Lauraine Snelling (9 page)

“Yes, she is. Her family goes to our church. I’m sure you’ll meet them today.”

“Sorry I’m late.” With no further comment, Ransom hauled himself up into the seat and picked up the lines.

Mavis gathered her bag in close on her lap in anticipation of the wagon lurching forward.

Away they went, these others who knew everybody, not just in the church but the whole town, and Cassie, who knew nobody. It reminded her again of how much she must learn, how many people she must meet, how hard she must work to make her new house a real home.

And it would all be worth it. Wouldn’t it?

W
hat amazing country. Cassie fell in love with the valleys, the ridges, every time she gazed on them. Golden aspens, deep green pines, meadows that could not decide whether to be lush tan or quiet green. And she owned some of this! Her head was fairly comfortable with that fact now, but her heart still had trouble grasping it.

As they rattled along toward town, Mavis pointed out the other ranches and told her a bit about the families. Cassie showed them the track that led to the place where they had camped. Lucas told a story about one of the families, which made her laugh. What a pleasant time.

Lucas rode along beside, just off the right wheel. “So how do you like the cabin?”

“I love it. Thanks to all your help, it already feels like a home. Not that I have a lot of experience in homes, but we are comfortable.”
And safe from the weather, and safe from more traveling.
She thought a moment. “What is it like to live in one place all your life?”

He frowned and then shrugged. “I have nothing to compare it to, so in my mind this is the way life should be. What was it like for you?”

“Yours seems so much more simple and peaceful. But then, one gets used to all the hubbub of taking everything down, traveling, and setting up again, with people around all the time, constantly moving from place to place. That is the life I grew up with. We all ate in the kitchen tent, so we saw the same people all the time, like a great big family. Getting ready for a show was always a tense time, but once those gates opened and the parade began, everyone did their job and we entertained the guests. We gave them a good show and taught them something about the West and life in the West at the same time.”

“And you had a trick-riding act as well as a sharpshooting act?” Mavis was asking more than stating.

“I did. My father trained Wind Dancer and me together. I started with a pony when I was six and became part of the act when I turned seven. Both my mother and my father were the act for years. When Mother died, it was just my father and me. He loved shooting and taught me. Together we got up a good act. After he died, I was the headliner.”

“Why did you leave the show?”

“We didn’t. The show left us. The owner, Jason Talbot, announced at the end of the Dickinson run that the show was bankrupt and everyone would need to find other jobs. Just like that. Boom. Done.” Cassie did not look at either Lucas or Mavis but kept her gaze focused on the beginnings of the town. When they had left town that other day, she’d not paid a lot of attention to its outskirts, just concentrated on getting out of there without trouble. Now she could look around.

“Oh, how awful.” Mavis patted her arm. “See, that’s our church just ahead and to the right. You can see the steeple. I’m sure you already know that’s the general store. Yonder is the doctor’s office and other businesses. Of course you can’t miss the grain elevators by the tracks, and the cattle yards are there.”

Cassie nodded. “That’s where we kept the horses and cattle that night.”

Ransom turned the team into the field where they had camped and drew the horses up to a halt beside another wagon and team. Lucas swung off and gallantly assisted both Cassie and his mother to the ground. He obviously enjoyed being the ladies’ escort.

“Thank you,” Cassie said with a smile, ignoring the butterflies cavorting in her middle. She could still hear that man hollering at them. What if he was in church today? She’d ignore him, if possible. But from what someone else said, he was most likely sleeping off his night at the tavern.

Lucas offered one arm to his mother and the other to Cassie. Hesitantly she slid her hand through the crook in his arm. Ransom followed behind.

Gretchen met them at the base of the steps. “Oh, Miss Lockwood, I’m so glad to see you here.”

“Thank you. I’m glad to be here.”
Or I will be when I get in there and all sat down.
She felt as though all the eyes in the building were staring at her while she followed Mrs. Engstrom down the center aisle to an empty pew. Mrs. Engstrom went in first, and then Gretchen. Cassie followed the girl, and then she realized that Lucas was right behind her. She wanted to find out where Ransom was, why she had no idea, but when they all sat down, Lucas’s shoulder was right up next to hers. He pulled the hymnal out of the pew rack, looked up at a list of numbers on a rack on the wall, and then turned to the first one.

Could eyes be drilling into her back? It surely felt like it.

Gretchen leaned closer. “Just follow me and I’ll show you what we do.”

Cassie nodded. What she wanted to do was exit fast and return to the safety of the cabin. When a man took his place at the organ in the front to the side and music poured forth, she sat enthralled. Rich and powerful, the music picked her up and soared with her right up and out of the peaked rafters high overhead. When he began another song, everyone stood and Lucas held the hymnal for them. Gretchen shared one with her mother. At some point Ransom had sat down on the other side of Mrs. Engstrom.

“Hymn number 376,” Reverend Brandenburg announced from the chair behind the pulpit. The organ played, the people joined in the singing, and Lucas pointed to where the song began. Cassie followed the words, never having learned to read music. They stood, they sat, they prayed, they sang. The pastor read from the big leather-bound Bible, then preached a sermon, prayed, they sang, and finally they stood as Reverend Brandenburg raised his hands to bless them.

“‘The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.’ Amen.”

Cassie felt he was talking right to her. Bless her and keep her. Surely God’s face was shining on her to bring her here, to the ranch where her father had dreamed of living.

Lucas closed the hymnal and slid it back into the rack. When the organ played again, they all began talking to those around them.

Mrs. Brandenburg had been sitting right in front of them. She turned and, with a wide smile, held out her hands. “Why, Cassie Longwood! No, it’s Lockwood, isn’t it. You didn’t leave the area. And you met the Engstroms. How wonderful.” She paused and stared from Mrs. Engstrom to Cassie. “Did the Bar E turn out to be the place you were looking for?”

Cassie took the hands offered. What could she say? “Yes. And the Engstroms have been most gracious to us.”

“Well, of course. Mavis couldn’t be anything but gracious. I’m sure there’s a real story here, but right now I want you to know how happy I am to see you again.”

“Thank you.” Cassie looked at Gretchen, who motioned her to return to the middle aisle. Lucas had not left her side. Once they were out of the pew and heading toward the door, the Engstroms introduced her to those around. Cassie immediately forgot the names, but most of the people smiled and welcomed her. All except for a young woman who was glaring at her. At least it seemed that way, but Cassie couldn’t figure any reason for that, so surely she was mistaken.

When they made it to the door, Pastor Brandenburg shook her hand, covering her hand with his other.

“Well, Miss Lockwood, what a delightful surprise to see you in church with us this morning. I rode out to the place where I figured you had camped, but your wagon was gone. I was so disappointed. But here you are and with some of my favorite people.” He turned. “Thank you, Mrs. Engstrom, for bringing her back to us here in town.”

“Thank you. This was a lovely service.” Cassie wasn’t about to tell him how uncomfortable she had been because she’d not been to church in she didn’t remember how many years. But maybe next time, she’d be a little more comfortable.

Smiling brightly, Lucas immediately stepped up beside her and extended his arm, elbow cocked. She smiled in return and accepted his escort, his mother on the other side. They strolled down the street toward their wagon, basking in the friendliness of the people and the music that made her feel like she was flying. She was sure she had not a care in the world.

“Where’s Ransom?” Mavis asked her son.

“I think I saw him talking with Daniel Westbrook.”

“Oh, really?”

Was that a note of concern Cassie heard in her voice? Whoever this Daniel Westbrook was, she’d not met him. The name didn’t even sound familiar. She glanced at a house across the street and sucked in her breath.

There he was! That fellow who didn’t want Indians in Argus! He was walking this way on the other side of the street with two companions, heading straight toward her. There was not a shadow of a doubt that he would recognize her the moment he saw her.

She snatched her hat off her head. Her hat would be even more recognizable than she, and she would be the only woman in the world to be wearing a hat like that. She turned her face away from the street, which put her in the awkward position of being escorted by a man she was carefully looking away from. The fellow had never seen her in skirts—that would work in her favor. Maybe.

Lucas lowered his voice. “What in the world are you doing?”

“The big burly man across the street, in the brown shirt. He’s the Indian hater.”

Mavis clucked. “Yes, I thought that’s who you were talking about.”

“Want us to go over there and explain a few things to him?” Lucas asked. “I’d be glad to.”

“And I’d be happy to join you,” Ransom said from behind them.

“No!” Cassie tried to muffle it, but it burst out much too loud. “No, please don’t. That won’t help anything.”

“She has an excellent point.” Mavis continued toward the wagons, her voice taking on its no-nonsense, don’t-even-think-of-disobeying tone. “We will go home.”

Acting rather pouty and disappointed, Lucas assisted both his mother and Cassie back up into the wagon. Gretchen climbed into the back and sat down on a bench they had there, her back resting against the inside of the wagon box. Ransom backed the team. They waved good-bye to those waving and headed out of town, with Cassie carefully keeping her head tucked down.

After a couple of blocks, Cassie let out a breath and felt herself relax. He’d not seen her. “Thank you for bringing me with you. People seemed really nice. With that exception, of course. The music was so beautiful.”

“Yes, for a church our size we have a good organ and a man who loves to play it. He gives music lessons too. If we weren’t so far out of town, I’d love to have Gretchen take lessons.”

“But Gretchen doesn’t really want to take lessons, so it’s all right” came from the girl on the bench who twisted around on her knees and locked her elbows up over the back of the seat. “Mor, did you notice Betsy’s sister? She sure looked mad. I thought she was going to stab Lucas with something. But I didn’t see Betsy.”

“She was there earlier. She must have had to leave early or something.”

“She was probably upset that Lucas was sitting next to Miss Lockwood.” Ransom flicked the lines and the horses picked up a trot.

“Surely not,” Mavis answered. “At least, I hope not.”

Cassie had no idea what they were talking about, but she listened politely and watched the houses go by, and then they were back out in ranching country. She’d not seen the little girl with the lisp at the service. But then the man with the big mouth hadn’t been there either. Seeing him out on the street was frightening enough. There sure was a story to tell about her and the Engstroms, but she was not going to be the one telling it. That would be up to Mrs. Engstrom. Cassie just wanted to have a home, and the cabin with her adopted family was it.

Lucas rode beside the wagon, and when they arrived at the ranch house, he helped Cassie and his mother down before riding his horse down to the barn. Ransom drove the wagon on down too.

“They’ll unhitch and dawdle long enough for us to get the table set.” Gretchen walked with Cassie, following Mavis into the house. “Let me take your coat and hat, and I’ll hang them on the tree by the door.”

Cassie did as asked and, when she turned, let her gaze wander the room again. Such a welcoming and comfortable place.

“You can sit in here if you’d like,” Mrs. Engstrom told Cassie, “while we get dinner on the table.”

“Isn’t there something I can do to help?”

“It’s about ready. I have the meat and vegetables in the oven, and they should be about done by now. We’re having baked Hubbard squash. I had to take an ax to that big squash to cut it into small enough pieces. I’ll send some home with you so it doesn’t go to waste. Nothing tastes better than Hubbard squash with butter and brown sugar cooked into it. And it goes equally well in stew or soup.”

Cassie just nodded. She’d learn all this about food and cooking if it killed her. Should she just ask questions, or try to pretend she already knew something about it? Anything about it? What was so ordinary and humdrum to these people was completely alien to her.

“Do you want to help me set the table while Mor makes the gravy? We’ll need to slice the bread too and put out the pickles and the pickled beets.”

“All right.”
At least I can set a table, can’t I? I mean, how difficult is that?

Gretchen waved an arm about. “There’s four of us and four of you. The plates are in that cupboard and the silver in that drawer. I’ll get the napkins.”