Chapter 11
11
Micah enjoyed breakfast with the Aldrich women. Nora had served them biscuits and gravy, eggs and sausage, and lots of hot coffee despite the heat. Seemed that coffee was a staple at this table, and even Charlotte drank her fair share.
“We should be home in the late afternoon, Mama,” Charlotte told her mother as the meal concluded. “Of course, it will depend on whether the train is on time.”
“I still think you could send Kit and one of the boys in to drive the cows back,” her mother said. She picked up her cup and sipped the coffee.
“I want to see this through. I need to make sure they’re in good shape and, hopefully, all are bred. Of course, I won’t check that until we’re back at the ranch.” She got up from the table. “Micah, I’m going to fetch my hat and gloves, and then I’ll be ready to head out.”
Micah nodded. “Sounds good.”
She left the room, and Mrs. Aldrich picked up the conversation. “I wouldn’t trust anyone else to look after her, Micah.”
He thought again of Rich’s words. Should he ask Mrs. Aldrich about it? Ask her if she had plans for her daughter to marry him?
“Don’t think I don’t know that she can be a handful. Do you know that after we left the Stock Growers Association meeting, she wanted to return?” she questioned. “She told me to go on to the tea party while she went back to give the men a piece of her mind. She planned to wait until the president had called the meeting to order.”
“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.” Micah could just see the scene in his mind. Charlotte, although small of stature, would have every man’s undivided attention. “She has a way of getting her point across.”
“She does when she wants to, that’s for sure. But she can also be good at hiding her feelings.”
Micah wondered what exactly Mrs. Aldrich was getting at but didn’t have time to ask since Charlotte bounded back into the room. She had dressed for the day wearing a brown split skirt with a matching vest and a long-sleeved calico blouse. She secured a wide brim hat to shade herself from the hot sun before pulling on her riding gloves.
“I’m ready if you are.”
Micah rose from the table. “I’m ready.” He nodded toward Mrs. Aldrich. “Thanks for breakfast.”
“Anytime, Micah. You’re always welcome here.” She smiled. “But I think you know that.”
Following Charlotte from the house, Micah couldn’t help but admire her figure. She was petite, but shapely in all the right places. Why had he never noticed before now? Not so long ago she was just Frank Jr.’s little sister—gangly, curly headed, and often annoying. Now she was graceful and charming. Annoying too, at times. That made him smile.
“You’ve got the strangest look on your face, Micah. What’s on your mind?”
He met her eyes, then quickly looked to the ground, feeling his face warm. He hadn’t meant to get caught watching her. What could he say?
“I guess I’m just realizing how the years have passed. It seems like yesterday we were just kids.”
She laughed and went to where the horses waited. “Funny you should say so. I was just pondering that very thing this morning.” She unfastened her reins from the fence pole and led the horse away for mounting. In a flash, she was in the saddle, not needing help from Micah or anyone.
Micah mounted, and together they started the horses for Cheyenne. Once they had cleared the yard, Charlotte continued. “I was just four when we came to Cheyenne, and it seemed like the end of the world. I hated leaving grandparents and cousins behind.”
“You were still just four when we came in January 1870.”
“I was almost five. My birthday was on the twenty-third.”
“I remember. It was a Sunday, and your mama invited us to share lunch after church and celebrate your birthday. You were so proud that you were turning five.” He gave her a sidelong glance as she stared ahead.
“What did you think of me then?” she asked.
“I didn’t think about you much at all. I was a twelve-year-old boy. Horses, snakes, and hunting were far more on my mind.”
“You weren’t quite twelve,” Charlotte said, looking at him with one of the most beautiful smiles Micah had ever seen. She seemed absolutely radiant. “You wouldn’t turn twelve until April.”
“True enough. You have a good memory.”
“I was excited that there was someone nearer my own age than just Frank. All of Rich’s children were so much older. Well, his youngest, Emma, was close to my age, but she was always getting into trouble and didn’t seem to want to be friends, especially with someone younger. There was no one to play with or even talk to when the adults got together.”
“So that’s why you were always following your brother and me around.” Micah kept a close eye on the trail ahead but didn’t deny himself a few stray glances.
“You two were all I had. The only ones who fit even a little bit into my world.”
“You should have had a little sister, Charlotte. I wish my mom could have had more children. There were a couple of younger brothers who died, and then some miscarriages. She always wanted more.”
“I want a big family. Maybe as big as the Deckers have.”
“Charles Decker and his wife have ten children. Are you sure you want ten?”
She laughed. “I love children even though I’ve had little experience with them. Maybe that’s exactly why I want so many. But I’m not opposed to bringing the number down to say ... eight or maybe even six. What I don’t want is for any of them to feel alone like I did. Don’t think that I didn’t know what a pest I was to you and Frank. I didn’t mean to be. I just craved companionship. I still do. Mama does her best, but I think she’s lonely at times too.”
“I saw her dancing a lot with Rich Johnson on the Fourth of July,” Micah offered.
“Yes. I encouraged that. I think they’d be wonderful together, don’t you?”
Micah wondered if he should say something about his conversation with Rich. He decided against it. If Rich wanted to pursue Mrs. Aldrich, he’d have to be the one to speak up to Charlotte.
“I guess so. They both have a lot in common.” Micah felt safe in offering that insight.
“They definitely do,” Charlotte continued with great enthusiasm. “Rich and Papa were a lot alike. They liked so much of the same things and thought the same about ranching. Both were, or in Rich’s case, are, good Christian gentlemen. And Rich seems genuinely interested in Mama. I’ve listened to him talk to her, and he cares about her feelings and needs. I think that’s one of the most important things in a relationship between a husband and wife, don’t you?”
Micah nodded. “I do.” For a moment the words hung in the air, and Micah was reminded of that being the reply to wedding vows.
Charlotte looked his way. “Let’s run them a ways. This is good flat ground, free of holes. At least it was last I checked. Come on.”
Micah laughed. “If you think you’re up for it.”
“Ha!” She gave Buck a kick in the sides. “Git up, Buck. Let’s go!” The horse jumped ahead and stretched out for the run.
Micah followed, giving Duke his head. He easily caught up to Charlotte, but rather than pass her as he knew he could do, he kept his horse even with her chestnut gelding. It was kind of nice being paired this way. Maybe it would be nice being paired forever.
Charlotte loved the feel of the wind against her face as they rode their horses at full gallop. Knowing they were soon to reach the first of several streams, Charlotte slowed Buck and eased him to a trot, then back to a walk. Micah did the same with Duke. By the time they reached the water, both animals were cooled down and ready to drink.
As the sun rose higher in the sky, the temperatures were once again climbing. Charlotte was glad to stop for a moment and splash some water on her face. She tried not to spend her whole time watching to see what Micah was doing, but it was hard. Having discussed children, she was hard-pressed not to imagine what their progeny might look like. No doubt they’d be blue-eyed. Micah’s hair was dark brown whereas hers was sun-kissed blond. Maybe their children would be a mix.
Their children. Charlotte loved the thought of that. She had long imagined a ranch of their own with children to raise. And she was serious about having a large family. She wanted her children to have each other to turn to when things went wrong. It was wonderful having good parents that she could trust, but it would have been so nice to have sisters to seek advice from and share stories with. Maybe if she’d had sisters, one or more of them would have come with her to storm the Stock Growers Association meeting.
“You look mighty deep in thought.”
Charlotte glanced over and saw that Micah was watching her. He’d taken off his brown felt hat and was wiping his face with his wet bandanna.
“I was just thinking about the stock growers and how intolerant they are of women. I hope I live to see that change. It’s not like I want to run the place, but I would like to be welcome to listen to their thoughts and offer my own.”
“Strong women often intimidate men,” Micah replied, ringing the bandanna again in the steam. He straightened and squeezed out the excess water before tying it around his neck.
“But you aren’t intimidated by them.” Charlotte had finished cooling her face and returned to where Buck was grazing on greens by the creek. “You respect my mother and seem to find her thoughts of value. Mine too.”
“That’s because you’re both the type to think things through before you speak and to offer straightforward ideas. You must admit there are folks who like to just ramble on and on for the sake of hearing themselves speak.”
“Men as well as women do that.”
Micah chuckled. “That’s why I said there are folks who do it. Both are guilty.”
Charlotte nodded and drew her gloves from where she’d tucked them in her waistband. “I really had nothing I wanted to offer, but much I wanted to learn. Papa and Frank Jr. were good at sharing information and teaching me. Mama is wonderful to learn from as well. She knows so much about farming. Did you know she’s asked her cousins to come here? They’re going to advise her about planting crops. You’re welcome to come and hear what they have to say. We must start thinking about such things and not rely solely on shipping grain and hay in for our needs.”
“I agree. And like I told you and your mother, that was part of what was discussed in brief at the stock growers meeting. Of course, they weren’t holding a full session since it was Fourth of July, but when they get together again, they are going to discuss the matter in more detail. I think all of the area ranchers realize they’re going to have to do more to protect their herds.”
“And I’d like to hear what they have to say, but of course I won’t be welcome to join in.”
“I’ll go for you. I don’t mind.”
“But I mind that they won’t let me sit in and hear valuable information on area ranching. I’m a rancher and deserve to know what’s going on. They have all sorts of rules for the men about no spitting and cussing, you’d think they could have a rule about allowing women. Even if they didn’t let us speak.”
Micah laughed aloud. “Oh, sure, that would go over real well. You know as well as I do that it would soon enough be protested if that were a fixed rule for the meeting. ‘Men, you can speak your mind and say whatever you want, but you ladies have to be quiet.’ No, I know how that would be.”
Charlotte had to smile. “Of course you’re right. But I still don’t see the harm in letting us be there.”
“You and your mother have already shown those old boys that you know what you’re doing, and frankly, it puts them in poor light. Your father tried to tell them what your mother thought about the coming winter back in ’86. No one would listen. Not even my dad. They were no doubt kicking themselves when they realized she was right. That’s a lot of humble pie to eat, and they’re suffering for it still.”
“But my mother wouldn’t be boastful about what happened. You know her. She’s kind and gentle.”
“But she was right when many men were wrong. It got the best of them and ended a lot of ranches and dreams. The few who stuck around to try to rebuild don’t want to be reminded of the mistakes they made.”
Charlotte pulled on her gloves. “You would understand their thoughts better than I would.” She took up Buck’s reins. “You ready to move on?”
“In a minute. I have something I want to say.”
Charlotte felt her heart skip a beat. Could he possibly know what she was feeling—maybe feel it himself? She held her breath.
“I want to thank you for how supportive you’ve been. Your mother too. I know I failed my father miserably in how I’ve managed this last year. I forsook God and turned to alcohol. I let the ranch go without care. I barely did what was required to keep Duke alive. I wasn’t much of a man.”
“Mama says we failed you as well. We lost ourselves in our sorrows and forgot our promise to be there for you. I was so blinded by my guilt and regret over fighting with my father. Not seeing you was a sort of penance, I suppose. I felt I didn’t deserve to be happy. I didn’t see how I was letting you down.”
“But you didn’t let me down. I had no expectations. My father, on the other hand, had a great many. He ... well, he raised me to be better. He ... he ... oh never mind. He didn’t follow his own advice. Why should I be concerned about my failing to live up to what he wanted, when he most assuredly failed to live up to my expectations?”
“Maybe having so many expectations of each other is the mistake.” Charlotte thought of what her own father had wanted her to do. “Holding a lot of expectations for someone might be the biggest mistake we can make. In some cases, we might expect so much that they can never hope to meet our standards. In other cases, we might hold them back from reaching their full potential. Jesus talks in the Bible about bearing one another’s burdens and going the extra mile with someone. I don’t recall that He ever spoke about setting a lot of lofty expectations for them.”
“True enough. But you must admit, parents are always going to have ideals that they want their children to live up to.”
“Maybe your father’s pa had those for him. Maybe that was the burden he carried, and it was too much.” Charlotte shook her head. “I think being encouraging and supportive is what matters with children. Guidance too, don’t get me wrong, but demanding they follow a certain path or choose something just because it’s what we desire is wrong. I’m convinced of that after what I went through with Papa.”
She gave Micah a wistful smile. If only he could know how much she loved him—how she had no unrealistic expectations of him. She only wanted him to love her.
But what if that was unrealistic?