Cate Corrals a Cattleman

by Linda K. Hubalek

  What hurt the worst was Isaac felt he was responsible for Felix attacking Cate. Isaac knew exactly what day it happened because Felix had visited his house, demanding his share of the Connely estate. Felix was drunk, raging mad, and wouldn’t listen to any reason from Isaac. He finally got Felix to leave after pointing his revolver at his stepbrother.

  So, apparently, Felix went over to Cate’s house to make her “pay” for Isaac not giving him money—because Felix knew Isaac loved Cate.

  Why didn’t Moses tell me? He and Cate were probably concerned that Isaac would confront Felix, and one of them would end up dead or in jail for the other’s murder.

  Was Felix’s attack the reason the Wilersons moved to Kansas? They told him it was to get away from the War—but was it to get away from Felix instead? Did he keep harassing Cate? Did Sarah look so much like Felix they didn’t want people to realize it?

  How could he ever look at Cate or Sarah now and not feel guilty for his negligence? He should have kept track of Felix when he was so mad that day! And why hadn’t he checked on Faye the past eight years—instead of thinking her grandmother was taking care of her? What the poor girl had gone through made his stomach roil.

  Isaac didn’t deserve to be Cate’s husband. Maybe it was best they were interrupted before he gave Cate the diamond ring. But now what? He had a houseful of young children who needed Cate’s help, as well as his. And now, he’d bet he had Faye and her baby to take care of, too. How could he and Cate still work together? If he was a drinking man, he’d drown his sorrows in a bottle tonight, because his heart hurt for what he believed he had done to the love of his life and her family.

  He stuck his right hand in his pocket and stiffened when he felt the ring he meant to give to Cate tonight. I should have thrown it away thirty years ago! He took the ring out of his pocket and flung it as far as it would go into the black night. He had deeded the Cross C Ranch over to Marcus and Sarah last week as their wedding gift. There was no reason for him to stay here now. Let them take care of the ranch and their passel of kids. He had no more responsibility here, and he was sure Cate didn’t want to see him again either.

  Chapter 3

  “Faye, please sit down at the table and eat while the food is hot,” Cate said as she added another platter of eggs and toast to the long table in the dining room. With all the people living at the Cross C now, all the extra leaves were needed to stretch out the table to accommodate everyone. And to think it was only Isaac, Marcus and an occasional housekeeper in this big house until a month ago.

  Cate was bone–tired this morning but the family still had to eat. She and Sarah talked long into the night after Cate settled Faye and her baby in the last bed available in the house. Sarah didn’t want to see or talk to her mother at first, but then she broke down and asked so many questions. It hurt to answer, but Sarah needed to know, so Cate gave as much detail as she could offer although it tore her apart. After Sarah finally slipped into bed, Cate sat on the porch swing and cried for another hour. No amount of cold water splashed on her face would clear her swollen, red eyes this morning, or the pain which continued to stab her heart.

  “Sarah, please introduce your sister to your children,” Cate asked when she noticed Sarah wouldn’t even look Faye’s direction. She would not let Sarah act like a spoiled teenager. Sarah was a mother now and she needed to teach manners to her young family.

  Sarah sighed, but did as Cate suggested. “Faye, Marcus and I adopted eight children. Maggie is six, Marty is four and Maisie is two. The triplets are a month old and named Matthew, Mark and Micah. They are all from one family.”

  Sarah continued explaining her children’s past. Molly is five and her brother…Moses…is three. They were orphaned during an Indian raid in western Kansas where Marcus was injured. They joined our family a week ago, at Marcus’ and my wedding.”

  Cate knew why Sarah paused saying Moses’ name. Sarah felt an instant connection when Marcus brought Molly and Moses back from Fort Wallace. She loved the fact she now had a son to carry on her father’s name, but now she knew her father wasn’t Moses.

  “Oh my word. And I had problems taking care of only my baby. ‘Course I was working, too.”

  “Believe me when I say taking care of five lively children and three newborns is more than a full–time job,” Sarah evenly said back to Faye.

  So much had happened to their family this last month. But now wasn’t the time to tell Faye how Sarah attended the births of the triplets and took over the care of six children when their widowed mother, Margaret Sullivan died. The older children were just getting over their loss of first their father, three months ago, and then their mother a month ago, so the adults didn’t discuss it in front of the children.

  Still, every now and then, Maggie or Marty would crawl on one of the adults’ laps and ask a question about their parents. They always gave an answer the child could understand and be comfortable hearing. Maggie refused to have anything to do with Sarah for a while, but time and patience from Sarah eventually bonded them together. Now the children would be confused and hurt again with everyone’s pain showing, plus the addition of a teenager and another baby to the household.

  “What’s your baby’s name?” Maggie asked looking across the table at Faye while stuffing another spoonful of scrambled eggs in her mouth.

  “Ah, I just call her ‘Baby’,” Faye blushed.

  “That’s not a name”.

  “Maggie, please don’t be rude,” corrected Sarah.

  “Can I name it?” Maggie continued.

  “No, I want to!” Marty had to jump into the conversation, while banging his feet against the chair legs.

  “Bet your day is never dull or quiet,” Faye said under her breath as she glanced at Sarah.

  Cate was glad to hear the two finally talking, even if it was more like sniping at each other. Maybe they’d learn to accept each other through their children.

  “Betty!” Maggie shouted.

  “No, Benny!” Marty barked louder than his sister.

  “Children, please don’t shout,” Sarah automatically said. Cate was proud she was taking over the role of mother so well with her new family.

  “Is it a girl or boy? I can’t tell since it’s only wearing a diaper,” Maggie continued.

  “Uh, she’s a girl, but I don’t have any clothes for her,” Faye said softly, embarrassed at the simple observations of the children. “We…uh left in kind of a hurry and I didn’t bring any clothes along for us.”

  Cate sighed as she sat down to eat her own breakfast. She hoped she could keep it down after she ate it, she needed the strength to get through this day—and the next. “Maggie, this could be a sewing project for you and Molly. We can pick out fabric for some little dresses for the baby and you two can help make them.”

  “She still needs a name…” Maggie said smartly.

  “Why don’t you ask Poppa Marcus to help you write down some possible names for your Aunt Faye, then you can show them to her later?”

  “Is she my aunt like Aunt Rania and Aunt Hilda?” Maggie looked back and forth between Sarah and Faye.

  “Yes, very good for you to figure that out,” Cate praised Maggie.

  “So I have Uncle Adam, Jacob and Noah…”

  “And Uncle Daggy and Auntie Cora!” Marty yelled while throwing his hands in the air, making a spoonful of eggs fly through the air. Just a typical morning, Cate thought as she stood to retrieve a rag to clean the floor.

  “So if you’re Aunt Faye, who’s my uncle who matches you?”

  The three women stared at Maggie, surprised at her question. Cate watched Faye’s face turn beet red, guessing the young woman didn’t know who the father of her baby was. It was time to have some private time with the young woman. “Children, you look like you’re done eating breakfast. Please stack your dishes on the table and then wash your hands and faces in the wash basin. You can play on the swing while we feed the babies.”

  “No, I want to…” M
aggie started to say, but changed her mind after looking at Sarah. Cate looked too and she couldn’t help smiling. Sarah had perfected the “raised right eyebrow stare” just like Cate used to use on her four children when they were young. And it still worked on her three adult sons, to this day, to get them to do what she wanted.

  Oh, it was hard to raise children, but so worth it. She hoped Faye would be a good mother—once she learned how to be one.

  Sarah and Cate had a routine for feeding the infants. The babies were lined up in baskets across the table, three bottles of milk warmed to the right temperature, and the holding, feeding and burping began. Occasionally Isaac, Marcus or Maggie would hold one baby and his bottle while Sarah and Cate took the others. If an extra hand wasn’t available to help, one baby had to wait his turn to be fed. The caregivers switched about so the babies were used to different people feeding them. They gave Maisie a bottle of milk to handle by herself too, because the toddler was jealous of her three new siblings.

  Cate prepared an extra bottle this morning so “Baby” would receive extra nourishment. It was obvious Faye was underfed and her baby wasn’t gaining weight from nursing.

  “I don’t mean to pry, but you do need an answer about your baby’s name, and her father, Faye. People will ask, so I want you to be prepared.” Cate hated to say anything, but the subject needed to be addressed.

  “Why’s it anyone’s business?” Faye asked curtly.

  “It’s the nature of people, Faye…and you’re Sarah’s sister...and right now you’re living here.” The situation of a half–sister to Sarah was going to be hard enough to explain to people. Cate cringed, thinking of what people would think and say to her. “You’ll be in the store, at church, and people will coo and want to hold your pretty baby—and they will naturally want to know about her. They aren’t being mean, but curious,” Cate told her matter–of–factly.

  “Ya think she’s pretty?” Faye asked shyly.

  Cate was surprised at Faye’s question. “Yes. Yes, she’s pretty because she looks like you and Sarah. But instead of your almost black hair, she has a little dark–red hair showing on the top of her head. Think how gorgeous her locks will look in a few years,” Cate watched as Faye studied her infant, like she was really seeing the baby for the first time.

  “My favorite customer had that same color hair, so I pretend she’s his child, although I’ll never know for sure,” Faye said as she hesitantly took the baby bottle from Cate. “She’s never drank from a bottle before, why start now?”

  “Your baby will be even prettier when her cheeks fill out. You should drink plenty of milk and eat good meals yourself now, to provide her with your own nutritious milk. This extra will just help her gain a little weight.”

  Cate glanced at Sarah, who reluctantly nodded and sighed. Her daughter knew Cate’s game of words was to build Faye’s confidence and teach her how to be a mother. Sarah knew Cate would expect her to help others, no matter their life’s situation.

  “Why was this man special to you, Faye?” Sarah asked—almost without sighing. Was Sarah going to help her sister? Cate furtively prayed so.

  “First off, he wasn’t an old geezer pawing my body.” Faye shuddered, no doubt from many bad memories.

  “Faye, remember you’re living with your family now, so you never have to go back to that life. We won’t judge you for anything in your past, because we know that’s what you had to do to survive. You can tell Sarah and me anything you want, and it will never be told again if you don’t want it to be,” Cate stated.

  “Thank…thank you, Cate. I can’t believe how nice you’re bein’ to me. Okay, well, I always liked when Richard Chaney visited me. He was a younger fella, good lookin’ with broad shoulders and rusty colored hair.”

  “Did you tell him the baby could be his daughter?”

  “No. He was married, so couldn’t marry me even if he felt somethin’ for me anyway. Plus a good citizen doesn’t marry a ‘lady of the night’,” Faye said looking down at her baby. The infant figured out the nipple on the bottle and was sucking hard, like she hadn’t had a good meal in a long time.

  “Did married men visit often?” Sarah said in concern.

  “You’d be surprised how many ‘upstanding’ married citizens visited us girls. And I was in the worst place in town for the men to go to. Instead of a Madame’s brothel, I was in a small room stuck in a shack behind the saloon. But all kinds of men came in my little room.”

  “Why didn’t you leave a long time ago?” Sarah whispered, realizing what the young woman had gone through.

  “Well, first I was with my momma, and then when she left, I was by myself with no money of my own. Mr. Silas kept our money so we couldn’t leave, but at least I had a roof over my head and some food.

  “Mr. Chaney often sneaked in a ham sandwich inside his coat, or a piece of candy, so that’s one reason I liked him. He used to slip a coin in my hand too when he left, but Mr. Silas saw him do it once, so he took my stash.

  “Most of the time, Mr. Chaney just wanted to talk for a while. His wife got hurt in a buggy accident and was an invalid. They lost their baby, Violet, in the accident too, so he was sad about that. I always wished I could have kissed him once, but that was against the rules.”

  “Did Mr. Chaney know you were going to leave? Would he be worried about you?”

  “I didn’t know I was going to leave until that drunk showed me his wad of cash, and then passed out in my bed. I feel bad I stole part of his money from him, but it was my opportunity to get out. I left with Uncle’s letter, Baby and two diapers, and nothin’ else. Do you think the law will be after me?” The girl was opening up to Cate and Sarah and talking fast now.

  “Considering the situation and the fact you didn’t take all his money, I think you’ll be fine. And if you have any trouble, remember Sarah’s brother is a marshal.”

  “That scared me when Adam walked up with his badge on, but he and Jacob were nice fellas.”

  “Would you like to write to Mr. Chaney and let him know you’re safe now with your family?” Sarah asked as she laid Micah on her shoulder and gently patted his back.

  “I haven’t had any schoolin’ since I was ten, so I’m not good at writin’,” Faye blushed while admitting the fact.

  “Marcus works with Maggie and Molly almost daily teaching them how to read and write, so you could brush up your skills with them. Would you like me to write to Mr. Chaney explaining you’ve arrived at your sister’s home? It would put both your minds at ease,” Cate suggested.

  “I’d like that. I always wished my momma would’ve left me a note before she disappeared,” Faye said wistfully.

  “Maybe she didn’t have a chance to.”

  “I know. Something bad probably happened to her, but I used to pretend she left with the peddler who always visited Momma when he was in town.”

  “What’s your mother’s name?” Sarah asked. She had put a sleepy Micah in his basket and was preparing to feed Matthew next.

  “You think Baby could have some more milk? She drank this so fast.”

  Cate nodded. “Yes, I think she could handle some more. But put her on your shoulder and burp her first. She’s not used to drinking goat’s milk and it’s rich.”

  “Okay, I’ll give her a little time between bottles. My momma’s name was Ruthie Reed.”

  “How about naming your baby after her? What’s her middle name?”

  “Maybe. Her full name was Ruth Eugenia Reed.”

  “Was there anyone else you were close to where you lived?” Sarah asked.

  “Actually, I spent most of my time with Beulah, the cook, when I first got there…until I had to go to work after my mother left. Funny, but I don’t know Beulah’s last name. Most people didn’t share their real names in the places I stayed.”

  “What’s your middle name? Mine is Sarah Catherine, and Momma’s is Catherine Marie. Maybe you can think of a family name to use?”

  “My full name is Faye Ann Lo
ngoria, even though my parents didn’t marry. My grandmother insisted I go by the family’s last name so I didn’t embarrass her.”

  “Faye and Sarah, while I’m up getting more milk for Baby, would either of you like a cup of tea or coffee?”

  Sarah was ready to say “no” until Cate raised her eyebrow. “Ah, yes, I’d love a cup of tea, Momma. Faye, try hot tea with the rich goat’s milk and honey. It’s so good,” Sarah said while looking back at Matthew.

  “So, have we given you any ideas for your baby’s name?”

  “Yes,” Faye said, but she wiped her left eye with a finger and sniffed before saying more for a bit. “I’ll call her Violet Rose, for Richard’s baby and his wife, Rose. He talked about them so much...”

  Cate set cups of tea in front of Sarah and Faye, then gently rubbed across Faye’s shoulders.

  “I think that’s a fitting tribute for the man who helped you as much as he could.”

  “Should Faye be a widow like Millie claimed to be when she came to town?” Sarah asked her mother.

  “Why would I be that?” Faye asked curiously.

  “Adam’s wife came to town to be a mail–order bride for our neighbor, Sam Larson, but he died in an accident before she arrived. Millie brought her sister Darcie’s toddler with her to protect him from his abusive father. We told people she was a widow to protect her reputation, because it looked like she was an unmarried mother.”

  “I get it. Ya don’t want to be embarrassed by me and Baby…um, Violet?” Tears formed in the girl’s eyes.

  “Sarah is thinking of a way to make you more comfortable in our community. There are going to be questions since you look like Sarah’s twin.”

  The young woman sat there a minute thinking. “I wouldn’t mind if I’d been the wife of Richard. Can I use his name for my husband, but I’d cry if I had to say he was dead every time someone asked me.”

  “How about using the phrase ‘he’s no longer with us’ and use the last date you saw him as his ‘passing date’. Would that work for you to say?”

  “Okay. Yes, I could say that. Where do I say I’m from?”