by Zina Abbott
Beth watched Flora choke in response. She held the woman’s gaze as Flora studied her with eyes dancing with laughter.
“And now you’re afraid your cowboy who spends his days riding herd on cattle might not know how to ride you, is that it? Honey, the solution is simple. You just send him in to me or one of my best girls, and we’ll make sure he learns all he needs to know.”
Ignoring her crass comment about Val, Beth leaned forward, the power behind her threat shooting out of her eyes like fiery darts. “Don’t you and Val Caldwell get nowhere near each other that way, or it ain’t goin’ to turn out good for neither one of you. Same goes for him and your girls. That ain’t why I come.” Beth sat up straight. “I aim to hire you. I’d be beholdin’ if you’d share with me what you done taught Jim Dodd.”
Incredulous, Flora’s mouth dropped open. “Teach you? You want me to teach you how a man should make love to you so that it is pleasurable?”
“That’s right. I don’t mean for you to get in bed with me. I aim for you to tell me, explain what you know and all. Reckon I can figure out the rest from there.”
“Are you sure, Mrs. Dodd? Many ‘good’ women find discussing these things, especially certain…body parts…to be embarrassing.”
“I ain’t askin’ for no facts of life story like my ma would of told me if she was still livin’. Don’t need no advice from no church ladies who figure for women it’s all about gettin’ in the family way. If it ain’t no sin for men to take pleasure in it, I figure it ain’t no sin for women, neither. Just know there was a whole lot missin’ doin’ it with Jim Dodd, as you done told me you know full well, too. I figure you can tell me what them missin’ pieces is, body parts and all.”
Flora rested her elbow on her desk and leaned forward to rub her forehead with her fingers. She no longer made an attempt to curtail her amusement. “You are a caution, Mrs. Dodd.”
Beth reached the end of her patience. The woman was either going to help her or she wasn’t. She snapped out her offer. “I aim to pay you the same as one of your men customers. You won’t be out no money just because I’m a woman.”
Flora threw her head back and roared with laughter. She grabbed the sides of her ribcage to keep the guffaws shaking her body from hurting. As she gradually pulled herself back under control, she turned toward Beth, who glowered at her with pursed lips. Wiping her tears from her eyes, Flora shook her head.
“No, Mrs. Dodd, you are not going to pay me. I have not enjoyed talking with another woman in a very long time as much as I have with you today.” Flora reached over to take the lid off the teapot long enough to dunk the infuser a couple of times before she removed it and set it on the tray. Picking up the teapot, she continued, “I am going to pour us some tea, and then we are going to cut into that beautiful peach cake you brought me. Each of us will sit here and make ourselves comfortable while we enjoy a slice and sip our tea. While we do that, we are going to have a nice little woman-to-woman talk about what is involved in women enjoying being in bed with a man.” With a grin, Flora reached over and patted Beth’s knee. “Consider it my wedding gift.”
CHAPTER 8
After her visit with Flora—one she found very interesting and informative—Beth walked over to Mary Ford’s place long enough to drop off the plate, pan and dish cloth she had borrowed. Beth had been quite pleased that Flora had obviously enjoyed the cake. She had been grateful the madam had quickly called for a large plate and cover so she could transfer what was left onto her own dishes. Beth guessed she probably she did not wish to run the risk that Beth might take what was left away with her. That had not been Beth’s intent, but Flora did not know that.
Leaving Mary and Louisa to work on supper, Beth started west up the slope toward the Rosenwald, Coblentz & Co. store. After buying a new set of men’s clothes from the inside out, she started back toward the Arcade Saloon.
The door to the back of the building where Gus was packing up his eatery stood closed against the cool of the afternoon. About the time she reached it, the door opened to reveal Val with a wooden box in his arms.
“Hi, sweetheart,” Val said as he stepped outside and leaned over to kiss Beth. “We’re cleaning out the attic, now. Gus didn’t realize how much trash he has up there. And tell you what—as much as I like Gus’s bratwurst, bratwurst odor that has settled in wood rafters stinks. Whew!”
Beth eyed the crate that did not have a lid on it yet. “Thought you was waitin’ to load the wagon in the mornin’ so nothin’ walks off in the night.”
“This is garbage, Beth. Gus feels bad enough about any business Leonard and Fritz might lose by not having the chop shop in the back of the saloon. He doesn’t want to leave them a mess to clean up.”
“They want a chop shop, reckon they can run one themselves.”
Beth straightened up, and then spun around as she heard a barking dog approach her back. Behind the dog, she saw the person she had come to see. Josh, leaning into his crutch, slowly made his way toward her.
“Stop, Buddy. Come here, boy. Come here. She’s a friend, Buddy. Don’t you jump on her.”
Beth frowned as she watched the tan mixed-breed dog bound toward her, then hesitate at Josh’s call, looking between them for a second before loping back to Josh. Josh stopped and put out his free hand to scratch the dog’s ears as the mutt reached him and jumped up so his paws rested on Josh’s stomach.
Beth knew that not all the miners who arrived in Lundy with a dog took their dogs with them when they left. Dogs roaming the streets scavenging for food had been a problem in Lundy all summer, especially after the May Lundy mine closed down, forcing unemployed miners to leave town in search of work. When she thought of bringing Josh down to her place, she had not considered that he might befriend a dog in her absence.
“Hi, Mrs. Dodd.” Beth felt a genuine smile warm her face in response to the cheerful greeting and happy grin on Josh’s face. “You come to help Gus and Mrs. Herschel move?”
“I surely did, Josh. I also come to see you.”
“You did?”
The excitement in the teen’s voice at the thought Beth cared for him enough to want to see him warmed Beth’s heart anew. If only he didn’t have an obviously devoted dog bounding at his side, competing for his attention.
“That your dog, Josh?”
“Yeah. He got left behind. He was lonely, just like me. So, we teamed up, didn’t we, Buddy?” Josh leaned over and rubbed the dog’s neck, which caused the one floppy ear to bounce. Then Josh stood up. “Sure going to be a lot lonelier once the Herschels leave. Mr. Gluntz and Mr. Haas said I can stay and guard firewood for them, but it won’t be the same with all of you gone.”
“That’s right fine, Josh. I was meanin’ to talk to you about somethin’, but…” Beth grimaced as she studied the dog that stared back to her with a curious look on its face. “I…don’t know about havin’ no dog along.”
“I can put Buddy in my shack if you need me to go with you somewhere, Mrs. Dodd. He don’t like being in there all alone, but he’ll be all right for a little while.”
“That ain’t what I had in mind, Josh. Except for watchin’ the firewood for the saloon, what else you expect to do, Josh? Leonard and Fritz, they plan on feedin’ you your vittles, too?”
Josh shrugged and looked at the ground. “I don’t know, Mrs. Dodd. They didn’t say anything about that, only I could sleep here and stay warm. I guess I’ll just go back to doing what I did before you hired me to watch your chickens.”
Beth had accomplished one of her purposes for coming to Lundy, but a very important purpose was standing before her. She hated to see Josh rejoining the beggars, never knowing when someone would take pity on him and give him a bite to eat. Especially with the town shrinking as both miners and storekeepers abandoned it for better prospects, surviving would become all that more difficult for Josh.
The boy ain’t goin’ to make it up here if he don’t come with me.
But, there was the dog. Bet
h knew without a doubt Josh had become attached to the animal. Would he leave it behind?
“Josh, you like it up here? You want to stay?”
Josh shrugged, his voice quiet when he answered. “I like it well enough, Mrs. Dodd. But, everyone I know is leaving. It won’t be the same. Then again, I got nowhere else to go. It’s too far for me to walk somewhere else.”
Beth squared her shoulders. “Josh, I come up here to ask if you’d work for me as a farm hand tendin’ my chickens like you done when I lived up this way. I got more than I left with, and aim to get even more come spring. I can’t pay you much, but I can keep you in food and clothes. Got me a bunk house built next to the barn, and aim to take my stove from your place to heat it if you’ve a mind to come with me.”
Josh broke into a wide smile, his enthusiasm evident. “Honestly, Mrs. Dodd? You’d let me come and stay with you and take care of your chickens?”
“Only thing is, Josh…I don’t know about havin’ no dog around my chickens.”
Josh’s expression quickly faded to one of disappointment as he looked down at the mongrel sitting by his side. He looked back at Beth, his eyes pleading. “Buddy won’t hurt your chickens, honest, Mrs. Dodd. I’ll be real careful and see he don’t get nowhere near them. And, he’s a good watchdog. When he stays with me, he growls and barks anytime he hears someone get too close to the back of the saloon.” Josh bent down to scratch the dog’s ear again. The panting animal gazed up to him with a look of adoration, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. “You’ll be good, won’t you, Buddy? You’ll help me protect Mrs. Dodd’s chickens.” Josh looked back at Beth and pleaded. “Please, Mrs. Dodd. I want to go with you, and I’ll work for you real hard. But, Buddy’s the only friend I have now. Please don’t make me leave him behind.”
Val, who had listened to the entire exchange in silence, set the crate down and walked up next to Beth. He put his hand on her shoulder and spoke softly into her ear. “Why don’t you give the dog a chance, Beth? If he causes too many problems with the chickens, we’ll find some work at the ranch for Josh so he can keep Buddy with him.”
His lips quivering in anticipation, Josh darted his eyes between Val and Beth, while he waited for Beth’s answer.
“Reckon we can try Buddy around the chickens.”
Josh thrust his one fist in the air and whooped with glee. “You hear that, Buddy? We get to go live with Mrs. Dodd.”
“Don’t never feed him no chicken meat, raw or cooked, Josh. Not even scraps. Beef or pork scraps is all right, but he starts to favor the taste of chicken, he’s got to go.”
“I won’t, Mrs. Dodd.”
“Now, best you put Buddy up in your shack like you said. My guess is they don’t want no dog in the bath house.”
“The bath house?”
“That’s where we’re goin’, Josh.” Beth held out her arms to draw his attention to the bundle of new clothes she had been holding. “We’re eatin’ supper at Mrs. Ford’s place, and she don’t want you at her table unless you get you a bath first and dress in clean clothes.”
“You got me clean clothes, Mrs. Dodd? New clean clothes?”
“Told you if you’ve a mind to work for me I’d keep you in clothes. Appears like you’re growin’ out of them clothes I done give you last winter, so this will have to do, for now.”
Josh grinned. “I’m growing tall like my pa.”
“Now, we need to let the fire die out in your stove, Josh, so it’s ready to go. Val and Hank is sharin’ a room at Mrs. Ford’s tonight. If you don’t mind the floor, you can sleep in their room. We’re leavin’ in the mornin’ as soon as we load the wagon.”
“No, that’s all right, Mrs. Dodd. I’ll sleep here even without no stove burning.” He reached down and gave the dog a friendly pat on his side. “Buddy will keep me warm.”
♥•♥•♥
At supper that night in Mary Ford’s dining room, Beth experienced a sense of wholeness as her gaze traveled to the people sitting around her at the table. Mary Ford, after she had served all the food on the table, had taken Sophie Anne so Gus and Louisa could eat in peace. Josh, scrubbed clean and proudly wearing his new clothes, pasted a grin on his face as he awkwardly struggled to remember the table manners he had been taught as a boy. These people felt like family, and she was helping them move closer to her place along Robinson Creek.
Hank was busy talking with one of the regular boarders. She knew she wouldn’t see as much of him now that he had filed a homestead claim on the piece of land between her place and the Caldwell Ranch. He still intended to work for Val and Luther when he was available, and they needed an extra hand. But, after this journey to haul the Herschels and Josh to Bridgeport—or Big Meadows, as Val still called it—he had arranged to buy the mules and take over any light local freighting jobs. When Val had told her, he had smiled and said it was fine with him. They were cattlemen first. With him having a new wife, and possibly Luther getting married soon, too, they didn’t need to be away from home days at a time hauling freight.
Beth was sorry the next day might be the last time she could visit with Mary Ford. But, her time in Lundy was past. Her future would be with her husband, in Bridgeport.
That night, before he left her at the door to her room, and upon making sure no one lurked in the hallway to observe them, Val pulled Beth into his arms for a kiss. As their lips parted he leaned his head forward to whisper in her ear. “Are you going to tell me what you went to see Miss Flora about?”
Beth jerked back and looked him full in the face. “How do you figure I’ve been to see Flora?”
“Beth, several people saw you walking down the street. One of the customers in the Arcade Saloon had quite the audience as he regaled the men with how he had managed to pass you on your way there. He said he didn’t know what you were carrying, but it smelled sweet and spicy. When one of the other men said he saw you enter the front door of the Blue Feather, that really got speculation going.”
Beth’s expression of surprise became a scowl. “Ain’t nobody’s business where I walk in this town.”
“No, it’s not. I hate to say it, but it has been the talk of the town today. Lundy is small, and there is so little going on nearly everyone tries to learn everyone else’s business just for something to do.”
“Like you’re doin’ now?”
Val’s face reddened and he offered a guilty grin. “Perhaps. But, after you warned me away from her, I can’t help but be curious about why you went to see her, especially since I suspect you were taking her a cake similar to the one we enjoyed for dessert tonight.”
Beth’s breath caught. She bit her bottom lip and looked off to the side as she considered how to respond. She turned back with a smile, raised up on her toes, and gave Val a quick peck on the lips. “We just had us a talk—woman to woman. Ain’t nothin’ for you to get discomfited about.”
Beth spun around and disappeared behind her door.
♥•♥•♥
The trip back from Lundy proved to be uneventful. However, Val and Beth quickly learned such had not been the case along Robinson Creek. A very disgruntled Luther and frightened Hazel greeted the group at the ranch.
Luther scowled and shook his head. “I can’t believe it, but that thief struck again. While I took the wagon into town with Hazel, someone came and took my horse right out of your barn along with some feed. Left the saddle, thank goodness. And, Beth? I hate to tell you, but if I counted right, I think one of your chickens is gone, along with some eggs. I checked the house. I don’t know what food might be missing. Hazel said you have supplies for a month, only there wasn’t enough flour or sugar to last you much more than a week, plus the beans were short and there wasn’t any of that rice you like so well.”
Buddy’s whine for attention and his nudge against Luther’s leg diverted Luther’s attention. He reached down to pet the friendly canine. “Who’s this?”
Josh grinned. “His name is Buddy. We’re going to work for Beth. Budd
y is going to be a watch dog and guard her chickens.”
Luther laughed. “It’s too bad he wasn’t already there the day they took the horse and food. Although, as friendly as Buddy is, he might have greeted the thieves rather than warn them away.”
“Thieves? You think there was more than one?” asked Val.
“One horse rode in and two horses rode away, Brother. Two of them would be my guess, unless there was one rider who intended to use one horse as a pack animal.”
Hazel took up the tale. “Looked like some of the root vegetables was gone, too, Bethie. There was money in two dishes on the table—ten half-eagles in one and one half-eagle in the other.”
Luther shook his head. “My guess is the fifty dollars is for the horse and the other is for the food. I’ll tell you right now, my horse was worth a lot more than that.”
The longer she talked, the harder Beth scowled. “Don’t take kindly to no one comin’ on my property and helpin’ themselves. Even with payin’ some, it ain’t right them decidin’ what it’s worth or if I can spare it.”
Val grimaced with concern. “I’m glad we’ll have Josh there to help you look out for your place, Beth. Hopefully, Buddy will grow to feel protective enough of everyone there and will warn you if strangers come around.”
Val’s comment prompted Beth to study the dog with a wagging tail who acted happy to see everyone who crowded around the wagon. She still felt uncertain about having the dog at her place, but would give him a chance. Someone had to guard her chickens.
♥•♥•♥
The next two Sundays, Val and Luther made a point to pick Beth and Hazel up and take them into Bridgeport to attend church. At the conclusion of the services those Sundays, Val made a point to announce his marriage to Beth at noon at the Caldwell Ranch the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and to invite everyone out to enjoy the event.
BRIDGEPORT, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 1884
CHAPTER 9