Jack laughed, which set Dorie frowning.
“Papa, are you making fun of me?”
“A little bit. On a ranch, everyone has chores and that includes little girls. You’ll still have plenty of time for your lessons and for play when your chores are finished.”
Jack groaned and smacked his hand against his forehead. “Lessons, ugh. Mother said a rancher has to know math and reading and other things to be successful. Is that true?”
Travis couldn’t hold back his laugh. “Sure is. There are several ways to get an education. I don’t have formal schooling, but I’ve read everything I’ve found about ranching. I also talked to successful ranchers and asked their advice.”
Now happy, Dorie took his hand. “I want to walk with you, Papa.”
Her request sounded as if the distance to the kitchen was a long one instead of a few feet away. “I’ll be honored to escort you, Miss Dorie.”
She giggled. “I’m glad you’re nice. Our father was mean to us because he didn’t like children.”
“I’m sure he couldn’t keep from loving good children like you and Jack. He probably didn’t remember to tell you. Sometimes men think admitting they love someone is weak.”
Wearing a solemn expression, Jack shook his head. “No, we’re sure he didn’t even like us. He shouted at us and didn’t want us to speak if he was in the room. He was mean to Mother, too.”
Travis was learning that as well as being a coward, Vanessa’s first husband was a tyrant who had no regard for his nice family. Travis ruffled Jack’s hair. “Well, I’m glad you’re here and don’t mind telling you so.”
Jack skipped ahead. “Thanks, Papa.”
Vanessa turned from the range and set a platter on the table. “Breakfast is ready.”
Her face was radiant, partly from the range’s heat but also an inner glow. She smiled at him and helped Dorie to her chair. He couldn’t help beaming a wide smile at his wife. Other than being unable to keep house, she was everything he’d dreamed. Now that she was learning to cook, he looked forward to a happy life.
Paco entered with a pail of milk. “I think soon we will have snow. In the north the sky is dark and clouds roll this way.”
Travis took his seat. “If you say snow is coming, I believe you, Paco. Never knew you to be wrong. We’re ready except we need to move the younger stock to the closest pasture today.”
Billy pointed to Paco. “Didn’t I tell you that’s what he’d say? Me ’n Paco figured you’d say that and the horses are saddled.”
“Good. Soon as we eat, we can leave. Snow’s a couple of weeks later than last year. Sure hope that’s a good omen.”
Vanessa’s face fell as she cut Dorie’s chop for her. “The meat’s tough. The look is right on the outside but it’s hard to cut. Guess Greta does something to make it tender.”
Travis swallowed a bite. “Tastes fine to me. Potatoes are good too.”
He admitted to himself that the cut was hard to chew. He didn’t know what would have made it tender. From meals Billy had cooked, the man didn’t know either.
Jack grimaced. “My eggs crunched.”
His beautiful wife’s expression turned sadder. “I dropped some egg shell when I was breaking the eggs before I scrambled them. I thought I strained out the pieces.”
Paco scooped a bite with his fork. “Do not worry. We are used to this from when Billy cooks.”
Would his wife learn to be a good cook? Maybe she’d pick up tips from other women when she knew the neighbors. For certain the female half of the couple who’d adopted him had never learned to prepare a decent meal.
He hated thinking of those two awful people and pushed them from his mind. Better to concentrate on his current good fortune with this beautiful woman and her children sharing his life on his own ranch. That thought improved his digestion and his disposition.
He’d survived last summer and winter. The men working with him were trustworthy and like family. By the time Travis had eaten his breakfast, he was in a grand mood.
Billy bagged up most of the remaining biscuits and three pork chops for their lunch. Paco filled the canteens.
Billy nodded to Vanessa. “You done real good this mornin’. This’ll make our dinner and we’ll see you for supper. Hate to leave you to do all the washin’ up on your own.”
“I’ll help.” Jack stood and stacked two plates.
Billy laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Then I won’t worry about things around here while we’re gone, not with you on the job.”
Travis pulled Jack and Dorie toward him. “You remember what I said about never going to the barn or pig pen without an adult?”
“Can we play with the dogs?” Jack asked.
“They’ll go with us. Remember, they’re working cattle dogs and we need their help.”
Dorie asked, “What about kitties?”
Travis hated to turn down the little girl’s pleading eyes. “Sorry, but you have to wait until we come back. Kittens are a lot like babies and need lots of rest. Let them sleep with their mama today and they’ll be ready to play with you this evening.”
“I will, Papa, but I wish you didn’t have to go away.”
“Thank you. I wish the same, but if I don’t we won’t have a ranch very long. A lot of hard work is required to make the ranch support us. And don’t forget, your mother needs your help today to make the house as nice as possible.”
Dorie looked at Vanessa and then back at him and leaned near for a stage whisper question, “She needs my help?”
“Yours and Jack’s.”
“Okay, Papa.” She ran to her mother. “I can help you today.”
Vanessa pretended great relief. “I so glad, Dorie. I need yours and Jack’s assistance. Plus, we have to work on your lessons.”
Travis leaned down to kiss his wife. “See you late this afternoon. You know how to shoot?”
“Not at anything except a clay target.”
“Then you won’t have trouble with the rifle. If you need us, take the rifle down from over the door and fire it three times into the air.”
How he hated to leave her. His preference would be to take her back to bed for the day. Already he was looking forward to tonight.
***
When the men had ridden from the yard, a wave of panic hit Vanessa. If she’d been on the moon she couldn’t have felt more isolated. Never in her life had she been entirely alone. Except for her children, today she was on her own.
To quell her fear, she kept busy. Billy had told her how to shave soap into hot water to wash the dishes. This range didn’t have a reservoir for hot water so she filled a large pan with water and set it on the range to heat.
Jack was a willing helper. “Papa said I’m the man of the house while he’s gone. That’s a big res… res….”
“Responsibility. Yes, it is. I’m pleased you’re here to help me.”
Dorie dried a plate and set it on the table. “I wish Greta was here. I don’t like chores.”
“Did you like living with Hilda?”
Dorie shook her head. “No, we had to be quiet and keep out of the way just like when Father was home ’cept we didn’t have our own rooms and toys.”
“If we weren’t here with your new Papa, we’d be living with someone like Hilda all the time. You’d have to do chores there, too, but you wouldn’t have kitties or a Papa who likes you.”
Jack glared at his sister. “Yeah, quit being a baby. Doing chores isn’t bad so far. We have dogs and kittens and Papa listens to us and makes us laugh.”
“I’m not a baby.” Dorie threw down her towel and raised her hand to strike her brother.
Vanessa grabbed her arm and redirected her. “Now you can hand me the dishes and I’ll put them in the cupboard. Then I believe I’ll set out some of the things Greta packed from our old home. Perhaps you children will help me.”
Dorie brightened. “Papa said you would decorate the house. He said that was something ladies do.”
Jack frowned. “Men don’t have to decorate.”
Vanessa put her arm around him. “I need a strong man to help move things.”
He bent his arm to make a muscle—as much as he was able. “I’m strong, Mother.”
She opened the trunk that had contained the candlesticks. Once Travis had soothed her, she had set the silver candleholders on the mantel. Now she took out family treasures layered between her dresses.
Most of the clothes she owned were completely unsuitable for ranch wear. She needed calico or gingham that could be laundered easily, not silks and satins. With care, she laid each dress across the end of the bed.
When the trunk was empty, she decided it could be used as an occasional table. “Jack, will you help me move this to the living room? We’ll set it under the window.”
Dorie tugged on her sleeve. “What about me, Mother?”
“Can you carry that scarf for me?”
The thrill of deciding what she wanted where in her home took hold and excitement energized Vanessa. She’d moved from a home ruled with an iron hand by her mother to one ruled the same way by her mother-in-law. Never had she been able to move even an ash tray without permission until death claimed the two women and their husbands.
Although she missed the luxury of her former home with expansive rooms and with a full staff or servants of whom she was fond, here she could make choices. If she didn’t like the appearance, she could change things.
Jack said, “That’s a pretty song, Mother. You never used to sing.”
Vanessa froze, realizing he was correct. “I’m pleased we get to move things around the way we want them. When you have your own room, you’ll get to tell me how you want things arranged.”
“I will? Can I have my toys on a shelf instead of putting them all away?”
“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll bet Papa will build you shelves. If he doesn’t have time, perhaps he can suggest an alternative.”
Dorie tugged on her sleeve. “We had to leave most of our toys at home. I mean our old home.”
“Please don’t compare this home to the house where we used to live. This is our home where we’re liked and protected. You have enough toys and you’ll get more for birthdays and Christmas.”
Chapter Six
By the time the men returned for supper, Vanessa was eager to see Travis’ expression. She and the children had transformed the bare furnishings with lamps, antimacassars, scarves, and small knick knacks. She waited by the table when she heard the men ride in.
Travis was the first through the door. His eyes grew wide and he surveyed the changes. “Is this the same house I left? Sure looks better.”
His reaction warmed what was left of her shattered heart.
Billy paused inside the door so suddenly Paco bumped into him. “Boy howdy, you sure made your mark, Miss Vanessa.”
Paco eased around the other cowboy and placed a hand over his heart. “Ah, this is muy bonita, very pretty. The way a home should be, Señora.”
“Thank you, gentlemen.” Although not proper in Atlanta, this was a different world. “Please, I’d like for each of you to call me Vanessa without Miss or Señora. We are all family, are we not?”
Travis beamed and she was glad she had skirted propriety. She desperately wanted to fit in here in her new home.
“Please be seated and I’ll set supper on the table. I followed Greta’s recipes for stew and for cornbread. I-I hope they’re edible.”
Dorie tugged at Travis’ sleeve. “I set the butter and milk on the table. That hole sure is cold.”
Her new papa lifted her. “It’s not just a hole, it’s a cold safe. That means it keeps our things safely cool so they won’t spoil and make us sick.”
She put her hands on each side of his face to hold his attention. “At our other house, we had an ice box and a big man brought big blocks of ice for it.”
“Here, we have to depend on ourselves.”
Jack took his chair. “Mother said it’s nice to be able to arrange things and decorate. She even sang today for the first time I can remember.”
Travis met her gaze. “Did she now? Guess she’ll have to sing for us sometime.”
Vanessa shook her head. “I don’t have the voice for performing, even for family. I didn’t realize I was singing aloud until Jack mentioned it.”
He set Dorie at her place and grinned at Vanessa. “Kind of hard to sing silently, isn’t it?”
She smiled at his teasing. “Perhaps for some, it is. Sometimes I recall hearing the tune and think the words.”
She dished up the stew with shaking hands. A taste earlier had proven the dish wasn’t too bad. The cornbread worried her because it didn’t look just right.
After she’d poured coffee for the adults and milk for the children, she took her place at the table. Travis cut the cornbread and scooped out a piece before he passed the pan. Everyone dug into their food.
She took a bite of the cornbread followed by a gulp of coffee. “I don’t know why the bread is so dry. Greta’s was never like this and I followed her recipe.”
Travis smiled at her. “Tastes fine to me.”
Billy scraped the edges of his bowl and took a sip of his coffee. “That’s right passable stew. I believe I’ll have more if there’s enough.”
“There’s plenty.” Grateful, she served him another helping.
Nodding, Paco handed her his bowl. “Sí, this is a good supper.” He patted his stomach. “I had the hunger.”
“There are peaches with cream for dessert.”
When she sat down, Jack patted her hand and leaned near. “You did a nice job, Mother. They’ve never tasted Greta’s cooking.”
How sad when her young son had to comfort her due to her lack of kitchen knowledge. Drat it all, she was determined to improve her meal preparations. If only Greta were here to show her what she had done wrong.
But, if Greta were here, she would insist on doing the cooking and Vanessa would never learn. Still, she missed the woman’s companionship and guidance so much. Although she’d realized Greta was her closest friend as well as like a mother, she’d had no idea she’d be so lost without her.
When the dishes were done, she joined the men in the parlor area. Billy and Paco stood to leave.
“Wait, you two. Do not think you have to leave because the children and I are living here now. You two are family, and you can sit and visit as long as you wish. Or play cards or whatever you used to do before we came.”
The two men returned to their seats. She sat beside Travis on the couch that might have been the one Mrs. Noah used on the Ark. Billy and Paco sat in chairs that looked even less comfortable and the children played on the floor.
“I see I need to make cushions for those two chairs. I don’t know what to do for this couch. Although I sew, I don’t know how to refurbish upholstery.”
Travis acted embarrassed. “Sorry I can’t get new furniture right now.”
She realized the position in which she’d placed him and tried to recover. “Nonsense. This has a lot of wear left. It just needs... fluffing up somehow. I know people do that sort of thing everywhere. I’ll think about it and maybe something will come to me.”
Her husband exhaled. “Glad you have that attitude.”
Billy wiggled on his chair. “Cushions would be right nice. My backside is bonier than it used to be.”
Dorie sat near the fireplace pretending to feed her favorite doll. “I need a chair, too. Papa, can you build Jack and me chairs?”
“I’ll sure try. Guess it wouldn’t hurt to make a couple more chairs for the kitchen in case we have visitors.”
Vanessa met his gaze. “Did you make those we have now?”
He chuckled. “I thought that was obvious. I’ll never pass for a furniture maker.”
Paco waved at the kitchen. “He made the table also and the chairs Billy and I are in.”
“I’m impressed, Travis.”
He grinned at her. “Thank you,
ma’am. I can’t compete with Walker, but I had to make a few pieces until I can purchase better. You’ll understand when you see his work.”
She relaxed, enjoying the talk between the men. Her arm and shoulder pressed against Travis. Warmth surrounded her, not from the fire, but from the friendly atmosphere.
Although she’d never trust her heart to a man, being a part of this group was a pleasure. She’d wondered if these kinds of relationships existed or were found only in books. Fortunately, she was included here. This was how a family should be.
***
The next day, she and the children were busy with lessons and tidying. After lunch of leftover biscuits, sausage patties, and milk, she thought she’d try to bake loaves of bread. Greta had shown her several times and so had Hilda.
She set Greta’s recipe on the table and gathered all the ingredients, including a jar of starter Greta had packed. Whew, what a smell. Lucky for everyone, the jar hadn’t broken open.
By late afternoon, the dough was ready to shape into loaves. When they were prepared, she set the pan in the oven. Soon, the house filled with the aroma of baking bread.
Jack ran to the window. “Mother, it’s snowing.”
“I want to see.” Dorie raced to stand beside him.
Vanessa joined her children. “Isn’t it lovely? Once or twice when I was a little girl, we had snow in Atlanta but not enough to stay on the ground.”
Jack’s eyes were wide. “Can we go play outside?”
She knew both children wanted to experience snow. “Remember Papa asked you to stay inside and help me today. Let’s wait and ask him where would be a safe place to play for tomorrow.”
“Rats. I remember. Papa said a man always keeps his word.”
Already her children benefitted from her marriage to Travis. This wasn’t the life she’d imagined, but things were working out so far. She dreaded laundry day, but she’d worry about that another time.
Busying herself with the rest of the meal, she forgot to keep checking her loaves until a scorching smell filled the room.
“No-o-o!” She pulled the bread from the oven. The loaves were burned on top. She scooped them onto a towel laid on the table. Defeated, she set the other pans off the stove and rushed from the room.
Montana Sky: Capture Her Heart (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Loving A Rancher Book 6) Page 5