast, he began washing up.
Massot was behind Tadpole, holding the arm up off the table so Eli could plaster it. “How long before this dries so he can go home?”
“Half hour to forty-five minutes. Then I want him in bed for the rest of the day.” Eli gave Tadpole a severe look. “No jumping off roofs.”
Ruth leaned over and looked in Tadpole’s tear-streaked face. “Why did you jump off the roof?”
“We always jumped into a lake or stream or such on the first really warm day. The water was cold but it was so much fun. There’s no water except the rain barrel. Seemed good enough.”
“Was it?” Ruth raised her eyebrows at him.
“Not so much. It was until my arm smacked the barrel. Then it wasn’t.”
Blanche stroked Tadpole’s head. “You’ll be sore for a while and that cast will be on for a long time. Long enough for you to think about things you should have thought about before you jumped.
“I’m glad you weren’t hurt more. I’m going back to the House and letting Mae know you are going to be fine. She’s very upset. You might want to tell her you are sorry you scared her so badly.”
Tadpole nodded and leaned against Ruth. He yawned. The injury, emotions, and setting the arm exhausted him. She wrapped her arm around him and kiss
ed his hair again.
“Not much longer, Tadpole. Then we’ll take you home and you can rest up.”
“I don’t want to go to bed. I want to show everyone my cast.”
“They can see it as we go into the House or at supper. Doc Eli told you to go to bed for the rest of the day. We will follow doctor’s orders.”
“Okay.” Tadpole yawned again.
Ruth looked at Massot as he stroked the boy’s hair.
CHAPTER TEN
MASSOT WATCHED RUTH approach his house. She’d decided to continue cleaning for him. Normally he was away by the time she got there. He had houses to complete and start. Not having any workers hired put all the load on him. He didn’t mind. He enjoyed being by himself.
As soon as he spoke to her, Massot would head to town. He was finishing up the house he was building for Eli and Leah Steele. Then he’d start on the house he was building for Chloe and McIlroy. After that was one for the new lawyer, Forsyth Franklin Fredrick Farnsworth the Fourth, who was being called Four in town.
Massot ran a hand over his hair, hoping none of it stuck up. He wanted to look as sharp as he could in his work clothes. This was the day he was going to ask to court Ruth.
The morning was sunny, the creek glistened, throwing sparkles as the water tumbled over the stones. No breeze ruffled the leaves. Birds sang and fluttered throughout the trees. Everything smelled fresh and clean. The day was beautiful though Massot thought the woman walking toward him more beautiful than nature could possibly be.
He stepped out from the shadows created by the second story of his house and walked toward Ruth. She looked at him and waved, smiling.
“I thought you’d be banging a hammer on Doc and Leah’s house.” Ruth tipped the brim of her bonnet back so she could see him better as they stood on the pine needle covered ground.
“I wanted to wait and speak with you. Will you walk with me to the creek? It’s lovely this morning.” They turned and went past the entrance and around, walking down the gentle slope to the edge of the creek.
His Protective Wings Page 6
