by Maggie Ryan
"I will… what is she doing?" Roger said, nodding behind Wyatt who turned to see what he meant. The men watched as Agatha, evidently having grown tired of attempting to convince the rooster that she meant no harm, had walked to the coop, opened the gate and was pointing at it.
"If you don't settle down and get inside right now, I'm gonna leave you out here to get eaten, and I'm not talking a nice, clean death. I'm talking some horrid, huge cat swallowing you whole. Now stop all that squawking and move it. I've got things to do today!"
"Well I'll be," Roger said, shaking his head as the rooster tilted his head, gave one final crow and then sauntered into the coop, his females following. "How on earth does she do that?"
"Beats me," Wyatt said with a grin. "All I know is that Mr. Rooster seems to know when she's reached the end of her rope."
Agatha followed the flock into the coop and began scattering feed, praising the rooster for his obedience.
"That's amazing," Roger said.
"Yup, she is," Wyatt agreed with a big smile. "I think I'll go do a bit of praising of my own."
Roger chuckled. "I'll leave you to it. We'll drop by in a few hours."
"That should give us enough time," Wyatt said as he began to walk towards the coop.
"Time enough for what?"
"You'll discover that answer once you are married," Wyatt said, wagging his eyebrows.
Understanding instantly, Roger shook his head as he kicked his heels into Buster's flanks to get him started again. What had seemed pretty close now seemed way too far into the future. He couldn't wait to discover what it was like to wake up beside the woman he loved every morning for the rest of his life.
***
"Almost there, don't open your eyes yet," Roger said, his arm about her waist as he led Teresa outside.
"But I can't see," she said, her had gripping his arm, her feet shuffling along the wooden sidewalk.
"That's the point, darlin'. I don't want to spoil the surprise." With a chuckle, he positioned her so that she was facing the street. "Ready?"
"Yes!"
"All right, open your eyes."
When she did, blinking rapidly against the bright sunlight, it took her a moment to discover what surprise he meant. "Oh, Roger, she's beautiful!" She bounced up and down, her smile wide. "Is she for me? May I ride her? What's her name?"
His chuckle was deep as he nodded. "Let's see… yes, she is for you, and yes you may ride her. As for her name, she is waiting for you to give her one."
The mare lifted her head and whinnied as if to agree. "Whinny. Her name is Whinny," Teresa said. "Isn't she just the sweetest thing you've ever seen?"
"I rather think Whinny's owner is the sweetest thing, but yes, she is a sweet little horse. I thought we'd ride out to the ranch and look at the progress of the cabin. Would you like that?"
"Yes! I've been waiting and waiting. But the announcement…"
"I wouldn't miss it," Roger assured her. "We'll go afterwards."
"I'm so excited, first a wonderful present and now I will have my dream come true! Oh, let's go get Pa. I want him to meet Whinny! Do we have time?"
"Yes, I made sure I got here a little early," Roger said, smiling as she gave her new horse a kiss on its velvet cheek before taking his hand. They walked into the kitchen together to see Ben sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and his newspaper, and Catherine at the large oak table, wrapping pieces of fried chicken in paper.
"Pa, you've got to come meet Whinny!" Teresa said, "you too, Catherine."
"I'm gathering she liked her surprise?" Ben asked.
"I'd say so, she's already named her and given her the kiss of approval," Roger said with a grin.
"I'm almost through getting the food ready," Catherine said. "Oh, I need to find a basket…"
"No, that's not necessary. I'll just tuck it in my saddlebag. Thank you very much for this, Catherine."
"It's no bother," she said with a smile. "It's a nice day for a picnic. I've added a jar of lemonade as well. Oh, and you'll need a little dessert." The two men watched as she sliced two huge pieces of cake and began wrapping them as well. Catherine turned towards them as they chuckled.
"Little?" Ben teased, "that's almost half the cake."
"But riding and hiking takes energy," Catherine said, grabbing some apples and plunking them down next to the growing pile. "And before you say anything, it would be nice to offer your horses a treat for carrying you safely to your cabin, don't you think?"
"That's a great idea," Teresa said, adding two more. "I'm sure Buster and Whinny will be quite appreciative."
Catherine nodded, her eyes still roving about the room. "Oh, and make sure you take a quilt to sit on. Maybe a jar of water…"
"Catherine, honey, saddlebags are only so large," Ben said, giving a chuckle.
"We'll be right by the stream so no need to pack another jar," Roger said. "But the quilt will be nice. I'd hate for Teresa's dress to get dirty."
"I'll get it for you," Barbara said, having entered the kitchen.
"Thank you," Roger said as he started gathering the items into his arms. "I'll get this packed and then we can all walk down to the school together."
"Wait, I want to get the seeds," Teresa said, dashing from the room.
"What seeds?" Roger asked, only to have the others shrug.
"Maybe she's planning on starting your garden," Catherine said. "She does love to plant things."
"It's a bit early for that," Benjamin said, "but Catherine's right. The garden out back has been Tessie's domain ever since she was big enough to handle a spade."
Roger nodded, adding another project to his list. There was a perfect spot to plant a garden on the land they'd chosen. He would enjoy watching his wife bring things to life and then cook them up for supper… not as much as he'd love seeing her stretched out on their bed, those carvings above her, but still.
While he packed the saddlebags, Benjamin and Catherine admired Whinny. "She's a beauty," Ben said, stroking the animal's flanks. "Doesn't seem too skittish."
"She's not," Roger said, taking the quilt Barbara handed him and tying it behind his saddle. "Matthew and I looked at a lot of horses to find the right one. The moment I saw Whinny, I just knew she was the one."
"She's perfect," Teresa said, joining them again.
Ben nodded and then moved to stroke the horse's face. "You'll be carrying precious cargo, Miss Whinny. You make sure you keep my Teresa safe, you hear?"
They all chuckled when the horse wagged her head up and down and whinnied as if promising that she'd do exactly that.
"Come on, we're gonna miss it," Barbara said, tugging on her sister's hand. "It wouldn't do for the teacher to be late."
They began walking towards the school, several townspeople joining them as they neared the building.
Roger watched as Teresa released his hand in order to bend down as a little girl with pigtails flying ran towards her.
"Hello, Jane. Don't you look pretty today?" Teresa said, giving the girl a hug.
"Ma made me a new dress for school!"
"That's very nice," Teresa said, and then turned to the two boys who approached far more sedately. "Jack, Kenny, you both look quite handsome as well."
"Yeah, Pa made us dress up," Jack said, obviously none too pleased.
"He said if we was good, he'd let us get flapjacks," Kenny said, giving her a huge smile. "The ones at the restaurant are better than Ma's!"
"Son, that isn't a nice thing to say," Ralph Hayford said.
"It's the truth," Maisy, his wife, countered. "Mine don't turn out anywhere near as fluffy as yours, Catherine."
"The secret is in preparing the batter," Catherine said. "You can't over mix it. I'll give you the recipe if you like."
"Can we eat at the restaurant every day?" Kenny asked.
"No, today is a special day," Ralph said. Turning to the others, he explained. "We wanted to make sure the children knew the route before school starts."
> "I led them straight here," Jack said, his chest puffing a bit with pride, and flushing when his pa reached out to tousle his hair.
"You did a great job, son."
They continued towards the school, where several people had already gathered.
Roger walked slightly behind Teresa who was holding hands with Jane and Kenny, the children chattering excitedly about the seeds she'd told them she'd brought to plant around the school. "It will be so pretty," Jane said.
"Yes, and when all of us pitch in and help, it will make school more fun," Teresa said. Roger heard Jack volunteer to keep the wood box full when it got chilly again. He felt his own chest puff with pride knowing that he was the luckiest man alive to have found this woman who was already making sure her pupils were excited about going to school.
***
They reached the school just in time to see a few people mounting the steps to stand on the landing. "Look, they've installed the bell," Teresa said with a smile down at the children. "When you hear it, you'll know school is about to start."
"Please, may I have your attention?"
The crowd quieted as Mr. Anderson, the head of the school board, spoke from the landing. "Thank you. I know everyone is excited, and we are as well. It is my pleasure to introduce you to the board." Roger grinned as the kids groaned and began to fidget as introductions began. He recognized the speaker as one of the people who had been sipping coffee the day he'd found Teresa and Barbara having their spat, and when the man introduced the woman next to him, he recognized her as the other. After the half dozen people had been introduced and the crowd had clapped politely, Mr. Anderson gave up his place to the woman he had introduced as Miss Jenkins.
"Thank you," she said and then clapped her own hands. "If the children could come forward, they'll be able to meet their new teacher and be allowed to go inside the building for a quick tour."
People shuffled around, Teresa moving to stand next to Roger as the children were encouraged by their parents to move to the front. "Who's that man?" Teresa asked, nodding towards a rather squat gentleman who had moved to the bottom of the steps.
"You know far more people than I do," Roger said. "If you don't recognize him, then I have no idea. Perhaps he's another school board member?"
"No, I don't think so, but I do know I've never seen him before. Pa?"
"I haven't either but I suppose we're about to find out," Benjamin answered as the woman clapped her hands again.
"This fine building was able to be erected due to contributions—mine being the most generous."
Roger was a bit shocked at her statement, and the fact that she actually paused as if waiting to be showered with thanks. Instead he saw several men exchanging looks that had him wondering about the validity of her words. The woman didn't even seem to notice and after a moment, continued.
"Though I taught for several years and considered taking the teacher's position, I was quite pleased when I found someone who I believe will be perfect to guide your children in their education." She paused, frowning a bit as the children again began to shuffle. "I'm sure you'll agree that education is very important to allow the next generation to become not only good citizens but ones who contribute to society and our town's growth. With regular attendance and plenty of hard work, both on the children's part as well as you, as parents, assisting in their education, I'm sure that our town will be able to take great pride in their accomplishments."
"Can we go play now?" a young boy called out.
"Yeah, I want to see the school!" another child said.
"Children, do not interrupt. It's very rude," Miss Jenkins said. "If you don't behave, you will not be allowed inside."
"Miss Goldman said we'd be planting flowers and having lots of fun," Jane called out, "can we do that? It's outside."
"Oh, my," Teresa whispered, her eyes wide. Roger saw the older woman shooting a glance that showed her obvious disapproval towards his fiancée. Suddenly he had a very bad feeling, which only increased when the woman's lips curved into a facsimile of a smile—one that was without an ounce of warmth.
"School is not for fun, young lady. It is for education. Perhaps it's time for me to introduce your new teacher. I'm sure you'll soon learn that children are to be seen and not heard unless asked a question."
"Roger, she's scaring the children…"
"I know," Roger said, reaching for Teresa when she began to step forward while never taking his eyes off the woman as she gestured with her hand. "Wait, honey…"
"Daryl… I mean, Mr. Bonner, would you please join me?" The man striding up the steps was the same man who was evidently a stranger to almost everyone.
"No…" Teresa said, her face paling. "They… couldn't…"
Evidently they could, as the man immediately began to express his thanks for being offered the position. It didn't seem to bother him in the least when heads began to turn to find Teresa, confusion written across their faces.
"Why?" Teresa whispered, and when she heard Jane asking her ma who that mean looking man was, Roger watched tears fill his love's eyes.
"It has to be a mistake," Barbara said, reaching for her sister's hand. "Everyone knows you are the teacher."
"No… I'm not." Before Roger could react, she wrenched away from his hold, turned and fled back the way they'd come, pushing through the people, not stopping when they began to question what had happened.
Roger was torn between going after her, and staying to demand an explanation. How could they do this to a woman who had dreamed of teaching, of giving of herself… her time and her heart, to guide their children? Hell, he'd learn what happened later. For now, he needed to find Teresa, to comfort her, to make sure she knew the entire school board were nothing but fools… to simply hold her and help her try to put back the pieces that he was sure the people on the steps had just shattered.
"Tessa, wait!" he yelled, beginning to run when he realized that Teresa hadn't run home. Well, not exactly. Instead, she was already streaking down the street on Whinny's back. His heart stuttered in his chest at seeing her pull on the reins, barely avoiding colliding with a wagon in front of the mercantile, slipping sideways in the saddle before managing to pull herself up again. Damn, he hadn't even adjusted the stirrups. Remembering that she hadn't even changed into riding clothes, much less proper boots, he knew that there was a chance her foot could slip through the stirrup, dragging her from the saddle and possibly to her death. "Tessa, Stop!"
She didn't, only leaned forward, obviously urging Whinny to go faster. By the time he reached his own horse and leapt into the saddle, she had disappeared. They'd had many lessons and he could only pray that they'd become instinctive as he kicked Buster's side, racing after her.
Chapter Seventeen
Teresa could barely see for the tears streaming down her face. How could they do this to her? She had spent countless hours writing dozens of lesson plans. Had imagined watching the children's pride grow as they stood at the board and completed problems she'd chalked onto its surface. She'd be sure to praise every child and make sure they felt loved and encouraged. She'd pictured their faces lighting with smiles as they watched the flowers they'd planted grow, making each child feel they'd played a part in making their school a pretty place. Now she'd never have the chance… some stranger, some man who didn't know a single child, would be ringing the bell and writing on the board.
She was so involved in her thoughts that she didn't even realize that Whinny had strayed from the road onto the field until the mare stumbled, almost tossing her rider from the saddle. Yanking back on the reins did no good, the horse attempting to regain her balance even as she continued to run flat out.
Teresa screamed when she saw the swollen creek ahead. The bridge was to the left and yet sawing on the reins was not turning her mount. She felt her foot slipping again and knew that she was about to be thrown. "Stop!" she yelled again. "God, please stop!" She clung to the pommel, attempting to pull her foot free, to place it in the stirru
p instead of through it. Suddenly she heard another sound.
"Tessa!" Turning her head, she saw Roger riding hard. It was only another second before he was beside her, leaning over and grabbing the reins that she had allowed to go loose in her grip. Despite her terror, she could see the muscles beneath his shirt strain and those in his thighs bunch as he used them to guide Buster to turn, pulling Whinny with him. Time seemed to stand still, and she was sure her heart didn't beat until finally the horses began to slow. They came within ten feet of the creek, which was raging with snow melt that continued to come down off the mountain. She closed her eyes, afraid they'd be in the water in just a moment.
"Whoa, easy," Roger said, repeating the words over and over until he managed to bring the horses to a stop. Buster stood solid as a rock as Roger slid from the saddle, keeping hold of Whinny's rein until he could grip her bridle. The mare's sides were heaving, her head tossing and her eyes wide. "Easy, girl, easy," Roger said softly, using one hand to stroke along her neck. "Teresa, I'm going to get you down but just sit still."
"No, I want off…"
"Tessa, no. I don't want Whinny to rear or break away. I promise, I'll have you down in just a minute."
She didn't speak but also didn't move except to pull her foot back, planting it in the stirrup.
"Good girl, what a good girl," Roger said. After a few minutes passed, he gave the horse a final pat. "That's better. No need to be scared, everything's all right." It took a moment for Teresa to realize he was addressing the horse and not her.
"Can I get down now?" she asked, wanting nothing more.
"In a moment," Roger said, "I'm just going to walk her over to the bridge."
"No, I want off now! You said she wasn't skittish!"
"Tessa, please don't yell. I know you are scared but so is Whinny. She's not skittish but you haven't been showing her the least bit of control. I need to get her secured before I help you off."
"I don't need help…" She began to lift her leg over the pommel when he spoke again.
"Move again and the spanking you've got coming will be a doozie," Roger said, never pausing in his slow walk towards the bridge.