Ryder (Prairie Grooms, Book Two) (15 page)

Penelope hugged her sister again. “August tells me Ryder wants to build a new house.”

“How do you know?”

“Colin told him last evening. They had us for dinner. It was quit delightful, I wish you and Ryder could have been there.”

“We’ve been busy.”

“Do you like it?”

“What?”

“Being married of course. I adore it, myself.”

Constance blushed a deep red, and smiled.

“I can see that you do,” Penelope commented with a giggle.

“What are you doing here?” Constance blurted.

“August told Ryder we’d come to visit at your wedding. We didn’t want to come right away, every newlywed couple needs a little privacy.”

Constance nodded, but chose to say nothing of
Cutty being there the first couple of days. At that news, Penelope would become the “big sister” and no doubt lecture her on proper etiquette for the newly married. “How is Eloise?” she asked instead.

  “Pining after her Mr. Jones.  Sadie is having him to dinner in a few days. You’re coming to the ladies sewing circle this week aren’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Good, we can all be together again!”

Constance smiled, then realized how late it must be.  “Good Heavens, what time is it?”

“About half past eight I should think.”

“I haven’t made breakfast yet! I over slept.”

“Ryder didn’t wake you?”

Constance blushed. “No, he must have let me sleep in.”

“I’ll help you make
breakfast.”

“Would you? I only know how to make one thing.”

Penelope blanched. “You do? I’ve only mastered one thing too, and not very well I’m afraid.”

“If we both make what we
know, then we’ll have two items for breakfast.” Constance suggested. “What is it you can make?”

“Bacon and eggs.”

“Oh dear.”

Penelope started at her. “Not you too?”

Constance nodded, and they both burst into laughter. “Well, as long as our husbands love bacon and eggs, then how could they complain?”

“Very true, dear sister.
Besides, they count as two separate items, don’t they? Let’s get to work.”

By the time Ryder and August came into the cabin, the women had breakfast and coffe
e waiting. As Ryder had only two plates, he and Constance shared one, while their company shared the other. The women sat at the table as the men stood hovering over them and stealing bites of food here and there. They talked about the new house, Ryder’s horses, and buttoning up the roof of the cabin, among other things, and soon the meal was over.

The women cleaned up and did the dishes as August and Ryder continued to discuss the building of the house and chickens as they sauntered out of the cabin. “He’s quite handsome you know,” Penelope commented.

Constance blushed. “I know.”

“Which of us will have a child first, do you suppose?”

Constance stared at the stovetop and twisted the dish rag she was holding. “I have no idea.” She looked at Penelope. “Maybe we’ll have children at the same time.”

“Belle’s pregnant.”

Constance gasped in delight. “She is? How wonderful! Sadie thought she might be, and told me so yesterday when she and Harrison were here. But Belle wanted to make sure.”

“Yes, she saw Doc Drake and told Colin at dinner last night.”

“What did he do? Tell me
everything
!”

“I dare say, the man almost fainted!”

“No!”

“Yes! And not only that, Harrison …” Penelope started to giggle and coul
dn’t stop. She fanned herself, as if that was going to help.  “He fell out of his chair!”

Constance gasped, the sound cut off by both her hands flying to her mouth.

Penelope nodded, her face red. “Yes, it was hilarious!  I thought Jefferson was going to … what is the term … bust a gut?”

Constance laughed,
and then snorted.

Penelope did much the same. “And … and when Colin stood up to come around the table
to hug Belle, he tripped over Harrison!”

Constance roared with laughter, her air
cut off by her snorting cackles. Penelope joined her, hiccupping, coughing, and trying to get her breath back.  Ryder came running into the cabin, his brow furrowed in confusion. “What in Sam blazes is goin’ on in here? It sounds like somebody’s dyin’!”

Constance and Penelope took one look at him, and snorted in unison.

Ryder jerked back at the sounds, and then laughed himself.  This of course, set the women off again. Now all three were in hysterics, with Ryder having no idea what he was laughing about.  All he knew was the usual prim and proper English misses were beside themselves with their riotous giggles.

“What in tarnation …” August said as he entered the cabin.

All three looked at him, and laughed louder.

August stood in the doorway, hands on hips. “What’s going on in here? Have you all been drinking?”

The laughter, believe it or not, got even
louder
.

August couldn’t help it. H
e began to laugh as well. “I don’t know what … all the fuss is about … but … hahahahaha! You three …” Land sakes, he couldn’t even talk!

Ryder slapped him on the back, his face red, and
also tried to talk but couldn’t hold a breath long enough to do it.

August took a
deep
breath, scowled at him and said, “I’ll fix this!”  He grabbed Penelope, took her in his arms, and kissed her.

Ryder’s eyes widened at the canoodling pair, just before he smiled and did the same to Constance.
The cabin went suddenly silent as Ryder and August brought their wives under control.

“Well, well,
lookie here.”

Ryder popped his head
up. “Cutty!  There you are! I was wonderin’ when you’d come back.”

Constance gazed
at her husband, her face red from laughing, and gave him a silly grin. “I should be horribly embarrassed by my behavior. But I’m not.”

Ryder laughed
. “No reason to be embarrassed about havin’ a good time, Sugar. I would like to know why we were having one though.”

“I was telling her about Colin,” Penelope said. “When Belle told him last night she was expecting.”

August fell into out right hysterics once again.

Ryder and
Cutty stared at him. “Well, Cutty, looks like we done missed a good one.”

Cutty shook his head at the display. “Pah!” He turned on his heel and headed out the door. “I’ll be in the barn,” he called over his shoulder.

Ryder nodded as he continued to watch August try to get himself under control. “Must have been quite the announcement.”

“Oh, it was,” Penelope assured him. “You had to have been there.”

“I dunno, ya
had the four of us bent over pretty good, and two of us had no idea what it was all about.”

Constance smiled and kissed him on the cheek.  “Isn’t it wonderful? Colin and Belle are going to have a baby!”

Ryder pulled her into his chest, tilting her head back. “Sure is, guess we better start on one then, huh?”

She giggled again, and rested her head against his shoulder.  She realized she had a lot to smile about. A wonderful husband who was falling in love with her, Penelope and August’s visit, Eloise’s upcoming wedding, and even Cutty, who though a bit smelly and crotchety, had his place in the world.  Yes, all was well, and would continue to be. Constance sighed, and couldn’t be happier.

Twelve

The next day Ryder and Cutty worked on the roof, putting finishing touches here and there and making sure the buckets inside the cabin could find a new home outside where they belonged.  The day’s meals consisted of – you guessed it – bacon and eggs, though Constance did manage to make biscuits, they were again burned on the bottom and too dry. Embarrassed at her recent failure, she was relieved when Ryder assured her that the good Lord created coffee for burnt biscuits, and not to worry. Still, Cutty’s remarks about her cooking were not as accommodating. “GAK!” and “BLEH!” constituted his opinion on the matter.

Her own excuse was she was still learning, and that it would take lots of practice to become an expert the likes of Mrs. Dunnigan or Mrs. Upton, and didn’t one learn by their mistakes?  That being the case, Constance was going to learn a lot.

But despite her bad cooking and lack of expertise in …well … just about everything, Constance found she was beginning to like her new life in their little cabin out on the prairie.  In fact, while the men were dealing with Othello and Mr. Turner’s mare she decided to take a walk to see if she could find some flowers to set on the kitchen table.

The sun was bright
over-head by the time she left the house after lunch. She took a small basket she found in the barn, and couldn’t wait to fill it with flowers. That is, if she found many.  Ryder told her every spring and summer was different, and that sometimes a late frost killed off the more delicate plants. Yet so far, she felt the weather had been mild since she arrived in Oregon, and knew she’d be able to find something.

Sure enough, not far from the cabin she found a patch of
small purple flowers. She had no idea what they were, but she liked them.  She picked a handful and put them in her basket. She walked for a time, and realized she’d wandered some distance from the cabin.  She was about to turn around when she heard the distinct sound of hoof beats bearing down on her.

No sooner did she spin around
, Ryder was bringing Banjo to a skidding stop. He slid off the bare-backed horse and towered over her. “What do ya think your’re doin’?” he said with an exaggerated wave of his arms.

She blinked at him a few times. “I … I wanted to pick some flowers.”

“Flowers,” he said with a nod of his head, his brow furrowed in anger. “You left to pick …” He slapped his forehead and bit his lip.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, perplexed.

He stared down at her, a hard look on his face. “I’m only gonna say this once, Sugar. If you ever decide to take off,
tell
me first. That way I know where to find ya in case I need to go lookin’.”

She glanced around. “You found me well enough this time.”

He blew out a long breath and pushed his hat back off his forehead. “Darlin’ it’s dangerous out here by yourself. You can’t just wander off whenever ya feel like it.”

She again glanced around. The sun was shining, a light breeze was blowing, and the wild flowers of the prairie were just peeking up from the soil.  It was one of the most peaceful and serene scenes one could picture. She looked at him and shrugged.

“There’s snakes.”

Constance instantly took a step closer to him at the word.

“Not to mention the cattle rustlers in the area.”

She took another step.

“And the fact that if I have no idea where ya went, then I can’t get to ya quick if’n somethin’ happens.”

She bowed her head as she reached him, and leaned it against his chest. “I’m sorry, I… I didn’t think of any of those things.”

He put his arms around her. “Ahhh Sugar, I know. You’re not used to it yet. It is pretty here, but ya gotta know what to look out for. After we get that ladie’s sewing circle visit of yours out of the way, I’m gonna show you a few things about the land, okay?”

She nodded against him, unable to speak. He was right, she should have told him where she was going and how long she’d be gone. Anything could happen out here on the prairie, and though it was beautiful, it could also be dangerous.

He put his chin on the top of her head. “What say we pick a few flowers together, then go back to the cabin?”

She smiled, and looked up at him. “I would like that.”

“No more wanderin’ off by yourself without tellin’ me?”

“No more, I promise.”

“You know ya about scared me half to death.”

“I’m sorry I …”

He cut her off with a kiss, then whispered, “It’s all right, darlin’. But please don’t do it again.”

She nodded, safe and warm in his arms, and couldn’t fathom not doing as he asked.
It was then Constance realized she’d fallen in love with her new husband. She giggled at the thought, and kissed him in return.

They picked flowers, chatted and laughed about nothing important, before Ryder lifted her atop Banjo, and led the horse home.  Once there, he swatted Constance on her derriere after helping her down, then went to put Banjo away.  She laughed at him, and went inside. She thought about starting supper, but thought better of it.  Besides, bacon and eggs didn’t take that long to make. Instead she picked up the pair of knitting needles and yarn Penelope brought her
the day before.  She’d given the needles to her at the last minute, right before she and August left to go home, and told Constance she was going to learn. They decided it would be fun to show each other their work when they got together again.  The only problem was, neither she nor Penelope had a clue how to knit, so how on earth were they going to teach themselves?