Eliza stood just inside the doorway of the bustling ranch house kitchen, momentarily stunned into silence. Children dashed about in a raucous game of hide-and-seek, weaving between the legs of adults preparing supper. The clatter of dishes and sizzle of meat echoed off the walls, almost drowning out the animated conversations swirling around the room.
This boisterous atmosphere was a far cry from the staid formality of meals at her parents’ home in New York. There, supper was a quiet, serious affair, with little communication beyond requests to pass the butter and the latest social obligations. Eliza had always found it dull, believing meals were the same for all families.
Now, surrounded by uncontrolled chaos, she felt overwhelmed, unsure where she fit into the swirling action. For a moment, she was an outsider, watching the familiar community carry on without her. Then, a gorgeous little boy with black hair rushed up and took her hand, flashing a grin. “Play hide-seek?” he asked.
Eliza couldn’t help but smile back at the child. “Maybe after supper.”
He giggled and scampered off, leaving Eliza feeling a bit less adrift.
Squaring her shoulders, she made her way through the crowd, walking down the hall to check on Tom Barrett. She knocked on his door. “Tom, may I come in? I’d like to see how your arm is doing.”
At his invitation, she entered to find him propped up on pillows, looking pale but better than he had earlier. She checked his splint and bandages, gently probing the break. He winced and assured her it was much improved.
“You’ll need to stay in bed one more day, then you can move back to the bunkhouse,” Eliza said. “I’ll be back again tonight to check on you.”
Leaving him to rest, she almost collided with Billy Zales in the hallway. “Pardon me, Billy,” she said. “I was just checking on Tom.”
“No harm done,” Billy assured her. He nodded toward the kitchen. “Rachel asked me to let you know supper’s about ready. Ginny’s fried chicken is the best around.”
Eliza fell into step beside him. “I look forward to tasting it. Is your wife joining us this evening?”
“Yes. Shining Star is feeding Spirit Bear in the kitchen right now,” Billy said. “I imagine she’ll be along shortly.”
As they entered the large dining room, the earlier chaos had changed to softer conversation. Billy pulled out a chair for Eliza, placing her between Luke Pelletier and Bull Mason.
Once everyone was seated, Dax said a short prayer, then invited everyone to fill their plates.
Throughout the meal, Eliza listened to the various conversations, surprised at the level of thought. She’d always believed people out west were poorly educated. So far, nothing she’d understood about people on the frontier was true.
Sitting on the edge of her bed later in the evening, Eliza studied the last entry in her journal before recording the events of the day. Her brief time at the ranch had already opened her eyes to new ideas.
Setting down her journal, she slipped under the covers. As a doctor, she tried to keep an open mind about ways to heal others. A wry grin curved her mouth. Perhaps keeping an open mind would be the guiding light during her travels in this strange new wilderness.
Eliza awoke the next morning to rays of sunlight streaming into her room at the ranch house. For a moment, she was disoriented. Then memories of the wonderful supper the night before came flooding back. She stretched and rose from the bed, going to the window to take in the view.
Outside, the sky was a brilliant blue with only a few wispy clouds. The snow on the ground sparkled like diamonds. She gazed out at the expanse of land belonging to the ranch, dotted with trees and crisscrossed by now frozen, meandering creeks. It was beautiful in its wildness.
She thought back to the stories Billy had shared the previous night about the children who’d been found hiding in the cavesabove the ranch. How they’d been taken in by the Pelletiers and given a true home here.
A pang of longing pierced Eliza’s heart. She’d always been fascinated by the way some opened their arms to others in need while many turned their backs. She envied the sense of belonging those children must feel as part of the Pelletier clan.
A knock at the door drew Eliza from her musings. It was Ginny, peeking her head in. “Rise and shine, we’ve got hot coffee and biscuits with jam waiting in the kitchen.”
Eliza smiled, heart warmed by the kindness all the Pelletiers had shown her. “I’ll be right there, thank you.”
As she dressed for the day, Eliza contemplated her situation. Perhaps she would stay a little longer in this part of the country. California would still be there when it was time to move on.
Making her way downstairs, she followed the aromatic scent of freshly baked biscuits. Entering the large, rustic kitchen, she was greeted by a chorus of welcomes.
Rachel was at the stove, flipping hotcakes onto an almost overflowing platter. Ginny and Shining Star sat at the table, warming their hands with mugs of hot tea. Lydia Mason spooned eggs into a serving bowl, setting it next to a platter of fried ham and bacon and a basket of hot biscuits.
“All right, ladies,” Rachel called out. “Grab a plate. Breakfast is hot and ready.”
The women filled their plates, then moved into the dining room where their husbands had eaten breakfast hours earlier.
Eliza smiled as she took a seat at the table. “Do you eat like this every morning?”
“It’s a routine,” Rachel said. “We cook breakfast for the men, feed the children, then sit down for a quiet meal among ourselves.”
