wafted beneath her nose and she pushed herself back up
onto the bed.
Fannie set the tray on the night table and
reached for the discarded wet towels, humming.
Wait. Humming ?
Kate eyed her warily. What had happened to make
the woman more cheerful than she’d been in a long while?
“I trust you slept well?” Fannie asked as she
exchanged the damp pillow for another that had been sitting in the chair next
to the window. “Mr. Deardon told me not to wake you, and to make sure you keep
that foot elevated.” She tsked. “Says you took a nasty fall last night.”
Why was her cook taking orders from Noah?
“Fannie?”
“Yes, Miss Kate?”
“Where is Mr. Deardon now?”
“Why, he’d be out mending the porch railing.” The
older woman beamed. “He’s a lovely man, Mr. Deardon. Already been to town and
back this morning, collected all my eggs for me, talked with Virg and Oscar,
and now he’s working on the porch with Mr. Redbourne.” She fluffed the pillow
behind Kate’s back and reached for the tray. “They’re hard workers, those two.”
“Where did they get the wood?”
“Mr. Mills dropped by first thing this morning
with the load you had ordered.”
Kate had wanted to build a new outbuilding at
the edge of the east pasture for banding and branding season come February, and
had figured it would be best to have it completed before the snow came.
“I appreciate all of this, Fannie, I do, but I
cannot just lie here in my bedroom all day. There’s work to be done.”
“And it’s getting done. Isn’t that why you sent
for a husband? To get help around here?” Fannie placed the tray over Kate’s
lap, the warmth filling her with unexpected anticipation.
“Yes, but…”
Mr. Thomas. She’d nearly forgotten the man.
“The other gentleman, the one who was here when
we arrived home last night, where is he?”
The smile on Fannie’s face quickly fell into
one of disdain.
“That gentleman ,” her face contorted at
the word, “is sitting in the kitchen in his fancy clothes, eating his ‘mid-morning
meal,’” she imitated him with a roll of her eyes, “and he tried to put his
booted feet up on my table. I sure told him.” She snatched up the wet pillow
and topped it with the wet towels as she marched for the door. She turned back
just before leaving. “I trust you’ll make the right choice,” she said smartly,
then disappeared from view.
Kate couldn’t remember how long it had been
since she’d taken the time to eat a full breakfast. Normally, she grabbed a
bite or two on her way out to work alongside the few hands who’d agreed to stay
on after her father died. Dell, her father’s best friend in Laramie and the
ranch foreman, had convinced the men to stay out of respect. He’d even offered
to marry her, but the older man was more like a distant uncle to her than a
husband and she hadn’t been able to bring herself to say yes.
It hadn’t felt right. Still didn’t.
Things had been a little awkward between them
since.
She’d certainly learned a lot in the past few
months about what it took to run a ranch this size, but she needed more help
than what the foreman and the other three could provide. She needed a husband.
There were a lot of hired hands willing to work for a male employer.
Dreams of falling in love and starting a family
with the right man had given way to practicality, and so, she’d placed an ad
that was supposed to reach several newspapers throughout the West. Dell hadn’t
taken to that idea so kindly. She was afraid she’d hurt his pride, but hoped he
would understand. After all, he was more than twice her age and the ranch
needed a man who didn’t already have one foot in the grave.
Dell had been the foreman on the ranch since
they’d moved to Laramie and he knew the business better than anyone she’d ever
met, but even though she may not marry for love, she hoped to find a man that
she could grow to love. Someone with whom she shared a connection.
onto the bed.
Fannie set the tray on the night table and
reached for the discarded wet towels, humming.
Wait. Humming ?
Kate eyed her warily. What had happened to make
the woman more cheerful than she’d been in a long while?
“I trust you slept well?” Fannie asked as she
exchanged the damp pillow for another that had been sitting in the chair next
to the window. “Mr. Deardon told me not to wake you, and to make sure you keep
that foot elevated.” She tsked. “Says you took a nasty fall last night.”
Why was her cook taking orders from Noah?
“Fannie?”
“Yes, Miss Kate?”
“Where is Mr. Deardon now?”
“Why, he’d be out mending the porch railing.” The
older woman beamed. “He’s a lovely man, Mr. Deardon. Already been to town and
back this morning, collected all my eggs for me, talked with Virg and Oscar,
and now he’s working on the porch with Mr. Redbourne.” She fluffed the pillow
behind Kate’s back and reached for the tray. “They’re hard workers, those two.”
“Where did they get the wood?”
“Mr. Mills dropped by first thing this morning
with the load you had ordered.”
Kate had wanted to build a new outbuilding at
the edge of the east pasture for banding and branding season come February, and
had figured it would be best to have it completed before the snow came.
“I appreciate all of this, Fannie, I do, but I
cannot just lie here in my bedroom all day. There’s work to be done.”
“And it’s getting done. Isn’t that why you sent
for a husband? To get help around here?” Fannie placed the tray over Kate’s
lap, the warmth filling her with unexpected anticipation.
“Yes, but…”
Mr. Thomas. She’d nearly forgotten the man.
“The other gentleman, the one who was here when
we arrived home last night, where is he?”
The smile on Fannie’s face quickly fell into
one of disdain.
“That gentleman ,” her face contorted at
the word, “is sitting in the kitchen in his fancy clothes, eating his ‘mid-morning
meal,’” she imitated him with a roll of her eyes, “and he tried to put his
booted feet up on my table. I sure told him.” She snatched up the wet pillow
and topped it with the wet towels as she marched for the door. She turned back
just before leaving. “I trust you’ll make the right choice,” she said smartly,
then disappeared from view.
Kate couldn’t remember how long it had been
since she’d taken the time to eat a full breakfast. Normally, she grabbed a
bite or two on her way out to work alongside the few hands who’d agreed to stay
on after her father died. Dell, her father’s best friend in Laramie and the
ranch foreman, had convinced the men to stay out of respect. He’d even offered
to marry her, but the older man was more like a distant uncle to her than a
husband and she hadn’t been able to bring herself to say yes.
It hadn’t felt right. Still didn’t.
Things had been a little awkward between them
since.
She’d certainly learned a lot in the past few
months about what it took to run a ranch this size, but she needed more help
than what the foreman and the other three could provide. She needed a husband.
There were a lot of hired hands willing to work for a male employer.
Dreams of falling in love and starting a family
with the right man had given way to practicality, and so, she’d placed an ad
that was supposed to reach several newspapers throughout the West. Dell hadn’t
taken to that idea so kindly. She was afraid she’d hurt his pride, but hoped he
would understand. After all, he was more than twice her age and the ranch
needed a man who didn’t already have one foot in the grave.
Dell had been the foreman on the ranch since
they’d moved to Laramie and he knew the business better than anyone she’d ever
met, but even though she may not marry for love, she hoped to find a man that
she could grow to love. Someone with whom she shared a connection.
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