A Family for the Rancher

by Louise M. Gouge

Edmund’s heart almost stopped. If Jacob broke his neck under his care, how could he face Lula May? Injuries often happened in the daily routine of working on a ranch, but this boyish foolishness posed an unnecessary danger.

  Jacob landed safely, with Adam jumping down right behind him, and Edmund heaved out a sigh of relief. The two boys rolled off the hay, laughing all the way, and began to wrestle like a couple of playful puppies.

  “Get over here.” Edmund beckoned them with a brisk whip of his hand. He hadn’t expected them to horse around like this while they waited for the other boys to arrive. Lesson number one in teaching: have a plan before you start. Tomorrow he’d have a job for each boy upon arrival.

  These two promptly obeyed him, but they kept laughing and shoving each other. Using his height to advantage, he stood over them, hands fisted at his waist, and scowled. “Adam, you’re my kin, so I expect you to set a good example. Understand?”

  Looking deceptively innocent, Adam blinked his brown eyes. “Yessir.” He slid a mischievous grin toward Jacob.

  “And you mind me.” Edmund directed his order to Jacob, who looked a heap more apologetic.

  “Yessir.” Jacob chewed his lower lip and stared down at his boots.

  Edmund would have to be careful with this one. Unless he was playing with Adam, he was like an orphaned colt, a mite skittish and uncertain of being accepted, especially around anyone older. Edmund would have to figure out a way to build some confidence in the boy, as Old Gad had done for him.

  “All right.” Edmund pointed to the barn door and gentled his voice. “Get in there and take the horses out to the corral, fork out some hay for them and then muck out the stalls.” As the boys dashed away to mind him, he added, “And no horsing around.”

  Only Jacob called “Yessir” over his shoulder.

  Edmund shoved his hat back from his face. He sensed a potential dustup with Adam, and he’d have to pray about how to handle it. He hadn’t been around young’uns very much, but he did know there was a difference between outright mischief and harmless horseplay. Exactly how that difference showed up in each boy would require some thought and lots of prayer.

  What had gotten into these two to set them off? Was it excitement about what they’d learn today? Or just excitement about getting to spend time together on a day other than Sunday after church? Edmund figured he’d be learning a good deal about boys over this next week. He’d never had much of a childhood himself and couldn’t call to mind a time when he’d ever truly played with a friend or even his brothers because they’d been separated when Edmund had barely learned to walk and Josiah had just been put in long pants. Josiah, who remembered more about Edmund than the other way around, even claimed they had a baby brother named David. If Josiah hadn’t come looking for him a few years ago, Edmund might barely recall that he had a brother, much less two.

  An empty feeling nudged its way into his chest. A longing, in truth, that he had no idea how to identify, much less to satisfy. And not all that different from the odd little pang he’d felt when he stood in Miss Lula May’s kitchen with all of those mouthwatering smells of bacon and fresh-baked bread floating around him. The pleasant family scene had taunted him because it was something he’d never had, never could have.

  He gave himself a mental kick. Self-pity never solved anything. Besides, he had some boys to ride herd on, so he needed to concentrate on that. Better still, he didn’t have to cook his own supper tonight. And tomorrow night, he’d be meeting with CJ and the other ranchers to discuss the association they’d decided to establish to protect folks from the cattle rustlers who’d been stealing cattle over the past month or so. Too much to think about in the here and now to waste time ruminating on his own personal past.

  The preacher, Brandon Stillwater, drove his wagon into the barnyard, and seven more boys piled out. In addition to the Forester and Gillen brothers, Edmund recognized Charlie Donavan, the ten-year-old brother of Sheriff Fuller’s brand-new mail-order bride, Stella. The other two seemed familiar, maybe from church. Time to get busy. He hollered at his two hands who’d offered to help with the boys, and they came running.

  “I expect you’ll be wanting me to pray for you.” Stillwater’s silvery eyes sparked with good humor. “This is quite a herd you’re taking on.”

  Edmund responded with a laugh, but in truth, he did have a few busy grasshoppers in his belly. “I always appreciate prayers, Preacher.”

  “Well, I’ll leave you to it. See you at about four o’clock.”

  “Sounds good.” Edmund waved to his friend and then turned to the task at hand.

  Once he corralled all nine youngsters, lessons began, from taking care of horses and their tack to discussing the basics of branding, which was already done for this year, to learning how to lasso a long-horned steer without getting gored. All the time in the back of Edmund’s mind, he couldn’t stop thinking about supper with the Barlows. While a tasty meal was a mighty powerful draw in that direction, he also couldn’t help but look forward to seeing Lula May again.

  * * *

  Edmund had learned from his brother that a gentleman held a lady’s chair at the supper table. Lula May seemed a bit surprised when he attended to that duty. While Edmund was enjoying that lilac smell she wore, her young’uns grinned at each other. At her instructions, he took his place at the other end of the table.

  “How’d he do?” Lula May bent her head toward Jacob, on her left, while she ladled up a bowl of fine-smelling beef stew from a big fancy china serving dish. She passed the bowl to the right, to her daughter, who passed it to Calvin, who passed it to Edmund.

  Once it was set in front of him on the white linen tablecloth, Edmund could well have dug his fork into the bowl. Would have done so if not for Josiah and Betsy showing him the manners Old Gad had neglected to teach him. While his mouth watered, he tried to keep his mind on her question. He glanced at Jacob, whose face was lit with confidence after a day of besting the other boys at almost every task, even though the other boys had already been working with CJ for some time.

  “He did fine.” Edmund punctuated the compliment with a curt nod.

  Jacob grinned until Samuel snickered and elbowed him. Doubt crossed his face, and he chewed his lip, something he hadn’t done since morning. Lula May was too busy serving her children to notice the exchange, so it was up to Edmund to fix the damage. Like chickens in the barnyard, cowboys on a trail ride, young’uns in the school yard, boys liked to keep a pecking order. Most meant no harm by it, and Edmund could see Samuel didn’t intend meanness. Yet Jacob didn’t seem to notice the fondness in his older brother’s eyes that showed he was teasing.

  “Yep, Jacob bested the other boys in riding and roping, even the older ones who’ve been working with CJ.” Edmund would give the boy a pat on the shoulder if Samuel weren’t seated between them. “And he can saddle up faster than any of the others.”

  Jacob rewarded him with a renewed grin.

  “I’m glad to hear it.” Lula May’s face looked all the prettier for the pride beaming from her eyes. After serving everyone else, she filled her own bowl and then folded her hands in her lap. She looked down the table toward Edmund, and for a moment, he feared she would ask him to pray. He’d never prayed in front of other people, rarely ever prayed out loud. To his relief, she said, “Jacob, will you please bless the food?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” The boy straightened, folded his hands together and bowed his head. “Dear Lord, we thank you for this family and for this fine day, for Ma’s good cooking and for livin’ in the USA. Amen.”

  His rhyming prayer didn’t lack reverence, but Edmund still came near to chuckling at its singsong beat. Then, when everyone else added a solemn “amen,” he quickly reined in his humor. Maybe this was a traditional family prayer. Tradition and family, two things he knew nothing about. Even after spending time with Josiah and his brood, Edmund
still had no idea how to act around them, how to feel connected to them. He sure couldn’t let himself feel a part of this family.

  A wretched, useless feeling of loneliness tried to rear its ugly head like a rattlesnake, but he quickly stomped it out. For one thing, he enjoyed his solitude too much ever to marry. But most of all, he had no idea how to get on with women, an important first step. While he was here, he would enjoy this tasty cooking. Nobody expected him to participate in the conversation now buzzing around the table, and that was just fine with him. He never liked to talk much anyway.

  Josiah had taught him to wait until the lady of the house took the first bite before starting to eat, so Edmund watched Lula May. Good thing she didn’t waste time, because all the young’uns looked as hungry as he was. She lifted her fork in a refined way and began, with everyone else following suit.

  At last! He took his first bite, a mannerly sized chunk of beef that had caught his eye the moment the bowl was set before him. As he chewed, the flavor burst throughout three of his senses. He’d already been enjoying the aroma. Now the tasty seasonings started his mouth to watering, while the perfect density of the meat reminded his teeth what they were there for. His jaw ached with the pleasure of it, and he closed his eyes to enjoy a kind of food bliss such as he couldn’t ever remember feeling before.

  “Now, Mr. McKay, I mean, Edmund.” Lula May chose that moment to level a critical eye on him. “I have some things to discuss with you.”

  He gulped down the partially chewed bite and took a swig of coffee to keep from choking. “Yes, ma’am?” Had he done something wrong? Long forgotten feelings of inadequacy filled him, reminding him of the way Cousin Judith had criticized almost everything he’d ever done, no matter how hard he tried to do right.

  * * *

  Lula May’s mind had been churning with ideas all day long. This morning she’d been a bit concerned about how to lead the conversation over supper, as a good hostess should do. But it didn’t take long for her to come up with more topics than one meal would provide time for. Good thing she had all week to cover them. But which to start with? Maybe the most serious one.

  “I need to know what’s going on in regard to the cattle rustling.” She should probably clarify that. “I was mighty sorry to hear you lost about twenty head or so even before the Carsons’ fire. Today, when I was up at Nancy Bennett’s, she said Lucas said you men plan to form an organization so you can work together to put a stop to the thefts. What can you tell me about it?” She gave him an expectant look and took a bite so she wouldn’t talk too much, as she often did with other adults. She’d confessed her bad habit to Nancy, and her friend had offered several pieces of advice, one being to just stop talking and give the other party a significant look. From the appealing confusion spreading over Edmund’s face, she wondered whether they would just be sitting here staring at each other down the length of the table.

  “We had our first meeting after church the other week, and we decided to meet on Tuesday evenings, starting tomorrow.” He seemed to think he’d answered the question, because he concentrated on his bowl and took another bite.

  “Who?” She’d seen the men gathering but figured it was none of her business. With no women among the group, she wouldn’t have dared to approach them and ask what it was all about. Now that she knew, she had to find a way to get reports about their meetings.

  He blinked, clearly still confused by her questions. This man was so frustrating. A woman would offer endless details without prompting. But then, Lula May had always needed to prod Frank for more information, no matter what the topic. Maybe most men were just that way. Not Uncle, of course. He’d never let Lula May talk much at all except to say “yes, sir” and “no, sir.”

  “Who’s meeting?”

  “CJ Thorn, Clyde Parker, Sheriff Fuller.” He crinkled his forehead thoughtfully. “All the local ranchers.”

  “All? I wasn’t informed about the meeting.” She hadn’t meant to raise her voice. Yet it stung her sensibilities to know they’d left her out entirely.

  Edmund blinked again, as if he’d never considered her, either. Didn’t anybody know she was here? It was a wonder he’d remembered to invite Jacob to join the other boys today. And even that was Adam’s idea.

  “Well, ma’am.” Edmund crinkled his forehead again. She wished he wouldn’t do that, because it gave him an appealing, boyish look. “First thing we gotta do is catch the rustlers, a mite too dangerous for a lady.”

  In the corner of her eye, Lula May noticed Calvin’s frown. He hadn’t been able to hide from her his fast-draw practicing behind the barn, and she’d done nothing to discourage him. A man had to know how to shoot. But Calvin was still too young to ride with the grown men after rustlers. If she insisted on taking part in the meeting of the men, would he insist upon joining her?

  “You run just five head of cattle, and you keep them close by.” Edmund’s expression turned solicitous. “I doubt the rustlers will bother you.”

  Any other time, she’d take that dismissal as an insult. Now, with her concerns about Calvin, maybe she’d better turn the conversation. “Nancy says the rustling’s not all you plan to discuss. Now that Little Horn’s incorporated, you’re going to make plans for the community.”

  A brief nod. “Could be.” He went back to eating.

  If that was all he was going to say, maybe she should have left a few seasonings out of the stew so he wouldn’t be so taken with it. He’d already finished his first bowl, and she passed the tureen down to him so he could help himself to a second one.

  “Lots of needs around here.” To her surprise, he kept talking as he ladled more into his bowl and helped himself to another roll. “The Carsons’ fire, the rustlin’, a couple of widows who need looking out for.” He gave her a tiny grin and a slight shrug.

  A tide of heat surged up her neck. “You can’t mean me.” She could hardly keep from sputtering out her indignation. “Just you look around this place.” She waved a hand in an arc as if she were outside and showing off her whole spread. “We’re doing just fine.”

  His jaw dropped, and his eyebrows shot upward. “I meant no insult, ma’am.”

  “No, of course not.” What was it about him that appealed to her one moment and got her goat the next? “What I should have said was I’ll be happy to help with whatever you’re doing.” She couldn’t keep from repeating, “We’re doing just fine, and we should share our blessings with those less fortunate.”

  His face relaxed a little, but he seemed hesitant to take another bite, giving Lula May a twinge of regret. Maybe having a man in the house after so long had put her nerves on edge. What a poor example she was setting for her children. She waited until he finished his next bite before asking her next question.

  “Where will you be meeting?” She offered a bright smile and sipped her coffee.

  “At the church tent.”

  “Hmm. I suppose that’s the only place large enough to accommodate everyone.” She had some ideas about that, too, but maybe she should change the subject. After a moment or two of sorting through her cogitations of the day, she said, “Who all came out to join Jacob and Adam today?”

  Another blink. Oh, my, she wished he’d quit doing that in response to her questions. Every time he did it, she felt a funny little tickle near her heart.

  “Charlie Donavan, Donny Carson, Pete Smith, the Gillen and Forester brothers.”

  “I see.” She knew several more boys around Jacob’s age. “Other than Adam, they’re all ranch boys and probably know most of the things you’re teaching them. Have you considered inviting some of the town boys?”

  Jacob scowled, but he knew better than to interrupt adult conversations with his objections. Once she’d started questioning Edmund, the children had quit talking, as they’d been trained to do.

  Lula May had an idea she knew what h
ad upset Jacob, and it was all the more reason to press Edmund to include the others. “How about Elgin Arundel, Georgie Henley and Alec Green. They’re all about the same age as Jacob and Adam.”

  “Hadn’t thought of ’em.” Edmund reached for another roll, maybe his third.

  Did he really like her cooking, or was he just extra hungry from riding herd on those boys all day long? Not something she could actually ask him.

  “Just think of it.” She put a bit of wonder in her voice, hoping he’d catch her vision. “Town boys learning hands on about ranching. That would teach them about what keeps their parents’ businesses running. Why, they probably don’t even realize that the entire economy of the county is based on the cattle business. They need to know the hows and whys of that.” And along the way, maybe those town boys would learn not to be so snobbish toward the ranch boys, but she’d keep that thought to herself. Saying it out loud would make it gossip.

  “Sounds good.” Edmund’s shoulders had relaxed. That must mean he didn’t mind her sharing her ideas.

  “And then when you’re done at your place, you could take the boys into town so they can appreciate what business owners experience. Both ranch boys and town boys can see how everyone contributes to the community.” She sent Jacob a meaningful glance, but he stared down at his empty bowl.

  Edmund, on the other hand, wore his bemused face again. Maybe he was in a hurry to get shed of the boys and didn’t want to extend his involvement. Time to change the subject again.

  “Now, about tomorrow night’s meeting.” She gave Pauline and Daniel a nod, and they began to clear the empty plates from the table. “If only men are getting together, you’ll need some refreshments. I’ll do some baking tomorrow and you can take it.” She eyed Samuel and slid her gaze to the lemon cake sitting on the sideboard. He quietly retrieved it, along with dessert plates and forks. While Lula May served generous slices for everyone, she watched Edmund. “What do you think the men would like for refreshments?”