“I won’t forget, but I won’t feel like this is part mine until I feel I’ve earned it. However, you have no idea how pleased I am to hear you say that. This will be a grand place to live—and you don’t have as much snow as Delaware.”
“Some years hardly any but we always get some even when several of the counties east and south of us don’t. The roads become impassable due to the slopes. After living in Delaware, I figure you have warm clothes for winter.”
“I included a few things but honestly I didn’t go out much in the worst weather. Sometimes we’d let mail go for a week without collecting it. Usually, I went every day in spite of the fact that I disliked the man who operated the post office.”
Austin worried if she thought a week without mail was severe. “We sometimes go a month with no trip to town. In fall, we stock up with supplies in case we have bad weather. If it’s bad for long, we have to take hay to the cattle and make sure the ice on the water holes is broken so the cows can get water.”
“Sounds like cold work. What am I supposed to do around the ranch?”
“Nothing outside unless you want to help with the garden. We grow most of our own produce. Spuds doesn’t know how to can food but he dries some. We have a cellar for root vegetables and fruit.”
“Lily and I learned to can food from a neighbor. We had a big garden to save money and because we liked fresh produce.”
He glanced her way with a broad smile. “That’s impressive and good news.”
“How long until we reach the house?”
“Not long. You can see it when we round this next bend.”
She focused ahead and leaned forward as if that would help her see her new home sooner. Soon she leaned back against the tufted leather seat.
“Wasn’t it nice of Cindy and Bert to let us use this buggy?”
He was embarrassed at what he had to answer. “More than nice, Mina. Bert gave it to us as a wedding gift.”
She gasped and did what his mother called “clutching her pearls” and put a hand near her throat. “But, they gave me a party and then two days later gave us a reception. This is too much.”
“That’s what I told him. He joked that he’d make it back in legal fees. He won’t, of course, but he’s ordered a fancier new buggy for Cindy as a surprise. He’d hoped it would be delivered before now but it’ll be ready this week.”
“I’m so glad she has Bert. Our fathers were both very cold, stingy men. Cindy and Lily and I were determined to marry kind men.”
He gave her a diffident glance. “I hope to make you glad you married me. I’m not anything like Bert but I try to be a good person.”
“You’re a lot more like him than you realize.” She gasped. “Oh, is that the house?”
“For a fact. Must seem tiny compared to your cousins’. I’ve built on to the place that was here when I came.”
The frame building that sprawled across the green landscape never failed to fill him with pride and pleasure. Painted pale yellow with white trim, a white picket fence surrounded the actual house. A wide covered porch wrapped across the front and around the sides. From this angle she couldn’t see many of the numerous other buildings that were spread behind the house. He’d offer her a tour tomorrow.
“I expected a log cabin and that would have been fine. This is especially lovely.”
“I admit I’m proud of the ranch. Like I said, I bought it five years ago. I still owe some on it but it’s close to paid for. If those two would-be miners don’t ruin me, I’ll pay it off this fall when I sell cattle.”
“Did Bert give you any hope?”
“Not much. Colin Bailey has the right to lease to anyone he wishes. I’m not the only rancher upset. There are about fifteen to twenty ranchers and farmers complaining. Sheriff Cornelius is going out to talk to the miners tomorrow.”
“What can he say to convince them?”
“I don’t know. They pulled a shotgun on me and told me to leave. I don’t think they’ll pull that with the sheriff. I doubt they’ll listen to reason, though. They’ve already built up in their mind that they’re going to be rich men.”
He added, “They won’t be, of course. They’ll lose whatever they’ve paid Bailey and the cost of their equipment. They’ll sure be sore at Bailey. He got gold from somewhere and salted the mine site.”
“What does that mean?”
“He sprinkled it in this small cave and let Ferguson and Davis think it came from the cave walls. Then he offered to lease the mineral rights to them. It’s an old swindler’s game.”
They pulled into the yard and he stopped at the gate and set the brake.
Dusty ran from the barn still in the clothes he’d worn to the wedding. “I’ll take charge of the horses and buggy. Chico and Buck and I made a place for the rig and there are two stalls cleaned out for the horses.”
“Thanks. I’ll take this valise and show Mina the house.”
Dusty held open the gate. “Welcome to your new home, Mrs. Wright.”
“Thank you, Dusty.”
Austin escorted her to the porch. “We sit out here sometimes if the weather’s nice and the mosquitoes aren’t too bad.”
She turned as if to see the view. “I imagine that’s pleasant, especially in hot weather.”
Spuds opened the door and reached for the valise. “I’ll take that.”
Austin hoped he didn’t stumble. He swept Mina into his arms and carried her across the threshold while Spuds held open the door.
Mina squealed as
