By fans' request, I pulled this story out from the Fan Fiction category and set it in a place of honor alongside stories from a couple of other talented young writers. Emily Siburt wrote this story back in 2018. It started out as fan fiction, but the fans are right. It needs to be highlighted here. It's the story of how Ellie Coulter and Chad Carter found each other and takes place not too long before the events in Courageous Love
San Joaquin Valley, California, Late September 1884
Chapter 1
Moving
to a new school is always a little frightening. I hope the Fresno County School
Board is more understanding than the last school board.
Ellianna
Coulter twirled her pencil between her fingers, then pressed the blunt end
against her chin and watched the flat, brown pasture racing away outside of the
train window. Up close, the ground flashed by, making her dizzy; but far away,
the mountains stood still, reaching the sky.
The
steady thrum of the train had become white noise long ago.
Dropping
her gaze to the small journal open in her lap, Ellie pondered her next words.
Jem
kept insisting that Chad will remember us, but I doubt it. It has been at least
fifteen years since he and Jem have met, probably nearer twenty. Besides, he is
Jem’s friend. Not really mine.
At
the conductor’s call, Ellie started. Her stomach flipped. She shut the journal
carefully, wrapping a piece of soft cloth around it and pushing it into the
carpetbag at her feet. Ellie glanced at her hands; they were shaking. She
forced them to stop and leaned back in her seat. Take a deep
breath. Ellie told herself. You’re fine. Relax; take another
deep breath. You can do this, there’s nothing to it.
She
tilted her head back and looked at the ceiling. God, I’ve done this so
many times; why do I still feel so nervous?
A
few minutes later, the train began to slow. The steady thrum of the wheels
became an agonized chug as the train ground its way slowly to a stop.
“Here
we are, folks! Fresno!”
Ellie
grabbed her carpetbag and made her way to the door. As soon as she set foot on
the platform, the busyness and noise struck her. People hurried back and forth,
coming and going. Conductors called, the train whistled, the engine roared;
people talked to each other loudly.
She
scanned the platform, brushing a curl of auburn hair aside. A well-dressed man
in his mid-thirties caught her attention. His black hair was combed neatly
back, and his eyes were also searching the crowd.
He
noticed her and after a moment, made his way over. “Miss Coulter?”
Ellie
cleared her throat. “Yes?”
The
man held out his hand. “Justin Carter. I’m a member of the school board. I came
to welcome you and help you get settled in your boarding house.”
Ellie
shifted her carpetbag to her other hand and shook Justin’s hand. “I’m pleased
to meet you.”
She
felt a twinge of disappointment. So, Chad Carter didn’t come. I thought
so. Poor Jem. He thought for sure Chad would turn up.
Justin
broke into her thoughts. “Can I take your bag?”
“Oh,
I can carry it. I will need to pick up my luggage, though.”
Justin
waved a hand, dismissing that thought. “I’ll have someone send it over later.”
He led the way to a buggy and helped her in. “I’ll find a porter and be right
back.”
Justin
was back in no time. He untied the horse and climbed in beside Ellie. As he
shook the reins and they drove away from the station, Ellie drew a breath.
Stage one of her arrival was complete. Stage two was ahead: getting established
in a boarding house.
Ellie
groaned inwardly. She was not overly fond of boarding houses. They tended to be
dark and drafty, and full of oozy smells and squeaking mice. At least the ones
she had stayed in. She frowned.
“What’s
the matter?” Justin asked.
Ellie
flushed slightly. Not happy that a member of the school board had noticed her
frowning over the prospect of staying in his hometown. He probably thought she
was dissatisfied with the town or the boarding house the school board had
recommended.
“I
was … to be honest, I was thinking about boarding houses,” Ellie admitted
reluctantly.
Justin
nodded sympathetically. “I can imagine. From your resume, I assume you’ve
stayed in some pretty repulsive places.”
Ellie
laughed suddenly. “You have no idea.”
“You’ll
be pleasantly surprised when you see Mrs. Stewart’s boarding house. She keeps
it as neat as a new pin.” He let out a chuckle. ”You can’t imagine
how glad my youngest sister was when I told her I had found a teacher to
replace Miss Hall. Our mother wanted her to take the position.”
Ellie
raised her eyebrows. “She doesn’t like children?”
Justin
laughed. “Oh, no. She loves my son, Samuel, and will play with him for hours,
but when she turned sixteen, Andi put school behind her for good. She would
much rather race her horse or help Chad on the ranch.”
“You
are related to Chad Carter, then?” Ellie asked.
“Yes.
My brother runs the Circle C Ranch.” He snapped his fingers as if remembering
something. “Speaking of Chad, he received your brother’s telegram. He was going
to come with me, but he was called away at the last minute on ranch business. I’m
sorry he couldn’t be here, but I’m sure he’ll think of an excuse to ride into
town and renew your acquaintance. I’m sure he’s anxious to hear how Jem is
doing.”
Ellie
smiled. “I’m surprised to hear he hasn’t forgotten us. It has been so long
since we met last. I am glad, especially for Jem’s sake. He made me promise to
write to him when I had news about Chad, and I would hate to tell him the old
friendship had been forgotten.”
Justin
glanced at Ellie out of the corner of his eye. “No chance of that, Miss
Coulter. Chad has never forgotten either you or Jem. He’ll be pleased to meet
you again.” He checked the horse. “Here we are.”
They
had stopped at the corner of Mono and K Streets, in front of a tidy-looking
brick house. A wooden sign above the door proclaimed: Mrs. Stewart’s Boarding House.
Ellie
smiled dryly. “Not a very imaginative name is it?”
Justin
shrugged. “It doesn’t need to be. Everyone knows it’s the best boarding house
around. Besides, as Mrs. Stewart says: “Decent folks don’t need a fancy name to
bring them in, and I don’t have time to search my brain for any highfalutin,
sinful-sounding lies.”
Ellie
choked back a laugh at his imitation of Mrs. Stewart. She immediately sobered
when a stout woman around sixty years old appeared in the doorway of the
establishment. Ellie let Justin help her down before retrieving her carpetbag
and advancing toward the older woman.
Justin
introduced them. “Mrs. Stewart, this is Miss Ellianna Coulter. She is the new
teacher taking over from Miss Hall.” He turned to Ellie. “Miss Coulter, Mrs.
Stewart.”
Ellie
held out her hand. “I’m pleased to meet you, Mrs. Stewart.”
The
woman took her hand and Ellie could feel the rough calluses formed through
years of hard work. “That remains to be seen,” Mrs. Stewart remarked without a
smile.
Ellie’s
brow furrowed. What remains to be seen? Whether or not I’m pleased to
meet her?
“Well,
I’d better be going.” Justin shook hands once more with Ellie, climbed into the
buggy, and left.
Mrs.
Stewart pushed the front door open and led Ellie through a spotless hall, up
some stairs, and to a narrow white door.
“This
will be your room. Breakfast is at eight o’clock. I assume you will be taking
your lunch at school. Supper is at five thirty. If you miss a meal, I will not
be held responsible. You must keep your room clean, you will do your own
laundry, and you will behave with propriety.”
Ellie
set her jaw, looking impassively down at the older woman. Inside, Ellie wanted
to snap at her, but she didn’t. “Yes, ma’am.” Ice coated her polite
words. How could she be so rude to a newcomer? Ellie
wondered. Is she always like this?
Never
mind. For now, as long as the woman stayed out of Ellie’s personal business,
she could overlook Mrs. Stewart’s impolite manner and hostile demands. ”Thank
you, Mrs. Stewart. I’m sure we will work something out that gives satisfaction
to both of us.”
Mrs.
Stewart nodded curtly and thumped down the stairs.
Ellie
watched her go, then turned back to the door and opened it.
A
neatly made bed took up the far wall. To the left, the only window looked out onto
Blake’s Livery Stable. A small writing desk was placed beneath the window.
There was only room for her trunk and a dressing table. Nothing more. The tiny
room was papered with an old, faded-gold pattern.
Ellie
closed the door behind her and leaned against it. The carpetbag clutched in
front of her. She smiled in relief. Small, but clean. It will be a
pleasure, Ellie thought. Then one corner of her mouth turned
down. As long as I don’t get into an argument with Mrs. Stewart.
Chapter 2
I
have to confess, I am excited to meet Chad Carter again. I’m more excited than
I should be.
The
soft murmur of the children’s voices as they recited their lessons filled the
schoolroom. Ellie checked the small timepiece pinned to the bodice of her green
sprigged gray dress. Almost time to dismiss class.
Ellie
folded her hands on her desk and studied her new pupils. There were just under
twenty students. Most behaved well. The Morgan twins, Jimmy and
Beth, would cause no trouble. They were obedient, polite, and already Beth had
won her teacher’s heart.
And
then there was the Belstead clan. The blacksmith’s three children with ages
ranging from six to ten. They were unpredictable but not mean, and prone to
harmless mischief as Ellie learned early in the day when she found a grass snake
in her desk.
Ellie
sighed regretfully at having to punish them the first day of school. It had
been a harmless prank, but such disrespect on the first day of school could not
be tolerated. The worst part about the prank was that Ellie had ended up
punishing all three, even though she doubted the guilt of the younger two.
However,
all had confessed since it seemed their motto was “all together, or not at all.”
The
children’s voices stopped, recalling Ellie to the present.
She
nodded. “Return to your seats.” When they were all seated, “You may put your
books away. Class is dismissed.”
Laughter
and discussion erupted as the children rose and stampeded for the door. Ellie
sat watching them go. At the door, the oldest Belstead, Tom, turned back and
glared at Ellie.
She
had lost her chance with them already. They disliked her now, and it would take
a long time to regain their trust. Her face fell.
A
flicker of surprise crossed Tom’s face as he saw his teacher’s mournful
expression. Then he clattered out the door and ran across the yard to join his
siblings.
Ellie
crossed the room to look out of the window. As the crowd of children separated
to their homes, one figure turned back and waved. Ellie recognized Beth, and a
smile crept across her face. She waved as the little girl grabbed her brother’s
hand and skipped toward their home.
Ellie
was encouraged by the sweet gesture Beth had just offered her. At least she had
made a good impression on one child.
“Miss
Coulter.”
The
deep voice caused Ellie to whirl around. A tall man stood in the entrance of
the classroom, leaning easily against the doorframe.
Ellie
nodded a polite greeting. “Yes? Can I help you, sir?”
The
man crossed the room with easy, long strides. He removed a worn Stetson hat and
ran a hand through his thick black hair. Startling, ice-blue eyes twinkled at
her from his suntanned face.
“Howdy,
I’m Chad Carter.” He held out a hand.
Ellie
gave him hers, and it was swallowed in a firm but gentle grasp. Ellie flashed a
smile from her own hazel eyes as Chad started in on a conversation.
“I
hope you had a good journey. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to welcome you. I had
planned on it, but I was called away suddenly by ranch business.” Chad lifted a
shoulder apologetically.
Ellie
smiled. “I understand. Your brother Justin told me. To tell the truth, I had my
doubts as to whether or not you would remember my brother and me. It has been
so long since we last met.”
They
talked for almost an hour, hearing the latest news and catching up.
The
years rolled back, and suddenly they were laughing at the memories that
surfaced. She glanced at her timepiece and winced. She was going to be late for
supper. Mrs. Stewart was not going to be happy.
Chad
caught the glance, and guessed at the source. “Want me to walk home with
you? I’d like to hear more about Jem.”
Ellie
smiled gratefully. “Thank you, please do. My landlady insists supper is at
five-thirty, and if I’m not on time …” Her voice trailed off, leaving Chad to
figure out the rest.
At
the door of Mrs. Stewart’s boarding house, Chad shook hands once more. “Would
you like to join us for supper tomorrow night? The family would love to meet
you.”
Ellie
was delighted at the invitation. It seemed Chad had picked up the friendship
right where they had left off, and so had she, despite the fact that the Chad that
Ellie remembered had been a young boy who teased and roughhoused, not a—she had
to admit—a handsome cowboy with a free-and-easy air who owned and ran a large
ranch.
“Thank
you, I’d love to. What time would you like me to come?”
Chad
brushed her question away. “I’ll come by and pick you up after school, if that’s
fine with you.”
Ellie
nodded. “I’ll be ready. Thank you.”
Chad
waved and started down the street.
Ellie
entered the house and found Mrs. Stewart at the supper table. She seated
herself sheepishly and looked across the table at Mrs. Stewart. “I’m sorry I’m
late, ma’am.”
Mrs.
Stewart pursed her lips. “I warned you, Miss Coulter.”
Ellie
cleared her throat and bowed her head in a quick blessing. As she served
herself, Ellie watched Mrs. Stewart eating sourly.
Finally
the older woman broke the silence. “Miss Coulter, please come to supper on
time.”
Ellie
was startled at the change in Mrs. Stewart. Her mood seemed suddenly to have
improved. She nodded humbly. “I’ll try, ma’am. I have an engagement tomorrow
evening, though. So I won’t be at supper.”
Mrs.
Stewart frowned angrily. Ellie had said the wrong thing. “If this has something
to do with that young man who walked you home—”
Ellie
nearly choked on her roast beef.
“I
tell you, miss, it is highly unseemly for an old-maid schoolmarm to be walking
home with a young man that she barely knows.”
Ellie
chewed furiously, trying to clear her mouth to interrupt Mrs. Stewart.
“If
this continues—”
“Mrs.
Stewart!” Ellie’s sharp tone put a stop to the tirade. “Mr. Carter is an
old family friend. And above all, it is none of your concern!”
Mrs.
Stewart turned white with anger and left the table. Ellie could hear her heavy
footsteps as she went to her room and shut the door with a bang.
Ellie
dropped her head into her hands. Already she regretted her sharp words. Of
course it was none of the woman’s business, but had that really merited such a
sharp reply? She should have ignored Mrs. Stewart.
Now,
she faced the dilemma of how to apologize to Mrs. Stewart without giving her a
license to meddle in all of Ellie’s private affairs.
And
then school was terrible. The Belstead children deliberately caused trouble,
this time, real trouble. The commotion they caused kept even
the most determined pupils from concentrating.
After
school, Ellie sat at her desk and felt like crying. It will turn around, she
told herself. I just need to take charge, not take any nonsense, and give
it a new approach. I’ll start tomorrow. Thank you; Lord, for Chad asking me to
supper. I don’t want another meal with Mrs. Stewart ever again.
A
sudden shout outside made her blood run cold. “Fight! Fight!”
Ellie
sprang to her feet and tore out of the schoolhouse. The sight that met her eyes
turned her stomach over in fear.
Tom
Belstead and another older boy were ganging up on Jimmy Morgan. Beth was
sobbing close by. Already Ellie could see blood streaming from Jimmy’s nose and
one eye looked dangerously swollen. He was fighting gamely, however.
Ellie
waded into the mess as her anger rose. She caught Tom’s accomplice by the
shoulder and threw him away from Jimmy. As she tried to separate Tom and Jimmy,
a figure grabbed both boys by their collars and jerked them apart.
Chad
Carter was not smiling. “Need help?”
Overcome
by a combination of anger, breathlessness, and embarrassment, Ellie just
nodded. She wrapped an arm around Beth and led everybody inside.
Behind
her desk, Ellie investigated grimly, like a judge in court. “Beth, what
happened?”
The
little girl rubbed her eyes with her fists. “Jimmy and I were going home when
Tom called me teacher’s pet.” She choked on a sob and her lower lip trembled.
Chad
gripped Tom tighter, and Ellie could see anger building at the sight of the
little girl’s tears.
“We
tried to go home, but they wouldn’t let us.” Beth continued.
Ellie
noticed with regret that Tom’s friend had disappeared. Oh, well. I’ll
drag it out of Tom. She flashed Tom a glance that made him shrink as
he realized his danger.
Beth
was sobbing again. “Tom pushed me, and Jimmy got mad. They started fighting and
… and …”
“And
that’s when I came out, Beth?” Ellie inquired.
Beth
and Jimmy nodded.
Ellie
turned on the culprit. “Tom, explain yourself.”
Tom
squirmed and sulkily muttered something under his breath.
Chad
shook him. “Repeat that louder.”
Tom
tried to twist free but couldn’t. Finally he gave up. “I said she is teacher’s
pet!” His voice was loud and defiant, but his eyes were pitiful.
Ellie’s
heart burned with compassion. She addressed Jimmy. “I’m glad you stood up for
your sister, but fighting is not always the answer, Jimmy. You should come and
tell me if something like that happens again, and I’m sure it won’t.”
“You
bet it won’t.” Chad growled.
Ellie
shot him a warning glance. “However, you did break a school rule, and you must
be punished.”
Chad
gave a startled grunt. He obviously disagreed with her decision.
“You
took a beating for your sister like a man. Take the punishment you merited like
one now.”
Jimmy
stood up straighter. “Yes, ma’am.”
Ellie
took him aside and delivered five firm strokes with the switch.
“You
and Beth may go home now,” Ellie told him.
Jimmy
and Beth turned to leave, but Beth ran back and clung to her teacher. Ellie
stroked the bent head gently and Beth sobbed into her dress. Chad looked on in
silence as Ellie took out her handkerchief and knelt in front of Beth. She
wiped the tears from the little girl’s face and tucked the handkerchief into
her hand. “You’ll be alright, I promise,” Ellie whispered, kissing her
forehead.
When
the twins had gone home, Ellie beckoned to Tom. “Come here.”
Tom
shuffled to stand in front of his teacher, head bowed. Ellie looked up into his
frightened eyes and held his gaze. “Tom, I—” Ellie broke off, at a loss for
what to say.
Chad
clearly wasn’t. “Look here, boy. If you ever, ever bully those kids
again, I will personally tan your hide. Clear?”
Tom
nodded, too scared to say a word.
“Yes,
sir,” Chad prompted.
“Yes,
sir.”
Ellie
stood. “Mr. Carter, would you mind looking outside for the other boy who was
fighting?”
Chad
nodded and disappeared out the door.
Ellie
sat down in her chair and just looked at Tom. He scuffed his shoe on the floor.
Finally, she sighed. “Tom, I’m sorry I had to punish you the first day of
school. I didn’t want to.”
Tom
shrugged. “I didn’t mind, teacher, I really didn’t. But you punished Billy and
Rose too, and”—his voice rose to a sobbing wail—”They hadn’t done anything!”
Ellie
leaned her head on her hand. “I thought so.”
“Then
why’d you do it?” Tom cried.
Ellie
brushed a piece of hair back. “Because you all confessed. Tom, I can’t just go
by what I think. If you all confess, I have to punish you all. If I didn’t, I
couldn’t keep any kind of order in this school. When I took this position, I
told the school board I would do my best to teach all of the children not only
the standard subjects, but also, perseverance, kindness, and biblical respect
for authority. How am I going to teach you to respect my authority,
if I let my students get away with putting snakes in my desk and fighting each
other?”
Tom
considered this. He sniffed. “I guess you can’t.”
Ellie
nodded. “I’m going to have to punish you for what you did this afternoon.”
“I
know,” Tom whimpered.
A
few minutes later, Ellie and Tom emerged from the schoolhouse. Chad was
waiting. “I couldn’t find the other boy.”
Ellie
watched Tom slowly making his way home.” He seemed anxious for his father not to
find out he’d been in a fight.
She
shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Tom told me who it was. Thank you, though.”
“No
problem.” Chad pointed to a buggy across the street. “If you’re ready, we’ll
head out to the ranch.”
Chapter 4
The
Circle C Ranch is huge! I knew it was big, but I had no idea it was this big.
Chad is very proud of it, and rightly so.
Chad
stopped the buggy in front of the house. He threw the reins to a ranch hand,
stepped out of the rig, and held his hand up for Ellie. As Ellie got down, the
horses were led away and Ellie stood looking at the busy ranch.
Chad
crossed his arms over his vest and thoroughly enjoyed her evident surprise. “Welcome
to the Circle C Ranch.”
Ellie
turned in a circle, unable to conceal her astonishment. At last she found her
voice. “Mr. Carter …”
“Chad.”
“Beg
your pardon?”
“Just
call me Chad.” His eyes twinkled down at her.
Ellie
smiled. “Thank you. Chad, I had no idea your ranch was so big.”
Chad
looked around proudly. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”
Ellie’s
mind drifted through memories of a young Chad. “I remember,” she said softly.
Chad
chuckled. “I’ll bet you do. I remember telling everyone that Father owned the
best ranch in the world.”
Ellie
laughed, then sobered as she realized that he had lost his father several years
ago. Chad had taken over, and done well from the look of things. Ellie was
impressed, to say the least.
Suddenly,
a loud whistle split the air and two riders on horseback trotted around the
barn.
Chad
waved and hollered, his loud voice carrying across the yard and halting the
pair. They dismounted, and led their horses over to where Ellie and Chad were
standing.
Chad
introduced them. “Miss Coulter, this is my youngest sister, Andi, and my
wrangler, Riley Prescott.”
The
petite, dark-haired girl waved, and Riley doffed his hat, brown hair falling
over his forehead.
Chad
continued the introduction. “Andi, Riley, Miss Ellianna Coulter. We know each
other from way back, and Miss Coulter has just taken over Miss Hall’s position
as school teacher.”
Ellie
curtsied slightly. When she looked up, she found Andi studying her curiously, a
strange expression in her blue eyes. Andi snapped back to reality as Chad
mentioned Ellie was staying for supper.
A
mischievous grin lit up her face. “I’ll be pleased to get to know you better.”
Chapter 5
Chad’s family is beautiful. They welcomed me without a second thought.
They
were sitting together in the parlor after supper. Andi’s formal manners had
faded away as she became more comfortable with Ellie.
Andi
laughed. “I know Mrs. Stewart, and I know exactly what you mean. I’ve gotten
that look before, especially if I’m doing something she doesn’t see as proper.”
Ellie
joined the laugh, a little ruefully. “I got a lecture last night; it was awful.”
“Really?”
Andi looked curious. “What did she think was improper? You don’t
seem at all like you would be caught riding astride in a split skirt, which was
the offense I committed.”
Ellie
shook her head. “Mrs. Stewart thought I shouldn’t have let your brother walk me
home from school.”
Andi
looked surprised. “He walked you home?”
Ellie
flushed. “Yes, we haven’t seen each other in a long time, and he wanted to hear
how my brother, Jem, was doing.”
Andi
didn’t look convinced. “Oh.”
Ellie
changed the subject. “You love horses, I understand.”
“Oh,
yes, I do! I could talk for hours about horses. I want to learn to
trick ride, but Chad won’t let me.” Andi’s voice grew sad. “Riley said he would
teach me, but only if Chad agrees.”
“Riley.
Isn’t that the young man you were with when Chad introduced us?” Ellie asked.
Andi
nodded, and Ellie wondered if there was more to this than met the eye, but Andi
didn’t appear conscious of anything more, so she pushed the idea away to
consider further.
Ellie
looked over at Chad, who was in an animated discussion with his younger
brother, Mitch. He motioned with his hands as he made his point.
Andi
followed her gaze and grinned. “Get Chad talking about the ranch, and he’ll
never stop.”
Ellie
aimed a smirk at Andi. “I see that.”
Busy
observing Chad’s forceful gestures and triumphant grin as he finished an
argument, Ellie failed to notice the raised-eyebrow look that passed between
Andi and her mother, Elizabeth.
The
clock struck eight, and Ellie started with surprise. She had stayed over two
hours! Much longer than she had intended. She stood. “I should go.”
Andi
rose as Elizabeth came to stand beside her.
“Please,
come again soon.” Elizabeth said. “It has been delightful to have you.”
“Thank
you,” Ellie said gratefully. “I will, if I haven’t overstayed my welcome
already.”
Elizabeth
smiled warmly. “Not at all. We look forward to your next visit.”
Chad
stood up, finally noticing the time. “I’ll tell Diego to hitch up the team.”
On
the way home, Ellie again remembered the look Andi had given her when they
first met. Does she think … that I might be setting my cap for her
brother? What an … awful idea. It is awful, isn’t it? Never mind, Chad
would never think of me. He has a ranch to run. And I think Andi has her own
affairs to look to in the love department.
“Chad?”
He
glanced over at Ellie, the moon throwing light over his face. “Yeah?”
“Can
I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
Ellie
hesitated, wondering how to frame the question. “Are Andi and Riley …” She left
the sentence hanging.
Chad
chuckled. “Riley is. Andi’s completely in the dark, I think.” He shook his
head. “I don’t know how she doesn’t see it. You saw it in one evening, but I reckon
the closer you are, the harder it is to see the big picture.”
Ellie
nodded, then took a deep breath. “Andi told me she wants to trick ride.”
Chad
looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “I assume she also told you I said
no.”
“She
did. Why did you say no?”
Chad
hunched his shoulders, placing his elbows on his knees. “Our father was killed
when he was thrown from his horse in a ranch accident. I’m not about to let
Andi get hurt doing the same thing.”
“But
I thought Andi already helped on the ranch.”
Chad
shifted. Clearly, he knew where this was going. “She does, but trick riding is
different, it’s … unnecessarily dangerous.” His voice rose. “She’s my
little sister. I won’t let her go off and hurt herself over some fool trick.”
Ellie
tried a different angle. “Riley seems like a trustworthy young man, who would
be careful.”
“No
amount of ‘careful’ is going to prevent an accident,” Chad said with finality.
“Chad,
an accident can happen at any time, in any place. Riding a horse is always
dangerous, whether you’re trick riding or not. Andi wants to learn so much. If
you gave certain conditions, I’m sure she would be happy to agree to them, as
long as you let Riley teach her,” Ellie told him. “At least think about it,
please.”
There
was a long pause.
“Alright.
I will,” Chad relented.
Ellie
smiled in relief, but was caught off guard at his next words.
“As
long as you promise to ride out to the ranch some Saturday and spend the day.
Andi really enjoyed your company. I could tell.”
Ellie
was flattered. “I’ll try. ‘ She promised.
Chapter 6
I’ve never been more surprised in my life. I wonder what new secrets I’ll discover next.
Ellie
opened the door cautiously and made her way quietly to her room. A squeaking
floorboard made her jump. This felt like the time she had snuck out of the
house with Jem to see the full moon. Pa had caught them and sent them back to
bed, smarting from his rebuke.
The
memory made Ellie smile. A sudden rush of tears caught her unawares. She wiped
them away, and pushed open her door.
“Miss
Coulter.”
Ellie
jumped.
Mrs.
Stewart stood in the hallway, a candle in her hand.
Ellie
let her shoulders sag. Not another lecture, not now!
“Miss
Coulter, I apologize for my rude behavior last night.” Mrs. Stewart’s voice was
cold and distant.
Surprised,
Ellie couldn’t say a word for a minute. Then she remembered herself. “No, Mrs.
Stewart, I apologize. I had no right to speak to you in that
manner, and I have regretted it ever since.”
A
slight tremble in Mrs. Stewart’s lips betrayed her feeling. “Thank you, Miss
Coulter.”
Ellie
reached out to hug the older woman. “Just call me Ellie.”
A
sob shook Mrs. Stewart’s shoulders. The usually stern woman suddenly dropped
her mask and clung to Ellie. Bewildered, Ellie held her in a hug and waited for
an explanation.
After
a moment Mrs. Stewart looked up. “You look just like her.”
Ellie’s
brow furrowed, until Mrs. Stewart held up a small gilded frame. Inside was a
picture of a young lady’s face. The picture looked exactly like Ellie.
Ellie
gasped. “That’s my mother!”
Mrs.
Stewart nodded. “She and your Pa stayed here for a time when they were just
married. I don’t have any children, but I loved her like she was my own
daughter.”
Two
large tears rolled down her wrinkled cheeks. “I was heartbroken when I heard
she had died. And then you came, and you looked just like her, but you’ve got
your Pa’s spunk. When I was cross with you, it felt like I’d torn my own heart
out, and learned your ma was dead all over again.”
Ellie
was lost in thought, pondering this turn of events. “And this is why you were
so stern, isn’t it?”
“Yes.
I was afraid to be hurt by your Ma’s memory. You are so like her. The way you
talk, your face and expressions. Your love of children. You do have your Pa’s
temper, though. Once aroused, you’re fierce as a lion.” Mrs. Stewart gave a
shaky laugh.
****
All
of the rest of the week, school went well. Tom made his brother and sister
behave, and Beth stuck closer than a burr to her new hero: Teacher.
Ellie
even received an invitation to attend an engagement party for one of the
daughters of Matthew Powers, a member of the school board.
As
Saturday approached, Ellie thought more and more about her promise to Chad to
spend the day at the ranch. She couldn’t make up her mind whether or not to
redeem her promise immediately, or wait and ensure that she didn’t outstay her
welcome. She asked Mrs. Stewart.
“By
all means, Ellie, go and visit the Carters. If they like you half
as much as you seem to like them, they will be overjoyed to see
you.” Mrs. Stewart gave Ellie a meaningful glance.
Ellie
flushed. “Mrs. Stewart!”
Mrs.
Stewart went back to her mending with twitching lips.
Chapter 7
Ellie took Mrs. Stewart’s advice, and Saturday after lunch she donned a sturdy shirt, vest and split skirt, slapped on a hat she had “borrowed” from Jem, rented a horse from Blake’s Livery Stable, and headed out to the ranch.
She
rode up to the house and dismounted. A ranch hand wandered over and took her
horse. Ellie thanked him, and then stood in the yard wondering what to do.
A
door slammed, and Ellie was nearly run over by a figure bolting from the house.
Andi stopped herself just in time. “Ellie!”
Ellie
smiled brightly. “Howdy. What’s the matter?”
Andi
looked beside herself with joy. “Chad said I could learn to trick ride!”
“Really?”
Ellie concealed her pleasure with difficulty.
Andi
grinned broadly. “Yes!” She took off running again. “I have to go tell Riley!”
Ellie
watched her race to the barn in search of Riley, then turned to the house. Chad
leaned against a column of the porch smiling. “I see you kept your promise,” he
called with a wave.
Ellie
smiled back. “I see you kept yours.”
He
jumped off the porch and came to stand beside her. “I couldn’t help it. You
were right.” He ran a hand through his hair, then plopped his hat back on. “I’m
glad you came.”
A
little embarrassed, Ellie shrugged nonchalantly. “Thanks. I was hoping Andi
would show me around the ranch, but I suspect that she’s busy, now.”
Chad
started walking toward the barn. “Well, don’t just stand there,” he teased. “Come
on!”
Mystified,
Ellie hurried after him. When she entered the barn he was tacking up his horse,
Sky.
“Chad,
what’s going on? ‘ Ellie asked.
He
tossed his saddle onto the horse’s back. “I’m going to show you around the
ranch.”
“Do
you have time? I don’t want to get in the way.”
Chad
looked up from tightening the cinch. “Do you want to see it?”
Ellie
answered quickly. “Oh, yes!”
“Then
hold this, while I tack up a horse for you.” He held the reins out to her.
Ellie
frowned. “Chad, I might be a little older—and perhaps a touch more ladylike
than I was in Goldtown—but I can still tack up my own horse if you show me
which one, and where the tack is.”
“Alright,
sorry.” Chad lifted his hands in a gesture of innocence, and then pointed. “You
can ride Magic.”
Ellie
fell in love with the beautiful black mare the minute Magic’s dark eyes met her
own. She led the horse out of its stall and secured it to a post while she
collected the equipment Chad pointed out and prepared to put it on.
She
lifted the heavy saddle and gave it a toss. It nearly slid off and she clutched
at it to keep it from doing so. A chuckle from Chad brought her around in a
heartbeat. “Stop it!” Ellie swatted at his arm in exasperation.
Magic
shied at her raised voice and the saddle tumbled off.
Ellie
flushed hotly and bent to pick it up. She lifted again and turned to put it on,
but Chad took it from her, and the saddle flew effortlessly onto Magic’s back.
Ellie
huffed. “Now, let me, will you, you big show off.”
Chad
watched as she finished tacking up quickly. They led their horses out of the
barn and Ellie lifted her foot for the stirrup, but Chad stopped her.
He
unlatched the girth and pulled it several holes tighter. “Always check the
girth before mounting. Some horses, like Magic, hold their breath and the
saddle isn’t as tight as it should be.”
Ellie
had a sudden vision of the saddle sliding off while she was riding and dumping
her on the ground. “Thanks.”
Chad
winked. “No problem. Ready?” He swung into Sky’s saddle.
“Yep.”‘
Ellie stuck her foot in the stirrup, grabbed the saddle horn, and pulled
herself up. It wasn’t her best mount, but it got her up on the horse, and that’s
what counted. Then she caught the amusement in Chad’s eyes.
She
lifted her chin. “So, I’m a little rusty.”
He
grinned, but didn’t say anything.
By
the time Ellie had seen the entire ranch, she was even more impressed with Chad
than she already was. “I can’t believe you run this ranch. I never thought …”
Ellie trailed off. “I don’t know what I thought,” she finished.
She
drank in the view of the Sierras in front of her and gave a deep sigh of
pleasure.
Chad
smiled. “I know. That’s how I feel.”
A
sudden shout and a loud gunshot interrupted them. Chad whirled his horse around
and galloped back toward the house even before Ellie caught the urgent tones of
the voice.
Ellie
kicked Magic into a canter and followed quickly.
The
yard buzzed with activity. A loud yell made her jerk around to see Chad
bellowing in Spanish at several ranch hands. ”Pasa
por el doctor!”
Ellie
dismounted and flung the reins around the hitching post. She burst through a
throng of people around Chad and saw a man lying moaning in the dirt. A dead
rattlesnake lay nearby, and two little red dots appeared on the man’s forearm.
All
of the breath left Ellie’s lungs with a whoosh. For one second she was frozen
in horror; the next moment she was on her knees beside Chad.
“Give
me a knife,” she ordered a shocked ranch hand. He held one out dumbly, and she
snatched it from him.
A
loud rip made Chad look over. Ellie was cutting a generous piece off the bottom
of her split skirt.
“Knife,”
Chad barked.
Ellie
put it in his hand and moved to the other side of the wounded man. She wrapped
the piece of cloth around the man’s arm above the bite and tightened sharply.
The man winced as the flow of blood was cut off.
Chad
made a couple of cuts across the punctures and sucked the poison out. He spit
quickly and repeated the action.
Ellie
stood up. “Get some mud!”
A
younger hand looked at her in astonishment, then shifted his gaze to the dust
at their feet. “There isn’t any.”
Ellie
gave him an impatient shove. “Then make some!”
A
few men jumped to do her bidding, and soon a mud plaster was slapped on the
punctures.
The
ranch cook pushed his way through the circle around Chad and Ellie and knelt
beside the wounded man. “Fuera de mi camino, senor.” The old man waved
them away.
Chad
stood up and got out of the cook’s way. He looked at the crowd surrounding them,
put his hands on his hips and glared. They sheepishly went back to their work.
Ellie
gave the cook a worried glance, but Chad made a shooing motion with his
hands. ”Come on, Ellie. Cook can handle it.”
Ellie
slowly obeyed Chad’s command and followed him to the porch. He fell into a
wicker chair with a sigh, and Ellie suddenly remembered that he could have
swallowed some of the poison. Fear shot through her. “You need to wash your
mouth out. Now.”
Chad
laughed, but Ellie wouldn’t stand for any argument. “Do as I say. It can’t hurt
to be careful.”
Seeing
the scared look on her face, Chad gave in. “Well, if it means that much to you.”
He got up and went into the kitchen.
Ellie
tagged along to make sure he did it, and that he didn’t just disappear for a
moment and come back out.
Chad
got a glass of water and washed his mouth out several times.
Ellie
sank down at the kitchen table, adrenaline finally catching up with her.
Chad
sat opposite of her. “Where did you learn to treat snake bites?”
Ellie
put her arms on the table. “At my last school.”
“Really?”
Chad’s eyebrows shot up.
Ellie
nodded. “There was plenty of need. “Three … three of my pupils
were bitten. The snakes had made a nest under the schoolhouse. It was awful,
but none of the children died, thank God.” She paled at the memory. “I’ve never
been so glad to leave a place in my life. And not just because of the snakes.”
She shivered. “I can handle most snakes, but not the two-legged kind.”
Interest
covered Chad’s face. “Tell me about it.” He kicked another chair out from under
the table and stuck his feet up on it.
Ellie
put her chin in her hand and stared at the wall blankly, reliving the last
term.
Chapter 8
I feel safe here. I never want to leave.
“It
started the first day I arrived in Searles Valley,” Ellie began. “A man named
Mr. Stark picked me up from the train station. I could tell at once that he was
… too friendly.”
Ellie
clenched her jaw in anger at the memory. “He told me as soon as he could that
he was a widower with two children in the school I would be teaching. I was as
cold as I could possibly be without being entirely rude. When he left me at the
boarding house, he expressed a wish to see me again soon. I gave him a
negative answer and went inside.”
Ellie
shivered. “The boarding house was horrible. I’ve stayed in many, but this one
was the worst. Cold drafts whistled through chinks in the walls at night, and
it was infested with rats. The couple that ran the boarding house were old
drunks. I told the school board, but they did nothing, even though several of
them lived in fairly nice homes.
“The
children were unruly, and they played nasty tricks behind my back. I got into
the habit of brushing my chair off before I sat down after a couple of episodes
with a tack. I could have handled them, but the stubborn school board refused
to listen to any of my ideas!” She pounded her fist on the table.
Ellie
lost her faraway look and met Chad’s disgusted gaze. “And then one evening
after supper, Mr. Stark came to call. I crawled out of a window and hid in the
pigpen until I thought he had left. I went back inside, but when I went
upstairs, I saw him prowling around the house. I stayed awake for the rest of
the night, watching and listening, ready to hide at the slightest noise. I prayed
more during that term of school than I had prayed in my entire life, and God
protected me.
“As
soon as the fall term ended, I quit. I went home and Pa, Jem, and Cousin Nathan
exploded when they heard about it. They made me take a break, so I rested at home
for the rest of the year, until it was time to find a new school to teach. Jem
insisted that I apply for the Fresno Grammar School. He claimed that it would
be safer, and he made me promise to write him when I had news about you. I
think he wanted to know that I had someone I could go to if anything happened.”
Ellie
smiled. “Your family has been so welcoming. I feel like I’m at home. I can’t
thank you enough for befriending me.”
Chad
cleared his throat. “Don’t mention it. It was my pleasure.”
Ellie
pushed her chair back. “Well, I should go put Magic away. I left her standing
in the sun.”
Chad’s
feet hit the floor with a thud as he stood up. “I’ll come with you and take
care of Sky.”
As
Ellie unsaddled and rubbed Magic down, Andi tore into the barn. “Chad, tell
Mother you have a job for me next Saturday, please,” she begged.
Chad
shook his head. “Not a chance, little sister.”
Andi
blew out an exasperated breath and threw her long braid over her shoulder. “I
don’t mind a barn dance, but an engagement party? Please give
me an excuse not to go.”
“Sorry,
Andi, but the invitation is to the Carter family. Mother accepted, and
we all have to go.” He turned to Ellie. “Kitty Powers is an acquaintance of the
family,” he explained.
Ellie
nodded as recognition dawned. “Ohh, yes. I received an invitation also.”
Andi
slumped against a stall door. “It’s going to be awful.”
Ellie
smiled. “Come on, Andi, it won’t be that bad.”
Andi’s
head snapped up. “Oh, yes, it will be.”
“I
promise I’ll take you around the dance floor at least once, Andi. Then you
should be fine.” Chad turned to Ellie. “Are you going?”
Ellie
shook her head. “It was considerate of them to invite me, but I don’t dance.”
Andi’s
mouth dropped open in surprise. “You don’t dance?”
Ellie
flushed. Even Andi, a self-proclaimed tomboy, danced. She shook her head. “No,
I never learned. My Aunt Rose wanted to teach me, but I begged and cried until
she gave up.” A wistful expression hovered over her face. “I sometimes wish I
had learned, but I don’t have many social engagements, so I’ve never seen the
use of learning.”
Andi
looked at Ellie enviously. “I wish I had that excuse.”
Ellie
laughed. “Don’t. Enjoy the fun of avoiding potential suitors.”
Her
good mood partially restored, Andi grinned mischievously. “Maybe Chad could
teach you how to dance.”
“You
might want to ask Chad before you volunteer him for a potentially challenging
task,” Ellie joked.
Andi
chuckled. ”Oh, well. Maybe Johnny Wilson will take the job.” She
started for the house.
Ellie
ran the brush in her hand over Magic’s back once more, and then dropped it into
the grooming box. “There!” She kissed Magic’s nose, let herself out of the
stall, and turned to Chad. “Thank you so much for inviting me to spend the day
and for taking the time to show me around the ranch. It is beautiful.”
Chad
folded his arms and looked at her strangely, as if wondering why she felt she
should thank him. “Really, Ellie, it was nothing. I wouldn’t do any less for a
friend. Don’t mention it.”
Ellie
let out a sigh of contentment and clasped her hands in front of her. She walked
slowly toward the barn door and stopped. She looked out at the ranch, feeling
the sense of home that overwhelmed her, wishing she could stay here forever.
Her eyes burned as tears welled up. She tried to stop them, but one escaped and
rolled down her cheek.
“Are
you all right?” Chad asked in a low voice.
Ellie
wiped the wet drop off quickly and tried vainly to pretend nothing had
happened. “Yes. It’s just so beautiful,” her voice broke and she cleared her
throat. “It’s so beautiful,” she repeated.
As
Ellie left the barn, the sun caught her full in the face, making her blink. “I
should probably go home,” she said regretfully.
“Stay
for supper.” Chad pressed.
Ellie
winced. “I’d love to, but Chad, I’m not part of the family, and I don’t want to
be a burden or an irritation. I don’t think I should, honestly.”
“Ellie,
the family would love to have you.” Blue sparks shot from Chad’s eyes, and
Ellie was startled by his intensity. “You will never be
unwelcome.” He calmed down a bit and his eyes twinkled. “Honestly.”
Next
Saturday evening, Ellie let Mrs. Stewart help her dress for the engagement
party. She hadn’t planned on going, but Chad had convinced her otherwise.
“Take
a break for one evening,” he’d told her. “I’ll teach you how to dance, and you’ll
have fun.”
So,
here she was … as jittery as a wild horse over her first real ball.
Mrs.
Stewart wasn’t helping her nerves, either. “There’ll be lots of well-to-do
folks there, so behave yourself. And mind you don’t let anyone kiss you during
a waltz.”
Ellie
turned around from where she was trying to find the small buttons at the back
of her dress. “Mrs. Stewart, surely no one will be so improper.”
Mrs.
Stewart fussed over her hair. “You never can tell, dear. Now, tilt your head so
that I can pin this curl where it’s supposed to be.”
Ellie
obeyed and Mrs. Stewart finally announced that she was ready to go. She gave
Ellie’s hair a final pat. “You look lovely, Ellie. That pale pink is perfect.”
Ellie
gave Mrs. Stewart a grateful hug. “Thank you.”
A
knock at the front door made Ellie jump.
“Calm
down. I’m sure it’s just some young man wanting to have the first dance.”
Ellie
was short of breath, and it wasn’t just because of the corset she wore for the
occasion.
Mrs.
Stewart went down to the door and opened it. “Good evening, Mr. Carter.”
Chad
took off his hat. “Is Miss Coulter ready to go?”
Mrs.
Stewart gave him an appraising look and then nodded. “She’s on her way down.”
Ellie
navigated the stairs carefully. When she landed safely at the bottom, she
looked up. The admiration on Chad’s face made her smile and flush with a spice
of pleasure.
Ellie
kissed Mrs. Stewart’s wrinkled cheek and followed Chad across the street to the
surrey. He helped her in and climbed in after her. A few minutes later they
were pushing their way through crowds of people to congratulate the happy
couple that stood beaming in the parlor of the Arlington Hotel.
Ellie
gave Kitty a hug and shook hands with her fiancé, Seth. “Congratulations,
Kitty, Seth.”
Chad
shook hands and then piloted Ellie to the edge of the dance floor. Ellie
watched the whirling couples apprehensively.
Chad
nudged her. “Relax. It looks harder than it is. You’ll do fine.”
Ellie
caught a glimpse of Andi twirling by on the arm of a young dandy. She looked
miserable.
“Chad,
does Andi always look that upset when she’s dancing?”
Chad
followed her gaze and groaned. “No, but she does when she’s dancing with Johnny
Wilson.”
“Can
you cut in?” Ellie asked as the couple went past again. Andi gave Chad a
pleading look.
Chad
hesitated.
Ellie
stepped back from the dance floor. “Go on. I’ll hide.”
Chad
shot her a teasing grin and tapped Johnny’s shoulder as he came into range. The
fuming young man released Andi reluctantly.
Andi
flung herself into Chad’s arms as they spun back into the dance.
Ellie
wove her way through the talking people back to the parlor. She found an
inconspicuous seat and eased into it. She took the moment to calm herself down
and catch her breath. Blasted corsets.
“Are
you ready for your first lesson?”‘ Chad appeared beside her.
“I
am. How is Andi?” Ellie asked. She rose and Chad took her arm.
“She’s
in good hands. I left her dancing with Mitch.”
They
were back on the dance floor. Chad put his left hand at her waist and held her
hand in his right. “Now, put your hand on my shoulder, and keep time with the
music. Step back, now forward, now do a quarter turn and start at the beginning
again. Good.”
Ellie
was astonished at how quickly the steps became part of the music. When she lost
time, Chad and the music swung her back into step. It felt like she was flying,
and Ellie enjoyed every minute of it.
“Ellie,
there’s something I’d like to talk to you about. Can you come to the ranch
tomorrow after church?” Chad asked during a waltz.
Ellie
looked up curiously. “I’d love to. Why?”
He
stepped back and Ellie spun, then they moved together again and continued the
conversation. “Magic is spoiling for a ride, and I don’t get the chance to do
much pleasure riding, so I thought that you might like to come and take a ride
with me.”
Ellie
smiled gratefully. “Thank you, I can’t wait.”
Chapter 10
After
church on Sunday, Ellie rode out to the ranch with the Carters. Dinner was
superb, and afterwards Ellie looked forward to a brisk ride on Magic.
Chad
slapped on his hat. “Ready, Ellie?”
Ellie
hurried down the stairs in the split skirt she had brought. “Of course!”
They
saddled their horses and started off. The day was bright and crisp. Big white
clouds blew quickly across the sky, making shadows on the ground.
Chad
led the way to a bubbling creek surrounded by a scattering of oak trees and
dismounted. Ellie did the same.
“Ellie
…” Chad began.
Suddenly,
Magic snorted fearfully and Sky pawed the ground.
Chad
attempted to calm them both, but they began to go crazy.
Sky
reared and pulled the reins out of Chad’s grip. He bolted away, and Magic
fought to follow him.
“Let
her go, Ellie!” Chad yelled over the horse’s frightened whinnies.
Ellie
let go of the reins. They whistled through her gloves as the mare spun and
galloped after Sky.
Their
stranded riders looked after them in shocked surprise.
After
a moment, Ellie broke the silence. “So, are we going to walk back, or do you
think they’ll come by and pick us up?”
The
funny side of the situation hit Chad, and he laughed. “Well, I guess we’d
better start walking, although our feet are going to be sore from hobbling with
these riding boots on.”
Ellie
felt as if her feet had been crushed by the time they made their way back to
the house. Both she and Chad sat down on the porch with a moan and pulled off
their boots.
A
familiar whicker halted Ellie. She began to hurry to the barn, regardless of
the fact that she’d left her boots behind her. Chad pulled his back on and
followed.
As
she entered, she saw Magic wandering the aisle in search of her stall.
Ellie
gave a surprised cry and approached carefully. Magic was completely gentle, and
Ellie tied her halter to a post to keep her from running away again.
“Her
saddle must have chafed her. Has Sky come back?” Chad asked.
Ellie
shook her head. “I haven’t seen him.”
Magic
snorted and pranced, suddenly skittish again. Ellie stepped back just in time.
In
one swift move, Magic reared and tore loose from the rope that held her. The
halter snapped. The powerful horse galloped past Ellie, barely missing her.
The
ground began to shake, and Ellie saw the barn walls sway. Chad grabbed her hand
and they ran toward the door. Ellie stumbled and fell as the ground rolled
under her feet. A beam crashed down in front of them, and another fell behind
them.
Chad
pushed Ellie into a corner and shielded her from more debris that showered
them.
Slowly,
everything quieted. Ellie lowered her arms from where she had been protecting
her head. Chad crouched close by; he was also covering his head. “Are you
alright?” he asked.
Ellie
nodded shakily. “I think so. You?”
“I’m
fine.” He stood up carefully and looked around. “There’s not much harm done.
These two beams are the most of it.”
Ellie
moved to get up, but then gasped as pain shot through her ankle.
Chad
spun quickly. “What’s the matter?” His blue eyes looked worried.
Ellie
reached above her and grasped the board on a stall door. She winced as she
pulled herself up. “I must have sprained my ankle when I fell.”
She
balanced on one foot and took a hopping step toward the door. She tottered and
steadied herself with one hand. Ellie took another step and overbalanced. Chad
caught her.
Ellie
gripped his arm. “I can walk. I just need a little help.”
Chad
snorted his opinion of that statement and swung her up into his arms. Ellie
opened her mouth to protest, then closed it as she realized she wasn’t going
anywhere by herself.
Chad
stepped over the beams and strode out of the barn. The whole Carter family had
run out of the house and was in the yard. Andi gave a shocked yell as Chad and
Ellie emerged, dusty and blinking.
“Oh,
my Lord! Thank God you weren’t killed!” Elizabeth rushed over to
them, her face gray with fright.
“Ellie
fell and sprained her ankle, Mother,” Chad said grimly.
“Bring
her inside. Put her on the sofa. I’ll have one of the men go for the doctor.”
Elizabeth motioned them toward the house.
“Tell
him to get the sheriff too,” Chad called as he thumped into the parlor and
placed Ellie gently on a sofa.
She
scooted into a sitting position. “Thanks, Chad.”
He
looked like he was going to say something, but Mitch hollered from outside and
Chad stood up. “You’re welcome.”
There
were two more earthquake aftershocks that day, but none as bad as the first.
When the doctor came, he examined Ellie’s ankle and announced that she’d not
sprained it; she’d broken it. Six weeks without an ounce of weight on it was
his order, and Ellie chafed under the restriction.
“How
am I going to teach school with a broken ankle?” she moaned after the doctor
left. “Mrs. Stewart has enough to do, and she’s too old to be saddled with the
care of an invalid.”
A
soft chuckle made her jump. She had thought she was alone.
Elizabeth
sat down on the edge of the sofa and took Ellie’s hand. “You are welcome to
stay here for as long as you need to.”
Ellie
protested. “I couldn’t be such a burden! Besides, I could … I could …”
She didn’t finish. There was nothing else she could do. Either she
stayed here, or she burdened Mrs. Stewart, or she wrote home and hoped that Pa
and Jem could spare Aunt Rose for six whole weeks.
The
second option was unthinkable, the third was impossible. Pa and Jem (not to
mention Nathan) would be lost without a housekeeper. The first option was so
tempting.
Elizabeth
watched Ellie think through her options with a quiet smile. “You would be no
burden, Ellie. We would love to have you as our house guest.”
Ellie
rubbed a hand across her forehead, unable to believe what she was about to do. “Thank
you. I accept.”
Ellie
sent word of the situation to Mrs. Stewart by the doctor, and requested that
her belongings be sent to her in the morning. Justin informed the school board,
and the substitute teacher was called in.
Chapter 11
“Look
what I found, Ellie!” Andi rolled a wheelchair in.
Ellie
sat up on the settee and a big smile curled her lips. “Where in the world did
you get that, Andi?”
An
unusually serious expression filled Andi’s eyes, and Ellie could tell a story
was coming. “This is the one I used a few months ago.”
As
Andi filled her in on the events relating to her horse Taffy’s death and her
own near fatal injuries, Ellie was shocked. She wiped away the tears that
compassion had wrung from her, and gave Andi a quick hug. “I’m so sorry.”
Andi
returned the embrace and smiled in a way that showed not only her ability to
move on from the accident, but also to think with pleasure about the times she
had enjoyed, even if pain lingered.
Ellie
glanced dubiously at the contraption that Andi had brought in. “Do you think
the doctor will let me use it?”
Andi
shrugged. “Why wouldn’t he? You were supposed to stay off of it, but
he never said anything about not using a wheelchair. And after two weeks,
surely it would be okay.”
Ellie
looked from her splinted foot to the wheelchair. “How am I going to get in it?”
Andi
pushed the chair as close to the settee as she could. “If you scoot into the
wheelchair, I’ll support your foot.”
Ellie
hoped the doctor wouldn’t be angry, but she was so tired of being stuck inside
that she gave Andi a delighted grin and followed her instructions.
When
she was settled comfortably in the chair, Andi lowered her foot gently onto the
rest. “There!”
Ellie
held onto the arms as Andi pushed her quickly through the house and out onto
the porch.
A
waft of fresh air blew over Ellie’s face and caught her hair. Auburn curls
streamed in the wind and Ellie pushed them back with a laugh.
Andi
leaned over the back of the chair, and Ellie looked up. “Thank you so much,
Andi. This is wonderful! I’ve missed being outside.”
Andi
directed the chair toward a ramp off the porch. “I got Riley to put this up
again. It’s the same one I used.”
They
rattled down the boards and out into the yard. Dark clouds bunched up in the
distance, muttering low threats.
A
rider on horseback rode up and stopped. Andi waved, and Ellie recognized Chad.
He’d been gone for a couple of weeks, chasing after some horses that had broken
loose during the earthquake. He’d returned late last night, so Andi said, and
had gone to work early the next day.
He
swung off of Sky, threw the reins to a ranch hand, and started toward them.
Andi rolled the chair over. “What are you up to, Andi?” He regarded her
suspiciously.
Andi
bristled, but Ellie put a slight pressure on her hand and answered for her. “She
decided to let me out of jail and wheel me around in this contraption.”
Andi
raised her eyebrows at that explanation, but said nothing.
“Are
you enjoying yourself?” Chad asked with a knowing glance at her bright face.
“Absolutely!”
He
grinned as a puff of wind blew all of her hair into her face. Ellie wiped it
impatiently away and her eyes laughed back.
“Let’s
continue our tour. Where do you want to go?” Andi asked.
“I
want to see Magic,” Ellie answered immediately.
As
Ellie entered the barn, Magic gave a low whicker. Andi looked impressed. “She
loves you, Ellie. I had no idea you two were so attached to each other.”
The
chair stopped in front of the stall, and Ellie reached up to stroke Magic’s
nose. The mare nuzzled her face gently and blew out a satisfied breath. Ellie
smiled. “That’s better, isn’t it, girl. Together again.”
A
grumble of thunder warned them to go inside quickly, before they were caught in
a storm. Ellie reluctantly told Andi to roll her back to the house.
Soon
after supper, the clouds kept their promise and poured down rain in torrents.
The setting sun was obscured, and a relaxing gray light took its place.
Ellie
rolled herself onto the porch and sat soaking up the soft wet air.
Chad
joined her. “Nice evening, isn’t it?”
Ellie
nodded.
Chad
pulled a chair beside her and sat down. Neither said anything.
“Ellie,”
Chad slipped his strong hand over hers. “I would like to write to your father
and ask for his permission to court you with the intention of marriage. Are you
in agreement? Will you consider spending the rest of your life with
me?”
Ellie
turned her head to look at Chad, her eyes shining with joy. “Yes! There’s
no place I’d rather be than with you.”
Chad
smiled, then sobered. “Just to be up front, Ellie, it’s not going to be easy. I’m
a handful. But I love you, and I want you to be my wife.”
Ellie
squeezed his hand. “I don’t expect it to be easy. I know neither of us are
perfect, but I love you too.”
Chad
put an arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. The quiet moment
was interrupted by the appearance of Elizabeth.
Ellie
drew back from Chad a bit sheepishly, and he stood up to greet his mother. “Mother—“
Elizabeth
smiled through tears that misted her eyes. “I know. I’m so happy for you both.”
She bent to kiss Ellie gently on the cheek. Her warm blue gaze went right to
Ellie’s heart, and her soft voice whispered,
“Welcome
to the family.”
This is Great!
ReplyDeleteLove this story! Awesome job at explaining what happened! :D
ReplyDelete-Sara Grace