Place to Belong, a by Lauraine Snelling Page B

would not travel with her unless they were married. She said she would come along when needed. That meant they’d need money for more railway fares, hotel rooms, meals. The list not only seemed unending, it kept lengthening.
    â€œGo to bed.” The sound of her voice made Othello, who was sleeping at her feet, raise his head. “It’s all right, fella, just talking to myself.” She reached down and stroked his head and then, setting her needlework aside, got up to add wood to the fire. She’d never reacted to things like this before—not able to sleep so staying up, dressed and awake. She folded the finished handkerchief and laid it on top of another in her sewing basket, another gift from Mavis.
    Receiving gifts and never having anything to give in return ate at her. Here at the ranch she was doing all the receiving from all of them. That had to change!

    Mavis found her in the morning sound asleep in the chair, the fire burned to embers but nowhere near out. She shook Cassie’s shoulder. “Cassie, child, wake up and go to bed.”
    â€œNo, I can’t.” Cassie blinked and, sitting up, blinked again before rubbing her eyes. Where was she? The fireplace, Mavis, Othello whining and nudging her with his nose. “Oh, I’m at the ranch.”
    â€œYes. Where else would you be?” Mavis peered into her eyes. “Cassie, are you all right?”
    â€œI think so. I . . . I guess it was a dream.”
    â€œA dream? Why are you sleeping out here?”
    â€œI dreamed I was . . .” Cassie paused. “I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to work on my Christmas gifts. I guess I finally did fall asleep.” She stretched her neck from side to side and shivered. She shivered so hard her teeth chattered. Guess she really was cold. How come she’d not awakened?
    Mavis pulled her own shawl off the back of the chair and wrapped it around Cassie. “I’ll get this fire roaring. It is already warming up in the kitchen. You dear child, a body could freeze out here when the fire goes down.” She stirred the lively embers and added kindling, seeing the flames lick it joyfully. “Although from the looks of this, you’ve not been asleep long.” After adding more wood, she turned again to Cassie. “I think you should go to bed for a while. Good way to warm up. And get some sleep.”
    Cassie stretched her arms over her head, shivered and yawned, stretched some more and then yawned again while shaking her head. “I must have slept long enough. I better get going on the pancakes.”
    Mavis grumbled as she let the dogs out through the front door, but Cassie ignored it. She truly did not feel like going to bed. She had too much to do, and it felt like she had an answer. She needed to talk with Lucas—and soon.
    The kitchen was indeed warmer, and standing next to the stove, beating eggs into the risen sourdough, she became even more certain. She had to tell Lucas. Should she do this first, or should she make a general announcement like Ransom had last night? What was best? How come she felt so certain now and had dithered before? Had God really spoken to her in that dream that had already faded from her memory, leaving only a feeling of certainty? If that was what this was.
    She moved the now-solid can of saved grease down from the warming shelf onto the stove so she could add melted lard to the batter.
    â€œI found Cassie asleep in the chair,” Mavis announced to the men as they headed for the barn and the chores.
    Cassie shrugged off their comments, not willing to let go of her train of thought. They could have the wedding on or around the New Year. That would give them a little time to get ready, not that she could see much need to get ready. Her mind leaped back to the package she had stored in the now burned wagon. The locket of her mother’s to wear during the wedding. A treasure beyond measure, almost all