Seth’s burst of laughter volleyed across the schoolyard.
Marigold gave him a shove with her shoulder. “You’re embarrassing me.”
Violet finished her pastry and reached for Marigold’s hand.
“Did you enjoy it?” she asked the girl.
“Yes.”
Marigold called the children. “It’s time to go into the building and have class now. Let’s thank Mrs. Halloway and Mrs. Werner.”
They called out their thanks. Tate and Harper gave Seth quick hugs and darted inside.
“Thank you for the treat, Mr. Halloway,” Michael said.
“You’re welcome, Michael. But I was only the delivery boy.”
“I seen you ridin’ your horse once. The gray with speckles and a black mane. It’s the handsomest thing I ever seen.”
“You like horses?”
“My pa ran the station here b’fore. I fed and watered the horses what he changed out for the drivers.”
“You must’ve been a little rascal back then.”
“Yeah, but I’m strong.”
“I see that. You keep doing your lessons, and you’ll have even more skills to help you through your life.”
“Yessir.” Michael walked toward the school.
Marigold remembered Will’s talk about how the town got started and recalled he’d mentioned how there’d been a stage station before the railroad came through. She was still curious about Michael and his father.
She studied Seth as he watched the boy walk away. He was compassionate and kind always, to children, to animals. He was brave. And not because he’d survived a war and fought Indians, but because he wasn’t afraid to care.
Violet still clung to her hand. Evelyn had gone for her shawl and now had Little John in tow. Their wagon stood where they’d left it on the street.
“Thank you, Seth. For everything.” Then Marigold turned to his mother and gave her a brief hug. The first time she’d done that. “And thank you for your help. Seth can tell you what Russ said.”
“You’re welcome, dear.”
She looked at mother and son, and wished she could be as brave as they were. But she wasn’t.
For now she had to settle with what she did best. She led Violet inside the schoolhouse, where she’d teach her lessons.
Chapter Fifteen
Violet was afraid to let Marigold out of her sight. She’d been through a traumatic experience, so her behavior was understandable. Marigold was patient with her, as were the rest of the family. The boys didn’t quite understand, but they were accepting and tolerant. With that in mind, as the school day began she placed Violet and Jane Burgess together at a desk at the front, nearest her desk. Jane was a quiet girl, but friendly and helpful, and she would be a good partner for Marigold’s fearful niece.
Late in the day there was a knock on the schoolroom door; it opened and Russ entered. She looked up from where she sat at her desk, with Jakob and Arnold beside her while going over their work. “Excuse me just a moment.” She got up and hurried to the doorway. “Continue your studies, children.”
He handed her the envelope with a confident smile and said in a near whisper, “Everything checked out. All the signatures have been verified. Violet is legally in your custody.”
Relief washed over her with the force of a strong wind. Her legs grew weak, and she grasped his arm to keep from buckling to the floor.
He steadied her with his other hand. “Do you want to sit?”
Michael got to his feet and gestured to his desk. “Are you all right, Miss Brewster?”
Russ helped her reach the seat.
“I’m fine, Michael. Thank you.”
“Will you get Miss Brewster a drink of water, please?” Russ asked the lad.
Michael hurried toward the covered pail.
A few heads turned to see what was going on.
“Everything is fine,” she said to assure them.
Violet got out of her seat without permission and came straight back to her aunt’s side. “Is everything all right, Aunt Mari?”
Marigold whispered in her ear. “Mr. Halloway made sure the paper from your father is true and good. We will never be apart again.”
Violet kneeled before her and placed her head in Marigold’s lap. Marigold smoothed her palm over her niece’s braids. Russ met her eyes and smiled—it was a kind smile, like his brother’s. She couldn’t wait to tell Seth.
Michael brought her the tin cup filled with water and she drank.
After a few minutes of collecting herself, the drink revived her. She stood with renewed vigor. “I have one more favor to impose upon you,” she said to Russ.
“I’ll do what I can.”
“Just a moment.” She went to her desk, withdrew the bank check and carried it back to where he stood. “He’s at The Cattleman. Will you please see that he gets this?”
Taking the bank check, Russ looked at it without reaction. He tucked it into a pocket inside his waistcoat. “Yes, I will.”
“Thank you, Russ. If there’s ever anything I can do for you, you only have to ask.”
“I’ll remember. Have a good day.”
“Oh, it’s a very good day.”
He left, closing the door behind him, and she shooed Violet to her seat.
She couldn’t continue with the lesson. This was a time for celebration. “Children, put away your papers. We’re going to sing.”
* * *
Seth and Dewey were planting fields and didn’t return in time for supper that evening. Marigold’s impatience wore thin. “Do they do this often?”
“This is a ranch, dear. There are seasons when the men work from dawn to dark. Seth has been taking it easy because of his arm and those ribs, but he has planting to catch up on now or we won’t have hay for the horses come fall.”
“So...if Violet and I moved to town, you’d be alone here with the boys?”
“Except in winter if we’re snowed in. Then we’ll be tripping over each other in this house day and night.” She put beans on to soak for the next day. “I’m used to it. It’s not a hardship, and the boys will be good company for me until they’re old enough to help.”
“My father was gone weeks and months at a time.”
“I’m sure that was difficult.”
“Yes.” She took the cups and glasses from a cupboard and wiped the shelf clean. “And then eventually I lost everyone.”
“I’m sorry, dear.”
She gave Evelyn a weak smile. “You’ve lost people, too. I admire your strength.”
“The Bible tells me the joy of the Lord is my strength. I live by that every day.”
“You must miss your son Adam terribly.”
Evelyn nodded. “I do. I pray for him every day. I have to trust that he is well and that he’s on a path that will eventually lead him back to his family.”
“Like the prodigal son?”
The older woman smiled. “Like that perhaps.”
Marigold had returned the cups and glasses to their shelf and hung the washrag. “Would you like to read the children their story tonight?”
Evelyn nodded her assent.
Later, with the boys snuggled into their beds and Violet seated with Marigold at the foot of Tate’s bed, Evelyn sat in the rocker and read the last chapter of Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates.
“We’re gonna have to tell Seth what happened,” Harper declared as she closed the book.
“He’s gonna be sorry he missed it,” Tate agreed.
“Seff mithed it,” Little John mimicked. He kicked out of the covers to jump down and run into Marigold’s lap.
She held him and rubbed his back. “You can remember the story and tell him how it ended.”
He bounced, his feet brushing against Violet.
She push
ed his feet away and slid closer to her aunt. “Please take me to bed now, Aunt Mari.”
Marigold hadn’t missed her pushing away Little John. She kissed the boys’ foreheads and told them good-night.
“Sleep well, Violet.” Evelyn headed to her room.
Marigold led Violet to their room, and tucked her in. Peony jumped up beside her and bumped Violet’s chin with her nose. She giggled and stroked the cat. “Your whiskers tickle.”
Marigold petted Peony’s fur as well.
“Do you love those boys, Aunt Mari?”
She didn’t want her time with the boys or her feelings for them to be a threat to Violet, but she understood her insecurity. “I’m very fond of them.”
She explained in more detail how she’d come to meet them on the train, how they’d been together when the accident happened, how she’d helped care for them and come to stay here while Seth recovered.
“When I was gone, did you want them to be your family?”
“You’re my family. You’ve always been my family. You and your mother.”
“She was beautiful.”
“Yes. She was.”
“You’re beautiful, too.”
“And so are you because you look like your mother.”
“Jane and Abigail said I look just like you.”
“Only because they never saw your mother. Let’s show them her portrait, shall we? We can take the one on the bureau there.”
Violet looked toward the photo. “I remember that dress in the picture. It was yellow.”
“I kept that dress, along with several others. They’re in one of my trunks. One day you can wear them.”
“Can I look at them?”
“Yes, of course. We’ll get them out tomorrow.”
The little girl looked at her with sad eyes. “I miss her.”
“I miss her, too.” Marigold touched her niece’s cheek. “I love you. You never need to be afraid again. I promise. I’m always going to be here for you.”
Violet brushed the edge of the covers with her fingertips. “Did you give my father money?”
“Yes, so he can go to doctors and pay for a nice place to stay.”
“He’s going to die, isn’t he?”
Her niece was a smart child. She would never lie to her. “He said he was, yes.”
“Should I be sad?”
Marigold thought over her words. “It’s sad when anyone dies, isn’t it? God loves your father as much as He loves you and me.”
“I’m glad he had to bring me here, though.”
It occurred to Marigold then that Violet had lost just as many people as she had. She sent up a quick prayer. Lord, don’t let this child be afraid to love or care for people because of her losses. Don’t let her be like me.
“Our feelings can be mixed up, can’t they?” she asked the girl. “We’re sad about one thing, but glad about another. That’s all right.”
Violet turned on her side and her eyelids fluttered before opening wide again. Marigold needed to let the child sleep, but she had to know something.
“Did you go to school while you were gone?”
Violet nodded. “Some days. It wasn’t a real school, though.”
“Why not?”
“It was in the back room of a café and we only read to ourselves and made pictures. We could go to sleep on mats if we wanted to.”
“Was there a teacher?”
“There were ladies who watched us. I don’t think they were very smart.”
“How many children were there?”
“Five.”
“It doesn’t sound like a proper school at all.”
“I was the best reader. If it got late, and we were still there, I read to the others.”
Marigold couldn’t imagine what kind of place Wade had taken her to. If he was off mining—or whatever else he did—he could have left her with just about anyone. “I’m so proud you were kind to the others. And I’m glad God was watching over you.” She thought a moment. “Did you receive any of the letters I sent you?”
“I got one,” Violet said and her eyelids fluttered again.
It was time to say good night, so Marigold leaned down and kissed Violet’s forehead.
While she sat with her in the silent room, she heard the damper on the stove downstairs. Seth must have come in and decided to heat coffee. Once Violet was sleeping soundly, she tiptoed from the room and went downstairs.
There was no one in the kitchen, but the coffeepot was warm.
She found Seth seated on the porch, his bare feet on another chair in front of him.
“You must be tired,” she said as she stepped outside. “Did you eat?”
He nodded.
She perched on the rail, close enough to smell his soap and shaving powder. “You took time away from planting to go see Russ with me.”
“Some.”
“I appreciate it.” She smoothed her skirts over her knees. “Russ came to see me at school late this afternoon.”
“Was it good news?”
“It was. The witness and the judge confirmed their signatures. There will be no legal worries.”
He lowered his feet, leaned forward and caught her hand. His fingers were strong and callused. “That’s good news, thank God.”
She looked down at his hands. “You work long hours.”
“Spring and fall as long as there’s daylight,” he agreed. “I’m glad to be able to work again.”
“What about summer?”
He lifted her hand to his mouth and her attention focused on the gesture. He brushed his lips across the backs of her fingers. “Summer I pray for rain.”
A tingle ran up her arm, and she shivered.
“Are you chilly?”
“Not really.”
His mustache brushed her knuckles.
“What are you doing?” she asked him.
“Smelling you.”
She pulled her hand back but he didn’t let it go. “I just wanted to tell you the news.”
“I’m happy for you. Both of you. Violet is fortunate to have you.”
“We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?”
“We’re not exactly a pair,” she reminded him.
“I meant that one day we were on our own, and the next we have children to take care of.”
“You have more than I do.”
He chuckled.
She realized she’d been waiting to tell him—to share her good news, as though the pleasure would be more fulfilling once he knew. “I just wanted to let you know since you took me to see your brother.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“I should probably let you relax.”
But he still didn’t release her hand. In fact, he held it more tightly. “No, stay with me. I have something to tell you, too.”
He pulled the chair he’d been resting his feet on close beside him, and she seated herself. “What is it?”
He stroked his fingers over the back of her hand. “Remember when Violet said Peony was fatter than she remembered?”
Marigold thought a minute. “Yes.”
“Well, she is. She’s not fat really. She’s going to have a litter.”
She blinked at him.
“Of kittens.”
“Oh.” She rolled that over in her mind, confused, and then realizing... “Oh!”
“She’ll probably have them end of May, first of June somewhere.”
“Do I need to do anything?”
“Maybe give her a comfortable place to hide in a closet or somewhere. They know what to do, but they find a private place to do it.”
She thought it over and then shrugged. “The kids will love little kittens.”
“They will,” he agreed.
“W
hat will they look like?”
“I can’t even guess.”
“She’s so pretty. I hope they look like her.”
He chuckled and reached around her to hug her, even though they were both seated.
Her thoughts grew intensely serious. “What if Will finds us a place to live soon? It’s likely, you know.”
“Peony can stay here. Ma and I will take care of her.”
“That would be a solution.” Even to her own ears, she didn’t sound confident about that idea.
“Until we have to think about that, we still have a lot to do. We need to continue your shooting lessons. And Violet will need to learn to ride.”
“But what about your planting?” she objected. “Will you have time for those things?”
“I’ve decided to hire a couple of hands for a few weeks just until the spring work is finished. And I’ll saddle horses in the mornings and ride with you and the children to school. They’ll get in more saddle time that way. Your horses can stay in Werner’s corral until school is over. He lets a couple of the other children leave horses there during the day. There’s water and feed, and he’s built a shelter. I’ll ride back here and work.”
“I’ll pay for their keep,” she offered.
“The school board pays for it, and it’s not much.”
“I’m confident I can get us home on our own after school.”
“I’m confident you can, too. But you’ll carry a revolver, so we need to work on aim.”
“Yes, sir.”
“We’ll start tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Seth.”
They rose to their feet at the same time and his nose touched the side of her face. Though the contact had been accidental, she didn’t draw away. He brushed his lips against her cheek in a sensory caress and restrained exploration. “Your skin is so soft.”
He trailed his lips to her jaw, then her ear, his breath sending a shiver across her shoulders. “And you smell so good.”
She turned her head until their noses touched and cupped his jaw in her palm. His skin was warm and recently shaven smooth. He smelled good, too, like soap and shaving powder. These feelings were new and frightening. It probably wasn’t wise to let herself learn more about them—she’d likely be gone soon, but she was curious...and irresistibly drawn to him.
The Rancher Inherits a Family Page 21