Chapter Fifteen
Hannah awoke the next morning not to chaos, but to silence.
No sounds of her siblings squabbling, or the feeling of shifting little bodies by her side.
She was alone, and that didn’t feel quite right.
Not because her sisters were missing. They had slept in the other room for two days now.
No, it was because someone else had been beside her. Garrett.
Through the grogginess of her sleep, she remembered.
Remembered being cradled in his strong, muscular arms; being laid down so very gently as if she was something precious to him.
She remembered the feel of his surprisingly soft lips against her forehead, and his presence by her side.
He hadn’t slept there, though. She was sure of it, and such awareness tugged at her heart.
Was she ready to sleep by his side? Yes, she realized she was. She wanted to curl up next to him, to feel those arms of his around her as she drifted off to sleep. She wanted to feel his lips on her forehead again, and maybe on her own lips as well.
Hannah blushed at the thought. After spending most of the day before thinking God was punishing her, she now felt as if she’d been given a reward with her husband’s affections.
They’d had a rough day yesterday, yet despite that, they’d shared a sweet ending, and she realized as she got up and changed into a fresh dress that she wanted more of those.
Maybe I do need more faith. More patience in my answers.
Just because God does not answer my prayer immediately does not mean he is punishing me.
Her hands paused, astounded by the thought.
She’d contemplated her faith more since arriving in Texas than she had in her entire life, and she wondered if her previous thoughts on God’s punishment were wrong.
Such thoughts faded quickly, though, as she realized just how quiet and how late in the morning it was. With haste, she finished brushing out her hair, twisted the strands into another messy braid, and then hurried down the hall to the kitchen.
“Good morning,” Maria greeted cheerily, startling Hannah.
“Good morning,” Hannah replied, peering around the kitchen.
Maria was washing up a few dishes, but other than that, the room was spotless, save for a napkin-covered plate on the wiped-down table.
The pots had been hung back up, the food trimmings put away in the cupboards or in the cool air of the root cellar.
Even the wooden butcher block had been wiped down.
“Did you all already have breakfast?” Hannah asked, looking back at Maria.
“Bacon, eggs, and toast with apple jam,” Maria answered as she dried off her hands. “I hope you don’t mind we opened the jar Amanda put in your wedding basket. I saved you a plate. It’s on the table there.”
Hannah shook her head as she walked toward the table, still in awe.
“No, I don’t mind at all,” Hannah replied, “But why didn’t you wake me? I would have helped.”
Maria shrugged as she brought over a fork.
“You looked like you were sleeping pretty deeply, and Garrett suggested we let you rest,” Maria answered.
Hannah’s heart throbbed at the mention of Garrett’s name, and she smiled, despite still feeling a little guilty that she’d slept in.
“Where is everyone now?” She asked, then bit into a piece of jam-lathered toast. She hummed happily as the sweetness of the apples hit her tongue.
“Garrett’s out with the other cowboys at the barn doing something with the cows.
Rebecca is outside sweeping the front porch, and Isaac, Jacob, and Louis are out in one of the fields, digging dirt for the new room.
Did you know that this house is made of mud?
I thought that was really neat! Garrett told me this morning that they’re called, um, adobes. I like that word. Adobe. A-dobe-eee.”
Hannah giggled at her little sister, happy to see her so upbeat.
“Are you starting to like it here a little better?” Hannah asked.
Maria nodded.
“I still don’t like the heat, but it’s so nice out here! And I have all kinds of things to do all day. I don’t have to just sit on the floor and be bored anymore, like in our old house when we didn’t have school.”
Maria grimaced after she said that, and shot Hannah an apologetic look.
“I mean, it wasn’t too awful,” she started to say, but she stopped as Hannah waved her hand and shook her head.
“No, you don’t have to do that, Maria. I’m sorry you couldn’t play outside and have animals in Michigan. But it was too dangerous for you to play on the streets and our house was much too small for any pets. I’m happy you like it here.”
Maria looked relieved for a moment, then a pensive look took over her little face once again as she pursed her lips together.
“What’s wrong?” Hannah asked, her breakfast finished.
“I heard Garrett shouting yesterday,” Maria said reluctantly. “I mean, he seemed better this morning, but he just sounded so mad with us when he saw the cows. Do you think he’s still mad at us?”
“Oh,” Hannah sighed, reaching for her sister’s hand, “No, honey, I think that’s over now. We talked about it last night, and he apologized for losing his temper.”
Maria nodded.
“He apologized to us all this morning too,” Maria replied.
“He did?” Hannah asked, surprised.
“Yes, and he was really nice about it, too. I think he meant it.”
“I’m sure he did,” Hannah replied.
“Well,” Maria sighed, taking Hannah’s empty plate, “I guess I better keep moving. After I wash this I’m going to go outside with Rebecca. We’re going to plant a garden today.”
Hannah’s brows once more flew up in surprise.
“You are? How? We don’t have any seeds.”
“We do now,” Maria answered. “The lady dressed as a man gave them to me this morning. Carrots, potatoes, onions, and parsnips. She said they would still grow in this heat, as long as I kept them watered. She gave us some green bean and sweet pea seeds too, but she said it was too hot now to grow them outside. I’m going to ask Isaac tomorrow to build me a box so I can grow them here in the kitchen, by the window. ”
Hannah’s surprise shifted to confusion.
“A lady dressed as a man?” Hannah asked.
“Uh-huh. She came with that mean man that yelled at you at the church,” Maria explained. “He still looked pretty upset when I answered the door and he asked for Garrett, but at least he didn’t yell this time.”
Curious and confused, Hannah left the kitchen and hurried outside. Garrett hadn’t mentioned anything about Dean coming by, or that they were even talking again. And a woman dressed as a man? Why on earth would a woman do such a thing?
Hannah’s discomfort worsened as she reached the barn and saw not one, but two familiar faces, and her stomach clenched as she realized the woman dressed as a man was Grace.
Like the men surrounding her, she was wearing trousers and a shirt, and together she, Garrett, and Dean were wrestling a calf to the ground as another man came forward with a bright red branding iron.
Jealousy and horror filled Hannah as she realized two things at once. One, that despite Grace slapping Garrett the other day, he still welcomed her back. Two, that the branding iron was about to be used on the helpless, obviously terrified animal being held down by Grace, Dean and Garrett.
“Stop!” She shouted, running into the paddock.
All heads snapped to her in surprise, save for Grace, who smirked as she saw Hannah, then glanced affectionately at Garrett. Hannah’s jealousy rose higher and quicker than before, but she pushed it away, too worried about the animal they were about to hurt.
“What are you doing to this poor creature?” She shouted, standing between the held-down calf and the man with the branding iron.
“I thought you said she was getting used to ranch life?” Grace asked Garrett, her tone full of condescension.
Garrett shot her a warning look, but his face softened as he moved away from the calf and walked toward Hannah with raised palms.
“Hannah, it’s alright, really,” he said calmly, “I know it looks horrible, but it’s something we have to do.”
“Why?” Hannah demanded, refusing the hand he offered her. “You’re burning these poor animals!”
“I know,” Garrett answered calmly, “But it’s necessary. When we have break outs, like we did yesterday, our cattle can run off to other ranchers’ fields. They can get lost in another herd. The brand is how we tell them apart.”
“Don’t forget we’re castrating them today too!” Grace piped up, and Hannah didn’t miss how Garrett winced and shot Grace a frustrated look.
“You’re what?” Hannah hissed. “You’re doing that? To these babies?”
Garrett sighed, his dark eyes pleading with her to understand.
“We have to, Hannah,” he answered, looking helpless in that moment, “so that we can sell them for beef when they’re a little older. It’s not good for the herd to have too many bulls. They can become aggressive and territorial. They can hurt us, and they can hurt the heifers when they go in season.”
Although Hannah understood the practicality of everything Garrett explained to her, she felt no less sickened by what she was seeing.
“Look at it this way, your majesty,” Grace called out in that same condescending tone as before, “If Garrett does this, he makes more money. If he makes more money, you don’t have to feed him porridge. And everyone here knows how much Garrett hates porridge, don’t we fellas?”
Hannah blushed, embarrassed and ashamed as the men surrounding them all laughed.
“Remember when he first started working with Mr. Dawson?” Dean said as he laughed, “Poor boy was too afraid to tell him how much he hated the stuff, so he tried to hide it by dumping it out the window? Then all those rats came and caused Mr. Dawson that big old fuss?”
Hannah’s embarrassment worsened as everyone laughed harder. Everyone but Garrett, who was scowling at Dean and Grace.
“You hate it that much?” Hannah asked, her voice barely above a whisper now.
Garrett turned to her with a pleading look.
“Hannah, it’s alright. You didn’t know. You didn’t need to know. You were kind enough to cook for me and I didn’t want to be ungrateful. Besides, it was my fault that I wasn’t better prepared to feed everyone,” he insisted.
“Don’t pay them any mind,” he went on when Hannah didn’t reply, “Joking gets a little rough out here on the ranches. Sometimes people don’t understand when they take it too far.”
Hannah watched as he shot Grace and Dean another warning look, but they only laughed harder before Grace shouted, “Come on, let’s go! We’re wasting daylight here!”
Garrett turned back to Hannah with another apologetic look.
“We have to get this done, Hannah,” he said as he took a step back. “I’m sorry if it upsets you, but it’s just the way things are around here. If you don’t want to watch, I suggest you go back to the house.”
“Help that little girl of yours plant those seeds I brought you,” Grace called out with a condescending grin. “It’s just water and dirt. You can handle that, right?”
“Grace, enough! Leave her alone!” Garrett growled.
Regret flashed in Grace’s eyes, and her grin slackened.
“I’m just teasing,” Grace said, spending a long moment looking at Garrett before she finally looked over at Hannah. “You can take a little teasing, can’t you.”
“Sure,” Hannah quipped, “Wouldn’t be the first time someone who didn’t know me judged me.”
Grace’s expression fell into one of shock as Garrett reached for Hannah’s arm. It was too late for consoling, though. Hurt and embarrassed for the second day in a row, Hannah stepped away from Garrett’s outstretched hand, wrapped her arms tight around her stomach, and hurried back into the house.