Rosie’s hand shot up along with most of the other women’s. Marybeth smiled. “What say we all agree to bring five dozen cookies each. If you want to make more, that would be fine, but I’m hoping some of you will agree to bake other things like breads, dinner rolls, hand pies, and cakes. I’ve no doubt that everything will sell quickly. It’s roundup season, and every ranch around here has extra cowboys. This along with the hundreds of firemen who are coming will make for a quick sale. In the past, the men have swooped in and bought up everything before noon, so whatever you’re planning to make, just keep in mind we cannot make too much. Since I first got involved in these bake sales for the church building fund, I’ve never seen anything left over.”
“I’ll be happy to make hand pies,” Melody Decker declared. “I’ll get the children helping with it. We have the ovens at the school as well as the house. I think between me and my brood, we can promise to make ten dozen and at least as many cookies.”
“Oh goodness,” Mrs. Cooper said, shaking her head. “Thatwould be wonderful. I figure I can get my kitchen girl to help me bake loaves of bread. We’ll pledge at least eight loaves and five dozen cookies.”
Other women chimed in, with Marybeth doing her best to write down the information. Everyone was eagerly talking at once.
Rosie leaned over to Emma. “What should we promise to make?”
Emma smiled. “What would you like for us to make?”
“Well, I think we can make a lot of cookies. You can afford to buy extra ingredients, right?”
“Of course. Whatever we need, I’ll arrange it.”
Rosie nodded with great enthusiasm. “Some people can’t afford to bake a lot, but we can. Let’s make lots of cookies and get Mrs. Olson to make those little frosted cakes she makes sometimes. They’re so good.”
“I agree they are. They’re kind of delicate though.” Emma imagined a big burly cowboy grabbing Mrs. Olson’s lighter-than-air cakes and plopping them into his mouth two at time.
“Can we make a lot of different kinds of cookies, Emma?”
Rosie’s excitement over the idea of making dozens and dozens of cookies in a hot kitchen made Emma want to laugh out loud. She remembered how, as a child, such suggestions only brought to mind the discomfort of the work to come. For Rosie, it was all pure joy.
Oh, Lord, I want to have a joyful heart like Rosie. A heart of giving and love.
“We can make as many kinds of cookies as we can figure out how to make. Out at the ranch, there’s a tin box with old recipes my mama used to make. We can ride out there tomorrow, look them over, and copy down the ones we want to make.”
Rosie gave Emma a hug. “This is going to be so much fun.”
“Marybeth?” Sarah Cadot spoke up.
“Yes, Sarah?”
The other ladies quieted.
“What about making candy? I know it’s harder to do in the heat of summer, but I got a nice sized shipment of maple syrup from my sister. I could make up a bunch of maple candy and keep it cool in the cellar until the tournament celebration.”
“Oh, that sounds heavenly. I remember how popular that new fudge candy and divinity was at our Christmas sale,” Marybeth replied.
“We’ll make a whole bunch of cookies. Too many to even count,” Rosie declared. “And we’re going to ask Mrs. Olson if she’ll help teach us to make some little cakes. She makes them so good.”
Thinking of something Rosie had said, Emma had an idea. “And if anyone has plenty of time on their hands and not enough supplies, I’d be happy to contribute the needed baking goods. Coming up with supplies is easier for me right now than it might be for others.”
“That’s so generous of you, Emma. Thank you!” Marybeth was quite excited by this announcement. “I know that’s often a hindrance of mine, as we’ve been coming up with money to send Daniel back east to college. Some of you other ladies have your own financial limits. Don’t let your pride stand in the way. Please take advantage of this offer from Emma since it’s all going to the church.”
Again the room grew noisy with chatter as the women began figuring what they would make and need. Emma felt a sense of connection that she’d never felt before. These sales had been going on as long as Cheyenne had existed. The Methodist women were good at holding bake sales several times a year to raise money for the building fund, but Emma hadn’t cared much about them ... until now.
As the discussions continued and the afternoon wore on,Greta called Rosie to her side, and together they arranged and served refreshments. Emma had never been so glad for a glass of iced lemonade in her life. She felt as if she could down the contents in just a couple of big gulps, but forced herself to be more ladylike.
By the time the ladies started departing for home, Emma had enjoyed two glasses of the cold drink and was on her third when Melody Decker approached.
“I love your idea of providing supplies for the women who don’t have the money to donate such things themselves. That was positively brilliant. I wish I’d thought of it.”
“I feel quite inadequate at times, but since I inherited this money, I might as well use it to better things around me.”
“Oh, I agree. I grew up knowing poverty at times. My da worked for one railroad or another, and we always managed but never had a great deal to show for it. When I married Charlie, I married into banking money and was surprised at how my days of counting pennies were no longer needed.” She laughed. “And it’s a good thing too. With ten children, there’s always something to purchase, mend, or make. When I get that brood to work making cookies and hand pies, we’ll have enough to feed half of Cheyenne.”
“Ten children. I can’t even begin to imagine. I don’t know that I would be much good with that many to watch over, but I would like to have a family one day.”
