Moving from Maryland Page 8

  “Chased fish?” George asked, around bites of the cookie.

  “Yes. They all work with my father on the fishing boat.”

  “What do they catch?” This time it was Sam who asked.

  “This time of year, it is striped bass. We call them rockfish because they hide between the rocks at the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay.”

  “I bet it would be so much fun to be on a boat,” John said.

  “It is, but it is a lot of work. And very dangerous too.” Gracie looked at her cup of tea. It was starting to turn cold.

  “How is it dangerous, Gracie Rose?”

  Gracie looked at Barrett. His eyes which normally looked at her with disdain, instead looked at her with something else. Almost tenderness.

  “You know, my brother Charlie would call me that. And it eventually stuck.” She took a deep breath, determined not to get caught up in the memories of the past.

  “Does he live in Maryland, too?”

  “No, John, he doesn’t. Charlie fell over the side of the boat last year. My father and brothers were able to pull him out. But he caught a chill and never recovered. He died while I was at college.”

  Barrett reached out and gave Gracie’s hand a quick squeeze. “I’m sorry for your loss. I know it must have been very hard on you.”

  “It was, but it was harder on my ma. I still don’t think she’s recovered.”

  “Maybe we can go fishing here and it will remind you of home.”

  “That would be lovely, Sam. I understand school is out for the next few weeks. Maybe we can find some time.”

  “Yes,” Barrett confirmed. “For the next two weeks. Then it will start up again until the Fall harvest.”

  “I wonder if the town will be quieter. I’ll miss the sound of the children’s laughter coming through the window.”

  “It will be quiet, but only for a little while.”

  “Maybe Gracie can come to our house for dinner.”

  “Oh no,” Gracie quickly responded. “I wouldn’t want to intrude. You have company.”

  “We don’t have company. We have Aunt Louisa,” Sam said crossing his arms over his chest. “She makes us be quiet all the time. You let us make noise.”

  “Samuel,” Barrett warned.

  Gracie took one of the cookies. It was still slightly warm. She broke it in half and dipped one end in her tea. The taste of sugar and cinnamon exploded on her tongue.

  “I understand congratulations are in order,” Gracie said, changing topics.

  “Congratulations?”

  “Yes. John told me you are getting married.”

  The boys were quiet on the ride home. When Gracie mentioned his engagement to Louisa, she could have told him the moon was made of cheese, and he wouldn’t have been more surprised. He quickly changed the topic and then rushed out of there with the boys. Gracie was still gracious enough to pack the warm cookies to take back to the house.

  Barrett reflected on the conversation at the table. Things were starting to make sense. It didn’t completely explain why the boys were acting out, but it did cause him to pause and look at things from the boys’ perspective.

  When John echoed Gracie’s thought, Barrett realized he must have been eavesdropping. However, he only heard part of the conversation.

  “I’m not marrying Aunt Louisa. At least not right now.”

  “You should marry Gracie instead.”

  “Gracie? Why would I marry Gracie?”

  “Because she’s pretty. She cooks and she likes us. I don’t think Aunt Louisa likes us.”

  Barrett put his arm around his middle child. “She likes you plenty. Remember she isn’t used to being around children. And besides, we have Mrs. Parker to cook for us.”

  “You think she is pretty, Pa?”

  “Who? Gracie?” Barrett didn’t want to answer.

  “Doesn’t matter anyway,” George mumbled.

  “Why is that?”

  “Jasper is taking her out to dinner,” George explained. “I think he really likes her.”

  “Jasper?”

  “He asked her after dinner the night Aunt Louisa came in town,” John offered.

  Barrett didn’t know what to feel. He knew he could never be with Gracie, but the thought of someone else with her made him want to roar. It was bad enough that Moss courted her, but to have his own man do it too?

  It was almost too much. He was determined that he would continue to be civil to her, but nothing more. He should marry Louisa and give the boys a mother.

  He just wished instead of blonde locks, his wife would have beautiful, dark curls.

  They pulled in front of the house and Jasper was waiting there to take the horse and wagon back to the barn. He pointed to the house with his thumb. “Someone is madder than a wet hen. I’d be very careful if I were you.”

  The boys scrambled out of the wagon and into the house. He could hear Louisa yelling at them before he even made it to the door.

  “I want you to wash your hands and go directly to your room. There will be no supper tonight for any of you.” Louisa pointed to their room down the hall.

  “Louisa, I think I should be the one to punish the children, don’t you?”

  “And where have you been, Barrett Wright? No doubt under the spell of that enchantress.”

  Enchantress? He never thought of that term for Gracie, but he could definitely see it. Everyone who met her seemed to fall under her spell. It didn’t matter. Young. Old. Man. Woman. They all appeared to really like her. It was like she had been in Rattlesnake Ridge for longer than just two months.

  “I went to the clinic to get the boys. That was all.”

  “I expected you home an hour ago. We already ate dinner.”

  “Louisa, my whereabouts are not your concern. You knew I was going into town to get the boys. That is what happened. Nothing else.”

  “You can’t tell me that you didn’t spend time with that Pickett woman!” Louisa’s blonde locks fell out of her chignon.

  “That Pickett woman happens to be the town doctor and she was taking care of my boys.” Barrett looked at Louisa. Why had he not noticed how self-seeking she could be? He vaguely recalled her being like this when she came to visit before, but Eliza ran interference, simply saying her older sister was just high-strung.

  He went to move past her, but she grabbed his arm. “Darling,” she cooed. “I was just worried about you. Can’t you see that?”

  “And the boys? Are you worried about them too?”

  “Of course, I am. I am worried what the folks might think if the boys continue to act out and spend time with that…doctor.”

  “If they are with her, then I know they are perfectly safe.” Barrett removed Louisa’s hand from his arm. “If you will excuse me, I am going to say goodnight.”

  Barrett left her in the middle of the sitting room standing there. He didn’t turn around, so he didn’t know if she watched him, and frankly he didn’t care. The boys had been through enough for the day, to come home to…that.

  He went into the kitchen to find Mrs. Parker making up sandwiches. “I heard the wagon coming up the road. Will ham sandwiches do?”

  Barrett gave the woman a quick kiss on the cheek. “You are a gem, Ida.”

  Mrs. Parker nodded. “I know. Now how ‘bout you get those boys fed and then perhaps a bath before they go to bed. I can only imagine how dirty they must be.”

  “You heat the water and I’ll get the tub. But first, let me take these down to them.”

  Barrett carried the tray of sandwiches down to the boys’ room. Louisa must have retired for she wasn’t to be seen. There was a light glow coming from beneath her door. Barrett quickly went past to the next door where the boys slept.

  Barrett found them huddled on George’s bed whispering among themselves. They stopped as soon as he walked in.

  “I thought you might be hungry.” The boys looked at him and shook their heads. “You don’t want anything to eat? Nothing at all?”

/>   “You can leave them there, Pa,” George said. “We might eat them later.”

  Barrett put the tray down on the small desk in the room. The room was crowded since all three were sleeping in it. There were three beds, a dresser and the small desk. Each boy had a trunk at the foot of their bed for their own personal items.

  “Mrs. Parker is heating water for a bath. Come into the kitchen in a few minutes and get cleaned up.” The boys nodded but didn’t say anything else.

  Barrett went outside to get the tub from the porch. He stood there looking out over the land. The moon silhouetted the cows in the distance. He could hear the mommas lowing to their young.

  The human-like screams of the foxes could be heard from behind the sagebrush. Barrett knew there was a momma and her kits living there. Something must have gotten too close to her den.

  He thought about Gracie once more. She reminded him of that fox protecting her brood. More than once she stood up for his boys. He was glad they enjoyed her company, but he was afraid he might have to limit it in the future.

  He heard Mrs. Parker call to say the water was ready. He picked up the tub and headed back in, hoping the rest of the evening was calm.

  Chapter 7

  August 1872

  Gracie was deciding what to wear that evening. Thankfully she had taken some of her clothes to Misses Bentley the week before. It wasn’t easy to keep everything clean.

  Between tending to injuries and the dust, she was either going to need to invest in some form of jacket or replace her clothes every few months. She made a mental note to see what was available in the Montgomery Ward’s catalog the next time she went to the mercantile.

  The store really didn’t carry a huge variety of items. Given its size, she could definitely see that at one time it carried much more than the selection it had now.

  Gracie realized that the store was the gathering place in town. It was the place to gossip, lament the weather and talk about the upcoming harvest. She spent time there every day so she could integrate herself into the community.

  That was one thing she learned from her parents. You need to go to the people; the people won’t come to you. She was determined to build trust in the community.

  Most of the town were still skeptical about a female doctor, but word was slowly traveling through town and positive feedback reached Gracie’s ears. There was only one thing that bothered her.

  She realized that most of the folks in town were more advanced in years. Granted she had patients that were a bit older than she is, but those were the sons and daughters of the folks that had been in the town since the beginning.

  When she asked Mrs. Handley about it, she told Gracie of the disaster at the silver mine. The rain came down so quickly and, in such volume, that it set off a blast at the mine trapping miners in the tomb below.

  After that, Mrs. Handley said that people left town as soon as they could. That certainly explained why most of her patients fell into the arthritis and vapors categories.

  Then there were the Wright boys.

  Gracie’s heart warmed whenever she thought of the boys. Since school was out, she hadn’t seen much of them. She actually missed their presence and the chatter of John talking to Bonesy.

  She pulled out a green dress and a blue one. Holding them both up to the looking glass she couldn’t decide which one to wear. The green one complemented her hair; the blue one, her eyes.

  Putting the green dress back in the closet, she pulled the blue one over her head and fastened the buttons. Most of her clothes had the buttons or hooks in the front. Though it was a little odd for the fashion of the time, living alone Gracie found it more than practical.

  She had about 30 minutes before Jasper would be picking her up to escort her to dinner. They should have gone the week prior, but Gracie had an emergency with a feverish baby and rescheduled.

  That didn’t mean she didn’t see him. He stopped by the mercantile almost daily. He had a charming disposition, but Gracie realized that there wouldn’t be anything romantic between them. He reminded her too much of her brother, Boone. She would enjoy his company and he would probably turn into a good friend.

  She had already washed her hair, brushing it until it dried and fell in soft waves down her back. Once it was dry, she braided it and wove a ribbon through the plait. Once she had three braids, she wrapped her hair like a crown, securing it with pins.

  She was just pinching her cheeks when she heard the knock on the side door which led directly to her apartment. She quickly grabbed her wrap and reticule and ran to open the door.

  “I was just –” Gracie stopped when she saw Barrett leaning against the doorframe. “What do you want?”

  He gave a low whistle. “You look very nice tonight, Gracie Rose.”

  “Don’t call me that.” She turned to go back into the apartment. Barrett didn’t wait for an invitation, he simply followed her inside.

  “Why not? Isn’t that your name? Doctor G.R. Pickett?”

  “Only my brothers call me Gracie Rose.”

  “Well then, I will have to stop. Because I am certainly not your brother.” He moved a little closer to her and Gracie took a deep breath.

  She looked into his eyes. Why did he have to be so handsome? This close she could tell there were gold flecks in his stormy green eyes. Her mouth parted slightly, and her tongue quickly moistened her lips. Why was her mouth so dry?

  Barrett moved a little closer, his hand reaching out to cup Gracie’s cheek and the other resting on her waist. The pad of his thumb ran over her lip and she could feel that his hands were calloused.

  Grace could see him swallow. “You really do look beautiful.” His voice came out in a husky whisper. Afraid he might kiss her and more afraid she might like it, she quickly dipped out of his embrace and went to stand on the other side of the settee.

  Gracie smoothed her hands down her dress and pretended to pick at invisible lint on the arm. Finally, she looked at Barrett. Had her breathing returned to normal? “I’m sure you didn’t come here tonight to talk about my name. And since it is plain to see I was expecting someone, how about you state your business?”

  Barrett’s mouth tilted up in a grin on one side. “I came with an invite.”

  “An invite?”

  “Yes. We are going to have a barbeque at the ranch next Sunday after church and the boys wanted to make sure you received a personal invitation.”

  “So, they sent you?”

  “I was in town.”

  “Tell the boys I would be happy to come. May I bring anything?”

  “No. We have it all covered. Can you find your way, or do you need me to come get you?”

  Gracie stammered, “N…n…no, I’ll be sure to find a way there.”

  “You can probably ride with the Browns. It will give you a good chance to meet all the neighbors.”

  Before Gracie could respond, a knock on the doorframe signaled they weren’t alone. She didn’t shut the door when she moved inside the apartment and now Jasper was there looking at Barrett.

  “Boss? What are you doing here?” Jasper asked, looking confused.

  “I was just inviting Gracie to the barbeque next week. What are you doing here?” Gracie could hear the edge to Barrett’s voice, as he was short with his friend.

  “I’m taking the doc out to dinner.”

  Barrett flexed his hands several times. So, it was true. He knew the boys had mentioned it, but he didn’t want to believe that Jasper was courting Gracie.

  And why shouldn’t he believe it? Gracie was a very desirable woman. She was beautiful and smart. Jasper was a bachelor. And between Moss and Jasper, he’d rather see Gracie on Jasper’s arm.

  “I was just leaving.” Barrett turned to Gracie. “I’ll tell the boys you will be there. They will be looking forward to seeing you.”

  “Me too,” Gracie replied. “Thank you for the invitation.” She looked as though she wanted to say something more. Barrett gave her a moment and then head
ed out the door.

  Barrett tipped his hat to Jasper “Have a nice night.” He reached the bottom of the steps and paused. Turning around he saw that Jasper wasn’t by the door anymore. He must be in Gracie’s apartment.

  The thought bothered him more than he cared to admit. It wasn’t his business who courted her. Then why was he so upset about it?

  He pondered that as he walked to the mercantile. His whole purpose for going to see her really was to invite her to the barbeque. And instead, he attempted to kiss her.

  Her lush curves made him think all sorts of ungentlemanly thoughts. It had been a long time since he reacted to a woman, and to think this little slip of a thing could make him want to forget his manners and beat his chest was astounding.

  She was nothing like Eliza. Or Louisa.

  Speaking of which…

  He entered the mercantile and walked to the counter where Louisa was engaging Mrs. Handley in a bit of gossip. Barrett tried not to say anything to her. The last thing he wanted was to be the subject of talk in the town.

  “Are you ready to go? I know Mrs. Handley wants to close up shop.”

  Mrs. Handley reached out and patted Louisa’s hand. “I was just having a lovely conversation with Louisa. She was telling me all about the fashions back East.”

  “And Olivia was telling me that Miz May opens the boarding house dining room on Saturday nights. They have a man there that cooks. His specialty is steak. Perhaps we can have supper before we head back home?”

  Olivia? No one called her Olivia. She was always Mrs. Handley. Barrett debated if her own husband called her Olivia, as all he heard the shopkeeper refer to her as was Mrs. Handley.

  Barrett shook his head. “Mrs. Parker has probably made dinner for us. We need to get back.”

  Louisa took his arm and batted her eyes at him several times. “I told Mrs. Parker that we might be late. Let’s go to dinner, Barrett.”

  “You should go and have fun,” Mrs. Handley agreed. Louisa jumped up and down, clapping her hands.

  “Thank you, Barrett,” she cooed, kissing his cheek.

  “Let me finish wrapping your packages and then you can be on your way.”