Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
A ccording to Two Stones, they were almost to the ranch. Traveling hadn’t been as bad as Grace expected. Not that it’d been easy, but the journey without Two Stones would have been much harder. He’d anticipated almost everything she would need, each step of the way.
He'd made a sling to carry Ruby on his chest most of the time they rode, and the baby seemed content with that arrangement. When she grew hungry, he always stopped so Grace could feed and change her. They’d even spent the night in the same cabin she and Sampson had stayed in. Though she hadn’t felt nearly as safe with the Indian, knowing Sampson had sent him helped her to relax in his presence.
As the trail maneuvered beside a rocky outcropping, she peered ahead to where it looked like the trees thinned. Two Stones said they would reach the main house soon. Maybe this was it. And was that the scent of wood smoke?
The trail opened into a wide clearing set on a hillside. A cabin sat in the middle with a barn down the slope. Smoke curled from the chimney of each building.
At the sight, Two Stones let out a low whistle.
Almost at the same instant, the cabin door opened and two men stepped out. Another emerged from the barn. They were all too far away for her to see what they looked like, but all held rifles.
Two Stones raised a hand, and that seemed to be a signal. The pair at the house started toward them, rifles lowering to their sides. So did the man from the barn. Then more from the house and another from around the back of the barn. Some of the people streaming from the buildings were women.
As the first few met them, her eyes couldn’t find the right place to land. All the men bore a resemblance to Sampson—most of them anyway. That dark hair and those piercing brown eyes. The broad shoulders.
One of the men in front looked to Two Stones, his expression guarded. "Good to see you, friend. We've been worried. You brought company." His gaze slid to Grace. “Jericho and Dinah not with you?”
Two Stones shook his head. “Sampson asked me to go on to Missoula to bring his wife and babe ahead to the ranch.” He turned to Grace, as though he’d not just poured kerosine into a fire. "This is Grace.” He motioned to the child strapped to his chest. “And Ruby."
She forced herself to look up to see their reactions. Surprise for sure. But not anger. Not at first glimpse anyway.
The man who’d first spoken turned to her. “Welcome to the Coulter ranch, Grace. You’re a surprise, but not an unwelcome one.” He took a step back and motioned them forward. “Come to the house and let’s get you settled.”
That was it? Surely not the only explanation she’d need to give, but the family’s first reaction was so much kinder than she’d expected. Of course, they were Sampson’s kin. Maybe she should have expected them to be like him.
She hated to imagine her father’s reaction to such a surprise.
Her horse followed behind Two Stones’s as it had all the hours on the trail. When they stopped at the house, people gathered around, including a man at the mare’s head and two women at Grace’s side. Another fellow reached up to help her down.
The kindness in his eyes reminded her of Sampson. She allowed him to assist her as she dismounted, her legs stiff from the long ride.
Two Stones dismounted, too, and carefully unwrapped Ruby from the sling. Grace stepped close to take the babe. She needed the familiar warmth of this child in her arms.
“She’s adorable.”
Grace glanced over to see a young woman around her own age peering at Ruby’s sleepy expression. The woman’s gaze shifted to meet Grace’s, and a shyness settled in her eyes. “I’m Jess. I have my own little one coming soon.” She glanced down at the swell she cradled with one hand.
“Congratulations.” Grace managed a smile. A baby was wonderful news, but Grace was so weary. And all these people… She needed a quiet place to gather herself.
And change Ruby’s clothing. Keeping her clean had been hard on the trail. She needed a wet cloth and a new gown posthaste.
"Let's get you inside where it's warm." Another woman spoke, touching Grace’s shoulder.
She allowed herself to be guided up a couple of steps toward the door, her legs unsteady after so many hours in the saddle.
Grace stepped in to the warm and inviting cabin, holding Ruby close to her chest. A fire crackled in the hearth to the left, and chairs were grouped in a homey scene before it. On the far right sat a cookstove and a massive dining table. The scent of something savory made her stomach rumble.
The whole place had been decorated with garland and bows.
Realization slammed into her. Was today Christmas? Or yesterday? She’d lost track of the days with so much happening.
“You must be hungry and cold.” A kind-faced woman with red hair stood before her. “Do you want to sit by the fire, and I’ll bring you a bowl of soup?”
She couldn’t worry about the holiday right now. She glanced at Ruby, then back to the woman. “I… Is there a place I can change her? And maybe some warm water?”
“Of course.” Another woman stepped into view, this one with dark blonde hair. “Come back to one of the bed chambers and we’ll get her settled.”
Grace followed her to one of the two doors on the far wall. They stepped into the room on the right, the woman motioning to the big double bed. “That should be a good place to lay her. This is my sister and Jericho’s room, but they’ve both gone to help Sampson. You can have the place to yourself. I’m Naomi, by the way. I’ll bring warm water. Would you like a big pot to bathe her in? Sometimes it helps to dunk instead of trying to wipe all those rolls and creases.”
A bit of weight eased from Grace’s shoulders, and she offered a smile that came much easier. “That would be wonderful.”
Naomi smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “Do you need clothes for her? Clean diapers? I remember how quickly a babe goes through those things. And it’s nearly impossible to do laundry on the trail.”
This woman must have a child or two of her own. She certainly possessed the comforting, gentle manner of a mother. How long before Grace developed that trait? Did you have to actually give birth to a child to have that mother’s demeanor?
She pushed the worries away and shook her head. “I have what I need in my pack.” Which was still strapped on the saddle. She wrinkled her nose. “Would someone be able to bring it in? Or…I can go get it.”
Naomi turned to the door. “The men already brought that. I’ll be right back.”
She left the door open, but it wasn’t hard to block out the activity in the other room. Grace glanced around this chamber. The oldest brother’s room. The master and mistress of the house. It felt like she shouldn’t be in here. She certainly shouldn’t touch anything.
She had to get Ruby cleaned up though. She’d do it quickly, then move out by the fire to feed the babe. For now, she’d best not lay her on the bed until she could remove this damp gown.
A moment later, the red-haired woman stepped in with a stack of cloths and Grace’s satchel. “The water is heating, both for you and the babe. We thought a bath might be a good way to get you warm too. Miles and Eric are bringing the tub in now.”
A bath. Oh, how she longed to be clean and warm again. The idea of soaking in hot water seemed almost too good to be true after so many days.
"Thank you," she managed, emotion thickening her voice. "That's very kind."
The woman's smile deepened, her eyes filled with understanding. "I'm Patsy, Jonah’s intended. We're so glad to have you here, Grace. Sampson is…well, he's special to all of us. Anyone important to him is important to us too."
Tears pricked at Grace's eyes, and she blinked to hold them back. The easy acceptance, the warm welcome—they touched a place deep inside her, soothing hurts she hadn't even realized she carried.
Naomi stepped in behind Patsy. “We’re actually going to move you to the room over, if you don’t mind sharing it with Clara. The men are taking the tub and water in there.”
She moved farther into the room, and her eyes warmed even more. “Would you trust me to bathe your sweet one? I have a daughter of my own who was once this tiny, though it’s hard to believe it now. She’s two years old and so big.”
Grace swallowed the worry that niggled in her chest. If Naomi had birthed her own child, surely she would be far more capable than Grace.
Naomi seemed to understand her hesitation. “We’ll be right there near you in case Ruby needs her mama. I’d like to give you a chance to tend to yourself, though.” The crinkles at the corners of her eyes deepened. “And honestly, I’m longing to hold that sweet wee one. My Mary Ellen has grown so.”
Grace eased out a breath as she nodded. “Thank you.”
Within a few minutes, they’d moved to the next chamber over that contained two single beds. A large tub filled the empty space at the far end, and several men carried buckets of water in every few minutes. Grace had handed Ruby off to Naomi, and Jess and another dark-haired woman named Angela were assisting her as they unwrapped the babe from her dirty trappings.
“There’s a sweet girl.” Naomi cooed as she hovered above the bed. She held Ruby’s head in one hand, the babe’s body along her arm, as she unwound the wet diaper from around those tiny hips. The move looked so familiar, so practiced, and a bit of tension eased out of Grace. She’d already pulled Ruby’s things out of their satchel and laid them on the bed beside Naomi. They should have everything they needed.
Including plenty of helping hands. Angela looked to be in the family way, as Jess was, so both of them surely had the same mothering instincts as Naomi.
One of the men entered the room with a large steaming pot, and Patsy followed him. He poured the contents into the tub, then stepped back. “I think that’ll do it.”
Before she could offer a “thank you,” he left the room, closing the door behind him. Patsy tugged a folding partition from against the wall and placed it between the bed and washtub. “There.” She turned back to smile at Grace. “Anything else I can bring you? There’s soap and a towel there.” She nodded to the items on a bureau nearby. “Do you need a clean gown? Anything?” She motioned toward the other women. “Between us, I’m sure we could find one to fit.”
Grace managed a smile, swallowing a lump of emotion. “This is more than enough. Thank you.” She wanted desperately to tuck herself behind that screen and sink into the warm water. Alone.
Was it wrong that she craved a break from her daughter, from all the voices and chaos?
Probably.
Patsy’s knowing gaze told Grace she understood. Her smile communicated a complete lack of judgment. “Take your time. We’ll have a warm meal ready for you when you’re finished.”
Though the women hadn’t left, Grace slipped behind the partition and shed her dirty clothes, leaving them in a heap on the floor. Then she stepped into the tub, sinking down into the deliciously hot water with a sigh.
Bliss. Utter, pure bliss. The heat seeped into her weary muscles, unknotting the tension and washing away the aches. She laid back, resting her head against the curved edge, and closed her eyes.
For long minutes, she simply soaked, letting her mind drift.
Distantly, she heard the women's soft chatter as they tended to Ruby, but the words were muffled, indistinct. All that registered was the gentle timbre of their voices, the occasional gurgle from the babe. Sounds of comfort and attention.
What would it be like to live in a place like this, surrounded by the love and care she’d been immersed in since reaching this house? A life where Ruby would grow up knowing the affection of family?
A rush of moisture stung her eyes, and she squeezed them shut. She couldn’t let herself get used to this. She’d told Sampson she wanted independence.
And anyway, right now, these kind people thought Sampson had married her because he loved her. When she told them that her father had forced him into it, they’d not be so keen on accepting her and Ruby into their midst.
She let out a quiet sigh. She had to tell them soon. Right after she climbed out of this glorious bath and made herself decent.
With that thought firmly planted in her mind, she braced for disappointment and reached for the bar of soap.