Leonardo (Romancing the Weavers #5) - Kit Morgan Page 0,21
best milliner in the territory,” Leo said proudly.
“He’s right,” Clinton said. “Folks from New York order hats from her.”
“What?” Father said. “Are you serious?”
“Baltimore too,” Leo said. “Rufi owns some of Nonna’s hats and she runs in fancy circles.”
“Yes, your sister,” Parthena said. “Mrs. Branson of Baltimore.”
“My, who’d have thought Ma could give the fashion moguls of New York a run for their money?” Father said.
“Enjoy your lesson, sis,” Clinton told Savannah. “We need to get going.” He turned to his horse and mounted again.
Parthena brought Nutmeg alongside him, not wanting Savannah to see her riding next to Leo. Her cousin wasn’t the jealous type, but she knew if Savannah thought Leo had any interest in her, she might step aside. That would be a disaster – they had one chance to see if they’d suit, and Savannah needed to take it. Leo Cucinotta might be her only hope of escaping spinsterhood. Poor Adele was twenty-five and had no suitors! If her older sister couldn’t find a beau among the eligible bachelors in Clear Creek, what would become of the rest of them?
She didn’t want to think about it.
Mostly she kept quiet during her time with the cattle. Father spoke at length with Clinton and Noah Philp, the old Triple-C cowhand that helped drive the original herd to Nowhere two years ago. Maybe she should have stayed behind and visited Mel and Harold, but something told her she should be here.
“Beautiful beasts, aren’t they?”
She turned to Leo riding up alongside her. “I beg your pardon?”
“The cows you sold us … top of the mark. They do get a bit shaggy in winter.”
She smiled. “No more than horses, I think.”
“Yes. And it certainly is nice to keep our milk jugs full. And our dinner plates. And the shelves at the mercantile.”
“At the mercantile?”
“We started making and boxing milk powder for sale last year. Right now it’s only for Quinn’s Mercantile, but Arlan hopes to expand if we can figure out how to ship it farther.”
“You are isolated here.”
“I know – we need the railroad to get here.”
“Clear Creek now has a train station. Mr. Van Cleet who owns the hotel worked it out so a line came to town. Not that anyone uses it.” She sighed then smiled as their steeds plodded through the pasture area where the herd was grazing on the spring grasses. “It’s pretty here.”
“We think so.” He looked at her, half-smiling.
“What?”
He shook his head. “Just thinking. Tell me, what’s it like on your ranch?”
“You mean Clinton hasn’t told you?”
“He has. So has Lucy in her letters. But I want to hear from you.”
“Oh, um, it’s … big.” She studied her surroundings. “Probably as big as your farm. Certainly not so many trees.” She took a deep breath. “I like the trees here. And the mountains. We just have hills by comparison. But you can see the mountain range from them.”
“Yes, they are pretty high. I admit I’m quite partial to them.”
Her face fell. It didn’t sound like he’d want to leave. She’d better let Savannah know.
“Is something wrong?” he asked softly.
A tingle went up her spine. “No, not at all. I was thinking of all the differences between your place and ours. It seems more rugged here.”
“We’re farther north. And closer to the mountains on all sides.” He sighed. “I’d like to see the Triple-C one day.”
“When?”
He shrugged. “It’s hard to get away. Not in harvest season, obviously.”
“In fall, you mean?”
“For us it starts in late summer.” He smiled at her. “When is it busiest at the Triple-C??”
“All the time but calving and branding season are the busiest. Calving starts as early as February … oh, but you know that.”
He looked contemplative. “Ours have been coming later. Probably because it’s colder. Last year we peaked around late March.”
She looked over at Father and Clinton. “I’m sure they’re talking about things like that.” She tilted her head. “I’m amazed you could take the herd on with everything else you do here.”
“That’s why we’ve hired more hands. Israel Gomez is over there with Noah.” He pointed across the herd. “You’ll meet Boris Kauffman and Bobby Charles at some point, I’m sure. Arlan has them clearing brush today near his place.”
“That would be … oh, I think they’re calling you.”
He looked over and saw Clinton waving to him, so he smiled, tipped his hat and went to join the other men. She watched them speak to each other before steering Nutmeg toward the other end of the herd, where Noah