by Barbara Goss
Elise blurted, “I’m a horse trainer.”
T.J’s eyes widened. “A horse trainer?” After a pause, he smiled widely, “That’s amazing.”
Elise still felt hurt by his remark about her being a saloon woman. “It was nice meeting you, T.J., but I’m going to try and sleep for a while.” She turned her head and closed her eyes. It took a while, but she finally did fall asleep.
It was a long, tiring journey, with so many stops. She and T.J. became friendly, and they shared some meals. She learned all about his past, and she told him hers, not that she had much to tell. Despite his remark about her occupation in Russell, she liked him. He had a melodious laugh, and he was unmistakeably handsome. He seemed interested in hearing about her horse training, and he shared his nervousness about running a cattle ranch.
When the train finally stopped in Kansas City, Elise wished the trip were over, but she still had a two- or three-day stagecoach ride ahead of her. It relieved her that T.J. would be riding on the stagecoach with her.
Thankfully, there were only five passengers on the stage, so they weren’t too cramped. The roads were muddy, and the stage often skidded and swayed from side to side.
“What does T.J. stand for?” Elise asked.
T.J. blushed. “Aw, don’t make me tell you.”
“Is it a silly name?”
“I think it is. That’s why I go by T. J.”
“I’ll probably never see you again once we get to our respective destinations, so,” she nudged him playfully, “tell me.”
“I’ll tell you if you promise never to call me by that name.”
“I promise.” she crossed her heart with her hand.
“Thorndyke Jermaine.”
“What? That’s a great name.”
He shook his head. “I prefer T.J., especially now that we’re out West. I can’t walk into a saloon with a name like Thorndyke Jermaine Andrews.”
As the stagecoach neared Russell, Elise gathered her belongings. “It’s been nice traveling with you, T. J. I wish you luck with your ranch.”
“What’s the name of the people you’ll be working for? Maybe, if I’m out that way, I’ll stop and say hello,” he said.
“I don’t know the name of the ranch, and I’ve forgotten the family name. I have it written down in the letter in my trunk. I’ve only corresponded with their housekeeper, who’s a friend of my mother’s.”
T.J. helped her from the stagecoach. He took her gloved hand and said, “Not goodbye, then. I’ll make sure to stop by once I get things settled.”
Millie squeezed Martha’s hand as they waited for the stagecoach to stop. She could hardly wait to see what Elise looked like. Her smile faded when she saw the passengers climb out of the stage. There was only one woman among the passengers, and a man was holding her hand. Who was he, and why was he with their horsewoman?
Chapter Five
Millie breathed a sigh of relief when the man with Elise got back into the stage. Elise waved to him, and looked around the crowded platform. Martha and Millie walked toward her, waving their arms.
Elise saw them and smiled. Millie thought she was pretty, and she just knew her father would find her so, too.
Clay jumped from the wagon to grab Elise’s trunk.
Martha introduced them, and the four of them went to the waiting wagon. Millie sat in the back with Martha so Elise could sit beside Clay.
Millie couldn’t stop staring at Elise. She had a nice smile and seemed lady-like for a horsewoman. Now, if only her father liked her, Millie’s wish would come true. Millie thought she didn’t look much like a horsewoman in her navy-blue suit, with her hair in a bun.
Martha and Millie showed Elise to the bedroom. “I hope you don’t mind sharing a room with Millie,” Martha said.
Elise looked down at Millie and smiled. “I’d be delighted to have your company. Being so far from home, it will be nice not to be alone.” She noted that the room was large and bright. The home was old, but it was clean, and well-kept.
When Martha left, Millie asked, “Can I help you unpack? My father bought you a new bed and bureau.”
“The bed and dresser look very nice. Thank you for the offer to help. I’ll hand you the clothes, and you can put them in a drawer.”
Elise was unprepared for Millie’s next question.
“Whose trousers are these?” Millie held up one of the three pairs of men’s trousers Elise had purchased in preparation for her new job.
“Those are... um... my work clothes. When I train horses, I can’t have skirts in my way, and even riding pants are cumbersome.”
“Oh,” was all Millie said.
As they worked, Millie asked casually, “Who was the man you talked to by the stagecoach?”
Elise liked the little girl and thought her company would be fun. “His name is T.J. , and we spent a lot of time traveling together. He’s going on to a place near Hunter’s Grove.”
“Oh,” was all Millie replied.
“There. That’s the last of the unpacking. Now, I’m anxious to see the horses. Will you take me on a tour, Millie?”
Elise followed Millie out of the house and into one of the two large stables, both of them close to large circular corrals.
Millie opened the stable door. “My papa puts the female horses in one building and the males in the other. The colts and fillies are also in the stable with the females. We’re going there first.”
Elise walked slowly from stall to stall, admiring the quality and beauty of each horse. The stalls were clean and well-organized.
When she saw the young horses, she felt excited, and she couldn’t wait to begin. The colts and fillies were somewhat older than those she usually worked with, but she understood they hadn’t had anyone to train them for a while.
A door from the back of the stable opened, and a man walked in. She assumed he was a worker as he was dressed in a flannel shirt with his sleeves rolled up. He stopped short when he saw them.
“Papa!” Millie yelled, and she ran into his arms. “She’s here, she’s here.”
The man smiled as he hugged his daughter tightly. “Yes, I see. Would you care to introduce us?”
Millie wriggled down from his arms and said, “Papa, this is Elise Ansell, our horsewoman.”
Harlan wiped is hand on his pants and held it out to her. “Welcome, Miss Ansell. I’m Harlan Tanner.”
“Please, call me Elise,” she said. “I’m pleased to meet you, and I can’t wait to begin.”
“Is tomorrow too soon?”
“No, I’m ready.”
“Good. Millie will show you the other horses. I have a mare in labor in the birthing building, and I think she’s about ready. I’ll see you both at dinner,” he said as he hurried out of the stable.
Millie asked, “What do you think of my papa?”
Elise wondered at the question, but she answered, “He seems like a nice papa, and I impressed with his stables and horses.” The girl was obviously proud of her father.
“I think I’ve met everyone now except your mother. Is she around?”
“I don’t have a mother,” Millie said sadly.
“I’m so sorry, Millie. Did she die?”
Millie looked down at her feet as if trying to think of an answer. Elise was curious at her reaction to the question. Had her mother’s death been so recent that it was still painful to talk about?
“That’s all right, Millie. I don’t need to know any more. Shall we see the other stables?”
During dinner, Harlan Tanner explained to Elise exactly what he needed her to do and what his plans were.
“When are you planning the auction?” she asked.
“I hope in September. Will we have enough horses trained by then?”
Elise giggled. “I’ll have nearly all of them trained by then.”
Harlan’s mouth dropped open, and he gave her a sly smile. “We’ll see. That’ll be a huge job.”
Elise smiled back at him. “I like challenges.
”
That night when Elise and Millie were crawling into their beds, Millie asked, “Do you say prayers before bed?”
“I always do, yes. Do you go to services?”
“Yes, and we go to church every Sunday.”
Millie said her prayers aloud, and then whispered to Elise, “I didn’t hear you praying.”
“I say them silently in my head. God is omnipotent, and He can hear your prayers even when they aren’t said aloud.”
Elise had been impressed with Millie’s simple prayer. She was a darling little girl, and Elise was glad she had said her prayer out loud because she loved hearing it.
“Maybe some nights we can say them together aloud.”
“I’d like that,” Millie said. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Millie.”
After a hearty breakfast, Harlan led Elise to the stables. “Which horse do you want to work on first?”
“The one you plan to give to Millie.”
“But shouldn’t we be working on horses to sell at the auction?” he asked.
“I assure you they’ll all be trained in time. Now, which one is to be Millie’s?”
Harlan had a hard time concentrating on his work because he was constantly peeking out at the corral to see how Elise was doing. She was wearing pants! He’d never seen a woman wearing pants. And how did she think she’d train twenty horses by September? Even Pedro couldn’t have trained them that quickly.
She was a tiny woman, not at all as he’d imagined. Her dark brown hair was pulled up on top of her head, and she had a cute face—not beautiful, but cute. He supposed she was nice enough, but he doubted a tiny woman could train a horse faster than Pedro.
Millie hopped up to sit on the stable wall as he was grooming one of his breeding horses. “Hi, Papa. Do you need any help?”
“No school today?” he asked.
“Nope. Don’t you remember, it’s over until after the harvest in the fall?”
“But you have assignments to do at home, right?”
“I’ll get them done.” She patted the head of the horse her father was grooming. “Do you like Miss Elise?”
“As a person, she’s seems nice enough. As a horse trainer, well... time will tell.”
“She’s very pretty, don’t you think?”
Harlan chuckled. “Yes, she surprised me. I was expecting a different type of woman.”
“I like her, Papa.”
“She must like you, too, because she insisted on training your horse first.”
Millie’s hands flew to her cheeks. “Oh, my! I’m so excited. May I go out and watch her train?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, and you did ask if I needed help, remember?”
Millie nodded.
“Well, I need you to empty this bucket and bring fresh water to the next stall. I’m going to work on the horse you named Snow White.”
When Millie brought him the bucket, she asked, “Do you think I could wear pants like Miss Elise?”
Harlan’s head shot up from where he was bent over, working on the horse’s hooves. “Absolutely not!”
“Why?”
“Because you are a girl who will one day become a lady.”
“Can I wear a riding outfit like Cora Harding does?”
Harlan sighed. “I suppose you can, but I’ll pick it out—and not until your horse is ready to ride.”
“I can hardly wait, Papa.”
“Why don’t you go out to the other stable to see if your brother needs any help?”
“All right.” Millie skipped out the back door.
Harlan stood and walked to the front door of the stable to peek at the horsewoman’s progress. She was walking the horse around the diameter of the corral, and it looked like she was talking to it. The horse already seemed tamer than it had been when the woman had taken the horse out that morning, kicking up a fuss when she was being led to the corral. So far so good, he had to concede—she knew what she was doing. He didn’t approve of her wearing pants, but he had to admit that she looked mighty fine in them. Still, if he were interested—which he wasn’t—he’d prefer a more conservative woman who dressed like a lady.
He had watched his parents fight with each other all of his life, and at the age of ten, he swore to himself that he’d never marry. Why live in discord when you can live in peace and quiet? He already had the best of marriage by having himself two children, besides. What more could he want?
Chapter Six
T.J. Andrews was met at the stage depot in Hunter’s Grove by his friend Troy, who greeted him by clapping him on the back. “About time. I was about to give up on you.”
“I’m exhausted,” T.J. answered. “Think we can get a hotel room and drive to the ranch tomorrow?”
Troy picked up T.J.’s valise. “We can do that. Our boys left with the herd four days ago. The place is empty.”
“What did they do with the old man?”
Troy laughed. “They tied him to one of the calves. He’s going to market with the herd.”
“Good. I’m glad you didn’t have to kill him. I might be an outlaw, but I don’t want a killing on my conscience.”
“Me and the guys took a vote and decided not to kill him. By the time he walks back to his ranch, we’ll be long gone.” Troy smiled shrewdly. “We took all his money, too.”
“How long will it take for the boys to come back with our profits?” T.J. asked as they walked into the Hunter’s Hotel.
“Maybe six weeks or so depending on how much celebrating they do before heading back.”
“What? We need cash now. How much did you get off the old man?”
“Fifty bucks.”
T.J. shook his head. “We have to do something before then. At least we have a place to stay. Hey,” T.J. snapped his fingers, “I did run into a bit of luck on the way here. I met me a pretty little gal, naïve as all get out. She’s gotten herself a job as a horse trainer in Russell. What do you say we try to do some horse thieving?”
After working with Millie’s fillie for a week, Elise wanted the girl to interact with her horse. It would take time for Elise to transfer the trust she had built with the horse from her to Millie. Elise spent every day from sun up to sundown training Millie’s horse and one other. She usually worked half a day with each of the two horses so as not to tire either one out. It helped that it was early May and there were extra hours of daylight.
Elise tried to stay out of Harlan and Clay’s way as much as possible. They were both friendly, but she didn’t want to get in their way. Everyone had a job to do. Clay seemed to take after his father in that he was a hard worker. Harlan was always busy either grooming, breeding, birthing, or doing office work. He was planning an auction for the first week in September, and she hoped that by working with two horses at a time, she’d have a good number ready for his sale.
Elise let Millie lead the horse around the corral, encouraging her to talk to the horse gently at times. Taming a horse born on a ranch was much easier than taming a wild horse—she'd done those before, too. These horses had been used to humans touching them since birth, and that helped.
“What did you name your horse, Millie?”
“She’s such a pretty color brown,” Millie said, “I thought maybe I’d call her Chestnut.”
“That’s a nice name, but its not very feminine.”
“And it’s too long of a name,” Millie said, patting the horse’s nose. “How about if I name her Cocoa?”
“That’s a perfect name.” Elise took the horse's reins from Millie. “That’s it for today. We’ll do this again tomorrow and the next day, and soon we’ll saddle her.”
Millie’s grimaced. “I’m scared.”
Elise put her arm around Millie’s shoulders. “Don’t be. I’ll be right here with you.”
“My papa won’t let me wear pants like you, but he did say he’d buy me a riding outfit.”
“It would be easier to ride astride if you had one.”
“I’ll remind him so I have one on time.” Millie thanked Elise and sprinted into the stables.
Elise brought out the other horse with which she'd been working to the corral. She was shocked to see Harlan Tanner standing in the corral, his hands on his hips.
“May I have a word, miss?”
“Elise. Please call me Elise.”
His manner seemed a bit strained. Elise steeled her emotions for a battle with him if needed. “How can I help you?”
“Is Millie’s horse really ready for her to ride this week? Isn’t it too soon?”
“Cocoa, as Millie’s named her, is more than ready. What I’m doing now is transferring ownership from me to her by letting her walk the horse and talk to her. The horse is ready to ride, now. If you’d like for me to ride her so you can see. I’ll bring her out.”
“Are you telling me you broke that horse already?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I would like a demonstration, thank you,” he said brusquely.
“Fine. Let me take this horse back, and I’ll bring Cocoa out.”
Elise patted Cocoa, talked to her, and trotted her around the corral, demonstrating a trot, gallop, and turns. Then, she jumped down and faced Harlan. “Well?”
Harlan shook his head. “That’s unbelievable. It used to take Pedro a month or more to train a horse.” He looked up at her and said, “My apologies.”
“No problem,” Elise answered. “I’ll also walk or ride along with Millie for some time before I let her go off alone.”
Harlan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Do you think you could train the others that quickly?”