Taming the Wind

*** NINE

That night Ted and Marietta Terry came to supper at the

Barnetts'. Carissa helped to put the last of the dinner on the table before taking Gloria in her arms. She was used to holding Gloria for meals, but it wouldn't be all that long before the child could sit on her own.

"I don't know why Andy gets to go on the cattle drive and I got to stay here,"

ten-year-old Marty declared as she took the seat opposite Carissa. "I can ride better than he does, and I can lasso, too."

"Girls don't usually go on cattle drives," Hannah declared. "At least not unless they absolutely have to."

"Well ... I have to," Marty said in protest. Her long blond braids, coupled with the pout on her face, made her appear years younger.

Hannah shook her finger. "That's not true, Miss Marty, and you know very well how I feel about you exaggerating things."

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"Cattle drives are hard work," William added. "And you aren't going to have any of the nice things you have here at home."

"Besides, you're too little to go on a cattle drive," her brother declared. Andy plopped down in the seat beside his sister. "You couldn't handle a stampede or calm the herd in a storm."

"I wish you weren't going, either," Hannah said, looking at her brother. "You know how I feel about this, Andy. It's dangerous."

Will put his hand out to touch hers. "Remember we talked about this, and you agreed to stop fretting. Andy is nearly thirteen and that's plenty old enough to drive cattle."

"He's right," Ted said, helping Marietta to a seat. "Boys that young go all the time. They're hardy and better able to endure the trail. Why, when I was his age I could drive a herd of a hundred by myself."

"And walk on water when they came to river crossings," Marietta added to everyone's amusement.

Ted grinned. "Well, pert near. As I recall there was a time when you thought that highly of me."

She smiled. "I still do, Teddy. I still do."

One by one the others came to the table, and as Carissa settled into her seat, she found Tyler helping her. "Here, I'll hold Gloria." He swung the little girl up into his arms before Carissa could say a word.

She looked at him for a moment, seeing how pleased Gloria was at his attention. Tyler pretended to munch on the little girl's neck and Gloria squealed.

"She certainly seems to enjoy you, Tyler," Marietta said.

"She's my special friend. Aren't you?" he said, looking to Gloria.

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"Yes. Tyer is my fwend." Gloria wrapped her arms around his neck and pretended to return the munching.

Tyler laughed and sat down beside Carissa. "I'l take her now." Carissa held out her hands.

He didn't even pretend to heed her instruction. "She's fine with me." Gloria quickly sat down on his lap and ignored her mother.

Carissa wasn't sure what to say, especially since it seemed everyone was now looking to see what her reaction might be. She lowered her gaze to the empty plate and folded her hands. Her discomfort seemed to stretch as she waited for someone to offer grace.

"Let's pray," William finally declared.

Carissa breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. She felt so confused.

Life used to be much easier--as a young woman, she would flirt and bat her eyelashes at any man who captured her fancy. She was the belle of the ball, and they all vied for her attention. Then Malcolm came along, and she thought he'd hung the moon and stars. He was so good at convincing her of his love. How could she ever trust her heart again?

"He said amen," Tyler whispered in her ear.

Carissa's head snapped upward to find everyone busily passing platters and bowls. She looked at Tyler and realized he was the only one watching her.

She gave him a weak smile. "I'm afraid I'm rather tired."

"I don't doubt it. You were hard at work every time I saw you today."

Taking up the bowl of grits, Carissa put a portion on her plate and held the ladle up. "Would you like some grits?" He smiled and nodded. "I sure do.

And I wanna top it with

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some of that good pork gravy." He looked to Gloria. "How about you, little gal? You want some grits?"

Gloria clapped her hands. "Grits are good. I want grits." He laughed and turned back to Carissa. "You heard the little lady."

Carissa pointed to her plate. "She can eat off my plate."

"Or mine," he said as if it happened every day.

Ted Terry interrupted her thoughts. "I heard from our buyer in Abilene. Prices are on the rise. There's a big demand for beef out of Chicago and New York.

Our buyer feels confident he can get us top dollar. The sooner we can get there, the better. I have a feeling once word gets around, every man and his brother will be pushing beeves north."

"So we might make more than forty a head?" William asked.

"That's what I'm thinking," Ted said, helping himself to some of the pork roast. "Maybe even as high as fifty."

"That would bring us well over a hundred thousand," William said, looking to Tyler. "Depending on how many head we lose, it might wel bring us close to ... a hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars."

"That's amazing," Marietta said, shaking her head. "Three years ago we couldn't give those animals away. I remember Ted selling five steers for ten dollars."

"Apiece?" Carissa asked casually.

"No, for all five," Marietta replied. "Two dollars a head. The war made it impossible to make any decent wage."

"She's right about that," Ted agreed. He took two large pieces of corn bread and passed the platter to Tyler. "But now the entire world is starved for beef.

The King ranch down Corpus way is shipping them out as fast as they can. I 105

heard tell that Mr. King is going into the meatpacking business, as well."

"Wouldn't that require a lot of money, to keep the beef from going bad?"

William asked. "I know they ship in ice cars on the rails, but our rail system isn't the best."

"King could be planning to send his beef out of Corpus on ships," Brandon offered. "Packing a freighter full of ice would probably keep easier than a railcar."

"Possibly. All I'm sayin'," Ted continued, "is there are gonna be a load of opportunities for us in the future. I believe we can join our efforts to accomplish great things."

"I am certainly all for that," William replied.

Carissa noted that Tyler remained silent. She wondered if this was due to his uncertain future. She wished there was some way to offer him comfort.

She wished her father and mother weren't bound for Europe. Her father had many good friends among the former Unionists. Perhaps he could have helped Tyler get back his land.

"So did you ladies plan for how you will go about living together?" Marietta asked.

Hannah nodded. "We did indeed. We took your advice and made a list for each of us. The chores are shared among the women. We may even find ourselves with time to just rest and take it easy."

"That'l be the day," Wil iam said with a snorted laugh.

"I think the only time you sit still for more than a minute is at meals, and even then you're up and down so much I very nearly get seasick."

Chuckles sounded from around the table. Carissa watched as Hannah blushed and shook her head. "The only way to get things done is to do them."

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The meal continued in a pleasant, almost celebratory, spirit. Carissa listened to the men discuss the need for extra lassos and gloves. Marietta suggested taking a stack of wool blankets in case the weather turned cold.

"You can never tell about the weather. I've heard tell of snow in Kansas even into May. Best you go prepared," she told them.

Hannah mentioned a new quilt pattern that she got in the mail, and Marietta and Laura seemed more than a little interested. Twice Carissa tried to take Gloria from Tyler, but neither the child nor the man showed any interest. She fretted that this arrangement somehow signaled to the others an intimacy she was not yet ready to concede. But by the time dessert was served, Carissa finally began to relax and realize that no one thought it strange that Tyler and Gloria should share the meal. This seemed even more apparent when Ted took young Robert Barnett from his high chair and bounced the boy on his knee.

The women cleared the table when everyone was done, and Marty took the children to play for a bit before bedtime. Carissa offered to help with the washing up, even though it wasn't her night, but Hannah waved her off.

"Go talk to Tyler," she suggested in a whisper.

Laura was standing close enough to hear and raised a brow in question.

Carissa shrugged and moved toward the back porch. Laura wasn't willing to be dismissed so easily.

"What did she mean by that? Is there a problem between you and Tyler?"

Carissa paused at the back door and shook her head. "No. Not really."

"Then what did she mean?"

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Meeting Laura's concerned expression, Carissa drew a deep breath.

"Hannah thinks that Tyler has feelings for me."

"Well, that's nothing new. I've felt that way for some time."

"She thinks I should tell Tyler that I have feelings for him,"

Carissa confessed.

"And do you?"

Carissa carefully weighed her response to Laura's question.

"I don't want to have feelings for someone who may well die on this fool cattle drive." That was easier to say than to explain her own fears regarding Malcolm and the past.

"What?"

"The drive is dangerous," Carissa said, looking Laura square in the eye. "I know that my words might offer you more to worry about, but cattle drives are dangerous and passing through Indian Territory is just asking for trouble."

"So you can't have feelings for Tyler because he might die?"

Nodding in her discomfort, Carissa continued. "Yes. I've already endured so much, Laura. To risk my heart again seems foolish."

"Well, I suppose this means that you will no longer have feelings for Gloria or Daniel."

"What? Don't talk crazy. I'll never stop having feelings for them."

"Well, children die all the time. Sickness comes and they are too little to fight it off."

"That's not the same, Laura. This is something the men are choosing to do.

They are choosing to risk their lives."

Laura nodded. "I see. Then you won't be able to love me anymore."

Carissa was growing quite frustrated. "What are you saying?

Of course I love you."

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"But I chose to have another baby. Women often die in childbirth. So since I chose to risk my life, you cannot have feelings for me."

Carissa could see Laura's point. Her shoulders dropped a bit in defeat. "All right, so life is a risk and giving one's heart is a part of it. But it doesn't stop me from being afraid."

Laura stepped forward and hugged her close. "No one said that it wouldn't be hard. Loving someone isn't the easiest thing I've ever done. I hope you won't let your fears, however, keep you from true happiness. Not all men are like Malcolm. In fact, I'm certain Tyler Atherton is nothing like Malcolm Lowe."

"I agree, he isn't." She bit her lower lip and tried to make sense of the moment. Finally she glanced back at Laura. "I suppose I should talk to him. I mean, he's shown such kindness and affection toward Gloria, and I know she needs a father."

Laura shook her head. "Don't just extend your heart to Tyler in order to get Gloria a father. You need to make certain you can love him all for yourself."

At the mention of loving Tyler, Carissa felt her chest tighten. "I think I need to pray on this. I'll speak to him in the morning." And before Laura could say another word, Carissa pushed past her and went in search of Gloria.