Her husband grumbled a bit but had nothing further to say, which suited Spring just fine. She glanced Garrett’s way and saw his chilly eyes focused on his father.
Melody was at the window looking out. “I can’t get over the beauty of these mountains.”
“I know. I enjoy waking up to them each morning. If you’ll excuse me for a few minutes, I need to change clothes before I take you to town. This leather is pretty warm.”
Fannie said, “Take your time.”
“Thanks.”
Spring noticed Vernon watching her. There was a veiled anger in his eyes but she ignored it and him as she left the room.
After her departure, Hiram said, “Garrett, I see your books and journal on the table there. Are you living here?”
Garrett expected the blunt question. The unexpected part was that his father had waited until after Spring’s exit. “She and Odell moved me here so I could sleep and heal in a bed. After the surgery I was sleeping on a cot in Dr. Lee’s office that was as uncomfortable as a floor.”
“The woman at the boardinghouse said you’d rented a room. Why weren’t you taken back there?”
“Because Dr. Lee was called away on an emergency, and the boardinghouse proprietress, Dovie, has enough to do without having to deal with a bedridden man. Spring volunteered to take me in.” He knew this wouldn’t be the only thing his father would want to know, and at some point Garrett would have to remind him that he was fully grown and no longer subject to his authority.
His mother said, “Miss Lee seems very unconventional.”
“Is that a compliment?” Garrett asked.
“Truthfully? I’d have to know her better to be certain, but I believe it is.”
He could always count on his mother to be fair-minded. “She’s quite a force, Mama. I’ve never met anyone like her.”
The next question came from Melody. “Do many of the women here dress the way she does? In trousers? I saw a few at Mr. Prescott’s place.”
“A few, yes. Spring’s a rancher. She can’t do the work that needs to be done in a gown.”
Vernon asked, “So she really isn’t married?”
“No.”
“A widow?”
“No. She’s never been married.”
Hiram huffed. “The way she carries herself, I see why not.”
The statement raised Garrett’s ire. “Meaning?”
“What man would want a woman who wears trousers, and boasts of killing sheep, or goats—whatever that thing is?” he said, pointing to the stuffed head over the fireplace. “Men of our class prefer someone with the elegance and grace of say an Emily Stanton.”
Garrett offered a bitter chuckle. “I’m not marrying Emily, Hiram.”
“You certainly aren’t marrying Miss Lee.”
“She wouldn’t have me if I asked.”
Sounding puzzled, his mother asked, “Why not?”
“She doesn’t plan to marry anyone. She’s content with her land and her horses.”
Fannie eyed him as if attempting to gauge his feelings on Spring’s stance before replying, “That’s her choice, I suppose.”
Vernon said importantly, “Every woman wants a husband.”
Melody chimed in, “Emily doesn’t.”
“Emily will do what her parents decide is best,” her father countered. “As will you.”
Resentment flashed over Melody’s features before she turned back to the view through the window.
Garrett knew that at some point he’d have to talk to his father about forcing his sister to marry. Vernon was a lawyer, a member of the city’s elite, and fit the mold of what Hiram viewed as her ideal mate. But in talking with her, Garrett knew she had no tender feelings for the man. She’d always tried to please their parents, especially Hiram. Garrett thought it stemmed from the fealty she believed she owed him for claiming her as his daughter, in spite of being sired by the brother of Fannie’s master. Melody had been a year old when their family reunited after Freedom.
His father said, “Back to the question of returning home. When will you be ready?”
“Whenever you are, but I’ll only be returning to put my affairs in order. I’m coming back. I’m planning to purchase some land and live here permanently.”
His mother looked stricken. Melody turned from the window in surprise. His father, features tight, asked, “Is it the woman?”
Garrett replied honestly, “Partially yes, but mainly, I’ve enjoyed being here. The pace, the people, this way of life suits me.”
“You almost lost your life,” his father pointed out.
“True, but this is where I prefer to be.”
“A future with Emily would be far more advantageous to you in the long run.”
Garrett had no plans to argue. He knew how much it upset his mother