Fancy who walked through the swinging bat wing doors replied as well.
“I didn’t hear the question, but if the others say yes, so do I. Callie Mae, Mrs. Dixon was thrilled to hear the news and she said to tell you she’ll have everything ready.”
“Wonderful,” Callie said, clapping her hands together. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, Horace, we have lots of work to do.”
Dr. Brubaker snatched up his bag.
“I can see I’m of no use here,” he replied, “so I’ll take my leave. Unless you need my help, Morgan.”
“No, I think I can handle things,” Morgan replied. “I don’t know what you did, Doc, but it seems as though the target has been removed from my back and placed right in the middle of yours. Good luck with that.”
Nodding, Horace walked through the doors leaving them swinging wildly in his haste.
Morgan tried to ignore the snickering and giggling going on.
Morganand his bride never did make it to the Blue Bonnet Café for lunch. It was late in the afternoon by the time Callie Mae put on her bonnet and walked the girls over to the café for dinner with Lilly flying out of the millinery, hot on her heels.
“I usually bring dinner over to the girls, Callie Mae,” she panted as she struggled to keep up with the group.
“Not tonight, Lilly,” Callie answered coolly. “They worked hard today, and they deserve a nice meal out. Order whatever you like girls,” she instructed, “and have some dessert as well. I’ll settle up with Laurie tomorrow. Here’s the key, Marilee. I’ve locked the door behind us. When you’ve finished and return to The Duchess make sure you lock up for the evening.”
“What’s all the fuss about?” Lilly asked as Callie Mae turned to climb into the wagon beside Morgan when he pulled it up beside the boardwalk in front of the café.
“We’re opening back up on Thursday,” Callie answered smoothly. “You might want to keep your windows closed and your shades pulled. I know how all the noise and commotion bothers you. Goodnight, Lilly.”
As a result of the change in plans, Morgan and Callie Mae were starving on the wagon ride back to the farm. Morgan wasted no time in whipping the horses up to a fast trot, his stomach growling, and his temper short. For the most part it was a quick and silent trip and Callie Mae found herself fidgeting on her seat. It was not going to be a pleasant night and she figured she’d be sleeping on her stomach, but it was worth it.
Her girls were happy, she was happy, Laurie was happy and the drovers coming into town would sure as hell be happy. The only ones who weren’t were Morgan, Marshal Riley and apparently, Dr. Brubaker. In any case, those naysayers were outnumbered. She could live with that.
“Aren’t you even going to talk to me?” she asked when they were a mile out from the farm.
“I’ve got nothing more to say,” her husband replied shortly.
“I’m only trying to do what’s best for everybody,” she stated coolly. “Why can’t you understand?”
“It’s not best for me, Callie Mae,” he snapped. “Having my wife in a saloon every night is not the way I planned to start married life. Not to mention, you’re breaking a promise you made to me. I need some time to think things over.”
“I’m sorry you feel as though I’ve let you down,” she replied sadly. “It was not my intention. I truly believed we’d be able to find someone to manage The Duchess, but shutting down permanently was never my goal. I never deceived you, Morgan. You knew I had obligations when we married, not the least of all is the girls. I have a duty to them. I must provide a roof over their heads and care for them until such time as they decide to move on. It’s a commitment I made when I took them in. Just because I married you doesn’t mean I’ll abandon them.”
“I understand that. And yes, you have to provide for them, but we can do that in other ways. Hell, if I had to, I could build another house on the farm. At least you would all be safe and protected.”
“Yes, and The Duchess would fall to ruin,” she shot back. “I have a loan to pay back, and to tell you the truth, I love being able to run my own business. There’s also Laurie Dixon to think about. Now that she’s making extra money by providing food to the drovers who over imbibe, her situation will improve significantly. Do you expect me to let her, and those boys suffer as well?”
“Of course not,” he answered. “I guess I had the wrong idea about things all along. I figured women were different here.”
“What do you mean, here?” she asked looking at him strangely.
“Nothing, I don’t mean anything,” he answered brickly as he pulled the wagon around to the back porch. “You go on in and eat. I’ll unhitch the team and see to the chores. Tell Ma I’ll have my supper when I’m done.”
Callie Mae climbed down on her own and watched her husband click the reins. Standing on the porch she waited until he got to the barn before going inside.
Morgan tookcare of the horses, making sure they each had a nice bag of feed after he got them into their stalls. Today had been a revelation. Women weren’t so different after all. Sure, he could punish his wife if he chose to. That was his right as the man of the family. Hell, a man could even beat his woman and pay no consequences, and he supposed some men did. Maybe that was why some women seemed so docile.
Yes, he was angry. Yes, he was frustrated, but he’d never intentionally hurt a woman, other than to blister her backside. In his opinion, Callie Mae deserved a good licking. She’s argued with him, contradicted him, and sassed him, and all in public. A private contentious discussion was one thing, a public argument for all the town to hear about was another.
In his time, many women owned and operated their own businesses. If a man told them to close it or sell it because he didn’t like what they were doing, that man would likely be told to fucking kiss their ass and be kicked to the curb. His bride hadn’t gone that far, but she’d clearly made her intentions known and she showed no sign she was willing to back down. Shaking his head, he took care of some chores in the barn as his mind tried to come up with a solution. He wanted to save face, he admitted. In this day and age, a man who could not manage his wife was considered a pansy. In his time, he would be called pussy whipped. Either term didn’t sit well with him.
Part of him was a tiny bit proud of Callie Mae he acknowledged privately. She was spunky and feisty, qualities that attracted him right from the get-go. He liked that she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. He admired her dedication to both the girls and the business she’d sunk every penny into. Still, it was dangerous. There was no escaping that. A saloon drew the worst type of man, and most of them were looking for more than a cool drink at the end of the dusty trail.
