Ranch Life is Great Read online

  Cade reached back and gave her a swat, though it didn't have much behind it. "No more little snake references. He may be behind the rumor. He would certainly have reason to spread such a vicious rumor, but until you have some proof of it, don't tell anyone else you think he's behind it."

  "Why not? It's fine for him to ruin my business, but I can't say anything about him?"

  "If you have proof to that effect, we'll talk about it again and decide what to do. But until you have solid proof of that, if you tell people you believe he's behind it, you're doing exactly what you're accusing him of doing. You're spreading a rumor, and I won't have it. You're a better person than he is, and I don't want you to stoop to his level. If it turns out he does have something to do with it, people will be able to see which of you is the better, more trustworthy person. Do you understand what I'm saying, Elsie?"

  "Yes, I guess," she admitted.

  "I know you don't like it, but I don't think I have to tell you what will happen if I find out you're spreading rumors about this, do I?"

  "No," she assured him, remembering the horrible spanking he'd given her when he found out she was gossiping about a former schoolmate she had an argument with.

  He had to look away so she wouldn't see him smile. He knew exactly what she was thinking about. He got his serious face back and resumed their talk. "So what was his business deal?"

  "He offered to buy my store. He said it's probably not worth much at all now, since no one will go there, but he felt sorry for me, so he was willing to buy it." She was breathing heavily, and he could easily see how angry she was getting. "That no good—"

  "Whoa, stop right there, if you know what's good for you, miss."

  She exhaled loudly, obviously exasperated. She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "I'm all right now. Thank you. Anyway, he made a pretty lame offer, and I told him to get out of my store."

  "You're not interested in selling the store?"

  "Not to him. Never."

  "I understand that," he said, rubbing her arm gently. "But how about to anyone else? Have you given that any thought?"

  "Yes, I've given it some thought. I don't want to sell it, though, Cade. I really don't." She paused, then turned to look at him. "I know you said you'd think about it. Is that your suggestion; that I sell it?"

  He hated seeing how disappointed she looked. "I do have one other option. I came into town to take you and your aunt to supper and then talk to the two of you about it."

  "Can we talk about it now, please? I don't think I can wait until after we eat. I have to know I have some option other than selling it to—"

  "Theodore," Cade said quickly.

  "Yes, him," she said, turning a bit red and looking like a little imp.

  He chuckled as he kissed the end of her nose. "Let me ask you first; I planned on talking to you and your aunt together, assuming you would want to discuss it with her, but I probably shouldn't jump to that conclusion. Let me ask you, do you want her to know the details of this offer, or would you rather keep it private?"

  "Offer? You have an offer to buy it?"

  "No, but it is an offer. Do you want me to talk to you privately about it?"

  "No. No, I want Aunt Gertie to listen to it, too. I'll talk to her about it, so I want her to hear it, too. If I forget part of it, maybe she'll remember."

  "All right, fine."

  "It's almost time to close the store. Can we please talk about it then, before we go eat?"

  Cade knew he might as well agree, because she wouldn't let him eat in peace if he didn't. "Fine, but I don't want to get to the restaurant late, right when they're wanting to close. I'll explain it to you, but then you can think about it some while we eat. We can discuss it more afterward if you want. Can you agree to that?"

  "That's fair, yes."

  "Good. Let's go check the store. If no one's in there I'll go ahead and start telling you about it, but if anyone comes in I'll stop." She agreed, and they went back out to the front, to the store.

  Not surprisingly, there were no customers in the store, so he gathered them around the sales counter and started explaining his suggestion. "Elsie, I know you don't want to sell the store, and I understand that. I'd like to see you be able to keep it, at least for a while, if that's what you want to do. You've just lost your parents. I don't want to see you have to sell the store right away, too."

  She had tears in her eyes, but fought them back. "Thank you," she told him sincerely.

  "I love you, Elsie, and I'm trying to look out for you. But along the same line, I'm trying to look out for you when I say I don't want you running the store by yourself. It's not just the heavy lifting that worries me, either. There are men out there who would be tempted to take advantage of the situation if they came into a store and a young lady was the only person there. I've been worrying enough about the two of you together the last few days."

  "Maybe I could hire someone to help me."

  "I've been looking for someone. I haven't been able to find anyone, not even a boy who could come over to help you after school. Most of the boys around here go home after school and help their parents on their farm or in their business."

  "So what's your idea then?"

  "I found a couple who's interested in running it. They'd like to rent the living quarters, as well, so they can live upstairs."

  "They want to run it," Elsie repeated, slowly and quietly, as if trying to digest the idea. "How would that work?"

  "They're willing to do it one or two different ways. They just moved here and are staying with her sister and their family until they find a place to live and a job for him. It's awfully crowded in their little house, so they're really looking for a place as soon as they can find one. As luck would have it, he ran a store in Kansas before they moved out here, so he's familiar with how to do it."

  "Why did they move here, if they didn't have a job or a house?"

  "Their store burned down. A fire went through their town and half the town is gone. Like here, there were two mercantile stores in town, and the other store was at the other end of the town and wasn't hurt. It's still open and running. He said many people who lost their homes moved to other towns where they found a house for sale, or they moved in with families, so he thought the one store would be able to handle things pretty easily. He didn't have the money to build a new store and buy beginning inventory since he wasn't even sure there would still be enough business for two stores. That makes sense. I can't blame him for moving on."

  "No, that makes sense. I feel sorry for them. Do they have children?"

  "They have a little boy and a baby girl."

  "So they know how to run a store, and they need a job. It sounds perfect, doesn't it?"

  He saw the sad look in her eyes, and pulled her in against him. "It would be a nice fit. But I know you're hesitant to give it up, aren't you?"

  "I am," she said as a stray tear escaped down her cheek. "I keep thinking of my parents. It feels like I would be giving away part of them, and part of my life with them. I have a lot of memories from this store."

  "I understand, honey," Cade said, wiping away the stray tear. He glanced down at his watch. "It's almost closing time. I'm going to go ahead and lock up."

  "I got it," Gertrude said, and went to lock the door, while Cade held her in his arms. After she locked the door and closed the curtains, she returned. "Elsie, I know how you feel, but maybe it would be easier if you rent it to them, at least for the time being," she told her niece.

  "They said they would welcome you working with them for a bit so you can show them where things are, and where you get your supplies, and all those kinds of things."

  "That would give you a chance to get to know them, Elsie," Aunt Gertrude said. "If you like them, I'm sure it would be easier for you to sort of pass it on to them."

  "That's a very good point, Gertrude," Cade said. "I hadn't thought of that, Elsie, but she's right. If you like them, it would be more like gifting them a new life in
a new town, and a place they can build memories with their children."

  "And they could build their own memories," Gertrude agreed. "Sometimes now when I look around here it brings back memories, but those memories are kind of hard to deal with. I look over by that window and I remember your dad standing there a lot if they weren't busy in the afternoon, so he could look outside and watch the kids running home when school let out. I know I'm going to see that spot every day while I'm here, but it's not the same knowing he'll never be standing there again."

  Another tear escaped Elsie's eyes and made its way down her cheek. "I know. I think the same thing when I look at that same spot. And I also see Mom dusting those shelves over there, and sweeping the floor every night after we close." Gertrude nodded. "Maybe it would be better to let someone else make new memories here, and I can keep my old memories. Looking at the same places, but without them here any longer, is starting to change some of my memories. They seem tarnished. I'd rather remember the old ones."

  Cade stepped over behind a shelf to be sure no one outside would be able to see him as he pulled his future wife into his arms. He rubbed her back gently. "Honey, that makes perfect sense. I think maybe this would be a good solution for everyone. I talked mostly with the husband, Harold Stone, but I met his wife, Loretta, as well. They both seem very nice. Would you like to meet them? If you're interested in doing this, you'll have to talk to them about how you want to do it. You can either rent the whole building to them for one flat rate, or you could ask for a small portion of the proceeds from the store."

  "How do most people do it? Which way would be easier for them?"

  "A flat rate is probably easier for them, but they're willing to do it however you'd like, if you're interested in renting to them. They're anxious to find a job and a home for their family, so they're willing to work with you, however you'd like to do it."

  "But if they're anxious to move in, where would—"

  "You and Aunt Gertrude could move in with me at the ranch. What I'd love to do is move our wedding up so that we can be married while Aunt Gertrude is still here."

  "Oh, I would love that, too, Elsie," Gertrude said. "I've come to know and think a lot of Cade, and I would love to see you become his wife before I go back east to help with the new baby."

  Elsie looked from Cade to Gertrude, and down at her hands. She was quiet; too quiet for Cade. "I know this is a lot to think about all at once, honey. Take some time to consider it all. You don't have to come up with an answer right away," he said.

  She nodded, but still didn't say anything, so he had no idea what she was thinking. Was she happy with the idea, or did she hate it? "There are a lot of things to consider here, so why don't you just think about the idea for a couple days? If the idea is right for you, you'll know it. You'll become comfortable with it. If not, things will stand out to you that you're just not comfortable with."

  She studied him a couple minutes, thinking. "That makes sense. Maybe I'll just mull it over in the back of my head and talk to you and Aunt Gertie as a thought comes up."

  "That sounds like a good idea," he said with a kiss to her cheek. "Something else that sounds like a good idea is some supper, whenever you two lovely ladies are ready.

  That comment served to lighten the mood, just as he'd hoped, and half an hour later they were at the restaurant, enjoying their supper.

  A few times during the meal he noticed Elsie had a far away look, and he assumed she was thinking about the offer to rent the store. He hoped she could do just that; give it some thought without it consuming all of her attention. If the idea had time to gradually become real to her, he thought she would see the positives. He knew her, though, and if she tried to think about it too much it would be the same as if he tried to talk her into it. The more you pushed, the more she pushed back. This had to be something she decided on her own, and if she could take her time to think it through, but yet didn't over think it, he knew she'd be a lot happier about it.

  He decided to talk to Aunt Gertrude about that, if he had a chance alone with her. He was afraid if either of them pushed her toward that decision, she'd feel trapped, and with her feisty nature, she'd push back. Meanwhile, he kept conversation going, keeping her from thinking too much about it at one time.

  Aunt Gertrude surprised him later that evening, when they stood to leave the restaurant. Elsie went to visit some friends at another table that fixed a lot of food for her for after the funeral. Gertrude pulled him aside while Elsie was gone, to talk to him quickly and quietly. "Thank you for finding this couple for her store. I think it would be perfect for her, but we need to be careful. If she thinks we're trying to talk her into it she'll say no. She's stubborn, and will feel like she's being pushed into a corner, and like a wild cat, she'll fight back."

  Cade couldn't help but laugh. "Gertrude, you know her well, don't you? I was going to suggest the same thing to you."

  "I love that lady, she's got a big heart, but she is as stubborn as her father was. He was the same way. If you tried to suggest something to him, his instinct was to do the opposite. When I came to stay with them a month ago, that was the first thing that stood out to me, is how much she's like him. I'm glad to hear you've seen it, too."

  "I didn't know her father was like that, but I've definitely picked up on it. You don't want to push that little lady."

  The next day was Sunday and, after church, Cade took them to the ranch, where they spent the day. Gertrude and Cade both gave her the time and space she needed. She would occasionally want to talk about some aspect of it with them, and they gladly talked it out, but neither of them pushed her to make a decision.

  Gertrude was an experienced rider, and although Elsie wasn't as experienced, she loved horses and Cade was teaching her to ride. After lunch they went riding, with Elsie in front of him on Thunder. She loved riding in front of him. Not only did she get to experience the wind in her face and the feeling of freedom that she got from riding horses, but when she rode with him she also got to feel his strong arm wrapped around her waist, and his muscular chest at her back.

  They stopped on a knoll to look out over a valley, and she cuddled into his arms when he lifted her off Thunder. He wasn't expecting it, but took advantage of it, tightening his arms a little. He leaned down and gave her a sweet kiss. "Everything all right?" he asked.

  "Perfect." She laid her head on his chest and let the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around her soak in. "Will it be like this after we're married, too?"

  Cade pulled back far enough to look into her eyes. "Not exactly," he said quietly. When her eyes flew up to meet his in alarm, he added, "Once we're married it will be even better."

  She smiled and laid her head against him again. "Is that possible?"

  She heard the low rumble of his chuckle, and felt it against his chest. "Trust me, honey. It can and it will." After a couple minutes of holding her while they looked down over the valley, he looked down at her and kissed the top of her head. "What brought that question on?"

  "I've been thinking about marrying you soon and letting Harold and Loretta rent the store."

  "And?"

  "Well, I love you, and the more I'm out here at the ranch the more I think I'd like living here, and I know I'll love being your wife. Knowing Harold and Loretta have a home and a way to raise their two little ones would be nice, too. Could I meet them? I think if I meet them and like them, I'll be ready to let them rent the store. I'm not ready to sell it yet, but I think I'm ready now to let them rent it, if I meet them and they're as nice as you said they are."

  "I think you'll like them," he assured her. "I hoped you'd get to meet them at church this morning, but Harold said their little boy had just fallen out of a tree he was climbing and hurt his leg. The doctor said he's not to walk on it for a couple weeks to let it heal. He said it's driving the little boy crazy, so they're not going anywhere until he can walk. He was afraid if he took him to church but didn't let him play with the other children after chu
rch it would be frustrating for him."

  "Oh, I'm sure it would be," Elsie said, concerned. "What a terrible way for a little boy to start life in a new town."

  "That's why they're keeping him home. They're waiting until he can play with the other kids when he meets them. I commend them for it. They're anxious to meet the people of their new town, too, but they're putting their little boy ahead of themselves."

  "That's wonderful." She thought a couple moments. "I think I like them already." She was quiet while they watched a mother deer and her fawn drinking from a spring down in the valley. "Are you sure you wouldn't mind moving our wedding up?"

  She felt and heard his chuckle in his chest again. "Honey, it's been killing me waiting until fall to marry you. When I asked and you agreed to become my wife, I was hoping we could be married soon. But when you said you wanted a fall wedding, I wanted to give you whatever you wanted for your wedding. If you wanted a fall wedding, I was determined that's what you'd have, but I would have been ready to get married the next day."

  "Is that true?"

  He frowned. "Elsie, haven't we talked about honesty? I think that's very important in a marriage. I will never lie to you, and I expect you to always be honest with me. Yes, that is very true. I was afraid when I suggested this solution to you, you would think I'm just trying to get you to marry me sooner. I love that it might have that effect, but that really isn't why I suggested it."

  Now it was her turn to chuckle. "No, I didn't think you're just trying to get me to marry you sooner. I see the whole picture here, and us getting married now would be the logical solution. Then they could rent the store and have a home and way of supporting their children." She looked up at him with her impish grin he'd grown to love. "So you've been wanting to get married sooner, huh?"

  "Yes, I have, my little brat, and I thought you knew that. It's been hard waiting, but I wanted you to have what you wanted for your wedding, your special day."