Cutty (Prairie Grooms Book 8) (5 page)

“But very little is very little. Who knows how that confounded Baron treated him and Nettie while they were young. All I know from Nettie is that neither of ‘em had it good. If’n he’s already got a lot of anger in him, what’s he gonna do after I tell ‘em who I am?”

“Cutty,” she said as her face softened. “You don’t know what he or Nettie are going to do, and you’re not going to find out until you tell them. Have you thought about telling them separately?”

“No … I always figured I’d tell ‘em together.”

“Think about it. I think Nettie is the more receptive one.”

“I was kinda countin’ on that. She can keep her brother from punching me in the face.”

“Give the lad some credit – he is a gentleman, after all.”

“So was I,” he replied sullenly. “Look at the things I did as a gentleman.”

“Well, yes, you’re quite right. Perhaps someone else should be there with you?”

“The only other person who knows is you - and I won’t put ya in harm’s way. Newton might go round the bend for all we know and shoot us both.”

“He’ll do nothing of the kind. I imagine he might be a little upset …”

“A little? I’m gonna borrow Othello from Ryder in case I need to make a fast getaway.”

“You can’t run from him after you tell him. It wouldn’t be right,” she advised.

“Yeah, I suppose.” Cutty sighed. “Come on, let’s go get some lemon drops.”

“Maybe Mrs. Dunnigan got her order in,” Imogene said with a happy smile.

“Order? Did you have her send for somethin’?”

“Yes, a new book.”

“A new book?” he said excitedly. “Yee-haw! What’re we waitin’ for – let’s go!”

She laughed as he took her by the hand and hurried toward the mercantile. If there was one thing that could take Cutty’s mind off of revealing to his children the dire news of his identity, it was a new penny dreadful.

Five

“Well, look who decided to show up,” Belle said teasingly.

Imogene blushed. Cutty scowled. The women of the ladies’ sewing circle were sitting in the mercantile, looking at them with bemusement. “What’re ya all starin’ at?”

Half the women lowered their heads and got back to their sewing. The other half giggled, Sadie and Belle among them. “You’re late, Imogene,” Sadie remarked.

“I’m not late, dear – I’m forgetful. We were having tea with Newton, and the time got away from me.”

“Well, since Mrs. Upton isn’t here either, we can’t blame you,” Belle told her. “Otherwise she’d have reminded you on her way out the door.”

“It’s our fault she’s not here,” Imogene explained. “She was serving us tea all this time.”

“I suppose this means I’ll have to get another chair,” Mrs. Dunnigan grumbled, setting down her sewing.

“No bother,” Imogene told her. “I’ll not be joining you today. But I would like to know if the item I ordered came in.”

“Yeah, I got something for you back there,” Mrs. Dunnigan said. “Wait here and I’ll go get it.”

“What did you order?” Belle asked. “Or do I even need to ask?”

Imogene smiled at her. “Oh, only a book or two.”

“Two?” Cutty said in surprise. “Ya didn’t say ya got two.”

“Again, I’m forgetful,” Imogene said with a shrug. “But all the better for our reading pleasure.”

Constance tried to suppress a very unladylike snort, but it still drew everyone’s attention.

“I hate it when she does that,” her sister Eloise said. “It always means she knows something I don’t.”

“It’s … nothing,” Constance said and waved a hand in front of her face.

“Then why are you fanning yourself?” her other sister Penelope asked. “What is it you know?”

“Nothing!” Constance insisted. “At least, nothing that I can say here.”

“Aha! I knew it!” Eloise said triumphantly.

“Is it for family ears only?” asked their cousin Fina.

“Not necessarily,” Constance said.

“Is it about the new house ya plan to build?” Grandma Waller asked.

“Grandma!” Constance groaned. “It was supposed to be a surprise!”

“Well then, why didn’t ya say so?” Grandma chastised. “And it ain’t a surprise unless no one knows about it. Land sakes, child, the whole town’s heard by now.”

“From who?” Constance asked.

“All eyes gravitated to Fanny Fig. She noticed the accusatory looks and shrank a little in her chair. “I might’ve heard it from Henry, who might’ve heard it from Sheriff Hughes, who just might’ve …”

“Enough already!” Mrs. Dunnigan barked as she came into the storefront with Imogene’s package. “You were telling folks down at the bank, then you told all of us before Constance got here. Of course we all know!” She looked at Constance. “But we
were
keeping quiet about it so you could tell us.”

Constance looked around the circle of women and shrugged. “At least I got to bring it up.”

Fanny slumped in relief. “I only said what I heard from other folks.”

“The folks you already told but forgot ya did,” Cutty quipped.

“You stay out of this!” Fanny said tersely. “You’re not part of the sewing circle.”

“Thank heavens for that,” he muttered to himself. “C’mon, Imogene, let’s go open your package in peace.” He started for the door.

“Cousin Imogene should write a book,” Apple blurted. All eyes focused on her. “Well … with all of us married off now, why not?”

“Imogene write a book?” Cutty said in bewilderment, stopping short of the doors. He turned to see what she thought of the suggestion.

“Don’t look so surprised,” Imogene said. “Do you think I can’t do it?”

“I never said that,” he said. “I just meant … well … huh. I guess it ain’t a half bad idea.”

“It’s a wonderful idea,” Susara Kincaid the town schoolteacher said. “Cutty, why don’t you help her?”

“Me?” Cutty said and jabbed his thumb into his chest. “Are ya outta yer mind?”

“You can read and write, and you know all the same sort of tales Imogene does,” Susara reminded him. “Between the two of you, you could come up with quite a few of your own.”

Cutty and Imogene exchanged a quick look, and a smile formed on Imogene’s face. “We’ll do it!”

“
We
will?” Cutty squeaked. “I ain’t got time to write a book!”

“We’ll do a penny dreadful,” Imogene said. “Or perhaps several of them. You know as well as I do that they’re short stories, nothing more.”

“Not all of ‘em are. Besides, I gotta help Ryder with his house.”

“Then while you’re doing that I shall begin to work on a story. You can help in your spare time. It will give me something to do while you’re occupied. You are going to stay there while you’re working for Ryder, aren’t you?”

“Well, yeah, but I thought maybe ya …”

“Just what are you saying?” Mrs. Dunnigan huffed. “Are you asking her to stay out there
with
you?”

“Was I talking to ya?” he barked.

“No, but it would be plumb indecent for you to have this woman out at Ryder’s with you.”

“Mind yer own business!” Cutty said in exasperation. He then realized this was not the best place to tell Imogene he was going to miss her if she took to writing while he worked.

“I’m sure Imogene will still get to see you, Cutty,” Sadie assured him. “Don’t worry, we’ll find a way.”

Cutty felt his cheeks heat. All he and Imogene had wanted was to come into the mercantile and pick up her package. Now the whole town knew their business – if they hadn’t already. “Fine,” he said and grabbed Imogene’s hand. “C’mon, let’s go.”

“Goodbye, Cousin Imogene,” Apple called after her. “We hope to see you again soon!”

“Yes, at Constance’s house for dinner,” Penelope added.

“I shall keep you informed,” Imogene said as they left.

Cutty shut the doors. “Whew!” He said and wiped his brow. “I thought we’d never get outta there.”

“Don’t tell me that a room full of women makes you nervous?” Imogene said with a smile.

“No, but that tongue-waggin’ Fanny Fig does.”

“Speaking of tongue wagging, you haven’t said anything to anyone about … you know …”

“Land sakes, no,” he said. He looked around, saw no one nearby, and switched to his normal, non-Cutty voice. “You’re the only one that knows everything. I’ve not said a word to anyone else.”

“Best to keep it that way,” she said. “Now, let’s go and see what sort of stories we have here.”

A tingle of excitement went up his spine. At least back at the hotel it would be quiet. He held his arm out to Imogene. She took it and together they made their way back to the hotel to enjoy their newest treasure.

* * *

Three days later the Cookes, with all their cousins and their cousins’ husbands, gathered at Constance and Ryder’s place for dinner and a house-planning meeting. Ryder had made some crude preliminary sketches, which Amon took the time to draw more neatly, including the fine details Ryder had missed. In no time at all they knew what they would need to start construction in the next few days. Between the men present and a few extra from town, Ryder could have his house built in no time.

Constance and the other women also had plans. Curtains would have to be sewn, and there was already talk of the ladies’ sewing circle making a new quilt for the occasion. And of course the men would need to be fed. All in all, Constance and Ryder’s dinner went better than planned. Even Cutty had a good time watching and listening to everyone.

But especially his children. “What color do you think you’ll paint it?” Nettie asked Constance.

“I have no idea, I’m not sure if Ryder will want a say in it, but if not, I would love a blue house.”

“Blue?” her sister Penelope said. “I thought you always wanted a yellow house.”

“Heavens no! You already have a yellow house. I’d much rather have a blue one.”

“With red trim!” Fina tossed in. “I could paint that for you.”

“You mean the same red as that table of yours?” Constance teased. “I’m surprised you have any paint left.”

“I can always get more,” Fina said with a sly smile. “Are you going to build a new barn too?”

“Eventually, but not right away,” Constance said. “The one we have is sufficient.”

“What are you going to do with your old house?” Apple asked.

“Ryder is giving it to Cutty.”

“He is?” Lena said in surprise.

“As much as Cutty’s helped Ryder out, of course he is. Everyone deserves a home – and this was Cutty’s, more or less, before he moved to the hotel. Isn’t that right?” she asked, turning to him.

Cutty looked up from his plate of food. “Uh … yep, he offered it to me.”

“Are you going to take it?” Fina asked.

“I’m thinkin’ so. Cain’t stay at the hotel forever.”

“But what about Imogene?” asked Apple. “You can’t live out here while she’s at the Triple-C. It’s so far away.”

Cutty glanced around. He didn’t see Imogene anywhere – she must be in the house. He turned back to Apple. “What do ya care?”

Apple smiled. “Everybody cares. We all know you’re sweet on her.”

Cutty groaned. “This again … cain’t you people learn to keep your opinions to yerselves?”

Apple fell into a fit of giggles.

“Stop that!” Cutty groused. “For Heaven’s sake, yer making a spectacle of yerself.”

Apple giggled harder, and now Fina joined her.

“Oh good grief,” he grumbled.

“What
are
you doing?” Imogene asked as she came up behind him.

“Yer cousins are beside themselves.” he told her. “Cain’t ya make ‘em stop?”

“Whatever for? They seem to be having a lovely time.” Apple and Fina laughed louder. “Though I would like to know what’s so amusing.”

“That I’m sweet on ya, apparently,” Cutty said grudgingly.

“Oh, is that all?” she replied with a casual wave of her hand. She looked at him. “Are you?”

“What kinda question is that?” he snapped. “Ya know perfectly well I …”

Now Lena and Eloise were laughing. “I told you you were sweet on her,” Apple cackled.

“Cain’t a man have no privacy? Is there anythin’ ‘bout me ya don’t know?” Cutty threw a hand in the air in frustration. “Land sakes, a man can’t comb his hair ‘round here without the whole town knowin’.”

“
You
can,” Imogene said with a playful smirk. “You haven’t any to comb.”

Cutty fought the urge to remove his hat, but didn’t want Imogene to see his hair yet, what little there was. He wanted to surprise her. “Women,” he grunted, and stomped off to join Ryder and the other men.

Newton stood among them, looking over Ryder’s rough sketch. “It will be a grand home when it’s done,” he said as Cutty arrived.

“Well, it ain’t like the Cookes’ place, but compared to what Constance and I got now it’ll be a castle,” Ryder agreed.

“Are you sure you need three bedrooms?” Colin asked.

“Of course,” Ryder said with a smile, glancing at his wife on the other side of the barn. “I want younguns, and so does Constance. The more the better.”

“And where do you plan to build this mansion?” Harrison asked.

“C’mon, I’ll show ya.” Ryder motioned them toward the barn doors.

Cutty followed them outside, though he knew exactly where Ryder planned to build. He’d been around long enough to have heard Ryder’s grand plans before. Only now they weren’t just grand, they were coming to fruition.

Cutty watched the men nod in agreement when Ryder pointed to the spot, then by the light of a single lantern began to walk out the outline of the house for them. He remembered the day Amon had done the same for Nettie, and smiled. He looked at Newton and discovered he wanted his son to have a home and a family too.

But from the sound of it, Newton wasn’t going to settle down anytime soon. In fact, if Cutty wasn’t careful, Newton would leave as soon as he told him who he was. There was nothing keeping him in Clear Creek now that Nettie was taken care of. He could leave anytime he chose. The only thing holding him was a lack of funds. Once the boy got a little money in his pockets, he’d be gone.

Cutty bit his lower lip in frustration. How was he to keep that from happening, other than the obvious? He had no right to deny Newton a way to support himself just so he could make sure he didn’t leave. That was a coward’s way out …

“Having a good time?” Cutty turned around to see Amon, watching Ryder hold his arms wide while trying to explain to the others where his parlor would go. “This looks familiar …”

“Yeah, I was thinkin’ the same thing. Nettie like yer place?”

“She loves it. We’d like you and Imogene to join us for supper next week if you can.”

“I’ll be here.”