“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about! And I think we should see about gettin’ those procrastinators we call our friends to join us.”
“That would be wonderful.” She squeezed Tenny’s arm. “I can just imagine it—can’t you? Four brides, four grooms . . .”
“Lots and lots of cake,” he added.
“Yes, lots of cake. Fiona will be in heaven.” Cora looked into Tenny’s eyes. “Best of all, I’ll be in heaven because I’ll be married to you.”
“I like the sound of that quite a bit,” he said, then kissed her one more time. “Now, we’d better get a move on before the cattle get impatient.”
“I thought cows were always content.”
“Not when they need to be milked, they aren’t.” He flicked the lines, and the horse moved again. Cora snuggled up to Tenny’s side, her heart overflowing. They’d been able to resolve their small dispute, and now they were going to plan a wedding. How very different she felt now from how she felt when she first woke up that morning.
Chapter Nine
Tenny glanced around the bunkhouse, counting heads. Sure enough, Jack was there, along with Zeke and Billy—the three men he needed to speak with. And he’d need the others to lend a hand, so he might as well make this a general conversation rather than a private one.
He stood near the stove and held up both hands. “All right, men—I need to have a word. And you too, Mike, even though you don’t officially live here anymore and you’re just visitin’.”
“Yeah, what’s it like having your cabin back?” Gallagher asked.
“It’s too quiet,” Mike replied. “Why do you think I keep turnin’ up here?”
“Well, I for one am glad he’s here ’cause we need to figure some things out,” Tenny said. “Now, it seems to me that it’s been about a week since that nice party where Jack proposed to Miss Wynonna. That about right?”
“Little less than, but close enough,” Irish replied.
“And it seems to me that Billy and Miss Rowena got themselves engaged shortly after that. Am I right?” Tenny asked.
“That’s right,” Sully chimed in.
“And of course, Zeke and Miss Helen were the first to settle things, so it’s been even longer for them. Now, in this day and age, people court for years and they’re engaged for months, but we don’t have that sort of time out here. We’ve got work to do, cattle to tend, crops to grow—we’ve got to be a little quicker about things, don’t you think?”
Abel spoke up from the back of the room. “What are you getting at, Tenny?”
“I’m getting at the fact that I promised Miss Cora I could build her a cabin in one week, and she promised she’d marry me in a week and a day.”
The men clapped and cheered, but Tenny held up his hands again. “Now, that’s not all I mean to say. I’m goin’ to need your help to get that cabin done, but I also think these other weddings have been put off far too long. Jack, Zeke, Billy—what say you go talk to those gals of yours and let’s all get married next week? Your cabins are ready, just sittin’ there—well, Billy’s has a little ways to go, but not much. Who’s with me?”
“You know I am,” Sully said. “I never have yet understood what was takin’ these weddings so long. If it were me and I had a pretty gal waitin’ on me, I wouldn’t keep her wonderin’.”
“I guess the thing is, it doesn’t feel like we’ve kept ’em waitin’,” Zeke said. “Hasn’t been all that long since they got here.”
“But like Tenny just said, we’ve got work to do, and it makes sense to get married right away,” Jack replied. “I sure don’t want to be thinking about a wedding when we’re supposed to be getting the cattle to auction.”
“True, true,” Billy said. “I agree—let’s talk to the gals in the morning.”
“Plus it just makes logical sense to throw one big party fer everybody instead of four little parties,” Sully added.
“So, what do you need us to do?” Wes asked.
“Make us a list—I’m game,” Benedict added.
“Soon as the ladies say yes, one of you’s gotta ride into town and take a message to the pastor,” Tenny said, pleased that the men were being cooperative. They could be stubborn sometimes, and he’d been worried that they’d dig in their heels. “I imagine there will be some telegrams to send too—lettin’ families know and so forth.”
“I could do that,” Abel said. “It’s been a little while since I went to town.”
Tenny nodded. “Thanks. Now, me and Billy are the ones needing to work on cabins, but it’s also me and Billy who oversee the cattle, so we’ll need to pass on some of those chores to those of you who are willin’.”
The men nodded.
“And of course whatever carpentering help we need at the cabins.” Tenny passed his hand over his face, the enormity of what he was suggesting finally settling on his shoulders. “Why did I promise Cora a week? Why didn’t I say something reasonable, like a month?”
The men laughed, and Frisco clapped Tenny on the shoulder. “Probably because she was lookin’ up at you with those soft eyes of hers and you couldn’t say no to anything,” he teased.
Tenny chuckled. “I can’t argue with you there. With any luck, the ladies will tell us they need longer than a week to prepare, and we’ll get a few days extra on our end. Keep your fingers crossed, boys.”
***
When Cora and Tenny had parted ways the night before, Tenny had said he’d talk to the other grooms about moving up their weddings, and it had been all she could do not to tell her friends. She didn’t want to get their hopes up—there was always the chance that Tenny would be unsuccessful. But as the girls were getting ready for the day and helping each other with buttons and ribbons, it took every bit of self-control she had not to blurt it all out. It was the most wonderful secret, after all.
There was something else pressing on her mind, though, and it did help distract her from betraying any confidences—her hands were so stiff and sore, she didn’t think she’d ever be able to move them again.
“My goodness,” Wynonna said as she rubbed some liniment into Cora’s joints. “Just how many cows did you milk yesterday?”
“Only a few, but I’ve never done it before, so I’m not at all used to it,” Cora replied. “Ouch! Oh, that spot is particularly bad.”
“Tenny’s not going to have you transferred to the milking shed, is he?” Fiona asked. “He’s got plenty of men for that, and I need you in the kitchen.”
“No, he doesn’t want me out there on a regular basis—he’s just showing me what he does every day,” Cora replied. “And I’ve told him I’ll visit the pastures once in a while, but that will be the extent of it.” She winced again. “Oh, that really aches.”
“I can imagine,” Wynonna replied. “It probably takes weeks to build up the right muscles for milking. You can’t become an expert on your very first day.”
“First too much sun, now too much milking . . . We’d better be careful or Cora’s going to become a country girl,” Helen said with humor in her voice.
“I hope these aches go away soon,” Cora replied, flexing her hands. “I’ll miss playing the piano until my hands are better.”
“Maybe Jack will have an idea of how long it will be,” Wynonna suggested. “We should ask him.”
“Speaking of Jack,” Rowena said from where she stood by the window, “he’s walking up to the cabin. Oh, wait—it looks like all the men are with him.”
“All the men?” Helen asked.
“Every one of them,” Rowena said. She let the curtain fall back into place, then shrugged. “I wonder what they want.”
Cora tried to hide her smile. She had a very good idea what they wanted.
Not five seconds later, a knock sounded on the door, and Fiona went to answer it.
“Mornin’, Miss Fiona,” she heard Tenny’s voice say. “We wonder if Miss Cora and Miss Wynonna and Miss Rowena and Miss Helen would step out onto the porch.”
&nb
sp; “You mean, you want everyone but me?” she replied, sounding amused.
“We couldn’t do without you, Miss Fiona, so you’d better come along.”
She grinned and turned to the other girls. “We’ve been asked to make an appearance.”
“Before breakfast?” Rowena grumbled. “How is a person supposed to appear before breakfast?”
“Come on,” Fiona said. “There’s a whole ranch’s worth of impatient men standing out here.”
The girls trailed outside and stood on the porch, which served as a platform of sorts to overlook the gathered ranch hands. Tenny stood in the center, his hat in his hands, and he winked when he saw Cora.
“My dear ladies,” he began, “first off, may I please say what a bright and lovely sight you are this mornin’.”
Helen turned to Rowena. “Does it sound to you like he’s trying to butter us up?”
Rowena nodded. “Yes, but let’s hear what he has to say.”
Tenny went on, “Yesterday I had the opportunity to ask Miss Cora to marry me, and she said yes. She also said that she would marry me the day after I finished building her a cabin. Well, it didn’t seem right that I should undertake such a task on my own, or that I alone should receive the rewards of gettin’ married, so I talked to my good friends here, and they have something to say as well.”
Billy, Jack, and Zeke stepped forward, also pulling off their hats. “We apologize for makin’ you wait so long,” Jack said. “But now we’re here to set things right.”
“Assumin’ we can get the preacher for that day, what would you think of us all getting’ married one week from today?” Billy asked.
“It would be a big group wedding, all four of us couples,” Zeke added.
“What? What did they say?” Wynonna, Helen, and Rowena seemed absolutely flabbergasted, but Cora just grinned because of course she’d known what the men were going to say. Tenny sent her another wink while they waited for the chaos to settle.
Wynonna held up a hand. “Just so we understand,” she said, “you’re asking us to prepare a wedding in one week? A wedding with four brides?”
“We know that’s not a lot of time, so if you need a little longer . . .” Tenny said.
“Oh, we can do it. We just needed to clarify our objective,” Wynonna replied.
Tenny looked a little worried at that, and Cora wondered why. She’d have to ask him later.
“I’m going to ride into town and speak with the preacher, and I’ll also send telegrams to anyone who wants their families to know,” Abel said. “If you want a telegram sent, meet me by the main house in an hour. That’s when I’m leaving.”
“But we’ll also need a trip to town,” Fiona said. “Weddings call for special food, and I’ll need a few supplies. And these girls will need fabric for their gowns.”
“Are you sure you can do all this in a week?” Tenny asked again.
“Do you want to change the wedding date? Is that why you keep bringing it up?” Cora asked.
“Oh, no, not at all,” he said. “I just don’t want you to feel rushed.”
That didn’t seem like a very likely story, but she’d ask him about it in private later. She wasn’t about to quibble—she was getting married, and so were her friends. It was time to celebrate.
Chapter Ten
Everyone had agreed that breakfast could be a little late so the brides would have time to scribble out their telegram information for Abel. Fiona would pack him food to take along, and then they’d combine breakfast and lunch together with some extra goodies as a thank you for the men’s patience.
Cora walked over to the main house a few minutes before it was time to meet Abel—she wanted to tell Margaret what was going on.
She wasn’t disappointed in Margaret’s reaction.
“A . . . quadruple wedding? Here?” Margaret’s eyes were wider than Cora had ever seen them. “My goodness—you all have a way of keeping us on our toes, don’t you?”
“Better than boring you, isn’t it?” Cora replied.
“I’m not entirely certain. Being bored might be a nice change.”
“Oh, you don’t mean that,” Wade said, coming up behind his wife. “I wondered why I didn’t see any men riding toward the pastures this morning, and now I know. They will get their work done after they eat, won’t they?”
“Absolutely. They promised it up and down,” Cora told him.
“Good. I don’t mean to be a harsh taskmaster, but those cows really can’t wait to be milked.”
“Tenny mentioned that—it’s foremost on his mind,” Cora replied.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from him.” Wade gave Margaret a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.”
“See you, dear.” Once Wade had left, Margaret turned back to Cora. “What can I do to help?”
“I’m sure Fiona would love some input on the menu,” Cora replied.
“And yes, that’s something I can do.” Margaret paused, then laughed. “Oh, gracious. A quadruple wedding. Just last night, I was thinking about last week’s party and how wonderful it had been, and I had the thought that we’d have to do something truly spectacular if we ever wanted to top it. I believe this falls into that category.”
“And then you’ll have your baby, which will be the most wonderful event of all,” Cora told her. She glimpsed movement through the window and turned to find that Abel had arrived. “There he is. I’ll see you later, Margaret.”
“Try not to get yourself up to any more mischief,” Margaret replied.
“I can promise nothing.”
Cora handed Abel the piece of paper with the note she’d written, along with her mother’s address. As she was putting a few coins in his hand, she noticed the other girls walking toward them across the grass. “Thank you for doing this, Abel,” she told him. “It’s a long ride—you must be a patient man.”
“Not really, but it feels good to get out in the open and let my horse run,” he replied.
Fiona handed him a packet of food, which he tucked into his saddlebag. Then he folded up all the notes he’d been given and put them in the inside pocket of his jacket. “Is there anything else?” he asked.
“Nothing immediate comes to mind,” Fiona replied, and the other girls nodded.
“All right. I’ll see you all later.” He touched his hat, then nudged his horse into a quick trot as they left the compound.
The young women watched him go, and then Helen turned to the group. “This may not be the most popular idea, but I’ve been thinking,” she said. “We’re miles from town, our resources are limited, our time is tight—what if we each wore our nicest dress and didn’t worry about sewing new gowns? I’d much rather focus on getting the cabins ready and helping Fiona with the food—a wedding gown seems frivolous out here where so many are carving their livings from the dust.”
“I agree,” Rowena said. “Why should we spend hours upon hours on something that we’ll just pack away in a trunk? I think this is a great idea, Helen.”
Wynonna expressed her agreement too, and then they all looked at Cora.
“I always imagined what my wedding dress would look like someday,” she began, her emotions tumbling around inside her. “But then again, I always imagined myself getting married in a huge church with a giant bell tower—we don’t actually have one of those in my town, but I do have a pretty vivid imagination.” The other girls chuckled. “Absolutely nothing about this whole experience has gone how I anticipated it would—it’s been better. And so, yes—I can give up the dream of a fancy wedding gown because I’m getting the most wonderful groom I could ever hope for.”
“I applaud every one of you,” Fiona said, flinging her arm around Cora’s shoulders. “That’s quite the example you’re setting—forgoing the unimportant things to give yourselves time for what truly matters, such as becoming my kitchen helpers.”
Cora laughed. “I thought you were going to say something sentimental.”
“That was se
ntimental. Kitchen help is very important to me. I do admire you, though, and I propose that after we feed those starving men, we head back to the cabin and you all show me your prettiest dresses. I’ll help you check them over for needed repairs and whatnot,” Fiona offered.
The girls chatted all the way back to the kitchen, where Cora was assigned to set out the dishes rather than doing something more arduous that might hurt her sore hands. She doubted she would have noticed the pain, though—her heart was so filled with joy and gratitude, she didn’t know how she could ever contain it.
***
“Here’s where you’ll want your corner,” Zeke said, driving a shovel into a spot of ground. “Then you’ll extend north and west from here.”
Tenny nodded. “This is a good spot. It’s close to Jack and Wynonna’s cabin—I know Cora relies on Wynonna quite a bit, so having her nearby will be a comfort.”
Zeke chuckled. “Who would have thought six months ago that we’d be building houses for women instead of sheds for cattle?”
“Not me,” Tenny said. “And I’m not sure whether to blame Sully for it or to thank him.”
“Most days, I think thanking him is the better choice,” Zeke replied. “And then there are those days when one of the men says, ‘Let’s build a cabin in a week.’ On those days, I want to push that man into the river.”
“Sorry,” Tenny said, even though he really wasn’t. “Thanks for helping me lay out this plot. Once we’ve got the markers in, it should go up pretty quickly—we’ve built so many over the last several weeks, I imagine we’re experts by now.”
“I should hope so.” Zeke looked across the compound and nodded at Billy’s cabin, where Wes and Frisco were pounding away on the roof. “They’ll be done in a few hours, and then they’ll come over here. It’s just a matter of getting the pitch spread up there after those last nails.”
“Think the weather will hold?”
“Sure will. Not a cloud to be seen, and Sully says it’ll be dry for days.”
A Cattleman for Cora Page 7