Pony Express Special Delivery

by Rhonda Gibson

  “Clayton, don’t you and James have a doctor to visit?” Maggie snapped the words, causing four pairs of eyes to shift in her direction.

  He grinned. “Yes, I suppose we’ll be on our way.” Clayton closed the distance between them. His blue eyes danced as he bent down and planted a soft kiss on her cheek and then whispered, “Easy, honey. She’s harmless.”

  Maggie gasped at his words. She heard him chuckle softly as he left the store.

  Mrs. Fisher looked to Dinah. “Dinah, we got a new doll in. Would you like to see her?”

  “Oh, yes.” Dinah stood up. “Sissy, can I look at the new doll?”

  She touched her burning cheek where Clayton had kissed her. Absentmindedly, Maggie answered, “Uh, yeah.” What was wrong with her? Had she really been jealous of Mrs. Fisher and Clayton?

  Yes, she had.

  Her cheeks felt as if they were on fire. Maggie walked back to the fabric table. She chose the blue and the green and added them to the other two bolts. Dinah and Mrs. Fisher were talking about the doll, so Maggie moved to the spools of thread.

  Mrs. Fisher joined her. In a soft voice, she said, “I suppose I owe you an apology.”

  “No, you don’t. I should be the one apologizing. I don’t know what came over me.” Maggie’s cheeks grew even warmer.

  Mrs. Fisher picked up a black spool of thread and rubbed it between her hands. “No, I spend so much time talking to men that I tend to get carried away. I meant no harm.”

  Maggie took a deep breath and faced her. “Mrs. Fisher, I overreacted. Please, let’s forget the whole thing.”

  The other woman smiled at her. “Thank you.”

  Impulsively, Maggie hugged her. She didn’t know the other woman very well but knew that once someone asked for forgiveness it was her duty to do just that. Maggie released her and said, “Please tell me that the doll you showed Dinah isn’t a glass one.”

  A grin spread across Mrs. Fisher’s face. “No, it’s not. But it is something to consider for her birthday.”

  “Oh, that’s a thought and a good excuse to get her to leave the doll here today.”

  Mrs. Fisher nodded. “I let all the kids play with it. If you decide you want one later, I’ll special order it so that it’s new and pretty.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Well, if I can’t help you find anything, I’ll go put out more candy for Dinah to drool over.” She giggled and left Maggie standing with four spools of thread in her hands.

  Half an hour later, Maggie and Dinah left the store. Maggie still couldn’t believe she’d been jealous of Mrs. Fisher. It was the woman’s job to be nice to everyone. Her cheeks warmed at Clayton’s kiss and teasing words.

  “Sissy? Can we go to the bakery?” Dinah skipped ahead of her and turned around with a twirl.

  “Maybe after we pick up the baby from Clayton.” Maggie pointed in the direction of Doc Anderson’s office.

  Dinah skipped back to her. “Do we have to go to the doctor’s?”

  “Yes. He’s not going to examine you, Dinah. You aren’t sick.” She took the little girl’s hand in hers. The last time Dinah had been in the doctor’s office she’d had a bad cold and the doctor had made her take a medicine that must have tasted awful because Dinah hated going there now.

  Maggie saw Clayton walking toward the doctor’s office from the opposite direction. He had his head down and was talking to baby James. She stopped and waited for him beside the gate.

  “Clayton!” Dinah called, getting his attention.

  When he looked up, his eyes sparkled with merriment. “You missed me already?” His question was directed toward Dinah, but Maggie knew he was teasing her.

  “No, we came to get the baby. Sissy is taking us to the bakery.”

  “She is, is she?”

  Dinah bent over and picked up a shiny rock. “Uh-huh. I was a good girl at the store so she got me one of those big red balls and some lemon drops.” She turned the stone over in her hands. “But I had to leave the new baby doll. I might get it for my birthday.”

  Clayton grinned down at James. “Sounds like the girls had a good time.”

  Again it was Dinah who answered. “We did.”

  Maggie felt as if the cat had gotten her tongue. She reached for James and forced the words, “We’ll be at the bakery for a while. Maybe you can join us when you get done visiting the doctor.”

  James gurgled as his mother took him. He worked a chubby hand out of the blanket. Before Maggie could tuck it back in, Clayton bent over and took the baby’s hand in his larger one. “Keep that in there,” he told the baby.

  His warm breath caressed Maggie’s face. She felt as if her own breath was trapped in her chest. Clayton smiled at her. “Did you have a good time at the store?”

  “Yes. I got everything I needed to make your shirts and a few other supplies.” Her gaze clashed with his blue one.

  Clayton reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I think I might have found another man to hire at the blacksmith’s.”

  She swallowed hard. “That’s good.”

  “I’ll see you at the bakery.” He dropped his hand.

  Dinah tugged on Clayton’s pant leg. “Look at my pretty rock.” She held it up for him to gaze upon.

  He bent over at the waist and looked into her hands. “It’s very pretty.”

  Maggie admired the way he gave the children his total attention when he was with them. He’d make a great father. Only they’d agreed that their marriage would be in name only. Would he regret being married to her someday? Probably. And when that day came, Clayton Young would leave her just as her father had. Maggie turned away from the sight of her sister and husband. She didn’t want them to see the tears in her eyes.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Maggie Fillmore? Is that really you?”

  Maggie turned to see Mrs. Morris come across the room toward her. “Hello, Mrs. Morris. How are you?” She cuddled James close as she waited for her nearest neighbor to walk to their table.

  Dinah looked up from her sweet roll and smiled. “Hello, Mrs. Morris.”

  The older woman patted Dinah on the head. “Hello, Dinah. How are you?”

  “I’m fine.” She picked up her glass of milk and drank deeply.

  “Hello, Maggie.”

  Maggie smiled at Sally, Mrs. Morris’s sixteen-year-old daughter. “Hi, Sally.”

  Sally shyly looked down on James. “He is beautiful, Maggie.”

  Maggie turned her motherly gaze on her son. “Thank you.” She hugged him close.

  “Can I sit by you for a moment, Dinah?” Sally asked.

  Dinah nodded. “Clayton’s not here yet.”

  Mrs. Morris smiled. “We really shouldn’t intrude, Sally,” she said as Sally sat.

  Maggie motioned for the older woman to sit also. “It’s not intruding. How have you been?”

  “I was going to ask you the same. Mr. Morris tells me that you married not too long ago.” Mrs. Morris eased into the chair.

  Maggie nodded. Sally and Dinah chatted in quiet tones. “I did.”

  Sally looked across at her. “Can I hold the baby?” she asked.

  “I don’t see why not.” Maggie passed the baby across the table to Sally.

  The young girl oohed and aahed over James. She touched his fingers and felt the silkiness of his hair. “He really is beautiful.” Sally finally looked up. She smiled at Dinah. “Your hair is so pretty today, Dinah. Did you fix it yourself?”

  Dinah, who had been looking as if she were feeling left out, smiled broadly. “I brushed it but Sissy braided it for me today.”

  Sally tugged on the braid. “She did a very good job. Braids look pretty on you.”

  The little girl took a big bite of her b
read. “You look pretty, too.”

  “Thank you, but remember, you shouldn’t talk with your mouth full of food. You might choke.” She tweaked Dinah’s nose playfully.

  Mrs. Morris turned to Maggie once more. “Is your new husband running the ranch now?”

  Maggie wasn’t sure if her neighbor was being nosy or just trying to keep the conversation going. “He is. We have hired a new foreman and several other men to help out. With the fences being destroyed, we thought it wise to hire more men to keep an eye on the ranch.”

  Mrs. Morris touched the napkin with the tip of her finger. “Yes, we did the same. I mean, we hired more men. Mr. Morris still oversees the running of the ranch.”

  Maggie watched Sally give a quick kiss to the top of James’s head. The young woman seemed to really enjoy holding the baby and keeping Dinah entertained while her mother and Maggie visited. “I’m concerned about the fences being torn down,” she admitted to the other woman.

  “Did you lose any of your cattle?” Mrs. Morris asked. She looked about and caught the waitress’s eye.

  Once the middle-aged woman had taken Mrs. Morris and Sally’s order, Maggie answered, “No, Clayton and Abraham were able to find all of ours. You?”

  A quizzical look came over the older woman’s face. “You know, I didn’t think to ask. I suppose we did, since Mr. Morris didn’t mention it.”

  Maggie took a sip of her coffee. “You’re probably right.”

  “We have been missing you at the quilting bees.”

  “I’ve missed going, too, but with the baby it isn’t as easy to get to town as it used to be.” Maggie smiled at the sleeping baby.

  Sally raised her head. “I’ll be happy to watch him for you, Maggie, if you ever need me to.”

  Maggie smiled. “Sally, I’d love to take you up on that.”

  Shrewdness entered Mrs. Morris’s eyes. “We came into town today to see if Sally might find a job.”

  “What kind of work are you looking for?” Maggie asked.

  Sally shrugged. “I thought I would enjoy working at the general store, but Mrs. Fisher said she didn’t need extra help right now.” She looked about. “Ma thought this might be a nice place to work.”

  Maggie’s gaze moved about the small bakery. There were four small tables in the dining area. They were each covered with a blue-and-white-checked tablecloth. A large window at the front let light shine in, giving the place a warm feeling even in the coldest of weather.

  The waitress chose that moment to return to their table. Mrs. Morris leaned forward. “Do you know if the owner is hiring any new help?” she asked.

  Maggie watched Sally’s face. The young girl looked down at James. Pink filled her cheeks.

  “I don’t think she is, but I will be happy to ask. Do you want a fresh coffee?”

  “No, I believe we’re all good here.”

  Maggie looked into her near-empty cup. She would have liked more but decided to wait until the girl came back, since she’d already turned from their table and headed for the kitchen.

  “Ma, I’m not sure I want to work here,” Sally whispered across the table.

  Mrs. Morris frowned at her. “Girl, you need a job. Someplace where you can meet a nice young man.” She paused and then pressed on. “You aren’t getting any younger, you know.”

  “I’m not that old,” Sally protested.

  Maggie leaned forward. “If there aren’t any openings here, how would you like to come out in the afternoons and work at my place, Sally?”

  Dinah yawned. “I’d like that.” The little girl’s eyelids drooped lower. Dinah had gotten up early due to her excitement of coming to town again.

  Mrs. Morris stuttered. “What is there at your ranch for a sixteen-year-old girl to do?” Her green eyes shined with curiosity.

  “She can help with the children, household chores and laundry,” Maggie answered.

  Sally opened her mouth to answer, but Mrs. Morris cut her off. “She’s looking for a husband. How will she find one working in your house with children?”

  Maggie smiled. “We have several single young men working for us. I can arrange for Sally to meet them. Send her out to fetch eggs or go to the barn and ask questions I might need answers to, that sort of thing.”

  The server returned. “I’m sorry, Sally. Mrs. Cole says she has all the help she can afford.”

  Sally grinned at Maggie. “I think I’d like working out at your place.” She turned to her mother. “Ma, I wouldn’t need to ride into town every day either. I could take Stardust and ride over to the Fillmore place without having to hitch up the wagon.”

  “I don’t know, Sally...”

  Maggie interrupted. “I’ll pay her well.”

  “Money isn’t the reason she’s seeking work,” Mrs. Morris answered.

  Sally gently rocked James. “No, you want me to get married. Wouldn’t taking care of young children prepare me for married life, Ma?”

  Maggie tried again. “I could use her help, Mrs. Morris.”

  The older woman sighed. “I’ll give you until the fall. If you haven’t found a young man by your birthday, I’ll expect you to look for a job in town.”

  Sally smiled. “Thanks, Ma.”

  Maggie nodded. “Yes, thank you.” She didn’t know if they could find a husband for Sally in six short months, but Maggie knew it was six months that Sally could enjoy being with the children and she could explore the ranch.

  Clayton entered the bakery. He swooped his hat off his head and, using his fingers, combed down the mass of light brown hair. His blue eyes searched the room. Upon seeing his family, he headed toward them.

  She waited until he stood beside their table and said, “Clayton, have you met our neighbors, Mrs. Morris and her daughter, Sally?”

  “Can’t say that I have. It’s nice to meet you ladies.”

  Mrs. Morris stood. “It’s nice to meet you as well, but we really must be going.” She fussed with the buttons of her coat while Sally handed James back to Maggie.

  “When do you want me to start?” Sally asked. She turned and gave Dinah a quick hug.

  Half-asleep, Dinah returned her hug. “Can she come tomorrow, Sissy?”

  “Yes, she can, Dinah.” Maggie turned to Mrs. Morris. “If it’s all right with her mother.”

  Mrs. Morris nodded. “She’ll be there, right after lunch.”

  The two ladies left the bakery, one all smiles, the other looking concerned.

  Clayton slipped into the chair across from Maggie. “What was that about?”

  She turned to the waitress, who stood beside the window looking outside. “Would you be so kind as to refill my coffee?”

  “I’ll be happy to.” The young woman walked to the kitchen to grab the coffeepot. “Would you like a cup also, Mr. Young?”

  “Yes, and maybe one of those sweet rolls I saw on the counter.”

  She smiled. “I’ll be back with both.”

  Maggie turned to answer Clayton. “I hired Sally to come out to the ranch and help me with the kids and around the house.”

  Clayton frowned. “Oh. I didn’t realize you needed help.”

  She giggled. “I didn’t either until I heard Sally was looking for work. With Sally watching the children, I can be available to help out around the ranch.” Maggie watched his face. Clayton didn’t seem to care one way or the other.

  Dinah leaned her head against Clayton’s shoulder. “Sissy? If you go ride Snowball again, can I come, too?” She yawned and closed her eyes.

  “We’ll see,” Maggie answered in a soft whisper.

  Clayton moved his shoulder and pulled Dinah to his side. He wrapped an arm around her small body. His gaze met Maggie’s. “Seems only fair that if I’m going to be a bed that we both should be comfortable.�
�

  Maggie chuckled. “Sounds reasonable to me.” Now that Clayton was with them, Maggie felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She felt carefree and happy. What was it about this man that made her forget that she was a mother and older sister? That she didn’t want to fall in love and live a life of solitude?

  * * *

  Clayton enjoyed the sweet roll and coffee. He grinned at the little girl pressed against his side, sucking her thumb in her sleep. Maggie had grown quiet but seemed content just to sip her coffee and watch the people pass by.

  He cleared his throat. “I hired the man I told you about earlier, the one I met at the blacksmith’s shop. He’s on his way now out to the ranch to claim a bunk.”

  “Is he young and single?”

  “Um, that wasn’t one of the requirements of working on a ranch so I didn’t ask. Why?” Was she already looking to replace him? Clayton frowned at her.

  She shifted James in her arms. “I told Mrs. Morris that I’d make sure Sally met our single men.”

  He choked on his coffee. Clayton tried to cough without jostling Dinah. He was finally able to squeak out, “What?”

  “Sally’s mother wants her to meet a nice young man and get married. She’s worried the sixteen-year-old is going to become an old maid.” Maggie held his gaze across the table.

  Well, at least Maggie wasn’t looking for a new man for herself. “You’re serious?” Clayton hissed. What was Maggie thinking, trying to play matchmaker with his ranch hands and their neighbor’s daughter?

  “As a Pony Express rider in a snowstorm.” She grinned, then smiled broadly.

  Clayton enjoyed the teasing glint that entered her eyes. He thought about taking another drink of his coffee, but since they were still talking about the Morris women, decided against it in fear he might not be able to control his shock and Maggie would wear the lukewarm beverage home. “What are your plans? It’s not like the men work around the house.”