Melody straightened and stopped midstep. “Well enough, I suppose. Jackson Malbry was the first. He was very kindhearted. The man deserves to find himself love, but I don’t think that it will come from me. We had a nice enough supper, but frankly, I didn’t feel we had much in common. He has his wagonmaking and is God-fearing, but I think his heart will forever belong to his first wife. He spent most of ourtime together talking about her and the dreams they had together. Made me sad.”
“I’m sure losing someone you love is tough to get over. I’m surprised he responded to your father’s announcement.”
“It was probably the easiest way to find a companion. He’s lonely. That much is clear. Still, I think I’d forever live in the shadow of a woman he’s loved since childhood.”
“And the second beau?”
“He had potential but wasn’t quite right. Bruce Cadot is his name.”
“I know Mr. Cadot. He borrowed money from the bank. He seems very industrious and driven to succeed.”
“Yes. His ground is about twelve miles outside of town proper. I don’t know if I could be happy as a rancher’s wife. I like living in town. I’ve never seen myself as a farm or ranch wife. The isolation would be too much. I’ve always had people around me. We’ve been like one big traveling family since starting up with the UP, and before that we lived in a dozen other towns while Da worked for a variety of railroads. City life is what I know and appreciate.”
Charlie could understand that. He didn’t figure he’d be very good at living on a farm or ranch himself. Cheyenne was isolated enough, but it was clearly growing, and there were new people coming in daily. With that came a sense of anticipation that excited him. Each day the town was changing, and who could say where it would all end up?
“Bruce needs a wife who understands working with animals. I told him I probably wouldn’t be of any use to him. I’m rather afraid of roosters. Had one attack me right after we moved to Omaha. I don’t know how to ride horses or hitch a wagon. If I can’t walk to where I’m going, I just don’t go.”
She continued walking down the line of planted bulbs.“So my conclusion is that neither Bruce nor Jackson would make a good husband for me. Well, perhaps I should reword that. I wouldn’t make a good wife for them.”
Charlie breathed a sigh of relief. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Just keep praying about it. God will show you the right person.”
“I agree.” She reached the end of the row and bent down to take up the stake and remaining string. “Want to help me mark out the next row?”
“Sure.” He went to her and took the stake and string. “Just show me where you want it.”
“About twelve inches from the last row.” She drove her stake into the soft ground at one end. “Just take it down there and line it up.”
Charlie did as she asked, and when the row was straight, Melody gave him the okay to put his stake into the ground. Then she went to the back of the house and took up a box. When she returned, she placed it on the ground near the new row.
“I have seeds, so we’ll need to trench it out under the line and then plant them.” A rumble of thunder sounded from afar. “Guess we’ll need to get it done quickly.”
“You plant, and I’ll come behind and cover them up,” Charlie offered.
Melody nodded and went to work. They had the row taken care of in no time at all and moved on to the next and a new package of seeds. By the time it started to sprinkle, they had planted most of the seeds and a few of the plants.
“I could never have managed without you, Charlie. Where did you learn so much about gardening? I figured you probably grew up in luxury and gardening was something done by servants.”
“Well, you’re right about my life being one of ease and wealth, but my mother loved to garden, especially herbs and flowers. We had a head gardener named Ezra. I liked talking to the man and hearing his stories. He came from free black folks, and yet they suffered much the same as people in slavery. My folks were good to him and treated him as a valued member of the family and cherished employee. My father, although not as strong in his faith as my mother is, always referenced the Bible saying, ‘The worker is worth his wage.’ He paid his staff better than most, and our help always stayed on rather than leaving in search of greener pastures.”
“And Ezra taught you to garden?”
“He did. I learned a great deal from him.” Charlie grinned. “So if I ever do have a home of my own, I’ll be able to fix up a suitable garden and raise my own crops.”
She laughed. “You do surprise, Charlie Decker.”
“In a good way, I hope.”
Melody nodded. “In a very good way.”
10
Friday evening, the first of May, Melody found herself sitting across the table from Dr. Leonard Smith. The man talked incessantly about his service during the War between the States and his practice after the war. She knew from what he had said that he was thirty-eight years old, hailed from Pennsylvania originally, and he’d come west after hearing doctors were scarce in the area.
When the waiter came, Melody was more than ready to order, but to her surprise the doctor insisted on ordering for them both.
“We’ll have the lamb, cooked well, and the mixed vegetables. Also bring us bread but no butter.” Dr. Smith handed the man the chalked menu board they’d been given to consider. “And we will both have hot tea.” He glanced at Melody. “Stimulates digestion.”
She nodded, not knowing what else to do. She hadn’t planned on having any of the things he had ordered but, thankfully, knew she could live with his choices. At least it wasn’t liver.
