Maggie Shifts Her Gent

by Linda Hubalek

  He needed to go home to clean up and change clothes.

  Maggie was standing in the hall when Peter came out of the bathroom. She had pulled the pins from her hair, and the chocolate brown locks flowed down her shoulders. Peter was tempted to reach for a curl to see how soft it was.

  “I'll clean up next. Could you start the coffee?”

  Peter nodded his head to clear his thoughts of touching Maggie. He was so tired he wasn't thinking straight.

  “Sure. We need to talk about how to handle today,” Peter replied as he brushed past Maggie to go to the kitchen, but Maggie put a hand on his forearm to keep him from walking on.

  “Thank you for everything you've done for the children. Not every man would step into the role of caretaker, just because the kids think he looks like their deceased father. You're special, Peter.”

  Maggie stood on tiptoes and gave his cheek a soft kiss before going into the bathroom and closing the door.

  Peter stood, stunned by Maggie's kiss. He rubbed his cheek, wishing he could have another one.

  He and his friends had moved to Clear Creek with the goal of earning a living and having a wife and family. Dare he think about Maggie being in that role? Maisie was a nice person, but his and her personalities clashed for some reason.

  The Peashooters had matched Maggie with Squires, and Peter with Maggie's sister, Maisie, but neither couple had courted. They'd had suppers together and gone to community functions, but it had always been with the whole group.

  But things were starting to change for the men who grew up together. Barton married Amelia two Sundays ago, and they now lived in the blacksmith shop’s apartment. Gordon and Avalee married last weekend and were settling in the living quarters above the mercantile. Wesley worked the hotel desk most nights, often times sleeping in the extra hotel apartment during the day.

  Tobin bought the livery and former owner's home, but let Mr. Boyle still live there out of the goodness in Tobin's heart.

  That left Peter in his apartment above the barbershop, and Squires as his roommate because the man had nowhere else to live at the moment.

  Peter moved into the kitchen, adding wood to stoke the stove's heat up. He found the coffee grinder and coffee beans just as Molly walked in cradling Alice in her arms.

  “How's she doing this morning?” Peter asked quietly. Molly and Maisie had been up feeding and walking her a few times during the night, just as he and Maggie had done with the siblings.

  “She seems to be more alert, thank goodness,” Molly said as she smiled down at the baby.

  Peter studied Molly but knew there would never be any feelings between them except as friends, or maybe as in-laws.

  “Uh, I was just ready to make coffee. Which coffee pot do you want me to use? I see two in the pantry.”

  “How about I make coffee and warm up Alice's milk while you hold her? You haven't gotten a chance to do that since the other two have been hanging on to you.”

  “Okay, I can do that.” Peter sat down in a kitchen chair and let Molly place Alice in his waiting arms. “She's so light after holding Christian and Bonita.”

  Molly chuckled. “Especially since you've usually been holding them both at the same time.”

  “Alice's eyes seem to be focusing this morning, trying to follow sounds,” Peter noticed.

  “She's finally moving her hands and feet a little too. Doctor Pansy thought she might have had a concussion or worse, a brain injury, from the accident. But compared to yesterday, I think Alice is on the mend.”

  “Good morning, Molly. Did I hear you say Alice was better today?” Maggie asked as she put a hand on Peter's shoulder and looked down at the baby quietly content in his arms.

  Maggie's hair was brushed and piled back on top of her head, and she had changed into a pretty dark navy dress. And she'd washed with a scented lavender soap which both calmed and excited Peter as he drew in a deep breath.

  “I hope Uncle Adam hears from the Children's Aid Society today,” Maggie said as she sat down in a chair and pulled it close to Peter so she could rub her index finger on the baby's cheeks and forehead. The baby liked Maggie touching her, squirming, and giving Maggie a tentative smile for her attention.

  “And I assume I'm still on child duty, at least for today,” Peter stated, but he really didn't mind helping Maggie with the children. In fact, it felt good to be involved with Maggie and her charges.

  Maggie looked up at him, and he smiled to let her know it was all right.

  “I'd like to go home to clean up, though. And open the barbershop for part of the day.”

  “I understand. How about after breakfast we take the trio to your building for a while? Charlie Moore is always there to visit with, along with a few other men who might like to entertain the children.”

  “The men come to the barbershop for coffee and any baked goods you might happen to drop by with, not for haircuts every day.”

  Come to think of it, Maggie did show up almost every day with a basket of treats. Why was that? Did she have that much time on her hands, or did she drop by so she could see him?

  “I'm afraid the men will have to do without my baked goods until the children leave.”

  “Or go buy their own coffee and roll at the café,” Peter answered, but he didn't mind the older generation spending their mornings in the barbershop. These men would have been his grandfather's age, and he cherished their knowledge. He enjoyed the stories of their younger years and the town's past.

  “Papa? Papa? PAPA!” Bonita's voice rose with each word from Maggie's bedroom. Now Christian would be awake and panicking too.

  “I'm coming,” Peter called out as both he and Maggie rushed to the bedroom door.

  “Good Morning, children,” Maggie said with a calm voice as she sat on the bed and held out her arms to the children. They hesitated to go to Maggie but seeing Peter holding Alice made them realize they had no choice but to go to Maggie. There was a touch of jealousy in Bonita's eyes as she sat down beside Maggie.

  “Do you want to say good morning to your little sister?” Peter asked as he sat down on his haunches in front of the children.

  “Why?” Bonita looked in confusion.

  “Because...” Peter looked at Maggie to explain.

  “Because that's what siblings do.” She said as she picked up Bonita and gave the girl a kiss on the cheek.

  “Good morning, Bonita. Now you can give your brother and baby sister a kiss too.”

  Bonita turned to Christian and gave him an awkward kiss before he had time to put up his hands to ward her off. Peter chuckled and winked at Christian to show it was all right.

  “Sometimes we just have to let the ladies do what they want, Christian. It's okay to kiss your sisters.”

  Peter held the baby up to Bonita next. “Just a little tiny kiss, Bonita. Be careful.”

  Bonita barely touched Alice, which was the best due to Alice's health. It dawned on Peter that, except for the trip to Kansas, the children probably were separated in the orphanage, rather than living together.

  “Kiss,” Bonita commanded, pointing between him and Maggie. Oh, oh. Peter started something when he suggested a new morning ritual.

  Maggie smiled, leaned forward, and puckered up her lips, waiting for him to kiss her.

  Peter smiled at the opportunity to kiss Maggie. He leaned forward and carefully kissed her, mindful his scruffy morning whiskers wouldn't scratch her chin.

  “Good morning, Maggie,” Peter said after their kiss.

  “Good morning, Peter,” Maggie answered, showing a slight blush on her beautiful face.

  “What’s going on?” Maisie stood in the doorway of the bedroom, eyeing them with narrowed eyes.

  “We were showing the children how to say, ‘good morning’ to each other,” Maggie answered her sister. There was a slight challenge in Maggie’s eyes as she faced her sister.

  Huh. Was Maggie telling Maisie she was staking her claim on him? If so, that made his sleepless night
with Maggie and the kids worth it because Peter decided he wanted to court Maggie after spending more time together, be it in a stressful situation.

  Their priorities, goals, and even their personalities seemed to work together. He could imagine a blissful life with her. And during troubled times, which were sure to hit any family, they could work side by side through it.

  Chapter 10

  Maggie couldn't help but imagine that Peter and the children were her family as they walked down the boardwalk to the barbershop. She was carrying the baby, Peter held Bonita with one arm against his chest, and held Christian's hand as the boy walked beside him.

  Granted, these three would never be her children, but she was beginning to hope Peter would be her husband, and they'd have their own family someday.

  “How're the kids?” Charlie Moore called as they approached the door to the staircase to Peter's apartment. Charlie and Bernard Walters were sitting on the bench in front of the barbershop, apparently waiting for Peter to open the front door.

  “It was a rough night for everyone. Peter had to stay with us sisters and hold Christian for the boy to get any sleep,” Maggie explained why she was with Peter this early in the morning, and why he looked so unkempt. He was always impeccably dressed.

  “Baby better?” Bernard asked. News of the children's situation had traveled fast around town, but then nearly everyone was at the depot when they were carried from the train car.

  “Alice is much better,” Maggie proudly commented, while holding the baby down for the men to look at.

  “Well, I’ll be. She's a sweetie, as are you, little lady. What's your name?” Bernard turned to give attention to Alice's big sister held against Peter's chest.

  “Bonita,” the girl answered, but then turned her head into Peter's neck to hide.

  “And your name, young man?” Charlie asked in a friendly tone.

  Christian silently slid behind Peter's long legs. Were they going to figure out why Christian wasn't talking?

  “This is Christian,” Peter answered for the boy.

  “He hasn't said a word yet,” Maggie admitted to the men, so they knew the boy wasn't slighting them.

  “I’m guessing he's been through traumatic times in his young life. You'll help him settle in the community, Miss Maggie,” Charlie told Maggie with a smile.

  “Oh, well, we haven't heard from the Children's Aid Society yet as to what we're to do with the children. Uncle Adam sent them a telegram about the situation,” Maggie explained, rather than let the men, or the children, think the trio was going to live here now.”

  “Might be a good idea. You and Peter would make good parents for these tots,” Charlie said and winked.

  Yes, that same idea was starting to form in Maggie's mind too. She looked up at Peter to see his reaction. but he had opened the door to the upstairs and was pushing Christian to start up in front of him. Maybe Peter hadn't heard Charlie or didn't think it was a good idea.

  Maggie waited in the living room with the girls as Peter went in to change clothes and clean up. He'd left the bedroom door ajar since he took Christian with him, and Maggie could kind of hear the one-sided conversation Peter was keeping up with the boy.

  Maggie looked around the apartment as she sat on the settee holding Alice. Bonita sat on the floor playing with the hastily-stitched doll sock Maisie had made for her last night.

  Although a couple of pieces of furniture had been left by the previous renters, Kiowa Jones added the bare basics when the six men moved in. It was up to whoever ended up with the apartment to replace or add furniture they wanted after they married.

  Kiowa had appointed Wesley to be the barber, but after a day, all six men wanted different jobs. Wesley switched to be the night hotel manager, and Peter went from being the blacksmith to the barber, giving Peter this apartment.

  “Please excuse the mess in my home. Squires still lives here,” Peter said as he walked back into the living room and walked straight to the pair of dirty socks on the floor by a chair.

  He picked them up and walked back down the hall, opened and closed a door quickly, presumably to throw the socks into Squires' room.

  Maggie stared at the transformation in Peter's looks. Not only was he in clean clothes, but he'd also shaven off his scruff, and had his hair slicked back. Christian edged toward Maggie, and she realized his hair had been combed too.

  “My, my. You look nice, Christian,” Maggie said, then realized she smelled Bay Rum toilet water too. “Hmm. And smell good too.”

  Actually, he reeked of it. Did he help himself to Peter's supply? Maggie looked up at Peter, and he just shrugged and smiled.

  They all turned when there was a rap on the entry door, and Peter went to open it.

  “Good morning,” her uncle stood in the doorway with his hat in one hand and a telegram in the other. “Charlie said you were up here, so I thought I'd check on you. How's it going?”

  “Getting better,” was all Maggie said, impatiently wanting to know what the telegram said.

  “Miss Beasley is better too. I just stopped at the doctor's office, and she'd like to see the children. Could you walk over there with me? We'll discuss this then,” her uncle lifted the telegram in his hand to convey he'd heard from the agency.

  “Mith Beethy?” Bonita's eyes lit up when hearing the woman's name.

  “Yes, she wants to see you. Shall we go now?”

  Bonita shot towards the door, apparently anxious to see the woman. It warmed Maggie's heart to know that the children had at least one good escort with them on the train.

  It didn't take long to herd the children to Doctor Pansy's office, and the doctor met them when they walked in to check the children.

  “How’s the baby acting now?” Doctor Pansy asked as she touched the baby’s bruised temple.

  “So much better this morning. She’s moving and turning her head to sounds,” Maggie was happy to tell the doctor.

  “Good to hear. Thank you for taking over her care. I’ve had my hands full with everyone else from the train wreck.”

  “Can we visit Miss Beasley now? Uncle Adam said she was asking for the children.”

  “Seeing the children will do her more good than another dose of laudanum. Please go in and visit,” Doctor Pansy assured her.

  Maggie kneeled down to talk to Christian and Bonita before they entered the exam room though. “Miss Beasley was hurt in the train accident and may look bruised and tired until she heals. Please don't jump up on her, okay?”

  She waited for Bonita to agree that she understood before nodding to Doctor Pansy that they were ready to see the agent.

  Miss Beasley was lying on a cot, her plaster-casted arms extending straight out by her sides. Her face was black and blue and her nose was swollen, but she smiled when she saw the children.

  “It's so good to see you, Christian and Bonita. I know I don't look so well right now, but I'll heal.”

  “Nose!” Bonita slowly walked up to the bed and pointed at Miss Beasley's face.

  “Yes, I broke my nose, silly me! It makes my voice sound funny, doesn't it?”

  Bonita nodded but moved up to lean against the bed as she stared at the woman.

  “I can't hold you because of my arms, Bonita, but it looks like you've found friends to take care of you.”

  Maggie moved forward with the baby in her harms. “Nice to meet you, Miss Beasley. I'm Maggie Brenner, and this is Peter Gehring.”

  Miss Beasley met Maggie's eyes, but then stared when she noticed Peter.

  “Are you related to these children? You look like their father,” the woman narrowed her eyes and looked perplexed.

  “Not that I know of. Did you meet the man?”

  “Yes,” she said quietly. “He brought the infant after his wife died a week after her childbirth. He was very thin, and you could tell by the pallor of his face he was unwell.”

  “I opened a package that contained their family photo, a Bible, and a letter of the facts,” Maggie a
dmitted, trying to use words that wouldn't make sense to the children.

  “Good, then you know what happened. He came back about four months or so later with the other two tots and that package.”

  “Did you help raise them? How long were they there before coming here?” Maggie had so many questions about the children.

  “I was working in the home part-time when I wasn't traveling with a group. They were in separate rooms, so I didn't see them daily. They were in the home a month before leaving on the train.”

  “Where Mith Markle?” Bonita asked.

  Maggie froze, not sure what to say to the child.

  “She went home to see her father, Bonita.” Miss Beasley said in a matter-of-fact way.

  Home to see her father? Oh, as in her heavenly father. Bonita accepted the words without any remorse because she didn't understand what Miss Beasley really meant.

  “Thank you for helping with the children, both of you. I'm sure you looking like their father has helped with this temporary situation, Mr. Gehring.”

  “You look like you need rest, Miss Beasley, so I'll let you all know what the telegram from the agency said.”

  Maggie was glad Uncle Adam interrupted them because the children were looking worried as they stared at Miss Beasley.

  “Basically, the other woman had no relatives, and she is to be laid to rest here. I'll talk to Pastor Reagan to take care of that right away.”

  “She was an orphan who I watched grow up in the orphanage. This was her first trip...” Miss Beasley’s wobbly voice stopped when her voice faltered. How horrible for the woman to lose her young friend that way.

  “I understand, Ma'am, and I offer my sympathy,” Uncle Adam said in condolence.

  “And what about—” Maggie waved at the children because she wanted to know what the telegram said about them.

  “Agents will pick them up in about a week.”

  “A week? They are going to have to get back on the train in a week?”

  Maggie knew that might be the case, but to put the children through the distress again was disheartening.

  “That's what it says,” Uncle Adam shrugged.

  “I believe the agency will compensate you for the children's expenses,” Miss Beasley said wearily. “And the undertaker too, Marshal.”