home. All had been washed, rinsed and
wrung out by hand. Her knees and back ached.
Rubye picked up the clothespins and started to take the
basket. But J.D. slept on and Hattie held onto the clothes. “I need to dry out a
little. The sunshine will help me.”
Rubye harrumphed, but walked her to the end of the porch and
pointed out the clotheslines.
Hattie raced across the yard, quickly shaking out and
pinning diapers, gowns, booties and her own clothes. She shook her loosened
hair, letting the wind whip it around to cool her, already feeling her shirt
drying. She stood, just letting the breeze dry and cool her sweaty body, hoping
the dampness under her arms and down her back would not leave stains.
She was hanging the yellow gown at the high part of the line
when she heard the horses and wagon pull into the ranch yard. She heard the
squawk of chickens and the bray of her mules, Henry and Pepper. Horses in the
yard nickered in greeting.
Hattie yelled at the mules by name and they gave a second
bray and her old pet Nugget tugged at his rope tied to the back of the wagon.
Hattie swung the empty basket onto her hip with the leftover pins and moved to
touch each animal in welcome. Then she leaned close to hug Nugget. She turned toward
the house when Rubye appeared with a fussing J.D. and a huge scowl on her face.
Hattie gave the horse a last rub down his dusty head then
quickly bounded up to the porch, trading her basket for the baby and disappearing
inside.
CHAPTER SIX
Only when she had changed J.D. did she glance in the mirror.
She gasped in horror. Her hair was a tangled, stringy mess. She put the crying
baby into the crib for a few minutes and took time to wash her face, hands and
arms. Then she brushed and repinned her hair. Finally she used the damp
washcloth to wipe around her neck and clean both breasts before offering the
fussy baby either one.
She could hear Rubye warming food for the men, sympathizing
with their tales of chasing chickens.
“I hope Miss Stoddard isn’t too disappointed. We brought a
chest, rocker, one cane seat chair, the tools and harness from the shed, along
with three saddles and bridles from the barn. We couldn’t find but the one old
horse and two mules.”
“The boss will be ticked for sure. We have 32 head outside,
twelve are calves. If she had 50 head three weeks ago, we couldn’t find them.”
Hattie wasn’t sure if they thought she couldn’t count or
that she had lied. She sat up, her shoulders tightening as she grew angry. If
they doubted her, what would Jackson think?
J.D. leaned back and gave one sharp cry.
Hattie stared down at him. He seemed to be studying her,
quietly staring up at her with his misty blue eyes as though to say, “Hey pay
attention to me.” He made a soft bleat of sound and she leaned down to kiss
him.
His tiny hand touched her face and she felt her worry and
anger go, sinking into the pleasure of the moment. She moved her head enough to
catch the tiny fingers in her mouth and he turned back to nuzzling, hunting his
nipple. She relaxed and stretched out on the bed to feed him and rest.
She did not wake until much later. The bedroom was dark and
quiet and she realized that J.D. was winding up to cry again. Quickly she
tended him, then remained still in the dark while he fed, listening to the
conversation through the door.
Rubye must have been too busy tonight since there was no
food, no glass of water or milk. The more the baby nursed, the hungrier and
thirstier she felt. She was annoyed that there were lots of voices, but she
could not discern what anyone was saying.
As soon as the voices died down, she picked up the baby,
patted him on her shoulder, made sure he was still dry and clean and she was
neatly buttoned and pinned, then she opened the door to peek outside.
Two people remained at the table with Jackson, but he looked
up and motioned for her to come forward. She stopped at the chair where she had
eaten before
wrung out by hand. Her knees and back ached.
Rubye picked up the clothespins and started to take the
basket. But J.D. slept on and Hattie held onto the clothes. “I need to dry out a
little. The sunshine will help me.”
Rubye harrumphed, but walked her to the end of the porch and
pointed out the clotheslines.
Hattie raced across the yard, quickly shaking out and
pinning diapers, gowns, booties and her own clothes. She shook her loosened
hair, letting the wind whip it around to cool her, already feeling her shirt
drying. She stood, just letting the breeze dry and cool her sweaty body, hoping
the dampness under her arms and down her back would not leave stains.
She was hanging the yellow gown at the high part of the line
when she heard the horses and wagon pull into the ranch yard. She heard the
squawk of chickens and the bray of her mules, Henry and Pepper. Horses in the
yard nickered in greeting.
Hattie yelled at the mules by name and they gave a second
bray and her old pet Nugget tugged at his rope tied to the back of the wagon.
Hattie swung the empty basket onto her hip with the leftover pins and moved to
touch each animal in welcome. Then she leaned close to hug Nugget. She turned toward
the house when Rubye appeared with a fussing J.D. and a huge scowl on her face.
Hattie gave the horse a last rub down his dusty head then
quickly bounded up to the porch, trading her basket for the baby and disappearing
inside.
CHAPTER SIX
Only when she had changed J.D. did she glance in the mirror.
She gasped in horror. Her hair was a tangled, stringy mess. She put the crying
baby into the crib for a few minutes and took time to wash her face, hands and
arms. Then she brushed and repinned her hair. Finally she used the damp
washcloth to wipe around her neck and clean both breasts before offering the
fussy baby either one.
She could hear Rubye warming food for the men, sympathizing
with their tales of chasing chickens.
“I hope Miss Stoddard isn’t too disappointed. We brought a
chest, rocker, one cane seat chair, the tools and harness from the shed, along
with three saddles and bridles from the barn. We couldn’t find but the one old
horse and two mules.”
“The boss will be ticked for sure. We have 32 head outside,
twelve are calves. If she had 50 head three weeks ago, we couldn’t find them.”
Hattie wasn’t sure if they thought she couldn’t count or
that she had lied. She sat up, her shoulders tightening as she grew angry. If
they doubted her, what would Jackson think?
J.D. leaned back and gave one sharp cry.
Hattie stared down at him. He seemed to be studying her,
quietly staring up at her with his misty blue eyes as though to say, “Hey pay
attention to me.” He made a soft bleat of sound and she leaned down to kiss
him.
His tiny hand touched her face and she felt her worry and
anger go, sinking into the pleasure of the moment. She moved her head enough to
catch the tiny fingers in her mouth and he turned back to nuzzling, hunting his
nipple. She relaxed and stretched out on the bed to feed him and rest.
She did not wake until much later. The bedroom was dark and
quiet and she realized that J.D. was winding up to cry again. Quickly she
tended him, then remained still in the dark while he fed, listening to the
conversation through the door.
Rubye must have been too busy tonight since there was no
food, no glass of water or milk. The more the baby nursed, the hungrier and
thirstier she felt. She was annoyed that there were lots of voices, but she
could not discern what anyone was saying.
As soon as the voices died down, she picked up the baby,
patted him on her shoulder, made sure he was still dry and clean and she was
neatly buttoned and pinned, then she opened the door to peek outside.
Two people remained at the table with Jackson, but he looked
up and motioned for her to come forward. She stopped at the chair where she had
eaten before
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