Maggie marveled that at that moment, the storm stopped. It quit raining, and for the rest of the evening there was no more thunder or lightning. Clayton knew exactly what Dinah needed to hear and believe. How could a man who had no children of his own comfort someone else’s child so easily? Had God brought him into their lives to do more than save James’s life? The thought both comforted her and worried her.
* * *
Maggie stood in the doorway and watched as a Pony Express rider raced from the yard. She sighed heavily. Over the last couple of weeks, Maggie and Clayton had created a routine. She got up early and made sure that Clayton had a hot breakfast before heading out to the barn to do his morning chores. Then once he was out of the house, she took care of the children’s basic needs, cleaned, cooked and did laundry. Each evening he came in and, true to his word, played with Dinah and even baby James. After the children were in bed, Clayton told her what was happening on the ranch and praised Abraham on a fine job. They now had three additional hired men who were helping with the repairs on the place as well as taking care of the newborn calves and their mothers. After about an hour, Clayton would excuse himself to go read his medical books.
She told herself her life was full. But if it were so full, why did she feel so empty? Maggie walked back into the kitchen and began washing the noonday dishes. As she scrubbed, her thoughts went to the ranch. Yes, Clayton told her what was going on, but she wanted to see for herself. Hadn’t Gus told her things were going well and then almost succeeded in taking the ranch from her?
Not that she could compare Clayton to Gus. Clayton had a way with both the children that left her in awe of him. Dinah had fallen deeply in love with the Pony Express manager. She waited each evening by the front door for his return. On the days that he went into town the little girl moped around the house as if she’d lost her best friend.
Not that she blamed Dinah. She felt his absences from the ranch also. Maggie hated to admit it, but she missed him as soon as he left the house. She told herself it was because he was the only adult companionship that she had. Was she starting to care for Clayton more than she should? Or were they simply becoming good friends?
Maggie heard the kitchen door open behind her and looked to see who was coming in. Clayton grinned and whispered, “Maggie, are the children lying down for a nap?”
“Yes, why?”
Clayton ignored her question and asked one of his own. “How long will they be down for?”
She frowned. “Probably another hour. If James doesn’t wake up hungry before then.” The little boy was growing and eating much more than he had in the past. “Why?”
He stepped back and allowed Hal to come into the door. “I want to show you something. Hal has agreed to call if either one of the children wake up, if you will come with me.”
Maggie looked from Clayton to Hal. “How long would we be gone from the house?”
Hal said, “I promise to be real quiet, Mrs. Young.”
“And I promise to have you back in an hour.”
She wanted to go and see what Clayton had to show her but she also worried that Hal might not know what to do if the children were to wake up.
“Come on, Maggie. You haven’t been away from this house in two weeks.”
It was true. She pulled her apron off and hung it by the back door. Just as she started to follow Clayton out the door, she stopped. “Wait.” Maggie turned to Hal. “How will you let me know if the children wake up?”
He grinned. “I’ll ring the old dinner bell. Remember? We used to use it all the time.”
Maggie did remember. But it wasn’t really a bell. More like a large chunk of metal that she would hit with another piece of metal Jack had found. It made the loudest noise. She hated that thing, and after several weeks of using it, Maggie had told Jack she would never use it again.
She smiled at Hal. “That’s a great plan.” Still, as she left the house, Maggie felt uncomfortable.
As soon as they were at the barn, Clayton took her to two saddled horses, Bones and another one that she’d named Snowball. After she’d climbed up on the horse, George handed her the reins. Maggie looked toward the house, where Hal stood in the back door watching them.
The older gentleman said, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Young. I’ll keep an eye on Hal and the young’uns.” He patted her leg reassuringly.
“Come on, Maggie. The children will be fine for a few minutes.” Clayton turned Bones away from the house and toward the west pasture. “I’m not sure you’ve ever been where I’m taking you, but I think you’ll like it.”
“Thank you, George. I feel better knowing you are watching out for the children and Hal.” Maggie turned Snowball so that she followed Bones.
The sun shone and after some dreary days inside, being outside in the sunshine was a true blessing she welcomed. The cold wind whipped at her cheeks and nose. Maggie felt like throwing her head back and racing across the pasture. Being able to ride again after so many long months was exhilarating.
Clayton slowed Bones down until she was riding beside him, instead of behind him. “We should do this every day while the kids are napping.”
Maggie laughed. Was he saying he’d like to spend alone time with her every day? She decided to make light of the suggestion. “Don’t you think Hal and George would get tired of playing nursemaids?”
“Doubt it. This is probably the easiest hour’s work they’ve done in years.” He grinned across at her.
“Where is this mystery place you are taking me?” she asked.
He made a tsking sound. “Patience, Maggie. Just enjoy the ride.”
“We have less than an hour now. Shouldn’t we be riding a little faster?”
A mischievous glint entered his eyes. “Sure, catch me, if you can.” Clayton patted Bones on the neck. “Let’s go, ole boy.”
Maggie watched in surprise as the horse sped away. “Hey! No fair! That’s a Pony Express horse!” she yelled after him even as she urged Snowball to follow.
His laughter flowed back to her. For the first time in weeks, Maggie felt carefree. Joy traveled through her veins as the sunshine shone on her face and the wind blew through her hair. Maggie found herself laughing also. What would it be like to feel this lighthearted always? If only she didn’t have a lingering fear of abandonment, Maggie could almost see herself falling in love with her handsome husband.
Chapter Twelve
Clayton led her to the small cove that was tucked away on the back side of the ranch. Over the last few weeks, he’d packed one or both of the medical books in his saddlebags and come to the cove to study. Its peacefulness welcomed him like an old friend.
Clayton had entertained the idea of bringing Maggie and the kids to the cove and having a family picnic, but first he wanted to show it to Maggie. George had said that he never recalled Maggie going out to the cove. That was all Clayton needed to hear. He’d decided then and there to share his special place with Maggie first.
He slid off Bones’s back and stood waiting for Maggie and her mount to catch up to him. Her hair had come down from the braid she’d been wearing earlier. Strands of blond silk framed her laughing face. She was probably the most beautiful woman he’d ever met.
“Oh, Clayton. This is a beautiful spot.” She allowed him to pull her from the horse.
His hands lingered on her tiny waist for a moment too long. Maggie looked up at him with startled hazel eyes. Had she felt the connection that he’d just felt? That need to be closer to her? Clayton released her and took a step away. She was his wife. Why shouldn’t he get closer to her? He turned his back and looked out onto the water. Where had such a thought come from?
He didn’t want to fall in love. He didn’t think it was fair to get close to a woman unless he was willing to give her his heart. Clayton knew he wasn’t there yet.
&n
bsp; “It’s beautiful here, Clayton.” Her voice sounded soft and unsure.
He turned with a smile. “It is, isn’t it?”
She nodded. “It will be even more beautiful in another month.” Maggie bent down and picked up a rock. She turned sideways and sent it across the water in two little hops. Then the rock sank.
Clayton laughed and joined her. “That was sad. I can skip a rock four times before it sinks,” he bragged.
Maggie bent for another rock. “Let’s see you do it.” She handed him the stone, stood back and gave him space.
Clayton took his time and aimed the rock across the water. It did three skips and sank to the bottom. He groaned loudly. “I will pick out my own rocks next time.”
Her laughter drifted over him like sugar on a cookie. He playfully growled, “If you can do better, step on up.” Clayton moved away and let her into his spot.
She scooped up another small stone, moved to where he stood, wiggled her body and twisted the little rock in her fingers. Then she let it fly. “One, two, three and four!” Maggie jumped up and laughed. “Four. Beat that.”
Clayton couldn’t believe that he was playing a game of skipping rocks with a girl. Not just any girl, but his wife. He laughed and stepped up for his turn.
Half an hour later, Maggie called their game to an end. She smiled broadly at him. “You win this time. I’ll do better next time, but we have to head back to the house now.”
He laughed. “Thanks for letting me win.” Clayton stood behind her as Maggie pulled herself up into the saddle. Once she was seated, he grinned up at her. “I look forward to a rematch.”
Maggie’s voice softened. “Me, too. This has been fun.”
Clayton felt sure Maggie hadn’t had fun in a long time. He felt as if he’d do anything to see her relaxed and smiling again.
They rode back to the ranch in comfortable silence. Clayton dismounted beside her at the front of the porch. He took her reins. “I’ll be in after I put the horses away.”
“Really?”
The shock on her face gave him pause. Had he neglected her? Since they’d come from town, he’d spent his evenings with her and the children.
“Boss!”
Clayton turned at the sound of George’s voice. He called back to him. “George, call me Clayton. I’m not the boss.”
George ran across the yard from the barn. “Clayton, Abraham said to tell you that the fence in the back west pasture has been knocked down. He said someone took an ax to part of it. He wants you to come out and help him round up the cattle.”
“Where’s Bud?”
“He’s fixing the fence.”
Clayton looked at Maggie.
“Go. We’ll be here when you get home.”
He wanted to stay with his family but knew his duty was to help on the ranch. He nodded and swung up on his horse. “George, please put Snowball back in her stall.” Clayton turned to Maggie. “Please ask Hal to meet us in the west pasture.”
George started back to the barn with the white mare. He stopped. “B—Clayton, do you want me to let Hal have this horse so that he can get out there faster?”
Clayton nodded. “That’s a good plan.” He turned to find Maggie already gone.
Hal came rushing from the house. “You need me, boss?”
Clayton groaned. He’d have to tell every man on the place that he was not their boss. “Yes, we have fences to fix and cows to chase. And stop calling me boss.”
Hal looked to George, who shrugged.
“You can take Snowball.” George held out the mare’s reins.
Clayton turned Bones toward the west pasture.
Hal rode up beside him and asked, “You want me to chase cows or fix fences?”
He shook his head. “Which one are you better at?”
The other man rubbed his chin. “I’m pretty good at chasing cows.”
“Then you’ll go with me to find Abraham. We’ll see Bud first and find out which way Abraham went.” He glanced over at Hal.
The young man had a frown on his face.
“What’s wrong?” Clayton asked.
Hal looked over at him. “Why are we chasing cows?”
Clayton realized that Hal had been in the house when George had told him about the fence. “Someone tore down the fence in the west pasture, so we have to go catch the cows that got out.”
“They tore it down?”
“That’s what Abraham said.” Clayton watched the young man’s forehead furrow deeper. He waited while Hal worked through his thoughts.
Hal looked across at him. “Who would tear up the fence?” He worried his bottom lip between his teeth.
“I’m not sure. Could be cattle rustlers.” His first response was to think it was Gus, but they hadn’t heard from Jack’s cousin since they’d told him to leave the ranch.
“Do cattle rustlers also let pigs out of their pens?”
“What?” Had he been daydreaming or had Hal really just asked if cattle rustlers let pigs out of their pens? He remembered George mentioning the pig incident.
Clayton allowed Bones to walk once more. “It’s probably not the same person.” His gaze moved to Hal. Like him, she probably thought the young man had forgotten to close the gate well and didn’t feel the incident was worth mentioning.
“Maybe not.” Hal didn’t look convinced.
They’d wasted enough time. Clayton grinned at him. “We’d best get to the west pasture. Those cattle aren’t going to round up themselves.” He touched his boot heels to Bones’s sides.
Within a few minutes, they saw Bud working on the fence. He was putting the logs back into place. Those that had been chopped in half lay off to one side. Clayton stopped and leaned on the saddle horn. “Any idea what happened here?” he asked.
“Abraham and I were riding the fence lines and came across this. Looks like someone took an ax to the logs.” Bud leaned against the undamaged wood.
Clayton nodded. His gaze moved to the cow tracks. He didn’t need Bud to tell him which direction Abraham had gone to follow the cows. “Come on, Hal. Let’s go find the cattle.” He led the way over the lower part of the still-down fence.
As he followed the trail, Clayton worried. Was Gus the cattle rustler? Or had it simply been a mischievous passerby? What would Maggie think when he told her about the damage? And, even though he thought Hal probably forgot to close the gate to the pigpen, what if he was wrong? Had someone let the pigs out to distract Hal? Worry etched into his being. Was his family in danger?
* * *
Maggie sat up waiting for Clayton. She’d put the children to bed and walked to the barn to see if George had heard anything from the men. After plying him with fresh cookies, Maggie was no closer to knowing what was going on than when she’d walked over. He’d assured her it would take them a while to get all the cows rounded up.
She settled into her chair. Would Clayton spend all night rounding up livestock? Maggie hated the thought of going upstairs without him in the house. She’d gotten used to him being there.
A bump sounded at the back of the house. Was Clayton back? She pushed out of her chair and walked to the kitchen. Maggie knew he’d be starving. He’d missed dinner, which had consisted of ham and potatoes. A plate sat at the back of the stove warming for him.
Maggie stopped at the stove. She tilted her head and listened. If he were coming through the back door, Clayton should have already come inside. Another bumping sound met her ears. Her heartbeat picked up.
Was someone outside? And if so, why didn’t he knock at the door? Or simply come inside? She called out, “Clayton is that you?” Then realized her mistake. If someone was out there, he now knew she was alone in the house.
She tiptoed to the back door and dropped the large bar across it. Then
Maggie walked as quietly as she could to the front door. Just as she got to the door it opened.
Maggie screamed.
Clayton pulled his gun from the holster on his hip. He took in the empty room and stared at her as if she’d grown two heads. “Why are you screaming?”
Maggie had already covered her mouth. Her hands shook as she pulled them away to answer. How foolish she was going to look to him. “You scared me.”
“I scared you? Woman, you took ten years off my life screaming like that.” He holstered his gun.
“Since when do you wear a gun on your hip?” Maggie demanded.
“Sissy? Are you all right?” Dinah stood at the top of the stairs. Her eyes were wide and full of fear.
Maggie nodded. “Yes, go back to bed. Clayton just came home.”
The little girl turned back toward the bedrooms.
Clayton shut the door with a tired sigh. “We’re all going to be wearing them for a while,” he answered once Dinah was no longer standing at the head of the stairs.
“Why?” Maggie walked to the kitchen. He’d scared the living liver out of her. She hoped by asking him questions he wouldn’t ask her why she was so jumpy.
“Someone deliberately damaged a fence and ran our cattle off.” He followed her into the kitchen and sat down at the table.
Maggie took his plate from the stove and carried it to him. Clayton lowered his head and said a quick silent blessing over his food, then she said, “Did you round them all up?”
“Yes, and I spoke with our neighbors. Seems all of them have had their fences meddled with. They aren’t any happier about it than we are.” His shoulders slumped as he ate.
“I would say not,” Maggie agreed. She poured him a hot cup of coffee.
Clayton ate several bites. “I also spoke to Mr. Morris about taking our cows to market with his. He said he’d welcome the help on the trip.”
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