Hattie Read online

Hattie bit her lip. She was already risking trouble with her parents by being here tonight instead of at Penny’s house, where she said she’d be. What Will was asking for was even more dangerous. At the same time, she was desperate to see him again. She couldn’t just walk away. Hattie nodded and turned back toward the exit. She quickened her pace so she wouldn’t make Tom wait. Her heart was still pounding, and she had no idea what to do.

  When Hattie climbed into Tom’s wagon, he noticed that her hair was messy, and she had a dazed expression on her face. “Hattie! What happened to you?”

  “Nothing!” Hattie declared quickly. She scooted over to sit next to Theresa.

  “What happened?” Theresa whispered.

  Hattie shook her head. She wasn’t ready to talk about what had happened between her and Will.

  Hattie stayed quiet the entire ride back to the Sanders’ home. When they arrived, Cletus came outside to greet Tom. Cletus shook Tom’s hand. “I hope the girls were helpful to you and didn’t cause too much trouble!”

  Tom chuckled. “It's always a pleasure to have any of the girls visit our home. Theresa was a blessing. And I hope Hattie enjoyed herself—”

  “With all of Tom’s sons and all of the orphans on the ranch!” Theresa interjected. Hattie shot her a look of gratitude.

  Tom looked puzzled but didn’t say anything.

  “Thank you for bringing the girls back here tonight,” Cletus said, clapping Tom on the back.

  “It’s no trouble at all. I should be getting back though—Penny will worry about me otherwise,” Tom said, flashing a wide grin. Hattie could tell that he was still just as in love with Penny as the day he’d married her. She began to tear up as she imagined the way they cared for one another. She’d hoped that she could have something similar with Will—but now there was no chance of that happening.

  The following evening, Hattie didn’t tell either of her sisters about her midnight plans with Will, but she couldn’t think of anything else all day. Edna Petunia complained that she was acting strangely but forgot about it after Hattie helped prepare a dinner of roast chicken with chocolate mousse for dessert.

  While the rest of the family fell asleep, Hattie lied awake anxiously, staring at the ceiling in her bedroom. She would count until she lost track and then creep out into the hallway to see how far the hands on the clock had moved, using the light of a candle to see in the dark. It was half past eleven o’clock, and her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

  Hattie couldn’t wait to see Will. She wondered if he would kiss her again as he had done at the fairgrounds. She tried not to get her hopes up. It had been the most magnificent experience she had ever had. She wished she could spend all day kissing him—and maybe more. Hattie’s body felt things she’d never felt before. She was awfully curious about what else Will might be able to do to her body if given the opportunity.

  Hattie didn’t want to be late, so she decided to slip down the staircase and wait outside for Will. There was still plenty of time before the clock struck midnight, but she couldn’t stay in her bed a moment longer.

  Hattie pushed the door open carefully, hoping it wouldn’t creak. She walked on her tiptoes out the door and gently closed it. She walked around to the back of the house and stood in the dark, waiting for Will.

  The minutes felt like hours, and Hattie worried constantly. What if he had changed his mind and wasn’t coming? What if he’d gotten lost? What if one of his horses was injured?

  Hattie tried to steady her breath. She was getting anxious merely at the thought of being close to Will again.

  After what seemed like ages, Hattie heard the clip clop of hooves against the Texas dirt. Her heart soared. He had come after all! In a few moments, Will rode into the distance. He was on horseback, with a large basket strapped to the saddle behind him and a lantern for light. He slowed the horse with his knees and trotted up toward Hattie. Gracefully, he swung his legs off the horse and dismounted. He used his good hand to grab the basket and set it and the lantern down on the ground, then tied his horse to a nearby post.

  “Ah.” Will took a deep breath as he looked at Hattie. She wore a dark shawl and a flowing skirt, and in the moonlight, she looked more beautiful than ever before. It was all he could do to stop himself from trying to have relations with her on the spot. He had asked around about her, and he knew she was a good girl from a respectable family. If he wanted this to work out, he would have to be patient.

  Hattie shifted nervously from foot to foot. The way Will looked at her made her feel uncomfortable, like he was having improper thoughts about her. Well, she was having plenty of inappropriate thoughts about him, too. It was a new feeling, and she giggled thinking about it.

  “What’s so funny?” Will stepped closer and tucked a piece of hair behind Hattie’s ear.

  Hattie’s heartrate went haywire. She struggled to catch her breath. Will’s proximity made her unable to focus on anything other than him.

  “Well?” Will prompted.

  Hattie looked down. “Nothing.”

  Will gently cupped her chin and brought it up toward his face. “I’m sure it wasn’t nothing,” he said kindly. With that, he pressed his lips against hers, and once again, they were kissing.

  Hattie couldn’t explain the sensations coursing through her body even if she tried. It seemed like every inch of her was on fire, coming alive at Will’s capable touch. Something in her brain was shouting at her, though, telling her to slow down.

  Hattie took a deep breath and tried to concentrate.

  Will noticed that Hattie had pulled away. “What’s wrong?”

  Hattie smiled apologetically. “I really enjoyed that. But I—I’m not sure how to say this—I don’t feel like I know you!”

  Will began to laugh. “I’m sorry, Hattie. I simply can’t help myself when I’m around you.”

  The way he looked at her made Hattie think he was going to kiss her again, but then he turned around and picked up the lantern from where he’d placed it on the ground.

  “I almost forgot!” Will cried. “I brought us some provisions.” He placed the lantern on his hook and opened the basket.

  Hattie peered inside. There were cheeses, fruits, and pastries, covered in a checked gingham cloth. She couldn’t believe what trouble he had gone to in order to bring her a treat. “Thank you!”

  Will looked pleased with himself. “You’re welcome.” He pulled out the cloth and shook it out.

  Hattie caught the other end and together, they laid the sheet flat on the ground. Each of them took a seat, and Will began to lay the food from the basket out on the ground. “I’ve never had a picnic at midnight before,” Hattie said with a giggle.

  “There’s a first time for everything.” Will winked.

  Hattie blushed. She had a feeling she knew what he was talking about.

  Will took another deep breath, determined to do the right thing. “I understand why you said no to my proposal. It hurts, but I know you’re close to your family, and I admire that. But I wanted to show you I’m not like those other rodeo men. They drink and curse and run out on their women. I’m different. You have to believe me, Hattie.”

  Hattie swallowed. “I do believe you.” The words were true. Although she had only met him days before, she could tell that he was a trustworthy man. A man she longed to spend the rest of her life with. “But . . .”

  Before Hattie could explain herself further, the door to the house sprang open, and Cletus ran out of the house, holding a lantern. Edna Petunia followed close behind him, dressed in a nightgown and wearing socks in her hair.

  “What do you think you’re doing, trespassing on my property and harassing my daughter?” Cletus thundered. In the moonlight, Hattie could see that his face was a purple color.

  Hattie stepped in front of Will protectively. “It’s not his fault, Cletus.”

  “I’ll deal with you later,” Cletus grumbled. “But you—you rodeo cowboy!”

  “Yes, sir.”
Will stood upright and walked up to Cletus, offering his hand. “Will Hart, sir.”

  “I don’t care about your name, where you come from, how many tricks you can do on that little horse of yours!” Cletus spat angrily. “You are at my home in the middle of the night, disturbing my wife from her sleep! Do you know what happens when someone disturbs my wife from her sleep?”

  “No, sir.” Will looked down at the toes of his boots.

  “Well, you’re not going to get to find out because you are going to leave here right now, or else I’ll send for the sheriff! And the sheriff does not appreciate being woken up in the middle of the night either!” It seemed like Cletus would never stop shouting.

  Tears rolled down Hattie’s cheeks. Will took her hand in his and squeezed it. “Don’t cry, darling. He’ll see,” Will whispered into her ear. With that, he raced up to his horse, swiftly untied the rope, and jumped astride. In a matter of moments, he had disappeared into the darkness.

  “Hattie Sanders,” Edna Petunia declared, shaking her head. “You are in some serious trouble, young lady. You’d better explain yourself, and quickly.” Edna Petunia’s hair was sticking up in all different directions due to static electricity. Under any other circumstance, Hattie would have wanted to laugh. Instead, she just sobbed harder.

  Hattie wanted to find the right words to explain that Will was a good man, but she couldn’t get the words out. Instead, she ran back into the house and raced up to her room. She was furious with her parents for interrupting what had been the best night of her life. Now she would never have a chance to say goodbye to Will Hart. He had ridden out of her life forever.

  5

  Edna Petunia paced across the floor in the formal parlor. “Disciplining one of the bastards seems wrong, but we have to do it.”

  “I agree. Hattie needs to learn to follow our rules.” Cletus said. "I don’t understand what she was thinking, wanting to run off with one of those cowboys!”

  “Hattie is young and impressionable,” Edna Petunia reasoned. “Do you remember what you were like at her age?”

  Cletus put his hands on his hips. “I’m sure I was more sensible than that!”

  Edna Petunia arched one of her eyebrows. “You may think that now, but I highly doubt that. Sensible isn’t the first word I’d used to describe you.”

  “What are you trying to say, Edna?” Cletus groused.

  “Just that I think you have other strong characteristics. Sensible isn’t top of the list.” Edna Petunia came closer to Cletus and leaned in to pinch his bottom.

  Cletus pressed his lips together. “I’m still mad, though.”

  “I am, too, dear. Don’t worry. We’ll think of a suitable punishment.” Edna Petunia grinned as she saw Cletus’s stern face. She thought he was very cute when he was angry.

  Hattie shoveled muck into the trenches Cletus and some of her brothers-in-law had dug near their house. She couldn’t believe how Edna Petunia and Cletus had chosen to punish her. The stench was overwhelming. It was surely going to permeate through her clothing, and then she’d certainly never get a chance to go near Will again.

  Hattie’s heart ached as she thought of Will. Cletus and Edna Petunia had no idea how kind and generous he was. She wished they would give him a chance instead of rushing to judge him.

  If Hattie were bolder, she would have stood up to them, but instead, she simply accepted her punishment to clean up after the horses. As part of her punishment, Hattie also wasn’t able to accompany the family when they went into town or to visit one of her sisters. She would be allowed to go to church, but that was the only exception.

  Hattie wanted to cry. The rodeo would soon leave town, and then she’d never see Will Hart again. She had never met a man as bold or as confident as he was, and the thrill she got when he was around was a feeling she’d never had before and probably would never have again.

  As she worked through her task, Hattie tried to think of a way she could see Will again. Every plan she thought of would require her to sneak out of the house, and she knew that after the latest incident, Edna Petunia and Cletus would be carefully monitoring her activities.

  Hattie had never been in trouble before, and she felt awful.

  That evening, after dishes had been put away, Hattie sat in the formal parlor with Katie and Theresa while Cletus read in his armchair. Edna Petunia had fallen asleep sitting straight up, and she was snoring. Cletus was engrossed in a thick biography.

  Katie tugged on Hattie’s sleeve. “Tell us everything!”

  Hattie smiled, amused. “About shoveling muck?”

  Theresa made a face. “Not that. About why you got in trouble in the first place.”

  Hattie sighed. She had wanted to keep her relationship with Will private, but now that everyone seemed to know about it, she didn’t see the harm in telling her sisters what had happened. “Will Hart brought me a picnic, and we ate it outside under the stars.”

  Katie looked away dreamily. “How romantic. What a perfect gentleman.”

  “But then Cletus chased him away,” Hattie finished, growing sullen. “Now he’ll never come back.”

  “You don’t know that for sure,” Theresa commented. “Unexpected things happen all the time.”

  “You didn’t see the look on Cletus’s face, though,” Hattie said, thinking back to the previous evening. She had seen Cletus lose his temper before, but this was like nothing else.

  “Why don’t they like Will?” Theresa asked.

  “I don’t know, but it has something to do with the fact that he’s a rodeo man,” Hattie explained. “A lot of people seem to have a lot of opinions about men like him. If they just got to know him, they’d see what I see. A good, honest, caring man.” Hattie’s eyes filled with tears.

  Katie squeezed Hattie’s hand. “Don’t cry, Hattie.”

  “Is there anything we can do to help?” Theresa asked.

  Hattie shook her head. “I can’t think of a single thing that would change their minds.”

  Theresa took Hattie’s other hand. “Well, we’re here for you. No matter what.”

  Hattie smiled. She was grateful that her sisters were so understanding. Now, if only Cletus and Edna Petunia could feel the same!

  Over in Bagley, Will’s timing was sloppy.

  “What’s the matter with you, Will?” Jessie cried. “Have you been drinking?”

  Will scowled as he climbed back onto his horse. He practiced the dismount again. Slightly better, but still not perfect.

  “The great Will Hart has finally met his match!” Jessie’s husband, Robert Moore, laughed as he trotted up on his own horse. Robert was one of the oldest cowboys in the rodeo. Jessie watched every practice and every show, cooked for the performers, and helped clean up and move on to the next city. Over time, Will had grown close to the older couple. Since he hadn’t seen his family in years, they had become the closest thing he had to parents.

  “What are you talking about?” Will frowned.

  Robert smirked. “You’re never distracted. Only thing that can be causing this level of dysfunction is a woman.” Jessie let out a gasp.

  Will tightened his grasp on the reins. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

  Robert and Jessie exchanged a look.

  “Why don’t you tell us what’s going on?” Jessie suggested sympathetically. “Maybe we can help.”

  Will shook his head and attempted the dismount again. This time, instead of gracefully landing on his feet, he had too much momentum and tumbled forward. He picked himself up, livid.

  Now Robert looked concerned. “Son, why don’t you take a break and let’s sit down for a moment.”

  Will didn’t want to stop rehearsing, but his knees ached, and he didn’t want to keep putting an undue burden on his horse, so he obliged. He and Robert joined Jessie in the pavilion seats.

  “What’s going on, son?” Robert asked kindly.

  Will took a deep breath. He was still embarrassed about what had happened
at the Sanders’ house, and he didn’t feel like telling everyone in the rodeo about it. It was bad enough that Hattie had rejected his proposal, and it was humiliating that he’d been chased off the property by an old man.

  Before he knew it, the words were spilling out, and Robert and Jessie nodded in understanding.

  “I had no idea you felt that way about Hattie! Pretty little thing,” Jessie said.

  “You know who she is?” Will frowned. He hadn’t mentioned her name.

  “From the way you described her and her father, you must be talking about the young girl who got lost over by the performer tents. Her father came up, called her Hattie, and practically ran away with her. He was hotter than a hornet’s nest,” Jessie recalled. “I’m sure he’s mighty strict with his daughter. I’m not surprised he ran you off his property.”

  “How big is this man? You didn’t think you could challenge him?” Robert mused.

  Jessie elbowed him. “This is no time for joking, Robert! Will is hurting.”

  Will had thought it would help to tell Robert and Jessie about Hattie, but instead, he felt more miserable. He stared glumly at the empty stage. “You know, I never thought I’d meet a woman who would interest me. Most young ladies I meet are only concerned with appearances and vanity. Hattie’s different.”

  Jessie patted him on the shoulder. “You’re young, Will.”

  “There’ll be other girls.” Robert winked. “Trust me, I would know.”

  Jessie swatted him. “My husband is all talk, and you know that, Will. He proposed to me the minute I turned sixteen and hasn’t so much as looked at another woman since.”

  “It’s true. I can’t deny it. I’m in love.” Robert leaned over and kissed his wife passionately.

  Will sighed. He envied Robert and Jessie. Where other marriages were torn apart by the rodeo lifestyle, their love was as strong as ever.

  6

  Will woke in the morning with a renewed sense of focus. He washed and dressed, taking care of his early morning chores with the other performers. He was in a small tent, but Robert and Jessie, right next door, had a much larger one. If he could convince Hattie to join him, he would have to see about getting a larger tent.