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Walt nodded looking excited.
After supper, the men went outside to talk while the ladies worked together to get the dishes done. “You don’t have to help me,” Charlotte protested for what seemed like the hundredth time.
“If you come to my house for supper, I sure hope you won’t leave me with all the dishes,” Ada said. “It’s better this way. We all help each other out.”
Cassandra nodded. “I’ll wash, Ada will dry, and you put everything away because you know where it goes.”
Mrs. Royal sat at the kitchen table, a baby on each knee. “I’ll just sit here with the babies.”
Cassandra smiled at her mother-in-law. “I know that’s where you’re happiest.”
“Where’s Walt?” Charlotte asked, only then realizing he was missing.
“Oh, I’m sure he’s out with the men,” Ada said. “He seems to be really taken with Earl.”
“He is! I never dreamed he’d latch onto him that way. From the instant we laid eyes on him, Walt has only wanted to be close to him. Every morning he searches the house for him, and I have to remind him that he’s out working on the ranch.”
Cassandra laughed. “I guess that’s better than hating him, isn’t it?”
“Oh, I’m not complaining one little bit. Earl is really good with him and treats him as if he was his own child.” Charlotte couldn’t believe how entwined her life had become with Earl’s even though he’d only been there for a week.
Mrs. Royal said from the table, “That’s wonderful. I was raised by my father and my stepmother, and she made it clear every day until I moved out that she didn’t like me, and I had no right to be there. I’m glad Earl knows how to show love to your son.”
“Me too,” Charlotte said. She’d never even thought about how bad it could be until her new husband arrived. She didn’t know what she would have done if he hadn’t accepted Walt as his own. She’d been very fortunate with the man who had come to marry her.
When the women finished with the dishes, the men came back inside and they all talked for a short while, but again, they seemed to split between men and women. It was something Charlotte had never noticed before. “Why do the men talk to just the other men, and the women to just the other women?” she finally asked after observing the odd split.
Mrs. Royal was the one to respond. “The men have more in common to discuss. They talk about the weather and ranching, among other things. We women don’t have a lot of interest in those things, but we can talk about our favorite receipts and what kind of sewing projects we have coming up as well as the children. Well, we can talk about anything we want, but you’ll notice those have been our main topics of conversation tonight.”
Charlotte thought about it for a moment. “You’re right. And when I catch the odd word the men are saying, they do seem to be talking a lot about the branding on Monday. I guess it makes sense. I’ve just never noticed it before.”
Ada laughed. “Oh, it happens at every party. Back east when I was going to dance after dance, the men would only talk to the ladies if they were asking them to dance. My mother could never figure out why I couldn’t find a man that way. I kept telling her I wanted to know more about a man than how well he could waltz.”
The other women laughed. Finally, Cassandra stood. “It’s getting late, and we have church in the morning. I think we need to say goodnight.”
Charlotte got to her feet as well. “I’m so glad you all came,” she said. “I’ve never had so much fun in my life.”
Ada and Cassandra shared a look. “We’re going to invite you to make jam with us this summer,” Cassandra said. “Then you’ll see what fun really is.”
Charlotte realized then what she’d been missing out on. Now she had real friends, and it would keep her going no matter what.
As the others left, she looked down at Walt. “I think it’s time for you to go to bed.”
Walt looked annoyed, but he was obedient as always, allowing Earl to carry him to his room. After they’d said their goodnights, they closed the door behind them, and Charlotte turned to Earl. “Ready for your surprise?”
Chapter Eight
“I thought it was a secret.” The look Earl gave Charlotte was of utter confusion.
“It’s both!” She took his hand and pulled him toward her bedroom, and his eyes widened. When she opened her door, and he could see his things scattered about in her room, including a photograph of Patsy, he froze.
“I can’t do this yet,” he said, shaking his head. “Especially not with Patsy watching.” He turned and hurried away from her, going to the barn to milk Sally. Once he reached the barn, he heaved a deep breath.
He was torn. More than anything in the world, he wanted to make love with his wife, but the memories of Patsy and her love for him weren’t going anywhere.
He stared at the cow for a good long while before pulling up the three-legged milking stool and grabbing the milk pail from its hook on the wall. His motions were slow and deliberate as he thought about the last time he saw his sweet Patsy’s face. Did it mean he was giving up on their love if he was physical with another woman?
Of course, the other woman was his wife, and someone he had deep respect for, but he wasn’t yet in love with Charlotte. Maybe that should be his line. As soon as he loved Charlotte—and he didn’t think that moment was far into the future—then he would make love with his wife.
