Newton (Prairie Grooms Book 9) (9 page)

“I can give ya that. But if’n ya want enough to build yourself a place, yer gonna need more work than I got for ya. If’n I was you, I’d ride out to the Cookes’ right now and see what they got available before them other men get there.”

Newton nodded. “Thank you, Ryder. That’s what I needed to know.”

“Glad I could be of some help,” Ryder said, tipping his hat. “Now I better go fetch the rest of my family so we can get home ‘fore dark.”

Newton nodded his agreement. It was only about two hours before sundown – if he wanted to talk with the Cooke brothers, he’d have to hurry as well.

They said their goodbyes and Newton went back to the hotel to collect his wife. Once he was able to pry her away from Imogene and his father (who were regaling her with tales of gore; he’d have to speak with them about that later) he took her up to their room. “I have some business to attend to, darling. I want you to stay here until I return.”

Arya’s eyebrows rose in question. “Where are you going?”

“To see the two chaps who were in here the other day, the Cooke brothers.”

“Why can I not go with you?”

“Because… well, I suppose I didn’t think you’d want to.”

“But I do,” she said. “I do not want to be alone.”

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. “I must confess I don’t like leaving you. I do rather like it when you’re with me.”

“Rather? Does that mean a little?”

He laughed. “You’ll have to get used to the way I speak. I was joking.”

“Joking. Susara has told me about this word,” she said with an arched eyebrow.

“All right – I
love
having you with me. There, how does that sound?”

“Better.” She grinned.

“Sometimes I wonder if teaching you English was such a good idea,” he teased. “Very well then, you can come with me. I suppose we can rent two horses.”

“Or ride together,” she suggested.

He bent his head to hers for a kiss. “Why, Arya, my dear sweet wife, I like
your
idea.”

N
ewton thought
it sensible for Arya to change into her buckskins for the ride, and was surprised when she hesitated. He realized she’d come to enjoy wearing her new dresses. Constance had brought one for her, and Mrs. Upton had tailored another that had been donated. His wife now had three – sadly, all of them hand-me-downs.

The thought rankled, but what could he do? He was no highborn gentleman of wealth and status. In fact, he’d had more when he worked as the baron’s stable master. Here in Clear Creek, he had nothing, having given nearly all his money to Nettie and Amon as a wedding gift, having no idea he’d be married so soon.

They rented a horse from Chase Adams at the livery and headed out. Thankfully it looked like it would be a clear night, with plenty of moonlight to see their way back to town. He just hoped that they weren’t going to interrupt the Cookes’ dinner. If his guess was right, they ate their evening meal at the same time most Americans did – at dusk if not earlier. In England dinner usually wasn’t served until eight o’clock, but again, this was not England.

He patted Arya’s hands at his waist. A woman who owned three dresses was better off than a woman who owned only one. And in a lot of cases around here, he understood, a woman was lucky to have two.

A couple of miles out of town, Newton spied something up ahead. “There’s a magnificent tree down there,” he said, nodding at a trail that veered off the road.

Arya leaned to the right to look. “Where does that lead?”

“Down to a canyon and Clear Creek, which the town is named after. There’s an oak tree down there, as big as they come. The Cooke family named it ‘His Majesty’.”

“They made the tree a king?” she asked with a laugh.

“Not exactly. They named it such because it’s so huge.”

“I want to see it.”

“If we have time, I’ll take you there in the next few days. Right now I have business to attend to.”

She didn’t say anything and instead snuggled against him. He put a hand over hers and smiled.

They rode that way until they crested a hill and he stopped the horse. “Are we here?” she asked.

“Yes, look at it.” He turned the horse so she could see better.

“Oh,” she whispered. “They have so much. How many people live here?”

“The Cooke brothers and their wives, their father Jefferson and his wife, various ranch hands, including Susara and her husband Logan.”

“Susara lives there?” she asked in surprise, pointing at the big ranch house.

“No, my dear, they live in one of the smaller ones, I don’t know which. But I’m sure we’ll find out.” He gave the horse a nudge and they began their descent.

When they reached the ranch house they both dismounted and Newton wrapped the reins around a hitching post, then noticed Arya fingering her buckskins. “What’s the matter?”

“They will be angry with me,” she said, worry in her voice.

Newton pulled her into his arms and held her close. “Nonsense, darling. It’s growing colder, after all, and you’re much warmer in these than you would be in a dress. Besides, they’re easier for you to ride in. They’ll understand.”

“You are sure of this?”

He kissed her forehead. “I’m sure. Now let’s see who’s home.” He took her by the hand and led her up the porch steps to the front door. He rapped on it a few times, stood back and waited.

Jefferson answered. “Well, if it ain’t Mr. Whitman.” He glanced at Arya. “And Mrs. Whitman. What are ya two doing here?”

“I need to speak with Colin or Harrison. I do hope we’re not interrupting anything.”

“Not at all,” Jefferson said and stepped aside. “Come right in.” He glanced at Arya’s buckskins but said nothing.

Newton watched him shut the door, then followed him into the kitchen where Harrison and Colin sat at a huge table while the women prepared dinner. “Good evening,” Newton said. “I’m terribly sorry about barging in like this.”

“Newton, Arya,” Harrison said with a smile. “What brings you to our humble home?”

“Come,” Colin added, motioned to some empty chairs at the table. “Sit down.”

Sadie turned from the stove, just realizing they had company. “Oh, hello there! Would you like some coffee?” Before they could answer, Belle headed for a hutch, pulled out two coffee cups and went to the stove. She was very pregnant and kept one hand on her lower back whole time.

“Yes, thank you,” Newton said, then got right to the point. “I came because Ryder told me you two are hiring.”

The brothers exchanged a quick look. “That’s right,” Colin said. “Wilfred must’ve mentioned it to him.”

“Wilfred?” Newton asked. “I’m sorry, was this information not to be public?”

“Of course it’s to be public – why do you think we told Wilfred?” Colin said with a smile. “Better than a telegraph for getting news out, or posting a notice. Much more efficient.”

“And it worked, or young Mr. Whitman and his wife wouldn’t be here,” Jefferson added as he sat. “Ya have any experience with cattle, son?”

“I’m afraid not,” Newton said as Belle brought their coffee and set it on the table. He and Arya nodded their thanks. “Only with horses. I am a fast learner, though.”

Harrison, Colin and Jefferson shared another look. “I’m afraid we need someone with experience,” Harrison explained. “Two of our cattlemen have decided to winter in Oregon City with their families, then head east to the Montana Territory. That’s why we’re hiring.”

“I understand,” Newton said. “But I also understand that a ranch is run differently in the winter.” He left it at that. His pride wasn’t about to let them toss him aside that easily. Still, if they didn’t have work for him, then they didn’t have it. And he had other options, including Oregon City.

“If you told Wilfred,” Sadie said to Harrison, “then it’s likely some from the men’s camp will have heard. And they won’t be any more experienced than Newton.”

“She has a point, brother,” Colin said. “Newton is family, after all. And it won’t take any longer to teach him what he needs to know than to wait for experienced help to show up. That is, if we have to ask Sadie’s father if he can spare a few hands.”

Harrison studied Newton for a moment. “You’d have to move out here. There’d be no sense in you going back and forth to the hotel, especially when it comes to tending stock that has wandered off or been injured.”

Newton glanced at Arya and back. “What about my wife?”

“That is a problem,” Belle said. “With Duncan and Cozette coming for a visit, there goes any room we’d have in the ranch house. At least until they leave.”

Colin ran a hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair. “Blast it, you’re right. She can’t very well stay in the bunkhouse with Newton and the rest of the men.”

“Quite right,” Harrison said. “Out of the question.”

“But maybe she could stay with Susara and Logan,” Belle suggested.

Arya’s eyes lit up at the mention of her friend. “Is Susara here?”

“They’re in their cabin, probably having supper about now,” Sadie said. “Why don’t we have ours, then discuss this after we eat?”

Jefferson cleared his throat. “Lemme get this straight. Weren’t ya going to be helping Ryder out at his place? If you’re working here, ya can’t be working for him, son. Ain’t enough hours in the day.”

Newton had been so caught up in the discussion that he’d forgotten about Ryder. “True enough. I suppose if the job here requires my full attention, I’d have to tell him I’m no longer available. I had been thinking of helping you on a part-time basis and working with him as well …”

Harrison shook his head. “We need someone full-time. But why don’t we take my wife’s suggestion and eat first? I’m half-starved myself, and don’t think well on an empty stomach.”

“He really doesn’t,” Colin joked. “He starts talking all sorts of gibberish.”

“I do nothing of the kind,” Harrison shot back.

Colin smirked as he tried not to laugh. “See? What did I tell you?”

“Enough, you two,” Sadie scolded. “Supper’s ready. Newton, Arya, just stay where you are – we’re pretty informal tonight, eating here in the kitchen. I hope you don’t mind, but supper tonight is simply soup and biscuits.”

“That will be fine,” Newton said.

Jefferson’s wife Edith came into the kitchen and helped Sadie put the food on the table. Jefferson said the blessing and everyone began to eat. Newton watched Arya as she watched everyone else, especially studying the women. It would be good for her to be in a home environment like this instead of the lonely hotel room, even if he was stuck in the bunkhouse while she roomed with Logan and Susara.

But who was he kidding? He had a wife, and the chaps from the men’s camp didn’t. That made them better candidates for the job even if they didn’t have experience – one of them would be easier to accommodate. The only reason he was being considered was because he was related. But what if he wasn’t any good at the job?

Oregon City was looking more viable by the hour.

“
N
ewton
, what is wrong?” Arya asked as they rode back to town.

“Nothing, sweet,” he said. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

“You … feel sad.”

“Sad?” he said with a light chuckle. “What do you mean?”

He felt her shrug against his back. “I… just know.”

Newton knew his wife was intuitive. “Not sad, really. Disappointed, perhaps.”

“Why do you want to be with those people?” she asked. “Why do you ask to stay there?”

“I wasn’t asking to stay there, darling. I was asking them for work.” It pained him to say it, but there it was.

“Work?”

“Yes, sweet – work. In this world, a man needs it if he wants to eat. It’s no different for your people.”

“But we can hunt for food,” she countered.

“True, at least in part. The problem is, I haven’t even provided you with a decent roof over your head as yet. I can’t expect us to live out on the prairie this winter, can I?”

“We would have no problem living in the winter camp,” she said without hesitation.

Newton closed his eyes and sighed, grateful she couldn’t see his face. “We’ve been over this before, Arya. It’s too dangerous to track them.”

“It does not hurt to try.”

He stopped the horse and looked over his shoulder at her. Best to settle this now. “My dear, sweet wife, I will not risk putting you in danger, is that understood?”

“I would not be in danger,” she said innocently.

“Oh really? I wasn’t aware that a blizzard would change its direction for you, or that a band of blood thirsty outlaws would simply let us pass should we run into them.”

“I would be safe, Newton, because you would be with me …”

“You make it sound so bloody easy, darling, but that’s not how the world works. Life is not a fairytale and I’m not exactly a Knight of the Round Table, now am I?”

“What is this round table?”

He laughed and nudged the horse to get it moving again. “I’ll explain it to you one day. Better yet, I’ll let you read about it – once you can read, that is.”

“Susara has talked about reading. She has shown me many books, but I cannot make out the words.”

“You will. My guess is that you’ll be reading and writing by the end of winter.”

“Would that make you happy?” she asked.

“Yes, sweet, it would make me very happy.”

“Then I will learn to read,” she said and hugged his back.

Good Lord,
he thought to himself.
I’ve been blessed with this beautiful creature who wants nothing more than to please me – and I don’t even have the means to feed her. I need work, Lord, but I need my family too …

Colin and Harrison hadn’t given him a definite answer yet. Of course he’d like to work for them, but if they would benefit more by hiring a man with experience, that’s what they should do. It’s what he’d do. Maybe they’d have something for him now and then, plus whatever he could do for Ryder. And perhaps he should talk to Mr. Van Cleet, see if there was something around the hotel he could do.

“Newton?”

“Yes, darling?” He hoped she kept talking. Her voice was soothing, and he needed that right now.

“Can we hunt tomorrow?”

“Hunt? You want to go hunting, sweet?”

“If we hunt then we have food, and you do not need to work for the Cookes.”

Newton sighed in frustration. Did she have to say that? He was feeling bad enough about his current predicament. Then again … she did have a point. Mrs. Upton probably wouldn’t mind making some rabbit stew. And it would prove he could do
something
to contribute … “All right, Arya,” he finally said. “Tomorrow we’ll go hunting.”

“Good. I am glad.”

Now he just hoped she didn’t make all the kills – how humiliating would that be? He shook himself. He had to start looking at this differently. If Duncan Cooke could be married to a woman who could shoot and hunt with the best of them, why couldn’t he? For that matter, if Cozette could become a duchess, couldn’t Arya become a lady of refinement as well?

That, he thought, was one of the real issues for him. He’d dreamed of having a wife that was elegant, refined, beautiful, even educated. Instead, he had this Indian girl – beautiful, yes, but also illiterate and raised in the wild, a far cry from what he’d envisioned. Yet he’d still choose her over any highborn lady. His heart would have it no other way, just as His Grace’s heart had …

Suddenly, a new idea struck him – what if he asked His Grace for a position? Did he have a stable master? Did his stable master need help? Training horses was what he was best at. But … that would mean leaving Nettie and his father, and he couldn’t do that.

And furthermore, if he worked for Ryder, would he be taking work from Cutty? His father and Imogene had to eat too …

Newton growled in frustration as he approached the livery stable. Every possibility seemed to make things worse for someone.

“You are angry?” Arya asked.

“No, love, just trying to sort things out,” he groaned.

She slid off the back of the horse before he could say anything more. “Maybe when you sleep tonight, you will get answers to your problems.”

He dismounted. “You’re very wise, Arya. Yes, I need to sleep on all of this.” He brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. “You amaze me, you know that?”