Hattie Read online

  Hattie

  Orlan Orphans Book 13

  Kirsten Osbourne

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by Kirsten Osbourne

  This book is for my cousin, Willy Hart. Thanks for being the inspirational man you are. There are videos of Willy roping one-armed on YouTube.

  1

  Hattie Sanders adjusted her bonnet, shifting nervously on the bench.

  “I can’t wait to see the lasso throwers!” Katie squealed, perched next to Hattie in the large pavilion.

  Hattie couldn’t wait, either. Her father, Cletus Sanders, had told the family that he had a surprise for them. Earlier that evening, he’d announced that he was taking his wife and three of his daughters—Hattie, Theresa, and Katie—to the Wild West show in Bagley.

  Hattie had never been to a Wild West show, but she had read about them in the newspaper. Cletus had told her that this evening’s show would include men and women who had traveled from all over the nation to compete and perform.

  Orphaned at an early age, Hattie had lived in an orphanage in Orlan, New York for as far back as she could remember. A few years ago, when the church running the orphanage had decided boys and girls should not live in the same facility, Hattie and fourteen other orphans had traveled by bus to Nowhere, Texas.

  When the plans for their housing had fallen through at the last minute, an eccentric, wealthy older couple had adopted all fifteen young women and taken them into their elegant home.

  Edna Petunia and Cletus Sanders were both characters, but Hattie had grown extremely fond of them over the years. She felt lucky to have been adopted into such a warm and loving home. It was true that Edna Petunia had a few peculiar qualities, but her heart was in the right place, and she would do anything for one of her beloved ‘bastards’—her term of endearment for the orphans.

  Now, most of Hattie’s sisters had moved out of the Sanders’ residence, marrying and starting families of their own. Only the three youngest girls remained—Hattie, Theresa, and Katie. Hattie wasn’t sure what the future had in store for her. Although she knew her married sisters were happy, she had never fallen for a man before. Unlike Katie, the youngest daughter, she wasn’t likely to swoon over the first handsome man who attended church services in Nowhere. A husband and children sounded nice enough, but Hattie wasn’t sure if it was right for her. Maybe she would end up alone.

  After all, Edna Petunia had been alone for most of her adult life. As a young woman, she had been bereaved when her strapping sweetheart died suddenly and unexpectedly just before their wedding. Despite her broken heart, the spirited woman had lived a full and rich life, traveling all the way to Nowhere from Seattle with her good friend, Dr. Iris Harvey. In Nowhere, she’d fallen for a mysterious older man in the woods, and they’d married quickly.

  Shortly after their marriage, Edna Petunia had learned that although Cletus lived humbly, he wasn’t from humble means—he owned a large, beautiful home in Nowhere. Since Edna Petunia was well past child-bearing age, she was disappointed that they wouldn’t have the opportunity to fill their bedrooms with the sounds of little feet, but she and Cletus had enjoyed a happy life together.

  Still, when they had heard about the orphaned girls with no place to go, they had known it was a sign from above that their prayers for a family had been answered. They had taken in all of the girls with arms wide open, and now their family was constantly growing. One of Hattie’s sisters, Penny, had married a man named Tom who was the seventh son of a seventh son. Now, Penny and Tom were working on having seven sons of their own, but in addition to those boys, they had also adopted several orphans who helped out on their sprawling ranch outside of Bagley.

  Some of Hattie’s sisters had married men who already had children, and others, like her sister Sarah Jane, had adopted children whose parents had died. Hattie enjoyed seeing her nieces and nephews, and sometimes she wondered if she’d ever have the chance to be a mother.

  As she waited for the show to start, she wondered if any of her sisters or their families were in the audience. She had a feeling that a few of her nieces and nephews would get a real kick out of seeing some of the events.

  Suddenly, the crowd quieted, and a man in a large cowboy hat took a spot in the center of the grassy area that would serve as the arena. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Wild West! In just a few minutes, you’ll see an act unlike anything you’ve ever seen before!” the man shouted.

  Thunderous applause rang through the pavilion. Several horses rushed into the center ring, men mounted on their backs.

  Katie nudged Hattie. “Oh, they’re so handsome, don’t you think?”

  Hattie smiled. “You need to pay attention or you’ll miss the show!”

  “Quiet, please! I’m trying to concentrate!” Theresa put in.

  “They’re just warming up. The real show will start in a little bit,” Cletus explained. He loved it when he could provide new experiences for his daughters. They’d had a rough upbringing, but now that they lived with the Sanders family, Cletus’s aim was to make sure they had everything they could possibly want. Within reason, of course—he wasn’t about to spoil his daughters.

  Edna Petunia laughed at her daughters and grabbed her hip flask. She unscrewed the cap and tilted her head back, pouring some liquid into her mouth. She smiled and sighed when she was finished.

  Edna Petunia always told her family that the flask was filled with cough medicine, although some people had their suspicions that the liquid was of a different variety. Hattie couldn’t begrudge Edna Petunia, though. She and Cletus had done everything for their daughters, from providing them a safe and stable home to feeding them delicious meals to making sure they received a good education.

  Cletus watched his wife take another satisfying gulp. “Now you’ve gone and made me thirsty!” he complained. “Hattie, would you be a dear and fetch me some of that lemonade I saw on our way in?”

  Hattie nodded. Cletus handed her a nickel.

  “I want some, too!” Katie chimed in.

  “What about you, Theresa and Edna Petunia?” Hattie asked.

  Edna Petunia grinned. “No, thank you. I’m not thirsty.”

  Theresa shook her head. “I don’t like lemonade.”

  “I’ll be right back,” Hattie told her family.

  “Hurry, Hattie! You don’t want to miss the show!” Katie called as Hattie walked toward the entrance to the pavilion.

  Hattie wondered what type of events the pavilion usually held. She had never been to the Bagley fairgrounds before, and she was overwhelmed by the number of people and sounds that surrounded her. A woman in a large hat nearly knocked Hattie over as she barreled past.

  Hattie took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She tried to remember where they had seen the lemonade stand on their way into the pavilion. She couldn’t recall whether she should take a right or a left. There seemed to be more people to the right, so she turned left.

  As she walked, Hattie was sure she had made a wrong turn. She didn’t see anything that looked familiar. She decided to keep going a little farther, just in case. If she didn’t see the lemonade stand, she would turn around and retrace her steps.

  Hattie passed by a series of tents she hadn’t noticed before. Excited voices were speaking in high-pitched tones. Hattie paused, trying to make out what they were saying.

  “Hurry on up!”

  “We’re going to be late!”

  “You had better not—”

&nbs
p; “That’s the last time—”

  Hattie was so preoccupied that she didn’t notice the tall stranger until he was practically on top of her. “Oh!” Hattie exclaimed, startled.

  A hand helped steady her. “What are you doing back here, little lady?” an amused voice asked.

  Hattie looked up into good-natured eyes and the most handsome face she’d ever seen. His shoulders were broad, and he wore a white shirt and a broad hat. Something seemed a little strange with his appearance, but Hattie couldn’t figure out what it was. She sucked in a deep breath.

  The man stared at her, fighting back a laugh. “This here’s Wild West country, do you understand?”

  Hattie shook her head truthfully. “No, I don’t, sir. What does that mean?”

  The man let out a big, rumbling laugh. “My, you’re a polite one. Jessie! We’ve got ourselves a runaway!”

  To Hattie’s surprise, a plump woman in a gray dress came out of one of the tents. “Oh, no. A nice girl like you—no, no, the rodeo’s no life for you!”

  Hattie blushed. She could tell she was out of place. “Oh, no, I was just looking for—”

  “I’m just teasing you, darling. Anyone ever tell you you’re mighty pretty when you blush?” The man stared at Hattie straight on, and Hattie felt a fluttering sensation below her stomach. Her knees buckled a bit, and she had to fight to keep from falling over.

  “Excuse me?” Hattie managed to say. Lemonade, she reminded herself. She was supposed to be finding lemonade for Cletus. She hoped she wasn’t missing the show.

  “This here’s the section where all of the no-good, scheming, hare-brained rodeo cowboys stay. A nice girl such as yourself has no business being back here. The entrance is that way,” the man explained, pointing in the direction Hattie had come from.

  Hattie swallowed. “Thank you, sir.”

  “Will!” The woman swatted the man on the arm. “Stop teasing this poor girl! You’ve got more important things to do. Hurry along.”

  “Only having fun, Jessie. What good would life be without a little fun?” Will ran a hand through his hair and winked mischievously at Hattie. Hattie stared at the ground, feeling flustered.

  “Do you need help, dear?” the woman asked kindly.

  Hattie shook her head. “Well, I was looking for—”

  “My lemonade! Goodness, Hattie, what are you doing?” Cletus’s voice cut through the hum of the crowd.

  “I got a little lost.” Hattie shifted her weight from foot to foot.

  Will tipped his hat and flashed a wide grin at Hattie. His teeth were white and even, and his whole face lit up when he smiled. “You might be the best part of this sleepy little town. I hope to see more of you, darling.”

  Cletus stepped between Will and Hattie, hands on his hips. “You certainly will not! My daughter’s a good girl.”

  Hattie wished she could sink into the ground. Will made her heart beat faster. She wished she could listen to him talk for a while longer. But Cletus had insulted him and embarrassed her.

  Will took it in stride, simply winking at Hattie again and spinning around. As he walked away, Hattie realized what she had thought was odd about his appearance. Hanging out of his right shirt sleeve, where his arm should have been, was a silver hook. Hattie watched as he jauntily walked away, puzzled and intrigued.

  Jessie looked grumpy with Will gone. “You shouldn’t be here. Go to your seats, you’ll miss the show!” she grumbled as she returned to her tent.

  Cletus put his hand on Hattie’s shoulders and guided her back in the direction she had come from. “I thought maybe you could use a little help carrying all those cups of lemonade. But I didn’t see you by the stand, so I knew you’d gotten lost. Hattie, you must listen to me carefully—this is a dangerous area. You are not to speak to strangers like that. People around here aren’t trustworthy.”

  “Yes, Cletus,” Hattie said.

  “Good. I’m glad that’s understood. Now, let’s see about that lemonade before our tickets go to waste!” Cletus grinned and led the way toward the lemonade stand.

  When they got to the stand, Hattie paid for three cups of lemonade with the nickel. The woman working at the stand gave her change, and Hattie gave it back to Cletus, who slipped it into his pocket.

  Cletus and Hattie carried the lemonade back into the pavilion and made their way back to their seats.

  “They’re starting soon!” Katie whispered excitedly.

  Hattie sat down and took a sip of her lemonade. It was cold as ice and tart, and she enjoyed the cool sensation as she drank. She pressed the cup to her forehead, feeling the heat of the summer day.

  The pavilion quieted once more as the announcer in the cowboy hat took center stage again. The men on horses had disappeared, and the announcer was the only person in the arena. “Ladies and gentlemen—I give you, America’s finest showmen!”

  Suddenly, dozens of men on horses began to gallop back into the arena one by one. They formed a chain and raced in a circle, with each horse covered by a shiny saddle and brightly colored cloths. Hattie was dazed at the beautiful display before her. She and her sisters stared, mesmerized, as each man and horse pair performed tricks for the audience.

  One man dismounted and stood in front of his horse. The horse stole his hat, and the audience broke out into thunderous laughter. One man stood on his horse’s back as the horse raced around in a circle. A dozen bulls ran into the arena, and Hattie gripped the sides of her seat, scared. But one of the men simply broke out from the pack and chased after them, roping all of them in under a minute.

  As Hattie and the rest of the audience cheered, she realized that the man who had roped all of the steer looked familiar. As he took a bow, she saw the hook protruding from the sleeve of his shirt. It was Will, the man she’d met outside the pavilion!

  Hattie’s heart skipped a beat as she watched the man expertly handle the crowd. He threw kisses and bowed again. Then, all of the men led their horses outside of the arena, and the announcer came back.

  The rest of the show flew by for Hattie. There were sharpshooting events, hunting, and racing. It seemed like every time Will came out, he was one of the best or the best man in the arena. The crowd loved him, cheering wildly each time he appeared.

  “He’s very good-looking,” Katie confided to Hattie.

  Hattie glanced at Cletus. She wanted to tell Katie that she’d met the man, but she didn’t want to upset Cletus. She decided she would tell her sister later about their strange meeting.

  Theresa nodded. “He is good-looking. I wonder what happened to his arm.”

  Hattie realized that she hadn’t even thought about how much harder it must be for Will than the other men to ride horses, rope cattle, and shoot. They all had two arms, two hands, and everything that came with it. He was operating with only one hand and one arm. The hook might have helped a little, but he should have been at a serious disadvantage.

  Hattie was amazed as she watched the show continue. She wasn’t sure why Cletus had expressed such a strong dislike for Will. She was glad that she had at least gotten the chance to meet him even though their encounter was brief. She sighed. Of course, the first man she had ever been attracted to would happen to be a member of a traveling rodeo company.

  2

  That evening, Hattie and Katie stayed up far later than the others. Although there were plenty of rooms in the house and each orphan could have easily had her own room, Katie didn’t like to sleep alone, so she had decided to stay in Hattie’s room that evening. Both of them had been so excited by the Wild West Show that they weren’t able to sleep.

  “I loved the rodeo so much.” Katie sighed dreamily.

  Hattie nodded in the dark room. “It was so amazing.”

  “And the men were something else!” Katie added. “I wouldn’t mind being courted by any one of them.”

  Hattie giggled. “I know what you mean.” She paused. “Actually, I have a secret.”

  “What’s that?” Katie exclaimed. Sh
e loved secrets.

  “I met one of the men in the show.” Hattie smiled as she heard Katie gasp.

  “How? When? Which one?” Katie’s yelps rang out across the room.

  “Sh!” Hattie hissed. “Edna Petunia and Cletus will wake up. Or Theresa!”

  Katie quieted. “Please tell me, Hattie. Please?”

  “Of course.” Hattie laughed. “When I went to get the lemonade, I got lost at first. I took a wrong turn, and I ended up in front of all these tents. It almost seemed like people were living in the tents. But then, this big, handsome man came up to me.”

  “Tell me what he looked like!” Katie demanded.

  “You may have noticed him during the show,” Hattie explained. “He’s tall and broad-shouldered, and he only has one arm. He uses a hook on his right side.”

  “Oh, Hattie, I know exactly who you’re talking about!” Katie gushed. “He really was handsome!”

  “Yes, and he was teasing me. He kept trying to say that I was a runaway or something. He talked to another woman from the tents, but I was so nervous I could barely say a word. He probably thinks I’m very dull!” Hattie worried out loud.

  “He was teasing you?” Katie smiled. “I think that’s a good sign, Hattie. It means he likes you.”

  “I don’t know about that. He just seemed friendly.” Hattie secretly hoped her sister was right.

  “Well, what else did you learn about him?” Katie prodded. “He was so good!”

  “He really was. We didn’t get to talk for very long, but I heard the woman call him Will. So that must be his name,” Hattie explained.

  “Will. What a lovely name,” Katie said dreamily.

  “But after only a few minutes, Cletus came looking for me. He stopped the conversation and told me I was never to speak to Will or anyone like him ever again!” Hattie told Katie. “He said that men like him are not to be trusted.”