Patty's Gamble Read online

  She headed out of the house and bounded down the porch steps. Not too far from the barn, she saw that Boaz was working with one of Greg’s horses. Her steps slowed, and she watched him, studying the method he was using. It wasn’t a bad one. In fact, Boaz was a capable horse trainer. She could easily do the same thing, though. If Greg would let her take care of the irritable steed, she could save him the money he was paying Boaz.

  But a proper young lady wasn’t supposed to know more than men about such things. Her place was in the house, cooking and cleaning, not out and about getting dirty. With a sigh, she continued her walk to the barn. There was nothing wrong with looking at the animals. She could even ride one as long as she used the ridiculous side saddle.

  As she stepped into the barn, one of the dark-haired ranchers called out a greeting. And better yet, he referred to her as Mrs. Wilson. Pleased that Greg’s ranch hands had at least acknowledged the marriage, she smiled at him. “Morning. What’s your name?”

  “Archie,” he replied. “You come to check out what your husband’s got?”

  She nodded. “I heard he’s a competent rancher.”

  “He is. One of the best. Course, I hear your pa rivals him. He might be just a bit better.”

  She would be lying if she didn’t admit this pleased her. While she wanted Greg to be a good rancher, she took a note of pride in knowing her efforts to help her pa had resulted in such an excellent reputation. Her pa was a rare man, willing to listen to her input. She doubted Greg ever would. She had a hard enough time trying to convince him to eat her steak. And steak was one of the best meals a man could eat!

  Turning her attention back to Archie, she said, “Thank you. I’ll tell my pa that next time I see him.”

  “I can give you a tour of the land, if you want,” he offered.

  “Actually, all I need is a side saddle and my horse, and I’ll check it out myself.”

  “We got one. Greg’s ma used it before she headed back East,” Archie replied before he went to the corner of the barn where Greg most likely kept the saddles.

  She wanted to follow him and see everything Greg had in the enclosed space, but she was afraid if she did that, then Archie might think she didn’t trust him to know what he was doing. If she’d learned nothing else in her years of living on a ranch, it was that men didn’t want a woman pointing out the obvious. As it turned out, Archie seemed very capable at his job since he returned with the right saddle and everything else he needed to get the horse ready for her.

  “I don’t mean to overstep my boundaries,” Archie began as he led her mare into the center of the barn, “but do you know some single women?”

  “Are you looking for a bride?” she asked.

  He chuckled. “At some point, yes. But right now I’m interested in a square dance. Greg agreed to let us have one here, and the others decided tomorrow would be a good time.”

  A square dance? A place where Greg would have to touch her. “A square dance is a splendid idea!”

  Archie’s smile widened. “I’m glad to hear you think so. But the problem is finding enough women. They don’t all have to be single. Some can be married. All we want to do is dance and have a good time. But,” he quickly added with a wide grin, “if you happen to know a couple single ones, we’d sure be happy to welcome them.”

  She returned his smile. “I think it’s an excellent idea. And I happen to know a couple. They don’t want anyone who already has children, though.”

  “That’s not a problem. None of us do.”

  “And there’s a widow who’s a bit older. I believe she’s in her late thirties.”

  “We got two ranch hands who are in that age range.”

  “Then it should be perfect.” And what a wonderful opportunity to show Greg just how feminine she could be. She’d act just like the other women, and he could see how she compared just by watching her. “I was going to take a ride along the property, but I’d rather help with the square dance.”

  “On behalf of all of us, I appreciate it.”

  “Oh, I’m happy to help in any way I can.”

  “Happy to help with what?” someone asked.

  They turned around and saw three ranch hands entering the barn. And one of them was the blond who’d been drinking some whiskey last night, the one she wanted to keep an eye on.

  “Patty knows some women who might be able to come to the square dance tomorrow,” Archie said as he slid the saddle on the mare.

  “You do?” another asked in interest.

  She nodded. “I’m about to go out and invite them.”

  “Wonderful! I knew marriage would do Greg a lot of good. Who knew it could help us, too? I’m Randy, by the way.”

  “Patty,” she replied.

  “Course we can call her Mrs. Wilson,” Archie teased.

  “I don’t mind that at all,” she admitted.

  Randy gestured to the brunette. “This is Herb.” Then he gestured to the blond. “This is Lyle.”

  So Lyle was the one she didn’t trust. “Nice to meet you both,” she replied.

  The men returned the greeting, and Archie said, “We sure are glad to have you here. Greg needs someone fun in his life, what with his moping and all.”

  “Moping?” she asked.

  The Greg she knew in school wasn’t the moping type. He had laughed all the time. She assumed he’d been moping for the past day because she forced his hand in marriage. But maybe there was more to it than that.

  “Yep.” Archie finished securing the saddle and picked up the bridle. “He doesn’t want to talk to anyone unless it’s to bellow out an order.”

  “Come now,” Herb said with a chuckle. “He doesn’t bellow.”

  “Alright. Maybe he doesn’t bellow. But,” Archie shot her a pointed look, “he’s always serious. If it’s not about work, he doesn’t talk about it.”

  “Right. A man needs a woman,” Herb added, “and Greg’s no exception.”

  “I couldn’t agree with you more,” she said, glad these men had enough common sense to know that she was doing Greg a favor. “A person can’t live their life thinking of nothing but work. He’s got to sit back and enjoy it, too. Which is why a square dance is such a great idea. Who thought of it?”

  “Randy and I did,” Archie replied, his chest puffing up with pride.

  “And just you wait until you hear Herb play,” Randy added. “He’s the best fiddle player in these parts.”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” she said.

  As Archie continued to get her horse ready, Herb filled her in on the songs he usually played and asked if she had any favorites among them. She picked two that she enjoyed the most, pleased he’d even care what she liked. How different Greg’s ranch hands were from him. But, she reminded herself, he hadn’t always been that way. She wasn’t sure what changed him, but it must have been something unpleasant.

  Archie called out he was done, and he helped her up into the saddle. She adjusted her skirt around her legs. “When I return, I’ll let you know who’s coming.”

  They wished her lots of luck, their excitement infectious. That morning, she worried she might never be accepted by the ranch hands, given how she was making their employer miserable and all. Now, however, she knew they weren’t going to let his opinion determine how they reacted to her. That was nice. And who knew? Maybe when Greg saw she got along with them, he’d understand she could be an asset after all.

  ***

  The first stop Patty made was at Jill Edwards’ house. Jill was a widow who was living with her brother and his wife. She had a young boy. Patty didn’t think the men would mind possibly marrying a woman who had a child, even though the women in the area refused to marry a man who had them. Patty reasoned that it was because women took care of children more than the men ever did. She was closer to her pa, but she suspected some of it had to do with losing her mother early to a fever.

  If her mother had lived longer, Patty often wondered if she’d enjoy doing so
many things meant for boys. Not that it really mattered. She considered herself lucky to have had such a good childhood and thought the world of her pa. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her, and his latest agreement to help her secure a marriage with Greg was just another example of it. But that was neither here nor there. She was on a mission.

  She stopped in front of Jill’s small home and jumped off the horse. A casual glance to the left showed Patty she wasn’t the only visitor. She only hoped the buggy didn’t belong to Evelyn Heiser. Patty secured the reins to the post and took a deep breath. Even if it belonged to Evelyn, she wasn’t going to let it stop her from extending an invitation.

  Shoulders squared back, she headed up the porch steps and knocked on the door. When Jill’s sister-in-law, Gracie, opened it, Patty smiled. “Hi, Gracie. I was wondering if I might speak with you and Jill about a square dance.”

  “Sure. Come on in, Patty. We were just having tea with Evelyn.”

  Patty hoped she didn’t grimace at the mention of Evelyn’s name. Well, she was going to do this, and God willing, Evelyn wouldn’t pick up on how intimidated Patty felt whenever she was around. One thing she’d learned from working with animals, it was that as soon as she let the animals know she was afraid of them, the battle was over.

  She followed Gracie into the parlor. Evelyn glanced her way and nearly choked on her cookie.

  “Oh dear,” Gracie said, running over to Evelyn and handing her a cup of tea, “are you alright?”

  Evelyn drank some of her tea then dabbed her lips with a handkerchief. “I’m fine, Gracie. I just swallowed your delicious gingerbread too soon.” She offered a smile at Gracie before shooting Patty a look that told Patty she was not a welcome sight.

  Ignoring her, Patty sat in another chair. “Morning, everyone,” Patty said, knowing full well if she left Evelyn out, she’d never hear the end of it. She thanked Gracie who offered her a cup of tea and a cookie. “I hope I didn’t come at a bad time,” Patty added, glancing at Jill and Gracie. Her gaze went to Jill’s three-year-old son who was playing quietly in the corner of the room, probably bored from whatever Evelyn had been rambling on about. And who could blame him?

  “Your timing is fine, Patty,” Gracie assured her.

  “Yes, maybe it is,” Evelyn agreed once she sipped more tea. “I was just telling Jill that it might be time for her to think of marrying again. Walter’s been gone for two years. It’s perfectly acceptable for her to seek out another husband. And you have yet to marry. I was thinking it might be a good time to organize a social affair where available men and women can come together to talk and have a good time.” She cleared her throat. “When I say ‘have a good time’, I mean an appropriate good time.”

  “We knew what you meant,” Gracie said, picking up her cup of tea.

  “I just wanted to be sure Patty understood.” Evelyn glanced at Patty and smiled, only because Evelyn felt she had to for the sake of the others, Patty knew. “It’s nice to see you wearing a dress when it’s not Sunday.”

  Forcing aside the urge to groan, Patty returned her smile. “You’ll be happy to know I saved you all the trouble of coming up with a social gathering.” Turning to Jill and Gracie, she added, “And better yet, this is for everyone, not just the single folk. How would you like to go to a square dance at Greg Wilson’s ranch tomorrow evening around six? Marv can provide the food. He’s a good cook. Think of it. You can get out of making supper!”

  “A square dance at Greg Wilson’s ranch?” Evelyn asked, staring at Patty as if she’d just grown a second head.

  “Yes,” Patty said. “As it turns out, Greg and I are now awfully wedded.”

  “I think you mean ‘lawfully’ wedded,” Gracie inserted.

  Evelyn smirked. “I suppose Greg would agree on the ‘awful’ part. I can’t imagine he’d marry you willingly. Everyone knew he was opposed to marriage, especially a marriage with you.”

  “He changed his mind,” Patty insisted.

  Evelyn raised an eyebrow. “Did a gun have anything to do with the change?”

  “No, of course not. It was all his idea.” Ignoring the look of disbelief on Evelyn’s face, Patty directed her attention to Gracie and Jill. “So, what do you say? The ranch hands at Greg’s ranch are very nice, and Herb will be playing his fiddle. And best of all, there’s no pressure, Jill. If you don’t like any of them, you don’t have to see them again. And they are more than happy to welcome married couples, so your sister can keep you company in case any of them bore you.”

  Jill laughed, and Patty was glad the woman had appreciated her joke.

  “I never meant that married couples couldn’t come to the social gathering I was planning,” Evelyn spoke up. “I’m married, after all, and I’d be there with my husband.”

  “There’s no reason why you can’t do yours, too,” Patty said. “It’s just that the men at Greg’s place are eager to have a square dance, and I promised I’d extend the invitation to all the women I thought might be interested.”

  “Are they nice?” Jill asked, leaning toward Patty in interest.

  “Yes, though I can’t fully recommend Lyle,” Patty admitted. As much as she hated to say it, especially in front of Evelyn, she felt it only fair to warn Jill to avoid him. “He’s got light blond hair, is skinny, and is taller than the others. He’d be fine to dance with, but I wouldn’t let it go further than that.”

  “I would assume this square dance is only meant for dancing,” Evelyn piped up, her piercing gaze on Patty.

  “Of course, we’ll only be dancing,” Patty quickly replied, not caring for the woman’s insinuation that she’d do otherwise. Just what did Evelyn think? That Patty would invite honorable women to an orgy or something? “I only meant that I wouldn’t let Lyle court me or spend more than a few minutes talking to me, that’s all.”

  “We knew what you meant,” Gracie said. “Evelyn was just teasing.”

  Sure she was. But Patty managed to hide the roll of her eyes. “Well, what do you say? It could be a lot of fun, and like I said, you won’t have to cook anything.”

  “How many people are going to be there?” Jill asked.

  “I know I can get Heather and Mitch Grady to come, and there’s me and Greg. Then there are the seven ranch hands. That’s fourteen adults so far.” As much as she didn’t want Evelyn there, she was in the room and it would be impolite to exclude her. “If you and your husband come,” she forced, “it’d be more.”

  “I’m not going to expose my little boy and girl to a square dance,” Evelyn replied.

  Gracie and Jill both looked uncertain about Evelyn’s response, but Patty was relieved and didn’t mind showing it. “Wonderful.”

  Evelyn let out a slight huff but didn’t say anything else.

  Gracie glanced at her sister. “What do you think? Do you feel up to meeting some men?”

  After a moment, Jill nodded. “It sounds like fun. I can’t remember the last time I got to square dance.”

  “Then it’s settled,” Gracie said. “Patty, put us on the list.”

  “Thank you!” Patty rose to her feet, glad she could finally get away from Evelyn’s piercing stare. “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

  Without waiting to give Evelyn time to make another comment, Patty hurried on out of the house. At least she had secured one available woman. Now to see if she could convince any others to go.

  Chapter Seven

  Patty’s goal went better than she hoped. Two other widows, four married couples, and three single young ladies agreed to attend. Granted, the young single ladies were only seventeen or eighteen and their parents insisted on chaperoning, but she figured some men didn’t mind waiting a year or two while courting the woman of their choice.

  On her way to her friend Heather’s, she decided to stop at Stella Hudson’s. Patty didn’t know much about her, except that she was thirty-five and lived by herself on the small ranch. There were a few rumors floating around about her, of course.


  Something about her house having bats flying around in the attic, children seeing her eyes glow when she looked directly at them, and that she kept a witch’s book of spells somewhere in her kitchen. There was one rumor that even went so far as to say that she hunted down animals in the night and ate them without cooking them first.

  All of it nonsense. And most people never paid heed to these things. Patty was sure the woman was lonely. Had Patty not been so busy helping her pa out, she would have paid her a visit long before now.

  Patty slid off the horse and tied the reins to the post in front of the house. She stopped and took a good look at the place. It’d seen better days, that much was obvious. A couple of the windows were cracked, the roof needed work, and the porch steps sagged a bit. The poor woman. No wonder there were rumors floating around about her. She was out here all by herself. If anyone needed a man, it was Stella Hudson. This square dance was just the thing she needed.

  Patty bounded up to the porch and knocked on the door. She clasped her hands behind her back and smiled. When the door opened, Stella poked her head out and scanned the area.

  “What do you want?” Stella asked, her eyebrows furrowed as she finally settled her gaze on Patty.

  “I wanted to see if you were interested in going to a square dance at Greg Wilson’s ranch tomorrow evening. It’s going to be a lot of fun. There’ll be music, food, and—”

  “I’m not interested.”

  Stella started to shut the door, but Patty stopped her. “Are you sure? It’d be a shame for the men to miss out on dancing with you.”

  The woman huffed. “I’m a spinster. It’s what I’ve always been and what I’ll always be.”