Growing Old With Kitty 3
by Lilyjack
Chapter 7
"Expansion"
Kitty sat with her head bent over the Sweetwater Ranch accounts, brow furrowed as she figured and refigured again. She'd found a large parcel of land adjoining Mr. Blessing's ranch that was for sale, and now she was trying to decide if she could get the owner to come down on his asking price. She was thoughtfully chewing the end of her pencil when her boss's voice at the door of his office startled her from her thoughts.
"Kitty, child, I've got someone for you to meet," the old man addressed her.
She looked up, surprised. They didn't get many visitors out here. She stood to greet the man who strode in behind Blessing while he introduced him, "This here is our new cook, Freeman Jones."
Kitty held out her hand to the tall black man who stood hat in hand at the door. She offered him a welcoming smile. "Mr. Jones..."
He stepped forward and took her hand in return. "Don't nobody call me Mr. Jones, Miz Dillon. Just call me Freeman." He had a broad, handsome face with prominent features, close cropped hair, and an infectious white smile.
She smiled back warmly. The rancher must've told him about her if he already knew her name. She offered with a friendly twinkle in her eye, "Mr. Blessing says you claim to be a pretty good cook."
"Yes, ma'am. I been a cook on cattle drives for many a year since I come out west. I guess you kin say I know my way around a cook stove. Much easier than a campfire, you ask me." Another wide smile. Kitty felt she was going to like this man already.
Just then a boy appeared at the door. He couldn't have been more than thirteen. "Pa?" his quiet voice called.
Freeman gestured to the lanky young man. "Miz Dillon, this here my son, Moses."
"Ma'am..." The boy bobbed his head in polite greeting.
Blessing explained to Kitty, "Moses is going to stay here at the ranch, too. "
Kitty took a step toward the boy. He had close-cropped hair like his father's and chocolate brown skin. His eyes were a striking golden brown, and he looked down shyly at her approach. She held out her hand. "Moses, I'm pleased to meet you."
He extended his hand in return, his eyes traveling over Kitty's unfamiliar features, gazing at her bright copper hair as if he'd never seen the like in all his life. He answered a bit distractedly, "Pleased to meet you, ma'am."
Freeman Jones interrupted his son's curious gaze by offering, "My boy goes with me everywhere. He's a hard worker and don't cause no trouble. You won't be sorry you took us on, Mr. Blessing. We'll both earn our keep. Miz Dillon, he'll help you take care of chickens and anything else you want him to do. He's a strong boy. Almost a man."
Kitty could almost see Moses' chest swell with pride at his father's praise. She answered, "I'm sure he'll prove to be invaluable around here, Mr. Jones."
"Freeman, Ma'am."
"Freeman, then," she smiled. She glanced at Mr. Blessing, who'd been watching the exchange between the three to gauge Kitty's reaction. He looked relieved that she seemed to approve of his hire. Now, if Freeman Jones could just cook as good as Kitty Russell Dillon, ever'thing would work out fine.
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Kitty's prediction about young Moses' considerable usefulness around the ranch had not simply turned out to be polite flattery. He'd proven himself and more. Because of Kitty's dizzy spells and nosebleeds, both Matt and Leland Blessing refused to let her go round the ranch or stay at the little cabin unattended, to her utmost dismay. She'd tried reasoning, cajoling and finally losing her red-headed temper, all to no avail. With the memory of her pale, blood-stained face fresh in their minds, both men had resolutely folded their arms across their broad chests and refused to give in. She needed to think of her health and welfare as well as the safety of that baby she was carrying, they asserted. When they'd put it like that, she couldn't really refuse, but she pressed her lips into a thin line and pouted about it for good measure anyway.
Although Henry would have given his eye teeth to be her daily companion, he was needed to help Matt and the other cowhands in their regular duties of running a busy ranch. All the hands were especially needed now that Kitty had expanded the acreage considerably when she managed to purchase an adjoining parcel of land for a song due to the death of the owner and his lack of heirs. Blessing had sat in on the meeting with the estate lawyers, and he knew for certain her pretty face and sweet-talking ways got them a more than fair price per acre. She'd even gotten the dead man's herd for dirt cheap. Yep, the Sweetwater Ranch was growing, in more ways than one.
So in order for Kitty to be able to travel safely around the ranch and also to put Matt and Blessing's minds at ease, Moses escorted her pretty much everywhere she went. He was a good hand with the horses, a practiced and cautious buggy driver, and he was always willing to help out whenever he was needed. Yes, Henry was a little green with envy, but Kitty tried to pay her old friend special attention whenever she could. But she thought it ironic that Moses was helping her to regain her freedom, just like in the Bible story, because if it weren't for the young man squiring her about, she never would have been able to negotiate the deals she had. And expanding Leland Blessing's holdings gave her much personal satisfaction of a sort that had been lacking in her life of late.
Fortunately, Freeman Jones had turned out to be an excellent cook, widely experienced in the sort of fare that cowboys loved, doubtless from his many years of heading a chuck wagon out on the trail. He was an easy-going, quiet-spoken man with a ready smile, and the boys took to him in spite of their initial reservations about anyone trying to take Miss Kitty's place. Freeman fed them well and on time, two things which the hard-working crew greatly appreciated. They didn't complain too much since they got to see Miss Kitty at most mealtimes, when she wasn't off doing important business for Boss.
It was at those mealtimes when Mr. Blessing looked around him at his rapidly growing makeshift family that he felt happiest. He could forget the pain and loneliness of his past for a while and lose himself in the joyful memories he was making with these young people gathered around his table. He'd look across at the dazzling little redhead who'd started it all and say a special prayer of thanks for her miraculous presence in his life. Where she'd come from, he didn't rightly know, but he was sure enough glad she was here, hopefully to stay.
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