A self-satisfied smile crept upon Mr. Crosby’s face. He adjusted himself in the chair, coffee cup still in hand. “My, my, but you’re just a child. How do you plan on running this ranch all by yourself? I heard about all your hands running out on you. Such a pity.” The man clicked his tongue and shook his head.
Sarah flinched with every sound from his mouth. Her bottom lip began to quiver. How on earth could he know about the ranch hands leaving? Had he been snooping around in their business? Might he even have had something to do with them leaving? “Mr. Crosby, I’ll have you know that we’ve managed to handle our affairs just fine this far.” Sarah’s cheeks burned. “Now, are you going to make us an offer on our beef or not?”
“All right, now. Calm yourself down, and we’ll talk.” He held his coffee cup out toward Grace. “Would you mind getting me another cup of coffee, darlin’?”
Sarah hated the way the man talked to them. It was typical for Grace to stay out of the conversation. She was more suited to chasing after the neighbor boy and reading the latest fashion magazines than running a cattle ranch. She was normal…not like Sarah. Grace took the coffee cup and smoothed back her long, beautiful hair. With her gaze on the floor, she silently left the room.
Mr. Crosby smiled at Sarah, infuriating her. “Well, now, I suppose I’m willing to make you all a proposition, seeing as me and your daddy were such close friends and all.”
Sarah wanted to wretch. This man was never a close friend of her daddy’s. He only did business with him because he always offered the most money for the cattle.
The despicable man turned his attention to Mama. “You see, June…you don’t mind me calling you June, now, do you?” Mr. Crosby chuckled, causing his belly to bounce.
Mama didn’t say a word, and by the look on her face, she was in shock from his brazenness.
“When I received your message, I was surprised. I found it hard to believe that you invited me—a single, and might I say, wealthy man—all the way out here from Galveston Island just to talk about…cattle.”
Mama’s chin dipped down, and her eyes narrowed. “Excuse me, Mr. Crosby, but what exactly are you implying?”
“Why, I think it’s mighty clear to everyone here.” He began to laugh softly. “What I’m saying is that when a newly widowed woman invites a man to her ranch, one can only assume she has other business in mind besides just selling cattle.”
Mama shook her head.
Sarah stood, her fists clenched at her sides.
He held his hand out to Mama and chuckled. “Now listen to what I have to say, June. I have an idea in mind that would solve both our problems. It seems to me you’re in need of a man who knows something about cattle. And I just happen to be a man with certain needs of my own. Now you don’t want to lose your late husband’s herd and his ranch too. What do you say, June? We could go to the courthouse tomorrow and make it legal.”
Mama sucked in her breath and grasped at the collar of her wrap. “I’m not going to marry you. I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man in Texas!”
Grace walked through the living room door holding Mr. Crosby’s coffee in her hands.
Sarah walked toward the man, her face a fiery crimson. “I don’t know who you think you’re dealing with, Crosby, but we’re not a bunch of ignorant bumpkins like you may think! Now get out of my daddy’s chair.”
Grace dropped the dainty cup and saucer of coffee. The hot liquid poured out, and some splashed onto her skirt. The china shattered into pieces on the floor. She gasped and put her hands over her mouth.
Mr. Crosby got out of the chair.
Mama rose and approached the man. She moved Sarah to the side and wedged herself between him and her daughters. Anger seeped from her eyes. “Sir, I’m not the kind of woman you think I am, and you have no business coming into my house and accusing me or my daughters of anything but wanting to sell my late husband’s cattle.”
Mr. Crosby took a step back, almost falling into the chair. He righted himself and stuck his stubby finger into Mama’s face. “Now wait just a minute there, ma’am. It’s not me, but you that’s out of line. Here you are inviting me, one of the most eligible bachelors in Galveston, to enjoy a lovely dinner with a house full of young, single ladies.” He reached up and twisted the right side of his long-handle mustache. “Humph. For all I know, it might be you who’s looking for another husband. After all, if I’m correct in my thinking, Mr. McKinney was your third husband, wasn’t he? And to think, your poor old husband is barely cold in his grave.”
Sarah could see the blood drain from Mama’s already pale face.
Grace put her arm around Mama and helped her to a chair. She looked ready to faint.
Sarah could take no more. When Mama was safely sitting down, she marched to the front door and swung it open. Rex followed after her. She pointed outside and turned to Mr. Crosby. “Get out!”
Laird Crosby stomped to the door, pushing past Sarah. Before he walked out, he turned and pointed at Mama. “Woman, you better think long and hard about what I’m saying. Ain’t nobody in their right mind gonna buy from a widow woman without a legal will and her brood of…of…banty hens.”
It was hard to hear anything the man said with Rex barking and growling at him.
He shoved the door open the rest of the way and departed.
Sarah slammed it behind him with all her might.
Grace knelt at Mama’s side and comforted her. Sarah collapsed onto her daddy’s chair and rubbed the side of her face. Rex sat firmly in front of her and whimpered.
“What are we gonna do, Mama? If Mr. Crosby won’t buy our stock, then who will? We’ll be stuck with a pasture full of fatted cattle and no buyer.”
Mama raised her head and pulled a crumpled white handkerchief from the waistband of her skirt. She wiped away her tears and stiffened her jaw. “Don’t worry. I have a plan.” She swiped at her nose with the handkerchief.
Sarah held her hands up in question and aggravation. She shook her head. “What plan, Mama? Don’t you see we’re in big trouble here?”
“Now calm down, Sarah Jane.” She turned her attention to Grace. “I need you to go to the train depot first thing tomorrow morning.”
Grace put her hand on Mama’s knee. “Yes, ma’am. Who do you want me to wire?”
“I need you to send a wire to your Uncle Jeremiah’s law office in Galveston.”
Sarah breathed a sigh of relief at Mama’s words. If anyone would know what to do, it would be her uncle, Jeremiah Logan.
3
Maisy May chewed her cud while Sarah sat beside her on the short, red milking stool. All the hard work she did around the ranch was worth it when it came time to sit down at the dinner table. Sarah could skip everything on her plate for one of Mama’s hot buttermilk biscuits slathered with Maisy’s sweet butter. Sarah whipped her head to the side, slinging hair out of her face. “Almost done, girl.” Maisy May flicked her tail, mooed, and stuck her nose up in the air at the sound of Sarah’s soft, soothing voice. “That’s right, you’re doing a real good job.”
A loud clackity, clackity, clack sound startled Sarah. Rex barked and took off toward the noise.
Maisy May put her foot back, ready to move. Sarah rubbed her leg. “Steady—steady girl.” One swift kick of Maisy’s leg and the pail of milk would be spilled on the barn floor. What on earth is that sound? With the bucket in hand, Sarah headed out of the barn. She walked toward the ranch house, and it dawned on her that they had wired Uncle Jeremiah a few days earlier and he was liable to arrive at any time. Her heart and spirit leaped with the excitement of seeing her uncle. It sure doesn’t sound like Uncle Jeremiah though.
Some of the fresh milk sloshed out of the pail when she whisked around the handrail and bounded up the two steps onto the porch that encircled the house. She abandoned the bucket, pulled open the screen, and pushed through the kitchen door.
Inside, Sarah looked at her grimy hands and then to the sink. She shrugged and made her decis
ion. Plunging her hands into the leftover dishwater, she rubbed them together for what seemed like long enough. It had been a long while since she’d seen her uncle and didn’t want to waste precious time washing to get to him. She took one of Mama’s dishtowels and dried her hands. Unfortunately, she hadn’t left her hands in the water long enough. Mama would be mad at how much muck she’d left on the towel. She tossed it on the counter knowing she would hear about it later, but didn’t care.
Sarah went through the kitchen door and down the hall to the large family room. She was ready for the big bear hug she usually received from Uncle Jeremiah. Instead, she felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach, and all the wind had been knocked out of her. Standing in the place of her favorite uncle was her oldest sister, Louise Sullivan Culp, and her husband, Melvin Culp. She didn’t even have time to wipe the bewildered look from her face.
Mama was patting Louise on the back. “There, there, now honey. Everything will be all right.”
Melvin sat in one of the big overstuffed chairs. His hands were folded together and hung between his knees. The small man was bent over so much his suspenders were stretched tight. He rocked back and forth, staring at the floor.
Oh, Melvin, what have you done now? Sarah rushed to her sister’s side and put a hand on her shoulder. “Louise, what’s the matter?”
Louise raised her head from Mama’s embrace and looked at Sarah. A steady stream of tears lined her cheeks. She made a hic-upping sound as she tried to talk. “Oh—hic—Sarah Jane—hic—it’s just awful.”
An unwelcomed knot swelled in her gut. “What is it, Louise?”
“It’s Melvin—hic—he lost his job at the paper,” she said, crying through her words.
The pain in Sarah’s stomach gripped her like a blacksmith’s vice. “Oh, no, that’s terrible.”
“And the worst part of all—hic—is that we’ve been kicked out of our apartment, Mama. We didn’t have any money saved up to pay the rent, and they just kicked us out. We’re homeless!” Louise sobbed and wailed.
Mama pulled Louise in for an embrace. “There, there, honey. Don’t you worry about a thing. We’ll figure this out.”
Sarah’s heart melted out of her chest and lay in a puddle at the bottom of her stomach. She ran to the picture window at the front of the great room. There it was, as big as Texas. Her sister and brother-in-law’s wagon, parked in the front yard, filled to overflowing with all their things. The clacking she’d heard earlier was the sound of pots and pans clanging against the side of the dray. Good grief, Melvin, you didn’t even unhitch your mules.
“Louise.” Sarah turned to the sound of Mama’s outburst. “You’re pregnant!” Mama had her hand over her sister’s belly. “And quite a ways along too. When were you going to tell us?”
Louise put her hand over Mama’s. “We wanted to tell you in person…Then Melvin lost his job, and we got kicked out of our apartment, and so…here we are.” Louise started her hiccupping again, and big tears tumbled freely.
“Oh, honey, don’t cry, I’m so happy.” Mama turned to Sarah and crossed her hands over her heart. A single tear slid down her cheek. “I’m going to be a grandma, Sarah.”
Mama led Louise to one of the rocking chairs. “Now you have a seat. You’re in the family way and don’t need to overexert yourself.” Her tone was beyond motherly. “And stop worrying right this instant. You’ll upset my grandbaby.” She turned to Melvin. “It’s settled. The three of you will live here. Grace and Sarah won’t mind rooming together until you get back on your feet. After all, they lived in the same room for most their lives.”
Louise smiled and turned to look at Sarah. She patted her belly. “You’re going to be an aunt, Sarah, aren’t you happy for us?”
The question caught Sarah off guard. Of course she was happy about a baby coming into the family. A new baby was always a joyful blessing. But did the baby have to live in her home…in her room?
Sarah pasted a weak smile on her face. “I’m…I’m very happy for you Louise.” She turned to her brother-in-law. “Congratulations, Melvin.”
He smiled and nodded at her.
Sarah had been happy when Louise married Melvin, and they moved to their apartment in Galveston. For the first time in her life she had a bedroom all to herself.
Melvin stood and put his hands on his hips. There was no shame in his eyes. A man who lost his job and ended up on his widowed mother-in-law’s doorstep with his pregnant wife should show a little humility. “Well, that wagon isn’t going to unload itself. Give me a hand taking things upstairs, Sarah?”
“Um, sure just let me fetch the milk off the back porch, and I’ll meet you out front.” She disappeared into the kitchen and out the back door. Sarah ran straight to the barn and into Ginger’s stall. The big horse whinnied when she draped her arms around her neck. She was ashamed of the fact she’d run away to pout. Grownups didn’t pout, and after Daddy died Mama said she had to grow up fast. She was proud of taking over running the ranch in Daddy’s absence. Then, in an instant she was a seventeen-year-old girl hiding in the barn…pouting.
“It’s all settled. The three of you are going to live here.” Sarah mocked her mother’s voice as she spoke to her horse. “It’s all settled, but I wasn’t allowed to say a single word about it.” She squeezed her horse’s neck tighter. “Oh, Ginger, it’s not fair!” Sarah swiped at a tear. “Grace and Sarah won’t mind rooming together…really, Mama, because I do mind!” Anger settled over her like a dark cloud. “My daddy built this house, and I don’t even get my own room!” Sarah released her horse’s neck and fell back against the wall. Unlocking her knees, she slid down into a pile of hay. She wanted to give in and let the tears flow, but she was too angry.
Rex rounded the corner, his tail steadily wagging.
“Come here, boy.” Comfort came in the form of wet doggie kisses. “That’s just what I needed.” She scratched behind his ears.
Her family didn’t have a buyer for their cattle. They had two, no, three more mouths to feed and now she had to help Melvin unload all her sister’s worldly possessions into her room. Sarah couldn’t believe what had happened to upend her life in the course of a few days…and there wasn’t a thing she could do about it.
4
The ranch house was always hot during the summer months, but with the extra people inside, the heat was unbearable. The dinner table was full even without Sarah’s middle sister in attendance.
Grace had spent the day at the lighthouse. It was where she spent all her extra time, and not because she had a fondness for the old conical tower or because Mama grew up there. It was because she was in love with the young, handsome Guy Claiborne, who lived there with his aunt and uncle, the current light keepers.
Mama said grace and began passing around hearty bowls of beef stew. “This one’s for Louise.”
“Whoa! My goodness, Mama, that’s a lot of stew for one woman.” Sarah passed it along to her sister.
“She needs more food. After all, she’s eating for two now.” Mama was wrapped up in grandmotherly bliss.
Melvin accepted the bowl Sarah handed him. He stirred the contents and took a deep sniff. “This smells delicious, Mama June. Once again you’ve outdone yourself.”
“Well, I don’t know about all that, but thank you, Melvin.”
Mama gave Sarah a bowl of stew, and then served herself. She then handed Louise the platter of warm, yellow cornbread. “Melvin, dear, will you help Louise with the butter?”
“Why, of course I will. But she’s not completely helpless, Mama June. She’s quite capable of buttering her own cornbread.”
“I know that, Melvin, but she needs to conserve her energy for when the baby comes. Look at her, Sarah. Doesn’t she just glow?”
“She’s not glowing, she’s sweating. We all are.” She dabbed at her forehead with a napkin. “Good grief, Mama. You’re acting like a silly fool.”
“I can’t help it. It’s my first grandbaby.” Mama turned her atte
ntion back to Louise. “I’m so happy you’re here even if it’s under bad circumstances. Now I’ll know you’re safe and that you’re eating right. And I’ll be able to help you with the birthing and caring for the baby too.”
All the baby talk put Sarah off. It was too hot to eat stew and cornbread. She dropped her spoon into the bowl and pushed away from the table. “Anyone need anything from the kitchen?”
The front door swung open and slammed shut. Grace giggled, dragging Guy Claiborne by his arm into the room. The giddy look on his face said he didn’t seem to mind too much. “Louise, Melvin…well, for heaven’s sake. What brings the two of you all the way out here? Never mind, never mind, I’m glad you’re here. I…” She started giggling again and pointed from herself to Guy. “I, we, have an announcement to make.”
Mama stood up from the table. Her countenance was one of deep concern. “Well, what is it, Grace?”
“Guy has asked me to marry him, and I said yes!”
“Oh, my goodness. I don’t think I can take much more news today.” Mama fanned her face.
Sarah jumped from her seat and hugged her sister. “Congratulations, you two! When’s the big day?”
Grace hugged Mama’s neck. “Guy and I are planning on getting married as soon as possible. What’s the matter, Mama? Aren’t you happy for us?” Grace sounded hurt.
“I…I…everything is happening so fast. What’s the big hurry?”
“That’s the exciting part, Mama.” Grace pulled out a chair. “You know Guy has been waiting for a church ever since he surrendered to the ministry. Well, guess what? He’s been called to a church in Tennessee, and we’ll be moving there in the fall.”
Melvin stood and shook Guy’s hand. “Congratulations. That’s great news.”
Guy pumped Melvin’s hand. “Thank you, we’re both really happy.”
“Mama…you know, me and Guy won’t have a place to live until we move to Tennessee this fall. You think we could live here for a while after we get married?”
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