“Maggie?” At her father’s question, she turned back to the bed.
“Yes, Papa, it’s me. We’ve brought the cattle in. They’re all in the pasture now.”
“I thought you’d be out there a few more days.”
“Well, if you want us to go back out, we can, but we’ve got most of them. I thought it might be more important to get the cattle to the stockyards quickly than to round up the last hundred or so.”
He frowned, but after a few seconds he said, “I s’pose so.”
She took the seat next to his bed and reached to touch his hand. “So, you haven’t been feeling well since I left.”
His mouth twitched. After a long moment, he said, “You make me proud, girl.”
Tears welled in Maggie’s eyes. There was so much she wanted to say, but she kept quiet, stroking his hand gently until she was sure he’d lapsed back into sleep. She rose and tiptoed out.
The women were gathering at the long wooden dining table. Bitty and Carlotta were putting the finishing touches on the table settings used to feed the cowhands over the years. Shep, Celine, and Dolores brought dishes from the kitchen.
“Sit right here, Miss Maggie,” Dolores said, touching the back of the chair at the head of the table—her father’s chair.
It seemed wrong to Maggie, but there wouldn’t be enough chairs if no one sat there, and she supposed it would soon be her rightful place. She sat down, and the others found seats around the long table. She knew she would croak and choke up if she tried to pray aloud.
“Sarah. Would you?”
Sarah nodded and bowed her head. “Lord, we thank thee for thy mercy in bringing us and the cattle in safely. We ask that thou lay thy hand of compassion and healing on Mr. Porter. And we thank thee for this meal and for the one who prepared it. Amen.”
Soft amens echoed around the table, and they began to pass the serving dishes.
“There’s plenty of soup and johnnycake,” Shep said, “and I’ve got a cake in the oven, so eat up.”
Maggie eyed the table with satisfaction. Somehow, he’d found time to get out pickles, honey, jam, and sauerkraut, too.
“So, are we going back to the roundup in the morning?” Sarah asked.
“I’ll have to go home, I’m afraid,” Lottie said.
Maggie shook her head. “I don’t think we’ll go back. I saw Papa for a minute. He’s quite ill, and his medicine makes him sleepy, but he seemed to agree with me that the most important thing now is to get those cattle to the stockyards. If we go out on the range again, we might pick up another hundred or two hundred head, but I don’t think it’s worth it.”
“We’re late starting the drive anyway,” Sarah said. “My father’s cattle went two weeks ago.”
“And mine last Saturday,” Carlotta said.
“Yes.” Maggie looked down the table at all the expectant faces. They’d given her so much already. How could she ask more of them?
“Will you try to hire some men in town?” Bitty asked.
Maggie smiled, but her lips trembled. “I doubt I can get very many, at least on short notice.”
“But if you don’t hit the trail soon,” Sarah said, “yours will be the last ones to the railhead, and you won’t get top dollar for the stock.”
“We’ll probably be last as it is.” Maggie reached for her glass and took a sip of water. “I’ll be taking the herd myself. I don’t know whether any of you can help me. If not, I suppose I’ll need to spend a few days trying to hire some men. But I’d prefer to head out day after tomorrow.” She looked to Shep, who was setting a platter of sliced ham on the table. “Do you think we have the supplies on hand and can restock the chuck wagon tomorrow, Shep?”
“We sure can. I made sure to get extra grub when I was in town. I didn’t know what you was planning, but I figured somebody was going to need a stake for the drive.”
She nodded. “Well then, anyone interested in trailing to Fort Worth with me?”
The women glanced at each other. Celine and Bitty looked as though the idea had never occurred to them, but Sarah was smiling and looking to see who else was game.
Shep cleared his throat, and Maggie looked to him.
“Miss Maggie, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go with them on the drive. I know I’m old, and I move a little slow, but I’d be proud to be part of the Rocking P drive again. You could stay here with your father.”
Maggie stood and walked over to him. She put her arms around him and gave him a big hug. “Thank you, dear friend. It would cheer my heart to have you along. You’re trail savvy, and I’ll feel a whole lot safer knowing you’re close by. But I need to go myself. I’ll be there in Papa’s place. I think we need a Porter on the drive.”
“I’ll stay here and tend to your father, if you can get another cook,” Dolores said. “I loved being out with you ladies the last few days, but my bones are weary.”
Maggie went over and hugged her too. “Thank you. I don’t think I could go unless one of you was with him.”
“Do I get a hug too?” Sarah pushed back her chair and stood, extending her arms to Maggie.
“Count me in, chica.” Carlotta stood as well.
“Would we get a chance to shop in Fort Worth when we get there?” Mariah asked.
Maggie laughed. “My dear, I’d be happy to spend a day or two helping you spend your wages when this is over.”
Hannah and a couple of others had to decline, but when the count was complete, Maggie had herself, Shep, and eight other women on board. She had hopes of bringing in a couple more, but they’d get by with that if they had to.
Most of the women went home the next morning to see their families, do laundry, and prepare for the drive. Nancy insisted that her wrist would be fine without benefit of the doctor’s ministrations and rode for home.
Shep prepared a pallet in the bed of the buckboard for Hannah, so that they could drive her to Brady when they went for supplies.
Maggie decided to ride in the back of the wagon with her, and they tied Hannah’s saddle horse to the back.
“How is your father this morning?” Hannah asked as they set out.
“He’s feeling better,” Maggie said. “Dolores took him his breakfast on a tray, but he said he wanted to get up and have dinner with me later. He looked much stronger when I saw him.”
“That’s good.” Hannah lay back on her pillow. “Ma’s going to have a fit when she sees that I’m hurt. But Pa will just laugh and say I’m a pampered princess, riding home like this.”
“You did a good job, and I’m very sorry you were injured.”
“Don’t worry, Maggie. I’ll be fine.”
“Well, we’re going to stop at the doctor’s, so he can take a look before we take you home.”
When they reached the office, Sela Eagleton brought out a pair of crutches. She and Shep helped Hannah up the steps and into the doctor’s examining room. When Sela came back to the waiting area, she smiled at Maggie and Shep.
“How are things going at the ranch?”
“Not bad,” Maggie said.
“You finished the roundup for your father, yes?”
“That’s right. We’ve got all the cattle in now.”
“Them gals did a fine job,” Shep said.
Sela smiled. “That is good. Are you sending them to buyers? Leo said you would have trouble finding men to drive them to Fort Worth for you, since most of the ranchers have already sent their herds.”
“Oh, we’ll manage,” Maggie said.
Shep winked at her. “How’s old Leo doing?”
“Well, he is still in bad shape—condition, the doctor says. Not good. But he is better. The doctor has not given up hope that he will walk again.”
“I certainly hope he’ll be able to,” Maggie said. The prospect of Sela working to support the family for years to come alarmed her.
“We hope to get him up in the wheelchair this afternoon. The doctor says he can sit outside for a while. He is feeling a little stronger now.”
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“That’s good,” Shep said.
“And how are you doing, Sela?” Maggie eyed her drawn face closely.
“I am doing well. Rhonda came about an hour ago and said she will come back to work tomorrow. I was happy to earn a few dollars while she was gone.”
“I’m glad it worked out for you. How are the children?”
“Pretty good,” Sela said. “My mother came up to help with them.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. It must be good to have her here.”
“It is. I was quite—I am not sure how to say it. There was too much, you know?”
“Overwhelmed?” Maggie suggested.
“Yes. That is a good word, I think. But with the money Alex and Nevada brought from the men, I was able to rent a small house for a month. Mama is staying there with them. She brings little Angelina in for me to nurse.”
“That’s … nice.” Maggie couldn’t help feeling that she and her father contrasted badly with the men and their show of compassion for the family.
Sela pushed back her dark hair and looked at Shep. “If you would like to see Leo, I think he would be pleased.”
“Sure, I’ll be happy to see the old sidewinder.”
Shep followed Sela down the hallway. A moment later, the front door opened. Maggie looked toward it and stopped breathing. Alex Bright stood in the doorway, scowling at her.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Alex paused in the doorway and let his eyes adjust to the dim interior of the doctor’s house.
He wrinkled his nose. A sharp smell hung in the air, like some kind of medicine. Only one person sat in the waiting area—Maggie Porter.
He stepped inside and closed the door.
“Maggie.”
“Alex.” Her forehead puckered in a frown.
“Is—” He glanced toward the empty chair where Rhonda or Sela usually sat, then toward the hallway. “I hope your father’s not worse.”
“I’m here with a friend.”
“Oh.” Alex took off his hat and sat in a chair as far from Maggie’s as he could get. He wouldn’t want her to think he was making overtures. That might give her another excuse to tell him off. He balanced his hat on his knee and tried to avoid looking at her, but he couldn’t, and he glanced her way again.
Maggie was staring toward the desk. She’d got a little sunburn, but she looked healthy. Maybe a little less elegant than when she’d first come home, but it suited her.
“So … how’s the roundup going?” he asked after a minute of silence.
“Fine.”
He nodded. They kept quiet, sitting across the room from each other, looking at the wallpaper, wooden floor, and benches. A couple of minutes later, Dr. Vargas came out, and Alex rose.
“Hello, Miss Porter,” the doctor said. He nodded at Alex. “Mr. Bright.”
“I’m just here to see Leo,” Alex said quickly.
“Ah. You may go on through.”
Alex walked past him. As he turned into the hallway, he heard the doctor say to Maggie, “While Mrs. Eagleton helps Mrs. Ervine, I wondered if I could have a private word with you.”
He wondered what that was about. Hannah Ervine must be in the treatment room. … None of his business, but it didn’t sound as if everything was as “fine” as Maggie let on.
He knocked softly on the door to Leo’s room.
“Come in,” called a familiar voice.
Alex opened the door and grinned. “Hey, Shep!” He stepped in and grasped the old cowpuncher’s hand. “Great to see you.”
He felt a slight nudge of disloyalty. Could he stay friends with Shep and still support the strikers? This whole thing was tearing him up. Whenever he saw Shep or Maggie, he wished he was on their side. He liked life a lot better when there weren’t any sides.
In a tiny room that held only a desk, two chairs, and ceiling-high shelves full of books and boxes of papers, Dr. Vargas faced Maggie with a troubled face.
“Miss Porter, how is your father today?”
“I think he’s a little better—better than he was last night, that is. I’ve been away for a few days, and Shep said he was quite ill while I was gone. I hope he’s on the mend now.”
Dr. Vargas nodded gravely. “I saw him yesterday morning, and I recommended to Shep that he increase Mr. Porter’s pain medication.”
“It’s very bad, isn’t it, Doctor?”
“I have wondered how much your father has told you.”
“He told me that he has cancer, and there is no cure. Please tell me—what does this mean? Is he dying? He certainly made it sound that way.”
The doctor sighed. “To be honest, I don’t expect him to live more than a few months. It could be very sudden. Sometimes patients surprise us and have a protracted illness, but I believe your father’s condition is quite advanced. You mustn’t hope that he’ll recover, Miss Porter. It just doesn’t happen with this disease.”
Maggie nodded, fighting tears. “I understand. Now, what can I do to help him?”
“I’ve given him a tonic that some physicians claim has helped their patients. By that I mean it might possibly help slow the ravages of the disease. Its value has not been proven, but I felt it was worth trying. The pain medication—it’s a laudanum-based syrup—is about all we can do to lessen his suffering. But as you probably know, it makes him drowsy and less alert. And your father hates that.”
“Yes.”
“Other than that,” Dr. Vargas said, “make him comfortable. Shep and Dolores have been very good about helping him and caring for him during his worst times.”
“They certainly have,” Maggie said. “I’m grateful to have friends so true.”
“I’m glad you see them that way, not merely as employees. They’ll stand by you too, Miss Porter, when your father is gone.”
Maggie reached out and gave his hand a brief squeeze. “Thank you.” Her eyes filled. Again she wondered whether leaving home now was the right choice. Torn, she did not want to miss Papa’s final days, but she knew that if she didn’t make the cattle drive, they had no one who would.
The doctor tapped his fingers on the desktop. “I know he’s worried about finances, but I’ve tried to tell him to let that go. He can’t do much about it now, and it would be too bad if he spent his last days in turmoil over bills and such.”
“I’m trying to help ease his mind on that score.” Maggie smiled as brightly as she could, considering she felt on the verge of violent weeping. “I’m making arrangements today to get the cattle to the buyers in Fort Worth so that we can pay off at least a part of his debts for my mother’s treatment.”
“That should comfort him a bit.” He eyed her keenly. “Rhonda Tracey dropped by here a short time ago. She seemed to think you were headed for Fort Worth yourself.”
Maggie gulped. “Yes, sir. I can’t see any other way.”
He spread his hands. “I’m sorry, Maggie, to see it come to this. If there’s anything I can do, let me know. And don’t fret over paying my bill right away. I’m a patient man.”
She offered almost a smile to the doctor and rose. “Thank you.”
The doctor walked with her to the door. “I’ll continue to see him as often as I can. I plan to drive out that way tomorrow.”
Maggie went out into the hallway. Sela was just helping Hannah out to the waiting area.
“The doctor says Miss Hannah can go home, but she needs to stay off her feet for a couple of weeks,” Sela said.
Hannah smiled. “He says I can take the crutches home and bring them back when I can bear weight on my ankle without it hurting.”
“I guess we’re ready to go then,” Maggie said.
“Would you like me to tell Shep you’re ready?” Sela asked.
“Thank you, and give my best to Leo. I won’t bother him this morning, but I wish him well.” Maggie opened the door and held it for Hannah. She was relieved when Shep appeared a moment later, without Alex. She wasn’t sure she could face him again right now.
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nbsp; They bundled Hannah into the wagon and left her and her horse and gear at her parents’ house. Maggie and Shep went on to the general store for the supplies needed at the ranch and on the cattle drive. Maggie also went to the bank for enough cash to pay off the women who had helped with the roundup.
The bank’s owner, who was Poppy Wilson’s father, stood behind the window.
“Well, Miss Porter!” He gave her a wide smile. “I saw Poppy for a moment this morning before I left home. She seems to have had a grand time on the roundup.”
“Yes, and I hope she’ll go with me to Fort Worth. Did she speak to you about that?”
Mr. Wilson frowned. “Sounds a mite risky, you ladies going off like that, away from home.”
“Shep Rooney’s going with us,” Maggie said. “I think we’ll be perfectly safe.”
He arched his eyebrows and looked down at the check she had written. “Well, I never had much success in trying to curb Poppy’s activities. … You know, your father is scraping the bottom of his accounts.”
Maggie gritted her teeth. “Well, yes, I did know. I hoped there was enough there for me to pay off the ladies who helped me this week. We’re taking a good-sized herd to Fort Worth, so I should be able to cover all of the ranch’s local bills when we return. But I do want to pay my cowgirls.”
Mr. Wilson set a ledger up on the counter and flipped through it. “I can’t give you more than twenty dollars. I’m sorry.”
“All right. I’ll only pay those who worked the last few days but can’t go on the drive. I think that will cover it.”
“What about food and such for the trail?”
She felt her cheeks flush and glanced around. Only one other customer remained in the bank, and he was heading for the door.
“I’m counting on Mr. Riddle at the store to extend credit just a bit longer.”
“Ah.” He nodded his head.
The way he said it made Maggie’s heart sink. Just how much did her father owe the local merchants, anyway? She’d make it her business to find out and clear those debts if it killed her.
Mr. Wilson handed over the money in one-dollar bills, and she thanked him and hurried out to the wagon. At the mercantile, Mr. Riddle didn’t seem averse to filling her order, so Maggie and Shep gave him their lengthy list.
Cowgirl Trail Page 16