Brazos Bride
Chapter Eleven
They rode in awkward silence for a while. Fatigue dogged her, so she attempted to distract herself by thinking about the invasion of his family. Where would she put everyone? How would the aunts really feel about her? Could they accept her and actually come to love her? Of course not, especially when they learned the real reason for her marriage.
Although she'd lived there all her life, she'd never traveled west of her own land. Too dangerous, her father had said. Nothing but Indians out there. Of course, he’d said whatever suited his purpose. Probably he just wanted her to stay home where she could serve him.
The low hills grew steeper and she recognized the small mountain ahead that she could see from her bedroom balcony. Taller than the peaks on her land, this one was the tallest in sight. Now that she saw it closer, the road winding up it looked treacherous. She wanted to ask if the mountain belonged to Micah, but curiosity about his aunts defeated her.
"What are these aunts like? What are their names?"
He smiled, as if even thinking of them cheered him. She returned his grin. Wouldn't it be magnificent to have family members like that? These were the women who might love her. The thought sent a warm tingle of happiness through her.
"They’re both tall, but Lizzie Mae Fraser is round as a barrel with little corkscrew curls that dance everywhere. She always looks on the bright side of everything. No matter how rotten a person is, she can find something nice to say about him. No matter how gloomy the situation, she can find some good. And cook? Lordy, that woman can cook anything."
He chuckled again, as if remembering a funny incident. "Maggie Jo Gamble is thin and more sparing with praise, but she would do anything for us boys. She's a bundle of energy, and buzzes around like she has to get everything in the world righted before dark."
"They sound nice. Are they married?"
"Were. Both are widows and lost their husbands in the War. They live together now."
"When do you think they will be here?"
"On the next stage from Weatherford. Zach wired them right after we were married. Remember I told you I spoke to Zach while you were getting ready for bed last night? That’s when Zach told me they’d sent a wire back yesterday evening before he left town."
He turned toward a small cabin near a large barn. She looked at her lapel watch. The time was about right for this to be his home. Compared to her large hacienda, this place was tiny.
The dogtrot cabin appeared built entirely of cedar logs, but she saw at least two windows with shutters. The house looked solid, though. A small covered porch with two benches and a chair jutted off the cabin by the front door.
The barn couldn’t have been completed long, because the lumber still had the new look of fresh cut wood. Large doors opened into a fenced paddock. She wondered how many horses Micah owned. Near the barn stood a smaller shed. The aged wood indicated that had served as the old barn.
At least his home would allow her to rest. Thank goodness, maybe she could lie down for a while. They’d arrived near noon and she hoped they'd eat soon. When she knew the food offered was safe, she became ravenous, but now she knew to curb her eating.
Micah pulled up the reins and stopped near the front door. His hands cupped his mouth and he called, "Cooooeeee!"
At first she thought men poured from the barn and corral but when she counted, there were only four. She recognized Micah's brothers but she didn't know the names of the other two.
"Hey, baby brother. Hello, new little sister." The one named Joel grabbed her waist and swung her down. "Come on into the house. We're waiting lunch for you."
Micah cautioned, "Now, Joel, don't get all bossy. She already lit into me for that on the way here. Give her a few days to get used to us."
Joel winked at her. "Trying to keep you in line, is she?"
One of the thinnest men she'd ever seen took of his battered hat. "Welcome, Mrs. Stone. I'm Slim Carter." He was a good six feet tall, but looked taller for his lack of width. His sandy hair fell below his ears, and his blue eyes twinkled.
"And no one ever gets used to them Stone brothers," Slim added with a laugh. "Not even Bert and me, and we both knowed the Cap’n for nigh onto ten years now."
Did Slim mean Micah was a Captain? He was young to have been a Captain in the War. Maybe the term came from elsewhere.
Zach made a mock bow. "Welcome to Stone Mountain Ranch." He was the best looking of the three brothers, though all three definitely qualified as handsome. Each stood at least three or four inches over six feet and each had the same molasses dark hair and pale gray eyes and muscular build.
Since Zach bowed, she curtsied. "Thank you."
The other man hung back and she surprised herself by stepping toward him, remembering the name Slim had mentioned.
"You must be Bert."
His brown eyes widened and at first she thought he'd turn tail and run, but he nodded at her. "Bert Wells, Ma'am. Welcome to you. Glad the Cap’n got hitched." Bert was only medium height in this group of giants, and his brown hair had almost disappeared from his balding head.
Micah took her elbow. "If they're holding lunch let's have at it. I'm starving, even if it is early for the midday meal."
Joel slapped him on the back. "Bert cooked up a big batch of stew and made a peach pie. We weren't sure you'd come this far out of the way, but we figured we'd split your share if you didn't show up."
A dog run separated the kitchen and living quarters and chinking around the home’s cedar logs looked tight. Inside, large stones laid out an almost smooth floor and made a large fireplace. Had Micah fashioned the cedar table and chairs? At the other end of the room she saw five bunks. Only about twenty feet long and maybe fifteen feet wide, the entire cabin must be about the size of her bedroom. Micah cleared his throat and she turned.
He held a chair for her at the table. "Figured I'd get a stove once the drought's over and I sell cattle. Bert's a good cook, though, and he can make about anything in the fireplace or open campfire. Hot days he usually cooks outside in the shade."
Bert beamed at Micah's praise. The table was laid for their meal and the men took seats, except for the cook. He left and returned with a large pot and ladled thick stew into their tin plates. Slim grabbed a napkin-covered plate and passed around biscuits. Bert returned and poured coffee into tin cups, then took the remaining chair. They all watched her and she wondered what to do.
Hope bit her lower lip and looked from one man to the other. Micah raised a brow and she saw his finger tap his spoon. Smiling with relief, she picked up her spoon and dug into the thick stew. Like magic, all the men followed and talked while they ate. She didn’t know what she’d expected, living roughly as they did, but their show of manners pleased her.
She savored a bit of the stew, then bit into a fresh biscuit covered with syrup. Closing her eyes in bliss, she chewed slowly. "Oh my, this is wonderful. Never have I tasted better stew. And these biscuits are light enough to float away."
Bert blushed and lowered his head. "Thank you, Miz Stone."
Micah’s dimpled smile demonstrated his appreciation for her comment. Why should that please her so?
Hope learned more about their struggle for water, how they'd hauled barrels of it from some spring a good ways off on Zach's land, apparently their only remaining dependable source of water.
She remembered her father’s angry reprimand and the blow he’d delivered when she’d suggested he install windmills on their land. Her eye was swollen and purple for days, but he told the servants she’d fallen against the door. They knew, of course, and wouldn’t look at her until the bruises faded. She pushed the sad memory aside and returned to the present. Did she dare make a suggestion to Micah?
She gathered her courage. "Have you thought about a couple of the Mitchell Self-Governing Patent Windmills? I saw an ad for them and plan to install them in several spots on my land."
Excitement gleamed in Micah’s eyes. "Hey, I saw an ad also, and I’d love to have them. Until now, I haven’t had the cash."
He’d planned the same thing. And he didn’t appear to resent her suggestion. She wanted to shout with glee. He actually respected her opinion, and didn’t say a woman had no business thinking such thoughts. "Oh, well, maybe we can get a discount on the freight and cost if we order together."
Zach nodded. "Good idea, Hope. I wouldn’t mind a couple of them myself, soon as we get your and Micah’s problems settled."
They talked about where the windmills would be placed and guessed how long it would take them to arrive. All through their discussion, Hope was treated as if her ideas were equal to those of the men. Their response surprised and soothed her. Maybe this arrangement would work for everyone.
Micah laid his spoon aside while Bert served up the pie. "I need to talk about something less pleasant. Someone tried to kill us last night." For a minute everyone stopped talking and stared at Micah. The only sound was a horse’s nervous whinny.
Bert cocked his head toward the window and paused as if listening to the horse, but it quieted so he resumed serving. Everyone forked up the pie while Micah explained about the ordeal.
"Sheriff know?" Joel asked between bites.
Micah nodded. "Surprised me. Acted halfway decent about it. Said he'd keep investigating, but don't suppose anything will come of it. Without a witness, it could be anyone."
"So what's your plan, Cap’n?" Slim asked.
Micah swallowed and said, "I'm leaving you and Bert in charge here. For months now someone’s been poisoning my wife. You know her father was murdered, and now someone's tried to kill us. We have to be on guard all the time. You two are charged with taking care of this place while the rest of us take care of my wife." He dug into the last of his pie.
Slim looked indignant. "Poisoning a purty lady like Miz Stone? Low down sidewinders!"
"You’re right about that." Micah pushed his plate aside. "Tomorrow you can start the cattle toward the river. One of us will stay at the Montoya ranch with Hope so she's always protected, but the other two will be over to help."
Always protected. She repeated the words in her head while she nibbled at her pie. The words reassured her and she looked at each of the men at the table. She might not have her home to herself, but safety in numbers popped into her mind. She no longer faced danger alone. Things would be all right now.
Bert asked, "Reckon I ought to go cook for you? I could make sure no one messed with Miz Stone's vittles."
Zach smiled apologetically at Hope as if he'd known she should have been included in the decision. "Our two aunts will arrive soon to help our new sister, maybe today if they caught the stage."
Micah said, "You're badly needed here, Bert, to look after this place."
Bert actually smiled. "Me and Slim can do it, cain't we?"
Slim nodded and started to say something, but another horse whinnied and this one sounded alarmed. Slim frowned and sniffed the air. "You smell smoke?"
Micah sniffed at the same time. "Something burning, Bert?"
"Nope, I done put the fire out on account of how dry it is. Covered it good with dirt." He rose and ambled to the window.
"Lord A’mighty, the barn’s afire!"