Part 21 (1/2)
”No, no,” Junior stammered, waving his hand before his mouth. ”I never touch the stuff. Makes me sick.”
Katie Beth c.o.c.ked her head and waited to hear what Junior had to say that would bring him here even in the cold rain. Her eyes were s.h.i.+ny and she seemed nervous, as if she antic.i.p.ated that the news had to do with Frank.
Junior colored, held his breath, then blurted out what he had to say like a trumpet blast.
”Frank loves you and you oughta marry him but he's afraid to ask you 'cause he thinks you love John Henry and he's got nothin' and thinks he's not good enough for you but he is.” Junior stopped, breathless, with his eyes wide, staring at Katie Beth.
Katie Beth's mouth was hanging open and she stood quiet so long Junior began to shuffle his feet.
Her mouth gradually closed, and Junior was relieved beyond belief to see that her lips closed in a smile. He let loose a tremendous sigh.
”Is that so?” Katie Beth replied slowly. Her face softened. ”You're a good brother, Junior. And a good friend to me, too.”
Junior turned redder and made a dash for the door. ”I gotta go now.”
Katie Beth put her hand on his damp coat sleeve as he reached for the door k.n.o.b.
”Tell Frank I think he's got everything a girl like me could want.”
For two nights, since the kiss, C.W. did not walk over to the big house for their usual seven-o'clock meeting. Instead, he stayed in the cabin poring over his files and creating a farm budget that would coerce Nora MacKenzie to reveal her financial situation. To do that, C.W. needed to keep his feelings for Nora separate from the job at hand. He needed the cold approach to carry this off.
But at what cost? That morning, a dull ache formed in his chest as he approached the barn's entry. Despite himself, he hoped that he'd spy her blond head bent over some lamb. Regardless of his resolve, he realized that he missed her.
It was clear that Nora had made her own decision to back off, and he had to admit he was burned that she'd decided to ignore him completely. Although she was polite when they fed the ewes, prompt to help repair the grain feeders for winter, and agreeable to his opinions on balancing the sheep rations, no sooner was Nora done than she ducked out like a bat out of h.e.l.l.
Esther, too. Like Nora, Esther showed up for her ch.o.r.es, did them efficiently, then darted away with scarcely a h.e.l.lo. It was clear the two women wanted nothing to do with the men around here.
C.W. spotted Nora in the barn, filling the feed box with confident ease. He stepped back in the shadows and watched. Nora was learning fast and already doing a number of ch.o.r.es that Esther used to do. Given the chance, she might just make it on this farm, C.W. realized with appreciation. He leaned against a timber and crossed his arms and legs, considering again how the h.e.l.l he'd manage using MacKenzie's secrets without destroying his widow's chances.
It had been h.e.l.l watching Nora blossom from city flower to wildflower. From pale and skinny to pink and rounded. Her cautious guard had dissipated to reveal a spontaneity that lured his own wounded spirit from its sh.e.l.l. Her mellifluous laughter was luring out his own.
And through her eyes, he viewed day-to-day ch.o.r.es with renewed awe. Each birth was a miracle, each lamb a.s.signed a personality. Even hauling hay was done with a lighter heart.
Nora moved away from the ewes and headed toward the creep for preweaned lambs. C.W. straightened quickly, tucked in his s.h.i.+rt, b.u.t.toned his sleeves, then entered the barn a man with a mission.
C.W. approached the creep and abruptly cleared his throat. Nora looked up at him with eyes filled with an inner peace. Seeing it, his own shaky peace was rocked.
”I've been looking for you.” He rested his hands on the rail and lifted a boot on the creep's runner. ”I've got that budget information you requested. Whenever you're ready.”
Willow stood up at the noise and slipped through the panel that lets lambs in but keeps ewes out. Nora walked to the lamb and plopped down cross-legged next to Willow.
”That's great, C.W.,” she said, looking at the lamb rather than him. The runt was growing heavy and strong between milk and high concentrate rations, and Willow had a definite preference for Nora.
”Never saw a lamb take so to a human,” he said, moving closer to the pair. ”Maybe you're right about him being exceptional.”
”At least he knows what a nipple's for. Isn't that right?” she asked the lamb, scratching behind the lamb's ears and neck.
When was she going to stop talking to that infernal lamb, he wondered with another scowl? He moved still closer.
”Do you think Willow understands English?”
”Oh, I'm sure of it,” Nora said, finally looking up. She seemed pleased to be exchanging her first joke with C.W. in days.
A smile escaped C.W.
Nora smiled back, quickly, before looking back at the lamb.
”Willow tells me you're loafing off down here and only work this hard when I'm here watching you,” she said with a soft laugh.
”Does he now?” he replied gently. C.W. bent down and patted Willow's head. ”Well, little fellow, did I ever tell you how much I like lamb stew?”
Willow looked sleepily up as C.W. stroked his chin.
”I can see you frighten him,” Nora said in a whisper.
”Yes. It's obvious I have this effect on people.” C.W. turned his head to face Nora. On bent knee, his face was inches from hers, and he could feel her warm breath against his cheek.
”Do I frighten you too, Nora?”
Her mouth opened but no response formulated. Her lips, now centimeters from his own, slowly closed. Her breath stilled. The air grew thick. Closer they drew, their lips almost touching.
”Ahem. Am I breakin' up something here?”
Seth stood at the far railing, hands in his pockets, smiling a toothless grin.
Nora jolted back while C.W. jumped up and stepped back a pace or two, shuffling his feet in the straw.
”Nope,” C.W. replied, running his hand through his hair. ”Just talking to Nora, that's all.”
Seth raised his brows and offered a doubtful expression.
”Can't say as I ever knew she was so hard of hearing.”
C.W. grimaced and knew there was nothing he could say to change what the old coot was thinking. And h.e.l.l, he was right. He was about to kiss her. He peered over his shoulder and found Nora's eyes still on him.
”I hear you're ready to start work on the insulation,” Nora said s.h.i.+fting her gaze to Seth. ”None too soon. It seems to be getting colder by the day.”
”I thought it was getting warmer,” Seth replied.
Nora blushed, and C.W. rocked on his heels and whistled a silent tune.
”I got the batting and some drywall,” Seth mumbled, pulling out ragged papers from his equally frayed jacket. ”Joe Cronin brung it up. You know Joe. Does construction. Lives in the gray cape by Squire's place. Married to Fred Zwinger's little girl, Elsa.”
Nora couldn't keep all the names straight but nodded anyway. She'd know Joe and Elsa, and Fred, ”the pump man,” well enough by the time the house was finished.
”Got the figures too,” Seth continued. ”We'll do the work for a good price, but it ain't going to be cheap. There's lots of floors and walls in that big house, and gettin' it ready in time for winter will take full-time work.”
Nora sighed and chewed her lip. ”Everything is a lot of work and a lot of money these days,” she replied. ”Still, we've got to do what we've got to do.”
That comment played right to C.W.'s hand. ”Speaking of money,” C.W. said, drawing Nora's attention back.