CeCe?”
“Don’t forget Bonnie. She eagle-eyed Mister Eversole, too.”
“Not my baby girl.”
“Yes, indeed. She’s coming thirteen, Henry. Soon enough, she’ll not be thinking about much else.”
Would he ever understand? “But I thought Gwendolyn loved Clay. Are you saying she’s past him already?”
“Oh, dear, she’s way over him. Don’t you know? The very best thing to get your mind off a love lost is to find a new one.”
“But he’s a man.”
“Yes.” She stretched out the three letter affirmation. “A handsome, single man, sugar.”
Now this was not good. And he hadn’t even thought to quiz Elijah about his intentions. Could it be? Was he even interested? Or had May read something that wasn’t there?
“I’ll talk with him tomorrow. He probably has someone in California waiting on him.”
“Well, take your care, and don’t run him off. Mary Rachel and Jethro both spoke highly of him.”
He bumped her shoulder. “I wouldn’t dream of it, least not until he builds us that steam engine.”
Chapter Three
The Black’s neck bowed. He snorted and pawed the ground.
“Easy, boy.” Henry patted the stallion, dismounted, then led him into the barn. Right there in the first stall, a strange gray snorted his own challenge, letting out an ear-splitting whinny.
Allowing the two to blow noses a bit, he unsaddled and brushed out his mount before putting The Black into his own space. Soon, the stallion’s attention focused solely on the grain in his trough and rack full of hay, ignoring the interloper.
Good thing none of the mares in the back lot were open.
That reminded him. Best check on the chestnut. She’d bagged up and should be ready to foal any day now. He’d get Charley to, put him on the watch.
Maybe ask Houston, also,; the boy could practice a little more responsibility. Henry enjoyed the interaction of all the boys and how great the thirteen-year-old handled all the younger ones.
Putting the boys and equines out of his thoughts, he hurried inside to see who’d come calling.
Gwendolyn met him in the kitchen. The girl must have been waiting for him. “Hey, Daddy.” She kissed his cheek. “There’s a Mister Braxton Hightower come to see you.”
“That his gray in the barn?”
“Yes, sir. CeCe put him there.”
He grabbed one of Jewel’s sugar cookies, took a little nip, and smiled. “He say what he wanted?”
“No, sir. Just that he needed to talk with you. Mama May and Houston are keeping him company out on the porch.”
“Thank you, my love. Where’d CeCe go?”
Gwen raised her off shoulder a smidgen, like that was all the effort her sister was worth. “She and Bonnie went somewhere.”
Jewel swept into the kitchen, her full skirt dusting the floorboards. “She and baby girl took a dinner basket to you and that new fella, but nows you be back, want me to send someone for them?”
“CeCe and Bonnie went?”
“Yes, sir.”
“They walking?”
“No, sir. My Chester helped them rig the surrey. Houston loaned them gals his gelding.”
Wonder he didn’t see them coming back from the sawmill, but then…. Well, perhaps his wife was right, and no one could accuse Cecelia of being stupid. “No, leave them be. Elijah needs to eat.”
A hand touched his forearm. He faced Gwen.
“Don’t forget Mister Hightower.”
He tossed the rest of the cookie in his mouth, winked at his cook, then strolled to the porch. Once he cleared the front door, the visitor jumped to his feet and extended his hand. “Mister Buckmeyer, I’m Braxton Hightower. Pleased to meet you, sir.”
The fellow looked him square in the eye. Henry took his hand. Good firm grip, but not one of those idiots who tried to show off by crushing your fingers.
Didn’t seem like he had anything to hide or sell, and Henry liked that. “Pleasure’s mine. I take it you’ve met my wife and son?”
“Yes, sir. My mama would dance a jig if she knew I had the good fortune of
“Don’t forget Bonnie. She eagle-eyed Mister Eversole, too.”
“Not my baby girl.”
“Yes, indeed. She’s coming thirteen, Henry. Soon enough, she’ll not be thinking about much else.”
Would he ever understand? “But I thought Gwendolyn loved Clay. Are you saying she’s past him already?”
“Oh, dear, she’s way over him. Don’t you know? The very best thing to get your mind off a love lost is to find a new one.”
“But he’s a man.”
“Yes.” She stretched out the three letter affirmation. “A handsome, single man, sugar.”
Now this was not good. And he hadn’t even thought to quiz Elijah about his intentions. Could it be? Was he even interested? Or had May read something that wasn’t there?
“I’ll talk with him tomorrow. He probably has someone in California waiting on him.”
“Well, take your care, and don’t run him off. Mary Rachel and Jethro both spoke highly of him.”
He bumped her shoulder. “I wouldn’t dream of it, least not until he builds us that steam engine.”
Chapter Three
The Black’s neck bowed. He snorted and pawed the ground.
“Easy, boy.” Henry patted the stallion, dismounted, then led him into the barn. Right there in the first stall, a strange gray snorted his own challenge, letting out an ear-splitting whinny.
Allowing the two to blow noses a bit, he unsaddled and brushed out his mount before putting The Black into his own space. Soon, the stallion’s attention focused solely on the grain in his trough and rack full of hay, ignoring the interloper.
Good thing none of the mares in the back lot were open.
That reminded him. Best check on the chestnut. She’d bagged up and should be ready to foal any day now. He’d get Charley to, put him on the watch.
Maybe ask Houston, also,; the boy could practice a little more responsibility. Henry enjoyed the interaction of all the boys and how great the thirteen-year-old handled all the younger ones.
Putting the boys and equines out of his thoughts, he hurried inside to see who’d come calling.
Gwendolyn met him in the kitchen. The girl must have been waiting for him. “Hey, Daddy.” She kissed his cheek. “There’s a Mister Braxton Hightower come to see you.”
“That his gray in the barn?”
“Yes, sir. CeCe put him there.”
He grabbed one of Jewel’s sugar cookies, took a little nip, and smiled. “He say what he wanted?”
“No, sir. Just that he needed to talk with you. Mama May and Houston are keeping him company out on the porch.”
“Thank you, my love. Where’d CeCe go?”
Gwen raised her off shoulder a smidgen, like that was all the effort her sister was worth. “She and Bonnie went somewhere.”
Jewel swept into the kitchen, her full skirt dusting the floorboards. “She and baby girl took a dinner basket to you and that new fella, but nows you be back, want me to send someone for them?”
“CeCe and Bonnie went?”
“Yes, sir.”
“They walking?”
“No, sir. My Chester helped them rig the surrey. Houston loaned them gals his gelding.”
Wonder he didn’t see them coming back from the sawmill, but then…. Well, perhaps his wife was right, and no one could accuse Cecelia of being stupid. “No, leave them be. Elijah needs to eat.”
A hand touched his forearm. He faced Gwen.
“Don’t forget Mister Hightower.”
He tossed the rest of the cookie in his mouth, winked at his cook, then strolled to the porch. Once he cleared the front door, the visitor jumped to his feet and extended his hand. “Mister Buckmeyer, I’m Braxton Hightower. Pleased to meet you, sir.”
The fellow looked him square in the eye. Henry took his hand. Good firm grip, but not one of those idiots who tried to show off by crushing your fingers.
Didn’t seem like he had anything to hide or sell, and Henry liked that. “Pleasure’s mine. I take it you’ve met my wife and son?”
“Yes, sir. My mama would dance a jig if she knew I had the good fortune of
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