Maggie's Valley (Strong Hearts, Open Spirits Book 1)

by Danni Roan

  “You gotta’ a mighty fine place here.” he said conversationally, indicating the window with his head as he walked over and sat down at the table. “Plenty of land, good water and strong buildings. Your father must have known a bit about building. That barn will stand forever if it’s cared for.” Maggie smiled at him, not breaking the steady rhythm of the churn.

  “He believed in doing things well. This was our home and he meant it to last.”

  “What do you think he would have said about you coming out here all alone like you did? Wouldn’t he have worried about you?”

  “I suppose in some ways he would have been proud of me, but in other’s he would have be furious. He always said I was too stubborn and independent for my own good. I never really thought about it. I just knew I had to get away from all of the death and misery of before. I think in my heart this has always been home to me for some reason. Being here centers me; it gives me peace.”

  Jason studied her as she spoke. He understood the lore of the mountains. He had never liked a big city; it was too noisy for his taste. “I can understand that.” He said. I’ve always preferred the open range when possible, but things are changing and bit by bit this country is building up. Soon all the territories will be states and big cities will dot the whole country. The rail road is moving people faster and faster and before you know it the whole place will be full of people.”

  Maggie, chuckled. “The way you describe it we’ll be over run in days.”

  “Well, I don’t reckon it will happen that fast but it’s coming. Already ranchers are starting to string barbed wire across the whole place, making sure they keep what’s theirs as others arrive. That’s what’s happening even now in Sawbrush.” A look of worry crossed his face and seeing it Maggie reached a hand out and rested it on his arm.

  “I know it’s hard for you to wait Mr. Danvers. You have a job to do and don’t like waiting to get it done, but you have to give yourself time to heal and frankly with the snow piling up higher every day I really don’t think you’ll be able to leave the valley very soon. Besides, what if whoever shot you is still out there just waiting?”

  Just then the door banged open as Chaz walked in carrying three large, white rabbits on a string. “I snared three of them.” he said proudly holding them up for everyone to get a better look. “The wild critters are out and about in force today; I think we’re probably due for another storm. It’s nice and bright out there now but there are storm clouds building over to the west. I’ll get these skinned out Miss Maggie and maybe you can cook us up one of them good rabbit stews you make. I’ll just hang ta’ others in the cellar for later.”

  “That would wonderful Chaz!” Maggie said with a big smile which not only lit up her face but brightened her eyes. “As soon as I’ve finished the butter I’ll get things ready. And when you’re done do you mind getting the big kettle on to boil outside. I’ll just boil up the wash this week instead of trying to scrub it all by hand. Then we can hang it in-doors to dry by the fire.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Chaz said and turned to get on with his work.

  “Here, let me churn the butter, while you get started cookin’” Jason offered rising from his chair. “That’s a fine young man there and we wouldn’t want to disappoint him with no stew for supper now would we?” he added with a twinkle.

  Maggie laughed out loud at the comment. “You certainly do have his number Mr. Danvers. Chaz loves to eat and there is no doubt about it.” She relinquished the handle of the churn to the tall man. “Do you know how to make butter?” She asked kindly.

  “Yes, ma’am, my mother had us boys doing all sorts of jobs after our pa passed. She didn’t care if boys did ‘woman’s work, or girls did boys work’ it all needed to get done. Only thing I never really got any good at was cookin’.”

  “Your mother must have been a wise woman. Is she still living?” Maggie asked as she began peeling potatoes and carrots for the stew.

  “No she passed a while back when I was about seventeen. My oldest brother took over the farm from her with his wife and my younger stayed on with them. Me I was always looking to the next hill just wanting to know what was on the other side so I lit out and became a cow hand for a while, before putting on that badge.”

  They continued their conversation as Maggie added onions to the pile of peeled and chopped vegetables. She then pulled down a sprig of wild sage to add it to the pot. Chaz came in then with the dressed out rabbit and handed it to Maggie, who salted it and immediately began browning it in lard in her big iron skillet.

  “I see she’s got you doing kitchen work too.” He said conversationally to the other man. “She don’t seem to think that a man shouldn’t do woman’s work.”

  Jason and Maggie both laughed at the comment leaving Chaz, looking somewhat confused and trying to decide if he should be offended.

  “We were just talking about Mr. Danvers’ mother and he told me she didn’t see any difference in chores, as work was work no matter what.”

  “Is that so?” Chas asked, surprised that the big lawman might be used to doing ‘woman’s work’.

  “It is, and honestly Chaz, I’m pretty glad she did. I’ve had to fend for myself for a long time now and thought I’m not great shakes at cookin’ and such, at least I don’t have to live on nothin’ but bacon and beans.”

  “I guess that does make good sense.” Chaz pondered. “I don’t suppose that means you’ll help out with the laundry today does it?” He added hopefully.

  “I think that work might be a little too heavy for Mr. Danvers yet Chaz, let’s give him a few more days to mend before he’s up to his elbows in soap and water.”

  Chaz and Maggie did in fact finish up the laundry that day, while dark clouds rolled, and billowed over the far mountains to the west. As evening drew closer the wind picked up, skidding snow across the barn yard, making the chickens squawk and head to their cozy pen. The horses, who had been turned out to forage, made their way back to the barn before Chaz even started out to milk the goat, and together he and the Marshall made the animals snug in the barn. Chaz tested the rope leading from the barn to the cabin to be sure it was strong and tight, then together they headed into the warmth of the cabin.

  Maggie was bending over pulling two fresh loaves of bread out of the oven to go with the stew. The warm sweet aroma of dinner filled the cabin, and Jason felt a small flutter in his stomach as he took in the cozy domestic scene. It didn’t hurt that Maggie had a nicely rounded bottom. Once more he pushed the thoughts away.

  He was going to be stuck here at least until the pass Maggie had told him about was clear and he needed to keep his head about him. Sawbrush was only going to be worse by the time he got there, and he couldn’t help but worry about what might happen in the days or even weeks ahead before he got there.

  He’d seen land disputes turn into all out range wars and hoped he could make sure that didn’t happen. Just then his stomach rumbled reminding him that he had more immediate needs so he stuck his hat on a peg and washed up at the sink while Maggie and Chaz put dinner on the table.

  That night as he bowed his head, waiting for Maggie to pray, he studied her face seeing a strange peacefulness there. Many people who had gone through all that she had would be angry and bitter, but she still seemed to find joy and peace somehow. Just as Maggie said Amen, they all heard the wind pick up again, gusting against the now closed shutters.

  “It’s gonna be a bad one, ain’t it Miss Maggie?” Chaz asked with a shiver.

  “I guess it’s a good thing we got everything done this fall then isn’t Chaz.” She replied with a smile and began serving up the stew.

  That night, Jason Danvers climbed into his slightly too small cot, Chaz simply refused to take it back, and stared up at the slanted ceiling of the little cabin he shared with his unlikely saviors. By the light of the blaze in the fire place he could make out most of the cabin’s interior. The large wood frame rack suspended from the rafters still held several items o
f clothing including his other set of clothes, which Maggie had carefully mended as best she could.

  For a moment, the thing made him shiver as it reminded him of a gallows. Then a big log in the fire place collapsed and as sparks rose up the chimney making the shadows dance as they reached each corners of the room breaking the spell. He smiled at his strange thoughts and let his eyes look around the now familiar space.

  The kitchen chair still set beside his cot where it had been placed on the first day he’d been able to hold a cup of coffee. An old chair made of thick branches and bent wood sat off in a corner, its string and lashing middle disintegrated beyond repair. It was a big square monstrosity but with the right care could he could see the comfort it would offer. The big wooden table made the most intricate and distinguishable shadow covering over half of the floor in the kitchen, and with the cook stove softly glowing behind it the shadow stretched along the wall of Maggie’s room.

  For a moment he thought of Maggie, lying there in her bed, and a warm flush crept over him that had nothing to do with the fire. He was becoming more and more aware of the fact that he found this woman attractive. He thought of how startled he was when he’d opened his eyes on that first morning and saw her sitting there with her knitting needles in hand. He thought he’d been dreaming, that he’d been seeing another man’s life pass before his eyes. He hadn’t been able to pull his gaze away from her face. She was in fact a beautiful woman.

  He needed to put these thoughts out of his head before he developed true feelings for her. If only he could get away. Besides what could a woman like that possibly ever see in a man like him? He lay there on that too short cot for a long time, listening to the soft breathing of Chaz snugged up in his bedroll and quilts by the fire before he could finally get to sleep.

  The wind rattling the shutters outside of Maggie’s window kept her awake, or at least that’s what she told herself as her mind drifted once more to Mr. Danvers. What a strange, lonely man he was. He was a good man. She could tell that. He had a strong belief in the law and the rights of people to live a peaceful life.

  He’d been with them just over two weeks now but it seemed like they had known him much longer. He talked to Chaz as he would to any other man showing the younger man respect with every action. Yet she could feel the loneliness in him. He was a drifter in his own way. His very vocation leaving him no room for roots.

  She remembered him shaving that day standing by the mirrored wash stand, the bright blade of the straight razor making a quick ‘shick, shick,’ sound as it traced along his strong jaw had sent shivers through her whole being. She didn’t want to look at him like a man, and yet she found that day by day his presents seemed to have more effect on her.

  She hadn’t thought she would ever feel any attraction to another man after losing David but she could not deny the fact that she was beginning too. It didn’t matter though as soon as the snow let up sufficiently he would be gone. Heaving a deep sigh, she closed her eyes and whispered a prayer.

  “Father, you’ve brought this man into our lives for a purpose. I don’t know what more you want of me but I will trust in you whatever comes.” Then with her eyes still closed in reverence she drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 10

  The next morning the storm was still raging outside the little cabin. Chaz and Jason used the rope to make their way to the barn and chicken coop to do the chores, while Maggie stoked up the stove and started breakfast.

  By Maggie’s calculation Christmas was just five days away. She’d been secretly making gifts for Chaz throughout the month and had a nice little stash of packages wrapped in brown paper under her bed. She’d made him several new shirts, a warm scarf and even a few pair of socks. She still wished she could somehow manage to get him a new coat. She’d patched his too many times already, it was worn and quickly getting too small for him. She was just waiting for the day it split at the seams and with months of winter yet ahead it did disturb her.

  Chaz on the other hand simply tossed the old blanket she’d made into a poncho for him that first night without a single complaint or thought for anything more, but she knew that he really needed a new coat.

  For Mr. Danvers she had knitted a long dark blue scarf that she knew would look good with his eyes. Maggie smiled a secret little smile to herself as she placed bacon and pancakes along with fresh scrambled eggs on the table and poured the coffee just as she heard the two men returning from the barn. Now she just hoped that the weather would clear enough to be able to get a little pine tree like her father had always done back East.

  The next two days the weather was cold and blustery, snow poured over the mountain creating almost white out conditions at times. Unless they were out tending the stock, or bringing in wood for the fires everyone pretty much stayed in the cabin through those days.

  Maggie continued sewing working on the quilt she was making for Chaz and even did some extra baking. She decided that ginger bread would be a nice treat for the Christmas season and whipped up a batch of those along with some simple sugar cookies to have with their coffee. She even made whipped cream for the ginger bread.

  Chaz and Mr. Danvers worked on repairing harnesses and other gear that would receive heavy use in the spring. Both men were surprised that Maggie hadn’t confined the work to the barn, but she had insisted that it was too cold to work in the barn for long so had them bring in a tarp to put on the floor and work on the equipment there.

  It was the day before Christmas when the storm finally broke. The constantly driving wind had pushed the largest part of the drifting snow toward the mountains and when the sun came out it danced over the sparkling, pristine white landscape, creating a true wonderland. Relatively speaking the weather was much warmer.

  Everyone, including the stock was glad to be outside even if only for a little while to revel in the sun. the horses, turned out into the corral, chased each other about, kicking up their heels and squealing like silly foals before settling down to munching on fresh hay. Even the nanny goat and her kid came out and pranced about in the snowy yard.

  The chickens however where more than reluctant to be chased out of their coop and contented themselves with nestling into the barn while their own quarters were cleaned.

  The men were just coming in for lunch when Maggie surprised them by coming out with a large basket full of bacon sandwiches and hard boiled eggs. She’d put some of the cookies in as well and smiling sweetly informed them that they would be eating on the hill near the house. “Chaz you bring Sampson along with the pack saddle, we’re going to get a Christmas tree.”

  Chaz scratched his head for a moment but didn’t question her as he hurried to the barn to get the big mule geared up. It was a hard slog through the snow to the edge of the mountains that backed the cabin but not too difficult and the brisk walk felt good. Mr. Danvers led the mule ahead breaking a trail to make it easier for Maggie who still carried the basket.

  “What exactly are we looking for?” He called back over his shoulder as they approached a stand of trees.

  “Well a little pine of course.” Maggie said smiling. Haven’t you ever seen a Christmas tree?”

  Both men looked at each other, then at her and answered “No.” in unison.

  They stalked around the small copse until Maggie gave a squeal of delight. There just at the edge of the trees stood a small squat pine tree, its umbrella branches pushed close to its trunk by the heavy snow weighing it down. Maggie reached out a gloved hand grasping it at the middle and giving a good shake, causing the snow to fall with a loud thump. Sampson reached out his nose to give the little tree a nibble but Maggie pushed him away.

  “This will be just perfect.” She stated then turned to Chaz who had the hatchet and who quickly went to cutting the little tree from its base. Once they had strapped the tree onto Sampson’s back, they spread a blanket on the well trampled snow, in the bright sunshine and ate their lunch. Sampson of course had to share the cookies.

  “Miss M
aggie, I never heard of a Christmas tree before. What do you do with it?”

  “Well Chaz, you put it in the house and you decorate it with whatever you can find. Some people go so far as to put candles on them, but I’ve always thought that would be unwise. Christmas trees have been a tradition in Europe for a long time.

  Some people believe that they represent our hope of eternal life in Christ since it’s his birthday we celebrate, the tree is ever green so it makes you think of living forever.”

  “That’s right nice, ain’t it?” Chaz said “and it’s a darn pretty tree too.”

  After they ’de eaten a hasty lunch. They packed up and headed back to the cabin where the three of them wrestled the tree into a corner of the big room and stood it up by nailing a cross cut piece of log to the bottom of it. That evening after supper, they hung bits of string and ornaments cut out of old tins on the little tree. Then Maggie sat down in one of the kitchen chairs and read the Christmas story to them all.

  Jason studied the woman reading softly to them. He noted the way the light caught the honey gold and copper highlights in her hair, and how they reflected off of her bright hazel eyes, that were one-minute dark, and the next bright green. He noted the stillness to her and her whole household.

  Even the two big bob cats had stopped batting at the tree long enough to settle down as if listing to this story of Christmas. The fire crackled softly in the back ground and a strange sort of warmth seemed to pass over him. That night they all turned in early feeling contented with their day.

  In the middle of the night Maggie slipped silently into the main part of the cabin and placed her bundles under the tree. She was careful not to make a sound as to not wake the men. She had no way of knowing that Jason Danvers woke as soon as her door had opened and watched her glide across the floor.