Defiance? Fear? Whatever it was made Clare uncomfortable.
CLARE TRIED TO ignore Loretta as much as possible over dinner, limiting her conversation to yes and no whenever possible. Loretta had managed to find enough food to prepare a decent dinner, but chattered on about getting seasonings for their food the next time she was in Trinidad. Loretta and Ino carried on a lively conversation over dinner while Clare kept her eyes on her plate as if she was afraid someone might steal it, refusing to participate in the conversation. When dinner was finished, Clare watched Loretta clear the table and prepare to wash their dishes. Ino took a bag of loose tobacco from a bowl in the middle of the table and rolled a cigarette.
He struck a match, inhaled a lungful of smoke and exhaled it silently as he glanced at Clare.
“I thought I’d watch the herd tonight,” he said.
“They might still be a little spooked from the storm.”
“Good. I could use a full night’s sleep,” Clare said as she packed tobacco down into the bowl of a pipe and lit it. She stood slowly and limped to a chair in front of the fireplace and lowered her body gingerly.
She felt more relaxed now that there was a reasonable distance between her and Loretta. Clare picked up a book lying on the table next to her chair and slid a pair of reading glasses on.
“Which meadow are they in?” Ino asked.
“Upper. We saw some animal prints this morning not far from there so keep your eyes open.”
“Bears?”
“Too small. Probably a couple of wolves wandering down looking for easy prey among the calves.”
Clare watched over the top of her glasses as Ino stood up with his cigarette clenched between his teeth and grabbed his hat and coat. It was still early enough in the spring that the nights were chilly. He picked up his gloves, took a rifle from its place over the mantle and checked it. Then he opened a cabinet near the front door and pulled out a dozen rounds.
Clare had returned to her reading when Ino’s shadow fell over the book, blocking her light.
“Um…listen. I…uh…promised Miss Loretta a hot bath soon as we got here. You know, instead of the stream out back. I’ll get one of the boys to heat the water and….”
“She can do it herself,” Clare interrupted brusquely and glanced to where Loretta stood washing dishes. “Last thing I need is some horny cowboy traipsin’ in and out of my house. Just try to stay awake out there tonight.”
LORETTA FINISHED WASHING the dinner dishes. The sun had dipped behind the mountain, casting the homestead into a quiet blue-gray. Above the homestead the last red and orange rays of the day curled around the side of the mountain like gnarled fingers, trying desperately to hold on for a few more minutes. Loretta was intrigued as the fingers of light slowly lost their grip and slipped away. She had never seen anything like it. Sunsets had always been beautiful to her, but the colors were more vibrant now than they had been in the city. She wiped down the kitchen counter and dried her hands on a small towel, gazing out the kitchen window. She saw Ino swing onto the back of his horse and settle into the saddle.
When Loretta’s eyes met his for a moment he nodded almost imperceptively in her direction and turned the horse away. With a sigh, Loretta walked toward Clare.
“Would you like another cup of coffee before you turn in?” Loretta asked. Clare hadn’t heard her approach and the unexpected sound of her voice startled her, sending a stabbing pain through her side.Clare pursed her lips and thought about it for a second before nodding. “Just one. Daylight comes early here.”
Loretta poured two cups and set one next to Clare, who resumed smoking her pipe and reading a book.
“May I join you?” Loretta asked.
“Suit yourself,” Clare muttered.
Loretta sat down across from her. “I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me,” she said.
Clare looked over the top of her reading glasses.
“About what?”
“I don’t know much about you, or Mr. Valdez. I like to know about the people I work for.”
“Why?” Clare asked, removing her glasses and setting them on the table next to her chair.
“It makes working together more interesting, don’t you think?”
“Never thought about it. What other people do is none of my business. My life is no one else’s business.”
“That seems rather unfriendly,” Loretta observed.
Clare closed her book and set it on the table.
“How old are you, Mrs. Langford?”
“Twenty.”
“Got any family?”
“I guess my mother and her husband are still alive, but I haven’t seen them in years. Other than that I don’t have any family.”
“Isn’t the preacher your brother-in-law?”
“He’s not my real family. I married into his,”
Loretta answered after some thought.
“What happened to your man?”
“Uh…Charles was killed in an accident…last year,” Loretta said between sips of coffee. She and Cyrus had never discussed the particulars of their lie.
She needed to remember everything she said to warn him when she was in town again.
“Apparently you’re no longer in mourning,” Clare said. “I don’t mean to sound cruel, Mrs. Langford, but since I’m old enough to be your mother, I figure I owe you the truth about life out here. If you came here to start a new and exciting life I suggest you keep moving west or return to your home. This is a cold, unforgiving place. I don’t just mean Trinidad. This part of the west is still trying to decide whether it’s civilized or not. Hell, it’s not even a part of the United States yet even though I expect it will be soon. Life here isn’t easy for a woman, especially one without a man to see after her.”
“If it’s so bad here why did you come to Trinidad?” Loretta asked.
“I was about your age when I arrived here…alone.
My parents and brother were killed about two days ride from here. My father bought this land from an agent back east and sold everything we owned to make the trip. There was nothing for me to go back to.”“I’m sorry about your family.”
“Long time ago.
“And Mr. Valdez?” Loretta asked, settling comfortably in her chair. For all the gruffness and seemingly unwelcome attitude, she was finding Clare McIllhenney an interesting woman to talk to. If you could get her started, she would talk.
“Ino came here on a cattle drive up from Texas about twenty years ago. He saved my life when my family was attacked and tended me until I recovered.
Been with me ever since like a stray dog.”
The two women drank their coffee
companionably.
“Life is difficult here, Mrs. Langford,” Clare said.
“We don’t get many chances to make mistakes. We’re a long way from town.”
“Ino said you were going into town in a few days.
Is that true?”
“Yeah. The doc wants to check my ribs.”
“Would it be possible to get some chickens there?”
“Chickens?”
“Fresh eggs would be wonderful and chicken makes a delightful meal from time to time.”
“I haven’t had a chicken dinner in years,” Clare reminisced.
“If I paid for them, would you allow them?”
“I don’t see why not, but you’d have to take care of them. My men and I don’t have time to herd chickens as well as cows.”
“I know it’s late spring already, but I’d like to plant a garden. Fresh vegetables would be good for the men as well,” Loretta added. A vegetable garden and perhaps a few flowers to brighten up the area around the house, she thought. It could be everything she had ever dreamed of as a girl. A real home.
“It’s calving time. I can’t spare the men to sew and tend a garden, no matter how good an idea you think it is.”
“I worked on my parents’ farm, Miss McIlhenney.
I know what to do
.”
“Stop calling me Miss McIlhenney. No one calls me anything but Clare, even the men.”
“Thank you. You may call me Retta, if you wish.
Everyone does.”
“You do know your stay here is only temporary, don’t you, Mrs. Langford? I’ll be up and around good as new in a few weeks and your services won’t be required. I wouldn’t plan on getting all nested in if I were you.”
The bluntness of Clare’s statement took Loretta aback somewhat. “I realize that,” she said. But I plan on changing your mind.
EARLY THE NEXT morning, Loretta stood in the doorway and waved as Clare and her men left to relieve Ino. She made the best breakfast she could with what was available. The variety wasn’t very good, but she would take care of that as soon as she got a few chickens and some seed for planting a garden. No one could live on beef and elk jerky forever and it was a wonder to her that Clare and her men didn’t suffer from health problems.
Loretta smiled as she realized that for the first time in nearly five years she would be living a normal life. Perhaps in the future she would find a nice man who respected her and marry. But for now she had to remember she wasn’t a whore any longer. She set about cleaning up the kitchen and making her bed before she took on the rest of the house. With Clare’s limited mobility the house had fallen into some neglect.
While she scrubbed, she thought about the things Clare divulged about her life the night before. It hadn’t been much and certainly not girl talk. It must have been difficult for her to build her ranch up alone. Clare had the calloused hands of a ranch hand and broad muscular shoulders, but the brightest eyes Loretta had ever seen. They were almost mesmerizing when Loretta looked into them and their color reminded her of the melted chocolate her mother prepared for cakes when she was a child. Clare McIlhenney was a quiet, unassuming woman who worked hard to live a simple life. There wasn’t much more than that anyone needed, Loretta decided. It seemed to Loretta that Clare wasn’t accustomed to having lengthy conversations. But she had a sense of humor and a gentleness about her which was covered by toughness and bravado. Loretta found her unexpectedly attractive.
By noon Loretta had thoroughly cleaned the inside of the house and wandered outside to have her first real look at the grounds surrounding it. About a hundred yards from the main house she spotted a much smaller cabin. Tall trees canopied over the roof to provide a cool spot during the heat of the day. The door to the cabin opened with a loud creaking noise and she stepped inside to look around. It was undoubtedly the original cabin Ino had told her about. He said it hadn’t been used or cared for since the big house was completed a few years earlier. Now it would be Loretta’s home. A thick layer of dust and dirt covered the puncheon floor and cobwebs draped from every available nook and cranny. Loretta smiled broadly as she surveyed the three room cabin. It would take a while and a considerable amount of cleaning, but once Clare and her hands left every day to tend the herd, Loretta would have nothing but time on her hands until they returned for meal times.
Along the side of the small cabin, Loretta located what must have once been a root cellar. It had fallen into disrepair as well, but was salvageable. If she was successful in growing a vegetable garden she would need a dark, cool place to store what she grew. The more she looked around the property, the more her excitement began to take control of her and she couldn’t wait to get started. She picked up small rocks and began laying out an area where she could house chickens. She didn’t know much about building chicken coops and only remembered the ones on her parents’ farm. She would have to make a list of supplies she would need and hope Clare would agree to buy the materials. Her mind raced with all the ideas she came up with for the area between the cabin and the main house.
It was almost noon when Loretta heard the sound of a rider approaching the house. She walked around the side and saw the buggy approaching, an obviously pregnant heifer following behind. Clare eased down from the buggy seat and, using a homemade cane to steady her gait, slowly led the heifer toward a three-sided lean-to where hay had been stored. Loretta went into the main house and began preparing something for her employer to eat.
Clare led the heifer into the small building next to the stable and made sure she had food and water. As soon as she’d arrived at her men’s campsite one of the heifers began acting as if she was going to give birth at any moment. Clare decided it would be best to have the animal closer to the house where mother and calf wouldn’t be easy pickings for predators. When she was satisfied the heifer was comfortable, she ambled across the open area toward the house. She took a deep breath and wiped her forehead with the back of her gloved hand. She scraped the bottom of her boots before opening the door to the house and removed her gloves. She looked around the front room as she hung her hat on a peg inside the door. It seemed lighter than usual for some reason and a slight smile flickered across her thin lips. She couldn’t remember the last time the house looked so clean.
“You’ll be wanting something to eat,” Loretta’s voice said. Clare hadn’t noticed the woman who was partially obscured by a dish cabinet. “I’ll pack up some food for you to take back out to your men.”
“Thank you,” Clare said quietly. “It looks nice in here, Retta.”
“It just needed a little cleaning and window washing,” Loretta said. “Wash up and I’ll get your plate and a cup of coffee.”
Clare felt rooted to the floor, unable to make her legs move as her eyes took in the remainder of the front room. Everything seemed to be in its proper place, but there was something different about it all.
She grinned when she finally realized that the layers of dust and soot from the fireplace that had coated everything was gone, revealing the true texture and color of the floor and furniture.
Clare walked into the kitchen and pumped water into the sink, filling her hands with the cold water, and rubbing them over her face. She felt as if there was an inch of dirt on it. She needed to spend time in the tub soaking her entire body and hoped she didn’t smell as bad as she felt. She leaned against the sink to dry her hands and face as she watched Loretta busily preparing a plate.
“Are you going to join me?” Clare asked softly.
“I’ve already eaten,” Loretta said over her shoulder as she drew a pan full of biscuits from the clay oven. “Please. Sit down,” Loretta said with a smile as she carried a plate to the table. Clare could have made a whole dinner out of the biscuits sitting in front of her. The only thing missing was her mother’s gravy. Now there was a meal she hadn’t tasted in more years than she could remember. When Loretta set a small bowl of white gravy on the table, Clare could have jumped up and kissed her. For a moment, she couldn’t do anything except stare at the food in front of her. Her mother had made the best biscuits and gravy in the whole world. The vague memory of her mother, a beautiful, delicate woman with the gentle strength of ten men, flooded Clare’s mind. She thought she might break down in tears over biscuits and gravy, but managed to gather her emotions as Loretta set a cup of coffee next to her plate.
Clare’s voice was barely audible as she said a simple ‘thank you’. She savored each bite and the gravy made even the familiar jerky taste better. By the time she finished eating she felt a satisfied contentment she hadn’t known in years.
“That was good,” Clare said. “Almost makes me regret my earlier opposition to having you here.”
“Well, I’m here now. We’ll have to make the best of it while it lasts, I suppose.”
Clare cleared her throat. “I…I should apologize for my behavior when you first arrived,” Clare said.
“Does that mean you should apologize or you do apologize? We should do many things, but often don’t,” Loretta said with a smile.
“My parents did teach me manners, but I haven’t had a need to use them for a long time,” Clare said. “I do apologize for my bad behavior yesterday.”
“You’re forgiven,” Loretta said. “While you’re here perhaps you can su
ggest a place that would be suitable for a garden and yet be out of the way of work on other matters.”
Clare brought her cup to her lips. “There’s a small clearing behind the cabin out back that would make a decent garden area. It’s too small for much else and is near enough to the stream to allow easy access to water.”
“I may require some assistance with constructing a coop for the chickens as well. While I know how they should be constructed, I confess that I am not overly proficient with a saw or hammer.”
“I’m sure one of the men will be glad to make the time to assist you,” Clare said.
“I don’t relish being left alone here without some protection. I’m a tolerable shot with a rifle. I would appreciate it if there was one available I could use.”
“I will see that you have a rifle while you’re here alone. Is there anything else you require?” Clare frowned as she looked at Loretta.
“No,” Loretta said cheerfully.
“I better check on that heifer,” Clare said as she stood up.
Loretta was heating a pan of water and stacking the few dishes Clare had used when she heard her name, somewhere in the distance. Looking around she didn’t see Clare until she opened the front door of the house. Clare was on her knees next to the heifer that was now lying on its side in the lean-to. Hiking her skirt up, Loretta ran across the space between the house and shed.
Slightly out of breath, she stopped next to Clare.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
Clare was struggling to get the heifer on its feet.
“She’s ready to deliver, but something’s wrong. I have to get her on her feet.”
Loretta joined Clare and together they tried to move the heifer’s hooves back under her. As Clare turned and put her back against the weakened animal to hold her in place, she said, “Tie the rope around her neck and loop it over the top rung of the stall.
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