by Kit Morgan
Cluck?
“Disappointment’s so hard to deal with. And when it turns to despair, well …” He gave Bob a sidelong glance. “… there’s nothing worse. Poor Cooper.”
Bob hung his head.
“Cheer up, I’ll get it done. I’m not sure how at this point, that’s all.”
Bob hopped off the log and scratched at the ground a few times.
Albert looked at the marks Bob had made. “No. That’s a horrible idea!”
Cluck!
“No, Bob, I won’t!”
Cluuuuck!
“You can’t make me! Why, that would only serve to … oh, wait a minute,” Albert rubbed his chin a few times. “Okay, I see where you’re going now.”
Bob strutted back and forth, proud of his suggestion.
“But don’t let it go to your head – it’s not going to be easy. And I’ll need your help.”
Cluck. Bob hopped back onto the log next to Albert, and together they worked out their plan.
Chapter Seven
When Hattie showed up at the bench for her lesson with Cooper, he wasn’t there. “Great,” she muttered. “What if he’s stood me up?” But he did have a ranch to run – he could have easily been detained. She wrapped her shawl tighter around her shoulders and sat, her supplies in her hands, to see if he showed up.
Perhaps it was just as well. It was growing colder out, and she didn’t know where else they could meet that offered the same amount of privacy. No one seemed to pay much attention to this little spot near the edge of town behind a few buildings. As far as she knew, no one could really see it from the street.
While she waited she decided to make a list of questions for Dr. Thomas to ask his friend. If needed, she’d write him herself. The sooner she found out what Cooper’s challenges were, the better. She knew he was frustrated, and it had driven him from home and family …
“Hello.”
Hattie jumped. Hand to her chest, she looked into Cooper’s eyes. “You came!”
“You didn’t think I would?”
“To be honest, I was beginning to doubt.”
“That’s all right.” He sat next to her. “I was doubting too.”
She studied him. He looked wore out. “Have you been working hard?”
“Ranching is always hard work, Miss Dodge.”
“Please, call me Hattie.”
He arched an eyebrow at her.
“No, really, it’s fine. You shared some very personal history with me yesterday.” She looked at the ground. “Besides, I could use a friend.”
“That’s right – you’re new here.” Cooper shifted his weight. “Forgive me, I’d forgotten.”
She smiled shyly. “Understandable. Especially after what I’ve put you through so far.”
He smiled back. “So far? I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”
“Don’t worry, it’s not too terrible. Besides, now that I’m closer to the ‘why’ of your situation, it may help me to work on the ‘how’.”
“How so?” he prompted.
“I spoke with Dr. Thomas yesterday.” She saw him stiffen, but at least his jaw didn’t clench like before. “He’s unsure what it is, but has a doctor friend in New York who might know. He was going to wire him today.”
“I see.” He leaned against the bench. “So you really meant what you said yesterday.”
“About helping you? Of course.”
He folded his arms. “Maybe I’m too much like my father, but … why?”
Hattie stared at him a moment. She’d already told him why – could he not remember? “I want to help. I’ve never met anyone like you.”
He laughed. “Nor I you, but you’re going to find out what everyone else has. I’m beyond help.”
That despair again – it was driving her batty. “Mr. White … Cooper, I know that none of this is my business. When I came to town, I needed work. I overheard you and Mr. Hicks talking, and I thought tutoring would be perfect.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” he assured her. “I’m sure you can find a job with one of the schools. If not, there are other places in Creede where a woman might find employment.”
She didn’t dare tell him about Bart or her father, and wasn’t sure how to make him understand that she needed work in a place that wasn’t public.
“Miss Dodge?” He smiled. “Er, Hattie?”
“I suppose I prefer working one-on-one with people. That’s why tutoring suits me.”
“Speaking of which.” He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out some money and handed it to her. “I hope that’s enough. We never did discuss price.”
She took it, guessing at the amount. She didn’t want to count it in front of him, but it looked like more than enough. “Thank you. This will come in handy.”
He stretched his legs, arms still crossed, and didn’t respond right away. What he did finally say shocked her. “So tell me, Hattie, what brings you to Creede?”
Her heart leaped into her throat. What should she tell him? He’d told her so much about himself yesterday that she couldn’t really excuse herself from answering. But this … “Well, I… I came to town to make a fresh start.”
One eyebrow slowly arched. “In Creede, Colorado? After Boston?”
She offered a sheepish smile. “Yes, I know, it sounds ridiculous. Leaving a big city like that and coming to a place like this. But … I was tired of the big city. I needed a change. I think Creede does the trick, don’t you?”
He nodded with a chuckle. “I’d say Creede is about as different from Boston as you can get. Other than where I grew up.”
“Your stage stop sounds too remote for me.”
He sighed. “At times it was for me too. But Creede might as well be London compared to Clear Creek, the nearest town. We rarely went, though. It was a good two days’ ride, depending on how hard you wanted to push your horse or team.”
“My goodness, you really were isolated. And that’s where the miracle-working doctor was?”
“So Pa told me.”
“Well, I hear Creede has had its share of little miracles.”
He laughed again. “Creede has its share of people that have gone loco, if you ask me. What have you heard?”
She thought a moment. “A couple of the women at Hearth and Home mentioned some odd things when I came down for meals.”
“I’ve heard stories, but I don’t believe them. Not after what I’ve seen.” He glanced at her. “I’d rather think this town simply has some strange folks in it.”
“Come now, they can’t be that bad.”
“Oh no? Remember the bookshop where we met? Tobias Redfern is the owner.”
“Yes, I’ve met him.”
He grinned. “Mr. Hicks – Baxter – and I attended some poetry meetings there. At the first one, a rooster showed up.”
“What?” She blinked a few times. “A rooster?”
“Yeah, and no one thought it strange that this critter comes into the meeting, hops on a chair and sits there like everyone else.” He scratched his head and remembered the pudgy little man and his rooster he’d seen on his property – was it the same blasted bird? He still wasn’t sure.
Hattie’s mouth dropped open.
“That would have been my reaction if I hadn’t been so nervous about getting called on to read. That’s how bad it gets when someone asks me.”
She drew in a shuddering breath, her heart going out to him. “I’m sorry you’ve had to struggle so much.”
“It hasn’t been as bad as all that – least not here. I just can’t be helped. But I get along fine.”
Tears stung the back of her eyes. She knew he could be so much more if he was able to read and write properly. “I’m glad you think so. But if there’s anything I can do to help you achieve it, I will.”
His face softened and just as quickly, hardened. “Do you pity me that much?”
Hattie looked at the sky and sighed. “Cooper, don’t you understand what I’m doing?”
“Frankly, no, I don’t. Or why.”
She rubbed her temple. “I don’t pity you, I’m fighting for you.”
He froze. “What did you say?”
She lowered her hand and wiped it on her skirt. “Cooper, you left before your parents had a chance to try and help you. Yes, they were going to take you to some doctor who, well, who knows what he is. That means they were still trying. But you didn’t give them the chance.” As soon as the words were out, she put her hand over her mouth.
Cooper swallowed hard. “It wasn’t about that. I told you what happened. I did it for them.”
“Even so, they were trying to do things for you.”
He stood. “I think were done, Hattie. I paid you for today and the other lessons. But this is over.”
For some reason she felt like she was being jilted by a suitor. “But …”
He held up a hand. “It’s no good. I appreciate all you’ve done, but I’ve had enough.” He turned to leave.
Hattie jumped to her feet. “Wait!”
Cooper stopped but didn’t turn around. “What is it?”
“I … well.” She sighed and hung her head. “I’ll let you know if Dr. Thomas’s friend finds anything.”
He looked at her over his shoulder. “I appreciate that. And all your effort.” He turned the rest of the way. “I didn’t mean to be rude.”
She plopped back onto the bench. “I know. And I didn’t mean to overstep my bounds.”
With a sigh he returned to the bench and sat. “Look at us, both trying too hard.”
She managed a rueful smile.
“No, it’s true. You’re trying to help me and I’m trying just as hard to push you away. It’s a bad habit of mine.”
“Yes, I can see that.”
He smiled back, and she noticed the dimple on his left cheek. “I suppose while I’m in town I might as well make the most of it.”
“How are you going to do that?”
Hattie was surprised by Cooper’s next question. “How would you like some coffee?”
Hattie was nervous at first. Having coffee at Hearth and Home with Cooper wasn’t part of her plan to stay hidden. The more people that saw her, the more there were to inform Bart of her whereabouts. But she liked spending time with the rancher. She was getting to see a side of him she hadn’t before. He was tired, she could tell, but not as grumpy, as if telling her his history yesterday had lifted a burden off his shoulders. She hoped it had.
She studied him some more as he told her about his family. His smile, the look in his eyes … he clearly loved and missed them. She was learning to read him quite well. She felt she knew more about him from a few short days’ interactions than she knew about any of the men she’d been acquainted with back in Boston. And she wanted to know more.
“… And then there’s Uncle Oscar’s famous rolls.”
“Rolls? The man’s a cook?” Hattie sipped her coffee. He hadn’t given her too many details about his uncles yet. So far she’d learned his father and mother met at the stage stop while she was passing through on her way to a teaching position. It fell through, she came through again, upset, destitute and frightened, and his father swept her off her feet and rescued her. But this? “Did he cook meals for the stage stop too?”
“What’s so hard to believe about that?” Cooper asked. “Lots of men cook. Oscar could’ve been a chef in Portland if he’d wanted – he got an offer.”
She fiddled with her cup, a smile on her face. “From the way you described him earlier, he doesn’t seem the type.”
He stared at her moment. “I don’t believe in types.”
Oh dear, she’d done it again. Maybe she couldn’t read him as well as she thought. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean …”
“I know you didn’t,” he interrupted. “But I don’t like putting people into categories. People are people. Everyone’s different.”
She nodded. She couldn’t argue with it. “Tell me about these famous rolls.”
He sighed dreamily. “Pure heaven. Fluffy as a cloud, and so rich you don’t even need to butter them.”
She giggled, a bright sound that was foreign to her ears. “And I suppose it’s a well-guarded family recipe?”
“On the contrary. Oscar kept it secret for years, but in time he relented, and I think half of Clear Creek has the recipe by now. And Clear Creek has a few top-notch cooks of its own.”
Hattie smiled. “And what about your other uncle?”
He shook his head. “Uncle Anson isn’t like the rest of the family. My grandma says he and I are a lot alike. There’s a family trait the two of us didn’t inherit.”
As if the poor man doesn’t feel left out already, she thought. “Dare I ask?”
He pointed to his forehead and drew a line from the end of one eyebrow to the end of the opposite one. “Oscar got it the worst. Someone once said his makes him look like a gorilla.”
Hattie gasped, fell back against her chair and burst out laughing.
Unable to stand it any longer, Millie marched to their table. “All right, you two, I have to know. What’s so funny?”
Hattie put a hand over her mouth and shook her head. If she tried to speak she’d only start laughing again.
Cooper smiled and glanced between them. “I was just telling Miss Dodge about my family. You know, those funny family traits some members share?”
“Oh,” Millie drawled. “Yeah, I know about those. So do the McRae sisters, Rhona and Isla – I’m sure they could tell you stories. Especially Rhona as she’s quite the story teller.”
Hattie fanned herself with one hand. “I’m sure they can. She’s married to the owner of the newspaper as I recall.”
“Yes, and a happy couple they are,” Millie said with a smile.
“But what about you?” Cooper interjected and looked at Hattie. “You still haven’t told me about your family. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
Her breath caught. “Um, no, I’m afraid not.” How much should she tell him? She was an only child, so no fabrication there.
“You grew up all alone?” Millie said sympathetically. “Poor thing.”
“I didn’t mind much.” Hattie figured she might as well tell the truth there too. “It was lonely sometimes, but I found things to occupy myself.”
“Growing up in Boston, I’m sure you did,” Cooper said.
“Boston?” Millie said with a smile. “I had no idea.”
Hattie blanched. Oh, wonderful – now someone else knew where she was from. She had to put a stop to this before too many people found out too much. It would be just her luck if Bart or her father came barging into town, asked a few questions and knew exactly where to find her. She took another sip of her coffee, set the cup in its saucer and smiled at Cooper. “I’m a little tired. I think perhaps I’d best lie down.”
“Oh,” he said, disappointment in his voice. “Very well, I should be going too. I still have chores.”
Millie stood there, hands clasped in front of her, a happy smile on her face. Hattie looked at her. “Yes?”
Millie shrugged. “Nothing. Just enjoying watching you two have a nice time.” She smiled again, turned and left.
Chapter Eight
Hattie blushed. “Oh dear.”
Cooper glanced at Millie, now on the other side of the dining room. “What was that about?”
Hattie, having enough experience in Boston’s social circles, recognized the look on Millie’s face. “Oh dear,” she repeated.
Cooper’s eyes flicked between the two women. “‘Oh dear’ isn’t an explanation.”
Hattie giggled. “I believe that …” She put her hands over her face, then let them slide down to her chin. “… that Millie thinks we’re courting.”
His eyes widened. “Tarnation.”
“I beg your pardon?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I mean, we aren’t. Whether it’s obvious or not.”
For some reason, his words stung. “True.
But to some, a man and a woman having coffee or a meal together makes them think.”
“About things they shouldn’t,” he tacked on. He glanced at Millie again as she went into the kitchen. “I’m sorry, it’s just that Baxter and I …” He sighed. “… well, we both made a mistake concerning women.”
Hattie leaned forward. “Do tell?”
He hesitated for a few seconds, then shrugged. “Well, if I don’t, I’m sure you’ll hear it from Millie or Isla or one of the others in here.”
“I’m all ears.”
He sighed in resignation. “Not long ago, Baxter and I got swindled by a woman that claimed she could help men get mail-order brides.”
Hattie’s heart leaped in her chest. He was looking for a wife? She shook it off, as if chilled. “My my, that doesn’t sound pleasant. Did you lose a lot of money?”
“For someone like me, yes, it was a good amount. For Baxter it was worse.”
“I’m sorry you went through that. Were you looking forward to a bride?” Oddly, she really did want to know the answer.
“Baxter had to talk me into it, but after a few days I started to get used to the idea. But I won’t do that again, not ever.”
Hattie stared at him, unsure of what to say. What first came to mind was why not? – perfectly logical, considering what he’d shared. But she was afraid of the answer. What if he never wanted to marry? Besides, why should she care? Other than that you like him …
“You should go, get some rest,” he said. He stood, went around the table and pulled out her chair.
Surprised at the action, she smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You’ll find that in Creede we’re not entirely without manners.”
Heat crept into her cheeks. “No, you’re not. A good thing.”
He smiled back, tipped his hat and turned to leave. “I’ll take care of the bill.” He glanced at her. “Get some rest.”
Her heart warmed at the words. Why, she didn’t know. Had there been a hint of concern in his voice? She smiled again. “I will.”
He continued to the counter to pay. Hattie watched him, realized she was staring and hurried for the stairs. She took one last look before she went up. Cooper was handsome, in more ways than one, and she wondered why she hadn’t noticed before. “Stop being silly,” she scolded as she continued up the stairs. “You have more important things to think about.”