“Sitting at the side of the house downing the contents of a bottle isn’t trying. Now this is what you’re going to do.” As shespoke, she urged him to his feet and steered him toward the house. “You’re going to get sober and stay sober and do the job Zach hired you to do.”
They entered the kitchen. “Kat, would you take Poppy out to play, please?”
“Aw. I’d like to see what you do.”
“And I don’t want Poppy to witness this. Please.”
Kat sighed, a sound that carried a whole world of grievances. “Come on, Poppy. Let’s go.”
Pa remained at the table. He blinked at Gil as he sat across from him. “You smell awful.”
“But I feel good.” Gil’s laugh wobbled. “Mostly.”
“You’ll feel better when you drink this.” Amelia emptied the coffeepot into a cup and set it before him. “While you do, I’ll make some fresh.”
A little later, he had downed two more cups of strong coffee and was sober enough to make sense. And Pa was right. Gil smelled bad. “Go wash up somewhere and put on clean clothes. You aren’t fit to be around decent company.”
Scowling and muttering, Gil stalked from the house. She didn’t know where he’d wash, nor did she care. So long as he didn’t have another bottle stashed somewhere. With that in mind, she watched him cross to the barn, remove his boots, and step into the water trough, fully dressed.
“Now to get my things inside.”
Upstairs, she poked her head into the five bedrooms. Zach called this a small house? She found one room empty except for a bed, a table at the bedside, and a large wardrobe. It would do just fine. She’d make Poppy a nest on the floor so she wouldn’t worry about her falling out of bed.
Back downstairs, she went outside. The two girls played on a swing.
“Kat, can you help me with my trunk?”
Moving with deliberate slowness to let Amelia know how put out she was about this, Kat put Poppy down and sauntered over. Poppy followed on her heels.
“How long you staying?” Not an ounce of welcome in that question.
Well, never mind. The initial shock had worn off, and Amelia’s resolve had grown. She’d prove her worth while she was here.
They struggled up the stairs with the trunk and into the bedroom before she answered. “I don’t rightly know.”
They traipsed back downstairs and out to the wagon. The crate was easier to take up to the room.
As they descended this time, Mr. Taggerty waited at the bottom of the stairs. “Have you come to help?”
His face puckered up with trying to sort out this change in his household.
She smiled. “Yes, I’m here to help. Is that all right?”
He thought about it for a minute, then smiled. “I like that.”
Amelia turned to Kat. “How about you? Do you find that acceptable?”
Kat shrugged. “Don’t matter to me. I aim to be doing some cowboyin’.”
“Great. Then I have just the job for you.”
Kat brightened. “Yeah? Sounds good.”
“You can help me take care of the horses.” Zach left them hitched to the wagon, no doubt expecting Gil to tend them.
“That ain’t cowboyin’. That’s chorin’.”
Amelia managed to get the girl to the door as they talked. “I spent days traveling here, and in that time, I saw lots of cowboys. Never saw one who would neglect a horse.”
