by Kit Morgan
“A long time,” Sadie said. “We were so busy with Amon and Nettie’s wedding, then helping them build their house, that none of us have really gone anywhere else.”
“What about Penelope and Eloise?” Belle asked as Edith and Jefferson joined them for dinner. “Have they been out to Ryder’s place lately?”
“No,” Jefferson said as they sat. “And what are ya talkin’ about?”
“Constance has invited the entire family to her home for dinner,” Harrison volunteered.
“She did?” Edith said in surprise. “But isn’t her and Ryder’s place kind of …”
“Small?” Colin said. “Yes, quite right. Which makes us think she’s doing this because none of us have visited lately.”
“I think it’s a fine idea,” Edith said. “Why not let her entertain? I think it’ll make her feel more like she’s really made a home for herself.”
Imogene listened to them talk about Constance and the rest of the cousins. Edith was right – Constance had made a new home for herself, as had the other cousins. Only she now had no home of her own. At least until Cutty got himself together and did what he was supposed to: talk to his children, then marry her!
The question was, when would he?
Two
No matter how many times Cutty gazed at Nettie, he could hardly fathom that he had begotten such a beauty. “More tea?” she asked and poured before he could answer.
“Who said I wanted another cup?” he asked gruffly.
“Don’t give me that look,” she scolded. “You always take another cup.” She smiled and Cutty’s insides melted. “Then, of course, you like to complain about it as you just did.”
Cutty grumbled to himself, but with a smile. Bantering like this was one of his favorite things to do with his daughter. “Where’s the sugar?”
“Next to your cup and saucer, if you’ll recall,” she said with an arched eyebrow.
“Hand it to me next time, will ya?”
“What are you, blind?” she shot back. “You can get it yourself.” She laughed and poured a cup for Amon.
“So what were you thinking?” Amon asked Ryder. “I can make you a matched set.”
“Ya mean like a table, chairs and a sideboard?” Ryder asked.
“Table, chairs and a … how’re ya gonna fit all that into that shack of yers?” Cutty asked. “Heck, the table alone’ll take up half the place.”
“I ain’t askin’ Amon to make me furniture for the house I have now,” Ryder explained. “I’m building me a new one.”
“With what?” Cutty asked.
Ryder held up his hands. “With these, what else?”
“I think you’ll need help,” Amon said. “I’d be happy to lend a hand.”
“Better make that two hands,” Cutty muttered as he reached for his teacup.
“What about ya, Cutty?” Ryder asked.
“What about me?” he barked.
“How about ya comin’ out and helpin’ build my new house?”
Cutty glanced at Nettie, who was now pouring herself a cup. “Ah, sure. I can do that.” He took a quick sip of his tea. Coward. If he helped Ryder build his house, he’d have to stay out there, which meant no contact with his children for a while. He swallowed hard. What was Imogene going to say about that?
“Great!” Ryder said. “That’s one of the reasons Constance wants to have all the family over. We’re gonna tell everyone about our plans and see who wants to help.”
“The help will be sporadic,” Amon said. “Myself included. I have orders to fill, but I can certainly pitch in in my spare time.”
“Better get a move on, Ryder,” Cutty said. “Winter waits for no man ‘round here.”
“I figure we can have it framed and roofed ‘fore winter sets in if’n I got enough help,” Ryder said. “I ain’t asked no one in town yet on account we live so far out.”
“I’m sure some of the people there will help,” Amon said. “You could make a day of it, have a barn – or rather, house – raising, and get a lot done that way.”
“We were plannin’ to,” Ryder said. “But I was gonna have the family help with a lot of the finish work.” He looked at Cutty. “After me and Constance move into the bigger house, then we want ya to have the little one.”
Cutty’s eyes widened. “Ya mean yer gonna give me yer house?”
“Sure – ya can’t stay at the hotel forever. Besides, ya don’t have to chaperone Nettie and Amon no more now that they’re married.”
“That’s mighty generous of ya, Ryder,” Cutty told him. “But … do ya mind if’n I think about it awhile first?”
Ryder’s mouth opened to speak, but instead he stared at Cutty a moment. Finally he replied, “Well … sure. I reckon ya might.”
Cutty sensed his disappointment and sighed. “It ain’t that I don’t ‘preciate the offer. It’s just that I’d be so far outta town and I ain’t got no horse.”
“Ya don’t have to worry none about that,” Ryder said. “You’re welcome to borrow Banjo anytime ya want.”
“But … what would I do?” He asked and glanced at Nettie and back again. “I gotta make a livin’ somehow. I cain’t keep livin’ off folks’ generosity. Not that I mind, but after a while it ain’t right, ya know what I mean?”
Ryder’s face softened. “I’m still gonna need plenty of help ‘round the place. Othello’s gonna be a busy boy come spring. Heck, he’s busy now!” Everyone laughed. Othello was getting a reputation as one of the finest stud horses in the state, despite the remote location.
“I knew it’d be only a matter of time before that nag of yours started makin’ ya money, Cutty said, “but …”
“It’s because of Imogene, isn’t it?” Nettie asked, cutting him off. “You’re afraid you won’t be able to see her as often.”
“Who said anythin’ ‘bout that old harpy?” Cutty groused as his cheeks grew hot.
“No one had to,” Nettie said and winked.
“Mind yer own business, will ya?”
“She’s my cousin. That makes her my business,” she said with a laugh. “Oh, why don’t you just admit that you’re sweet on her?”
“Ohhhh,” he said, his face red. “Why ya gotta be so … so …”
“Right?” she said and laughed again.
Cutty narrowed his eyes at her. “You just wait! I’ll get the last word in one of these days!”
“Never!” she said with a giggle.
Cutty growled at her. Nettie scrunched up her face and growled right back.
“Are they always like this?” Ryder asked Amon.
Amon nodded. “Always.”
“Well, I can see why ya’d miss doin’ this on a regular basis,” Ryder told Cutty. “I’ll tell Constance ya’ll think about it.”
Cutty stopped making faces at Nettie to look at him. “Ya do that. And yeah,” he added, glancing at Nettie, “I would miss this.”
Nettie gave him a heartfelt smile, then took a sip of her tea.
* * *
That night, Cutty couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned for several hours before he finally got out of bed, went to a chair next to the window and sat. He stared up at the crescent moon. “What am I going to do?” he asked, forgoing the accent he faked in public.
Ryder’s offer was very tempting. He’d have something he’d never had since coming to America: a place of his own. The drawback, of course, was he wouldn’t see Imogene as often – not until he married her, that is. But in the meantime, he could fix the place up and get it ready for her. He was sure she wouldn’t mind living next to one of her cousins. Of course, Ryder’s little place wasn’t near the size of the Triple-C’s ranch house, but it would just be the two of them. How much more room would they need?
Then again, if he didn’t get married, he wouldn’t have to worry about any of it. The only problem was that he wanted to marry her – and she was blocking it. “Stubborn woman!” he grumbled.
But Imogene Sayer wasn’t being stubborn s
o much as wise. If he were in her position, he’d probably do the same thing she’d done, namely insist that he get on with it, tell his children who he really was and deal with the consequences.
But knowing what he had to do and doing it were two different things. How would they react? Would they want anything to do with him after they found out? Would Nettie hate him? He was closer to her than he was Newton at this point, probably because he’d spent more time with her. Chaperoning her and Amon for as long as he did helped him to get to know her. And even though Newton was around a lot of the time, Cutty’s focus had been more on Nettie and making sure Amon was good enough for her.
“Maybe I should spend more time with Newton before I tell him,” he mused. He chewed on his bottom lip as he thought. Nettie, he knew, adored him, and the feeling was mutual. Newton, on the other hand, treated him as he treated everyone else in town. He was just another acquaintance, no more, no less. If he told Newton now, he might end up with a bullet in his head … not that he didn’t deserve one, all things considered.
No matter how Cutty looked at it, his children were as different as night and day when it came to this dilemma. Nettie’s affection for him might soften the blow, but Newton was unpredictable. If there was one thing he’d never been able to stand, it was not being able to know the outcome of something. Especially when it mattered. And this, without a shadow of a doubt, did.
He’d have to think of a way to get close to Newton, but how? Take the lad fishing?
He groaned, got up from the chair and began to pace as he tried to think of a way to spend more time with his son. Come to think, he hadn’t seen Newton the last few days. He stopped his pacing and gazed out the window again. “Must take after his mother,” he whispered into the darkness. “Poor lad – inherited an adventurous spirit from both sides.”
That was true enough. He knew Newton had been spending a lot of time out on the prairie lately, sometimes alone, sometimes with Seth and Ryder. But from the sounds of it, their little hunting excursions were about to end, what with Ryder’s plans to build a house …
“That’s it!” Cutty said with a smile. “I’ll talk Newton into helping Ryder out! Ryder could use an extra pair of hands, and I need time with my son. It’s perfect!”
Granted, he’d have to talk Newton into it. And, of course, let Imogene know. She wasn’t going to be happy to find out she wouldn’t see him for a while … unless she decided to come out to Ryder’s place and stay. “Hmmm, that’s not such a bad idea,” he mused. He could continue to court Imogene (after a fashion) and get to know his son better before he gave him the news. And then pray Newton didn’t kill him.
“This will work, I know it!” he said triumphantly, then sobered. “I hope.” With that thought in mind, Cutty returned to his bed and tried to get some sleep.
* * *
“Is there something you’re not telling me?” Sadie asked Imogene as she slid eggs onto a plate.
“Whatever do you mean?” Imogene asked as she took a seat at the kitchen table.
“You don’t seem yourself lately.” Sadie set the plate in front of her.
“It’s just as I told you the other night – I have a lot on my mind.”
Sadie went to the stove, took a plate of bacon out of the warming oven and brought it to the table. “Such as Cutty?”
Imogene smiled. “Quite. I can’t seem to escape him.”
“That’s because you don’t want to,” Sadie said with a smile.
“Good morning, everyone,” Belle said as she entered the kitchen. “Have I missed anything?”
“Imogene is still sulking,” Sadie said, “but at least I know why.”
“Oh, do tell,” Belle teased as she winked at Imogene, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Is the baby bothering you?” Imogene asked.
“Not exactly – it’s my back. The bigger my belly gets the worse my back feels.”
“That’s to be expected,” Imogene said. “And I do not sulk, just so you know.”
Belle laughed. “We know. Sadie was only teasing.”
“What’s a woman to do when she has no one to take care of anymore?” Imogene sighed.
Sadie brought Belle a cup of coffee and a plate of eggs. “You must feel like a mother whose children are all grown and gone.”
Belle was about to voice her own comment when Harrison came in carrying Honoria. “There’s your mother.” The child took one look at Sadie and extended her arms with a squeal.
Sadie took her from Harrison and bounced her on one hip. “You’ll have to dish up your own eggs if you want me to take care of her.”
“Why, whatever do you mean, dear wife?” he asked, feigning innocence.
“You know exactly what I mean,” she said and held the baby away from her. “Good heavens, what a smell!” She quickly exited the kitchen, Honoria’s little legs kicking in mid-air as she went.
Harrison chuckled. “Works every time.”
Imogene shook her head in disapproval. “Men. They can stare down the barrel of a gun without batting an eye, but when it comes to changing one dirty diaper, they all turn into sniveling cowards.”
Harrison dished himself up some eggs, came to the table and sat. “Guilty! I’d stare down the barrel of a cannon any day rather than face –” He shuddered. “– the diaper of death!”
“And to think there will be two such harbingers of mortality in the house soon,” Belle said as she patted her belly.
“Colin will have it much worse than I do,” Harrison said.
“What makes you say that?” Belle asked.
“He was always the smelly one when we were young. I’m sure his offspring will be the same. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, you know.”
Belle’s mouth dropped open in shock. “What? Are you saying that my child is going to smell worse than Honoria? That’s absurd!”
“This is not a discussion to have at breakfast!” Imogene cut in. “Control yourselves!”
Harrison pressed his lips together to keep from laughing, but did anyway. “You’ll see.”
Colin entered the kitchen and noticed their odd expressions. “What?”
Harrison winked at Belle. “The harbinger’s father has come.”
“Stop!” she chided and turned to Colin. “We were just discussing babies.”
“Yes, I passed Sadie in the hall. I see Harrison managed to pass off that dastardly imp of his to her mother.”
“Don’t call my child a dastardly imp,” Harrison said.
“I just heard you call her that before you brought her downstairs.”
Belle and Imogene glared at Harrison. “Really?” Belle drawled.
“She’s only dastardly when she does … well … what she just did. Sniveling coward that I am, I brought her to the one brave enough to handle such a travesty.”
“Ah, she must have done a splendid job of soiling her diaper this morning,” Colin quipped.
“You have no idea,” Harrison muttered and reached for the bacon.
Imogene shook her head. “For Heaven’s sake, what’s it going to be like with two babies in this house? There’ll be no suffering any of you!”
“I’m afraid you’ll just have to suffer with the rest of us, dear cousin,” Colin said. “After all, where else would you be?”
“Where else, indeed.”
Colin studied her a moment, then said a quick blessing and breakfast got underway.
After the meal Imogene went upstairs to her room, sat on the bed and sighed in frustration. She did feel like a parent whose children had grown and left. She felt idle, unproductive, and it was beginning to drive her crazy. She needed something to do and someone to do it with.
In short, she needed an adventure.
“But what?” she asked herself. Going back to England would be an adventure, but out of the question. Her family was here, as was the man she loved. And even though she missed England, she could never leave Cutty.
She decided
to go into town to see him. Maybe spending the day with him would make her feel better. After all, wasn’t he her purpose now? The man needed help and lots of it. But she could only do so much for him when it came to his children. Telling them he was their real father was a task only he could undertake. It wasn’t her place to tell them, even though she itched to do it at times.
Besides, if she said anything, it would do more harm than good. They’d see him as a coward for not telling them himself, and what good would that do? All she could do in the meantime was encourage him.
But that was hard to do when she wasn’t with him. Something she’d best remedy. She just hoped that when she did, he didn’t make her mad again. She’d just gotten over her recent anger, and she’d been so flustered the last few days that she couldn’t recall exactly what he’d said that set her off. Obviously it was enough to make her think she ought not speak to him for a few days.
She chuckled at her own stubbornness, then got up and went downstairs to find Jefferson. She knew he planned to go into Clear Creek that day, and needed to let him know she’d be riding along. A thrill went up her spine at the thought – but then, one always did when she knew she was going to see Cutty. “Stubborn old coot,” she whispered to herself. “Why can’t you get it over with so we can wed?”
But how could he when he was scared to death? And what was she going to do about it? She supposed she wouldn’t know until she went into town and found him.
Three
“Good morning, Cutty,” Seth said from behind the counter as Cutty entered the hotel.
“Mornin’, Seth. Have ya seen Newton yet?”
“No, not yet. Maybe he decided to sleep in.”
“Hmm, could be. I’ll mosey up to his room and check.” He ascended the grand staircase to the second floor, walked to his son’s room, raised his fist to knock …
… and stopped. What was he going to say? Not that Newton would refuse to help Ryder, especially after all the time he’d spent with the Jones brothers of late, but still … “Oh dagnabit! Get over it!” he chastised and knocked on the door.