Isabel sat in Abigail’s cozy parlor, her fingers busy on a new outfit for Timmy. The baby was growing fast. Everything he had was a bit too small for him. He would end up completely naked if she didn’t make him a couple of new shirts and long gowns.
Abigail chattered away about her chickens, telling Isabel which ones were laying eggs and which ones would soon be headed for the pot.
She was grateful for Abigail and her friendship. It was a chance to escape from the quiet of the ranch and enjoy some female companionship.
The front door creaked. “Abby. Are you home, sweetheart?” a man’s rich voice called.
Abigail’s face lit up with a huge smile. “I’m in here with Isabel.”
A few seconds later, a tall, broad-shouldered, burly man with a long black beard appeared in the doorway. He smiled when he saw Abigail. He crossed the room and kissed her on the cheek before turning to Isabel.
“You must be Isabel, Theodore’s new wife.”
Isabel nodded, setting aside her fabric to shake his hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Sellers.” She smiled at him, noting that his green eyes twinkled with kindness.
“None of that Mr. Sellers. We’re cousins, at least through marriage. Mick will do just fine.”
He settled into a chair, and Isabel couldn’t help but notice how Mick and Abigail looked at each other. There was obvious affection in their gazes. Mick reached for Abigail’s hand, his thumb absently tracing small circles on her palm.
“Mick is the blacksmith for the town. He makes everyone’s horseshoes, wagon parts, and anything else metal they might need,” Abigail explained.
“It sounds like you are a very busy man.”
He nodded. “I have a couple of apprentices, so that helps.”
“How was your day so far?” Abby asked.
Mick sighed. “Interesting. I had a fellow in from out of town. His horse’s shoe had broken, and the guy insisted it get repaired. I told him that it would be easier if I just made a new one, but the man insisted that it had to be repaired. It was some kind of good luck charm. I noticed a strange marking on it, but when I asked the man about it, he just shook his head. I was finally able to fix it. He reshoed his horse, paid me, and left.”
Abigail and Isabel laughed. “You always have some interesting stories.” She looked at Isabel. “A lot of people pass through here for whatever reason. Some are people going north to Colorado looking for gold. Some are coming out here to start a new life, and some are headed to Mexico to get away from their old one.”
Mick nodded. “It means life is never boring.”
“Let’s have lunch. Old Henrietta ran out of eggs, so I figured it was time for some roast chicken.”
They held hands as they walked into the dining room. Isabel picked Timmy up from where he had quietly been playing and followed behind. She felt a sudden, sharp pang in her chest.
This is what a real marriage looks like. I can tell they love each other.
It was everything she had always wanted for herself and hoped she would find when she came out West.
I’ll never have anything like this with Theodore.
She sat down with Timmy on her lap. He already had a bottle, but he was always hungry.
“Thank you, darlin’,” Mick said as Abigail put the food on the table.
Isabel bit her lip as her heart clenched at the thought she would never experience this kind of love.
Stop being an idiot. You have a home and security. That should be enough. So what if Theodore and I never have any kind of relationship like this? So what if he never looks at me the way Mick looks at Abigail? I have more than I’ve ever had before.
She shook her head and focused her attention back on feeding Timmy and eating, smiling and laughing at the appropriate places in the conversation.
“This is absolutely delicious, Abigail,” Isabel said. “I’ve never had chicken that tasted so great.”
“Thank you.”
Mick stood up, kissed Abigail’s cheek, and said, “I need to get back to the shop. Isabel is right. It was a terrific lunch.” He turned to Isabel. “It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope to see you again soon.”
Isabel helped Abigail do dishes before they settled back into the parlor for more sewing. She watched Abigail mending one of Mick’s shirts.
“I was a seamstress in New York before I came here. I can show you a couple of tricks. You’ll never see any of the stitches on the shirt.”
“That would be great. I can sew, of course, but I just know the basics.”
Isabel showed Abigail how to do a couple of intricate stitches.
“That is so amazing,” Abigail gushed. “I’m sure that if you ever wanted to earn some extra cash, there would be a lot of ladies in town who would gladly turn their sewing chores over to you.”
Laughing, Isabel shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’ve got all that I can do, taking care of the baby and the household.”
Abigail studied her for a minute and asked, “How are things going between you and Theodore?”
Isabel shrugged. “They’re better. He actually eats at the table with me now and talks to me. He’s great with the baby. I was worried I would spend the rest of my life feeling like an unwanted bug in the house that disgusted him.”
“I know that must feel terrible, but there is a story behind the way he acts.”
Putting down her sewing, Isabel looked at Abigail and raised her eyebrows, inviting the younger woman to explain. Abigail hesitated for a moment, as though trying to figure out how much to tell Isabel. Finally, she must have decided that Isabel deserved to know the truth.
“When Theodore was four, he and his parents were on a journey when a wildfire swept onto the path that their wagon was on. His mother grabbed him, put him in a safe place near the river, and told him to stay still while she went back to help his father. A few hours later, a hunter happened to come by the area and found him crying. His mother’s parents took him in, and Theodore was so traumatized from losing his parents that he didn’t speak for months.”
“Oh, the poor baby,” Isabel said. Her heart broke at the thought of how awful that must have been for Theodore.
Abigail nodded. “That’s not the worst of it. His grandparents never showed Theodore any love or kindness at all. They were cold and distant people who provided for his physical needs, but that was it. Apparently, they believed that showing any gentleness or affection would prevent him from growing up to be a strong and independent man.”
“That’s awful,” Isabel said, glancing at the now-sleeping Timmy. She couldn’t help but think about the pain of a young Theodore, especially now that she was a mother herself.
“When Theodore was twelve, his grandmother died, and his grandfather became even colder. The only thing his grandfather showed any love for was the ranch. He figuratively beat it into Theodore’s head that the ranch meant everything because it had belonged in their family for three generations.”
Isabel shook her head. “That explains a lot.”
“That’s not all. He was best friends with Ellis Turner, who he grew up with. When Theodore’s grandfather died when he was nineteen, Ellis convinced him that they should be business partners. The plan was that they would work together, expand the ranch, and maybe even buy more land, creating an empire.”
“What happened?” Isabel winced because she had an idea that this story didn’t have a happy ending.
“About a year after they formed their partnership, Theodore discovered that Ellis had not only taken all of the money out of their bank account but also used the ranch as collateral and amassed a lot of debt. The ranch was threatened with foreclosure. Theodore had no choice but to take responsibility for the debts and work himself to the bone to pay off the creditors.”
With each word, Isabel’s sense of unease only built. By the time Abigail finished, she couldn’t manage much but a weak, “That’s terrible.”
I can’t imagine how awful that must have been. The only person who he dared care about betrayed him.
Isabel felt the prick of tears behind her eyes as she thought about the pain Theodore must have endured—the pain that had clearly shaped him as an adult.
Abigail nodded. She tied off a knot on the shirt she had mended and set it aside. “I think the only person in the world he dares trust now is Jacob, who works for him. I have no idea how long Jacob has worked on the ranch with him. I think it’s at least been since Theodore’s grandfather died, and Jacob stuck with him through the hard times. I don’t know for sure, though. Theodore and I aren’t close, so the man doesn’t confide in me.”
Isabel was quiet for a while, absorbing the information. “At least I know that it’s not me that he specifically dislikes. He simply can’t afford to let himself trust anyone or get close to anyone.”
Abigail sighed. “I know that knowing his background doesn’t make life any easier for you, but at least you know why he acts the way he does.”
“I know he’s a good man,” Isabel said. “He is great with Timmy. Who knows, maybe Timmy is the one who can help him heal.”
“I hope so,” Abigail said. “He deserves happiness, too.”
Isabel finished the little gown for Timmy and said, “Thank you for today. It was great spending time with you, and it feels good to have a friend. I’ve never had one before.”
Abigail smiled at her. “I’m glad to be your friend, and remember that I’m here for you.”
Timmy woke up when Isabel mounted the horse and arranged her split skirt so she could comfortably sit in the saddle. She held her arms out for the baby. Abigail lifted him, and Isabel settled him in the saddle in front of her.
“Thanks again for everything,” Isabel said.
Abigail nodded. “Any time.”
The forty-minute ride across the prairie back to the ranch was peaceful. The steady horse’s gait lulled Timmy to sleep, leaving Isabel alone with her thoughts.
She mulled over what Abigail had told her.
Isabel instinctively knew that Theodore would resent any pity from her, but she couldn’t help but mourn his harsh childhood and betrayal.
Eventually, she focused her attention on the land around her. The cool air was perfect for the horseback ride. Birds called out to one another, and she spotted a couple of young coyotes playing tug of war over a piece of hide. In the back of her mind, she briefly wondered why they didn’t shy away.
It was late when she got back to the ranch. Jacob saw her coming and took Timmy from her as she dismounted. She slid down from the horse. “I’ll settle Timmy in the corner of the barn and take care of the horse.”
“I’ll take care of him. You tend to your young’un,” he said as he passed the baby back to her.
“Thank you, Jacob.” She smiled as she walked back to the house.
Is he getting just a little bit nicer to me? I’m not sure.
Timmy let her know, in no uncertain terms, that he was hungry. She boiled the milk for his dinner and then made him some pap. He ate hungrily. She changed his diaper and took him into the bedroom, putting him in his crib. The little boy’s eyes were heavy.
“I guess it’s been a big day for you, too. Today was your first horseback ride. I’ll have to write this down in my journal.” She kissed him on the forehead and pulled the blanket over him.
She quietly shut the door behind her and headed for the kitchen. Theodore sat at the table, wearing a huge frown. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he glared at her. “Where have you been?”
“You know I was at Abigail’s today.”
Her heart thumped hard at Theodore’s cold, angry expression. She took a deep breath and looked at him, though, with his deep scowl and flushed cheeks, she could almost imagine it was her father glowering back at her.
“Why isn’t my supper on the table?”
All at once, fury exploded inside Isabel, overriding any lingering fear. She whirled around to face him, putting her hands on her hips. She narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth.
Speaking slowly and deliberately, in a low voice, she said, “I’m your wife. I’m not the housekeeper, nor am I the cook. If you only wanted a glorified housekeeper or cook, you should have included that in your ad.”
Theodore raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth as though he was going to say something.
Isabel continued, “I got home later than expected from Abigail’s, and Timmy was hungry. My first priority is my baby, so I fed him, changed his diaper, and put him to bed. I planned on making you dinner as soon as he was in bed.”
Her husband sat in the chair and stared at her in stunned silence.
Her chest heaved, and her stomach tied itself into a knot. “You can make your own supper,” she growled. Then, without another word, she flounced out of the house, trying to hold back her tears.
She sat in the rocking chair on the porch, watching the sun dip low behind the mountains. The sky was streaked with orange, gold, and red, giving way to blues and purples.
Isabel felt bad because she hadn’t meant to stay so long at Abigail’s. However, she was so relaxed there, and she could just breathe without having to worry about what kind of mood Theodore was in at the moment. She planned on making dinner as soon as Timmy laid down, but Theodore had shown up before she could start cooking.
Her heart ached for the trauma that Theodore had gone through, first by losing his parents at such a young age and then being raised in a cold, heartless household. But she shouldn’t have to pay the price.
She put her head in her hands, determined not to cry. There had been enough crying. Taking a deep breath, she looked out over the prairie, focusing on her senses and taking in the sight before her.
It is so different from New York. There, the streets were always busy, and there was noise constantly, twenty-four hours a day. Here, there’s noise, but it’s not the same. The noise here calms the soul.
Isabel watched hawks circling in the sky, indicating they’d found something to feast on. A couple of deer leaped through the prairie grass. Coyotes were yipping at the large glowing moon.
She sighed.
I can do this, for Timmy’s sake—and mine.