by Leah Atwood
One thing he knew for sure- he admired her more than any other person he’d met. In the grand scheme, he was convinced they were meant for each other. Ranching was in her blood the way it was in his. From the first day as husband and wife, she’d jumped in, becoming his partner in running the ranch. Her years in Boston hadn’t diminished her memory or instincts. The way she rode a horse as if she were one with it spoke to the cowboy in him. When she’d brandished a lasso, roping a calf who’d strayed too far from its mama, he lost a piece of his heart.
He’d never wanted a traditional wife, someone to stay in the house all day cooking and cleaning; that’s what he had a housekeeper for. No, he wanted someone to work beside him, who understood the call and answered it with him. Being a rancher was time-consuming work; most of his day was spent away from the house, often overnight. Not many men would agree with him, but he wanted a wife he could spend time with, even if it was while working.
Thus, his reason for sending away for the bride. Not a single woman in Pine Prairie fit his qualifications for a wife. Every last one of them would be appalled with the expectation to work alongside him. He didn’t hold that against them. How could he when what he wanted wasn’t circumspect in the eyes of society. But it didn’t mean he’d want one of them as his bride.
His Winnie suited him just fine. More than suited him. Even if she did wear trousers.
He washed up at the basin then took a seat at the table. Winnie plopped a plate down in front of him, along with a cup of cold lemonade, of which Hazel always kept a pitcher readily available. On his plate was two slices of freshly baked bread with a slab of last night’s roast between them. Hazel must have been busy before she became ill. Taking a bite, he saw Winnie sitting across the table, eyeing him defiantly.
Quashing his smirk, he continued to eat. He knew perfectly well what was on her mind, and it amused him that he could read her so well already- at least when it came to some things.
“You are a man of contradictions,” she spit out finally, remaining silent for longer than he’d expected.
Continuing to chew, slowly and deliberately, he looked her in the eyes. He swallowed and replied, “How do you figure?”
“You know why.”
“Enlighten me.” He shouldn’t tease her, but she made it so entertaining when the tips of her ears turned red and she flipped that golden hair over her shoulder.
Her chin lifted up in haughty derision. “Let’s just be clear that if Hazel weren't under the weather today and needing me to take over some of her chores, I’d be out there, helping to round up the cattle.”
“And I told you I’d prefer you not go out today.”
Sliding her chair back with her legs, her arms crossed her chest in defiance. “And which wife would you like today? When I came to Pine Prairie, I was under the impression you wanted someone to work beside you. Have you changed your mind? Shall I tell Hazel her services are no longer needed because I’m being relegated to remaining in the house all day?”
Her outburst didn’t faze him. “There are too many potential dangers out there. Rains such as we had yesterday can cause flooding in the ravines and slippery slopes. Not to mention the rattlers it will bring out.”
“I’m not a greenhorn. I know the dangers and what to look for.”
Lyle knew she was right. She’d proven herself completely adept at whatever she did, outperforming even his best ranch hand. Except cooking. After Hazel’s first day off, he’d learned to grab a bite at the bunkhouse before returning to the main house for whatever Winnie had cooked. The truth was, he was unfair and he knew it. Just because he had confidence, his wife could handle herself in any situation, he would still worry. It was a tricky aspect of working together he hadn’t anticipated until now.
Every time he thought of her going out, he pictured a torrent of water rushing down, filling the ravines and sweeping Winnie under. It was an irrational, probably exaggerated image, but he couldn’t shake it. Somehow, he’d have to find a way to reconcile the fear of her safety with the assurance of her abilities.
“Next time, okay?” he offered as a peace agreement and to buy himself some time.
She shook her head with a curt nod, barely placated. “Would you like some more lemonade?”
“Yes, please.” After taking a final swig of what remained, he handed the empty cup over to her. “How’s Hazel feeling?”
“She’s resting now. I took some food to her just before coming to get you, and she was asleep. Her coloring looked a mite better than earlier.”
“Hazel’s never taken a nap a day in her life.” His lips pursed with concern. The same housekeeper had been at the Bar G since his parents were still alive, and she was a part of the family.
“Even the best get sick at times. With a little rest, I am sure she’ll be good as new.”
“Maybe I should send for the doc.”
Winnie cracked a smile. “She’d have your hide if you did. I’ll stay close by today and make sure she stays resting.”
“Let me know if she seems worse. I’ll risk my hide over her health.”
“You worry too much.”
“Only when I care about someone.”
An uncomfortable silence permeated the room. Indirectly, he’d just admitted he cared about Winnie. And why shouldn’t he care about his wife? She was a beautiful woman with a good heart and sensible head.
Winnie, on the other hand, seemed less at ease with the admission. She stood by the icebox, purposefully not making eye contact. Thinking it best to give her time alone, Lyle stood and excused himself, making his way back out to the barn.
Her reaction puzzled him. On every other level, Winnie showed stalwart determination and courage, but when it came to their relationship, she balked against any advancement. They kept separate bedrooms, she avoided even his lightest touch and would not carry any conversation acknowledging them as married with the exception of her outburst moments earlier. She treated him like a colleague and nothing more. If that’s all he wanted, he could have hired another man.
Had she not been married before, he’d assume it was fear of the unknown, but surely she knew the deeper intimacies marriage created. Not just the physical, but the emotional and spiritual. That deep, unbreakable bond of understanding and friendship. Love.
He wanted love. His parents had been a shining example of a good marriage. They’d been each other’s best friend, confidant. He wanted that for Winnie and him. She was everything he wanted; he only needed to make her see that.
Several days later, Lyle was set to muck out some stalls. It was a task generally assigned to a younger hand, but he had several cows and heifers close to calving and wanted to stay in close proximity in case of problems. Besides, he found it helped the men’s morale to know their boss wasn’t above the most menial chores.
He’d given all the men their tasks for the day; half the group was to ride along the south fence line, checking for and repairing any weak or broken spots and the other half, the north line. To his surprise, Winnie hadn’t tried to go with either group, instead announcing she had some chores in the house to complete. Which, in Winnie vernacular, translated to she thought Hazel could still use another day of rest.
Lyle had to give credit where credit was due. Hazel was not an easy patient, constantly resisting attempts to remain at rest, as it wasn’t in her nature to be idle. With expert finesse, Winnie largely succeeded in keeping the older woman in bed, or at least on the settee and with a smile on her face. For all her rough and tough tendencies, Winnie had a tender side that couldn’t be denied. In a short time, she’d become close to Hazel and the affection she held for her was obvious.
Before he let an absurd envy hit him, he focused his mind back on working. Before entering the barn, he noticed one of the heifers separated from the herd. She was one who was due any day and the act of partitioning herself could very well be an indicator of the first stage of labor. For now, he would let her be and let nature act.
I
nside the barn, he gathered a pail and pitchfork then pushed the wheelbarrow to the first stall. He chuckled, thinking how much he’d hated the task as a child and grumbled about it. There’d been many a day he’d missed a meal because he’d been obstinate about doing his chores.
With the stalls cleaned and fresh bedding down, he went out to check on the heifer again. Observing her, he saw she definitely was in the first stages of labor. At this point, he couldn’t do much except let her do her job.
For months, he’d been meaning to reorganize the tack, but always found another task with which to keep busy. Taking a drink of water from the dipper, he formulated a plan that would keep the tack better organized. Putting his plan into action, he rearranged added some more hanging posts and removed items that looked up for repair. Once finished, he stepped back pleased with the results.
A few hours after he last checked, he went to the heifer again, finding her to be distressed. It was time to move her down to a separated area. With some effort and manipulation, he got her where he wanted her. Then he realized, two of the cows also were showing signs of labor. There was nothing to do for them right now. At this moment, the heifer needed him. Both the cows had done fine on previous births and he didn’t expect trouble from them. He’d still exercise a watchful eye over them, but his main goal now was the heifer, who was fighting him, not sure if she wanted to stand up or lie down.
The young bovine was in the delivery stage, but something wasn’t right. He needed help keeping her still. With a brisk stride, he went to the house. “Winnie, I need your help,” he called out loudly before reaching the house.
Winnie appeared on the porch, drying her hands on the apron she wore over her trousers. “What’s wrong?”
“One of the heifers is in trouble with her calf. I need you to help me keep her from moving.”
She jumped off the porch, not blinking an eye. Despite the situation, he couldn’t help the surge of pride for her. She didn’t hesitate a moment to help where needed, and the idea of helping to deliver a calf didn’t make her the least bit squeamish.
The heifer was down on her back, her body thrashing in pain. Winnie knelt beside her, stroking her and crooning soft, comforting words. The soothing tones seemed to work and she stilled enough for Lyle to examine her without fear of being kicked in the head.
“The calf is in the wrong position. I can see its hind feet,” he told her.
“Better than being breach.” Turning back to the heifer, she began talking softly again. “It’s okay mama; we’ll get your baby out for you.”
Lyle grabbed the rope, knowing what he had to do. If he didn’t get this calf out soon, she could die. Carefully he reached to tie a rope around the calf’s legs and pulled her out. Immediately, he cleaned out its mouth then tickled the calf’s nose to get her breathing. He carried her over to a secluded pen while Winnie led the heifer to it.
With mama and calf united and bonding, Lyle and Winnie backed away, giving them these first moments.
“You were a great help. Thank you.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” she answered matter-of-factly.
And so much more, he wanted to say, but now was not the time. “Come with me to check on the others? I think we’ll have a few more calves by the end of the day.”
By sunset, they’d added three more calves to the herd. All but one of them needed assistance with delivery; an abnormally large percentage and it concerned him for the remainder of the calving season. Hopefully, it was an anomaly that wouldn’t repeat itself.
Finally making their way back to the house, they found plates of food waiting for them.
“Hazel, Hazel, Hazel,” he muttered under his breath. Grateful he was for the ready meal, but he didn’t want Hazel overdoing herself.
“I’m going to wash up and change, then I’ll be right down.” Winnie looked down at her soiled clothes.
“Me too. I’ll wait for you to come down before I start eating.”
An hour later, Winnie hadn’t returned to the table. Lyle made his way upstairs and peeked into her room. He found her curled up in bed, in fresh daywear, asleep. As light-footed as he was able, he walked over and spread a quilt over her slumbering form.
“Goodnight, Winnie,” he whispered then left, closing the door behind him.
Chapter Four
Her eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the sunlight filtering through the curtains. Sunlight? What time was it? She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept past daybreak. Throwing off the quilt and jumping out of bed, she reached for her clothes only to realize she was still fully clothed. Using both hands, she smoothed out what she could of the wrinkles.
“It’ll have to do,” she muttered to herself.
She grabbed her brush with a wooden handle and ran the bristles through her hair several times before tying the strands back with a ribbon. There wasn’t any time, or point, in twisting it into an extravagant hairstyle. She ran downstairs, taking them two at a time.
“Good morning.” Hazel greeted her in the kitchen, looking a picture of health.
Accepting the cup of coffee handed to her, Winnie breathed in the earthy aroma before taking a sip. “You look much improved.”
“I feel it. I can’t thank you enough for stepping in for me while I was under the weather.” Blushed cheeks rose when Hazel smiled at Winnie with gratitude. “I can’t recall ever being so sick.”
“Anyone with eyes can see how much you do for everyone else. It was a privilege to help out though I’m sure Lyle will be mighty glad to have your cooking back.”
Hazel winked, too kind to disparage Winnie’s skills in the kitchen. “God gave us all different talents. I hear tell you calmed that heifer down like a miracle yesterday.”
“It was nothing.” She shrugged off the praise, not seeing anything particularly outstanding with her actions. “My late husband told me a cow in labor was like a woman in labor and a few soothing notes will go a long way.”
Bursting out in laughter, Hazel had tears rolling down her cheeks. Winnie looked at her confused, unsure what was so funny. “I’m sorry, dear.” The housekeeper patted her shoulder in a conciliatory action. “I’ve just never heard it put that way.”
Still not seeing the humor, Winnie looked puzzled.
Hazel sobered, then looked straight at her. “You’ve not been around many women expecting, have you?”
“No.” In fact, she’d not been around many women beyond her mama, never mind ones who were with child. Her Aunt Louise was a spinster, who’d never even had a beau.
“It’s probably best not to repeat what your late husband told you though I have to admit the wisdom paid off yesterday. Lyle couldn’t sing your praises enough this morning.”
Winnie’s eyes darted around the room. “Where is he? I’m late getting started this morning.”
“Out in the barn, but I have strict instructions to keep you nearby until he returns.”
Irritation grew in her. Hadn’t she proved yesterday that she could hold her own? She didn’t appreciate being told to wait around when there was work to be done.
“Don’t get your feathers all ruffled now, you hear. Have a little faith in him.” Hazel’s instruction accompanied a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Sit down, eat some breakfast and enjoy the sunshine.”
Like a petulant child, she sat down in her chair to eat breakfast. “Thank you,” she told Hazel belatedly, not wanting the matronly figure to bear the brunt of her annoyance.
“You know, he wouldn’t get under your skin so much if you didn’t have feelings for him.” Hazel sat down at the table facing her.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Winnie protested.
“I’m not blind, child. Once upon a time, I had me a husband. Seems to me, the two of you should do more talking about things not related to the ranch.”
“And what do I tell him? My late husband didn’t want me? That I wasn’t good enough for him?” She sucked in a breath. The memories still brought ba
ck painful memories of the rejection she faced as a young woman, just barely out of childhood. No one except Hazel knew the truth of her first marriage.
“Tell him the truth, my dear. Lyle’s a good and understanding man. He deserves nothing less.”
Their conversation was brought to a welcome end when Lyle walked in with his proud swagger and impish smirk. “About time you woke up,” he teased her playfully.
Winnie tried to think of a witty reply, but her brain hadn’t shifted entirely from the conversation with Hazel. So instead, she opted for business as usual. “What’s today’s plan?”
“Grant Waverly is delivery a new quarter horse I purchased from him last month. Once he’s broken, he’ll make a good cutting horse. However, I’m not expecting him for another few hours, and I have a surprise for you.”
“Surprise?”
“Come outside and you’ll see. Hazel, we’ll be back in about an hour.” Lyle grabbed her hand, giving it a subtle tug, allowing her the decision to follow.
A saddled horse stood outside the house, ready to go. “What’s this?” Winnie extended an arm with a pointed finger toward the mare.
“We’re going for the ride.”
“But there’s only one horse.” Her eyes widened, realizing Lyle meant for them to share a mount.
“I thought it could give us a chance to talk as we ride. We don’t have much time and we’ll have to go at a fast pace.”
“What if one of the cows or heifers needs us?” She was reaching for an excuse to not have that close contact.
“None of them are showing signs of calving right now, and we’ll only be gone an hour. Plus, I had several men stay back, lest we face a situation like yesterday.”
“Both of us would be too much strain.”
“For you or the mare?” His eyebrows creased, staring at her through questioning eyes.