father dismissed her statement with an impatient wave of his hand. “And just what kind of life can a girl make for herself without a husband and young’uns?”
Cassie Lynn’s chest tightened as she realized that trying to explain her dreams to him was useless, that he would never understand. So instead of responding to his statement, she changed the subject. “Was there something you came here to see me about?”
Her father nodded. “Verne bought himself some land of his own to farm, and he and Dinah are planning to build a house on it and move out.”
Cassie Lynn smiled, genuinely pleased for her older brother. “Verne always loved working the land. He’ll do well.”
“That he will. But once he and his wife move away, that leaves me and your other brothers on our own.”
Her stomach clenched. She knew what was coming next, and she frantically searched her mind for a way to stave it off.
But her father pressed on. “I want you to come back home and take your place as lady of the house. Since it doesn’t look like you’re going to have a home and family of your own to care for anytime soon, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
No! She’d already escaped that life. She couldn’t return to that lonely drudgery. “I’ve made a commitment to take care of Mrs. Flanagan,” she protested, “and I can’t go back on my word. Surely you wouldn’t expect me to.”
“No, I suppose not. A Vickers’s word is never given lightly.” Her father rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “How long does Doc Pratt say she’s gonna be stuck in that chair?”
“Probably another four or five weeks.”
He nodded in satisfaction. “Well then, that shouldn’t be a problem. Even if Verne is ready to move out sooner, I’m sure I can convince him to stay that long.”
Cassie Lynn steeled herself to take a stand. Her father couldn’t force her to return to the farm. “I didn’t say I would come home when I’m done here. I told you, I’m starting a bakery business.”
He frowned. “Of course you’ll come home. This town doesn’t need a baker—any housewife worth her salt can do her own baking. So there’s nothing here in town to hold you.” He eyed her sternly. “Me and your brothers work hard keeping that farm going—sunup to sundown most days. You don’t want us to have to cook our own meals and do all the housework, too, do you?”
“No, of course not. But—”
He gave a decisive nod. “Good. Then it’s agreed. I’ll expect you back when your work here is done.” And with a quick pat to her shoulder, her father departed, apparently assuming the subject was closed.
Cassie Lynn’s fists tightened at her sides as she watched him walk away. If her father had his way, she’d have only four or five weeks before her world drew in once more to the narrow confines of the isolated farm—the world she thought she’d escaped for good. She couldn’t let that happen.
How could her father expect her to meekly return home, as if she had no ambitions for her life? So what if she didn’t yet have a husband? She was only twenty-two! It wasn’t as if she was past marriageable age. Besides, what chance did she ever have of finding a man if she returned to the farm?
But how could she refuse her father when he was so determined? Especially when it was her fault that her mother was no longer around to fill that role.
Cassie Lynn picked up the basket and began to slowly walk down the sidewalk, trying to tamp down her panic and focus on finding a solution to this problem. She’d tried to reason with her father and she’d tried to stand against him, and neither tactic had been very effective. What did that leave?
The Good Lord commanded that children should honor their parents, and she certainly didn’t want to dishonor her father, but surely there was a way out of this without having to outright stand against him.
She wasn’t surprised that her father thought a woman’s only goal should be to look after the men in her life. It was how he’d treated her mother, after all. Cassie Lynn had never heard him, or her brothers, for that matter, utter a word of thanks for all her mother had done. And they’d certainly never extended her that courtesy, either, after her mother had passed.
She paused as an idea occurred to her. According to her father’s own words, if she had a husband, or at least a serious suitor, he wouldn’t have asked her to come home. So, perhaps that was her answer.
She just had to get herself a beau before her commitment to Mrs. Flanagan was completed.
* * *
Riley Walker stepped out of the Turnabout train depot, ushering his niece and nephew before him. This hadn’t been a planned stop, but the kids had gotten restless and a bit cranky after three days of travel, so he figured it wouldn’t hurt to lay over here for a few days. After all, the meeting in Tyler wasn’t until next Wednesday morning, a whole week away.
Besides, his horse, River, was no doubt ready to escape the livestock car and have a chance to get some freedom to move about, as well. A quick look to his left showed Riley that the gray gelding was already being led off the train.
He turned to the kids and pointed to a bench near the depot door. “Sit over there while I see to River. Don’t move from this spot, understand?”
Ten-year-old Pru nodded and took her seven-year-old brother’s hand. Riley watched until she and Noah were seated, once again feeling his own inadequacy as guardian to these children. But they’d needed a protector when their mother died and so they’d been stuck with him.
He turned and quickly took possession of his horse, checking the animal carefully for any injuries he might have sustained on the trip. Satisfied, Riley led him to where the kids were seated.
“Ready? Let’s get River settled at the livery and then we’ll head over to the hotel.” He’d gotten directions to both establishments when he’d stepped inside the depot to make arrangements for their bags to be delivered to the hotel.
“How long can we stay here, Uncle Riley?” Noah asked.
Riley heard the hopeful note in the boy’s voice, and made a quick decision. “What do you say we stay through Sunday so we can all attend church service here? Would you like that?”
Noah nodded enthusiastically.
Riley turned to his niece. “What about you, Pru?”
She nodded, as well, though with more reserve than her brother. Pru was normally quiet and shy, but this listlessness was unusual. Was all the traveling they were doing starting to wear on her?
Fortunately, the livery stable was near the train station so they reached it quickly.
* * *
Cassie Lynn placed her now full shopping basket at her feet and leaned against the corral fence behind the livery stable.
She dug the apple slices from her pocket. Already the two resident horses were trotting over to see what she’d brought them today.
“Here you go, Duchess,” she crooned as she held out her hand and let the black mare lip two slices from her palm.
She
