Cate Corrals a Cattleman

by Linda K. Hubalek

  Isaac took off his hat before walking in through the back door, pausing to listen for voices. At least he didn’t hear heated arguments coming from the kitchen, nor noisy little kids. He toed off his boots on the boot jack and padded in his stocking feet down the back hall to the kitchen. No one was in there, but he spied a cloth covered plate set on the table. Isaac sighed, he was hungry and he was only left a cold plate of something. Well, better than nothing, he thought as he turned to the shelves to get a glass to fill with water from the bucket by the dry sink.

  He should have stopped at the basin on the back porch to wash his grimy face, forearms and hands first, but gosh darn it, he was hungry, tired, and this used to be his domain. He’d go back outside to the hand pump and wash after he got food in his stomach.

  Uh. The plate was still warm and had mashed potatoes, green beans and a fried chicken breast. How’d he get so lucky to get a decent meal at this late hour?

  “The children missed you at meals today,” Cate quietly said as she walked in from the dining room. She was barefoot, so he didn’t hear her as he filled his mouth with another forkful of green beans. He just nodded as he chewed his food.

  “How’s the herd doing in this late summer burst of heat, and the hands? Looks like you put in a full day’s work in the sun.” She pulled out a chair and sat across from him, putting her elbows on the table and leaning toward him.

  Isaac swallowed his beans. “The longhorns can take the heat, but I worry about their water source. Creek’s getting low. I hope the springs keep flowing or we’re in for trouble.”

  “You keep moving the herd a little each day. Will you end up having to take them down to the river for water?” Cate knew land, cattle and had spent many days in the saddle herself over the years.

  “Don’t know, just pray for rain in the time being.” Isaac scooped another fork of mashed potatoes into his mouth. Boy, the meal was good tonight, especially compared to the cold beans and jerky he ate at midday. He still wondered why his favorite meal was waiting for him tonight.

  “How’s Faye settling in?” Isaac kept his eyes on the plate, still embarrassed about her showing up.

  “Umm, it’ll take time. She’s used to being awake at night in a house full of customers, instead of being awake during the day with a house full of babies.”

  “How’s her baby? It’s awful thin.” He picked up the chicken breast and took a bite and chewed, waiting for Cate to continue.

  “Starved for food and attention. Poor thing sucked down a bottle of milk so fast, it came back up—after Faye had laid her in a basket of clean diapers.” Isaac cringed at that thought. Clean diapers were in constant demand in this house.

  “Faye decided to name the baby Violet Rose after the children bugged her for the baby’s name.”

  “That’s a nice name,” Isaac commented before taking another bite of chicken.

  “Faye named the baby for her favorite customer’s wife and child.”

  Isaac choked, then hit his chest to get his food back down. Now he looked over at Cate, who had a smirk on her face.

  “Yes, that’s really who she named the child after. Seems to care more about the baby now the poor thing has a name.”

  Isaac sat back in his chair. “Cate, I’m so sorry for all this, and how poorly I handled it last night. I should have stayed in the house and helped instead of leaving you to take care of everything.”

  “I’m sure Faye wouldn’t have minded you helping with her bath since she’s used to men, but I would have.”

  Dang, he was going to die from choking if she kept saying things like that. Isaac gave her a hard stare while trying to swallow.

  “Well, it’s true, so ‘it is, what it is’, Isaac. There’s going to be a lot of situations with her and Violet here, but Sara and Marcus will adjust, just as they are adjusting with all the other additions to their new family.”

  “Sounds like you didn’t get much sleep last night.” Isaac didn’t mention knowing she spent time crying on the porch.

  “Well, I had to deal with a crying daughter who wanted answers and consoling, crying grandchildren upset because the adults were upset, two new additions to the house and where to put them,” and I didn’t get the ring I was expecting. “So no, it wasn’t the best evening for me. I deserved shedding a few tears on the porch while you hung behind the back of the house.”

  Ooh, now Cate was speaking her mind. Isaac put his fork down, as he’d lost his appetite.

  “So to add to the chaos, I invited the rest of the Wilerson and Hamner families to supper tomorrow night to meet Faye and Violet. Better to get the meeting of the family over and let Faye practice talking to our family before we take her in to church.”

  “They’re both needing clothes, too,” Isaac said, thinking of their appearance last night. “I hate to ask, but when you have time, could you go into town and get material or ready–made clothing for them? I hate to take them into Clear Creek until they have something decent to wear.”

  “I did that this afternoon. I needed to get away for a while so I drove the buggy to Taylor’s Mercantile for things they needed.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate all you’ve done, and will keep doing for them. This was so out of the blue. I still can’t believe Faye’s here. I’ll get her a place in town to stay once she settles in.”

  “She’ll meet someone and marry before you know it. Faye’s a pretty girl, but needs time to mature is all.”

  “You going to eat your pie now or later?” Cate asked Isaac.

  “I’m full right now, so I think I’ll keep it for a late night snack. Seems like I’ve been waking up quite a bit the last month with all the infants wailing and fussing,” Isaac responded with a smile.

  “So,” Cate got up from her chair and walked around to his. “Pull your chair around.”

  “Cate,” Isaac started to protest but she sat on his lap anyway. “I’m too dirty to be touching you, and you’re in your wrapper, so this isn’t proper anyway.”

  “Your sweat and dusty clothes smell better than the dirty diapers and puppy pee I’ve dealt with today,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a soft kiss. Isaac loved her kisses but after another quick kiss she pulled away to talk.

  “So, I thought tomorrow night we could announce our engagement to our family, too. All you have to do to finish your proposal is slip that ring you bought me thirty years ago on my finger,” Cate smiled while waving her left hand in front of his face.

  Oh no. I threw the ring away last night! Now what?!

  Isaac felt sweat running down his back again, and it wasn’t because of the heat. “I think we should wait…” Isaac started to say.

  “What?! No, Isaac. We’re not going to change our plans because of Faye’s arrival. Actually, the timing is perfect because she can help Sarah, and we can marry right away.”

  “It will take time to build a house for us, so no need to rush into marriage now.”

  “Isaac, have you changed your mind about us marrying?” Cate’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.

  He hedged because he needed to buy a new ring first. Should he tell Cate or not?

  “We wouldn’t get any privacy if we stay here, plus we’d still be helping with the grandchildren all the time.”

  “We can rent a house in town, or any ranch house around here available to rent until our house it built. Or we could go on an extended honeymoon and travel,” Cate brushed her lips as she whispered in his ear.

  “I…think we need to wait until we see how things turn out with Faye and Sarah before we decide to marry.”

  Cate’s mouth pursed to the side as she slid off his lap to stand. “Well, both people have to consent to marriage before it can happen, so I guess it won’t then.” She walked out of the kitchen and didn’t look back after her last words.

  What? Why’d Cate say that and leave in a huff? Oh, no. I should have said “before we decide when to marry”.

  Chapter 5

 
; Cate looked around the yard surrounding the house. Long folding tables, made for gatherings such as these sat on the lawn, with chairs brought out from inside the house for seating the large group. They had spread quilts on the ground for the young children to sit on, and the Reagan boys sat on the porch to eat. At least everyone had brought food to contribute to the meal, so she didn’t have to prepare enough food for—she had to think—thirty–seven people, although almost half were children.

  It was a warm evening with just enough breeze to keep the mosquitoes at bay. All the children, three puppies and two dogs were running around laughing, screaming or crying, depending on the moment and who pushed who to the ground.

  The young women sat in a group, holding the five babies and two toddlers in their laps so Cate was free to relax and visit with Kaitlyn Reagan. Cate had decided to ask the Reagans to join them tonight so Pastor could have private talks with Sarah and Faye—should the girls want guidance. She noticed Sarah and Pastor take a walk earlier this evening, so Cate hoped it was a good idea and Sarah hadn’t felt pressured to talk to him. When the two came back from their walk, they asked Faye to join them, so hopefully, Pastor gave them advice on what to tell people about being sisters.

  Cate was still worrying about the fact that people would learn Moses wasn’t Sarah’s father. People would either think Cate wasn’t faithful to her marriage or she didn’t try hard enough to prevent the attack. But she, God and her family knew the true story, so she’d keep her head held high and address any questions and rumors the best she could without hurting her family.

  “You’ve done a fine job raising your family, Cate. I’ll be glad when my six rambunctious boys are grown and settled down with families. My, the trouble the preacher’s kids can get into,” Kaitlyn sighed, “and of course, they think they’ll get away with things, not realizing everything gets back to Patrick eventually.”

  “Enjoy your children while they are this age, because after this summer, I’m thinking adult children are worse. Cleaning scraped knees is nothing compared to trying to mend a young person’s broken heart.”

  “So which was worse, the boys or Sarah? And I pray it was Sarah, knowing I’ll have six courting and marriages to go through.”

  “It’s hard to answer that, as each child’s choice of mate affected the dynamics of the situation, too. Plus, I had to do it without Moses’ help.”

  “You’ve done well, Cate, and you’ve had Isaac’s quiet strength and support should you need it,” Kaitlyn softly said as she watched the children playing together.

  “Yes, I’ve leaned heavily on Isaac this summer, and now I wonder if that was a good idea,” Cate looked over at Isaac, wondering whether he had turned his chair on purpose to have his back to her. “I thought we’d be announcing our engagement this evening while the whole family was together but…he rescinded his proposal after having started it.”

  “Oh, Cate! I’m so sorry to hear that. Surely Isaac will think more clearly after things settle down with Faye’s situation.”

  “I know Isaac needs time to get used to the changes in our family. But there is always going to be something to face, so how will Isaac handle the next crisis, and the next? Except for meals, he’s avoided me since Faye’s arrival.”

  “Men are always embarrassed when they can’t protect us like they think they should—or when they have to admit they were wrong,” Kaitlyn chuckled. Cate wondered what recent thing caused Pastor to be in trouble with Kaitlyn. He was a pastor but he was still a normal man, husband and father, too.

  “Sarah seems to be including Faye in the conversation. How are things going between them?”

  “About like little Molly and Maggie fighting over a doll most of the time. Sarah’s telling Faye how to take care of her baby is pushing Faye’s tolerance, but at the same time Faye’s starting to look to Sarah as a big sister.”

  “How are things between you and Sarah? Moses was such a good father, I’m sure she’s been upset to learn the story.”

  “Actually, Jacob came over yesterday to talk to Sarah. I think her brother got through to her why Moses and I decided not to tell her about her possible parentage. Moses raised and loved her, never thinking she might not be his daughter. Even though Rania was with child when Jacob and she married, Sarah realizes that Jacob will love this baby unconditionally. It wasn’t Rania’s or the baby’s fault that she was attacked, just like it wasn’t mine or Sarah’s fault.”

  A tot’s mad scream pierced Cate’s ears. Maisie was upset that Sarah was holding Darcie’s baby girl, Amelia. Maisie had been jealous of the triplets, so she was having a fit over her momma holding yet another baby. Cate was getting out of her chair to soothe the child, when family friend Dagmar Hamner picked the crying girl up in his arms.

  “Hey, Maisie Daisy? What’s the problem? You can tell your Uncle Daggy all about it while you….fly like a bird!” Dagmar held Maisie up in the air, pretending to swoop her up and down like she was flying. The little girl stuck her arms out above her head, giggling and smiling while she pretended she was a bird. Maisie forgot her jealousy with Dagmar’s attention, and the adults chuckled as the other little children lined up for “flying” time, too.

  Cate saw Isaac turn to watch Maisie and Dagmar, then search to find her. She saw his shoulder raise in a visible sigh, then he turned his sad face away from her. What was going on in that man’s mind and how could she get him to propose again?

  ***

  “Buy one like it?” Rusty asked, looking across the table at Isaac. He’d asked the men for advice about his proposal and ring predicament.

  “I had the ring custom made thirty years ago, so it would be hard to duplicate it, especially since I couldn’t describe it in detail now,” Isaac mused. Why did I throw the ring away?

  “No, you can’t just buy a new one and try to pass it off as the original. Ma will know if it’s not the same one. You can’t fool women like that. They see details better than a flying hawk looking for lunch,” Noah said, shaking his head. Isaac knew Cate’s son spoke from experience, both with his mother, and his wife Hilda.

  “I’ve walked around where I thought I threw it, but I can’t find it.”

  “So that’s why you said to keep the horses out of the front pasture?” Marcus was wondering why Isaac was issuing orders, but now it made sense.

  “Yes. I didn’t want anybody, especially Cate, catching on I was hunting for the ring. But now I’m starting to panic and I need help searching for it,” Isaac eyed the men around the table.

  “What’s it look like, just a gold band?”

  “It’s got a cut swirly design on the thick gold band and a large diamond standing up on the top, center of the band.”

  “Just tell her what happened and she’ll be okay with you buying another one,” Rusty argued. “What?” he said when Cate’s three sons and Dagmar turned to stare at him like he was a dunce.

  “As a married man, I can tell you it does not work that way,” Adam said, shaking his head. “She’s seen the ring, so she expects that ring to be on her finger for the rest of her life. And believe me, you don’t want to disappoint your woman, or you’ll be sleeping in the barn and eating cold sandwiches you have to make yourself.”

  “Got experience with that, huh Adam? How’d you disappoint your sweet Millie?” Rusty razzed Adam.

  “Let’s just say I didn’t buy the gift she’d hinted at, pointed to in the store, mentioned it would be a nice present for her birthday….”

  Rusty looked at Jacob, who was laughing at Adam. “Not only did he forget to buy the present, he forgot the day of her birthday. And typical woman, she didn’t say a thing, just gave him the cold shoulder.”

  “So how did you get in Millie’s good graces again?” Rusty asked looking around the table at the smiling, married men.

  “Who says he has?” Noah chimed in.

  “Yes, my wife forgave me, after buying the china tea set she’d pointed to…” Adam confessed.

  “Plus?” Noah pu
shed Adam.

  “Plus a necklace with a diamond in the pendant…” Isaac glanced back at the women’s table, afraid the young wives would hear the young men’s conversation. Then Adam would really be in the doghouse.

  “Don’t worry, I’d rather have Millie in my life than a jailhouse full of blocks of gold—so I won’t forget a birthday, anniversary or holiday ever again,” Adam declared, grinning like a man in love.

  Pain hit Isaac in the chest. He was jealous of these young husbands. Isaac wanted to be as in love, in trouble, and clueless with Cate as these men were with their wives. He’d missed the past thirty years with Cate, and no way was he going to put it off any longer.

  Isaac needed that ring, so he needed help. “Instead of looking during the day, I think we need to search at night as lantern light might shine on the diamond and gold band. Rusty, tonight after the household is in bed, we’ll start looking for Cate’s ring. Tell the hands to meet behind the barn at midnight with lanterns.”

  Chapter 6

  Faye asked questions nonstop when they started the ride to Clear Creek, but she was silent and scared by the time they climbed out of the wagon by the church. And the poor girl kept fidgeting with her dress, not used to having a high collar around her neck.

  “Your dress looks nice, Faye,” Cate reassured the girl. Cate had altered Sarah’s dress to make it look different than when Sarah wore it before she was to have walked down the aisle for her canceled wedding. She added white lacy material to the bodice so Faye’s bony collarbone wasn’t so noticeable, and a short overlay skirt of the same fabric. The side seams of the bodice were basted to make the dress fit better on Faye’s tiny frame. Once she gained weight, the basted seams could be changed or taken out.