“But nature doesn’t seem to be cooperating,” Emma interjected. Raising an eyebrow at Cooper, she added, “In your case, nature seems more dead than alive. Don’t you know one woman in these parts who is irresistible? Someone who makes your heart race? A girl you simply can’t live without?”

“Don’t get carried away, Emma,” Johanna snapped. “I swear to goodness, sometimes you’re as silly as Winnie. What we need here is a woman to be his partner in working the ranch. One with strong bones so she can have a large family. You sound like he is looking for someone to be the death of him.”

Cooper thought of the unlucky women his sisters had managed to drag home so far. One who was too frightened to talk; one, still in her teens, who giggled every time Cooper looked her direction; and the final candidate, who swore she was only twentyeight but looked twice that age. They were all quite easy to resist.

Before he could take a breath and hope that they’d given up their quest, Johanna destroyed any possibility.

“We decided we should launch a full campaign before it is too late and you are past your prime.”

Emma agreed and added, “Once a man’s past thirty, he begins to fall apart. Losing hair in spots, gaining it in others. Making strange sounds and talking about his youth like it was something to brag on.”

Johanna interrupted her sister. “We have come up with a plan that cannot fail. I’ll invite every unmarried woman in the county to a party. Then you can pick one and save time. You’ve a house and barn big enough to hold everyone. If it takes feeding them all to find you a bride, we’re up to the task.” Johanna raised her fork a few inches higher. “Your sisters will not let you down.”

Emma wasn’t following the call. She stared at the ceiling and added, “A ball would be nice. A grand ball with dancing and tea cakes.” She glanced at Johanna, obviously trying to read her sister. “But maybe a country ball would have to do. An allday event, with barbecue and square dancing,” Emma added, coloring her vision. “Cooper will have plenty of opportunity in the course of an entire day to get to know the right young lady and won’t feel like we’re rushing him into anything. They could sit on the porch and watch the sunset and dance in one another’s arms.”

“I’ll make my famous potato salad,” Winnie said, finally joining in the conversation, “if I can remember the recipe.” Emma might be moving through her dream night, but Winnie has stopped at the food table.

Emma looked over her glasses at her younger sister and frowned. “I hope so, Winnie. Are you aware that you are still wearing your traveling clothes? Johanna and I changed hours ago.”

Winnie nodded, but made no explanation. After all, Emma wasn’t really asking a question, only stating a fact.

Cooper didn’t need to think the idea over. “No. I’ve no time for parties. I’m up to my ears in trouble out here and winter’s coming on. Right now every rancher, including me, is rounding up cattle for one last drive north. There can be no country ball. Not at this time.”

Looking at his sisters, he realized no one was listening to him. Emma and Johanna had already started a list of things they must do and Winnie was trying to remember her potato salad recipe while she ate. Between bites she mumbled ingredients.

“I said no!” He raised his voice. “It’s impossible.” He couldn’t think about hosting a party or finding a wife right now. He had all he could handle running the ranch. They were crazy to think he’d find one of the local girls irresistible over barbecue and Winnie’s potato salad. There wasn’t a woman in the county he wanted to face over breakfast for the rest of his life and it was time they all came to terms with the fact.

Johanna stared at him as if she’d forgotten he was in the room. “Whatever you say, Cooper. After all, you are the man of this house, even if I happen to be almost fifteen years older than you and the three of us raised you as if you were our child from the day Mother and Father died and left you this land.”

She went back to her list making. Cooper felt like he’d been sent to the corner. Standing, he walked to the door without commenting that this land had been worthless when he’d finally grown old enough to claim it and that the herd was sold the day after the funeral of their parents to buy the sisters a house in Dallas.

He would have no part of this insane country ball. Life was hard out here. No one had time for that sort of thing. The three sisters had gone too far.

Just as he crammed his hat low and grabbed the doorknob, Winnie’s whisper caught his ear. “Anything’s possible, Cooper Boy. Something can even happen when you’ve given up all hope. You turn around one day and suddenly someone you never suspected becomes irresistible.” She giggled. “It could happen.”

He hurried out the door not wanting to hear any more. Let them have their dreams and fantasies of balls. He’d seen enough of life to know the truth. There was nothing but hard work around the corner and no dances or wishing would make it any different.

Chapter Two

COOPER DID NOT return until long past when he knew his sisters would be in bed. Part of him felt guilty for destroying their dreams. He tossed his hat on the bench by the door and crossed to his desk in the center of what he called the great room, even though it was not as large or great as he’d planned.

His desk was his favorite place in the house, though. From its vantage point, he could see every room.

As he leaned into the give of his leather chair, he thought of the winter of ’63 when he’d been ill with fever and heartsick after watching most of his friends die at Chattanooga. His sisters crossed half of Texas and most of Arkansas to reach him. They hounded the doctors at the field hospital until Cooper was released into their care. He was so weak he couldn’t walk to the wagon, but they managed to carry him without asking for any help from the exhausted doctors.

Winnie drove. Johanna and Emma sat on either side of him in the back of the wagon. It had taken weeks to reach home and months before he recovered, but they never deserted him.

From his desk he could see down the hallway to the three doors that were his sisters’ bedrooms. Four years ago he’d built the house over a dugout his parents had used. He’d planned three children’s rooms, but now wondered if they would ever be used as such.

If his sisters wanted a party, maybe he could talk them into coming back over Christmas. Then there would be an excuse for one and it wouldn’t look like he was the door prize at the box supper.

Cooper glanced down at a guest list on his desk that Johanna and Emma had already started. Beside each name he could think of at least one reason why he wouldn’t want the unmarried daughter or sister as a wife. Men out here outnumbered women several times over and all that was left in most families were the illtempered and homely.

Wilson, the rancher south of Cooper, had two daughters of the right age, one with a full mustache, the other with beaver teeth big enough to down a tree within the hour. Smith, a farmer to Cooper’s north, had a sister who never missed a chance to visit. The good thing about marrying her might be that her tongue was so sharp she would make any man forget it was cold outside. Her husband would work himself to death to keep from coming home every night. Then there was Miller’s…

Cooper heard a sound and glanced up from the list. “Winnie?” he asked as his sister hurried toward the kitchen with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

She stopped as if she’d been caught while on a secret mission. “I…I was just getting your sewing kit,” she said without looking at him. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“That’s all right,” he said, watching her continue the journey.

A moment later, she reappeared, the cigar box he used as both a sewing and medicine kit in hand. “Cooper Boy,” she whispered, as if she feared her sisters might hear her, “could you hitch the buggy for me first thing after breakfast? I could walk to town, but it’ll be muddy. I seem to have forgotten a few things and need to make a quick trip.”

“Do you want me to drive you?” Winnie wasn’t known for turning the right direction and four miles was no short stroll. He would rather take the time to drive her than worry about her until she found her way home. “I need to pick up some lumber in the morning. If you don’t mind riding in the work wagon, we could start early.”

Winnie smiled. “Oh, no, I don’t mind, but just tell the sisters I’m riding along with you. Don’t mention my forgetting anything.”

Cooper almost felt sorry for Winnie. It must be hard to live all your life with one perfect sister and one who reminded you of all your shortcomings. “You got a deal.” He winked at her. “I’ll drop you at Debord’s General Store, load the lumber, then pick you up. We’ll be back before they think to miss us.”

“Deal.” Winnie almost danced as she hurried away. “Good night. I have to go to bed now. I’m really quite tired.” Her blanket blew behind her in full sail.

Cooper mumbled good night and began the paperwork he’d been putting off for a week. An hour later, when he lowered the wick on the lamp, he noticed the light under Winnie’s door still shone.

Even so, just after breakfast she was all ready, dressed in her same purple traveling suit, when he pulled the wagon around.

“Certain you want to go?” he whispered. “We’re sure to get caught in the rain today. Those clouds have been promising all week and so far all we manage to get are a few sprinkles.”

Winnie giggled. “A little rain won’t hurt me. Maybe I’ll get lucky and shrink.”

Neither Johanna nor Emma paid more than passing interest as Winnie climbed up beside Cooper and announced loudly that she was going along for the ride. Winnie was always the extra in the first few days after the sisters invaded Cooper’s house. She was never given an assignment in the cleaning that had to be done before Johanna could relax. Winnie had always been the extra who was called to do one task after another while the two generals organized.