The Rancher’s Spirited Bride

by Chloe Carley

  Lily brushed a hand through her hair which had come out of her pins. “I lay down on the bed for a minute …” she glanced out the door and then groaned, “a long time ago.”

  Sara Jane and Ma stepped inside. Ma said, “A nap in the afternoon is perfectly acceptable in your condition. I brought a few things over and want to hear what the doctor said.”

  In the kitchen, Lily reached for the tea kettle sitting on the hearth, but Ma wasn’t having that.

  “You sit and answer questions, I’ll make us all some tea.”

  Lily nodded tiredly and sank down onto the wooden bench that ran down one side of the long dining table. Sara Jane sat next to her. “So, what did Doc say?”

  “The doctor said everything seems fine but that the babies will be here before Christmas.”

  “Christmas babies. That’s wonderful!” Sara Jane smiled. I really need to get started on that second blanket. She did a quick calculation and realized she only had about seven weeks to finish one blanket and make another. She’d been working on the first one for more than that and she had the sore fingertips to prove it.

  I’m not giving up. I’ll just have to find more hours during the day to work on it, or maybe I’ll actually get better at sewing. I’ll need more fabric … maybe I can get that when Ma goes into town to speak with Tara. I hope she’ll come out here to stay at the ranch. Lily is so excited for the baby … correction, babies, to arrive. I want them to be healthy and for Lily to be, as well.

  “Sara Jane, are you okay?” Lily asked.

  “I’m fine.”

  Lily smiled and then rubbed her back. “I can’t even imagine how big I’m going to be by then.”

  Sara Jane turned toward the door when a knock sounded, and Riley’s voice called out a greeting.

  “In the kitchen.” Everyone turned and watched the newest member of the Lawson family come into view.

  “Riley, what have you been up to today?” Ma asked. Riley hugged her before she walked around and hugged Lily.

  Sara Jane was last, and she gave her a one-armed hug before she settled on the opposite bench. “I missed you this morning. I could have used your help.”

  Riley laughed. “I heard about your snowball fight from Gideon. Sounds like you got the upper hand.”

  Sara Jane nodded and then sighed. “Carl got me back. My hat fell off and when he picked it up for me, he had filled it with snow, but I didn’t realize that until it was falling down on my shoulders and face.”

  The other women giggled and then Riley snapped her fingers. “We should plan something to get them back.”

  “Girls,” Ma interjected. “I would suggest you put your energies toward something productive, like heading into town and making sure the women from the boarding house have appropriate attire for Sunday services.”

  “Pa talked to Pastor Russell and they went over and issued an invitation to attend this Sunday.”

  Riley clapped her hands. “That’s wonderful news.”

  “It is,” Sara Jane agreed. “I was hoping Mrs. Pedersen might be willing to help as well. We’ve seen the dresses the women normally wear, and they definitely are not appropriate for Sunday church services.”

  Riley and Lily both nodded. “Count me in,” Riley told her.

  “Me, too.”

  “Now, Lily. Child, are you sure you’re up to another ride into town so soon?” Pearl asked with concern on her face.

  Lily started to nod, but then she pressed a hand against her stomach and grimaced in pain. “On second thought, maybe I’ll just stay here, and you can tell me all about it when you get back.”

  “Are you okay?” Pearl asked.

  Lily nodded and then rubbed her stomach in a large circle. “I am, but I’d be a whole lot better if these babies stopped dancing an Irish Jig inside me.”

  Sara Jane looked at Lily’s stomach and her eyes widened as she watched it bulge and move around. “The babies are doing that?” she asked in awe.

  Lily reached over and took hold of Sara Jane’s hand. She placed it palm down on her stomach and held it there.

  Sara Jane started to pull her hand away, and then one of the babies kicked and she couldn’t take her eyes off her hand. “I felt it.”

  Sara Jane exchanged a look with Ma, remembering their earlier conversation. The baby kicked again, almost dislodging her hand, and she gazed at Lily in shock. “Does it hurt?”

  Lily nodded. “It does, but it will all be worth it once they’re born. Which I hope is going to be someday soon. I’m almost too big to fit through the doorway.” Without any warning, Lily burst into tears.

  Pearl patted her shoulder and then sat down on her other side. “There, there. It’s going to be alright.” She looked at Sara Jane and Riley and whispered, “Why don’t you two girls go back to the main house and get supper finished up. I’ll stay with her until Jace gets finished with his evening chores.”

  “Should I tell Jace he needs to hurry?” Sara Jane whispered back.

  Pearl nodded and then hugged Lily close, allowing her to cry on her shoulder. “That would be a good idea.”

  Sara Jane and Riley left, stopping by the barn and telling Jace he was needed at home. Jace dropped the rope in his hands and ran. Sara Jane watched him for a moment and then Riley tugged on her arm.

  “Come help me get supper finished. Any idea of what Ma was making tonight?” Riley asked.

  “Not a clue.”

  “Well, I guess we’ll figure it out.”

  “Maybe you will. I don’t cook, remember?”

  Riley hooked her elbow in Sara Jane’s and tugged her toward the ranch house. “No time like the present to learn.”

  Sara Jane sighed and then followed Riley. She would have much rather stayed in the barn and finished up Jace’s chores, but that would have been letting Ma down. Something Sara Jane was trying not to do. If helping Riley cook supper, helped Lily and Ma, then Sara Jane would figure out how to help cook supper.

  Several hours later, Ma came back to the house with both Jace and Lily in tow. She sniffed appreciatively as she walked into the kitchen and exclaimed, “Supper smells good!”

  “I figured you were going to fry the chicken, so that’s what we did,” Riley told her as she transferred some boiled potatoes to a large bowl.

  “Sara Jane, I’m pleased to see you in the kitchen,” Ma murmured.

  “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Sara Jane told her with a smile. “I’d still rather be on the back of a horse, but after Riley’s lesson, I could probably fry up a chicken by myself if I needed to.”

  “Did I just hear my sister say she could fry up a chicken? By herself?” Shawn asked as he and Carl stepped through the back door.

  Riley laughed. “That’s what you heard. I think she means it too.”

  Shawn took a sniff and then nudged Carl with his elbow. “She’s learning to cook.”

  Carl met Sara Jane’s eyes over the table. “It looks good.”

  Sara Jane ducked her head and finished slicing the bread that she and Riley had baked earlier. Carl’s small compliment filled her with a warm feeling, and she felt her cheeks heat as a blush crept up her neck. She took the bread to the table, and then realized that everyone else had seated themselves, leaving the only open chair next to Carl.

  She sat down and busied herself with putting food on her plate and passing the serving dishes to him. Several times their fingertips touched, and it was like she’d touched a bolt of lightning. Shivers ran up her arm and down her spine, but this wasn’t the place or the time to examine the reason for them.

  “Sara Jane, I’d like to go into town with you tomorrow,” Ma said at one point.

  “Sure.”

  “I talked it over with Lily and Jace, and they would feel more comfortable if Tara would agree to come live with us here at the ranch until after the babies are born. I thought that since you and Riley were headed into town anyway, I’d tag along and propose that to her.”

  “I’m sure she won�
��t have any objections, Ma,” Sara Jane assured her.

  “Riley tells me that you might be helping the ladies with their dresses for Sunday as well. I’m willing to pick up a needle and thread for a little while.”

  “I’m sure they’d appreciate that, Ma. It’s no secret that I’m not going to be much help in that area.”

  “You can do whatever you put your mind to, Sara Jane,” her pa stated. “Just look at this wonderful supper you and Riley put together. You both did a fine job and we are all grateful.”

  There were murmurs of agreement around the table. Sara Jane accepted the praise, knowing that most of it belonged to Riley. It had occurred to her that she really didn’t know much about cooking and if she were to ever get married and need to provide a meal for herself and her husband, she might find herself in murky waters. She’d mentioned that to Riley, who promised to help her correct that small gap in her knowledge. Sara Jane thanked her and added learning how to cook to the list of other things she needed to master.

  There were several things on the list now. Learning how to ride bareback. How to vault her way onto a horse without using the stirrups was another. Cooking. She was already working on basic sewing skills. If she wasn’t careful, Ma would have her putting in the garden come spring.

  When supper was over, Sara Jane excused herself to go check on her horse, needing a few moments alone with her thoughts. She entered the barn, put a scoop of feed in Shiloh’s bucket, and then spent some time rubbing her hand up and down the mare’s neck.

  “What do you think, girl? Sorry we didn’t get our ride today. Too much snow out there. Hopefully we can get out tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Talking to your horse again?” Carl asked. She turned to see him leaning over the door of the stall. “I figured this was where you had gotten off to.”

  “I always come and see Shiloh at night.”

  “I know. In some things, you are very predictable.”

  “You make that sound like a bad thing,” she told him with a frown.

  “Not at all. Being able to depend on someone is never bad.” He watched her for a moment and then asked, “You planning to take her out tomorrow?”

  “When we get back from town. Provided it’s not too icy. I wouldn’t want her to get injured. She can get her exercise in the corral if that’s the case.”

  “But you’ll miss riding her,” Carl surmised.

  “I will. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.” She gave Shiloh one last pat and then moved toward the stall door. Carl opened it for her and then closed it, making sure the latch was secure. “Thank you.”

  “Let me walk you back.”

  “I can walk back to the house by myself. I’ve done it thousands of times,” she informed him.

  “But not in deep snow. It’s dark out and—”

  “…I need to keep ahold of the rope leading to the porch. I know the rules. Thank you for the offer,” she told him at the door of the barn.

  “Supper really was good. I didn’t know you could cook.”

  Sara Jane pulled a face and then confided in him, “I didn’t either. Riley told me how to do everything. She offered to help me some more.”

  “I look forward to eating the fruits of your labors then,” Carl told her with a smile. “Are you sure you’re okay to walk back to the house?”

  “I’m sure. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, Sara Jane. Come and find me tomorrow when you’re ready to ride. I’d like to go with you if that’s okay?”

  She nodded. Carl had never asked if he could go with her before; he’d always told her she had to take someone along. She smiled as she entered the house and climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She liked this new Carl and fell asleep thinking about his eyes and the way her arm had tingled when their fingertips had touched. Her feelings for Carl were evolving quickly and with each passing encounter, she found herself anticipating their next one.

  Her last thought as she fell asleep was that she was most definitely falling in love with Carl. She was in new territory and cautioned herself to go slowly. She instinctively knew that if things went badly between her and Carl, life on the ranch would never be the same again. She was going to do everything in her power to make sure that didn’t happen. Even if that meant denying her own feelings in the process.

  Chapter 16

  The next day

  Sara Jane drove the wagon into town and parked on the side of the mercantile.

  The storm had passed over and the sun was out, melting the snow hour by hour. Sara Jane was happy to feel the sun on her face, but the melting snow was giving way to lots of squishy mud. Mud that made wagon wheels go the wrong direction and could easily cause a horse to stumble. She knew it was only a temporary trial and given a few days of sunshine, everything would be dried out again, just waiting for the next storm to arrive.

  “So, girls, what are our plans for today?” Pearl asked.

  Sara Jane set the wagon brake and then tied the reins off. She hopped down, shaking out her skirt and wishing she were in her trousers. “After we speak to Mrs. Pedersen, we’ll take the wagon down to the boarding house.”

  “That sounds like a good idea. I have no desire to walk through the muck,” her ma grimaced.

  Sara Jane retrieved the steps and helped first her ma and then Riley out of the wagon. “Whomever thought of these stairs?” Riley asked as Sara Jane pushed them underneath the wagon wheel.

  “My pa did. He didn’t want Ma to risk falling getting out of the wagon.”

  “They are very handy,” Riley agreed.

  They climbed the stairs to the mercantile and were greeted warmly by Mrs. Pedersen. “I’m so happy to see you all. Come in out of the weather. I have a kettle of water on the stove.”

  She led them to the back and the four of them sat down. Mrs. Pedersen produced a tin of biscuits with a smile. “So, what brings you three ladies to town?”

  “The women from the boarding house are going to attend Sunday services this week,” Ma informed her.

  “Really? Well … I think … I think that’s wonderful,” Mrs. Pedersen replied.

  “Good. I’m hoping we can count on you to help us get them properly attired.”

  “Whatever I can do to help.”

  The bell over the door chimed and they all turned to see Mrs. Lawry step inside. She looked irritated and none of the women immediately moved to go see what she needed. Finally, Mrs. Pedersen stood up and headed in the woman’s direction. “Mrs. Lawry. What can we do for you today?”

  “Well, I’m sure there’s nothing you can do for me, but Mark told me I should at least try.”

  Sara Jane and Riley shared a look as they listened. “Wonder what Her Highness wants?” Riley whispered.

  Ma overheard and gave both young women a stern look. “Manners,” she whispered, giving Sara Jane an even harder look. “Now be quiet so I can hear what’s being said.”

  Sara Jane hid a laugh and made an effort not to look at Riley, lest she lose the battle and start laughing out loud. Ma’s attention was completely focused on the conversation happening across the room.

  “Mrs. Lawry, what can I help you find?”

  Cecelia Lawry sighed dramatically and then made a show of removing her silk gloves. She was dressed in a lavender jacket and matching skirt made from satin. She had a matching hat that Sara Jane found ridiculous. She couldn’t imagine ever wearing something so … frivolous. The entire outfit was very out of place in Rio Arriba, even amongst the local townsfolk and their brightly colored clothing.

  “I have a list right here,” Cecelia pulled a list out of her reticule. “I’m sure you’ll have to order most of it from back East, but …”

  “Possibly,” Mrs. Pedersen agreed as she held out her hand for the list. Mrs. Lawry relinquished it and then proceeded to look as if she was being tortured by having to remain inside the store. She walked a short distance, looking at the wares the mercantile had to offer, her nose going up in disdain over and over again. Sara Jane c
ouldn’t help but want to laugh at how haughty the woman was acting.

  While Mrs. Pedersen moved about the room, gathering up the items on the list, Sara Jane decided it was only neighborly to go over and say hello. Ma placed a hand on her arm as she stood up, but Sara Jane shook her head. “I’m just going to wish her a good day.”

  “Sara Jane …”

  “Don’t worry, Ma. I’ll be nice.”

  Sara Jane moved across the room, pasting a smile on her face. “Mrs. Lawry, how nice to see you today.”