by Chula Stone
“Marry you?” Treli had gotten suddenly quiet.
“You’ve got to know I want you, Treli. Not just for now. For forever. I’m not saying this right!” he chided himself. “I mean, I want you as my wife. I want to look after you, provide for you, spend my life with you.”
“You’ve never said so before.”
“I was afraid you weren’t ready. I’ve only been courting you a few days.”
“But we’ve known each other for a lot longer.”
Hope swelled in Shep’s chest, blowing in like the strongest northeaster sweeping in over the plains. “Does this mean you will?”
“You haven’t asked me, yet.” Treli laughed and looked away, her smile tinged by disappointment.
Shep gave himself another good hard mental slap. How could he have been such an oaf? “But I will, and soon. And I’ll make a good job of it, too. Just you wait.” He sat back and tried to get a hold of himself. No good would come of barging ahead without a plan. Anvils and armadillos.
“Well, if King Solomon is singing to us, that means dawn can’t be far away. We’d better head home.” Treli made as if she would jump down, but Shep put a hand on her shoulder.
“Stay there. I’ll come around. That’s the least I can do.”
“It’s the most you can do, too,” she reminded him. “No more… detours. I need to get home.”
He grinned ruefully but understood her sentiments. Taking her waist respectfully in his hands, he helped her down, keeping his distance the whole time.
So now, Shep had to make his plans and be quick about it, too. But how to ask her that all important question? Maybe he could ask Vince. Shep looked around and spied the rancher striding towards him.
“Shep.” Vince’s tone was confidential and low, as if he didn’t want to be noticed.
“Yessir, boss.” Shep matched his tone and manner to that of the older man.
“I need a word with you.” They walked away from the group of cowboys watching the efforts of their best twister riding a new horse for the first time. The young stud’s antics kept everyone’s attention so Vince could speak without fear of being overheard. “I’ve got a little job for you.”
This echo of a sentence he had heard months ago from his boss’s wife sent up red flags for Shep, but he kept his face straight like he was bluffing in a hand of poker. “What would that be, boss?”
“Well, it seems that my little Pinkie has a big surprise going for our anniversary. I can’t let her outdo me. I’ve got to do something bigger! I wracked my brain trying to figure something out and then it finally hit me.”
“So, let’s hear it.”
“There’s a cottage at the back of our property…”
Oh, no. Shep barely heard his next few words. When he could focus again, Vince was finishing up. “…with a little work. Well, okay with a lot of work, it would be a cute little get-away.”
“It would.” Shep let the sentence fall flat, but Vince paid him no heed.
“Yeah, but if I disappear long enough to do the work… and it’s going to take a good bit of work… I mean, all right, it’s pretty extensive work, so she’ll notice my absence and it won’t be a surprise, so, I thought, who would I trust to do a really good job? A craftsman, a jack-of-all trades who can do everything. Someone who nobody will notice that he’s gone because he’s always gone doing errands and running off on jobs. And somebody who likes Pinkie. I know you’ve got a soft spot for my missus. You always carried a bit of a torch for her when you were a boy.”
This was true. He did. “But boss, I thought for gifts for girls, you wanted something that sparkled. You know. Like jewelry.”
“Pinkie’s not a jewelry sort of lady.”
“So you want me to work on this… cottage, you called it?”
“Yeah, it’s a pretty big cottage. More of a cabin, really.” Vince’s repetition of Pinkie’s description made it hard for Shep to fight back his laughter.
“Ah, a cabin.” Stalling for time to think, Shep asked, “What exactly will have to be done to it?”
“I know it’ll need a new roof. I was thinking maybe ordering a tin roof and seeing how it worked out.”
“Oh, no, boss, that would take too long. This is for your anniversary coming up, isn’t it? Shingles would be faster.”
“You’ve got a point there,” Vince answered thoughtfully. “As for the rest, I guess maybe we should go out and see.”
That’s when it occurred to Shep that such a visit would ruin everything. “You know what boss? I can figure it out myself. Let me surprise you and if I need to ask some questions, I’ll word them right so that she’ll never suspect. You trust me that much?”
“Sure, I do, pal. But one thing. You’d better not use Coleman’s hardware.”
“Not use Colemans?”
“No, she trades there sometimes. And Jim Coleman’s got a big mouth. Go over to Green’s in Louden.”
“Sure, boss. Anything you say.” Oh, boy. This was just getting better and better. “Say, boss, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you, too.”
“Really? What would that be?”
“I’m ready to pop the question but I’m not exactly sure how to go about it. I mean, the usual starters don’t apply.”
Vince lowered one eyebrow at him and scowled. “What do you mean, don’t apply?”
“Well, you know good and well Treli doesn’t have a father. Who am I supposed to ask for her hand?”
“Me and Slingo, of course. We brought that girl here and we’re responsible for her.” Vince stuck both fists to his hips as if squaring off for a fight.
“She’s a woman grown and knows her own mind. You can’t stop her doing anything she wants to do.” Shep could feel his temper flaring.
“And what if I could?”
“You’d regret it,” Shep growled. “Any man who tries to get between me and my Treli will be sorry he did.” He clenched his own fists and set one foot behind him.
Vince snarled back, “Any man wouldn’t be worth being called a man if he let a girl in his care make a bad match.”
“What have you got against me? I’m a hard worker and have got enough money laid by to make us a nice start somewhere. I can provide for her!”
“There’s more to marriage than that,” Vince shot back fiercely.
“And I can give her those things, too. I love her. I’d do anything for her.” Shep took a step closer. “Even fight a good friend!”
At that moment, Slingo came sloping by in his off-hand casual way. “What’s going on here, you two?” He slung an arm around his brother’s shoulder and pulled him back with practiced ease. “What friend are you thinking of fighting?”
“Him! He’s trying to keep me from marrying Treli.” Shep’s accusation crackled in the air for a moment before being drowned out by Slingo’s snort of laughter.
“What in the blazes?” Slingo turned to his brother, who suddenly crumpled up and joined in his mirth.
“I really had him going,” Vince crowed. “He was ready to fight tooth and nail, I do believe. And me, of all people, with ten years and ten pounds on him.”
Shep stared from one Sloan to the other. “Then you don’t… It’s okay if I… You don’t mind my…”
“Asking Treli to marry you?” Slingo managed to wheeze out. “I don’t mind a bit. Been wondering when you’d get around to asking, as a matter of fact.”
“But I only started courting her this week,” Shep objected weakly. He couldn’t fight the grin that was spreading over his face.
“Pinkie’s had you two half way to the altar since you first hit town,” Vince informed him wryly. “And smart money never bets against Pinkie when it comes to love.”
Relief rolled over Shep like a wave, but left in its wake was the same problem he had been pondering all morning. “So how do I ask her? What do I do? I want to make it special.”
“Vince is the wrong person to ask for advice there,” Slingo told him. “He never asked at
all. He just kind of fell into matrimony riding my coat tails.” When Vince nodded, Slingo went on. “I on the other hand, had to do the hard part. I had to get her alone. That wasn’t easy, with Pinkie hiding around every corner, making sure I behaved myself.”
“So what did you do?” Shep paused a moment then added. “And what did you say?”
“I had to pull a fast one to get her by herself,” Slingo replied. “One night I ate dinner at their wagon and then pretended to have eaten so much that I made myself sick. When Pinkie offered to go mix me some bicarbonate of soda, I took my chance and grabbed Drina by the hand. We were gone like a shot, her giggling like a school girl.”
“So how did you ask her?”
“I walked her down to a shady grove of trees by the river and sat her down on a rock. I had already scouted the spot so I knew it would be there. Then I got down on one knee and asked her if she would make me the happiest man in the world.”
“And she said yes just like that?” Shep asked, doubtfully.
“Not exactly. See, she wasn’t familiar with that turn of phrase, so she just put her chin in her hand and asked, ‘How can I do that? Do you want me to get the grass stains out of the knees of your pants? Kneeling on the grass like that, your clothes are bound to be marked.’ I had to explain that this was how a man asked a girl to be his wife.”
Vince gave a low chuckle. “That’s what you get for asking a girl to marry you without consulting your big brother. I could have told you”
“You’d have tried to stop me,” Slingo interrupted. “You’d have told me I had no business marrying anybody, and you’d have been right, but see how everything worked out?”
“It almost didn’t work out,” Vince pointed out. “Whatever you did must not have made too much of an impression. You didn’t see Drina again for… how many weeks was it?”
Slingo shook his head. “I don’t want to think about it.”
“What happened? Did she change her mind?” This was one of Shep’s worst fears, that Treli would say yes but then regret it and run from him.
“Not at all,” Slingo assured him. “At the time, she and Pinkie were traveling with Gabor’s people. I had to leave town the next day but I told Drina I’d be back to get her and we’d get married as soon as I arranged for a place for us to live. By the time I got back, Gabor had moved on and there was no way to trace Drina.”
“He must have ridden to fifty towns asking about Gabor,” Vince remarked.
“There weren’t fifty towns around there, but it felt like there were a hundred. I was checking under every rock and behind every tree. It took a few weeks, but I finally found her.”
“Did you have to ask her again?” Shep wondered.
“Not on your life!” Slingo replied with a shudder. “Once was enough. In fact, I did such a good job of asking, it counted for two so Vince and Pinkie got caught up in the rush.”
“I heard something about that night way back when. Ray was kind of fuzzy on the details, though.” Shep tilted his hat back and looked from Vince to Slingo.
“Ray was too sick from eating a whole peach pie to know what was going on,” Vince commented. “And you were too young to understand even if you had heard the whole crazy story.”
Slingo gave a good-natured grunt and slung an arm around Shep. “The important thing is, we got married the very night I found her and I’ve never regretted it. So, my advice is, find you a nice secluded spot, set her down, plant one knee in the dirt and have at it.” After a moment’s thought, Slingo added, “But knowing, Treli, you might want to spell it out a little clearer than I did. She and Drina were raised a lot alike and she might not get it if you don’t stick to the point.”
“Secluded spot. Down on one knee. Stick to the point. Got it.” But did he have it? Shep thought there was something missing, but he just couldn’t figure out what it was. Until he did, he would have to find some way to let Treli know he was working on a plan so she wouldn’t think he had forgotten her. That might take some time and he didn’t like the thought of Treli living in that boarding house in town surrounded by all those other men. “Say, why is it you let her move to town, anyway? Can’t you make her move back home with you until I can get her under my roof?”
“What roof is that?” Slingo asked.
“Mr. Bumford has housing for married cowboys. I reckon on taking her there eventually, but you know that was just a figure of speech. Why doesn’t she live here on the Frogleg? Wouldn’t she be safer here?”
“She’s plenty safe in town. Aunt Mina runs a respectable house,” Vince put in.
“Aunt Mina? But she’s so giggly and quavery. I hate to think what could happen up there if ever trouble started.” Shep narrowed his eyes at the very thought.
“There’s another that lady’s got hoodwinked,” Slingo laughed.
When Shep turned his questioning stare on him, Vince confirmed his brother’s words. “Aunt Mina is a lot tougher than she looks. I know the picture she shows to the public, but when it comes right down to it… She reminds me of cotton candy wrapped around a nail.”
Slingo gave Shep’s arm a friendly punch. “I’m sorry, but there’s no good reason I can think of to get Treli back to the house. She’s as safe as she can be. You’ll just have to continue running up and down that trail to do your courting. Maybe the distance will help you get a move on and get the job done.”
“As for married housing for cowboys,” Vince added thoughtfully, “I’ve been planning to build some on the Leg, but I just haven’t gotten around to it. Don’t let Slingo give you any ideas of moving back to Bumchuck. We’ve got plenty of land to build on.” He continued to look thoughtful, but Shep couldn’t give much heed to his problems. He had plenty of his own.
That evening, Shep hurried over to Aunt Mina’s house and prayed that they would get the chance to talk alone. He had it in mind to try Slingo’s ruse about having indigestion, but he didn’t want to use that up in case he needed it more later, when he was ready to take the plunge. That one forgotten detail was still nagging at him, so his main goal was to stall for time. Toward that end, he followed Aunt Mina’s lead gladly when she asked him questions about his plans for the future.
“Well, Mrs. Pann, I’m working hard and saving up all I can. It takes a lot to make a good start and I intend to provide for my wife well. She’ll have no complaints to make.” Shep took a sip of the tea Treli had brought in and poured demurely.
“How wonderful, Mr. Shepard,” Aunt Mina replied in her high-pitched but not unpleasant tones. Leaning in as if to invite his confidence, she asked excitedly, “And how do you plan to provide? And where? Do you intend to stay here in Merriview?”
“I’d like to, yes,” Shep answered, casting long glances at Treli who seemed to be trying to hide an intense interest in his answers.
“In that case, do you know what I think? I think you would do well to look into buying property, young man. Property, I say! My late husband always said it was a worthwhile investment.”
“Really? But I would think it would be important to take a wife’s opinion into consideration. I was thinking I should marry first and find out where my wife wanted to settle before I made such a long-term move.”
“Now, that is a fine sentiment of course, but no need to overdo it. A woman wants to know a man has plans and dreams for their future.” With a tittery laugh and a glance over at Treli, she continued, “How do you expect to bake a cake if you don’t have your oven nice and hot?”
“I would think it would be enough for a girl to know a man had plans and dreams that she could influence and help shape.” Here, he looked straight into Treli’s eyes, holding her gaze for a moment that grew more solid as it stretched. “I’ve got goals in mind, but they’re going to take a little more time. Good things are worth waiting for.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” exclaimed Aunt Mina sweetly. Shep expected her to drop the subject but she surprised him by going on in an apologetic tone. “But I do find that somet
imes men are prone to putting things off to later, then later never comes. That’s a sad story that’s older than I am, and that’s saying quite a bit.”
Shep reluctantly turned to the older woman, noting the twinkle in her eye. In her own feathery way, she was nagging at him for a reason he could only guess might be to his advantage, so he responded with his own interested grin. “So you think I ought to buy a house here before I even know for sure whether my girl will marry me or not?”
“That’s right! A house in town, a ranch in the valley, a pasture with a pond if that’s all you can afford. What is it they say about real estate, Mr. Shepard? Something about the fact that they’re not making any more of it!” The last part of this sentence, she said in a tone that revealed a bit more of the steel Vince had attributed to her.
“I’ll take that into consideration, Mrs. Pann. Do you agree with your aunt, Miss Pann?” Shep always addressed Treli formally when her aunt was in the room.
“I do, indeed. Nothing attracts a girl like a man who is decisive and prepared. If he can show that he is skilled and hard-working, so much the better.” Treli held out the tea pot to offer Shep a refill.
While they were busy with the tea, Aunt Mina nodded in a knowing, indulgent way. “True, true. I did dearly love my Oscar and he was always buying property. And selling it, too. He was a good provider and left me very well off, as you can see.” She fluttered her hands to indicate the house around them. “I knew it from the first time I laid eyes on him that he knew a thing or two about how the world worked.” She looked down at her hand and twisted the wedding ring on her third finger. “Life goes on, but I’ll never forget him. We were happy, my Oscar and me. I don’t see how a young man could do better than to learn from his example.”
“I wish I had known him better, Aunt Mina,” Treli said quietly. “I only met him a handful of times, but he seemed like a very kind man.”
“He was kind, but he had a stern side, too.” Aunt Mina shifted in her chair, smiling as if at a secret memory and blushing prettily. “Once he had made up his mind, I knew better than to argue with him. A woman needs to know that her man means what he says and is willing to back it up.”