THE RANCH

A Just for Fun Fiction

By Celia Jolley

"Even the sparrow has found a home,

And the swallow a next for herself."

Psalm 84:3

When she stepped out of the cramped stage coach, it was with relief, but also trepidation.  It had been so buffeted by strong gusts of wind that at times Rose was sure the contraption would be blown over.  However, the heavy rain had followed.  Now Rose was standing on the board walk fast becoming completely drenched.  Of course, no one was waiting for her.  She had been too afraid to let them know she was coming, too afraid of being turned back.  But there was no going back, no returning to her aunt's house.

Rose had burned that bridge.  As soon as the severe woman had found out that she had quit Boston's Young Ladies' Finishing School and had instead snuck off to work in a stable while dressed as a boy, she was done. However, Rose was desperate.  It had been the only way she could think of to earn money to come back home to her pa's ranch in Texas.  She had missed it too much.  After being found out, blessing of all blessings, her aunt had seen fit to give her the rest of the money needed for her return trip.

She shook her head.  Rose had never figured out how that harsh woman was related to them, how she could ever be her father's sister.  They were as much alike as storm clouds and sunshine, drought and a spring rain, the spray of a skunk and of a spray of wild flowers.  But here Rose stood clinging to her damp carpet bag, completely drenched, worse than a cat dunked in a baptism.  Just then lightning split the sky; an instant later thunder shook the earth beneath her feet.  It was time to find shelter.   

Rose looked around, disoriented for a moment as she began shaking.  She was cold to the bone.  Isabel.  Her best friend would take her in until she could hire a horse to ride out to the ranch tomorrow once the storm passed.  Puddles soaked her low boots splashing inside around her ankles so that now she was wet from the top of her head down to her freezing little pinkie toes.   She sloshed on down the muddy street until she came to a modest house with a light in the window.  Rose knocked her cold knuckles on the door before leaning her head against it praying someone would answer.

When someone did open the door, she fell forward before being somewhat caught.

"What on earth!  Rose is that you?" Isabel's mother stood her back up on her own two muddy feet.  "Why, child, you are soaked clear through.  Come on in, dear."

Never had there been words more sweet.  "Wait, I need to take off these muddy shoes."  But her hands were shaking so badly that Rose could only fumble with the fasteners.

"Let me help you, sweetheart."  The older woman bent her creaking knees down before her while Rose kept her balance grabbing onto those bent shoulders as first one then the other was sucked off her icy feet.  

"Come into the kitchen.  The fire is still glowing in my stove.  I had just thrown another log on when I barely heard you knock."  Rose sank onto the kitchen chair as the lady of the house gently helped to pull her saturated coat off leaving the girl shivering.  Soon steam began to rise off her damp clothes.  "Here's some hot coffee."  After shoving the cup into Rose's cramped, cold fingers, she went on.  "As soon as you warm up a mite and your teeth quit chattering, I want to hear how you showed up on my doorstep as wet as a dog slinging water all over every thing."

"Is Isabel here?"

Suddenly a shadow passed over the woman's face.  "No.  She hasn't been home since she ran off with that no-good cowboy."  Her lips pressed into a white line.

"What!  Who?"  That was all Rose could manage to say while shocked to pieces.

"It was that low-down snake Joe Saunders.  He worked for your pa, but he had only been there a spell.  They're long gone now."

Rose tried to think, but no, she was sure she'd never met the cowpoke.  "Has she at least written home?"

"Not a word."  The poor mother began wiping her eyes with her apron.

"I am so sorry!  That isn't like Isabel at all."

"I hate to say it, but I have my suspicions that she was already carrying his child when she done run off."

Rose gasped, "Oh, my goodness!"  Could this day grow any worse?  "I can't imagine her doing something so stupid--oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Gill."  

"No, that describes it perfectly.  I raised her better than that."

"But she was only seventeen," Rose said under her breath.  She herself was eighteen and had never been tempted by any man and certainly not in that way.  It was something only whispered about in her school where a  couple of girls had begun to show and were quickly whisked away.  For goodness sakes, she'd never even been kissed!

"But you haven't told me how you showed up a like a dripping icicle on my doorstep."

"Well, you might say I left my aunt's place upon mutual agreement.  I just had to come home.  I just had to."

"Does your father know?  Obviously, he wasn't there to meet you."

"No, I figured I'd get here as quick as a letter could.  Do you know how the ranch is doing?"

Once again a shadow passed over the woman's countenance.  "Not as well as when you left.  I do believe he fell onto hard times like most the ranchers here abouts.  We had a pretty bad drought last year and not much better the year before.   A lot of ranches couldn't hold on."

"What?  He never wrote that in his letters.  He always made it sound like everything was sunshine and roses," she said with a grimace.  "As soon as this storm is over, I'm riding home.  Thank you for taking me in, Mrs. Gill, in the meanwhile.  Then she worried, "He didn't lose the ranch, did he?"

"Not that I heard of.  He's still out there as far as I know."

The woman had turned her back and was busy chopping vegetables.  "I'm making you some nice hot soup for supper.  While I'm doing that, why don't you drape your damp clothes from your carpet bag over the chairs and then go find something dry to wear from Isabel's wardrobe.  She didn't take much, most likely because she knew she'd be adding to her girth."

"I appreciate that.  The stagecoach driver said he would put my small trunk inside the office until I can get it tomorrow, and not much is in this bag."

It was beyond strange to ruffle through Isabel's clothes without her being there.  Not only were most of Isabel's dresses still there, but her underthings were left in the drawers as well.  Isabel was taller than Rose, so the dress brushed the floor.  But since they wore the same size shoes, Rose found a scuffed pair of cowboy boots under her bed and put them on.  "Ahh, that feels so good.  It's like wearing 'home' on my feet," she sighed.  At least now the dress didn't drag so much.

Soon they were sitting down to a simple supper of vegetable soup and corn pone.  Mrs. Gill had been a widow for several years and took in washing and mending to squeak by.   Once upon a time the girls had dreamed that her pa and Isabel's ma would get hitched and make them sisters.  But neither adult cooperated.  Mrs. Gill caught her up on the latest doings in town.

"You know the Browns moved on.  A new man came in and bought them out before the bank could repossess their ranch.  I can't say that I've met him or remember his name, but he'll be your nearest neighbor.  Their place had the best water rights of any with upper pastures staying green the longest, just not long enough.  'Bout everything dried up it seemed.  Because of that, weren't near as many needing washing or mending here in town.  It was a tough winter.  But things are finally looking better.  Cattle prices are back up they say giving ranchers hope again."

When she yawned, Mrs. Gill shooed her away to sleep in Isabel's bed.  Covered under a pile of quilts, Rose had not slept that well since she'd been forced to move away.  When sunshine poured in the window the next morning, and she got dressed in a hurry and went out to the kitchen.  

"Sorry, I don't have eggs, but I made bacon and biscuits."

"That sounds heavenly."  And it was.  As soon as Rose had washed the breakfast dishes, she picked up and folded her dry clothes and put them back into her satchel.  She was chomping at the bit to go home.  "Thank you so much, Mrs. Gill.  I appreciate all you did for me, but I need to head to the ranch."   

"Of course.  I can't be sorry that you came and stayed with me in spite of the soaked state you arrived in.   I hope you didn't get a chill."  The woman clung to her for a moment.  Surely, she was missing her daughter something fierce.

"I'll be sure to stop in and see you whenever I come to town," Rose assured her.

"That would make me happy, sweet girl.  You just do that."  Mrs. Gill waved her away with tears in her eyes.

Rose went to the town livery and arranged for her trunk to be picked up and stored there.  She quickly also paid for a horse to get her home as fast as she could.  

Once outside of town, she kicked her mount to a run.  The wind whipped her hair every which way, but it couldn't wipe the huge grin off her face.  Her heart pounded as she swiftly turned down the lane to her ranch.  Pulling up in front of her house, Rose jumped off her horse and hollered, "Howdy to the house!"

The door flung open, and her pa came out gaping.  "Rose?  What are you doing here?"

"I'm home, Pa!"

He sputtered, "Why did your aunt let you come?  She promised to sponsor another year of schooling."

"I don't need what they were teaching me, Pa." She posed in a curtsey with her hand out to be kissed.  "See, Pa.  It may matter back East, but not a hoot here.  I couldn't stay a day longer."

"Well my stars, come give your ol'pa a hug!"  She pounded up the porch stairs and flew into his arms.  But soon, he turned his head away as he had a sudden fit of coughing.  When she pulled back and looked more closely at her father, Rose knew something was off.

"What's wrong, Pa?  You don't look so good."

"Ahh, now.  Nothing to worry about.  Just a little cough."

But the gray palor of his face told a different tale.  "I'm here now, Pa.  I can take care of you."

"It'll be good to eat your cooking again, that's fer sure and certain.  I'm plumb wore out eating my burnt bacon and rock hard biscuits," he said with a wink.

"Well, I'll start by rustling us up some dinner," she declared with a grin.

By then a few cowboys came out of the barn.  Some looked on with curiosity while a few old timers strode over hoping to greet her.

"Hey there, Wade.  Good to see you, Sam." She shook their hands.  "You better come give me a hug, Wyatt," she bounced down the steps to find herself in the foreman's arms.  

"You know how to cheer this old man up.  You are a sight for sore eyes, darlin'," he drawled.

"I missed the ranch so bad, my heart got heavier and heavier til I just couldn't stand the ache anymore!"

"I hear what you are saying.  But this place never was the same after yer pa sent you away."

"Well, I'm here now."  Then Rose dropped her voice.  "Pa doesn't seem well.  Do you know what's wrong with him?"

"Not exactly, just that he coughs a lot and hardly ever leaves the house anymore.  He refuses to allow me to go to town for the doctor.  Maybe you can convince him with your pretty pouty lips."

Rose heard her father coughing from inside clear out here in the yard.  "I'd better go in and see if I can make him some tea with honey.  I'll be back.  If any of your cowboys go into town, can you return this horse; and if they take a wagon, can somebody bring back my trunk from the livery?"

"Sure thing darlin',"  Wyatt kissed her on the cheek and took her horse to the corral calling for some young cowpoke to take care of it for her.  Normally, Rose would never dream of leaving a horse she rode for somebody else to brush down, but she need to see to her pa.

She hurried into the kitchen and put a kettle on after stirring up the fire in the stove.  Then she began looking through the cupboards.  

"Boy howdy, Pa.  Your shelves are bare bones!  You need to send somebody for supplies."

"I've been living on Cook's slop mostly with the rest of the dudes in the bunkhouse."

"Your cowboys must be out on the range.  I could count on one hand the number of 'em I saw hanging around."

"You know, we had a couple of slim years, so I've had to cut way back on my cowpokes for the time being.  You saw most of 'em."

"Since I arrived in that storm last night, I stayed with Mrs. Gill.  She as much told me it's been hard times for everyone.  She said somebody bought out the Brown's Triple B Ranch."

"She did, did she?  Heard her daughter ran off with that no good Joe, did ya?  You know how the guys gossip in the bunkhouse.  So when I got wind that Isabel was in the family way, I told him to go marry that gal or else.  I didn't expect them to run off like they did though.  I imagine that hit her ma pretty hard.   The woman's had a difficult time as it is..." but he started coughing again before he could finish.  

"Here, Pa.  It's not as hot as I'd like, but drink this.  I'll need to buy more honey from the Yoders."

"They lost their ranch to the bank.  Don't know if they took their hives or not when they lit out."

"Oh?  That's a shame.  They had a nice place.  How many others lost their ranches?"

He took a sip and choked on another cough.  "Too many.  Let me think.  The Franks, the Yorks, the Trembles."

"The Trembles?  They were the biggest ranch around!"

"Well, when the creeks dry up and the cattle prices drop, not much else a body could do.  At least we still had a trickle from the spring up in the hill pastures."

"I can't image the water running out.  That's terrible!"

"Yes, it was." He tried to speak some more, but could hardly keep from coughing.  He did his best to drink the tea she'd made.  That was when she noticed he was skin and bones.

"Pa, you've lost so much weight.  How long have you been sick?"

He took another sip.  "Let's see, maybe since last Christmas.  Should have laid off those cigarettes sooner."

"Why didn't you write and tell me?  Oh, Pa,  I'm so sorry.  I'm going to tell Wyatt to bring back the doctor from town."

"I can't afford to pay the man.  Now that you're here, I'll get better."

She looked over from where she was making an iron skillet full of corn bread.  "I still have some of the money your sister sent me with to help me get home.  I can pay the doctor."

"Truly, I don't think there's much he can do, sweetheart.  It just needs to run its course."

Rose frowned.  "If you don't start feeling better soon, Pa.  I'm bringing him here no matter what."

He laughed which turned into coughing.  Finally he gasped to get air back into his lungs and grinned managing to say, "I think you did learn something back there in Boston from that sister of mine.  I don't remember you being this bossy before, baby girl."

She shot him a playful stern look, "Please, don't ever compare me to that woman again, Pa.  As you can imagine, we didn't oft see eye to eye."

He laugh-coughed.  "I don't think very many do.  She's one stubborn woman."

"Why did you send me there, Pa?" Rose turned leaning against the counter and staring her father in the eye.  She couldn't keep the hurt from her voice.

"Well, darlin', I was beginning to think that you needed a woman's touch.  Raising you amongst these cowboys isn't the ideal.  Most of 'em are rough as a cob, and that's putting it mildly."

"Ahh, Pa.  I love it here.  The ranch is my life.  I left my heart here."

"I love it too, sweet girl, but times have changed."  He looked away, avoiding her eyes.

Rose knew there was more going on than he was willing to tell her.  She would ferret it out one way or the other, no doubt.  With a sigh, she turned back to the potato soup she was making and was frying up bacon to crumble in it.  

When a knock sounded on the door, her pa hurried and said, "I'll get it."

Over his coughing, she heard another man's low voice talking to her pa on the porch, one that she didn't recognize.  She leaned over to peek out of the kitchen window, but the man's back was turned.  Just another cowboy she figured.

When her pa came in, she called him to the table.  I had to hurry this soup up, so it's not the best I've made.  He tucked his napkin in his collar and was about to plow in, but saw her waiting.  "Oh, yeah, I pert near forgot to pray, so excited I was to eat some cooking other than my own."  Since he started coughing again, Rose prayed over the hacking sound.

"Pa, I'm going to insist that you let the doctor come see you.  They have to take my horse back to the livery in town anyway, so it won't be a wasted trip."

Her father was gasping for air after that last bout.  She could hear a crinkling in his breathing.
"Pa, that doesn't sound good at all!"  She hopped up from the table as soon as she finished.  "I'm going out to talk to Wyatt and to see my horse.  You do still have Whitey, don't you?"

"Of course, darlin'.  I promised to keep him for you till you came back."

"I'll be back to do the dishes in a minute."  With that she ran out to find the foreman.

"Wyatt, you haven't sent someone to town yet, have you?  I need them to tell the doctor that Pa needs him bad."

"No, I was fixing to go as soon as I finished them beans."  He set down the can he'd been eating out of with a spoon rattling around in it.  "I'll just hitch up the wagon and go right now, darlin'."

"Oh, and can you get a bag of flour and another of cornmeal while you are there, and honey, if they have it."

"Sure thing, sweet pea."

Back in the kitchen as Rose washed the dishes, she watched him ride away leading the other horse tied behind the wagon.  She was concerned that her pa hardly touched his soup and only nibbled his corn bread.  "This isn't good," she whispered to herself as a jolt of fear stabbed her heart.  She could hear his non-stop coughing from his room where evidently he'd gone to lay down.

Rose had put a ham in the oven for their supper and made a dried apple pie for afterwards.  She loved being back home.  When Wyatt returned with the needed flour, she'd mix up some bread dough and set the loaves to rise.  But she looked at the kitchen in dismay.  It sure needed a good scrubbing up.  

When she heard the rattle of the wagon outside, she got up off her knees where she'd been mopping the floor.   "Thank you for bringing me my trunk, Wyatt.  Hello, Dr.  Jenkins.  Thank you for coming."

"So the stubborn ol' mule is worse, is he?" the doctor smiled while getting out of his buggy.

"He sounds pretty bad to me, and he barely eats at all."

Wyatt took off his hat and said, "Darlin' this might be a good time to take a little ride on your old horse.  I know you've been wanting to for ever so long."

Rose untied her apron and grinned.  "I believe you're right.  I'll do just that!"

She felt free to go since the doctor would be with her father, as well as Wyatt.  She dusted off her old saddle and put it on her faithful horse.  "I'm back, Whitey.  Did you miss me as much as I missed you?"  After nudging her, she kissed him on the nose, then laughed when he whickered.  

The sunshine came out boldly after the storm yesterday.  Trees were starting to bud wearing their new green nubs.  She loped along enjoying the day, relishing being home on the ranch.  She waved to a cowboy mending fence.   She sighed and finally turned her horse back to the barn.  Rose hoped to catch the doctor to see what he had to say before he left.

Doc and Wyatt were both on the porch looking hang down.   Wyatt scuffed his boot on the rough plank boards.  They both looked up with serious countenances, foreheads wrinkled and frowns.  

"Hey Tim, take care of her horse for her, will ya?"

"Sure, boss," the young kid said, blushing at her as she dismounted.

"How is he, Doctor?" she asked with trepidation seeing their concern.

The old gent rubbed the back of his neck then looked her in the eye.  "There's no easy way to say this, but he had a bad case of double pneumonia.  I gave him some laudanum to calm him, and he slipped away right easy like." 

"Slipped away?  Like to sleep?" she asked as her hands began to shake making her hug a porch post.

"No, sweet girl," Wyatt said in a gentle voice, "like he slipped away into the arms of Jesus."

Rose was struck mute, but turned her pleading eyes to her beloved foreman.  He opened his arms to her, and she fell in shaking as tears dripped down.  Then she backed away and whispered, "What if I had not come home when I did?"

The next few days went by in a blurr.  Mrs. Gill came out and stayed with her helping to cook and clean.  Wyatt seemed to be waiting to answer their beck and call.  The ground was dug by her mama's grave, and many neighbors gathered.  The preacher read from Scripture, and they all sang, "Rock of Ages."  She numbly watched as several took turns with a shovel to cover the rough coffin.  One man seemed to be well known to everybody but her.  She watched as he respectfully helped to fill the grave.  He looked to be a few years older than Rose, and by his clothes and tan figured him to be a rancher.  He seemed to be too self-assured to be just a cowhand.   

Rose turned to go.  It was time to put out the dishes for people to eat a the funeral dinner at the house. But suddenly that very same stranger snared her with his hand on her arm.  

"We need to talk," he said in a low voice.  

His eyes were dark and intense.

"Now?" she squeaked.

He looked around before saying, "Maybe after most of the people have gone home will be soon enough."

"All right.  I'll meet you up yonder by the big spruce in a little while."

She looked up to find Wyatt's concerned eyes on her.  She forced a smile and walked down the path to the house.  Mrs. Gill stayed by her side.

"I wonder what he wants?" the woman whispered.

"Shoot, I don't have any idea.  I've never met him before."

"I wonder...no, never mind," the woman said shutting her lips down tight.

The condolences about stretched her as thin as a good taffy pull.  Finally, she glanced up to see that man standing under the tall spruce waiting for her so she made her way up.  Most people had left finally, but those who remained eyed them warily.  This was probably going to be good fodder for gossip.

"I guess you must know my name, but I'm at a disadvantage.  I don't know yours," she said trying to keep the irritation out of her voice.  It was no time to notice his solid good looks.

"Cal Ingalls.  I didn't know he had a daughter.  He never said anything to me about you, so it's  a little complicated."

"What's complicated?"

"Taking over your pa's place.  I'll be moving in tomorrow."

"What?" she shrieked turning Wyatt and Mrs. Gill's faces toward them.

"Didn't your pa tell you?  I'm the owner of the Circle R.   I have the deed to prove it.  Last summer when the drought was so bad your pa was going to lose his place to the bank, so I offered to buy it.  It butts up to my other ranch the Triple B's, the Brown's old place.  It's a perfect match up."

"Well, isn't that convenient for you," she snarled.  "How dare you threaten to turn me off my ranch with pa fresh in the ground.  You are a low-down skunk.  You didn't even so much as say,  'Sorry about your pa,' or 'It's a terrible shame."  No, you just grab me as I turn away from his burial so you can stand here and say you are kicking me off the only place I've ever called home!"  Her voice was rising.  Wyatt was making giant strides up towards them as the man glared at her.

"All right, I'll say it.  You  have my sympathy," he spit out.

"Sure I do," she sneered back.

"What's going on here?" Wyatt snarled like a guard dog ready to bite.

"He's kicking me off my ranch as of tomorrow.  He says he owns the place."

"You do?"  Wyatt seemed shocked.  "I thought Mr. Jim got an extension from the bank," he sputtered.

"I just happened to run into him on his way there the day they'd just served him notice.  We got to talking, and I made him a fair deal.  I told him he'd get to live on his place for as long as he lived while I bought the cattle to build his herd back up to make it a profitable ranch again.  We agreed I would get three-fourths of the profit from their sales every year.  I have the agreement we signed right here in my back pocket."

"Of course you do," Rose mumbled under her breath.  She couldn't believe it.  Where would she go?  Mrs. Gill couldn't support her.  She certainly was not going back to Boston.  Rose felt sick to her stomach and wrapped her arms around herself.   She let Wyatt read the signed agreement.

"It looks all tied up with a bow as best I can tell.  I jest can't figure why he never said a word."

"Pride," Rose growled.  "His hard-nosed, stiff-necked Texas pride.  He hoped he could take this to his grave with his spurs on, and I would be none the wiser back East with his sister, the coward."

Both men stared at her gaping.  "Yes, I'll mourn him, but what a time to show his true colors, leaving me out in the cold."

"Now missy," Wyatt soothed in a placating voice. He tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it away.  

"What about Wyatt?" Rose barked with her finger jabbing the man in the chest.  "He's the best foreman anywhere around," she demanded lifting her chin up and glaring at him.  "Are you kicking him and the other cowboys off the place like you are me?"  Now Wyatt was looking nervous.

"I need him here.  I've been the one paying his wages all along.  My other foreman will still operate the Brown's ranch.  I'll still keep the other cowboys for now as long as they earn their keep.  But what I don't need is some little bit of a gal hanging around and getting in the way."

Boy, howdy, he was stomping on her last nerve.  She'd never screamed at a man, nor had she ever kicked or bit one, but this might be her first.  "Of all the hard-hearted, foam-dripping, rabid skunk gunk I have ever heard, you take the cake.  You, sir, are no gentleman."  At least the last bit would be what her aunt would have said.

"I think you need to cool off, lady.  This was between your pa and me, strictly business with every jot and tittle signed and duly noted.  He never so much as gave a by-your-leave wink to tell me he had a daughter."

"Can't you stay at the Brown's for now, Mr. Ingalls?  Our little gal just got home," Wyatt asked.

"Call me Cal since you now know you work for me.  Sorry, but my other foreman's wife is having a baby any day now, and I just promised him this morning that he could move her to the house there while I would move in here.  After all, I do own the place, as per the agreement made with your pa."  He continued to glare at her. 

A few lines from "Jane Eyre" got stuck rumbling in her head, so she stood straight with her head up and quoted, "Do you think because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless?  You think wrong!"  She added, "I sure got more heart than you do, fella, that's fer sure!"

The man just stood there staring at her like she was a wild-eyed, unbroken mustang, and he'd just been bucked off.

Suddenly, Rose was very tired and wavered on her feet.  Wyatt grabbed her.  "I bet you didn't eat a bite, sugar.  I'm taking you down the hill to Mrs. Gill.  She'll make sure you put something in your belly."

As soon as she was in the house, Mrs. Gill tiptoed around her making motherly clucking sounds.  Rose dutifully ate the chalk dust she fed her before going to her room.  Once there she covered her face with a pillow and screamed and cried and screamed some more.  Boy, howdy, was she ever mad at her pa, madder than a hornet poked with a stick.  

In the dark side of the morning, she decided the best wisdom she could practice would be to speak as little as possible.  Nothing she could say could alter her situation.  But she also came up with a plan in those wee hours as well.  She would pack and send her trunk with Mrs. Gill, for now.  However, Rose also decided she would not go there, yet.  So, she went into the kitchen and packed up flour,  cornmeal, a small skillet, a little lard, and a slab of bacon in a gunny sack.  She also wrapped up some of the food families left for her after the funeral.  A mug, a tin plate and fork went in the bag next with a small packet of salt.  Finally, she ground as many coffee beans as she could until her arm felt like it would fall off.  She put it in a tin with a tight lid and packed it along with a pan to boil coffee in.  She wished she could take the coffee pot, but that would give Mr. Ingalls  notice to call her a thief.  

She didn't know when that man would come, and it was imperative to be gone before he showed up to move her off her ranch.  She wouldn't give him that satisfaction.  So she quietly left a note for Wyatt and one for Mrs. Gill then went and saddled her horse.  She tied her bedroll in the back and her satchel with a change of clothes on one side and her stock of food on the other.  At the last minute she had grabbed her mother's Bible from her room, a fish line and a packet of hooks and a hatchet she found on a bench beside the door before leaving.  And, of course, she took her pa's rifle and amunition as well as strapping on his gun belt.  Rose was determined she would not be unprotected from man or beast.

As she rode away, the sun cracked like an egg on the horizon, sunny side up.  The ranch had not woken up yet, much to her relief.  Rose didn't have far to go, just to an out of the way place off the trail.   An abandoned old barn, sway-backed and leaning would be her refuge.  Once there she slung the satchel and bag onto the hard-packed floor and found a low wall on a stall where she could heave her saddle.  Then she staked out her horse where grass was plentiful.  It was beautiful here and not far from a stream where she and her pa had often fished.

There was an old fire pit with its cold ashes settled in a ring of rocks.   Rose meandered seeking firewood, then stacked the twigs and branches in a pile in a corner of the barn.  The wood would stay dry in case another storm blew in.  

Sarah took a deep breath.  She was still home, still on her ranch.  He could take the house, but the ranch was big enough to keep her tucked away comfortably in its boundaries, at least for a while.  She gathered twigs and dry grass and lit a firestick.  Once it flamed,  she put on the bigger branches.  Then she went to the stream and filled the pot with water and put the coffee grounds on to boil for some cowboy style brew.  Finally, the coffee looked ready even if she had to ignore the grounds and the wiggle-tails.  It soothed her as she sipped it from her pa's favorite mug and muched on left-over rolls one of the church ladies had left.  She sighed happily with her face tipped to the sky, eyes closed, listening to the bird song and the gurgling of the near-by stream.  The day was spreading its warmth and was pouring joy back into her heart.  


Mrs. Gill was the first to find her note.  "What!  Where on earth has she gone off to?"  She ran outside and called rather frantically, "Wyatt!"

"I'm right here," the foreman strode out of the barn hearing the alarm in her voice.  "What's wrong?"

Mrs. Gill thrust his note out to him.

His lips moved as he read it while his eyebrows rose.  "It appears she's gone to a safe place she knows of."  He scratched his head tipping his hat cock-eyed.  "I have a pretty good idea where she's hiding out, but I'll ride out later this afternoon to look for her to make sure she's alright, that is if my new boss doesn't have other orders for me.  For now, at least, it's nobody else's business where she's gone off to."

"I agree.  She knows where I live and is welcome anytime.  We'll make do somehow.  If somebody can give me a ride into town today, I'd appreciate it.  She asked me to take her trunk with me.  It looks like I'm not needed here anymore," the kind lady sighed.   Then her eyebrows shot up as she muttered under her breath, "Well, speaking of the devil."  

Cal Ingalls rode up and dismounted.  Tipping his hat to her, he stated, "One of my hands will be bringing a wagon load of my things pretty soon here.  I trust the way is clear."  He looked warily at the house as if expecting a badger or a wolverine might charge out.  

"She gone."  Wyatt said flatly.

"The little gal has left already?"  Cal's voice raised in surprise.

"Why should she have waited till you arrived to insult her again, mister,"  Mrs. Gill said snootily.  

"I just stated facts, ma'am."

"You gave her  no notice from the very moment she buried her pa.  That is nearly unforgiveable in my book, and I am a godly woman, sir,"  Mrs. Gill seethed.  "Don't worry.  I am leaving as well, that is if you'll allow one of your hands to drive me back to town.  I was only here to support that special young lady whom I've watched grow up her entire life on this very ranch."

Cal grunted something indeciphrable.  

"Sir, I'd like permission to drive this lady back to her home, that is unless you  have something else you need me to do that is more important than that."

Cal waved them away scowling.  "Do what you need to do.  I'll sit down with you tomorrow and go over my plans for the ranch."

Mrs. Gill stood on the porch with her satchel in her grip, hat on her head and gloves on her hands, though she still was wearing her apron.  The lady stood taping her foot waiting for Wyatt to bring a wagon to the house.  Cal went around her to figure out where he would put his things when they arrived.  The house wasn't exactly sparse, but he was glad to see it wasn't too full of the previous owner's things.  He decided to drag out what he didn't want so it could be hauled away by whomsoever desired it.  He grabbed up a few geegaws, a couple of doilies, a fancy lamp with hanging crystals, and a pretty painted in pitcher.

"Here ma'am.  Take these with you if you like," he muttered.  Then he went upstairs to find only a couple of photos from the man's room and a pair of embroidered pillow cases from another.  He clopped down the stairs to put them on the pile.  "That little gal might want these.  I sure as shootin' don't."

Mrs. Gill only huffed.  When Wyatt drove the wagon up near the porch she pointed.  He doesn't want these.  I'll keep them for Rose for the time being.  Her trunk is still up in her room though."

Wyatt found the man standing in her room which had a faint whiff of roses, probably from the climbing vine outside her window.  "Her daddy planted that rose when she was born."  He hefted the small trunk and left the man to contemplate what he had done.

"Ready Mrs. Gill?"  He helped her to climb the spokes and up onto the rough seat hoping she wouldn't get a splinter through her pretty cotton dress.  

They were quiet as they road along.  Finally, Wyatt swallowed his pride and stated a fact, "That's one hard-hearted man."

"You can say that again," Mrs. Gill replied.

Since he'd opened his mouth once, he figured he might as well continue.  Wyatt forged on.  "It's a crying shame that cowboys don't make hardly enough to support themselves, let alone a wife."

She turned to face him meeting him square in the eyes.  "Are you referring to my daughter and that...that foul, unscrupulous cowboy?  Or are you referring to yourself?"

Their gazes caught.  Finally, his voice dropped so long it was full of gravel.  "I guess a little of both."

She nodded and finally swiveled to face forward with a deep sigh.  After another long spell of comfortable quiet, she said, "Wyatt, you be sure to tell that girl she can come to my house when she finds herself in need of a place to stay.  My door will always be open to her."

But when they arrived at her door she shrieked, "Isabel!"

"Hi, Mama.  I came home."

"Oh my precious.  Look what you brought!  A darling baby!"

"This is Lily, Ma.  You want to hold her?"

Mrs. Gill hugged her daughter and new grandbaby before gently taking the wee one in her arms.  "How sweet she is."  Both women had tears running down their cheeks.

"Can I come home, Ma?  Joe got shot in a bar brawl over a card game.  I had no where else to go."

"But of course, dear one.  This is your home.  I don't know when I've been this happy."

Wyatt walked up with Rose's small trunk on his shoulder and paused to say, "Will you look at that!  It's been a long time since I've seen a tiny baby, and such a purty little thing at that!"  

Now you just put down that trunk and hold her.  You're the closest we've got to a man around here with her Joe gone, so I want you to hold her for just a bit."

He blushed but nodded as he put the trunk down with a thud which caused the baby to startle throwing her arms out and opening her eyes wide.  "Sorry, little darlin'.  I've forgotten how to act with an infant.  It's been a long, long time since I held a baby."

Mrs. Gill carefully shifted the babe into his waiting arms.  Tears glazed his eyes.  

"Why Wyat, just look at you.  You're a natural," the lady said beaming.

"I had me a wife and a babe once a very long time ago," he said huskily.  "Yella Fever took 'em jest as we were starting out in life.  I was a sod buster back then up Nebraska way."

"I never knew that,"  Mrs. Gill said softly.  "I'm truly sorry for your loss.  A wife and child.  How terrible that must have been."

"Nearly broke me.  I just rode off and that's when I started being a cowpoke.  I worked my way along down here to Texas."  Then he tore his eyes off the child and stared at hers full of compassion.  "Thank you.  I haven't told that but to a couple of other souls in all this time."

"I understand," she said.  "Some things are too close to the heart to express."

"I best get this here trunk inside because I want to ride out and see if I can find where Rose has gone before going back to the ranch.  Good to see you Isabel.  Mighty purty little babe you got there," he said in his drawl.  

After he left, Isabel looked at her ma and said stupified, "I do believe that man is sweet on you."

Mrs. Gill just sighed and shrugged her shoulders before taking her precious bundled surprise in.  She sat right down and began rocking in her old rocking chair.

"Ma, what happened to Rose?"




Rose sat on a warm rock and threw out her line again.  Water bugs lazily scooted across the shallow pools.  She'd already hooked one trout for supper, but wanted another.  Suddenly, she heard that tell-tale rattling.  Pulling her legs up tighter, she looked to her left where a coiled rattler was flicking his tongue out at her.  Slowly she pulled out her pa's pistol and shot the thing dead.  She got it the first time, but shot it again just to make sure.  Then Rose got a stick, picked it up and threw it in the bushes.


Just when she'd settled back down, calming her neck hairs to quit standing on end, she heard a wagon come down the narrow trail.  Rose laid down her pole and quickly hid in the trees where she could see who was coming. 

When she saw it was Wyatt, she sauntered out, hands on hips and said with a grin, "I figured you'd know where I'd be."

"'T'aint hard as well as I know you, Missy.   But what was that shooting I just heard?  'Bout scared me out of my wits!"

"Ah, jest a rattler.  I got 'em.  The second shot was just for target practice," she added with a grin.

"He nodded towards the gun belt.  "Hopefully, you won't be needing those again."

"This is only for trouble, trouble that can't be dealt with any other way.  Don't worry, I won't shoot the new ranch owner if he shows up."

Wyatt grunted, "I sure hope not.  By the way, Mrs. Gill said to tell you that you can always stay with her, but when I took her home just a bit ago she sure had a quite a big surprise waiting for her on the porch.  Isabel was there with a new little baby.  She's cute as a bug."

Rose squealed "Oh, I bet she is a doll baby!"

"She is at that." he blushed and admitted, "I even got to hold her."

"My stars, Wyatt!  That's wonderful!  I'll ride Whitey in to see her in a couple of days or so, maybe Sunday, but I don't want someone coming along and helping themselves to my stuff here while I'm gone."

"I'll try to keep my eyes on your things."

"You didn't tell him where I am, did you?"

"Nope.  None of his business.  You ain't harmin' nothing out here."

"That's what I figured.  I know I can't stay forever, but it's good enough for now."

"Well, I'll mosey on back looking for mamas and their calves.  Shoot that rifle three times in a row if you run into trouble.  If I'm not too far in the back yonder, I'll hear it and come running."

"Thanks for checking up on me, Wyatt."

"You're a brave young woman."

"I better see if I can hook another trout for my supper.  If you ever get time off, come fishing with me."

"You bet."  He waved.

She could only grin and wave back.

It was a satisfying supper, two fish on her plate with one saved for breakfast.

The next day, a rider came down the trail and pulled up looking.  He probably saw Whitey staked out.  The man started to get out of the saddle.  Hiding behind a huge pine, Rose pulled up her pa's rifle and cocked it.  The sound of it echoed in the stillness like a  sledge hammer on rocks.  The stranger saw the sun shining off the barrel pointed at him, got back up on his horse and loped away.  Rose was pretty sure the man never actually saw her.  

"Thank you, Lord, for helping to keep me safe.  Tell Pa thanks for his guns while you're at it."

But the next afternoon, it was Wyatt who came riding hard.  She walked out of the barn rifle laying in her arms gentle-like hoping it was him and not somebody else.


"Hey, darlin', you're needed back at the ranch house."  He was winded, but took a deep breath and went on, "The new boss had a horse fall on him, and he's in a bad way.   The doctor is with him now, but says he'll need somebody to nurse him until he can get back up and around."

"You think I should be the one to do that?"  she asked incredulously.

"He needs somebody 'round the clock, doc says.  I can't think of anybody else, cause the cowboys are moving cattle around right now and looking for the new calves for branding."

Rose stood still, thinking and praying silently.  She heaved a deep breath.  I guess I'll do it, at least till somebody else is found."

"Russell said he could come help the man with his personal needs, but he's too seized up with his arthritis to be of much help."

Wyatt got down and assisted her in packing up her things.  "I'll keep your food stuffs and pots and such in your sack in the bunkhouse for you."

"Thanks.  I'll just take my bedroll and clothes with me then."  She saddled Whitey and was soon riding back to her ranch alongside of the foreman.  

They rode in silence before Rose sighed and said, "Life is strange sometimes.  You just never know what might jump out at you around the next corner."

Wyatt just grunted in agreement.

Rose quietly stepped into the house putting her satchel down inside the door.  She waited outside the bedroom until the doctor saw her through the slight opening and came out. 

"He's sleeping now.  I gave him laudanum so he'll sleep for quite a while.   I put a cast on his left leg and another on his right arm and wrapped his broken ribs.   He needs someone with him.  It'll be a bit before he can get up and move around safely.  You can feed him broth at first, but then he'll need hearty meals so he can keep up his strength."    

"I doubt he'll be happy to see me when he wakes up," she mused.  

"Who wouldn't want to wake up to your pretty face, missy," the doctor smiled.

"You might be surprised," she muttered.  "I'll go see what's there to fix for supper.  You are welcome to stay."  She looked around, but Wyatt was already gone.

The doc answered, "I better not.  My wife was putting on a pork roast when I left."

Rose grinned, "Well, you best not let that meal go to waste.  Tell your wife I said hello."

"She sure was glad you came home."

"Me too."

The house was silent except for her noise banging a pan here, and a pot there.  She decided to kill a chicken to stew so she could feed the broth to the patient.  She also made her light as air biscuits.  It was quite a change to find the cupboards so well stocked.  After dipping out a bowl of broth, Rose turned the rest into a chicken soup after having de-boned the bird.  She left it simmering with carrots and minced potatoes.  

Rose tried not to dwell on wringing the chicken's neck, chopping it off and dipping the rest in scalding water to make plucking its feathers easier.  It still was one of her most hated chores, right up there with cleaning out the chicken coop.  She'd not had to do either one a single time in her two years in Boston.   That was about the only good thing about living there.  

One of Mr. Ingalls cowboys came to visit him that afternoon from his other ranch.  Upon opening the door, Rose squealed and squatted down crying, "Chiggers! I wondered where you were, you good ol'dog, you!"

The dog had so many conniptions that he didn't know whether to jump on her, roll on his back, or run circles around her, whether to yip or whimper.

"Oh, it's so good to have my dog back home," she said as her heart swelled up in her chest.

"Sorry, ma'am, but you must be mistaken.  That's the boss' dog called Rowdy."

Rose stood up from where she'd bent to pet her dog, then got right up into that man's face, standing on her tiptoes to do so.   She said through gritted teeth, "Does that dog act like I'm a stranger?"  She poked the man in the chest and added, "That's MY dog.  Don't you think I'd know my own dog?"

The cowboy had taken off his hat to be polite and was scratching his head before managing to say, "But he's been with us going on two years.  He come along with me from the other ranch just this morning."

She stood there with her mouth gaping, until her patient called from the other room, "Here Rowdy!  Come on, boy."  The dog trotted in wagging his tail to lick the man's face making him chuckle.  "Hey, what's the ruckus out there  about?"

Rose marched in and declared, "That man says this is your dog, but I'm sorry to tell you, he's mine!"  She put her hands on her hips daring him to cross her.

"It's you?" he glared.

"What?  The doc said you need somebody to stay with you, and Wyatt says none of the boys can be spared right now."

"Well, Rowdy here just showed up at my ranch a couple of years ago and sorta stuck around, didn't you, boy." He scratched behind the dogs ears earning him a big sloppy, slobbering lick on his cheek.

"That's why his name is Chiggers, cause he always wanting to be scratched," she scowled.

Rose swirled and stomped out on the porch and called, "Wyatt, you around?"

The man bent through the corral fence and loped over to her, "What's wrong, darlin'?"

"What happened to my dog while I was gone?"

Wyatt looked down at his dusty boots and said, "Well now, he hung around waiting for almost a week or two, then one day he wasn't there anymore.  I did look for 'em, I promise."

"Why that turn-coat went and made himself right at home at the Triple B's ranch.  Mr. Ingalls thinks he's his dog now."

"Well, I'll be, if that don't beat all.  I guess that's better than him being dead like we all figured.  We were having cougar trouble about then and thought the snarl puss had got him."

She charged back into the patient's room.  She could tell he was in a lot of pain, so she gave him another dose of his medicine the doc left.  With a scowl, she admitted, "I guess when I went back East, he tried to find me and ended up at your place.  But I had him first."

Cal Ingalls grimaced, "Maybe, but I've had him the last two years.  So, I'd think the finders-keepers sort of thing applies here."

Rose just huffed and left the ranch owner and his other foreman to talk a bit.  She wanted in that room with that man about as much as she wanted a tea party with a skunk.

She did pour a cup of broth for him and left it to cool off a bit while she puttered around the kitchen until the other fella left.   Finally Chiggers came out with his tail waving as happy as could be.  She bent down to love on 'em some more.  "Without Whitey, Wyatt, Mrs. Gill, and you, where would I be?" she whispered wiping a tear of self-pity off as fast as it dripped down her cheek.

"He's pretty beat," the cowboy said as he left in a hurry, probably trying to get away without  another confrontation.

Rose took her patient his cup of broth.  But since he was already asleep,  she left him alone.

She poured herself a cup of coffee, took her Bible, and her dog to the back stoop.  Rose knew she needed God's help to keep from spouting off some uglies at that man in her pa's bed.  She read Psalms 139:4, "Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all."  Then she read Matthew 12:34, "...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

The girl hung her head and closed her eyes and prayed, "God, you know what's in my heart, and it ain't pretty.  I know it isn't right to put all the blame on that broken up cowboy in there. As much as I hate it, my pa's the one who sold the ranch to him.  He was losing it anyway, so what can I say except, I'm sorry.  Please help me curb my tongue so I'm a blessing and not a curse.  Amen."  She got up and felt a little bit better.

Rose decided that whenever she was tempted to say something not pleasing to God, she'd say to herself the verse from I Peter 3:4, "...let it be...the ornament  of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."  She remembered how her ma liked that verse and would say it to her when she was fixing to pitch a fit, not that she liked it at the time howeversome.  But it was time to grow up and quit throwing fits.

Next time she peeked in, the man was staring out the window.  Their dog trotted over and shoved his head under the man's  good hand."

"Hey, there buddy."

"I'll get you some broth.  If that settles, I'll bring you some chicken soup and biscuits after that."

"Mmhmm.  By the way, how did you get roped in to be my nurse?"

"The doctor.  Wyatt came and got me."

She hurried back with his mug of broth.  "Careful it's hot."

He grunted, blew on it and took a small sip.  "Yikes!  You're right, that is hot!"

"Want some coffee too?"

"Might as well burn the rest of my tongue off, I guess," he groused.

Rose hurried back to the kitchen quoting her new verse over and over again under her breath.  It would take a miracle to keep her from hauling off and giving him another good tongue lashing.  The man knew no manners.  Her pa on his worst day never talked to her like that.  In fact, no man ever had.  This guy took the cake.  It was enough to make her want to steer clear of his brand of mankind forever.

After leaving him to spoon his own soup to his mouth, she ate, then cleaned up the kitchen.  There wasn't any jam or jelly on the place, but at least she had butter to put on the biscuits.

"Hey, you in there."

Rose ground her teeth, but went to see what he wanted.

"I need to get up and go to the outhouse."

"Oh, uh, let me go get Wyatt or whichever cowboy is around."

She spun away before he could demand that she take him.

"Wyatt?"  He was staying pretty close by and was only sending his cowpokes to ride the fences and find the calves.  The foreman went in to the man's room and shut the door.  She could hear the low voices arguing, but not what they were saying.  At least her patient hadn't emerged against doctor's orders.  

Wyatt finally came out and said, "I set the bed pan out the window, and I'll go around and dump it in the outhouse.

She sighed.  "I can do that.  I'm just glad you convinced him to stay in bed."  This was going to be a long week, or more likely, a long month.

When she came back and washed up, she mixed up some sugar cookies.   She was enjoying how they smelled when her patient barked, "What's smelling so good in there?  Do I get some?"

She stuck her head in his room just to say, "The cookies are still in...hey!  What are you doing sitting up.  The doctor wants you to only lie in bed.  He said if you jostle those ribs around, one could stab you in the lungs.  Now lie back in bed like a good boy or no cookies for you, buddy."

"Anybody ever tell you, you're bossy?" he glared.

"No." And she shut the door before she would tell him what she truly thought of him.

Finally, she ate her cookies warm  off the pan, but let his cool all the way.  Rose didn't want to hear anymore about burning his tongue.  She reluctantly took him a plateful and a glass of milk.  "There.  Don't let the dog eat your cookies.  He's pretty sly about snatching them away."

"Wait.  I need you to tell Wyatt that I need to talk to him.

"Yes sir."

She went outside, took a deep breath and walked slowly towards the bunkhouse in the dusk.  "Wyatt, she called, but another fella came out whom she didn't know.  The cowboy winked at her saying, "Maybe you should be calling my name, sugar."

Wyatt stormed out and gave the man a hard shove.  "Any more of that and you'll be riding off this ranch.  You better keep your distance, and that's your one and only warning," he snarled.

She had already started to back up.  Night was falling.  For goodness sakes, weren't there any men besides Wyatt left who knew how to treat a lady? 

"What do you need, sweetheart?" Wyatt asked.

"The boss in there wants to talk to you.  Be careful.  He's nothing but cranky."

Wyatt muttered something harsh under his breath, but she didn't catch it.  

"There's cookies in the jar in the kitchen.  Help yourself while you're in there.  I think I'll sit out here on the porch for a few minutes."

"That sounds pretty tempting.  I do love your sugar cookies and have been craving 'em these last couple of years something fierce."  She only laughed at him.

Wyatt came out with a scowl until he saw her.  "Hey, I made him agree to let Shorty take care of him tomorrow so you can go to town with me to church.  That-a-way you can see Isabel and her little baby."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful!  I'll be ready for sure," she cried, then leaned forward to whisper,  "I can't tell you how glad I will be to get away from the Grump.   But I'll put a roast on with a low fire to cook while I'm gone and will fix it for him for Sunday supper when I get back."

The next morning Wyatt hitched up the wagon so she wouldn't have to ride her horse to town in a dress.  She had put that roast in and had taken her patient a big breakfast of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and hash browns already.  Shorty would hang around the house in case the man needed help while they were gone.  Chiggers followed her out and she had to point at him and say, "Stay," as they rolled away.  Good dog that he was, he sat, but had that hang dog look about him as if wondering if she'd ever come back.  It just about choked her up.

Being back in her own church was heavenly, but seeing Mrs. Gill, Isabel and baby Lily put her  over the moon.  

"Oh, Isabel, she is so precious!" Rose exclaimed as she teared up.  "I'm sorry that you are a widow though.  Are you all right?"  Rose looked anxiously at her friend.

"Oh, you know, it wasn't easy."  Isabel scrunched her face.  "Joe wasn't who I thought he was, but now I have this special little girl.  I wouldn't trade her for the world."

Mrs. Gill stood close by beaming about the baby and receiving many a congratulations.  Then she looked at Wyatt first, then Rose and asked, "Can you both come over for Sunday dinner?"

Wyatt tipped his hat at her and grinned.  "I don't think Rose here is too anxious to get back to the ranch and take care of  Mr. Ingalls."

"No, I'm not.  I don't know how it can be so good to be at home, but so hard to be with him." She sighed and added,  "But it's only temporary."

"We heard about his accident.  How terrible," Mrs. Gill said as she meandered down the street with Wyatt walking ahead of Rose and Isabel.  

"It is terrible.  They had to put his horse down.  He'll get better, but the horse won't," Rose grimaced.

"Sounds bad all around," Isabel stated, then whispered, "I heard he's very handsome though."

Rose looked at her shocked.  "I can't really say because I can't see past him kicking me out right after Pa's funeral.  In fact, I can hardly stand to look him in the face.  I confess that it'll be a miracle if I get through this without me having a real hissy fit before I'm through."

Isabel giggled.  "What I wouldn't give to be there to watch!"

After a leisurely afternoon, Wyatt finally said, "I hate to leave, but it's time to get back to the ranch for evening chores.  Thank you kindly for the good food and even better company."   He put on his hat, tipped it to the lady folk and went out to hitch the horses back to the wagon.  Rose kissed the baby on the forehead, sighed and left.

Isabel called after her, "I want a full report on how you do."

Rose hollered back, "Just pray for me, ya hear."

Wyatt wore a satisfied grin all the way home.  Finally Rose laughed and said, "So when you marry Isabel's ma, would you move to town or would she move to the ranch?"

The man whipped his head around and stared at her dumbfounded.  "What're talking about, little gal?  Where'd ya come up with that?"

"Oh, I'm just reading your mind sitting here watching that slap-happy face you've been wearing all afternoon."

The foreman took a deep breath and said, "Don't be saying anything to anybody, but I just talked to a man about getting a job freighting deliveries to the general store starting the first of next month, so I'll be moving to town all right.  It will be quite a change for me, but I hope a good one he said with a wink.  My body's been telling me my time breaking brocs is over."

"I'm so glad for you," Rose said forcing a smile.  "My goodness, change is happening all around me."

"Well, darlin' nothing ever stays the same no matter how we wish for it."

"I know, Daddy used to tell me so."  By the time they arrived back she'd pert near lost all her joy.  

"Wonder whose rig that is?" Wyatt asked.

"I don't know, but I better hurry and get that roast served up.  Do you want to come in and eat too?"

"Nah," he said patting his stomach.  "I already had my big meal of the day, but thanks anyway."

When Rose entered the house, she stopped dead in her tracks.  Who should be sitting at her table serving up her roast, vegetables and rolls, but Essie Brooks, her school days nemisus?
Not only that, Mr. Ingalls was sitting up at the table with a strained look about him.

"Why are you here?" she sputtered, then pointed to her patient and asked, "Why are you out of bed?  The doctor said you have to stay in bed for at least a week."

Essie just laughed.  "He's a big boy.  Cal can do whatever he wants.  I'm here because I just had to see my special guy.  It was nice of you to make the roast for our supper," she said smugly.

At least Cal had the decency to look down, but Rose just nodded and stomped up the stairs before the gates of her mouth opened and the wild horses stampeded and trampled somebody.  At least she didn't slam her door like she wanted.  "Essie, indeed.  Well, he sure has a poor taste in women," she muttered.  Then Rose just sat on her bed thinking while a solitary tear dripped down her cheek.  Tonight was the first time she really looked at him, and Isabel was right.  He was a right handsome man.

After a while, she heard Essie call, "Mr. Shorty!  Oh, Mr. Shorty, he's ready to go back to his room now."  Dusk was falling, and it would be dark before Essie got back to town.  "Oh, well, that was her choice."

Rose did not come down till morning and about shrieked when she saw her kitchen.  That witch had not lifted a finger to wash a dish or even to put food away.  She watched as Chiggers pulled what was left of the roast off the table to chomp down on it, cracking the platter while he was at it.  Her head pounded, her heart pounded, and then her feet pounded to Mr. Ingall's door.  "Did you see the huge mess that woman left my kitchen in?  Our dog just ate the rest of the roast, broke the platter and no telling what else."

"Our dog?" he said with a smirk.

"No, my dog, I meant," she said with her eyes averted.

"Well, help me up.  I want to see this terrible sight."

"No, you'll just have to believe me.  You need to obey the doctor's orders."

"Just come over here and lend me your hand to help me get up.  I was fine yesterday moving around some."

"You'll be the death of your own self," she growled but at the same time wanted the grim satisfaction of him seeing the destruction left in Essie's wake.

So, she pulled the man up to a standing position.  They wobbled as he tried to walk with one leg while having her support for the other.  Rose hoped she would be strong enough.  She sure as shootin' didn't want Wyatt to come in and see her helping him get around.  Just when they were getting the hang of it, kind of like a three legged race, he went and stepped on her foot just as she was going forward.  She screamed as down they went.

She lay there with her eyes bugging since he had landed on top of her knocking the breath out of her.  Finally she gasped and said, "Oh, no!  The docs going shoot me.  Are you alright?"

He moaned a little, but asked, "Are you alright?" 

"You just knocked the wind out of me is all."    But he just laid there on top of her probably assessing his broken parts while staring at her.  Then he brushed a strand of hair back from her face.  They just stared at one another.  Then glory be! Or rather how could this be?  Or how dare he!  He kissed her.  And kept on kissing her till she was as out of breath as when he'd first knocked the wind out of her.

"I think you need to get off of me now.  If Wyatt comes in to see why I screamed, you'll have buckshot in your behind or worse, and I'm not digging it out for you, that's for sure and certain."

Cal  rolled off and laid there beside her and began chuckling before gasping, "Oh, that hurts."

Rose knew she wouldn't be able to get the cripple up off the floor, so she ran out to get Wyatt.  He was running in so fast, they almost had a collision.  

"Shorty said you screamed."

"Go look, and you'll see why," she frowned and pointed to her patient's room.  Rose wondered how she could grimace and blush at the same time.

But before he went in, the huge mess in her kitchen caught his eye right down to the broken platter that Chigger was still licking off.  "What in Sam's hill happened here?"

"Essie Fitch.  But you better go in there and see how he's doing."

"Where is he?" Wyatt shouted.  Then he saw a foot down on the floor  sticking out on the other side of the bed.  "Are you okay, boss?"  He asked as he rounded the bed and saw the man splayed there.

"I guess, my stubborness to demand to get out of bed didn't pay off, though in some ways it 
did," he confessed while staring at her.  She turned so hot in the face she was glad Wyatt didn't turn around just then and catch her like that.  She fanned her face with her apron while the man on the floor chucked, then moaned.

"Do you think you rebroke anything?  Do I need to get the doctor?" Wyatt asked concerned.

"I don't think so.  If you help me get back in bed, maybe I'll know better if something new is hurt."

Wyatt said over his shoulder, "Give me a hand here, Rose.  This is a two-person job to try and get him off the floor without roughing him up some more."

She slipped her hand under the arm with the cast while Wyatt hefted up the rest of the boss to stand him on his one good foot.  She saw the pain on Cal's face before she helped Wyatt shift him to sit on the bed.  Then Wyatt lifted both of his legs up when she pulled the covers back.  That was the first time she noticed her patient was in his red long johns making her blush once again.  

Wyatt glanced up and saw it and wrinkled his brow with an unspoken question.  She mouthed, "Long Johns."  He nodded and just said,  "He's too heavy, darlin' for you to be dancing with if he's determined not to stay put.  You can cook and clean and do his laundry, but leave the rest of his care to one of the cowboys.  I'll make sure one of 'em sticks around.  Just ring the dinner bell when the boss needs something."

"That's a good idea,"  she said not daring to look her patient in the face."

"You can go tackle that kitchen, but if that gal shows up again, I'll just thank her to leave before she so much as gets out of her buggy," Wyatt growled.

"It's that bad?" Cal asked.

"Yup.  Rose is here to help, not get walked on."  With that her favorite foreman left.

"Rose?"  She looked back at him.  "I'm sorry," he professed.

She didn't know what he was sorry for.  Was it sorry for having a terrible girl friend who left such a mess, or sorry for knocking the breath out of her, or if it was sorry for kissing her.  She let out a frustrated huff not caring if he heard her or not.

Rose had to clean up some first so that she could at least make his breakfast, starting with coffee.  Essie had left the pot on the stove until it had baked coffee on the bottom which she now had to chisel out.  She wanted to kill that man since Essie wasn't around, but knew the Bible was more inclined to killing someone with kindness.  It wasn't going to be easy.  And every time she thought of the kiss, her first, she put her hands on her lips, which wasn't smart when she was up to her elbows in greasy dishwater.  

She finally had a plate and a cup of coffee for him: two eggs, bacon and the least chewed on roll off the pan that she had wrestled away from her dog.  She put them on his nightstand and twirled so fast anxious to get away, but heard his chuckling.  

"I still got a lot of cleaning to do," she called back as if that was why she ran out of there faster than skittish horse looking through a lasso.

"Thanks," he said, "for everything."

She knew he was grinning just by the way he sounded, and it sent her blushing again.  Shrugging it off as best she could, Rose put on a pot of beans to soak.  Then it only took her  another hour, thanks to Chiggers help licking off the plates, silverware and butter dish ahead of time.  She just used boiling water to rinse the dishes with, like always.  Finally Rose sank to a chair and put her apron over her face, arms hanging limp at her sides.  "That woman!" she groused.  "That two-timing man!"  She just wilted like that for a minute before getting up and putting some kind of semblance for lunch together.  

Rose walked quietly into the room and saw the man seemed to be sleeping aounsly.  She reached out to get his breakfast tray when his hand whipped out and caught her wrist as if in a snare.  She gasped.

"I truly am sorry for abusing you today.  But has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?"  

As she stared back at him, he had a pleading look of sincerity about him.  Rose just shook her head. 

"Those Boston boys must have been blind, not knowing what a beautiful woman looks like.  I can't believe no one snagged you up while you lived there."

Rose swallowed then answered him saying, "I wasn't around very many young men.  I went to an all girls' finishing school.  Then, the only other social activity was to go to church and have lunch with my aunt's old lady friends."

"No wonder you hated it.  Well, I'm glad you got home in time to see your father.  I truly am sorry how I handled everything with you.  God's been running me through His wringer.  You must think I'm lower than dirt under your boots.   I was going through some stuff and took it out on you.  I'm sorry."  The ranch owner looked up at her as if begging for her forgiveness with those dark brown eyes  of his.

"What stuff?" she asked thinking she had a right to know what had made him lose his manners toward her.

"My old fiance had just written me that she wanted me back.  That woman put me through all that, breaking off our engagement and now she has the gall to say she wants me back?  Not going to happen.  After the breakup, I took my inheritance and came to Texas and bought a ranch.  Then I used more of it to buy this place when your pa said it was up for sale.  I guess I was mad at all womanfolk, and there you were, my prime target.

"Hmm.  Okay.  I suppose we can start over," but she forced a stern look and pointed at him, "But don't think that Essie is welcome in this house as long as I'm living here, agreed?  She has plagued me for years with her meanness.  I'm not going to take it any more."

She heard someone coming down the lane and peeked out the window.  "Well, speaking of the devil, there she is. I wonder what she wants this time. besides you that is?" she snickered.

"Tell her I'm not taking visitors.  Call Wyatt if you need to."

"I'll handle her."  Getting another gander at her, Rose was steaming hot.  This was war.

One of the cowboys helped Essie out of her buggy leaving an older woman to climb out by herself.

"We're not taking visitors, Essie, so you might as well climb back into that buggy.  Cal told me to tell you that."  Rose stood with her arms crossed blocking the doorway.

Essie stopped, then put her fake smile in place.  "Oh, he'll see me.  I have good news.  Carlotta has agreed to take care of him, so you're not needed anymore."

An audience of lazy cowboys was leaning up against the barn as if it was their job to hold it up today.

"Sorry.  You can take her right back to town until the doctor says I'm not needed."

Essie spoke a little louder, "You know of course, Rose, that your reputation is ruined.  Everybody knows a single young woman staying under the same roof as a single young man isn't to be done.  The tongues in town are wagging something fierce."

"Well, I know who set them to wagging.  But that doesn't change the fact that you're not welcome here.  So take Miss Carlotta back with you."  Rose waved her hands as if shooing the 

women away.

Just then Shorty rode in with Wyatt on lathered horses.  "Do we have a problem here, Rose?"

"These women are just leaving."

Essie gave a little scream of anger while Carlotta spewed a lot of Spanish, which Rose didn't want to know.  

"All right men, get back to work," the foreman barked.  This time no one dared help Essie back into her buggy.

After they left, Wyatt put one boot on the porch step and crossed his arms over his thigh and stared at Rose.  "She insulted you, didn't she?"  

Rose knew she looked in high dungeon.  "She tried to kick me off the place.  She had no call to bring hired help out here without so much as a by-your-leave."

Wyatt looked her in the eye.  "I kind of figured you weren't too happy helping out here.  That could have been your excuse to leave."

"And go where?  I can camp out a little longer, but Mrs. Gill can't afford to have me around her place, especially now with Isabel home."

"As foreman, I wish I could hire you to help work the cattle, knowing you're good enough.   But the only problem is that some of the cowboys aren't gentlemen, and I can't trust 'em with you out  in a far pasture."

She looked away.  "Thanks anyway.  I'll think of something."

"Pray about it," Wyatt said kindly and left.

"Rose?"  Her patient was calling.

She went in arms crossed barely controlling her anger.  "What do you need?"

"What happened out there.  I get so frustrated strapped to this bed I could holler the hogs in."

Rose took a deep breath.  Essie was here.  She brought a lady named Carlotta with her saying she was to take my place, and that I should leave."  She felt like she would crumble any second now.

"Is that all she said?"

"No."  Rose looked away out the window and could still see the dust trail of that horrid woman's buggy headed back to town.  "She said I had shredded my reputation by staying here with you, and that everybody in town is talking about it."  She had to bite her lip to keep it from quivering.

The man also gazed out that window, contemplatively.  "I only asked her to dinner once.  I decided then and there, once was enough.  But then you were gone, and she showed up out of the blue.  I was hungry, and she offered to feed me.   She also insisted I should come sit at the table.  Shorty helped me because she bribed him with a plate of your good roast beef.  It was all a big mistake.  I'm really sorry, sorry for the mess she made for you and for the mess I've put you in.  Maybe I should have whoever this Carlotta is come back.  It's too much to ask of you."

"No!  That mule's been let out of the barn, and there's no getting it back in anyhow.  Since I don't have anywhere else to be right now, I'll stay put.  It's nice to sleep in my own bed, and eat off my mother's plates at least for a while, that is," she declared getting her gumption back.

"Where did you go when I kicked you off the first time?"

Their gazes locked again until she sighed.  "Okay, I'll tell you.  There's an old barn up in the trees in your south pasture.  That's where I camped and where I'll camp again most likely again."  She lifted her chin up defiantly.

His mouth dropped open.  "You camped out in a barn?"

"Where did you think I went?  Mrs. Gill can't afford to support me.  I've got her looking for work for me in town, but she hasn't found anything yet.  And I'm not going back to Boston, if that's what you're thinking, even if I could afford to go there," she stated.

"I guess it's not as easy for a woman as it is for a man to pull up roots and go down the road.  Sorry I've been so thick-headed about it all.  So, in case anyone else asks, you are my nurse, and that's final."

She smiled at him just as a sunbeam came in to dance on his covers.  He grinned back.

"All right then," she said and turned to get dinner on.  She took his breakfast plate back with her."

"Are there anymore of those sugar cookies?" he asked as she was leaving.

"In your dreams cowboy," she tossed over her shoulder.  With an exaggerated sigh, Rose added, "I guess I'll have to make another batch."

The next morning, Rose looked out the window to see a different buggy coming down the road.  It was Rev. Trout.  He got out and came to the door and knocked.  She greeted him with a great big smile, but somehow no smile rose to his face.  He looked grim indeed.  Somebody must have died she thought.  "I suppose you want to see the convalescing  patient.  Right this way"  She led him to Cal's room and threw the door open.  But to her horror, he was washing his bare chest while sitting in bed.  Rose hadn't even thought to knock first.

The minister tisked shaking his head, and went in and shut the door.

He was in there a long time.  Rather than hearing the rise and fall of their voices, she stayed busy not sure she wanted to hear what they were talking about.  Rose was wiping the soap suds off her arms when he walked back in.  "Mr. Ingalls wants to speak with you, dear.  But I will allow for you to be alone with him for only for a minute."

She walked past him with a sinking feeling.  Something dreadful was about to happen.

Rose stood in the doorway.  Cal had at least put his shirt back on, which wasn't easy with his arm still in a cast.

"Come in and shut the door, please," he said grimly.  The man did not look happy.

"Did he bring terrible news?" she asked.

"That depends on what you think, Rose."  Color crept from his neck up to his cheeks.  Rev. Trout confirms what Essie said.  Your reputation is indeed shattered beyond repair even if the doctor did ask you to come be my nurse.  The only solution, the preacher said, is to get married."  He swallowed hard like it choked him to say that.

"Married?" she shrieked, then put her hand over her mouth.

His eyes were dancing now with humor.  "Would it be so awful?  I'll admit to being a bear, an oaf,  and a beast, but I wouldn't mind kissing you like that for the rest of my life, to be honest."

How could he be grinning right now?  "Is he serious?"

"As serious as a bank robbery.  But I need your answer.  He's going to walk right back in here anytime now."

Rose stammered, "I need to talk to Wyatt first."  She turned and fled, running past the preacher and out the door calling, "Wyatt!  I need you!"  Her voice was frantic.

She saw tge foreman on a bronc that was doing its best to try and unseat him, but he smoothly jumped off and hurried over looking concerned.  Every cowboy around had their eyes glued on them now in fact.

"What happened?  Did the boss fall again?  Is that the preacher's rig?"

"No, he didn't fall, and yes, that's the preacher's buggy," but then she lowered her voice and whispered in the man's ear.

"He what!" Wyatt hollered.   Then lowered his voice to ask, "What are you going to do?"

"I wanted to ask you what I should do," she said before biting her lip.

The man she respected the most in the world looked into her eyes as if trying to decifer what she was thinking.  "What happened?" he asked knowing something must have precipitated this situation.

"Essie happened.  She made sure that my name was dragged through the gutter in town, but I doubt even she foresaw the way things are happening now."

"Did anything else happen?" He looked at her with fatherly concern.

Rose couldn't help a blush from blossoming where she didn't want it. "Well, he did kiss me that one time, uhh when he  fell on top of me clean knocking the breath out of me--the falling, not the kiss," she corrected herself.

"He what!" Wyatt hollered again.  "Why that..." he growled low noticing all the attentive cowhands hanging around.

Wyatt lowered his voice even more.  "What does Cal say?"

"He asked me to marry him."

"What did you say?"

"I said I had to ask you first."

Wyatt rubbed his scratchy chin before taking a deep breath and saying, "I guess you better marry the man."

Rose crossed her arms and firmly stated, "Not unless you marry Mrs. Gill.  I want you both standing beside me."

"You what!" he hollered

Rose put her chin up in the air.  "Yep, that's how it's going to be.  A double wedding.  If I can't keep you here at the ranch with me, I at least want that sweet woman to have you standing by her."

Wyatt rolled his eyes then looked at her half afraid, "What if she says no?"

"She won't.  I've seen how she looks at you.  You better get to town fast though.  That preacher in there is going to get a mite antsy."

A huge grin bloomed on his face.  He slapped his hat on his head and lickety split, he got back on that troublesome horse he was trying to break, and kicked him in the ribs.  "Open the gate, boys.  I'm goin' to town!"  It bucked a few times until it saw the way open and took off like a shot.

Rose giggled until she remembered what she'd just committed herself to do.  She dragged her feet back into Cal's room.  The preacher had taken a chair on one side of the bed, so she took the one on the other side.

"Well?"  Cal looked as nervous as a, well as a groom on his weddin' day.

"I just told Wyatt that I wouldn't marry you unless he agreed to a double wedding."

"What?" the men said in unison.  Then said gaping together, "Who?"

"Wyatt and Mrs. Gill."

"Well, I'll be!" the minister exclaimed, but Cal took her hand and whispered, "Then you will agree to marry me?"

"Yes," she said primly while sitting up in the straight-backed uncomfortable chair.

"Yahoo!" her soon-to-be man yelled so loud it sent horses to galloping round inside the corral creating a dust storm that then had the cowboys pulling their red kerchiefs up and pulling down the rims of their hats.  The minister had jumped so high he about fell off his chair.

When he got his composure back, he asked just to make sure, "Do I understand then that you two are committed to getting married?"

"Yes sir," they both said grinning like fools.  Cal reached out with his good hand to hold hers.

Rev. Trout just gripped his marrying and burying book tighter in his hand and looked straight ahead at the blank wall.   The only sound was a ticking clock.

When a rented buggy finally rolled up with Mrs. Gill, Isabel and baby Lily, Wyatt helped them all down.  Laughter filled the house.  They came back to the bedroom, because Cal didn't dare try to get out of bed again so soon after disaster. 

Rose held his calloused hand by the bed while Mrs. Gill and Wyatt stood at the foot of the bed.
Isabel stood by the open door.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God and these witnesses..." 

"Wait!" Isabel cried out excitedly.  She handed the baby to her mother and ran outside.  She came back with two bouquets of flowers for the brides.
  

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here..."

"Wait!" Isabel exclaimed.  She gently took her baby out of her mother's arms.  Somehow it wouldn't look right for her mother to be holding a babe in arms while exchanging vows.

"Dearly beloved..."

"Wait!" Rose shouted.  She proceeded to wiggle out of her dirty apron, which caused Mrs. Gill to quickly doff hers.  "You may proceed, Reverend," she said as calmly as a gal could in her situation.

He gave them stern looks and began again.  "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here..."

This time no one stopped him and their vows were exchanged.  Then, he said, "You may kiss your brides."

And they did.  Somehow her patient managed to knock the breath out of her again without toppling onto her first.  Chiggers thumped the floor with his tail in time with her heart beat.  Rose sighed happily.  She got her ranch back.