Sage and Leather - Chapter 2

By Deanna Twedt

Last month, in the first installment of the new Sage and Leather we were introduced to the main character Evie Calloway. She started working as another cook for the TR outfit near the Rio Grande in Texas. She met a few of the hired hands, but most of them were out on the range, including her brother Tad. What will be in store for Evie in this chapter?

Chapter Two

Dust swirled around my boots as I treaded over to the main house with a hot plate stacked full of fresh tortillas sprinkled in cinnamon and lathered in butter. The steam rippled up towards my face as if I were walking across a sizzling desert plain. For barely being five in the morning, the air was warm. Enough that the cotton fabric of my dress was clinging uncomfortably to my skin. From that, I knew it would be a miserably hot day. If we kept from using the fireplace in the kitchen that day we might stay semi-cool. Surely Juanita had figured that out from working here for however long she had. There was always the chance that it didn’t matter what Juanita could do to keep the kitchen cool, she could only answer to Mr. Hollister’s wishes. Cooking the tortillas this morning would probably warm up the kitchen fast. Heat. That was something I didn’t appreciate about this country. The heat was always there. Beating down, clinging, shrouding, clouding the basic thoughts of the human brain.

The bugs were loudly buzzing as I stepped onto the tiled porch of the main house and entered into the breezeway. The ceiling was arched and covered in stenciled flowers of blue and white. All along the walkway were tall potted trees. The air was slightly cooler here, but not too much different.

The little instruction I could understand from Junita, I turned to my left and walked into a large dining room. The walls were completely stucco with oak trimming. Covering the off-white plaster were rich oil paintings depicting ships on roaring seas, Mexican women picking pears off a tree, and a muleteer with two asses. I was about to walk up to one and identify the signature on the painting when a voice behind me startled me out of my wits.

“Either you are very familiar with your art, or you’ve never seen the like.”

I suspected my eyebrows rose at that declaration. Two very discreet assumptions. To be greeted this way--well it wasn’t even a greeting. I was unsure how to answer, especially since I did not know who I was to be speaking to. I just awkwardly stood there with cooling tortillas in my hands.

The stranger walked further into the room with an air that told me he was confident in his status. If I had any guess I was staring right back at Mr. Hollister himself. He was distinguished in an opaque blue pearlsnap shirt, a suede vest, and bowtie. His leather boots shined unlike the dusty, cracking, tearing boots of the hired hands I’d met yesterday. This was a man of wealth and dignity, and well aware of it. He stopped on the other side of the large landscape on the wall, clasping his gnarled hands behind his back.

“Traded some hides and Comanche relics to a merchant for these paintings a few years ago. Claimed the painter is from Portugal, but lives in Mexico now. I rather like them don’t you?” He lifted a finger to follow the lines in the painting a few inches away. “See the way the brush strokes were used to create effect in the waves of the water? I’ve come to treasure oils in this ceramic land. While this ranch has come to mean everything to my existence I still crave the ocean. The air is not as dry out there nor is the surface you tread stagnant. It’s always moving. Never thought I’d come to be unsettled with being settled.”

“You are Mr. Hollister aren’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am, I am. But I’m afraid I can’t place you.”

Of course he couldn’t. My name had made nothing for itself in this world and probably never would.

Just then, a dark haired woman sashayed into the room, for her starched skirts swished with volume. “Well, she must be the new cook. Mr. Calloway’s sister.”

He crinkled his bushy eyebrows. “Oh. So you’re in the way of my taking up the Beaded Flats.”

There it was. The entitlement that irked me. He clearly stated his ambitions in front of me, successfully offending me in the process. He was referring to my home. How was he not already satisfied with the wide spread he already had? Was it absolutely necessary that he obtain our place? We wanted something to our name. Out of all people, Raphael Hollister should understand that. Unless he sought to be the only one to have that feeling in the southern part of Texas. Now I felt that taking on this job had been a serious mistake. How could I work for someone who didn’t want me in his way of achieving land?

The woman’s way of scolding Mr. Hollister was to lightly slap him on the elbow. “Now, Rafe, that was a little uncalled for. You are talking to an employee. This is not cattle business.”

“But she is directly related to my business.”

“In that case, save it for another time.” She turned her attention to me. “I’m sorry Miss Calloway. You will have to forgive my husband. He can be intrusive from time to time.”

I had no intention of forgiving the man, but I didn’t voice my opinion.

She reached out her hands. “Let me take those from you. Perhaps if Mr. Hollister has something to eat, he won’t be such a snipe.”

“Calliope!”

“Don’t deny it, Rafe. You have been very rude.”

“And you have voiced your thoughts plenty enough,” he retorted, scraping the chair across the floor as he pulled up to the table.

“As I have a right to.”

“If I wasn’t married to you…”

“Don’t finish that sentence. Eat your breakfast.”

Mr. Hollister pointed his fork at his wife while simultaneously addressing me. “She’s bossy isn’t she?”

I didn’t dare express any opinion on the matter. I did not need to be on anyone’s bad side. I had barely started my job. Then again, if I were to play it right I wouldn’t have to work here anymore. Not for a man who made me twitch.

“I should probably get back,” I resorted to saying and started backing out of the room when I bumped into someone. The contact sent a shockwave reverberating through me, especially in my shoulder. I spun around to see a man about Tad’s age. Dark curls sat atop his head like balls of black fleece.

“Gabriel, why don’t you watch where you’re going?” Mrs. Hollister demanded.

He responded with a slight smirk, “You doubt that I wasn’t?”

“Gabriel…”

“If you reflect on the situation I was walking into the room, which means I could see perfectly fine ahead of me. It is you, Miss, I’m sorry to say, who stepped in the wrong direction.” He shrugged. “She was walking backwards after all.”

I didn’t know whether to be humiliated or annoyed. If he was another Hollister…well it made sense. I could see it in his character and he had similar features to his mother.

Mrs. Hollister looked as if she wanted to pluck her eyes out. “Miss Calloway, I’m really sorry for the way my men have treated you this morning. They had no right…”

“It’s fine,” I quickly interjected. “I’ll just be on my way.”

“Retreating are you?” Gabriel slyly asked with his hands behind his back like his father, rocking on his heels as if this was funny.

“I have duties. Juanita is waiting for me.”

“She’s been cooking alone for a long time. I’m sure she doesn’t miss you.”

“Gabriel!” Another warning from his mother.

“Why don’t you join us?”

“What?” I wondered if the heat was starting to get to me. I could hear buzzing in my ears.

“You know. Sit down. Have a meal. Partake in conversation.” He kept rocking on his feet with a smug look on his bemused face.

“I’ve already eaten,” I supplied, wanting to get back as soon as possible.

“If you stay,” Mr. Hollister had the audacity to suggest, “mayhaps I could persuade you and your brother…”

With that I was out the door. I didn’t care to hear anymore of what that family had to say. I’d heard and seen enough. Apparently, I couldn’t escape it yet, for Gabriel was on my trail.

“Hey, wait a minute!”

I tried to block him out as I hurried past the water fountain.

“Okay, so the Hollisters speak their minds!”

“A little too much I’d say.”

“You know, most people would appreciate hearing the truth…or hearing what exactly is on another person’s mind.”

I pointed back at him. “You see, I already knew what your father was thinking. He just spelled it out for me.”

“And I added to the flames didn’t I?”

“Yes, you accommodated nicely in that department.”

“Not sure I would call it nice…”

“You know what I mean,” I said as I swung back the door leading into the kitchen. “And why are you still following me?”

“Because I think an apology is necessary. I owe you one, do I not?”

I opened my mouth to agree, but I realized to my shame that he actually wasn’t in the wrong. “No…you do not.”

He straightened his neck back. “Really?”

“If you surveyed the situation correctly…you said it yourself, I was walking backwards into you. I didn’t see who was behind me or that there was anyone there. So frankly I am the one who should say I’m sorry.”

“While I appreciate it, I’m not going to expect that from you. Accidents like that happen more often than you think.”

Before I could respond, Juanita started speaking loudly towards me with her arms flapping around her face. Since I couldn’t understand a word she was saying, she grabbed me and pulled me to the table where she’d been grounding what looked to be kernels, into a pile of powder. She pointed forcefully at it and handed me the stone beater. I looked behind my shoulder to see that Gabriel was gone. I guess even he understood that it was pointless to try to intervene with Juanita. A wave of relief passed over me and I gave myself up to the rhythm of grinding the corn. Anything to blot out my angry thoughts. I made up my mind that whenever Tad showed up I’d tell him that we needn’t work for these people anymore. We could find another way to pay our debts.

Somehow.