The Cowboy’s Frontier Courtship

by Maya Stirling

  "I'm sure the children will fit in perfectly, Mr Kincaid." She smiled at the scene below. "Looks like they've made a start already."

  It was lunch time, late on Logan's first full day back in Inspiration. Glancing up at the large, white-fronted schoolhouse, he nodded. "I recall coming here when I was young, ma'am. It seems bigger than I recall."

  "We've had some improvements made over the last few years. Apparently one of the Buchanan brothers fixed the roof. You were a pupil here?" Miss Chalmers asked.

  "Before your time," Logan said. "You didn't know Miss Grace, did you?"

  Miss Chalmers smiled. "I'm afraid I didn't have that pleasure. What was she like?"

  Logan considered what he could say about his former teacher. But he realized that if he gave Miss Chalmers an accurate account of Miss Grace, he'd also have to tell her about what an unruly student he'd been. Right now, he didn't want to go into that. He was here to make sure the children were placed in a good school. And this certainly looked like the right place.

  Even though Miss Chalmers was stern, even serious in her demeanor, she was kindly and soft-featured compared to Logan's teacher. Miss Grace had been a strict disciplinarian. Someone with whom Logan had had many battles. Now he was embarrassed to think about how he'd behaved. He had made Miss Grace's life difficult, he admitted to himself.

  "Miss Grace did her best to make sure I learned as much as I could." Logan smiled. "I'm not sure I was an ideal pupil."

  Miss Chalmers grinned. "We all have to do our growing up, Mr Kincaid. Sometimes it isn't easy"

  "You're happy for the children to start next Monday?" Logan asked. Today was Tuesday. That would give him a few days to look into proper accommodation for himself and the children. Perhaps he might even find a suitable home for sale. He could only hope.

  "That would be fine," Miss Chalmers replied. Clasping her hands, she lifted her chin and called out: "Children. Break time is over. Please return to the class." There was instant authority in Miss Chalmers' voice.

  The children halted and gazed up at their teacher. Logan stood to one side of the ten steps which led up to the schoolhouse door and watched the procession of children as they quietly and obediently made their back into the classroom. Miss Chalmers watched them all with a steely expression. Logan wondered just how stern she could be. Once the last child had walked through the open doors she turned to Logan and gave him a surprisingly warm smile.

  Logan looked at Jack and Alice who'd come to stand alongside him. "I think you're going to like it here," he told them. Jack's face was flushed with his efforts. Logan laid a hand on Jack's shoulder. "You'll have some good friends here. I can tell."

  Alice smiled up at Miss Chalmers. "Ma'am. Did you teach our pa?"

  Miss Chalmers laughed quietly. "He was here before I was."

  "You got a good teacher, here," Logan reassured Alice. In response, Alice nodded.

  Before Miss Chalmers started to make her way into the classroom, she looked at Logan. "The children usually bring a lunch pail. And we make a start at nine o'clock sharp."

  Logan nodded. "Do they need books?"

  Miss Chalmers shook her head. "We have everything they'll need. The town is very generous when it comes to giving the school the necessary resources. They understand how important is the education of our children." She smiled at the children. "And that applies to every pupil. Especially new residents of our fair town."

  Logan glanced down at Jack and Alice. "You hear that? You officially belong to the town, now. Isn't that something?"

  Alice and Jack nodded in prefect unison. Logan figured they looked pleased.

  Miss Chalmers shook the hands of both children. "I'll see you both here, bright and early, on Monday." She smiled warmly at Alice and Jack. "I look forward to being your teacher."

  Logan felt confidence surge inside him. Miss Chalmers was clearly someone who took her professional duties seriously. She possessed a quiet authority. Alice and Jack would be in good hands.

  They said goodbye to Miss Chalmers. Then Logan and the children made their way back to the boardinghouse. When they walked into the boardinghouse, Logan heard voices coming from the dining room.

  Miss Hannigan came into the hall from the direction of the kitchen. "You're all in time for lunch." Gesturing toward the open door halfway down the hall, she added: "Everyone is dying to hear about your first morning in town."

  "Is that so?" Logan asked cautiously.

  Miss Hannigan nodded and started down the hall. Logan followed her, with Alice and Jack at his heels. Inside the long dining room, Logan saw the other four residents. Miss Hannigan had made introductions the previous evening, so Logan was already acquainted with the other guests.

  The two sisters, Lucille and Caroline Brown, both modestly pretty and in their early twenties, were seated on one side of the table. Each was dressed in a plain, blue colored gown. Lucille and Caroline exchanged an eager, slightly inquisitive look as Logan paused at the head of the table, wondering where he should sit. Caroline Brown had come to Inspiration to marry Tom Carling, the town blacksmith. Her sister, Lucille, was accompanying Caroline. Last night, in the sitting room, Lucille had told everyone about her own wish to find a husband. Hearing that admission had caused an awkward moment for Logan. Lucille had fixed Logan with a knowing look when she'd announced her intentions. Logan had averted his gaze as politely as he could. Having only just arrived in town, Logan had plenty to think about without considering if he needed to find a wife.

  Opposite them sat the young married couple, Robert Gannon and his wife, Rebecca. Robert Gannon aged, Logan guessed, in his early thirties, sat erect and peered at Logan. Gannon's fingers curled around the lapels of his gray suit. His glance flickered toward his wife, Rebecca. She was elegantly dressed in a gray gown the same color as her husband's suit. Rebecca smiled politely at Logan and then at each of the children in turn. The previous evening, Logan had been impressed by Rebecca's good-natured demeanor. She and her husband had recently arrived in town and were looking to buy a place of their own to settle down. Robert Gannon was taking up a position as assistant at the land agent's office.

  As Logan and the children took their places at the table, all eyes settled on him, clearly eager to hear all about his visit to the school. Miss Hannigan insisted that Logan take his seat at the end of the table with Jack and Alice seated on either side of him. Smiling contentedly with the seating arrangements, Miss Hannigan left the room. Logan heard her footsteps hurrying down the hall toward the kitchen. He heard Miss Hannigan issue hurried instructions to Bertha, the cook. Logan's mouth watered as he inhaled the aroma of what he figured was cooked chicken and vegetables.

  "How was your morning?" Lucille asked.

  "We got the children their school places," Logan explained. "Miss Chalmers seems real nice. And she can't wait for Jack and Alice to get to school."

  "How lovely," Rebecca Gannon enthused. She seemed genuinely delighted, Logan told himself. Rebecca looked across at her husband. "Isn't that wonderful, Robert."

  Robert nodded. In contrast to his wife, Robert was stern-faced, although Logan was sure he could see a hint of good-humor behind the man's steady gaze. "Education is an important thing," he declared. He lowered his brows and peered at Alice and Jack. "I'm sure you'll make your father very proud by becoming good students."

  Jack glanced quizzically up at Logan, clearly wondering how he should respond to Robert Gannon's grand pronouncement and sage advice.

  "I recall my school days," Caroline Brown said brightly. "Don't you remember, Lucille? Wasn't it fun?"

  The corners of Lucille's mouth creased. She didn't seem as enthusiastic about school as her sister. "I imagine the schoolhouse here is nicer than the one we went to back east in Philadelphia."

  "Oh, tush, Lucille," Caroline exclaimed. "Miss Porter's school was just fine, and you know it." Caroline smiled at everyone around the table. "When we were at school together, my sister was accustomed to trying to get her own way. She di
dn't always see eye to eye with Miss Porter."

  "Caroline!" Lucille snapped. "Miss Porter told me I was one of her star pupils. Repeatedly."

  Caroline shook her head and laughed. "She said that to everyone, Lucille."

  Lucille gasped. Her cheeks flushed red and she glanced at Logan as if eager to see what he was making of her sister's description of her. Logan looked from Jack to Alice. "I think they'll do just fine," he said and grinned. There were times when Logan felt genuine pride in the children. And this was one of those times.

  Miss Hannigan and Bertha brought the food which, as Logan had suspected was a delicious preparation of chicken, potatoes and green beans, preceded by a tasty vegetable soup. During the long journey from Helena, Logan had had to make do with simple food on the trail. He was glad that, now they were back in civilization, he and the children could start enjoying proper food again.

  Before they all started eating, Miss Hannigan said grace. Logan noted the reverence with which everyone bowed their heads. And he was pleased to see Jack and Alice do the same during the prayer.

  Then it was time to eat. Logan was surprised at how hungry he was. He helped Jack and Alice fill their plates. Pretty soon, the conversation around the table died as everyone enjoyed the delicious lunch.

  After the two main courses, Berth came in carrying a huge plate with an apple pie. That drew appreciative gasps from the guests. Portions were cut and laid out on plates and handed around. By the time he'd finished his piece of pie, Logan could feel his belly straining from all the food he'd eaten. But it sure felt good, he told himself. This was the closest he'd come to a family meal in a long time. And, by the delighted expressions on the faces of Jack and Alice, he could see just how much it meant to them.

  The conversation got going again and continued as all the guests made their way into the sitting room. Bertha brought coffee. The children had gone back up to their room, leaving the five guests taking up places on the two large sofas. After a while, Lucille Brown came to Logan as he was standing by the window.

  "Did you and the children come by trail all the way from Helena?" Lucille said.

  Logan nodded. "It took us a few days. We got lucky with the weather."

  "Why didn't you come by train?"

  "I wanted the children to get to see the territory where they'll be growing up," Logan said. "I figured it would be good for them to see the ranches and homesteads, too. Get to know Montana from the seat of a buckboard, instead of through the window of a train."

  "Did you stop along the way?" Lucille asked.

  "We sure did," Logan replied. "We met some of the homesteaders." Logan grinned, "They sure were friendly."

  Lucille's nose crinkled and she frowned. "I can't imagine living like that. It must be so hard living on a farm."

  Logan peered steadily into Lucille's dark brown eyes. She'd been brought up in the city. The idea of country living must seem like her worst nightmare, he told himself. "It takes a special kind of person to make something of a homestead. It's tough, that's for sure. But the homesteaders I met looked happy. They're good families."

  "I've no doubt they are." Lucille still didn't seem convinced. "And what about you, Logan?" she asked.

  "Me?"

  Lucile nodded. "You're not planning on settling down on a homestead, are you?"

  "I have the children to consider," he said. "They're used to town life. I figure Inspiration might be a good place for them to grow up." He didn't want to go into too much detail about the lives of the children.

  Lucille seemed satisfied by that answer. But Logan couldn't help wondering where she was leading the conversation. From what he'd gathered, Lucille hadn't found a beau of her own since coming to Inspiration. Not yet, anyway, Logan reflected. After Caroline married, it would be Lucille's turn to find a husband.

  Changing the subject, Logan said: "We'd have got here sooner, but one of the wheels on my buckboard came loose. I had to stop and fix it." He gave Lucille a measured look. "Luckily, I knew someone who owned one of the homesteads about an hour out of town. We stayed with her for the night."

  Lucille's eyes widened. "Her?" The single word was pronounced with an abruptness which surprised Logan.

  "Kirsty MacAnliss owns the place," Logan confirmed and nodded.

  Lucille hesitated for a few moments. Her cheeks flushed pink and she glanced across at the sofa where Caroline, Rebecca and Robert were talking quietly. Leaning her head closer to Logan, Lucille spoke quietly, her voice quivering slightly. "You stayed at Miss MacAnliss' place?" she asked.

  Logan frowned, wondering why there was such an incredulous tone in Lucille's voice now. "Sure. Kirsty and I were friends when we were at school."

  Lucille's brows shot up in a line. "You were?"

  Logan shrugged. "Kirsty was happy for us to stay the night. She gave the children her cousin's room. Abby lives there with Kirsty. But she was in town for the night. I slept on the sofa."

  Lucille's eyes widened. Her mouth dropped open and Logan heard her draw in a sharp breath. Lucille stared at Logan silently for a long moment. Logan figured he hadn't seen anyone look this shocked in a long time.

  Laughter from the three seated on the sofa drew Lucille's attention. Caroline stretched out an arm toward her sister. She laughed again. "Lucille, you must come and listen to what Rebecca said about when she and Robert were traveling to Inspiration by train. It is so funny."

  One last time before she went to join her sister, Lucille peered incredulously at Logan. It was then that he knew he'd made a mistake in telling her about his stay at the homestead. Maybe he'd misjudged the whole thing. Perhaps he'd spent too many years living in bunkhouses to understand what he'd done.

  However, as he watched Lucille make her way to the sofa, Logan had the awful feeling that this wasn't the last time he'd have to explain why he'd stayed the night at Kirsty's homestead.

  CHAPTER NINE

  On Wednesday, two days after Logan had left the homestead, and after she'd learned about the possibility that Abby might marry Lucas Bradford, Kirsty made the one hour journey on her buckboard into town.

  Abby had stayed behind at the homestead after Kirsty had insisted she wouldn't need any help in town. Of course, Abby objected. But she stayed at the homestead, anyway.

  Kirsty was sure that Abby had wanted to use any excuse to come into town and pay Lucas a visit at the bank. She could understand that. Abby and Lucas had become real close, especially during the last few weeks. It seemed like their courtship was turning into something real serious.

  Arriving in town, Kirsty drove up Main Street, taking a simple delight from the sight of the townsfolk going about their everyday business. Inspiration was as much a home for Kirsty as the homestead. The boardwalk was busy on both sides of Main Street. Stores were open and doing a brisk trade. It was a bright, sunny morning. Kirsty sat back on the buckboard seat and guided her horses in the direction of the mercantile.

  Although she loved living on the homestead, Kirsty always felt a special pleasure every time she came to town. She particularly valued her Sunday trips to church. Those were really special. Talking with her fellow worshippers gave her a sense of connection to the town and stopped her from feeling isolated. It felt good to know she lived a short distance from a godly place like Inspiration. A town filled with good people. The frontier could be wild and there were many dangers. Living out in the country, she knew that all too well.

  Kirsty thought about Abby's hopes of marriage. Kirsty knew that, if she was about to take over the running of the farm on her own, the everyday dangers of homesteading would become even more of an issue for her. She tried to push those thoughts and worries out of her head, but it was hard to do so.

  In spite of the concerns she'd nurtured ever since receiving Abby's news, Kirsty felt herself in good spirits. Hard work on the homestead had helped Kirsty keep her mind off the impending changes in her life. However, there had been one person she hadn't been able to keep out of her mind.

&nb
sp; Logan Kincaid.

  Ever since he'd left the homestead, Kirsty hadn't been able to get Logan out of her mind. Doing her daily chores, she'd noticed thoughts of Logan becoming ever more insistent. Simply thinking about his handsome features was enough to set her heart racing.

  The truth was that, even though they'd been childhood rivals in most things, Kirsty had always harbored a secret interest in Logan. After every one of their arguments, when they'd patched things up between them, and carried on their friendship, Kirsty had realized Logan meant more to her than a mere acquaintance. He was someone she could trust. Someone she could rely on.

  Logan's wild side had been hard to deal with. But she'd always known where she stood with Logan. And, judging by what she'd seen a couple of nights ago, he was still a man of his word. Still someone who said it like he saw it. The children were lucky to have a man like Logan in their life, Kirsty reflected. Over the coming years, they'd discover just how good a father he could be to them.

  Kirsty wondered how Logan and the children were settling in to their new life in Inspiration. She was familiar with Miss Hannigan's boardinghouse. It was a clean, well-kept place. Miss Hannigan ran a decent establishment and was careful who she allowed under her roof. Kirsty was sure Logan, Jack and Alice wouldn't have any problems while they stayed there.

  Kirsty arrived at Mr Murchison's mercantile and parked her buckboard outside. Getting down, she headed inside the mercantile. Withdrawing the list she'd tucked inside the lace sleeve of her green gown, Kirsty spent the next half hour gathering what she needed from the shelves. One by one she piled her items on the counter. The elderly and kind-hearted Mr Murchison smiled at Kirsty as he watched her add to the growing mound of purchases.

  It was when Kirsty had gone to the back of the store to obtain some plain fabric from a shelf in the corner of the store that she heard the soft sound of the bell as the door opened. A pair of slow, steady footsteps made their way close to where Kirsty was standing. Whoever it was halted close to Kirsty on the other side of the high shelving. Two women began to speak in low voices on the other side of the high stack of wooden shelves.