“She’s a good cook, to be sure.”
“And we’re blessed that she takes pity on her busy friends.”
Melody knew that she was about to get all the busier and didn’t want Da to worry. “I’ll make sure to see you fed, Da. Never worry. Mrs. Cooper said I can figure out the hoursthat work best for me. I can even come home during the day and take care of business here, then return to their house.”
“I wasn’t worried about it, my dear. Ya’ve never failed me, and I don’t believe ya’ll start now.”
5
Charlie had never been so full in his life. He figured most of the men around the table probably felt as stuffed as he did. Mrs. Cooper had put on an amazing Easter luncheon, and none had been shy about eating.
“Mrs. Cooper, I am amazed at all that you prepared for us,” Charlie said, shaking his head, “and it was so very good.”
“It was indeed,” Otis Jackson replied. “Had my newspaper been up and running, I would’ve devoted an entire article to you, ma’am.”
The older woman laughed. “You boys are too kind. Most of it’s just simple fare that my ma and granny taught me. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it.”
“It’s a pity Mr. Nyman had to miss this,” Otis continued. “I’m sure whatever he’s managed to eat in Denver isn’t nearly as good.”
“Mr. Nyman told me he has an elderly aunt in Denver, so perhaps they’ve partnered together to share an Easter meal,” Mrs. Cooper explained.
Charlie knew from a discussion with Nyman that he had bought into a new freighting business that made regular runsbetween Denver and Cheyenne. It worked well for the man because his aunt allowed him to have a room in her small house so that he didn’t need to keep two residences. Still, Charlie figured Nyman got the worse of the deal in missing out on Faith Cooper’s Easter feast.
The conversation changed several times, finally landing on cattle and the great number of herds that were forming up around the growing town. Charlie listened with great interest as the railroad men, who seemed to have some knowledge of cattle, discussed the necessary needs that the ranchers would have.
“So long as the grass and water are good, they’ll be in great shape,” Bryce declared, nodding when Mrs. Cooper offered him another cup of coffee.
“A couple of our boys raise cattle in Kansas,” she said before moving on to the next boarder to fill his cup.
“The real problem will come in the winter months,” Stuart Johnson piped up. “You have to be ready to supplement their feed and bring them into safety up here. Blizzards can be fierce, especially when they last for days.”
“Yes, but the newspaper ran an article earlier this month about Seth Wood. He left his cattle out to range all winter and did just fine. Hardly lost any at all.”
“I heard the same for a couple of other herds. Most got through just fine,” Otis said, helping himself to another dinner roll.
“Most, but not all.”
Charlie listened as they discussed the various farms and ranches in the area and how well or poorly they’d done. Seemed sheep were also taking to the land around Cheyenne. There was talk of the small temporary slaughterhouse becoming permanent and expanding.
“Once they make up their minds about running trains up from Denver, this place is going to be busier than ever before,” Mr. Cooper declared. “We’ll need that slaughterhouse running full time. I’ll bet our population will triple. Maybe even quadruple.”
“Quadruple. What a word,” Mrs. Cooper said, shaking her head.
Once dinner was over, Charlie offered to help wash up. Mrs. Cooper was more than happy to accept his offer. “We’re bringing some help in, starting in the morning,” she told Charlie. “A young lady who goes to our church, Melody Doyle.”
“I met her at the bank.” Charlie easily remembered her sweet smile and pretty face.
“She looks as delicate as a china doll, but I’ve seen that girl hoist a fifty-pound sack of flour over her shoulder. She’s got muscle aplenty on that petite frame.”
Charlie laughed and took up a dish towel to dry the plates that Mrs. Cooper had just washed. “She seemed capable of handling herself, and she invited me to church tonight.”
“She’s a good Christian girl. Her pa is a godly man. He works for the railroad but had an accident a few months back, so he’s healing up right now. I reckon once he’s well, he’ll be heading on west with the railroad.”
“Town seems a little emptier every day. I haven’t even been here that long, and I have certainly noticed.”
Mrs. Cooper handed him one of the plain white plates. “It was a terrible place last winter. Fighting and murdering. Thieves everywhere. A woman couldn’t walk alone in town. Not even in the better part. It just wasn’t safe.”
“And is it now?”
