“Maybe, but I’d like to know for sure. I thought about talking to Reverend Bright about it. Maybe I could offer an apology at church. You know, make a public confession.” Emma shook her head. “I just don’t know who I’ve offended ... well, I know some, but others are less obvious.”
Lucille came and put her arm around Emma’s shoulders. “Pray about it and trust God to direct. Your heart is yielded to Him, and your desire is to be reconciled. God will guide you to the right people, at the right time. Then you can apologize or whatever you feel is right to do. Don’t let your contrition get bogged down in guilt. So often guilt just festers into anger or weighs you down in regret. It makes you ineffective.”
“Thank you. I know you’re right. I will commit this to more prayer.”
“Good. Now let’s get busy. Those fellas are going to show up soon and expect to be fed.”
Colton made his way to Emma’s house wondering, as he had throughout the night, what she might be thinking or feeling. He hadn’t meant to just blurt out his feelings to her thenight before. Once said, it was all he wanted to talk about. It was clear Emma didn’t share his desire to discuss, however.
She hadn’t expected his declaration. He knew that much. He could see it in her eyes. She’d been a widow just three months, and in normal circumstances, no decent man would approach with intentions of marriage. He felt bad for having put that weight on her shoulders. He blamed his brothers and their constant push for him to secure the majority stock for the family railroad. Colton felt certain that Emma would listen to whatever advice he gave her regarding the railroad sale, but his brothers were far more skeptical. Up until now it hadn’t been that urgent, but after his meeting with the Union Pacific, things were starting to move forward with new momentum. He would definitely need to discuss the railroad with Emma as soon as possible.
Colton knew she was more practical now, more mature. Once he explained a matter, she would make good choices. But why should Walter and Ernest believe that? She hadn’t been that way when she was being courted by Tommy. The twosome had been irresponsible most of the time. Tommy even more than Emma.
When Colton reached Emma’s house, he saw Rich and Gary were already standing in discussion out near the garden shed. Colton made his way over to them, cutting across the backyard area.
“Morning, Colton. Gary and I were just figuring out what we need to do first.” Rich grinned. “We both agreed ... breakfast.” He slapped Colton on the back. “The ladies should just about have everything ready. They were cooking up a storm when we came out here twenty minutes ago.”
Colton gave each man a nod. He didn’t have much in the way of work clothes, so he’d chosen his oldest pair of trousers and shirt. His hat and jacket were newer, but he could put the coat aside for the manual labor part of his day. It hadbeen a long time since Colton had worked with his hands in such a fashion. When he’d been young, his father had insisted on the boys getting an education so as to benefit the business of running the Benton empire. Physical labor was for servants and staff. Colton had trained in law, Walter in banking and finance, and Ernest in government and politics. Tommy was the only one to disappoint. Father had sent him off to higher education with a focus on business investments, but Tommy had no interest whatsoever. He would have been far happier breaking horses or learning to rope. He loved animals and had even told the family at one point that he intended to have his own horse farm where he could breed thoroughbreds for racing. At least that was something acceptable in the upper-class society his father enjoyed.
“Come and get it,” Lucille called from the back door.
Rich laughed. “Don’t have to tell me twice.”
They sat down to breakfast and marveled at the feast created by Emma, Lucille, and Rosie. Rosie seemed happier than usual, and Colton wondered if that was in part due to Mr. Vogel’s attention. When he’d headed back to the boardinghouse last night, he found them sitting on the porch talking about something as if they were old friends. It had bothered him to wonder once again if Rob was taking advantage of his sister, but he kept hearing Emma’s words of assurance that Robert Vogel was a man of good report. Still, Colton had no intention of letting the man get too close to Rosie.
“Colton, you’ve been here about a month now. When do you plan to return home?” Rich asked him. The question was one Colton didn’t have an answer for.
“I hadn’t really thought about it, sir. I’ve been meeting with a variety of railroad people. I’ve been eager to learn what plans the UP has for their future around here. For example, they’ve decided that with the large number of families settling to the south of the many Union Pacific tracks, they’regoing to build a viaduct over the tracks to connect the south side settlement with town.”
“What’s a viaduct?” Rosie asked.
“It’s a road that will go over the railroad tracks on a bridge-like structure,” Colton explained. “They also plan for the streetcar line to expand and go to the south as well.”
Emma offered him a plate of flapjacks. “I read in the newspaper that the streetcar line is about to be completed from Capitol Avenue to Lake Minnehaha.”
Colton took the platter and added a couple of the cakes to his plate before passing it to his right. “They seem to be expanding the streetcar in all directions.” He had come to enjoy this casual style of family dining. Back in Texas, there had always been someone to serve him.
“We’ve definitely seen this place grow over the years, haven’t we, Lucille?” Rich said, shaking his head. “Hard to believe there was hardly anything here twenty years ago.”
“It’s true. I remember thinking then that we’d come to the end of the world,” Emma said, laughing.
“It’s always been an ambitious little town,” Lucille admitted. “I remember when they put in some very fine dress stores not long after the town was established. They carried Worth gowns in one of them. I don’t know where they thought the women out here were going to wear them, but ladies bought them just the same. At least, the very wealthy ladies did.”
“Of course, those fancy European noblemen all wanted to have their own ranches out here. They set up those big ranches and hired folks to live there and care for them, at least until the Great Die-Up.” Rich referenced the horrible winter of 1886 and ’87. Thousands upon thousand of livestock had died in the Cheyenne area alone. “After that, a great many of them pulled out.”
“Takes a tough man to stand up to the weather out here.”Lucille chuckled. “My Frank used to say that all the time, and now I hear it from Rich.”
“Well, it’s true. This ain’t the place for those fancy dudes and their dreams of ridin’ the range. A fella has to work hard to make a go of it out here.”
The talk continued, and the question of how long Colton planned to stay was soon forgotten, just as he’d hoped it might be when he brought up the subject of plans for the city’s future.
When the men moved outside, the conversation was only about the chicken coop and the decision to attach it to the far side of the garden tool shed.
“The other side has the little apartment, so no sense building the coop on that side,” Rich said, already starting to walk off the space needed for the coop. “I think this will be just right. Once the building is in place, we can attach the fence post to the wall of the coop and bring it out about ten feet. We’ll dig a trench to put the fence a little ways into and stake it down. That will keep the critters from trying to dig under to get to the chickens.”
Rich and Gary had obviously worked together on more than one occasion. Colton was impressed at the way they seemed to read each other’s minds as they worked to put together a frame for the addition. Rich took Colton in hand and had him hold the newly built wall frame in place while he and Gary nailed it to the shed. Little by little, the coop took shape.
“We’ll build some nesting boxes and roosts,” Rich said, grabbing a two-by-four. “Once we have the roof on. Gary, you might as well start working on it. We’re going to slant it to the back, that way the snow will slide right off the back with the push of a broom. Won’t be hard for the gals to keep up with in the winter.”
