Fated Memories (13 page)

The job of foreman usually went to the man with the most seniority, but Eathen had no one on the ranch who could handle the job. In the days to come, Dave Houston turned out to be just the man Eathen had been looking for to fill the position. His no-nonsense attitude about how a spread should be run, and his willingness to work along side his men, earned him the respect of almost, everyone on the ranch.

“
Ah sees you gots yo’ bags packed. Does dat mean you’s fixin’ ter leaves agin?” Hattie set a cup of coffee down on the table before settling herself into a chair.

“
Yes, Hattie. I’ll be at The Capital for a few weeks. Now that Houston’s here to take care of everything, I see no reason why I can’t get back to takin’ care of business.” Eathen smoothed out his dark brown suit coat before lifting one deeply-tanned leather boot to a high-backed wooden chair, buffing it with a starched linen napkin from the table.

“
Miz Charlotte know bout dis trip?” She clamped her jaw as he threw the smudged linen back down on the table.

“
I expect she does.” He glanced over at her. “Why do you ask?”

“
Ah jes’ thought it’d bes nice effen she could go along. She needs ter git away frum dis ranch fer awhile, Mist’ Eathen.”

“
Charlotte’s got all she can handle right here, Hattie. Besides, she don’t enjoy bein’ at the Capital. Her friends are here.”

“
It ain’ her friends Ah’m worried ‘bout. An you gots bizness right hyah ter bes tendin’ ter,” she scolded; raising her voice to be sure she was being heard as he passed her on his way to the kitchen. “It ain’ right fer a mahied man ter bes sleepin’ by hisseff. Yo’ gwing off agin w’en Miz Charlotte bes worrit whut you bes up ter is jes’ astin’ fer trouble.” She stirred a heaping spoonful of sugar into her already creamed coffee.

“
You worry too much, Hattie, ‘bout things that don’t concern you. Charlotte has the baby to keep her occupied. And she can always call on Sarah if she gets bored.” Eathen stooped to see into the small mirror above the wash pan which sat empty on a narrow stand. Drawing a slender comb from the back pocket of his tailor-made brown suit pants, he ran the comb through his thick dark hair. Satisfied with his appearance, he walked out of the kitchen to where Hattie still sat, enjoying her coffee.

“
Humph,” Hattie snorted, swallowing a bite of her toast. “Dat Mist’ Frank doan let her goes no whar lessin’ he knows ‘bout it.” She slathered more strawberry jam over the remaining toast. “He ain’ fixin’ ter lets her come over hyah, kase Mist’ Dave put a whupin’ on him over dat lil brown-skinned gal he wuz tryin’ ter mess wid.” She popped a finger into her mouth to capture a drop of jam before it escaped onto the tablecloth.

“
That’s all been forgotten, Hattie.” Eathen lifted the coffeepot off the hot pad to pour himself a cup of coffee. “Frank got drunk.” He reached past Hattie for the sugar-bowl. “He didn’t hurt her.”

“
He din’ hu’t her kase Mist’ Dave put a hu’tin’ on him.” She pushed the cream-pitcher towards him. “Effen he hadden’, Mist’ Frank’d done ruint dat po’ chile fer sho!”

“
Well, it’s all over now,” Eathen said, stirring the cream and sugar into his coffee, hastening to bring an end to the touchy subject.

“
It bes over til’ de nex time,” Hattie murmured, as he set the now empty cup down on the table.

***

Charlotte had finished placing Jessie back in her bed when she turned to see Eathen, his arms folded across his chest, leaning against the door-jam watching her. Blushing, she covered her exposed breast. “Yes, Eathen?”

“
I’m leavin’ in a few minutes. I wanted to see the baby before I left. I didn’t mean to walk in on you. Just habit, I guess.”

“
Yes, well, as you can see,” Charlotte nodded in the direction of the baby’s crib, “I just got her to sleep. I’d appreciate your not wakin’ her. I’ll be downstairs until you go.” She swept her long dress to one side, so as not to brush against him in her passing.

“
Charlotte, I been thinkin’, he straightened up as she moved past him. “Why don’t you bundle Jessie up and come with me this time? The hotels in Helena are real nice. I’d make sure you were comfortable.”

Hardening her heart against his closeness, she replied, “No thank you, Eathen. You’ll be very busy with the Legislature and whatever else you had planned to do. We’d just be in the way.”

Out of patience with her stubbornness, he pulled her into his arms. “Damn it! I’m askin’ you to come with me! A woman’s place’s with her husband.”

Pushing against his hard chest, she cried out. “Let go of me, Eathen.”

“
Why do you fight me?” He gave her shoulders a slight shake. “You’re my wife, goddamn it!”

“
You should have thought of that before you took everything from Miles City to Helena to your bed!” She kicked out at him, her slippered foot catching him in his shin. “Now, let go of me!”

Without another word, he released her. For a brief moment, they stood glaring at each other. Eathen turned away first. Walking over, he scooped his sleeping daughter into his arms.

In silence, Charlotte walked from the room. In no mood to listen to Hattie, she continued on her way down the stairs and out the front door. The fresh air felt good and the slight breeze cooled her fevered cheeks as she made her way across the lush green lawn. As she walked around the back of the house, she spied their new foreman walking towards her. Lifting her hand in greeting, she smiled.

“
Good mornin’.” He removed his hat and, pulling a handkerchief from his back pocket, wiped the sweat from his face.

“
Were you comin’ to speak to Eathen?”

“
Yeah, as a matter of fact, but I must admit, you’re a lot prettier.”

Charlotte felt her cheeks flush at his roguish teasing. “My husband’s gettin’ ready to leave, so if you want to talk to him you better go on in.”

He started to turn away then stopped, his green eyes taking on a jovial gleam. “Do you like to ride, Mrs. Thornton?”

“
Why…yes. I haven’t had much chance to since Jessie came though.”

“
Then you’re way past due. How ‘bout meetin’ me after lunch? I’ll have a horse all saddled and waitin’.”

The words to tell him she didn’t have time for such foolishness already formed on her tongue when she thought about Eathen’s impending trip and what it might entail. With a recklessness she had never felt before, she declared, “I’ll be glad to go with you, Dave.”

A satisfied smile teased his mouth as his fingers brushed the brim of his hat.

She stood watching him make his way around the house. Grinning at her own boldness, she walked up the back porch steps and into the house to find Hattie waiting for her in the kitchen.

“
Is somethin’ wrong, Hattie?” She opened the icebox to remove a pitcher of iced tea.

“
Not yet dar ain’.” She turned back to the dishpan full of dishes already soaking in hot soapy water.

“
If you have a point to make,” Charlotte took a glass down out of the cupboard, “I wish you’d make it.”

“
Doan do it, Miz Charlotte,” she said without turning.

“
What are you talkin’ ‘bout?” Charlotte poured the glass full of tea.

“
Ah wuz lookin’ out de winder,” Hattie gestured toward the yard, her soapy hand leaving wet droplets on the window, “an Ah seed you laffin’ wid Mist’ Dave.”

“
So?”

Hattie turned around, wiping her hands on her apron. “Miz Charlotte, w’en a man bes lookin’ dat good, he kain bes nuthin’ but trouble.”

“
Dave Houston’s a very nice man, Hattie. He asked me to go ridin’ with him this afternoon and I told him I would.” She picked up the glass of tea, pleased with the shocked look passing over Hattie’s face. “It’s time I got out of this house for awhile. You said so yourself.” She placed the pitcher back in the icebox and closed the door with a slam.

“
Yas’m, Miz Charlotte, Ah did,” Hattie nodded in agreement. “But Ah sho din means fer it ter bes dis way.”

“
Is Eathen still upstairs with the baby?” She ignored Hattie’s implications.

“
No’m. He bes in de den wid Mist’ Dave.”

“
Good. Now I won’t have to talk to him before he leaves.” She scooted past the frowning woman.

“
Lawd! Lawd!” Hattie declared, as the door swung shut behind Charlotte. “Mist’ Eathen better hurries home dis time. W’ile he still gots a home ter retuhn ter.”

***

As they rode, Charlotte could feel her spirits lifting. A warm wind blowing across her face gave her a feeling of freedom. She felt like laughing aloud. She had forgotten how beautiful the foothills could be this time of year and how many different wild flowers covered the ground. It looked as though someone had taken a large bag of flower seeds and thrown them to the winds. Turning to the handsome, blond-haired young man riding beside her, she smiled.

“
Thank you, Dave. I didn’t realize how closed in I’ve been all these months.”

“
We all get in a rut now and then.” He grinned over at her. “You just needed someone to help you out of it.”

“
Where are you from?” Charlotte asked, charmed by his slow drawl. “If you don’t mind my askin’.”

“
No. I don’t mind tellin’ you. I was born and raised on a small ranch just a little ways outside Abilene, Texas.”

“
My,” she laughed, “you are a long way from home.”

“
In more ways’n one, ma’am.”

“
Why do you say that?”

“
If you could see where I grew up, you wouldn’t ask. You got what…five thousand acres or more?” He looked out over the green fertile land, dotted here and there with small streams, and couldn’t help but compare it with the miles of blowing dust and dry creek beds of Abilene.

“
Somethin’ like that, I guess. Why?”

“
My ole man sired ten kids on a patch of land not fit for the coyotes. He didn’t stop to think about how we’d survive on that land. He just kept on bringin’ us into the world.”

“
Your poor mother. It had to be unbearable for her, tryin’ to feed that many mouths.”

“
It had to be a challenge. She never gave up tryin’ though.”

Without thinking, Charlotte asked, “Why didn’t your father hire someone to help her?”

His upper lip curled into a disgusted frown. “Hell, my ole man did good to have his liquor and put a few beans on the table to worry ‘bout lendin’ her a hand.”

“
I’m sorry.” She turned away, angry with herself for making such a thoughtless blunder. “I guess in a lotta ways I’ve taken wealth for granted.”

“
How’s that?” He slowed his horse, gave her his full attention.

Trying to make light of a life he had only heard about, Charlotte told him of her wealthy upbringing in Boston, Massachusetts; of the large house with its fancy furnishings and how, at the tender age of sixteen, she had met and married Eathen.

“
And of course with him, you could look forward to more of the same of what you grew up with, just on a different scale. Right?” His voice took on an edge akin to anger. The many years of going to bed on an empty stomach and being kicked around for being one more mouth to feed had him recoiling against anything close to pity. “Don’t get me wrong, Mrs. Thornton, I ain’t whinin’ for sympathy.”

“
I know that, Dave,” she told him, a niggling of guilt making her regret she had been so open with him. “There’s one thing you can be thankful for, though,” Charlotte tried to put him at ease.

His brows lifted. “What’s that?”

“
At least now you’re in a position to send money back to those still at home. That should make your mother’s life a little easier.”

A look of disgust covered his face as he stared straight ahead. “She’s the one person I ever cared about helpin’, but she don’t need no help now. She died two years ago. Just forty-five-years-old and she looked like she could have been in her seventies.”

“
I’m sorry.” She looked away, her eyes becoming moist.

“
I said I don’t want your pity, Charlotte.” He reined in his horse and, dismounting, stooped down to pluck a small purple flower. For a moment he held the flower in his hands, then handed it up to her. “But I do want your friendship.”

“
That, you already have, Dave.” She reached to take the flower from his hand. “You see, I’m in need of a friend as much as you are.”

Chapter Seven

Charlotte found herself looking forward to their time together. Dave Houston had a way of making her feel like a young girl again. When she learned about him being three-years younger than her, Charlotte felt all the more anxious to be with him. The knowledge she could keep the younger man interested made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. A feeling her husband had failed to provide for a very long time. She enjoyed brushing her hair until it shone, knowing he would make some comment about how pretty she looked. Or recklessly adding a touch of perfume to her wrists because he would enjoy the scent. Dave Houston gave her a reason to get up in the morning and a fantasy to play out in her dreams at night. Most of all, he kept her from thinking about all the trips her husband made to Helena and what those trips might mean to her marriage.

The day she had been dreading arrived that morning, with Eathen’s return to the ranch.