Authors: Once Upon a Thanksgiving
Winnie Griggs
To my wonderful family—husband, children,
mother, siblings—who have been enthusiastic
supporters and all-around cheerleaders for me
through the ups and downs of my writing career.
The Lord upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
—
Psalms
145:14
November 1894
Cleebit Springs, Texas
I
t was now or never.
Ruby Tuggle had been sitting in the hotel lobby when Mr. Lassiter returned from whatever business he’d been conducting. She’d watched him climb the stairs to his room, looking as though he’d had a rough day, and then come back down thirty minutes later, cleaner but still tired-looking.
From her seat in the secluded corner of the lobby she’d had a clear view into the hotel dining room. Watching his profile as he ate his meal, she’d tried to get some sense of the man himself.
She’d memorized the way his dark hair tried to curl around his ears, the way it just barely touched his collar in the back and the slight impression of where his hat had rested. She’d watched the way he politely
interacted with Mrs. Dowd when she’d brought out his food, and how he’d kept to himself otherwise.
And the more she studied him, the more solid her gut feeling grew. No doubt about it, he was a good man, and God had put him in her path to help her.
Just now he’d set his cutlery down, sat back and reached for his glass, a sure sign that he was nearly finished with his meal. Soon he would get up and return to his room. If she didn’t gather her courage to speak to him now, she likely wouldn’t get another chance.
Taking a deep breath, Ruby rose and moved into the dining room.
Heavenly Father, please give me the right words. And, if it’s not asking too much, please soften this man’s heart toward my need.
Stopping near his table, she cleared her throat to get his attention. “Excuse me, but can I speak to you for a moment?” Good—her voice hadn’t squeaked like it sometimes did when she was nervous.
The man looked up from his nearly empty plate. “Ma’am?”
Her cheeks warmed as her courage wavered. What must he be thinking of her? Approaching him this way would have been considered bold if they were already acquainted. The fact that they were near strangers only made it that much more forward and unseemly.
But it was too late to turn back now. “Mr. Lassiter, is it?”
He nodded, his tobacco-brown eyes continuing to assess her. “That’s right—Griff Lassiter.”
“My name is Ruby Tuggle,” she continued. “You might remember me from this morning?”
Not that
that
particular memory would lend her any additional credibility. She’d dropped a tray of dirty dishes practically at his feet in this very dining room. The man had been gentleman enough to help her collect the broken dishes and scattered cutlery. He’d even offered her a sympathetic smile when Mrs. Dowd had come out and given her a very public scolding for her clumsiness.
Then she realized she needed to get something straight before she continued. “This isn’t about that,” she said quickly, “though I do want to thank you again for your kindness. In fact, I don’t work here anymore, so it’s not hotel business at all. It’s a personal matter I’m wanting to discuss with you.” Realizing she was babbling, Ruby paused and took a steadying breath.
To her relief, Mr. Lassiter stood. She’d forgotten how very tall and imposing he was up close. The man commanded attention even when he wasn’t trying to.
He waved her to the chair across from him. “Please have a seat. Can I order you something?”
Her spirits rose as she sat. This was a good beginning. He
was
a gentleman, and genuinely kind to boot. Now if only she could convince him to help her. “No, thank you. I’ve already eaten.”
He took his seat, placed his elbows on the table and crossed his arms. “What can I do for you, Miss Tuggle?”
“I have a business proposition I’d like to discuss with you, if I may?”
That earned her a raised eyebrow. “I’m listening.”
“I understand you own a ranch in the Tyler area and will be returning there soon.”
He nodded. “I leave for Hawk’s Creek first thing in the morning.”
Her hands were clasped under the table so tight she felt the nails bite into her palms. This was it. “Well, I’m planning to travel to Tyler myself and I was wondering if I could hire you to provide me with an escort.”
Please, please, please say yes.
There was a flash of surprise in his expression. “Excuse me for saying so, ma’am, but you don’t really know me. Wouldn’t you be more comfortable traveling with a relative or family friend?”
At least he hadn’t outright rejected her request. “I don’t have any family here.” Or anywhere else for that matter. “And no friends who could spare time for the trip.”
He studied her in silence for a long moment and she did her best not to fidget. Finally he leaned back in his chair. “Mind if I ask what kind of business you have in Tyler that would take you there on your own?”
She bristled a bit at that. It was really none of his business, after all. But she needed his goodwill so she swallowed her pride. “I plan to start a new life.”
A new life
—just saying that out loud lifted her spirits. No more facing so much resentment and pity. No more pretending she was happy here. “And I understand Tyler is a large enough place that I could find suitable work to support myself.”
He didn’t seem happy with her answer. “Miss
Tuggle, I hate to rain on your campfire, but it’s really not wise for a young lady to strike out on her own like that. Especially in a strange place where she had no friends to turn to should the need arise. And finding suitable work, especially without someone to recommend you, might take time.”
“I have enough money to tide me over for a bit.” That had a satisfying sound to it, too. Discovering just yesterday that a nest egg had been set aside for her had made her almost giddy just imagining the possibilities. “I’m resourceful enough to take care of myself and I’m not afraid of hard or messy work.”
He didn’t appear convinced. “You mentioned you don’t work here anymore. I don’t mean to pry, but if this is just a reaction to that dust-up this morning, you’d likely be better off staying put and working things out with Mrs. Dowd.”
Her heart sank as she saw her chances of success begin to fade. But she lifted her chin and tried again. “You’re wrong if you think this is a spur of the moment decision. I’ve been planning to leave here for some time now. This morning’s
dust-up,
as you call it, just gave me the final push is all. I’ll be headed for Tyler tomorrow, with or without your company.” That was partly bluster, of course. But she was just determined enough to contemplate doing it. It was past time to spread her wings.
“Ruby Anne, what do you think you’re doing? Get up from there this minute.”
Ruby jumped. She’d been so intent on making her
case to Mr. Lassiter that she hadn’t heard Mrs. Dowd approach.
The stout rolling pin of a woman turned to Mr. Lassiter with an apologetic smile. “Sir, I’m so sorry if this girl has been bothering—”
“On the contrary.”
Ruby, already halfway out of her chair, paused as her companion’s voice cut across the woman’s scold like a knife through lard.
“Miss Tuggle has graciously agreed to join me for dessert this evening,” he continued, waving Ruby back down. “Speaking of which, I would appreciate it if you would please bring a bowl of your peach cobbler for each of us when you have a moment.” While he hadn’t raised his voice, and his expression remained pleasant, there was something in his tone that warned against argument.
Mrs. Dowd stiffened and her mouth snapped shut. Then she offered her best be-nice-to-the-customer smile. “Why, um, yes, of course. I’ll get it for you at once.”
The woman turned a sharper glance Ruby’s way, but didn’t linger.
Ruby had never seen Mrs. Dowd move so quickly. She turned to Mr. Lassiter with gratitude and a touch of awe. “Thank you.”
He smiled. “It’s just a bowl of cobbler.”
Oh, it had been so much more than that. But he didn’t give her time to elaborate.
“I can see you’re determined,” he said, returning to their original discussion. “But have you given
any thought to the timing? Thanksgiving is a little over a week away and Christmas is right behind that. Surely you’ll want to spend the holidays in familiar surroundings?”
She almost rolled her eyes at that. If he only knew. “Not at all. In fact, I believe being settled in a new place, surrounded by new people, is the perfect way to celebrate the holidays. It will definitely give me something extra to be thankful for.”
That earned her another probing stare, which she endured without comment.
“How do you plan to travel?” he finally asked.
“I’ve purchased a small buggy and a horse,” Ruby reported proudly. She’d taken care of that this morning as soon as she’d left the hotel. “I know having to match pace with a buggy will likely slow you down, but as I said, I’m prepared to pay you for your trouble.”
He waved her offer aside. “That won’t be an issue. I’ve acquired a young Angus bull today that I’m taking back to Hawk’s Creek, so I’ll be traveling slow and easy anyway.”
Did that mean he was going to agree to her request? “Then you’ll do it?”
He raised his napkin and smothered a cough.
She noticed again how tired he looked. “Are you okay?”
He shook his head dismissively. “It’s just a bit of trail dust caught in my throat.” He took a sip from his water glass, then leaned back again. “As for your other question, there’s just one problem. I’m not going
to Tyler proper. My ranch is a bit north of there, and since I’ll have a bull tethered to my horse, I’d prefer to take the shortest route possible.”
“I see.” Ruby did her best to swallow her disappointment. Why hadn’t he said so right away instead of letting her get her hopes up?
Saying she’d make the trip with or without him was one thing. Actually doing it was another. Not only were there the normal hazards of the road to worry about, but there was always the possibility of getting lost along the way. After all, since the ill-fated day when she’d arrived in Cleebit Springs at age seven, she hadn’t traveled more than a mile outside of town.
So what did she do now?
G
riff took the opportunity brought about by Mrs. Dowd’s reappearance to study the young woman seated across from him. A slip of a girl with dark hair and bright green eyes, with a face as readable as a babe’s. It was hard to tell her age—she had an air of childlike trust about her that made her seem school-girlish—yet his instincts told him she was probably around eighteen or so.
Miss Tuggle also had an awkward coltishness about her that reminded him a little of his sister, Sadie. She seemed to have more than a touch of Sadie’s stubbornness, as well.
The biggest problem in his opinion, though, was that she was much too trusting for her own good. Sure,
he’d
never take advantage of a young lady, but there were some who’d do it without a second thought. Especially after she’d blurted out that bit about having enough money to tide her over.
Yep, that ingenuousness of hers might be charm
ing to a casual observer, but not to him. A girl like this could be a passel of trouble for whoever had the doubtful honor of looking out for her.
He just didn’t want to be saddled with the job himself. He was tired, his head hurt and he had this new bull to get back to Hawk’s Creek. The last thing he needed was to have to babysit some wide-eyed girl with big city dreams.
And while Ruby Tuggle was in no way his responsibility at the moment, he was irritated to realize that somehow she was well on her way to making herself so.
Because he kept coming back to the thought that if this had been Sadie…
“There now.” Mrs. Dowd took a step back. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”
Griff glanced across the table. “Miss Tuggle?”
“No. I’m fine, thank you.”
He was glad to see she didn’t appear as nervous in the woman’s presence as she had earlier.
He gave Mrs. Dowd a dismissive nod. “I think we’re both fine for now.”
As soon as the woman was gone, Miss Tuggle leaned forward. “Perhaps we could travel together for part of the way?”
Griff took a bite of his cobbler and had to follow it with a swallow of water. His throat was still scratchy. Hang it all, he just wanted to head upstairs and get a good night’s rest. But he knew that wasn’t going to happen if he didn’t make sure this fool girl didn’t
go off on her own tomorrow and get herself lost—or worse.
“Actually, I have a better idea.”
“Oh?”
He mentally winced at the sudden hope that flared in her expression. This girl was so transparent. “Since you seem so determined to leave here—”
She nodded vigorously. “Oh, I am.”
“At the pace I’ll be moving tomorrow it’ll take all of nine hours to get to Cornerstone, which is where we would part ways for you to go on to Tyler and me to go to the ranch. That means it would be dusk at best before you actually reach your destination.” Assuming she could make it on her own at all. “Which wouldn’t give you a whole lot of time to find accommodations for yourself and your horse and buggy before full nightfall.”
“Surely there would be someone in town who could direct me to a hotel or boardinghouse.”
Did she think everyone in the world was as helpful—or as honest—as her neighbors here in Cleebit Springs? She’d learn different soon enough. “Still, much better for you to arrive in the morning when you’re well rested. Easier to get your bearings and be a mite more selective about your accommodations.”
Her brow drew down in a thoughtful expression. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
Of course she hadn’t. More proof that she had no idea what she was in for. “There’s a church in Cornerstone and the reverend and his wife have been known to provide shelter to travelers when it’s needed. What
I propose is that I escort you that far and you spend the night with them. Then the next morning either I or one of my ranch hands can escort you into Tyler and see you safely settled in.”
Her face lit up. “What a wonderful plan. Oh, I knew you were a true gentleman.”
Griff resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he smothered another cough in his napkin. Something about this still didn’t feel right. “Isn’t there someone I should be talking to or asking permission of to take you on this trip? I know you said you don’t have any family here, but surely there’s someone who looks out for you? I mean, whom do you live with?”
She drew herself up as if he’d offended her. “I’ll have you know I’m an adult—I turned twenty last week. I live over at the boardinghouse and I look out for myself.”
Griff was too tired to take this any further. He set his napkin on the table. So she was older than he’d thought. That still didn’t make her capable of getting along on her own. “I’d like to get an early start in the morning. Do you think you can be ready at seven o’clock?”
Her indignation immediately turned to smiles. “That won’t be a problem. But there is one other thing I should mention.”
What now? “And that is?” From the way she hesitated, it was a good bet he wasn’t going to like it.
“I plan to take my cat with me,” she finally blurted out.
“Cat?” He didn’t think much of cats other than as varmint catchers for the barn.
“Yes. Patience is well behaved—mostly, anyway. She won’t be any trouble, I promise. You don’t mind, do you?”
Patience? Sounded like some fluffy, pampered house pet. “As long as you understand I don’t aim to go chasing after the critter if it runs off.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t expect you to.”
“Then I don’t see a problem.” He stood. “Now, if there’s nothing else, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll retire for the evening. I suggest you do the same.”
She scrambled to her feet. “Of course. And again, let me say how very grateful I am.”
A few minutes later Griff sat on a chair in his room, pulling off his boots. What he wouldn’t give to be back at Hawk’s Creek right now, in his own room, headed to his own bed.
His own very large, very comfortable, but just as lonely bed.
He shook his head in disgust as he put his left boot on the floor beside his chair and started tugging on the right one. This restless self-pity that had been creeping up on him these past few months was both pointless and beneath him.
He supposed being with the Lipscoms today out at the Double Bar L Ranch had triggered this mood. The family consisted of Barney Lipscom, his wife, his son, his daughter-in-law and three grandkids. When his business with Barney had concluded, Barney had insisted Griff take his noon meal with them. It had given Griff an up-close view of their lives together.
The conversation at the table had been lively, the affection between the family members apparent. Both Mary and Amy were strong women with lives deeply rooted in their family and in the family ranch. They seemed equally at home in the kitchen as in the barn.
And he’d found himself more than a little jealous. It was the kind of life he longed for. Instead, he shared his large home with Inez, the housekeeper and cook who’d been at Hawk’s Creek since before he was born. He loved her as he would a favorite aunt, but she was no substitute for a wife.
To have a wife who would be a proper helpmeet to him, one who loved the rancher’s life as much as he did, and with whom he could share, if not love, then a mutual respect.
Was that too much to ask?
Apparently so, since his two attempts had resulted in sound rejection. The ladies in question had eventually decided ranch life was not for them.
Or maybe it was just that
he
wasn’t right for them.
Griff tossed his boot across the room, irritated at the direction his thoughts had taken. Self-pity was not productive and definitely not very dignified. If it was his lot in life to face it alone, so be it. Wishing it different wouldn’t make it so.
As Griff climbed into bed a few minutes later, his thoughts turned back to Miss Tuggle. If her story was to be believed, it seemed she was even more alone in life than he was. At least he had Inez.
Of course, he wasn’t completely convinced she wasn’t exaggerating or embellishing on her situation.
Young girls seemed prone to do that. Still, he’d given her his word.
He punched his pillow into a more comfortable shape.
Escorting a head-in-the-clouds girl and her fluffy cat…
Just what in the world had he let himself in for?
Griff stepped out of the hotel the next morning in a sour mood. He hadn’t slept well and his muscles were stiff and sore. The cold, dreary weather that greeted him didn’t help much. All in all, not a good time to be undertaking a long trip on horseback.
True to her word, Miss Tuggle was sitting in her buggy parked outside the hotel, waiting for him.
“Good morning,” she said, her expression as bright as that of a kid on Christmas morning. Obviously the prospect of the weather conditions and the length of their upcoming journey didn’t dampen her mood any. Or maybe she just didn’t know enough to be worried.
But he’d been brought up to be civil. “Good morning. I—”
He paused when he spotted the cat perched beside her. Instead of the well-groomed, well-fed feline he’d expected, this scraggly critter with a coat as gray and mottled as the overcast sky could have easily been mistaken for a stray.
“This is Patience,” she said proudly. Then she gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid she doesn’t like strangers very much so it might be best if you don’t try to pet her.”
Now why in the world would he want to pet that scruffy-looking thing? “That won’t be a problem.”
She nodded and sat up straighter. “We’re both ready whenever you are.”
“Give me just a few minutes.” Griff examined her horse and worn-looking carriage closely—the last thing he needed was to have the horse give out or the vehicle break down on them somewhere out on the road. Especially the way he was feeling this morning. The scratch in his throat was still there and the coffee and biscuits he’d had for breakfast sat heavy in his stomach. He’d be glad to get back to Hawk’s Creek, and the comfort of familiar surroundings. And truth to tell, a little cosseting from Inez would be welcome, as well.
One thing he did notice while he was checking her equipment was that, though the buggy was a bit roomier than most vehicles of its type, she was traveling light. The only luggage she had with her was one not-very-large trunk. Did it contain the sum total of her possessions? Or was she literally leaving her old life behind?
Finally satisfied that the horse and vehicle were both sound enough to make the trip, Griff nodded and stepped back.
“It’ll do. I need to collect my animals from the livery. Meet me there in a few minutes.”
Twenty minutes later he had the bull tethered to the back of the buggy and had loaded a bag of feed in the carriage boot. He climbed up on his horse, gathered the reins and glanced at his traveling companion. She
seemed, as Inez liked to say, happy as a pup chasing a stick. Even as he felt the urge to roll his eyes, a reluctant smile tugged at his lips. He supposed he should let her enjoy herself while she could. No doubt her cheery mood would evaporate by the time they were an hour or so into what promised to be a tedious, cold and dreary trip. “Ready?”
She nodded. “I’ve been ready for this day for ages.”
He just didn’t understand why big cities held such appeal for some folk. Give him wide-open land any day. “All right, then. Match your pace to mine. And remember, that’s valuable livestock tied to your buggy—I don’t want to wear him out before I get him to Hawk’s Creek.”
She nodded again. “Just lead the way.”
He pulled his hat down more firmly as he set his horse in motion. Not only were the skies overcast this morning, but there was a nip in the air that hadn’t been there yesterday. No hint of rain yet, though. Maybe they’d get lucky and this would be the worst of it.
He watched her closely as they set out, prepared to intervene if she wasn’t mindful of his bull. But after ten minutes he relaxed.
“Tell me about this ranch of yours,” she asked. “Hawk’s Creek, is it?”
“That’s right. Some of the richest pasture land in all of Texas—rolling hills, several springs that run practically year-round, lush grazing, prime timber. There’s no other place like it. It’s been in my family for three generations.” And now it was down to him.
“So you’ve lived there all your life.”
“Yep. And I plan to die there, as well.” No city—big or small—for him. His roots were planted in Hawk’s Creek land and he didn’t think he could flourish anywhere else. “What about you? You live in Cleebit Springs your entire life?”
“Most of it. I arrived there when I was seven years old and stayed put until today.”
“And now you want to move to Tyler.”
She shrugged and kept her gaze on the road. “I’m just ready for a change.”
Another restless spirit? Like his brother, Ry. And Belle, his first love. And Martha, his second.
“Do you have any family?” she asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.
He noticed she was quick to turn the discussion away from herself. “An older brother and younger sister—Ry and Sadie.”
“I always wanted siblings.” Her tone was wistful. “But my mother died when I was three and my father never remarried.” She glanced back his way. “I guess the three of you live on that ranch together, like a real family.”
He shook his head as he raised a hand to smother a series of chest-tightening coughs. “Both Ry and Sadie moved on,” he said when he’d caught his breath again. “Ry left a long time ago, back when we were both still teens. Went to live in Philadelphia with our grandfather.” It had been hard when his big brother chose life back East over life on the ranch, and it had driven a wedge between the two of them, a wedge that
had only recently been dislodged when Ry married Josie and moved back to Texas.
“And your sister?”
That was another move he hadn’t seen coming. “Sadie got married last year, to a fellow who moved to Texas from New York. It was a whirlwind kind of thing. And, as it turns out, both she and Ry ended up in the same town—Knotty Pine. It’s about sixty miles southeast of the ranch.” He tried not to be jealous of their closeness. And their newfound happiness.
“So you live alone now?”