Petticoat Ranch (34 page)

“I’ll bet that keeps him busy,” Clay murmured.

Sophie tried not to start laughing again. She was a bit surprised to see Adam standing against the back wall of the church. He hadn’t ridden in with them. Luther and Buff were on either side of him, all of
them standing, although there were a few seats left. She saw Eustace and Whitey standing off to the side a little, and several others of the McClellen hands were about the room. It struck her that they were doing more than attending church—they were standing guard. It sent a chill down her spine to realize that, even in this holy place, they all needed to be on guard.

As she turned back to the front of the church to await the closing prayer, her eyes swept the cheerful congregation. She was relieved to see that the people seemed to be unconcerned about a child doing a bit of damage. Then she noticed Miss Calhoun.

Miss Calhoun sat rigidly facing forward. Sophie had the impression she’d never turned around. This was a woman who minded her manners. A look of such profound disapproval was etched on her face that Sophie wondered if it might be frozen in place.

Sophie shook her head as she considered what kind of teacher Miss Calhoun must be if she couldn’t accept high spirits and a few mishaps from active little boys. Or maybe there was something more going on. Maybe the Reeveses had begun coming to school this week and proved to be too much for her to handle.

Well, Sophie imagined she’d find out today. Miss Calhoun was coming to eat with them after church. Even after the craziness of this week and the outlaws, Sophie hadn’t forgotten that, and she had a wild turkey she’d snared early yesterday roasting, waiting for their return.

Sophie sighed when she thought of the meal ahead. She had to tell Clay to build them a bigger table and a few more chairs. As soon as she thought it, she cheered up. She would never have considered asking Cliff to take on such a project. And Sophie also knew it was significant that her first thought hadn’t been to ask Adam to build it.

Yes, she was going to let her husband handle nearly everything that could even begin to be considered man’s work from now on. And she was going to obey him, be honest with him, and most of all love him with all her heart.

“You are the sneakin’est, most disobedient wife in the whole state of Texas!” Clay snatched his hat off his head and whacked his leg with it. Sophie suspected what he really wanted to whack was her backside.

The horses pulling the wagon jumped a bit at the sudden motion behind them and picked up their speed.

Sophie looked over her shoulder at Miss Calhoun, who was riding her own horse. She was trailing along behind them far enough to avoid the dust, so she didn’t hear Clay growling.

“Now, Clay, I know you’re angry. But remember that I’ve already promised not to do anything like this again.”

“Rocks! You were hauling rocks!” Clay clobbered his leg a few more times.

“I told her not to, Pa,” Sally piped up from the wagon box.

Sophie glared over her shoulder at the little tattletale, and Sally subsided into a sitting position on the floor of the wagon.

Sophie just barely heard her daughter mutter, “Well, I did.”

“I deserve any yelling you want to give me.” She stared straight forward, fully intending to accept any criticism Clay handed her way.

Clay wedged his hat roughly back on his head. “I fully intend to. When I think what could have happened to you on that hillside hauling rocks, I want to—”

“Just know before you start with your lecture,” Sophie interrupted him, “that I’m used to doing for myself. I’ve been on my own completely for two years, and what with the war and all, I spent most of my married life fending for myself.”

“I realize that.” Clay clucked to the horses to keep up their speed. “But things are going to—”

“So it’s been a hard-learned lesson not to just do whatever needs doing.” Sophie gave her chin a firm nod.

Laura, still asleep, began to whimper on Sophie’s knee.

“I’ll take her, Ma, so Pa can finish up telling you how stupid you are, without being interrupted.” Mandy poked her head between Sophie and Clay, scooped Laura up in her arms, and went back to sitting.

Sophie straightened her skirt. “Yes, go ahead, Clay.”

“Now, Mandy, I’m not going to tell your ma she’s stupid. She don’t like that, and I’d never do something she said she don’t like.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Sophie figured she deserved whatever Clay dished out. “You can call me stupid if you want to. As of today I’m going to learn a new way. If I want something done, I’m going to tell you.”

“I don’t think you’re stupid, Sophie.” Clay seemed to be sidetracked from his lecture, and Sophie really wished he’d get on with it.

“Sure you do,” Sophie reminded him. “You called me stupid for going out at night when there might be cougars to eat me, and you called me stupid—”

“I only called you stupid because I know you’re
not
stupid.”

Sophie was unable to think of a sensible response to that, so she fell silent.

Her girls weren’t speechless. “You called us stupid, too,” Beth said. “Does that mean you don’t think we’re stupid, neither?”

“Of course I don’t think you girls are stupid. I know you’re a right smart bunch of children,” Clay reassured her.

“So if you call us stupid when you think we’re smart,” Mandy asked hesitantly, “does that mean when you say you love us you really hate us?”

Clay pulled his hat off his head and started whacking his leg again. Sophie knew there wasn’t a speck of dust left on his hat or his pants. She was also curious about how Clay would answer.

“If I really thought you were stupid, I’d expect you to do stupid things. But when I know you’re smart and you do stupid things, then I think I’ve got reason to complain. Do you understand that?”

“I guess that makes sense,” Sophie said. “You expect better from us. But the word
stupid
is so hurtful. . . .”

“Not if you’re smart it isn’t,” Clay protested. “It’s like if I called you ugly, when you’re so pretty. You’d know I didn’t mean—”

“Did Pa just call you ugly, Ma?” Sally asked from behind them. She stuck her head between them with a worried frown on her face.

Clay plunked his hat back on his head and ran one gloved hand over his face, as if he could scrub hard enough to wash the whole trip home from church out of his mind.

“No, Sally, in fact I think he just called me pretty.”

“But that’s not what I heard,” Sally interrupted.

“And he didn’t answer about hating us,” Beth added with a break in her voice.

Mandy said quietly, “That’s mean, Pa.”

Laura bounced on Mandy’s lap and said, “Mama ugwee.”

“Quiet!” Clay roared.

Sophie was afraid that even the trailing Miss Calhoun could hear that one.

“I think you’re all as smart as any girls I’ve ever known,” Clay shouted. “Of course I’ve never known any girls, but. . .well, just never you mind that. I never heard tell of girls who could be so smart. Don’t ever say I hate you. It’s just a plain dirty lie to say such a thing.” Clay turned to glare at the girls over his shoulder with an expression that was as unloving as any Sophie had ever seen. In a strange way, that made her believe him.

“I told you all I love you, and if that ever changes I’ll let you know. So unless I’ve said different, I love you and that’s that.” Clay turned back to the horses in a huff.

“And I think you’re all beautiful. Your Ma is the prettiest lady in church, in Mosqueros, in Texas, and maybe in the whole world. She’s prettier than any I’ve seen before, and you all look just like her, so you’re pretty, too. Now, could we just ride quiet the rest of the way home?” He shook the reins as if he wanted the ride to be over.

Sophie thought of her work-roughened hands and her scattered hair and her plain dresses. “You really think I’m pretty?”

Clay looked away from the horses. His expression made her wonder what he’d heard in her voice. “I think I’m the luckiest man alive to have
such a pretty little wife as you, Sophie. You have to know how beautiful you are.”

If Sophie had ever thought about her looks, it had been a long time ago as a dreamy-headed teenager. She hadn’t given it much notice since.

She looked into Clay’s warm eyes for a long time, wishing she could be alone with him for just a few minutes. She’d tell him she loved him, and she’d reassure him one more time that she’d never lie to him again. Which reminded her, “Um, Clay, I don’t think you ever finished lecturing me about the booby traps.”

Clay sighed. “Are you going to quit setting your traps now?”

Sophie nodded.

“And leave the outdoor repairs to me?”

“I promise.”

“And trust me to protect this family?”

“I will, Clay. I already do,” Sophie said fervently.

“Then I reckon the lecture’s over.” Clay turned back to the horses and clucked at them again.

Sophie felt like Clay had been cheated out of his scolding. She deserved it after all. But she couldn’t quite bring herself to urge him to yell at her.

As the ranch came in sight, Sophie’s mind turned to the dinner ahead and the fussy Miss Calhoun. Sally poked her head between them again and turned to Clay.

He looked down at her. “What?”

Sally said with wide-eyed innocence, “I think you’re pretty too, Pa.”

Clay seemed taken aback for a moment, then he smiled down at Sally and chucked her under the chin with his gloved fist. “Well, thank you darlin’. I reckon that’s about the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

Sally grinned and pulled her head back. The last few yards of the trip were completed with Clay chuckling softly while he guided the horses.

Clay helped Miss Calhoun down off her horse just as Adam, Luther, Buff, and the others came riding into the ranch from different directions. They’d ridden out of church ahead of the McClellen wagon and disappeared to scout the trail for danger.

Sophie thought of the huge bird she had roasting. “Clay, we have plenty of turkey. Ask the men if they want to eat with us.”

“That’s a right nice idea.” Clay went and talked to them out of Sophie’s hearing. She wondered if they were talking about more than the invitation. She was a mite annoyed to be kept in the dark. But remembering her promise to herself and God, she minded Clay’s obvious wish to confer privately with the men and turned her attention to Miss Calhoun.

“Did you enjoy your ride out here, Miss Calhoun? We could have made room for you in the wagon.”

“I need to take my horse out when I can.” Miss Calhoun neatly removed her black gloves, tugging gently on one finger at a time. “He stands idle in the stable too much of the time.”

Her gloves tucked neatly away, she followed Sophie and the girls into the house. “Let me help get the meal.” Miss Calhoun carried a satchel with her, and she produced a large white apron from it.

Miss Calhoun proved to be more approachable when she was working side-by-side with Sophie and the girls. Sophie was pleased when the young woman produced a carefully wrapped loaf of bread from the satchel to add to the meal.

When Sophie called out to the men that the food was ready, they all came trooping in the front door.

“There’s a stew warming in the bunkhouse, too.” Whitey pulled his hat off his head and twisted it in his hands. “We’ll only have a bite of your turkey, ma’am. Thank you for inviting us.”

Each of the men had a kind word of thanks to say as they filed
through. Sophie became alarmed as she sliced away at the ever-shrinking turkey and filled the plates the men brought from the bunkhouse. The big bird lasted though, and after the last of the men went outside, she began filling plates for the women. She noticed Clay went outside with the men, and Sophie felt betrayed—and a little jealous. Then the very proper Miss Calhoun sat down, and Sophie began to think of her daughters’ table manners.

They didn’t have any.

Miss Calhoun sat at the McClellen’s undersized table with all the dignity of a queen. She ate so neatly and cut her turkey so precisely, every move Sophie made seemed clumsy by comparison. Sophie spent the whole meal correcting the girls’ manners, and from the surprised looks they gave her, she knew they’d never heard a lot of this stuff before.