by Joyce Wright
“Well Thomas Baldwin, I haven’t seen you in weeks!” exclaimed a woman from behind the counter. Her name was Patty O’Neal. She and her husband, Melvin, owned and ran the mercantile store in which he stood. She was a short plump woman with a booming voice and an incredibly kind personality. Patty had spent a few weeks taking care of William after Thomas’s wife had passed away. She and Melvin had offered to adopt William, since they had never been able to conceive a child of their own; however, Thomas couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else raising his boy.
“Ms. Patty,” Thomas greeted her with a kind smile, “How have things been around here?”
“Fine, just fine. Had a shooting at the Saloon the other night, but Sheriff Halder said it’s nothing to be concerned with. Apparently a game of Poker ended badly and the poor fool who got shot died on the spot. Shame what gamblin can do to a man,” Ms. Patty carried on the conversation while she wrote down all of the supplies Thomas needed. All the while she kept taking quick glances at William. Apparently she wasn’t too thrilled with how dirty his clothes were.
“You know… a bath and a clothes washn’ wouldn’t hurt either of you,” said Ms. Patty staring them up and down.
“We do bathe,” replied Thomas looking over his son’s clothes. Although, he couldn’t disagree that they both looked as though they hadn’t had clean clothes in a while.
“You ought to find yourself a good woman. She could take care of the babe and clean clothes for the both of you,” Ms. Patty spoke as she took William from Thomas, “I hear there are some women back east who are trying to come out west and settle down. Maybe you should look into it. Send a list of your requirements and I bet within a week your new wife would arrive.”
“I ain’t lookin for a wife,” said Thomas with a little grit, “I had a wife, and she died. Couldn’t afford to take on another one.”
“Suit it yourself, but William here looks like he is wastn’ away. Needs a good meal and some clean clothes,” Ms. Patty looked up at Thomas, “I know you loved your wife, but she died two years ago. Isn’t it time you found somebody to look after you both?”
“I ain’t lookin,” repeated Thomas bitterly. He had intended this to be the end of the conversation, but Ms. Patty just couldn’t help but keep pushing.
“I know you say you ain’t lookin, but look at this little fella. He needs somebody to look after him while you work. Keepn’ a child tied up to a tree all day ain’t no way to raise him. William needs to be able to move around and play,” Ms. Patty persisted. She looked sternly at Thomas, “I’d be willing to write a letter for ya. Send it out straight away and see what comes next.”
“I guess I can’t disagree with ya on the tying William to the tree thing. Not even sure how you know about that, but then again there are enough old hoot owls in this town, I’m not surprised word got back to ya. In any case, I don’t need a wife, but I might just consider taking in a nanny,” and with that, Thomas placed the money he owed on the counter, took William back from Ms. Patty, and sidled out the door.
“I’ll get a letter for a nanny sent out today!” shouted Ms. Patty from behind him, “Bet you’ll have a woman in your house by this time next week!”
While driving back out to the farm, Thomas couldn’t help but ponder over the conversation with Ms. Patty. She was right, and he knew it. He couldn’t keep raising William the way he had been. The boy needed the kind of looking after he couldn’t provide while he was working in the fields. Wonder if Ms. Patty would really be sending that letter she said she was going to send. In his heart he knew she would. She was a lady of her word, for better or for worse. Ms. Patty, bless her soul, was also the nosiest woman Thomas had ever had to contend with, even more so than his own mother.
Sure enough, a week passed and there came a knock on the cabin door one evening. Thomas opened it to find a small petite young woman standing on his front porch. Ms. Patty had sent a letter all right enough. Now he would have to either send the woman away, or take her into his home. He wasn’t sure about either idea just now, all he knew was this would be the start of something interesting.
Chapter 3
“Are you Thomas Baldwin?” asked the woman politely. Thomas immediately noticed her British accent.
“Yes ma’am, that’s me,” Thomas replied slowly, “And uh… who might you be?”
“I’m Ruby McAlister. I received a letter saying you were looking for a wife,” the woman, Ruby answered nervously.
“For lands sakes! I don’t need a wife!” Thomas let out bitterly looking at the sky.
“Well you don’t need to shout at me!” exclaimed Ruby suddenly. She scrunched her face into a disapproving frown.
“What? Oh! No, I wasn’t shouting at you. It’s just, well, I didn’t send that letter,” Thomas explained nervously. “See this woman in town, well she is kind of a nosey old thing. She thinks I need a wife. She sent the letter and well, here you are.” Thomas realized how stupid he sounded and feeling frustrated, he jammed his large calloused hand through his hair.
“So… you don’t need a wife then?” asked Ruby questioningly.
“No!” answered Thomas a bit more rudely than he had intended to.
“Oh,” said Ruby disappointedly, “Well then…” she turned to leave.
“But… but I could use a nanny for my boy,” Thomas quickly added. He didn’t know why but he didn’t want her to leave. Something about her small frame, blonde hair, and ice blue eyes were causing him to feel intrigued.
“Oh… the letter said you had a son who needed a mother. Well, I guess a nanny is similar to a mother, but we don’t have to be hitched or anything,” Ruby rambled this off and suddenly had a strange look on her face. It was as though she hadn’t meant to say that.
The pair stood quietly for a few minutes. Both felt rather embarrassed about the awkward situation, yet, neither of them could will their legs to move. Finally, Thomas felt his nerves relax and he began to ponder the situation.
“I can’t afford to pay you much, but I’d like it if you stayed and looked after the boy for me. I’d need you to do some cooking and cleaning if that would be all right. The cabin isn’t very big, but I’d be willing to expand it at some point so you could have your own room,” Thomas let the words roll off his tongue. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was offering, but somehow he didn’t seem to care.
“Oh…” Ruby replied again, “Well… I accept.” She held out her hand to shake on their agreement. Thomas shook her hand briefly and asked her to come inside.
“Thank you, but not now. I need to get back to town and fetch my things. I’ll start tomorrow,” and with that Ruby walked away briskly. Thomas had just noticed there wasn’t a horse or a wagon anywhere.
“Did you walk all the way out here?” he asked her before she was too far away.
“Yes, yes I did,” Ruby replied turning to face him.
“That’s quite a ways. It’s getting dark out. Would you prefer to stay the night and I can take you into town tomorrow?” offered Thomas not wanting her to walk back to town in the dark.
“That would be…” she started and then paused, “No, thank you, I must be getting back. I’ve walked much further in the dark. I’ll be fine. I’ll see you bright and early Mr. Baldwin,” and with that she disappeared into the darkness.
Chapter 4
Thomas didn’t sleep that night. He lay in bed pondering over the scene on the porch. How stupid he must have looked, Thomas thought as he stared at the ceiling. Why had he agreed to take in a complete stranger? He didn’t even have a guest bedroom or an extra bed. They were going to have to share the open cabin. Maybe she can hang a blanket or bed sheet to make a sort of room for herself. She was a woman after all. She needed her privacy.
Just as the sun began to rise over the mountains, there came a knock on the cabin door. Thomas opened it to find Ruby standing there. She was surrounded by bags. What he had not expected to see, however, was a baby on her hip.
“Good morning,” g
reeted Ruby, bustling into the cabin with the child, “This is smaller than I thought, hmmm, well I guess we'll just have to make do. I’ll get to work straight away. Heavens these floors haven’t been cleaned in ages.” She began talking so fast that Thomas felt utterly confused. Ruby had said nothing about having a child. Finally, Thomas’s voice returned as his shell shock vanished.
“HOLD ON A MINUTE!” he exclaimed causing Ruby to jump.
“What?” she asked looking surprised by his outburst.
“You… you didn’t say anything about a baby!” said Thomas pointing at the child in Ruby’s arms, “I hired you to look after my baby!” Thomas’s voice broke. He realized how stupid he was sounding, but he couldn’t help it. The shock was too much. No way would this cabin be large enough for two babies.
“I didn’t realize it would be an issue,” replied Ruby slowly. She looked at the floor and squeezed the child closer.
“It… well… I guess I was just hoping my son would get the attention,” sputtered Thomas feeling like an even bigger idiot. What was it about this woman that suddenly had him so befuddled?
“I guess I should have mentioned her, Emma,” Ruby said, “If this isn’t what you wanted, then we can leave.”
“No, it’s just… it wasn’t what I was expecting,” Thomas’s head was swimming. How was he going to provide for two more mouths to feed? Then he decided he didn’t care. He needed a nanny and apparently she and her child needed a place to stay. Making up his mind he rattled out a brief, “You may stay.”
“Thank you, I promise she will be my responsibility. I can manage two babies,” Ruby tried to reassure Thomas. She sat Emma on the floor and walked over to Thomas. She looked into his eyes and he felt his heart leap. She was stunningly beautiful.
“I… I…” stuttered Thomas, “I guess I better get to work.” Then without another word, Thomas turned quickly and shuffled out of the cabin. He headed to the barn, his head racing with thoughts about what had just happened.
He must be crazy to allow this woman and her child to stay here. Even if she was working for him, what would the people in town think? Thomas’s mind just wouldn’t settle. He had never cared about what the people in town had thought. He had married a Cheyenne woman for hell’s sake! Then he felt angry with himself. Another woman would be living in the cabin he had built for his wife. Guilt started to rush over him.
Deciding he couldn’t dwell on his rash emotions. Thomas haltered Tuck, his bay Clydesdale, and headed out to plow the field where he planned to plant this year’s grain crop.
Chapter 5
As evening set in, Thomas decided he could no longer avoid going back to the cabin. He had skipped lunch and worked straight through the day, only stopping to give Tuck water breaks. Thomas couldn’t bring himself to go home. He had acted like such a fool, but he just couldn’t bring himself to be angry with Ruby. His mind wandered as he thought about her. There was just something about her small frame and her spunky personality that set him ablaze. He had caught himself thinking these thoughts off and on all day. This is a working relationship, he told himself time after time. You don’t even know this woman!
After returning Tuck to his stall and feeding the animals, Thomas headed for the cabin. As he approached he couldn’t help but notice the delightful smell of roasted chicken and potatoes in the air. His stomach growled, skipping lunch had not been one of his better ideas. He was starving!
Thomas, taking a deep breath, opened the cabin door and was taken aback by what he saw. The floors had been swept, the dishes had been cleaned and put away, his bed had been made and the list just went on.
Ruby walked over to him with an awkward smile on her face. She seemed a little nervous, as though she wasn’t sure if he was going to thank her or yell at her.
“May I take your hat?” she asked as she approached him.
“Yes, thank you, Ruby,” replied Thomas still looking around the place. He hadn’t seen it this tidy since his wife was alive.
“I hope you had a productive day. We certainly did here,” Ruby spoke as she put his hat on a hook and walked to the kitchen. She grabbed the supper she had prepared and carried it to the table. Then she pointed to his place at the head of the small table, “Come sit down.”
Thomas walked to the table. William was seated in his high chair and Emma was sitting on a chair. Thomas noticed that Ruby had tied a towel around the child’s waist and it held her to the chair so she wouldn’t fall off. He had to chuckle to himself about this. It reminded him of why he tied William to a tree. All in the name of safe keeping, he thought to himself as he looked Emma over. He hadn’t noticed what soft and subtle features she had. Little wisps of blonde hair lay over her head. Emma, like her mother, had brilliantly blue eyes and there were the slightest freckles appearing on her little round cheeks and on her button nose. She looked like a little doll. Thomas’s breath caught slowly in his chest. He suddenly felt a warmth he hadn’t felt since the first time he had held William. Emma was clearly younger than his son.
“How old is she?” asked Thomas suddenly looking from Emma to Ruby.
“Oh, she is just over six months,” replied Ruby smiling at the baby.
“She looks like you,” Thomas said. Just then Emma fell sideways. The towel sprang loose and just before she hit the floor, Thomas lurched forward and grabbed her. Emma let out a terrified scream.
“She’s okay!” Thomas reassured a startled Ruby as she came to grab the child, but Thomas held her. “She didn’t hit the floor, I caught her just in time.” He stood from his chair and handed the wailing baby to Ruby.
William who had also been startled let out a surprised and frightened little whimper, but then he decided everything was fine and chose not to cry. Thomas picked William up from his high chair.
“Maybe it would be better if Emma took the high chair from now on. William is big enough to sit in a chair,” Thomas said gesturing for Ruby to set Emma in the wooden high chair.
“Are you sure?” questioned Ruby, “I wouldn’t want to cause any trouble.”
“It’s no trouble at all,” replied Thomas with a soft smile. He sat William on the chair and tied the towel around his waist. This time Thomas tied a double knot in it, just in case.
Thomas and Ruby took their seats at the table and began dishing up. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes. They watched as William studied his plate. Clearly the toddler wasn’t sure exactly what this strange new food tasted like. He had rarely been fed anything but rubbery beans and burnt bread. Finally a thought came to Thomas and he had to ask.
“Where’s your husband?” he asked looking at Ruby. Surely she had to have a husband. He thought reflecting on the fact that it took two people to create a child.
“Oh… he umm… passed away,” Ruby said uncertainly, “The plague in London.” So that was where she was from. Thomas thought taking a bite of his chicken. It was delicious. Warm and juicy with just the right amount of seasoning.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he replied, “My wife passed away a few years ago. Smallpox.”
“Was she an Indian?” asked Ruby as though she wasn’t sure if she should.
“Cheyenne, from a tribe that winters nearby. I met her when I was out hunting one day. I’m not exactly sure how we ended up being married, but… her father agreed and before I knew it I was married and had a baby boy in my arms,” Thomas explained with a loving glance at William. The toddler still hadn’t decided whether to eat his food or throw it. Thomas picked up a piece of chicken and fed it to the child who took it cautiously. Then deciding he liked it, dug in and started pushing large chunks into his mouth.
“I probably shouldn’t have asked that about your wife,” said Ruby gently, “But he just… well…”
“Looks like an Indian?” Thomas questioned calmly.
“Well… yes. I’m sorry, I’ve just never seen one,” Ruby tried to explain.
“It’s quite all right. They can be kind people. They can be ruthless. Same a
s any white man,” Thomas explained while shoveling more food into his mouth.
“He looks like you too,” said Ruby looking at William fondly.
“Nah, he looks like his ma. He has her eyes and nose. He has her attitude too, come to think of it,” Thomas chuckled, watching as William’s cheeks were now puffed out from all the chicken he had stuffed in them. He resembled a nesting squirrel.
“May I ask what happened to his leg?” asked Ruby gingerly.
“He had smallpox as an infant. He and his ma both got it. She died, but for some reason the little tyke survived. Unfortunately it damaged his leg and now he will be crippled for the rest of his life,” Thomas explained watching a saddened reaction spread across Ruby’s face.
“That’s terrible. The poor little fella. Will he ever walk?” she asked still watching William eat.
“He can walk now… sort of. I built him a brace to wear on his leg. It helps to steady him and give a little support. He just prefers to crawl most days though,” replied Thomas, taking the last bite of his dinner. He hadn’t quite decided if he wanted seconds or not when Ruby jumped up announcing there was also apple pie. She had apparently found the apple trees that stood on the edge of the place. He hadn’t had a good apple pie in years, and after eating Ruby’s he hoped like hell she would continue making them.
After gorging himself on apple pie, Thomas decided it was time for the munchkins to be in bed. He picked up William and carried him to his crib, but then realizing there was nowhere for Emma to sleep, he decided William could sleep on the floor for tonight. He would make the toddler an official “big boy” bed tomorrow.