The Widows Choice (8 page)

Since he planned to settle there, Charlie found it very intelligent of him to learn as much as he could once arriving.  According to Joe, both Jerrick and he were incessant with questions about the seasons, the local traditions and such.

Once in town, she rushed to the apothecary. Rafe headed a few buildings down towards the mercantile, where they agreed to meet and return home. 

Mrs. Delworth, smiled brightly when she entered the pungent shop.  "Goodness gracious, Charlie, you're a sight for sore eyes.  I was thinking about you just yesterday."  The woman rounded the counter and hugged Charlie.  "We must have tea so you can tell me all about how you are."

Mrs. Delworth wore her dark gray hair in the familiar serviceable bun at the nape of her neck. She bustled to a small stove and placed a kettle upon it.  "I have some wonderful lavender tea, that will calm even the nerves you thought you didn't have."  She chuckled at her own joke while measuring the dry leaves from a small tin canister.  "Sit, sit!"

After eyeing the many jars of herbs and such, Charlie settled into one of two chairs placed by a small square wooden table.  "I've been having headaches.  The doctor came to see me, gave me some tonic, but it's not working. It only makes me sleepy." She watched as Mrs. Delworth pondered, her finger tapping on lips.

"Where is it?  How does it come about?"

"Here behind my eyes and at the temples." Charlie explained.  Although she planned to ask for the Valerian root and lemongrass Rafe had suggested she'd wait to see if Mrs. Delworth would suggest something different.

"I've got a few options that may work.  I'll mix them up in a tincture for you," Mrs. Delworth placed a cup of tea on the table and a small plate with two sugared biscuits.  "I hear Winfrow paid off men not to come work for you.  How is that affecting you, dear girl?"

The woman's concerned gaze almost made Charlie cry.  Her eyes stung and she blinked away any tears that would form.  "It's not been easy.  He wants to buy me out.  Eventually he may, but I hate the thought of it."

The woman's hand over hers made Charlie let out a breath to keep from blubbering.  "Sometimes I wish I didn't have to worry about such things.  I have a good life, a beautiful home, good friends, and now with the purchase of cattle, I'll be able to breathe a bit easier about the upcoming year."

"Let's pray everything works out.  That Winfrow needs a good ear-boxing.  His father was a fine man, died much too soon. Not sure about Orinda Winfrow, the woman is meeker than a church mouse and she obviously didn't do a very good job in helping instill in him a sense of honor."

Charlie giggled at the thought of someone boxing Winfrow's ears.  "I suppose not."

With two bottles of tincture, Charlie left the apothecary and took her time walking towards the mercantile.  She considered if there was anything she needed to pick up and struck up an idea.  All three men were in dire need of shirts.  She and Mary Ellen could make them in the evenings.  It would give her something to do, not that she lacked for it.  But it would be a nice distraction.  She missed sewing for Daniel, who'd always said she made the best clothes.

Plan in mind, she walked faster and went to the mercantile where Rafe stood outside.  She noted he'd loaded some packages into the wagon.

"I'll be just a minute," Charlie said as she breezed past him into the interior of the mercantile.  The owner, a robust man with a thick mustache and just as bushy beard, Garth Evington looked up and waved in greeting before returning to wrapping a customer's purchases.

Bolts of fabric took her attention and she made her way to the left side of the store, where she inspected the array of colors, deciding to pick a different color for each man.  Gray for Jerrick to bring out his eyes, blue for Joe as he preferred the color, and for Rafe, she would choose a dark green. 

Her mind went back to the incident on the side of the road and how dark his eyes had turned after they'd kissed. The green fabric suited him perfectly.  How she'd handle the situation with him was another story.

She'd not considered a relationship of any kind.  Since Daniel's death, there was so much to do around the ranch, the last thing she'd considered was romance.  Then there was the matter of Jessup Winfrow.  Any hint of any man interested in her would bring trouble.  And yet.

If anyone could stand up to the arrogant bastard, it would be Rafe Preston.  His presence alone exuded assurance and demanded attention.  He was taller, broader of shoulder than Winfrow.  He'd only left her alone with the man after she'd asked and at the moment she'd seen the warring in his expression.  He'd wanted to disobey her orders and remain.  A protective instinct.

"Hello, Charlie.  That is a pretty color, is it not?" Virginia Collins, a woman who lived just outside town studied her and looked toward the doorway.  "Who is that man outside by your wagon?"

The woman cut to the chase, not one to waste time gathering any gossip she could.  Virginia was not Charlie's friend.  Often she'd spread rumors of Charlie entertaining men, after Daniel's death.  No one seemed to believe her, but at the same time, it left room for speculation.

"A ranch hand," she purposely spoke in a light tone.  "I love the color green, don't you?  It reminds me of grassy fields and it is the color that represents envy too, doesn't it?"

The woman flushed and let out a delicate huff.  "I prefer blue.  So is he new to the area?  I've never seen him before."

It was best to reply to the questions and move on, although she didn't feel it was her place to give Virginia all the information pertaining to Rafe.  "He and his friend just arrived a couple weeks ago from Texas."

"Good afternoon, ladies," Margaret Evington interrupted and smiled broadly at Charlie.  "It's nice to see you, Charlie.  You don't come to town often enough." It was interesting to her that Mrs. Evington didn't greet Virginia directly, instead the woman moved to stand by the fabric and lifted the bolt Charlie had been admiring.  "Have you had an opportunity to choose which ones you want?"

Virginia took the hint and moved away to a different bin that held sewing notions.  Obviously in an attempt to get Charlie alone again if she purchased other items for her project.  Every once in a while, she craned her neck to peer out at the window to where Rafe leaned against the wagon, arms crossed, seeming to enjoy the time alone.

Mrs. Evington cut the fabric and leaned closer to Charlie.  "That woman needs to find a hobby to keep her busy from prying into people's business," she whispered.  "Sometimes I can barely keep from throwing her out.  She spends more time gossiping than shopping."

Charlie laughed and Virginia looked over, narrowing her eyes.  "I plan to come more often as it's always nice to see you.  I visited Mrs. Delworth as well.  She served tea and we had a nice chat."

Packages in her arms, she breezed past Virginia without speaking.  Just as she reached Rafe, the woman appeared beside her.  "Do you plan to stay in town just a bit longer?  We could have tea at Betsy's." Her eyes rounded when she looked at Rafe.  "I do apologize, I don't believe we met. I am Virginia Collins." She held her hand out to Rafe, palm down.  He shook it much to Virginia's chagrin.  The action made Charlie press her lips together to keep from smiling.

"Rafe Preston. Nice to meet you, Miss Collins." The sound of his deep voice did funny things to Charlie's stomach, which made her frown.

"We really don't have time to linger, Virginia.  I'm afraid it's best we head back.  There is much work to be done at the ranch and I'm sure Joe is fit to be tied at Rafe being delayed for this long."

Not waiting for Rafe's assistance, she climbed onto the wagon as he rounded it and climbed up next to her.  She gave Virginia a curt nod and then they headed back.

Billowy clouds dotted the sky partially obstructing the bright sun.  There was a slight chill in the air, which suited Charlie just fine as being alone with Rafe made her temperature rise a bit higher.  The sooner they got back, the better.  She needed time to think and consider what she'd say to him. 

Of course a kiss didn't mean they had to address a relationship or anything of the sort.  But if he was going to work for her, it was best to clear up the matter.

Just as she took a breath to tell him it was best they forget the kiss, he spoke.  "I hope you don't feel uncomfortable about what happened earlier." He slid a glance at her.  "I am not too presumptuous to assume it meant anything personal between us.  Just a matter of circumstance."

Her mouth fell open as she heard him say the words almost exactly as she'd rehearsed them.  But coming from him, they felt hollow, cold even.  "Of course." She took a deep gulp of air as his comment took her breath and a strange tightening of her chest took over.  She pressed her hand to her temples when a light throb hit next.  "Oh no, I hope I'm not getting another headache."

There was concern in his eyes when he looked to her.  "Were you able to get the herbs?"

She nodded and patted her reticule.  "Yes, thank goodness.  However I preferred not to have to test them so soon."

They spoke very little the rest of the trip.  Each time the wagon jostling them instead of warmth, it was more of an awkward sensation.  Finally they arrived and she scurried to get down, not waiting for his assistance.  Thankfully Mary Ellen greeted her at the doorway and helped unload the bundles.

"I'll see about putting the wagon away and taking care of the horse," Rafe told her just as he turned to head to the stables.  Charlie didn't take dare look toward him, instead she walked beside Mary Ellen, and rambled about the people she'd spoken to in town.

Mary Ellen listened with interest and was as astonished as she'd been in Virginia Collins's actions.  Her friend tore open the fabric bundles and frowned. "What do you plan to make?  These colors are quite nice, but you just made several dresses."

With as much nonchalance as she could muster Charlie shrugged it off.  "I want to make shirts.  Have you not noticed how worn Joe's are?  Figured it would be nice to make him a shirt or two.  Then feeling bad, I decided to purchase fabric so we could make shirts for Jerrick and Rafe as well."

"The gray for Jerrick and green for Rafe?" Mary Ellen lifted the blue fabric and studied it.  "This would be nice for Joe."

"You guessed exactly right," Charlie smiled and went to place a kettle on the stove.  "Oh, I almost forgot.  A letter for you came."  She pulled a letter from her reticule and handed it to the other woman.

She poured tea as Mary Ellen sat and read.  "Good news?"

At Mary Ellen's silence, Charlie spun around to find Mary Ellen staring at the piece of paper, one hand over her chest. Her face totally drained of color, Mary Ellen's moist eyes met hers.

"What is it?"

"My youngest sister had a terrible time of delivering a child.  The babe, a boy, was stillborn.  She is bedridden and writes asking for my help in caring for the other three until she gets better."

"You must go, of course," Charlie told her emphatically while at the same time afraid of what it meant for her.  One less pair of hands to care for the ranch.

A single tear slipped down Mary Ellen's cheek.  "What about you?  And everything to do?  You'll be alone, with only Joe here.  Rafe and Jerrick plan to leave once they buy land."

"I'll make do." In truth, she wasn't sure what her future held.  At the moment, it looked more bleak than bright.  "I can always hire someone to come and help around here a couple days a week, you know with cooking and such." Charlie fought not to cry.  It would be a lonely time without her friend.  Yet, she'd not stand in the way of caring for family.  "Go, Mary Ellen, and don't worry about things here.  When you come back, it will be as if you never left."

––––––––

T
he announcement of Mary Ellen's departure at suppertime was met with various reactions, side-glances between Rafe and Charlie, an understanding nod from Joe and Jerrick scowled.

Jerrick waited for Mary Ellen just outside the kitchen door, when she walked out to pour out the dirty dishwater.  Her heart tumbled at the sight of him under the full moon.  It was inevitable; she knew he'd want to talk about her impending departure.

The problem was she wasn't sure what to say and how she'd handle speaking to him without crying.  Although not knowing him long enough for any deep feelings, she'd started to hope.  It was the worst of feelings to know he could be gone when she returned.  If she was able to return.  After all, she lived with Charlie to help out, if she was gone too long, she'd be replaced.  It would be hard to return without a place, some way to earn a living.  She wasn't about charity.

His normally light eyes were dark with emotion as he looked into hers.  "Were you planning to tell me you were leavin'?"  His hand jammed into his pockets, he waited for her to reply.

"I was," Mary Ellen pulled her shawl around her although she was not cold.  "Just not sure what to say.  I don't want to go."

"Then don't."

His statement made her look up to him with wide eyes.  "You can't ask me that.  We don't know each other well enough, Jerrick.  I have to go, my sister is counting on me."

With an exasperated huff, he raked his fingers through his hair and looked up at the sky.  "You said there was other family.  Doesn't her husband have people there in Billings? It could be they are only asking you because you're not married, because they figure you don't have any other obligations."

"It's true." Mary Ellen didn't resist and reached to cup his face.  "It may not be for long.  I'm hoping a couple months at most."

He remained silent, not moving away.  She realized he'd not made any proclamations, given her no real reason for why he didn't want her to go.  Yes, they'd walked a couple times.  He'd kissed her once, but other than that, they'd formed more of an easygoing friendship than anything else. 

This was the first time she got any indication he felt something for her.  Or maybe it was just her imagination.

More than anything Mary Ellen wished he’d promised to court her.  Request she entertain the idea of a future together.  "Why are you upset?" She opened the door for him to express his feelings. "Is there a reason you wish me to stay in Colter Valley?"