by Maggie Ryan
Catherine took a bite of her cookie before responding. "Don't get me wrong. Most of the time, both girls are a delight. But, well, when one or the other gets upset, the smallest grievance can set off a huge battle."
"Why doesn't Mr. Goldman do something about their behavior?" Charity asked, shaking her head. "James wouldn't be oblivious if I was always bickering, believe me."
"I'm not sure, really. I can tell it upsets him, especially when they get so loud that customers can hear them all the way out in the dining room, but while he'll ask them to stop, and even threaten to send them out to the shed, he never follows through."
Anna's huff told the others what she thought of that.
"So you think their pa just doesn't care?" Agatha asked, stroking the fabric of her dress.
"That's just sad," Charity said. "He's the only parent they have left."
"Oh, no, I don't want you to think that," Catherine said. "I know he loves them dearly, and I'm not saying they fight all the time." She paused and then sat forward. "You know, I think you might be right, Charity. When they fight, it's almost as if they are doing so in order to get attention. I know they miss their ma."
"That's just it," Agatha said. "Teresa needs some women friends who can guide her. That job falls to us."
"I don't know," Anna said. "From what I've seen, I get the impression that Teresa feels she is perfect just the way she is. I'm not too sure she'd appreciate our offer of friendship."
"Especially not when she learns that when we act that way, we get our heinies spanked by our husbands—" Charity immediately slapped her hand over her mouth as her eyes flew to Catherine. "Um, I didn't mean… they don't… I mean…"
Catherine smiled and patted her hand. "I know exactly what you mean, dear."
Flashing her friend a look, Agatha said, "Ma, we don't want you to think that we fear our husbands. I assure you—"
"Girls, please," Catherine said, sitting back in her chair and giving them each a look. "I am not some naïve schoolgirl, nor some fragile woman who will break down at the least little conflict…"
"Ma, you don't have to explain—"
"I do, Agatha," Catherine said. "It's time you know the truth. Yes, Wallace was an awful man, one who was quick to cut with words and threats, but I assure you he never laid a hand on me in anger. He used his hate and his words to hurt me. The man was truly awful but he was also weak. Perhaps, if I hadn't known better, I wouldn't have survived. But I also had memories of a wonderful man which kept me strong. Your pa wasn't a weak man, Agatha. He was the strongest, most loving man I've ever known. He didn't have to scream and threaten until you don't even hear the words anymore. But, just like your Wyatt…" she turned to give the other two women a glance, "and your Richard and James, I was often across his knees getting a lesson delivered on my bare bottom. Believe me, it is a far better thing to be spanked and then forgiven than to be accused of every sin imaginable and ignored. So please, don't ever feel the need to censor what you say to me. It makes me feel honored and blessed to be included in your lives."
The four remained silent for a moment before three chairs scraped across the floor as the younger women all stood to move to Catherine's chair, each bending to give her a hug.
"Thanks, Ma," Agatha said. "I always thought… was scared…"
"You don't ever need to think about that man again, Agatha. He's not worth another moment of your time. But I do believe that your friend Roger and Teresa are worth it. I'll do whatever I can to help but you must understand that ultimately, if they aren't meant to be together, if God isn't the one who has decided they are each other's perfect mate, then it would be better to let them go their separate ways. Life is too precious to spend with someone who doesn't make your heart stutter every time they come into the room."
"That's romantic, Mrs. Kennedy," Charity said.
"Please, call me Catherine. After all, despite what you might think, I'm not yet old and gray."
"You're definitely not," Anna agreed. "In fact, I'm sure there are quite a few men in town who would agree that you are quite the catch."
"Don't be ridiculous," Agatha said sharply. "Ma has had enough of men. Besides, we're supposed to be talking about how we can help Teresa." She didn't miss the looks exchanged between the other three but had no intention of offering her mother up for discussion. Despite what Catherine had said, Agatha knew she'd been hurt deeply by Wallace. She'd offer her own life before allowing another man to hurt the woman who'd sacrificed her own happiness for her daughter.
The women spent the next hour talking about how they would make sure that they each connected with Teresa.
"We can't gang up on her," Charity said. "It's best if we offer our friendship, which we can do the next time we see her, and see how she responds."
"I agree and since I'm sure she'll be at the dance, hopefully with Roger, that will give us the perfect opportunity," Agatha said. "Ma, you can keep your ears and eyes open. I'm not saying spy on her but, well, all right, I am saying exactly that. It's important that we know what is going on in order to best help."
"I'll do whatever I can," Catherine promised. "Beneath that stubborn exterior I'm sure there is a very sweet girl who wants to be loved, and give love in return."
"If not, the faster we discover the truth, the quicker we can encourage Roger to look elsewhere," Anna said, nodding.
They all turned towards Anna when she giggled. "What's so funny?" Charity asked.
"I'm just thinking about what Matthew is always saying. You know, women aren't worth the trouble."
"We most certainly are," Charity said with a huff. "One day, he'll find his own girl and have to eat his words."
They spent the rest of the afternoon chatting about babies, husbands, and recipes as they pulled out mending and played with the children. They were a bit surprised to hear the sound of horses thundering into the yard, not having expected their men back until dark. As they rushed to pull on cloaks and bonnets, Catherine joined them on the porch to discover that a buggy was also pulling up.
The group celebrated the fact that the men had indeed shot a huge elk, the women very impressed with the large rack of antlers. As the men took care of the horses, an invitation was extended for Catherine and Isiah to stay for supper. Agatha was disappointed when her ma insisted she needed to get back to fix supper for the restaurant's customers.
"We'll have supper when you come into town for the dance and the christening," she promised.
After hugs and kisses were given and Agatha handed a few jars of preserves to her mother, Isiah and Catherine left. Agatha turned her attention to Roger as he carried the steaks they'd be cooking for supper into the cabin, while the other men discussed how long it was going to take to smoke the remainder of the elk. Following Roger, she saw him glance at the dress that had been returned.
"Did Teresa come by?" he asked.
Agatha hated to disappoint him but shook her head. "No, my ma brought it back."
"I suppose that's all right, though I was going to return it."
"Ma said she offered to repair the hem but Teresa insisted she do it herself."
"She did?" Roger said.
"Yes, and it's as good as new now. It was so thoughtful for her to repair it quickly. I'll be able to wear it to the dance."
"What dance?"
Agatha quickly explained about the dance and the christening day. "You are going to ask Teresa to go with you, aren't you?"
"Yes, I'll ask her the next time I go into town…"
"You are going soon, aren't you?"
Roger shrugged. "I'm not sure. A few days, I suppose."
Agatha put her hand on his arm. "You need to go soon. I mean, I'm sure she already knows about the dance, because Reverend Jorgensen posted one of the flyers in their window. She's probably wondering if you are going to ask her. You don't want to chance someone else asking her first…"
"Aggy, Roger is quite capable of making his own plans. Stop meddling," Wyatt said as he and the o
thers entered the cabin.
Agatha could feel her cheeks flush but wasn't quite ready to give up. "I'm not meddling. Besides, weren't you and Richard just discussing the fact that with more and more men moving west, women are becoming quite scarce?"
"Yes, I heard that as well," Anna said. "Who knows how many lonely men will be moving into town within the next week or so. Why, we might not recognize a single face when we finally get to town again."
"It would be such a shame to discover some stranger has swooped in and asked Teresa to the first big dance the town has held before Roger makes his next trip," Charity said, her blonde head shaking. "Such a shame."
"It's highly unlikely the town will be inundated with new people any time soon," James said with a chuckle. "The snows are deep here; imagine how much deeper they are in the mountains. I'm quite sure Roger is safe from much competition until the passes are clear."
"There's always the chance that someone visiting from one of the other towns might come through and see a flyer," Agatha said.
"Yes, especially if they need their children baptized as well," Charity chimed in.
"Well, whether Roger moves fast enough or not, I will be very happy to take my wife to a dance and see my daughters christened."
"Why don't we make a holiday of it and stay a couple of nights?" Richard suggested.
Anna squealed and threw her arms around her husband's neck, and Charity danced around James with Hope in her arms.
Agatha shook her head, her friends were obviously forgetting what they were supposed to be encouraging. "Fine, but don't blame me if Teresa and some total—"
"Agatha…" Wyatt said again
Roger shook his head and interrupted, "I certainly don't want her dancing with some stranger. I'll run into town this weekend. Will that make you happy?"
"Oh, it wasn't my happiness I was worried about, but yes, I'm sure that will make Teresa happy," Agatha agreed, giving her husband a smug smile before reaching for her apron, yelping when a large palm connected to her rear. Looking up to see Wyatt, she hissed, "What was that for?"
"Just as I can tell the difference between a mountain and a hill, don't think I can't recognize meddling when I see it." He bent lower to speak directly into her ear. "And, young lady, I promise your little bottom won't be happy if you continue to pry into business that doesn't concern you."
"I am not meddling," she said again, then swallowed hard at the look in his eyes. "I-I need to start supper."
"Now that will make us all happy," Wyatt said with a chuckle, giving her a quick kiss. "We are starving, and anxious to taste our first elk steaks!"
Chapter Seven
"Good grief, is all this really necessary?" Richard shook his head as he and his partners watched their wives from the relatively clear area in front of the fireplace. The three women were scuttling between the bedroom and the open living area. The table, already piled high with items, was still having more added to its surface. "They do know we are only going for two nights, right?"
James chuckled as he shifted his infant daughter on his shoulder, patting her back gently. "The days when you could simply stuff a clean shirt and some hardtack in your saddlebag and declare yourself ready to ride are long gone, I'm afraid. We've been up since well before dawn and still aren't ready. Wives seem to require a great deal more baggage to travel, I suppose."
Charity, who had deposited a stack of folded diapers on the table, plucked one from the top and waved it in the air. "For men who constantly feel the need to remind their wives that their actions have consequences, perhaps you should have considered them yourselves. The children you sired require a lot of necessities."
"Did I hear our precious babies being referred to as baggage?" Anna asked, stepping from the bedroom. Lifting her son high in the air, she twirled around in a circle. Johnny chortled his glee, his chubby legs kicking and his arms flailing at the impromptu dance. "These children are little angels."
"Careful," Richard warned. "Your angel might decide to decorate your dress with his breakfast."
Anna instantly stilled but then smiled. "Hmm, you're right. Here."
Before he could blink, Richard found Johnny in his arms as his wife disappeared yet again into the bedroom. "Where are you going?"
"To get another dress, of course," Anna replied.
Wyatt's chuckle had Richard turning to him. "Ha, ha. Just keep laughing and the fates might decide to give you several of these little angels all at once. Didn't Agatha state that twins run in her family?"
Agatha, with Hope's hand in hers, entered the room in time to hear the question. Wyatt stepped forward and took her into his arms after lifting Hope off her feet, tossing the child into the air and catching her as she squealed with laughter.
"We won't care if God blesses us with a whole passel at a time. Children keep a man young." He tousled Hope's blonde curls before setting her down and continuing. "At least a certain young lady will be too busy to meddle if she has a dozen or so little ones running about, right, honey?"
If Richard and James wondered why Agatha blushed, they didn't ask. However, the women were far more curious when they heard their friend give a softly uttered, "I wasn't meddling!"
"We'll have a Tick-Tock meeting during the ride to town," Anna declared, opening a carpetbag to place another dress inside.
It was another ten minutes before the women declared that the packing was done, and the men began to take the items outside to put in the wagon. Donning cloaks and mittens, Charity said, "And, my friend, you will be the subject of our meeting."
Agatha looked up from where she was trying to guide Hope's little thumbs into her mittens. "It's nothing, really. Wyatt just has a way with words."
"Yes, and that way has you glowing," Anna said.
"Oh, are you keeping secrets?" Charity asked, her eyes dropping to Agatha's waist.
"Of course not," Agatha assured her, pulling her hood up over her head. "I keep praying, but we've yet to be blessed."
"Not from lack of trying?" Charity asked, evidently not the least bit concerned about the rather intimate question.
Before Agatha could respond, the men were back. "Ladies, if we don't head out, we might as well just stay home."
"We're coming," Charity assured them, leading the women outside.
Richard had placed hay bales at the end of the wagon to form a wind barrier, and piled quilts into the center for the women and children to sit on. After helping Anna into the wagon, he was lifting Johnny up for her to take when she said, "Oh, we forgot something."
"Annabelle, there can't possibly be anything you forgot. I swear you've packed up the entire cabin."
"I did not," she countered, accepting her son. "Didn't you say you wanted to take some of that elk to Robert?"
"Oh, right. Thank you for reminding me, though I really don't know where we are going to put it. I'll be right back."
Before he could disappear into the root cellar, Anna called out again. "Oh, and I think it would be nice to take Harriett several jars of preserves. They are on the back shelf."
Richard turned to her. "I think I can find them. As I recall, they are right next to that big basket of ginger roots… right?" The sight of his wife's cheeks turning scarlet and her instant squirming on the wagon bed told him that she understood without further clarification on how he felt about being manipulated even slightly.
"Um, yes, sir."
After returning, he tucked the items into the last inch of space. "Anything else you think you have forgotten?" he asked, chuckling when he saw her eyes dart to his hands as if to reassure herself they weren't holding any knobby root.
"No, but thank you; everything I need is right here."
He gave her a kiss then climbed up to sit beside James. Wyatt had just mounted his horse Chester when they were joined by two more men.
"I was worried you'd already left," Matthew said, pulling up beside the wagon. "It took that one forever to get himself all gussied up." He inclined his head towards
the other rider, who just rolled his eyes.
"Now, Matt, don't tease Roger," Anna said. "He just wants to look his best for Teresa. One day, some young woman will have you doing the same."
"Don't hold your breath," Matthew said, shaking his head.
Lifting the reins, Richard snapped them to start the team on their journey. It had been several weeks since any of them had left the ranch, the snows making it difficult to travel. It would still be a slower trip than normal, as the horses would have to pick their way through some drifts, but he would admit that he was just as anxious as the women to visit with old friends.
***
"All right, the meeting has begun," Anna said. "What was that all about?"
"It's nothing really," Agatha said, but sighed when both of her friends rolled their eyes. "Fine, remember when the men came back from the elk hunt?" At their nods, she continued. "Well, Wyatt knew something was going on that had nothing to do with our being concerned about going to the dance. Of course, it probably didn't help that I kept pestering him to think of some reason to send Roger into town."
"Probably not," Charity agreed. "Our husbands aren't exactly open to what they deem unnecessary suggestions on what they should be doing."
"Forget that, what happened?" Anna asked. "Don't tell us you confessed that we'd been gossiping about Teresa!"
"I told you, it's not gossip if it's the truth, Anna. And no, I didn't say we'd been discussing how to help her. I just told him I was very concerned, and wanted Roger to be happy but was worried he'd wait too long…"
"And I'm guessing he didn't agree?" Charity said.
"Not exactly. He decided that instead of repeating his warning to let Roger run his own life, he'd, well, remind me of who ran ours."
"Ah, so I'm guessing that while Teresa is still waiting to discover that our men don't hesitate to tan our backsides, yours got toasted?" Anna asked with a giggle.
"Exactly," Agatha confessed.
"So that's what he meant by meddling?" Charity said with a smile.