by Emily Woods
Chapter 8
By the end of October, Carl had all the men he needed for his ranch and things were running smoothly. The routine of ranch life was familiar to him, but it was quite a different thing being part owner than being a hand.
“I have to say,” Luke commented when he stopped by late one afternoon, “you're doing a great job here. I think John will be able to come back to us pretty soon.”
“Thanks, Luke,” Carl said quickly. “I’m real glad to hear that, but I won’t lie and say I'm happy to see John go. He’s been a big help. Wouldn’t you say, Jacob?”
The younger man ducked his head a little, but nodded. “Yep.” He’d been in awe of John and had followed him around like a little puppy.
Carl was surprised how quickly Jacob had taken to ranch life. It was almost as though he'd been born for it. Within a week, he was riding like a pro and could round up cattle with the best of them. His initial homesickness had worn off quickly and the men all treated him well, much like they would a younger brother.
“Glad to hear it! So, I hear Amanda’s coming over for dinner tonight. Is that right?”
Carl tried to control the blush that started at his neck, but it was useless. He also couldn't hide the grin that emerged. “Yeah, Val arranged it. She said that every other family has had her over and even though there are no children in the house, it would be the polite thing to do.”
“Uh-huh. Polite is one word for it. Well, I'll leave you to the rest of your day. Let me know if you need anything.”
Luke tipped his hat in farewell and rode off, leaving Carl thinking about dinner that evening. He planned to wash up and be ready long before she showed up. He'd also consulted Valerie on proper topics of conversation. He didn't want to say the wrong thing. Although he had seen Amanda on several occasions, he hadn't done more than exchange a few words with her. Tonight would be different.
Valerie assured him that it would be fine, and if there were any awkward moments, she would be able to smooth them over. Her own education had included how to make small talk, so she was sure she could manage.
Once again, Carl was thankful to Thomas and Valerie for coming over to help him out. He'd come to count on them, and not just for the work they did. Thomas was his closest friend and Valerie made sure the men didn't go hungry. The odd time she produced something a little less than appetizing, the men still ate with great enthusiasm, not wanting to offend her. However, when she'd tasted the stew that had no salt, or the roast that was overcooked, she tried to make them stop eating, but no one listened. They just gobbled it up and thanked her profusely as though she’d provided a king’s banquet.
Tonight was different, though. He’d watched her pore over the recipes Kate had given her and take special pains to make sure everything would be edible at least. He couldn’t thank her enough.
By the time he walked over the rain barrel to wash, he saw a figure crossing the field. Looking fresh and lovely in a light blue dress, Amanda walked toward the house in a leisurely fashion. Had it gotten that late already?
Quickly, he finished washing up and dashed into the house to change out of his sweaty clothes. So great was his hurry that he nearly tripped over his own feet.
“Carl!” Valerie exclaimed. “Whatever is the matter?”
“She's coming! Amanda! I just saw her. Didn't you say she'd be here at five?”
Valerie consulted the tiny watch she kept pinned to the front of her dress. “It's about fifteen minutes before. She's not that early. I guess you got caught up in your conversation with Luke and lost track of time.”
Stomach churning, Carl ran to his room and struggled to get into his clean clothes, which were also a courtesy of Val's hard work. His neck was still wet where he'd given it a quick wash and water trickled down the back of the shirt.
After running a comb through his thick hair, he realized he could do with a haircut, but it was obviously too late for that now. He’d barely gotten his pants on when a knock sounded on the door that mimicked the knocking in his heart.
“Come on in!” he heard Valerie says warmly. “It's so nice that you could come.”
He heard a murmured response, to which Val replied, “Oh, no. I like it when people come early. Now I can put you to work!”
They shared a laugh, and he decided to wait until he calmed down a bit before entering the room. When he was ready, he slowly opened the door and watched them. At first, the two women were making so much noise that they didn't hear him and he had a chance to gaze upon Amanda unseen for a moment. She may not have had the striking beauty of Georgina, but she was breathtaking nonetheless.
“There you are, Carl,” Valerie exclaimed when she spotted him. “Just in time to set the table!”
Amanda turned, surprise marking her face.
“You set the table?” she asked, tilting her head and regarding him curiously. “I've never known a man to do that before, much less the head of the household.”
Of course the dreaded blush appeared again, but he forced himself to laugh. “It was the condition that Val set when she moved in. She'd cook for us all, and even do the laundry, but we'd all have to pitch in otherwise.”
“I have my own house to clean,” Valerie interjected. “I barely know how to do all these things, so I said that all the men here would have to do a lot.”
Amanda's smile stretched even further. “Well, I'm sure their future wives will be very appreciative of that.”
Together, they had the table set in a few minutes, just before the other men started making their way in, each one introducing himself to Amanda. Thomas came in last.
“Long day today,” he remarked. “And cold now too. It sure is nice to have a hot meal at the end of it.”
“Notice he didn't say a good meal,” Val remarked dryly. “Well, there's lots of it at least.”
Laughter rounded the table as each man took his place. A seat across from Carl was left open for Amanda, as was custom when visitors came. In that moment, he was very grateful for customs.
Now he cleared his throat and said, “Let's pray.” He waited for the men to settle down and bow their heads. “Dear heavenly Father,” he began. “Thank You for all You have provided, for each person here, and the land You've given us. Help us to do our best to please You in all we do. In Jesus's name, Amen.”
The men echoed the last word and began to pass the food around. Amanda took a good-sized portion of each dish so that her plate was nearly overflowing by the time she was done. Carl grinned in delight. Most single women acted like they barely ate, and at his party last month, Georgina had been the prime example of that as she ate less than what it would take to keep a bird alive, but Amanda was clearly different.
When she looked up and saw his face, she appeared a bit chagrined. “I don't really cook for myself too much, so whenever I have the chance, I take advantage of home cooking. And, from the look of these fellows, I don't suspect there'll be anything left for seconds, so I had to fill up the first time around.”
Everyone chuckled a little at her comment, but then turned back to eating. Out of respect to Carl, they didn’t try to take her attention away from the host.
“That's very true,” Carl replied as he piled some slightly overcooked beans onto his own plate. The potatoes appeared to have been mashed a little less than what they might have been, but he took a heaping portion of them as well.
It only took a moment for the compliments to come. The men all knew that they were blessed to have Valerie there. If not for her, they'd be eating franks and beans almost every meal.
“You're very welcome,” Valerie replied graciously, accepting each compliment. “I think the potatoes have slightly less lumps than last time, don't you?” The men murmured their agreement and she released a peal of laughter. “Ah, a hungry man is a balm to the ego, don't you think?” she asked Amanda.
The schoolteacher was so busy eating that she barely heard the question. “What? Oh, yes, certainly. But your cooking isn't bad at all.
Everything tastes delicious to me.”
“You're a good guest,” Valerie replied dryly, grinning at her. “You can come back any time.”
They shared a laugh and then Valerie asked, “But seriously. How do you make mashed potatoes without any lumps?”
Amanda went onto to gently explain how she thought perhaps the potatoes needed to cook a little longer before being mashed. She also gave Valerie a few tips on how to make the meat more tender, but waited until the young bride asked.
Carl sat quietly, enjoying the friendship that was forming between the two women. He hoped it would deepen and thereby encourage many more visits from the lovely Amanda.
Over the course of the meal, he admired her more and more. She was kind, attentive, and even funny.
Just as they were just about to have their dessert, a knock sounded at the door. Perplexed, Valerie rose and answered it. Each man sat up a little straighter, fearing bad news of one sort or another.
However, when Valerie came back to the dining room, her face bore a look of amusement as she introduced the visitor.
“It seems Miss Crawford has come to call on us,” she announced. “Would you fellows please make some room for her?”
Regally, Georgina entered the room bearing a covered pot. She looked around the room in dismay. “Oh, I declare. You've already finished your dinner. You all do eat extraordinarily early round here.” Her mouth turned down in a delicate pout.
The men were silent in her presence until Thomas rose to welcome her. “That's because we go to bed so early, Miss Crawford. Early to bed, early to rise and all that, but please, come and join us. You've brought something?”
The pout blossomed into a smile. “Why, yes, I have. I thought I'd be neighborly and bring you all a famous dish from my hometown. I'm willing to bet you've never had this at your table.”
She took the lid off the pot and peculiar smell filled the air. Carl tried hard not to shrink back.
“Uh, I think you're right, Miss Crawford,” he said haltingly. “I don't believe we've ever had anything like that. Um, what do you call it?”
“Chitlins,” she said proudly. “Or more technically, chitterlings. My cook made them for you all especially.”
Thomas rose and took the pot from her hands, replacing the lid first. “That's right kind of you, Miss Crawford, but I don't think we could do justice to your fine dish right now. We've just stuffed ourselves with dinner.” A pout started to form again, so he quickly added, “Will it, uh, keep until tomorrow, do you think?”
Although she was clearly put out, she nodded. “Yes, I suppose, although it won't be nearly as tasty. Perhaps you all could just try a bite now?”
Amanda spoke up. “I'd like to try some.” Georgina squinted at her a little as though just realizing that she was present, but then graced her with a smile.
“Well, alright then. Let me dish some up for you.”
A minute later, Amanda had more than a little of the gray substance on her plate. She picked up her fork and took a small forkful. She chewed and chewed and finally swallowed.
“This is very interesting,” she declared, taking up another forkful. “And a bit spicy. Your cook made it, you say?”
Georgina beamed at the schoolteacher. “Oh, yes, and she can make many other wonderful dishes as well. You had grits at our house last time you were there, I believe, and her gumbo is the best.”
After watching Amanda eat yet another bite, Carl felt he had to follow her example and spooned some of the chitlins onto his plate and took a bite. His initial reaction was that the food didn't taste too bad, but the texture was unlike anything he'd ever eaten.
“And, uh, these chitlins are made out of...?” For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out which animal, or even worse, which part of the animal this dish was made from.
“Oh, that's a secret,” Georgina said coyly. “It makes you appreciate them all the more.”
Dutifully, the men all took a helping of the bizarre dish and managed to get it down.
“Well, I think we're ready for dessert now, aren't we?” Valerie asked after all they were done. The men brightened and passed down their plates for stacking. The man on the end brought the plates to the sink and another gathered up the cutlery. Yet another one of the hands got the dessert plates and Valerie turned the heat on under the coffee pot.
“My, what a busy hive of workers,” Georgina declared, bringing one hand to her bosom in amazement. “I've never seen such a sight.”
Valerie cast a look in her direction. “Yes, we all work hard around here.”
“I think it's wonderful,” Amanda enthused, a bright look on her face. “All households should be run this way. If I had a mind to marry, I'd love to have a man help me out like this.”
“But it's women's work,” Georgina insisted. “Men work hard all day. They can't be expected to change nappies and do the dishes as well.”
Carl didn't believe that Georgina had done or would do these things either, but his mind was stuck on something Amanda had said. He hoped to get a chance to talk to her about it later.
“Yes, well, let's all have some of this pie that Miss Walker brought. It looks delicious.”
Amanda had, in fact, brought two perfect pies, one apple and one blueberry.
“I confess that I used preserves found in the cellar of the teacherage. I would have no idea where to find blueberries here.”
Men clamored to be the one to show her, but Valerie merely chuckled. “There'll be no blueberries for a good while yet. All the bushes are done for the year.”
Each man had a generous slice of pie and was disappointed there wasn't any left for seconds. However, Georgina merely picked at her small slice. “I'm not a big fan of pie, I'm afraid,” she said apologetically.
“It's not for everyone,” Amanda said graciously, much to Carl's amazement. After she had choked down that bizarre dish Georgina had brought, the woman couldn't even take more than a bite of this amazing pie?
“But this coffee certainly is delicious. Did you make it, Mister Bowman?” Georgina offered him a dazzling smile.
Carl startled a little at the formality as well as the question. “Uh, no, I didn't.” He wanted to tell her to call him Carl, but the way she was slanting her eyes at him caused him some discomfort and he thought better of it. He should be grateful to keep a distance between the two of them.
Chapter 9
After the dishes were done and the kitchen was cleaned up, the ranch hands went off to the bunkhouse. Amanda also rose and began to talk of how late it was.
“Oh, my yes,” Georgina chimed in, leaning toward Carl and smiling. “I should be getting back as well. I don't suppose you'd give me a lift back to my house?”
Her long eyelashes and pouting lips might have had other men leaping over themselves to get to her, but Carl was only intimidated.
“Carl already promised to take Miss Walker home,” Thomas stated firmly. “But I'd be glad to take you. Just give us a minute to get the team ready.” Both men leaped up before she could utter another and took off in the direction of the barn.
“Thank you,” Carl murmured as they headed out the door.
Thomas shook his head in disbelief. “She really is a very determined woman. I don't envy you, my friend.”
Carl didn't have to ask him to explain. “I don't know what I did to deserve all that attention,” he replied. “And I really don't know how to stop it, and I really want to. Not just because I'm not interested in her, but, well...”
Thomas gave a bark of laughter. “You don't have to explain. It's clear to me how you feel about Amanda.”
He wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing, but as they hitched up the horses, he shared his worry. “I don't know if she wants to...well, get married. The way she was talking made it sound like she's made up her mind to stay single.”
“Aw, well, some women say that, but I wouldn't worry too much. If God wants the two of you together, her feelings will change. Anyway, you've
got a chance to charm her now.”
They drove their wagons up to the house and helped the women in. The look on Georgina's face was sour enough to pickle a cucumber, but no one paid her any mind except Amanda.
“I can easily walk from here,” she whispered to Carl as he helped her up. “I think Miss Crawford was really hoping you'd bring her home.”
Shoring up his courage, he whispered back, “And I was really counting on bringing you home.”
Startled, Amanda drew back a little and bit her lip. Her hands twisted in lap and she stared straight ahead as though she hadn't heard him.
But Carl knew that she had. Once they were on their way, he asked, “What did you mean at dinner when you said 'if you were of a mind to marry'? Do you think you won't?” He was shocked to hear the words come out of his mouth without so much as a stutter. Somehow in his desire to be near her, he had more bravery than ever before.
“Oh, did I say that?” she asked, her fingers twisting again. “I, uh, well, I suppose it's because I don't think I ever will.” When he looked over, he saw her lips were pressed into a hard line. “No, that's not right. I know I won't. I—I can't.”
Her nerves and anxiety bolstered him even further. “May I ask why, or is it too personal?”
Amanda bit her lip again. Where had the confident young woman gone? The one who had eaten the chewy mess Georgina had brought and then not even blinked at the insult the woman dealt her in return?
“It is personal,” she replied finally. “And maybe someday, I'll talk to you about it, but for now...”
They arrived at her tiny house much too quickly and Carl had to drop the subject. However, he tucked it away for another time.
“Your pie was real good,” he said awkwardly.
“Thank you so much for inviting me over. It was nice to meet you all. And thank Valerie again for me. She's lovely.”
He wanted to say that she was too, but Amanda was already halfway up the path.