"We'll see!" Emeline laughed, "just don't say I didn't warn you!"
With that, she went back into the house -- their house -- and returned a few minutes later with a tray that held a warm apple pie with a neat lattice crust on top.
"It will be better once we have the cows here and there's cream to put on top," she shrugged as she started setting out slices on clean plates, "so, don't blame me if it isn't perfect!"
She had no doubt it would be good, but an extra dash of heavy cream would make it all the better! That would be for this evening, when the cows had come home, and everyone was here for the first time.
All this talk of pie had really gotten Cade's expectations up, he hadn't had a slice of pie in a long time. The woman then back to her house and returned a few minutes later with a tray that held a warm apple pie with a neat lattice crust on top. Cade took a long look at it, sure looked the part alright. His mouth was watering.
"It will be better once we have the cows here and there's cream to put on top," she shrugged as she started setting out slices on clean plates, "so, don't blame me if it isn't perfect!"
"I don't need no cream, ma'am, it's the pie that makes the dish," Cade declared then popped his first forkful into his mouth and chewed. Swallowing that down he complimented her, "I don't know about perfect but this has gotta be real close. It's really tasty, thankya."
Hold that critter down!
For his part, Muley would have loved to have put a dollop of cream on top of his slice, but dug into the pie with gusto.
"I reckon you me's gonna have to have a difference of opinion here Cade!" he opined between mouthfuls "This here's the most perfectist slice of pie ever created by human hands but there's nothing better'n a good ol' dollop of cream on top, sends that pie from perfect to sublime, I tel's ya!!"
"Now, course, you can milk them beef cows, Mrs Pike, but you'll have a hard time of it. But if you want some real nice creamy milk you wanna get yourself a milker: Holstein or Guernsey, meybe a Brown Swiss." he went on. The old puncher might now be the world's greatest scholar, but he certainly know his cowography.
@[Flip]
"Mister Pike do have bulls coming for breeding, and he said he was looking to buy him a milk cow. It will be a necessity before too long, that's fer sure." Pythias agreed. "Finding one shouldn't be all that difficult I wouldn't think. Maybe get on in'ta town and put the word out for one, shouldn't be long afore we have us one up here."
"Now I have to agree about the quality of her pies, an' she said she makes quite a few when she can get the right ingredients for 'um. Blue and black berries seem to abound up here, so those'll be comin' in this spring. Least ways, that's whot she says." He added with a good amount of pride in his voice.
"Thank you all for your compliments." There was a slight blush in Emeline's cheeks, but the compliments were what any cook lived for! "So, now, with the herd coming in, I'll need to get something started for supper...Pythias, how many men are there...including our current company, of course? And I'll need someone to run into town to get some supplies, and we'll need to be sure the bunkhouse and barn are ready."
She wanted to have the ranch as prepared as possible for the incoming crew, and while most if it was there, she wanted it all as organized as possible. The cows would be out to pasture, but the saddle mounts would be in the paddocks by the barn, and would need fresh water and feed.
Emeline was in her element!
"Sixteen I reckon," Pythias said, "an' whatever's needed I kin ride on in'ta town an' fetch it, lest we need a wagon, 'er maybe a pack animal."He smiled and nodded toward Muley and the kid, "These two kin lend a hand with whatever needs doin'."
Getting the place ready for Pike and the rest might not be as big of a chore as it might have been had not the place already been set up for them. The bunkhouse was made up, and the barn might need hay forked into the stalls, and water pumped into the troughs, but by and large, the Andersons and the men who built the place took care of almost every detail ahead of their arrival back in Kalispell—a debt owed.
The young man had finished off everything on his plate, the pie slice was reduced to miniscule crumbs and he had even licked his fork clean.
"Thankya, it was really good, ma'am," Cade was nothing if not polite.
Pythias declared he could ride into town but that there might be a few chores to be done here on the ranch. Cade saw his opportunity.
"Oh sure, ma'am. I'd be glad to do whatever needs doin' around here. Barnwork, whatever, I'm willin' and able," he promptly declared.
Hold that critter down!
"Sixteen I reckon," Pythias said, "an' whatever's needed I kin ride on in'ta town an' fetch it, lest we need a wagon, 'er maybe a pack animal."He smiled and nodded toward Muley and the kid, "These two kin lend a hand with whatever needs doin'."
"Oh we can, can we? Why, thanks fer volunteerin' us, Pie!" chuckled Muley.
"Oh sure, ma'am. I'd be glad to do whatever needs doin' around here. Barnwork, whatever, I'm willin' and able," he promptly declared.
"Well look, why don't the two of us go into town and get you what you need, Mrs Pike? Just give us a list and a cart and we'll do the rest." suggested Muley: now that'd really be making themselves useful something Barnabus Pike would appreciate as soon as he got home.
"There's a wagon and a team in the barn," Emeline pointed out, addressing the newcomers, "you can stable your horses there for the day. I have a list written up," assuming one of them could read, "and I'd really appreciate if you do this quickly." It was already getting on in the day, and would be well past noon when they got back, so she didn't want them getting distracted by, say, the saloon! "And there's a dollar fifty each for you, a private contract with me, for the day."
After all, if they were doing a chore for her, they deserved to be paid, and her offer was generous, but also she didn't want them to think that they were hired long-term, not that she had any doubts that Barnabas would take them on.
"And Pythias, I can use your help around here." If he didn't mind, and Emeline knew that Barnabas had left him to keep her safe, so it was best he stayed here. "You're cooking skills will come in handy, and there are plenty of pies to make!"
"Oh we can, can we? Why, thanks fer volunteerin' us, Pie!" chuckled Muley.
"Oh sure, ma'am. I'd be glad to do whatever needs doin' around here. Barnwork, whatever, I'm willin' and able," he promptly declared.
"A pleasure, old timer. But hold on, this here's a good thang, whot she offered. I'll be on hand to hep out 'round here whilst yer gone, you an' this fine young man here." Pythias said.
"There's a wagon and a team in the barn," Emeline pointed out, addressing the newcomers, "you can stable your horses there for the day. I have a list written up," assuming one of them could read, "and I'd really appreciate if you do this quickly."
"I expect one'a you kin read it." Pythias needled. Knowing that if neither could the clerk at the general store could. It would not be uncommon for neither to read, but he suspected that curly wolf Muley Dickens could, and probably the young feller, too.
"And there's a dollar fifty each for you, a private contract with me, for the day."
Pythias snapped around at her offer to the pair. "Brodie, you watch the old coot an' fight shy of the saloon. Muley Dickens is not to be trusted around them spirits of any kind."
"And Pythias, I can use your help around here." If he didn't mind, and Emeline knew that Barnabas had left him to keep her safe, so it was best he stayed here. "You're cooking skills will come in handy, and there are plenty of pies to make!"
"Yes Ma'am, pie makin' it is. You boys have yerself's a good trip ta town. See ya when ya get back." Pythias said with a broad smile.