by Emily Woods
“It is wonderful when family is reunited,” Elise said softly, tears coming to her eyes. Carl knew that she had very little hope of ever seeing her own family back in Italy. When she'd come two years before to escape a dangerous situation, she knew it would be permanent. Carl found her to be a kind and loving woman and hoped that one day, she could see someone from her family again.
“Yeah, for sure,” he agreed, casting a look at Jacob and grinning. It was good to see him, this favorite brother of his. But as much as he could see that Jacob was happy to see him, he also recognized the look of homesickness that hung from the young man. “It's a good life here, Jacob. You'll see.”
The young man nodded and tried to smile. “Yeah, I gathered as much from your letters. That's why I came. You made it sound good. Also, Ma told me that at least one of us had to.”
That reminded him of the letter which Jacob had given him. He was anxious to read it, to find out why his parents and other brothers hadn't come, but that would have to wait. For now, he had to be a good brother to Jacob.
“You can sleep in the bunkhouse tonight, but tomorrow, we'll go see our new home,” he said, giving him a pat on the back. “And we'll get you a horse too, your very own.”
A small light reached his eyes. “I get a horse?” Such a luxury wouldn't have even been worth thinking about back home where the family couldn't afford to keep even the smallest of pets.
“Yep, and I think I know just the one, if Luke will let me buy Molly.”
The mare was newly trained, but Carl believed she would be a good horse for his brother. He'd seen John and Thomas working with her. Not only did she have a good temperament, but she was beautiful besides. His brother would love her.
“Oh, I believe I can let her go for a good price,” Luke joked. “Let it be my gift to you.”
That was far too generous. “That wouldn't be fair,” he protested. “Besides, I want to make it a welcome present for my brother.”
Luke saw that he meant it and relented. “We'll discuss the terms later. For now, let's eat.”
“And you're invited too! You'll come, won't you?”
Amanda wasn't sure if the invitation was coming from Maddie, her mother or from Carl himself, but she couldn't stop herself from accepting.
“It's tomorrow evening? And you're sure they'll be expecting me?”
The news that Carl's brother was now on the ranch and that Carl would be moving onto his new ranch in just a few days had been the topic of conversation from the minute Maddie walked in the door.
“Oh, yes. Ma and all my aunties want you to come. I promise,” the little girl declared solemnly. “And there'll be cake!”
Amanda smiled indulgently at her favorite student. “Well then, I guess I can't refuse, can I? Now, let's get back to our lesson.”
The rest of that Friday passed by quickly enough since she was busy with her fourteen students, all of whom had to walk at least an hour or more to reach the schoolhouse, but when the day was done, she found the next twenty-four hours interminable.
Saturday morning, she tried to do her few pieces of laundry as slowly as possible in an effort to stretch out the time, but it was done well before noon. She went for a walk, collected some wild mushrooms, and made herself an omelet for lunch. There was sure to be a lot of food in the evening and she wanted to be able to do it justice.
After meticulously dressing her hair in the fussiest fashion she knew, Amanda donned her second prettiest dress. Carl had already seen her best one on the day she went there for dinner. Was it really only three days ago? It seemed much longer.
Taking her time, she walked over to the house an hour before the gathering was meant to begin. When she realized just how early she was, she decided to wander around the Johnson property, correction, the newest parcel of Triple Range Ranch. She hadn't been lying when she said it was a pretty piece of land, and she was glad that he was the owner. There weren't too many men around who impressed her much, but he had. She hoped that he, and the woman he chose to marry, would be happy on this homestead, and she’d be happy with a man like that. Amanda would have been, if she'd ever had a mind to marry. The thought crept in and her heart flooded with shame. There was no room for that kind of thinking, not even if it was wishful.
Since the flu that claimed her family's life, and caused such a change in her that Bart had broken their engagement, she had resolved not to marry or have children. She wasn’t fit to be a wife or mother and didn’t deserve such happiness. Furthermore, she didn't want to have anyone in her life who would claim her heart, not a husband, and certainly not her own children. The hurt of losing her siblings and parents still consumed her, and she wouldn’t survive such a loss again.
The memory rose in her mind as vivid as though it had happened yesterday. She'd gone to spend the week at a married friend's house to celebrate her engagement to Bart. They'd spent the time laughing and talking, all the while, each member of her family had slowly succumbed to the symptoms of influenza.
By the time she got word of their illness, the house was under quarantine. She couldn't even see them one last time before they were all taken from her. Why she'd been spared, she still couldn't determine.
“You look nice,” a voice said, startling her out of her brooding.
“Oh! Mister Crawford. Hello.” She didn't really know the man very well, but he had come to the schoolhouse once to welcome her to the area and tell her how much he supported the idea of children receiving a good education.
“May I give you a ride somewhere? Or are you here to admire my new property?”
Her confusion must have shown on her face, for he gave her a small smile. “I plan to buy this ranch from Mister Johnson and expand my own estate. It borders my own ranch to the north.” He pointed in the direction of his property, and her gaze followed his finger.
She didn't know what to say. Did the man not know the property was already bought? Did he have plans to buy it from Carl? Should she tell him?
“I see, uh, well, no thank you to the ride. I really prefer to walk.”
“Ah, but I insist,” he declared, jumping down and jogging around to help her up. “Where might you be going?”
There was nothing to do but tell him at least part of the truth. “I've been invited to Triple Range for a...celebration.” He looked at her quizzically and her mind raced. “Carl's brother has just arrived from Minnesota.”
“Has he indeed?” Wesley Crawford looked uninterested by this bit of news and changed the subject. “So, my sister is thinking of going home. I have done my best to find her a husband out here, but I haven't had any luck. What do you think?”
She wasn't quite sure what he was asking. “What do I think about...?”
Laughing as though she'd made a joke, Wesley clarified. “About the men out here. Are there any worthy of my sister?”
Why was he asking her? “I really couldn't say. I still don't know too many.”
“Hmm, I see.” Thankfully, they were nearing the main house of Triple Range. Raucous laughter rang out from inside, and Wesley pulled a face that spoke of his disdain. “Are you very sure you want to stay here? I have a wonderful roast being prepared by my cook as we speak. I would love to have your company this evening, as would my sister, I'm sure.”
She was surprise by his audacity. “I wouldn't even dream of it! They're expecting me.” At least, she hoped they were expecting her. What if Maddie had been too presumptuous in her invitation? On second thought, perhaps she should back out and go with Wesley Crawford. She was dressed for dinner after all… But no. Even though the thought of spending an evening with the gentleman before her wasn't horrible, she didn't want to let Maddie down, nor Carl if he was expecting her. “But thank you for asking me. Perhaps another time while your sister is still here.”
Graciously, he accepted her refusal and helped her down.
“I will speak with her and persuade her to stay. Maybe the two of you could be friends? She really does need the comp
any of a young woman instead of her dreary older brother.”
Amanda forced a laugh and quickly let go of his hand. “Thank you for the ride, Mister Crawford. Have a good evening.”
She nodded at him once again and turned toward the house, bracing herself for some embarrassment just in case she was mistaken.
She prayed that she wasn't.
Chapter 6
Wesley watched the beautiful young woman disappear inside the house. The smile slid from his face as the sound of laughter poured out. Something about her reaction to his announcement seemed off, like she didn't believe him.
He decided to return to the Johnson ranch again and sweeten the offer. The man wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer. Wesley knew how much his wife wanted to be gone.
After driving his team over, Wesley jumped down from the wagon and strode up to the front door. Giving it a few smart raps, he waited.
Before too long, Jerome opened the door, but his congenial expression soured when he saw who was on the other side.
“What is now, Crawford?”
“Why, Mister Johnson, is that anyway to greet a longstanding neighbor? Out here in the West, we're all hospitality, are we not?” Wesley attempted a friendly smile. “I just thought I'd let you know that I've had time to consider, and I'm willing to up my offer by ten percent.”
The man regarded him for a long moment, but gave no indication that he was impressed. Finally, he just shook his head. “Well, that's quite a lot of money, but the ranch is no longer mine to sell. This here land belongs to Triple Range now, and if you want it that bad, you'll have to buy it from Carl and Luke. Good night!”
With that, he shut the door in Wesley's face, leaving the man stunned.
“No,” he muttered. “How...? Why, I never!” He hadn’t had any idea that they could afford this land. Their ranch wasn’t doing that well! And what was this about young Carl? Was this to do with Luke’s enigmatic words the other day?
He stalked back to his wagon and jumped up. With more force than necessary, he yanked on the reins and turned his team about, determined to get to the bottom of this fiasco. But first, he would head home. A plan was forming in his mind.
A sudden knock on the door silenced the happy chatter. Kate looked around at the people in the room and frowned. “Now who could that be?” she wondered. “Maybe Mister Johnson and his wife decided to come after all?”
However, when she opened the door, Carl spotted Wesley Crawford and his sister standing there.
“Oh my,” Georgina exclaimed brightly, bringing a hand to her bosom. “Are we interrupting? I'm so sorry. We just heard the news and wanted to express our congratulations!”
Of course Kate stepped back and allowed them to enter the room. She couldn't politely do anything else.
“Thank you,” Luke said, stepping forward before they got in too far. “We're happy about it ourselves.”
With barely disguised contempt, Wesley stuck out his hand, first to Luke and then to Carl. “I don't know how you did it, but to the victor, the spoils!”
Carl wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but shook the man's hand anyway. It would be rude not to.
“Uh, thanks,” he replied, refusing to wince as Wesley gripped his hand much harder than necessary. “It was unexpected, but I'm real glad to have it, and just in time for my brother to help me too. Jacob, this is Mister Crawford and his sister, Miss Crawford.”
Slightly intimidated, Jacob just bowed a little and took a step back. He didn’t know that he should step forward and shake hands.
“I'm purely delighted, Mister Bowman,” Georgina simpered. “What a lovely home you'll have. And I'm so jealous of the woman who will claim you and be the mistress.” She gave a little laugh and bestowed generous smiles on all the men in the room. Most of them grinned back, but one or two looked terrified. She turned back to Carl and extended her hand as though she expected him to kiss it.
“Th-thanks,” he said, gently squeezing the fingertips she extended and then let go. “Um, would you like to meet everyone?”
Again she laughed, a musical and practiced sound, but shook her head a little so that her ringlets bounced merrily. “I'm afraid I have a terrible memory for names. However, Miss Walker and I have already met.”
Amanda stepped forward and offered a small curtsy. “How are you this evening, Miss Crawford? It's nice to see you.”
As the two women stood side by side, Carl could see just how different they were, and he was once again more drawn to Amanda. Her simple beauty and calm demeanor were more appealing than Georgina's conspicuous good looks.
Wesley retreated to a corner, nearly sulking until he was approached by Elise and offered some food. Being the gentleman that he was, he accepted it and engaged her in some small talk. However, he kept looking over to where Carl and Amanda were standing, and before too long, made his way over to where they were standing.
“I am so interested in the school, Miss Walker,” he said smoothly. “Would you be able to spare a moment to talk to me about it? I would like to make a donation to help those deserving youngsters get a head start in life.”
Carl watched Amanda's eye light up as she allowed herself to be led away, and he was left at the mercy of Wesley's sister.
“And how many men will you employ?” she asked, batting her eyelashes at him, her lips curving into a half smile, half pout as though she'd said something particularly provocative. “Will there be a cook among them?”
“Uh, well, I guess I'll need four or five hands to start, along with a foreman of course. John’s going to come out for a bit and Thomas offered to come help. His wife, Valerie, said she'll cook for us.”
Georgina glanced across the room at where Valerie was helping serve dessert. Her smile turned a bit nasty.
“Is that so? The debutante from the East is going to be your cook?” she laughed lightly, but Carl could hear that she was more scornful than amused. “And what will she cook for you? Filet mignon? Coq au vin?”
“Uh, I'm not sure what those are, but I think mostly roast and the like.” He picked up on her sarcasm, if not her meaning, but decided to answer as though he hadn’t. “She's gotten a lot better over the past year. Anyway, Thomas hasn't starved leastways.”
“Mmm,” she said noncommittally, her eyes roaming over the room as though searching for someone better to talk to, but then came back to him. “I suppose. In any case, this was quite a surprise. I'm sure you know my brother had his eye on that property, but you bested him. That's no easy feat! If you weren't such a likable fellow, he might have called you out!”
The expression puzzled him, but he just continued to smile and gave her a little nod. Now he looked around the room for a way out of the conversation, but everyone else was busy either talking or eating.
“Sorry?” he said, jolted out of his trance. Georgina looked annoyed that he hadn't been paying careful attention, but then she was all smiles again.
“I was saying that I would love to see your ranch once you have it up and running. Horses are the most beautiful creatures. Do you think you'd give me a tour?”
It so seldom happened that he talked to any woman, let alone one so forward and so beautiful, that Carl could hardly formulate a proper answer. Finally, he simply nodded and forced himself to smile. “Any time you like,” he managed to say. “Uh, if you'll excuse me? I think my brother needs me.”
It was a lie, but one he tried to justify. He was sweating profusely from the close proximity of this woman and needed to get away. Jacob was actually doing fine, sitting on the floor and being entertained by Maddie and Lucas, Kate and Luke's children. When he saw his brother approach, he stood up and grinned.
“She sure is a looker, ain't she? Wow. Actually, all these women are pretty.”
Carl glanced around the room and took in all the women present. Of course, Kate's Aunt Marge probably wasn't included in his brother's estimation, although she'd might have been an attractive woman when she was younger. She was wel
l over fifty now and a bit plump. However, she was a pillar of faith and kindness, and Carl had come to look upon her as a type of mother figure.
“Yeah, well, they're all attached except for Amanda and Georgina.”
Jacob nodded, his glance flitting back and forth between the two. “Well, that Georgina lady seems to have set her sights on you, so...”
Drawing back in surprise, he blinked at his brother. “What? Amanda? Jacob! She's got to be at least four or five years older than you! You're only seventeen, for crying out loud. Wait another couple years at least.”
Grinning now, Jacob shrugged. “No harm in talking, is there?”
Carl blew out a breath of disbelief. “Well, you might get your heart broken. That's harm enough. Besides, I don't hold with your opinion about Mister Crawford's sister. I think she was just being friendly.”
At least, that was what he hoped. If she set her sights on him, he would be in trouble.
Amanda had let out a sigh of relief when Kate welcomed her in like an honored guest.
“We're so glad you could make it!” she exclaimed. “And what a pretty dress you're wearing. Did you have it made in town?”
Shaking her head, Amanda blushed a little. “I made it myself...quite a few years ago, actually.”
“Well, I would have never guessed. It's still very fashionable. Please, come in and get something to drink.”
After receiving a tall glass of sweet tea, Amanda barely had time to look around the room before Maddie practically hurled herself at her.
“Miss Walker! We're so glad you're here!” the girl enthused. “Look here. This is my younger brother. I told you about him. His name is Lucas. Say hi, Lucas.”
The little boy, Amanda guessed him to be about two years old or so, did as his sister commanded but then promptly hid behind her. Amanda's heart melted. She loved the shyness of small children. Squatting down a little, she tried to coax a smile out of the boy. When she succeeded, he suddenly started playing peek-a-boo with her, making her laugh out loud.