can’t be a wife. I know nothing of how to be one. I can only cook moderately. I can mend things pretty well, but my sewing is otherwise atrocious. I don’t dance very well at all, and I certainly can’t sing.”
Patience got to her feet and put her hands on her hips. “Lacy Gallatin, you have many talents that are far more useful to a man living in this territory. You ride and shoot, you can set up a camp and hunt down food if necessary. Your family will never go hungry, even if the meal is poorly prepared.” She smiled. “A woman on the frontier has to be able to work hard at her husband’s side. Dancing and singing are hardly important when there’s a blizzard blowing in and your best breeders decide to start dropping their calves early.”
“But that’s all well and fine for a rancher’s wife. I’ll be a lawman’s wife. Dave will probably become the sheriff or town marshal wherever we live, and I in turn will be expected to keep a tidy little house, maybe even cook for the prisoners in our jail.” She frowned. “Of course, that might be a deterrent to breaking the law.”
Laughing, Patience shook her head. “Lacy, you are perfectly capable of learning to do anything you need to. And you aren’t alone in this. The Bible clearly shows that the older women are to teach the younger. I’m more than happy to help you in any way I can. I’m sure your sisters feel the same. Girls aren’t just born knowing how to cook and sew. Believe me, you won’t be the first bride who goes into her marriage burning the supper.”
“You just don’t understand,” Lacy said, getting to her feet. “No one does. Dave doesn’t deserve a wife like me.”
Dave slipped away from his parents’ house, having overheard most of his mother’s discussion with Lacy. He felt a new tenderness in his heart for the woman he’d asked to be his wife. Lacy’s fears were evident, but at least now he understood the reasoning behind them. He’d never considered her role as the wife of a lawman. If he did take on a position of town marshal or sheriff, he would be a community leader of sorts. Lacy was right—it would put them under public scrutiny. No wonder Lacy was afraid.
“You heading back to Gallatin Crossing?” his father asked as Dave walked into the barn.
“Yeah, as soon as Lacy is ready. I went to get her, but she and Ma were talking.”
His father smiled, then bent to line up several milk cans. “Your mama is going to love having a daughter around. I think you couldn’t have picked a better woman.”
“Thank you,” Dave said, leaning up against the stall. “I’ve loved her for a long time now.”
“I know,” his father said with a chuckle.
“How so? When did you first know that I loved her?”
His father shrugged. “Probably when her pa died and you made it your personal crusade to find his killer.”
“But . . . that was just a part of doing my duty.”
“Was it? Seemed a mite more personal than that.”
There was no sense in denying his father’s point. Dave knew deep in his heart that he had given George Gallatin’s death more attention than any other crime in the area. It always bothered him that Lacy thought him slack on his duties when it came to finding the killer. She had no way of knowing how it consumed him.
“Can I ask you something?”
His father straightened. “You know you can.”
“Well, I know that Lacy is worried about finding her father’s killer. I want that, as well, but she’s putting it between us like a dragon I need to slay before she’ll marry me.”
His father considered this and nodded. “And if you can’t find the killer?”
“That’s the thing. I think I can. The pieces are falling into place, and I’m hopeful it won’t be long before the truth is known. But then what?”
“You afraid she’ll come up with some other task for you to accomplish?”
Dave nodded. “I can’t help but think that resolving this matter isn’t really the point at all.
Patience got to her feet and put her hands on her hips. “Lacy Gallatin, you have many talents that are far more useful to a man living in this territory. You ride and shoot, you can set up a camp and hunt down food if necessary. Your family will never go hungry, even if the meal is poorly prepared.” She smiled. “A woman on the frontier has to be able to work hard at her husband’s side. Dancing and singing are hardly important when there’s a blizzard blowing in and your best breeders decide to start dropping their calves early.”
“But that’s all well and fine for a rancher’s wife. I’ll be a lawman’s wife. Dave will probably become the sheriff or town marshal wherever we live, and I in turn will be expected to keep a tidy little house, maybe even cook for the prisoners in our jail.” She frowned. “Of course, that might be a deterrent to breaking the law.”
Laughing, Patience shook her head. “Lacy, you are perfectly capable of learning to do anything you need to. And you aren’t alone in this. The Bible clearly shows that the older women are to teach the younger. I’m more than happy to help you in any way I can. I’m sure your sisters feel the same. Girls aren’t just born knowing how to cook and sew. Believe me, you won’t be the first bride who goes into her marriage burning the supper.”
“You just don’t understand,” Lacy said, getting to her feet. “No one does. Dave doesn’t deserve a wife like me.”
Dave slipped away from his parents’ house, having overheard most of his mother’s discussion with Lacy. He felt a new tenderness in his heart for the woman he’d asked to be his wife. Lacy’s fears were evident, but at least now he understood the reasoning behind them. He’d never considered her role as the wife of a lawman. If he did take on a position of town marshal or sheriff, he would be a community leader of sorts. Lacy was right—it would put them under public scrutiny. No wonder Lacy was afraid.
“You heading back to Gallatin Crossing?” his father asked as Dave walked into the barn.
“Yeah, as soon as Lacy is ready. I went to get her, but she and Ma were talking.”
His father smiled, then bent to line up several milk cans. “Your mama is going to love having a daughter around. I think you couldn’t have picked a better woman.”
“Thank you,” Dave said, leaning up against the stall. “I’ve loved her for a long time now.”
“I know,” his father said with a chuckle.
“How so? When did you first know that I loved her?”
His father shrugged. “Probably when her pa died and you made it your personal crusade to find his killer.”
“But . . . that was just a part of doing my duty.”
“Was it? Seemed a mite more personal than that.”
There was no sense in denying his father’s point. Dave knew deep in his heart that he had given George Gallatin’s death more attention than any other crime in the area. It always bothered him that Lacy thought him slack on his duties when it came to finding the killer. She had no way of knowing how it consumed him.
“Can I ask you something?”
His father straightened. “You know you can.”
“Well, I know that Lacy is worried about finding her father’s killer. I want that, as well, but she’s putting it between us like a dragon I need to slay before she’ll marry me.”
His father considered this and nodded. “And if you can’t find the killer?”
“That’s the thing. I think I can. The pieces are falling into place, and I’m hopeful it won’t be long before the truth is known. But then what?”
“You afraid she’ll come up with some other task for you to accomplish?”
Dave nodded. “I can’t help but think that resolving this matter isn’t really the point at all.
Similar Books
