Chapter 9

Daphne hummed as she made breakfast the next morning. She couldn’t wait to see Brock that night and hoped that nothing would spoil their evening this time.

Leigh came into the kitchen from outside, a pail of milk in her hand. “I’ll put this down in the cellar. Do you need anything from down there, Daphne?”

“No, thanks. Cold out?”

Leigh made a derisive sound. “This is mild compared to what I’m used to. It’ll be an easy winter if it stays like this.”

“Yes, I imagine that Massachusetts is much colder.”

“You’d imagine right,” Leigh said, going down into the cellar.

Daphne chuckled and turned back to the sausage in the frying pan. Her mind drifted to the handsome deputy again. Brock hadn’t told her what he had planned for that night, but it didn’t matter to her. All she cared about was spending more time with him.

Johnny came in the door and hung up his coat. “Morning, Daphne. Something smells good.”

She accepted his kiss on her cheek. “Sausage and pancakes.”

“My favorite,” he said, grinning. “Can I help with something?”

“No. Just wash up and sit down.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Leigh came up from the cellar, a murderous expression on her face. “That’s it! We’re getting a cat!”

Daphne’s shoulders dropped. “Oh, no.”

“Oh, yes. Got into the flour bin again, damn it.” Leigh’s eyes spat green fire. “I don’t care what my husband says, having four dogs doesn’t make a bit of difference because they’re not always here. Besides, they don’t go down to the cellar and that’s where those mice are. If we had some barn cats, we wouldn’t have as many mice around the whole place. I’m gonna ask David or Daniel if they have any kittens at their ranch. I’ll take as many as they’ve got. Two for in the house and the rest for the barn.”

Johnny’s eyes grew big. “Won’t the dogs eat them?”

“No. They’re well trained and we’ll make sure they leave the cats alone. We can’t keep having our flour and stuff ruined by mice. They’re too dear,” Leigh replied as she washed up.

Daphne couldn’t wait to see the sparks fly between Cy and his feisty wife. When it came to the ranch work, Leigh ruled with an iron fist.

No sooner did Cy come in the door with another pail of milk than Johnny said, “We’re getting’ cats, Cy.”

Johnny often jumped the gun when it came to relaying information that other people would’ve preferred to impart. Leigh frowned while Daphne’s lips twitched as she tried to hide a smile.

“No, we’re not,” Cy said.

“Leigh says we are.”

Cy’s eyes found Leigh’s. “We’ve talked about this.”

Leigh planted her hands on her hips. “We’re getting cats. The mice got into the flour again and, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to eat stuff that might have mice poop in it. Besides it’s too expensive to keep replacing it.”

With a sound of disgust, Daphne sat down the bowl of the pancake batter she’d been mixing. “No pancakes. I used that flour to make this batter.”

Johnny said, “I don’t want no mice poop pancakes.”

Leigh gave Cy a hard stare. “We’re getting a mama cat and some kittens and that’s final.”

Cy didn’t want mice poop pancakes, either, and the mice were getting out of hand. “Okay. Fine. We’ll get cats.”

Leigh nodded. “After breakfast, I’ll take a crate over to David’s and get some.”

Daphne said, “Well, we still have sausage and I’ll make some eggs.”

“Dang mice,” Johnny grumbled. “I could almost taste those pancakes.”

Cy said, “I’ll bring home new flour tonight.”

They were about halfway through breakfast when someone knocked on the front door. Daphne answered it and found a young woman standing on the porch. “May I help you?”

“I hope so, ma’am. I’m looking for Johnny. Is he here?”

Daphne’s eyebrows shot up. It was the first time that a girl had called on her cousin. “Yes, he’s here. Come in. And you would be?”

“Dory Klingerman, ma’am.”

Daphne led her into the kitchen. “Johnny, you have a visitor.”

Johnny took one look at Dory and shot to his feet. “Hello, miss. You must be Dory.”

Dory smiled at him. “That’s right. Cotton sent me to talk to you about making a cradle for a friend of mine.”

He held out a hand to her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Johnny’s heart hammered in his chest as they shook hands. He’d never seen such a pretty girl before.

“Likewise,” Dory said.

Johnny introduced her to everyone and said, “Come on out to my woodshop and we’ll talk about what sort of design you want.”

“All right.”

Johnny donned his coat and hat and ushered her out the door.

Cy chuckled. “Did you see his face? I’d say Cupid struck. He turned almost as red as the barn.”

Leigh said, “She’s a pretty girl and she seems nice.”

Daphne said, “I wonder how she knows Cotton. You don’t think...?”

Cy shook his head. “Cotton wouldn’t want a woman that young. He’s a ladies’ man, but he won’t cross that line. No, she knows him some other way.”

“Uh oh,” Leigh said. “Your detective mind just started working on that.”

Cy shrugged. “Can’t help being curious.”

“Curious as a cat,” Daphne said.

“Shut up. Cats,” Cy muttered.

Leigh and Daphne laughed at him as they finished their breakfast.

“I can’t believe you’re courting an Injun woman.”

Brock’s lips pursed as he finished with his tie that night. Looking at his father, Doug, he said, “Pa, we’ve talked about this. Don’t talk about Daphne like that. She’s a good woman, no matter her heritage. You’re gonna have to get used to it because I’m not going to stop seeing her.”