Katie: Book One: The Cattleman's Daughters

by Danni Roan

  Will entered the barn and began untacking the horses he’d taken from the weary men in the ranch yard. He’d told them to go get washed up and have a rest and that he’d catch up on news of the drive later. The men had thankfully handed over their mounts and headed for their abode.

  Will was relieved to see that everyone seemed fit and that although tired from the long trek to Casper and back, both men and horses were none the worse for wear. He wished that he’d been able to go with them but then thought of the time he’d had with Katie and couldn’t find regret among the emotions he was feeling.

  “Besides, I’ll be there next time.” He said confidently.

  “You talkin’ to yerself now sonny.” A crotchety old voice rasped behind him. Will turned to see the white haired chuck wagon cook enter the barn leading his team.

  “They says that’s a sure sign of insanity ya’ know.” The old man chuckled, and slapped Will on the shoulder hard enough to make him sway: the skinny old man still packed a wallop.

  “I can put the team up for you if you’d like.” Will offered, trying to spare the older man extra work.

  “No ya cain’t.” the other man retorted. “I been tending these two ornery cusses since they come to this ranch and ain’t no one else gonna do it but me still.” His withered jaw snapped shut on his toothless mouth with grim determination.

  “Alright.” Will said raising his hands in surrender. The old man looked at him with rheumy eyes and grinned.

  “What you been doin’ while we was off getting’ them cows to market sonny? You can tell old Billy. I knows how to keep a secret.” The old eyes twinkled mischievously at Will who didn’t know what to say. “Meybe you got up to some sparkin’ while the old man was away. Huh?” Billy added with a wink.

  Will gasped, feeling a flush rise up along his neck and over his whole face. His mind raced back to his single unsolicited kiss.

  The other man’s cackle nearly undid Will. He turned watching as the old man doubled over laughing his head off and pointing at Will.

  “You done shoulda’ seen your face.” Billy chortled. “You looked as guilty as a pup in a puddle.” His laughter shook him again and Will worried the little fella would crack a rib, but then Billy sobered again, looking Will full in the face.

  “You young people today. Yer, all just too serious. You have all these here blessings right on your door step and ya cain’t even see it.” Billy huffed, but didn’t slow down now that he was warming up. “When I was a young man, I had to fight injuns’ and live in a sod hut. You youngin’s these days gots a warm bed ever’ night, plenty of food, and an easy life. Why you don’t seem to recognize opportunity when it practically knocks you on the head. There you have a pretty little girl sittin’ up in that house and you won’t even give her a howdy do’. No, no, you’re all wrapped up in your life and work and can’t see the forest for the trees. Well if you asked me…”

  “I didn’t ask you.” Will’s voice was soft but cut off the old man’s ramblings just the same.

  For a moment Billy’s cloudy eyes met Wills bright hazel glare but didn’t back down.

  “Pah!” He spat. “You go on then and just do as ya please. Don’t listen to a man more’n twice your age and then some. I’ve lived a bit boy and I’ll speak my mind when I want.” With that the old cook, led his team to a nearby stall and began disgruntledly stripping harness.

  Feeling guilty Will walked over and leaned on the stalls railing. “I’m sorry old-timer.” Will said gently.

  Billy turned, a scowl still marring his face. Then the twinkle returned to his eyes.

  “It’s alright sonny, you are the way you are and I can be an old fool sometimes. I reckon what with Benji up and gittin’ hisself a mail order bride… well even an old coot like me can get notions.” He smiled his toothless grin again and turned back to his work.

  Will unsaddled the horses, giving them a good feed and a rub down while Cookie worked on his team, but the whole time the old man’s words pricked him like a burr under his saddle. Billy hadn’t meant to upset him; how could the old man know the thoughts that had been haunting him for days. He desperately wanted a home and a woman like Katie would fit right in with his dreams. Under any other circumstances he would have courted a woman like her for all he was worth but to do so now, here, would bring an end to any dreams that would allow him a chance to offer any woman a home. A deep sigh escaped him as he picked out a hoof, and he was pretty sure he’d heard a chuckle rise from the other side of the barn. The sound did nothing to improve his mood.

  Chapter 10

  Back in the house Katie was regaled with the adventures, sights and sounds of the drive by four of her five sisters. Mae of course had made a bee-line for her pony. After each girl had a turn recounting some event or item from their trip to Casper, Meg turned to Katie with a dreamy look in her eye.

  “Now, Katie you must tell us all about your trip to Uncle Brion’s, it must have been so romantic getting caught in the rain with that handsome cowboy.” She said twirling herself onto the bed.

  “Romantic!” Katie exclaimed. “We were almost eaten by a bear.” At this pronouncement Meg jumped up from the bed and all of the sisters gathered around waiting for Katie to tell the tale.

  “I thought you said it wasn’t romantic.” Meg groused giving Katie and evil look. “He rescued you from an evil ol’ bear and you don’t think that’s romantic?”

  “Did you really have to ride double?” Fiona spoke up, her quiet voice soft with wonder.

  Katie blushed but nodded her head. For some reason the twins put their heads together and giggled.

  “It didn’t mean anything.” Katie reminded them. “What else could we do, we were just being practical.”

  “Did he put his arms around you?” Issy asked a sly grin on her face. Katie’s blush deepened and the girls collapsed on the bed again in a heap.

  “Oh, I want a cowboy to put his arms around me some day.” Meg sighed. “He’ll be tall, dark and handsome and such a gentleman. I can just imagine it.” Her eyes took on a faraway look and they could all tell that was exactly what she was doing.

  “Now stop all of this chatter.” Katie finally asserted, her voice growing firm. “Mr. Robertson is the foreman here and that’s all. He did his best to see that we made it to Uncle Brion safely. So just put all of these silly romantic notions out of your head.” Her voice never wavered but for just a moment she wondered if she was trying to convince her sisters or herself.

  Unbidden the memory of that one kiss in the hay mow washed over her and her whole body tingled. Her woman’s heart longed for the romance Meg went on about so dreamily but her head told her that was not in the cards for her. She sighed heavily, forgetting her sisters for a moment, only to be reminded of them again as they burst, once more into a bout of giggles.

  “You know Katie,” Alexis spoke, her voice calm as always. “Uncle Benji’s a lot older than you and he just got married. You just never know what could happen.” She looked meaningfully at her oldest sister then turned her eyes back toward her twin, sharing a look they reserved for their own secrets.

  The sound of Nona’s raised voice brought all of the girls to their feet and scrambling for the hall. As they exited Katie’s room they could hear the loud voice of Uncle Benji as he argued with the matron of the house.

  “I said we’re goin’ to the soddy and we’re goin’!” Benji shouted. “Now you can either help me or not, it’s up to you.”

  Leaning over the railing of the bent wood railing the girls saw Nona raise her hands in the air in preparation for another tirade but she never had the chance to get started. A strong, weather browned hand stretched out and gently came to rest on their grandmother’s shoulder. She wheeled looking into the soft brown eyes of her husband.

  “Leave it, Bia.” He said gently. “He’s a grown man and has a right to his own decisions.” Nona’s mouth hung open for just a moment, then she closed it with a snap and as quick as her temper had come up it was
gone.

  “Well Benjamin if you insist, I was just thinking of your new bride is all. She looks such a lady and to have to stay in the soddy…” Her voice trailed off as she saw the woman of whom she spoke standing slump shouldered with embarrassment on the front porch.

  Nona’s face softened turning a distinctive shade of pink. Then with one nod of her head she turned and shouted up the stairs for the girls. An all too familiar tone in her voice and with that tone of voice the girls scrambled down the stairs to await their marching orders.

  In no time a steady stream of furniture, linens and household goods were making their way to the small sod shack in the far corner of the property. Grans Isadoro and the other men had set to tidying the place and soon the girls were busy cleaning and decorating what had been their first home.

  Cathleen, though obviously embarrassed by all of the fuss accepted the help gratefully and soon had the tiny home serviceable.

  “I’m so sorry for being so much trouble.” She said her unassuming voice soft as the girls, dusted, swept and hung curtains. “Ben said we’d only be staying her a couple of weeks and I do hate to put you all out.”

  Katie looked at the soft plump woman and smiled. “You’re no trouble at all.” She said brightly “You’re family.” Then hugged her new auntie, surprised to see a tear slide down her delicate pale cheek.

  Supper that night was a huge affair. As soon as Nona had found out about Benji’s new bride she’d begun cooking. She had chickens roasting in the massive cook stove, with pots of potatoes and carrots boiling softly away on the hob. A gigantic gingerbread cake sat on the work table waiting its turn in the oven while Chen Lou, madly grumbling in his native tongue, vigorously whipped a large bowl of cream into stiff peaks before adding sugar and whipping some more.

  The girls were busy chopping a variety of fresh vegetables and making rolled biscuits to go with the special meal. Even Cookie and the other hands pitched in by spreading brightly colored table clothes over the two huge tables at the back of the house and setting the table.

  It was indeed a festive supper that Benji brought his new bride back to. She’d changed out of her plum traveling dress at the soddy and now wore a simple day dress in a stunning shade of deep red. Benji walked his wife around the table and sat her next to him on the wide bench with a smile, only reluctantly giving up her hand after Joshua James said grace.

  The meal was its usual melee with several conversations going on all at one time, but once the large, still warm ginger bread was carried out to the table a soft hush fell over them all. Nona, still beaming placed the cake in front of Benji and Cathleen with a flourish.

  “We all want to make you feel welcome here at the Broken J.” She said brightly “I hope you like ginger bread. I just didn’t have time to do more.”

  Cathleen’s soft white skin began to flush as she gazed around at the group of people who had all so warmly welcomed her. The rosy blush deepened creeping up her neck and all the way to the roots of her dark brown hair. It was all too much. She burst into tears, then scrabbled over the bench and raced away. Benji, his eye brows almost to his hair line gazed around him in confusion, then shaking his head rose and followed after his wife, while a shocked and confused Nona stared bewilderedly about.

  “Did I say something wrong?” she finally asked quietly. No one laughed at the obvious chagrin on the older woman’s face.

  “You didn’t do anything wrong, Bianca.” Joshua offered kindly. “You know how overwhelming we can all be at the beginning. You just leave her and Benji to get acquainted and I’m sure everything will be just fine.”

  “Oh.” Nona said suddenly realizing she was still holding the large cake in her hands. She looked at her husband whose eyes were now glowing up at her.

  “Put it down, mi amore’.” He said quietly then lifting his hand beckoned for her to join him.

  Once the cake touched the table the chatter and banter returned to the tables as Chen Lou stepped in and began cutting and serving the soft brown confection with liberal amounts of whipped cream on top.

  Will found himself chuckling at the evening’s events. He remembered how he’d felt when he first arrived at the ranch. It was one of the most confusing places he’d ever been and it had taken him at least two weeks to learn everyone’s names, let alone get over the shock factor of the James’ girls working as hands. He could only hope that with a little time Cathleen would come to see the Broken J as home.

  There it was again; that word. Home. His eyes drifted to Katie’s across the table and a warmth that had nothing to do with the rays of the setting sun filled him. She was chatting with her sister Meg who was giggling about some comment she’d made. The soft light from the dying sun, burnished Katie’s hair, causing it to blaze in fiery splendor. The soft blush of her cheeks glowed, and her smile brightened her whole face. She was truly beautiful. The most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

  Will lowered his eyes to his plate, the warmth of a moment ago fading as if whisked away by a winter breeze. The sweet taste of the ginger bread turned to ash in his mouth and his heart twisted with in him as he placed his fork on the table, stood, said his good-nights and walked away.

  Joshua James studied his daughter as she watched the tall puncher walk away. He could see the affection she felt for the young man glowing in her eyes and yet he knew just how stubborn his oldest child could be. Silently he whispered a prayer to the Almighty. Then finished his cake.

  Chapter 11

  The work load fell heavily onto Will’s shoulders as preparations for the winter ahead began. It was late August and work on the ranch had never been busier. Benji, although still technically the Broken J’s primary foreman began handing things off to Will and spending more and more time near the ranch and his new bride. He’d made it clear that he planned on being out of the soddy and ensconced in his own cabin before the snows came and he pushed Will and the other men to make sure that they were ready for his retirement when the time came.

  Life was a bustle with activity. Cookie, Chen Lou, Nona and others, including the James girls were busy harvesting the large kitchen garden and preserving and canning food for the long winter ahead. Will and the other hands were cutting and stacking hay in the fields, or piling it in mountainous stacks on large wagons to be hauled back to the barn and hay sheds further out at the ranch. Once the lot above the barn was full they’d spread more loads out among various sheds, and shanties dotting the range to have ready winter fodder on hand if the snows were too bad.

  Will drove teams, swung a scythe, stacked, hefted, and hauled hay. He was itchy, sweaty and tired but was pleased with the work getting done. At first he had worried about how the other men would receive him as the ranch ram-rod but it was plain after the first day that they had no problem taking orders from a younger man. On the other hand working side by side with the old hands, and with some judicious advice from Benji and Joshua James he was learning the ranch in a way he never could have before.

  The sun beat down on Will’s back as he stood upright on the top of a hay wagon. He stretched tired muscles, leaning on his pitch fork and scanned the surrounding field. In another day or two the hay would be in and they’d have to scour the surrounding hills bringing any cattle who had wondered to far from the low prairie down. He felt the warm autumn sun on his bare chest and breathed deeply of the heady smell of fresh mown hay.

  One by one he’d been making a mental list of jobs that would need to be completed before the first snow fall, then began adding to that the list of cold weather jobs that would have to be tended. His mind raced as he gazed off toward the far hills. It was a fine land he’d come to and fleetingly he wondered if he’d ever be able to call a piece of it home. Somehow this wide open range had become a part of him and the more he rode it, the more he worked it the more it seeped into his bones. His eyes drifted toward the ranch house in the distance and his heart gave a lurch as he wondered for just a moment what Katie was doing. Reminding himself that was none of
his business he bent his back once more to the task of stacking hay.

  Katie smoothed her soft yellow dress, took a deep breath then rapped on the door of the little sod shack. Cathleen opened the door with a shy smile and ushered Katie in.

  “I just made fresh cookies and thought you might like some.” Katie said in greeting holding out a small plate covered by a cloth.

  “That’d be lovely.” The other woman said and directed Katie to the small two person table by the miniscule cook stove. “Won’t you come in for tea?”

  “I hope you’re settling in alright now.” Katie said politely as she placed the cookies on the table and sat herself in a chair.

  Cathleen’s soft laugh was her initial reply, as she placed cups and saucers on the table then pulled a tin of tea off of a shelf. “I won’t say it’s been easy but yes I think I am. It’s such a beautiful place and Benjamin says we’ll be moving to his own cabin as soon as the snow arrives.”

  “Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.” Katie said as she watch Cathleen sit and pour the tea. “Isn’t it terribly hard being so far away from everyone, family and friends, I mean?”

  “I don’t really have any family left.” Cathleen said wistfully “and as for friends I think I’ll make my fair share here. I’m learning that life is all about your attitude and not your circumstances.”

  Katie pondered the other woman’s words while she munched a sugar cookie. She found that she truly liked Cathleen and that despite her bumpy start as a member of the Broken J’s odd family, she thought that someday they could truly be friends. Cathleen was quiet and reserved, but also had a quick humor hidden just below the surface.

  “I don’t think I could ever just leave home like you did.” Katie began, thinking out loud as she sipped her tea. “I mean my whole family is here and they need me. I’ve Pa, and all of my sisters, and Nona, Grans, and Yeye Chen Lou aren’t getting younger. They need me to look after things.”