His Prairie Sweetheart

by Erica Vetsch

  Her look got a little frosty and her chin went up. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing now? Surely it’s acceptable to wear nice clothes to church? You’re wearing a suit and tie.”

  “Well, there’s nice clothes and there’s nice clothes. But what I’m trying to say is, you need to be ready to go to church earlier so Per can get there at a time when he’s comfortable.”

  “Fine, why don’t you tell me when that is? I asked several times when we needed to be ready, but nobody in the house understood me.”

  “Per said he wanted to leave his house by nine thirty. If you could make it earlier, that would be even better. To Per, on time is late.”

  “I didn’t know I was making him late. In the future, I’ll be sure to be ready sooner.” Frustration colored her voice. “But there isn’t anything I can do about my wardrobe, and I wish you’d stop twitting me about it. It isn’t a crime to wear the latest fashions or have nice clothes.”

  “It is if you’re the only one for a hundred miles dressed like that and it makes the mothers of your students feel like you’re lording it over them that you’re better off than they are.”

  Her mouth fell open. “Is that what you think I’m doing? Is that what the ladies think?”

  “They were whispering about it, about how they never saw clothes like yours, and how you were a foreigner who must be rich, and what were you doing way out here nearly to the Dakotas.” The hurt in her eyes had him backtracking. “I’m not saying you’re lording it over them, I’m just saying that might be how they feel.”

  “That’s wonderful.” She sank back into the seat. “Without speaking a word, I’ve managed to alienate at least half the county.”

  Elias propped his elbows on his knees, wishing Tyler was here to take this whole situation off his hands.

  * * *

  The women thought she was a snob. Savannah didn’t know whether she wanted to scream or cry. How was she supposed to disabuse their minds when she couldn’t even talk to them?

  What if they got Elias’s brother, Tyler, to fire her? Where would she go? She couldn’t face Raleigh yet, and she’d hate to admit failure in her first job before she even got started.

  “Here’s the farm. Pa homesteaded it right after the war. He held on through the grasshopper years, and now it’s doing pretty well. When the option came to buy the two sections to the west, Tyler and I purchased them, and we run the farm together.” Elias turned the horse in through an open gate. “We run sheep and cattle and raise wheat and corn. I raise and train a few horses every year and help Pa on the farm when I can.”

  “And do you live here?”

  “Sort of. Since I’m the town sheriff, I have a room on the back of the jail, but half the time I stay out here. It’s only a couple miles from town, and I have a part-time deputy, Bjorn. He lives in town, so he keeps an eye on things.” Elias shrugged. “Upholding the law isn’t too difficult in Snowflake. There’s usually time for a bit of farm work.”

  A pretty frame house with flowers in pots on the porch sat at the end of the drive. A few trees had been planted, giving the place a settled, homey look. A large barn with lots of fences took up a big part of the farmyard, and beyond the barn, crops stretched far away.

  If only she could board here, she would have a bedroom she could stand upright in.

  Savannah struck down that ungrateful thought. The Halvorsons were generous to board her, and she should be thankful, cramped loft or not.

  Mr. and Mrs. Parker met them at the door. “Come on in, Miss Cox. We’re sure glad you’re here,” Mr. Parker said in greeting. He was tall and broad like Elias, with silver dusting his dark hair and crow’s feet showing at the corners of his eyes.

  Mrs. Parker nodded and smiled. “Ja, ve are glad. Tyler vas very happy to haff a teacher for this fall for the barn.”

  Savannah blinked, both at the word and the accent. “I’m sorry. The barn?”

  “Oh, my pardon. Elias?” Her brows scrunched together as she looked to her son.

  “Barn is the Norwegian word for children.”

  “I’ll tuck that away to use on Monday.” Savannah smiled at Mrs. Parker. “Perhaps I can come to you for some lessons in speaking Norwegian. I think I will need them in order to best teach the barn. Now I understand how it is that Elias speaks fluent Norwegian and English.”

  “Yep.” Mr. Parker beamed, putting his arm around his wife. “I am a blessed man to have found my sweet bride fresh off a boat from Norway. I grabbed her up before anyone else could.” His pride in his wife shone in his eyes.

  The meal was delicious, though Savannah had never seen food prepared the way Mrs. Parker had done it. Creamed rutabaga, dilled cucumber and a roasted meat, either beef or lamb, she wasn’t sure.

  “Elias...” Mr. Parker sat back after patting his wife’s hand. “Why don’t you take Miss Cox outside and show her around. I’m sure she’d enjoy a bit of a walk after a meal like that.”

  Savannah laid her napkin aside. “Let me help clear the table first.”

  “Nonsense. I can help my wife clean up. You go get some fresh air.”

  Elias pulled out her chair for her and held the door.

  “Son, while you’re out there, walk round the sheep, will you? Captain’s keeping watch. They’re in the close pasture.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Savannah and Elias strolled past the sapling trees toward the barn. A breeze brushed her cheeks, and though it was warm, she was grateful for it. Without any wind, the day would be stifling. How a place this warm got the name Snowflake, she’d never know.

  “Captain watches the sheep all by himself? I mean, with no shepherd?” She tilted her parasol to shade her face.

  “Yep. Pa can’t afford to hire a shepherd just for the couple hundred sheep he runs, so he relies on Captain to look after the flock. He has another dog, too, but she’s expecting puppies any day now, so Pa’s keeping her close to the house. I’m not sure if he was as excited about his own sons’ births as he is about this litter.” Elias bent and plucked a long grass stem from along a fence line, bending it and snapping off little pieces as they walked.

  “You said you have horses here?”

  “Sure, almost a dozen head right now. They’re in the pasture behind the barn.”

  “Could we see them?” Savannah lifted her hem to step across the dusty ruts left by farm wagons.

  “You like horses?”

  “Oh, yes. I’m a very good equestrienne. Many Southern women are. I had riding lessons from the time I was a child.” A pang hit her heart. Girard had taken her riding many times. It was one of the things they shared, a love of horses.

  “Too bad you’re not dressed for it. I’d saddle up a couple of horses. We could ride round the sheep that way.” He threw away the last piece of grass stem.

  “It wouldn’t matter how I was dressed if you had a sidesaddle. I’d risk my Sunday silk for a chance to ride.” It had been much too long since she’d been on horseback.

  “Are you serious?” He tilted his head, studying her.

  “Of course I am.”

  “I forgot, you’re always serious.” He shrugged. “As it happens, we do have a sidesaddle. If you’re sure, I’ll bring in the horses.”

  Elias ducked into the barn and emerged with a pail half-full of grain in his hand and two halters slung over his shoulder. “Come around this way.”

  At the pasture gate, he whistled and clanked the handle against the bucket, shaking the oats. Heads came up from grazing, and several horses started toward him. Bays, chestnuts, a gray with a black mane and tail.

  Elias scattered some of the grain on the ground, shouldering his way among the horses. “Which one would you choose?”

  Savannah eyed them, knowing he was testing her. “The buckskin with the blaze. He looks like he could
move.”

  “Hmm, you’ve a good eye. That’s my horse, Buck. And you’re right, he’s fast. But he’s not a lady’s mount.”

  “How about the gray mare?”

  He paused. “She’s new, and I haven’t ridden her much. I bought her over in Pipestone for a broodmare. She’s got good lines, and I think I’d get some nice foals out of her. But she’s a quick mover and she likes to run.” He frowned. “Maybe I should put you up on my ma’s horse, Gresskar.” Pointing at a round little chestnut with a shaggy mane and knobby knees, he reached for the halter on his shoulder. “Gresskar means pumpkin.”

  “I told you I could ride. I’d like the gray. She won’t unseat me.” Savannah gripped her parasol. The man didn’t think she could do anything. “What’s her name? The gray?”

  “Elsker.”

  Was that a blush reddening his cheeks?

  “Elsker? What does that mean?”

  He shrugged, not meeting her eyes. “Elsker means ‘love’ in Norwegian. She came with the name. I didn’t give it to her.” Elias busied himself getting halters on Buck and the gray mare. He dumped the rest of the grain on the grass for the horses left behind, and led the two mounts through the gate. “You’re sure you want to do this? You’re not dressed to ride, and if you get thrown, your dress will never be the same.”

  “I’m sure.” She put conviction into her tone.

  In short order, Savannah closed her parasol, leaning it against the barn wall, and went to Elsker’s side, patting the mare Elias had saddled and speaking softly to her. While Elias was busy tacking up his horse, she checked the girths, making sure they were tight. The plain saddle bore only a scant resemblance to her ornate velvet-and-leather one at home, but it was serviceable and well cared for.

  “I’ll give you a leg up since we don’t have a mounting block.” Elias bent and laced his fingers for her to place her knee into. He lifted her easily, and soon she was gathering her skirts, tucking them in, fitting her foot into the stirrup and picking up the reins. Elsker sidled a bit, tossing her head.

  Soon they were walking down a farm track, side by side. Savannah thrilled to the movement of a horse beneath her again, letting her body sway with Elsker’s long-legged stride. The mare toyed with the bit, swishing her tail, sending Savannah all kinds of messages that she felt good and would like to move out of a walk.

  “The sheep are in here.” Elias stopped at a gate, leaning down to unlatch it and pull it open for her to ride through, all without getting off his horse. Buck pivoted like a seasoned professional as Elias closed the gate behind them.

  The sheep grazed in a bunch near the center of the pasture, and Captain rose from the tall grass, loping over, his tongue lolling and his tail curving up, like a great bottlebrush. Elias pulled to a stop, and Captain rose on his hind legs, planting his forepaws on Elias’s knee. The collie licked his hand and gave a bark before bounding away toward the flock.

  Elias stood in the stirrups, counting heads. “It’s a well-fenced pasture, and the dogs keep predators away, but it’s always a good idea to count noses.”

  They rode completely around the flock, and Elias, finding nothing amiss with the sheep, opened the gate again. “There’s a creek about a mile east of here. Let’s head for that. Are you comfortable trotting?”

  She tried not to be offended. He didn’t know her very well, after all, but his condescension grated. “I’d be more comfortable at a canter.” Savannah lifted the reins and put her heel to the mare’s side. This was all the cue Elsker needed. She picked up her feet, leaping into a gallop.

  Elias shouted, but Savannah leaned forward, urging the mare on. The wind whipped against Savannah’s cheeks, pulling at her hair. Her hat gave up the fight, flying off, and her skirts flapped against the horse’s side.

  For the first time since she was left standing at the altar, Savannah felt as if she could leave the hurt behind and be free, if for only a little while. Free of the stigma of being a jilted bride, free of her fears and insecurities. Embracing the wind, skimming over the ground, exulting in the rushing speed... A laugh escaped her throat, surprising her.

  Hoofbeats pounded the ground, and she glanced back. Elias urged his buckskin on, yelling, but the wind tore his words away. As he drew nearer, Elsker stuck her neck out, eating up the ground in long bounds, determined not to be passed. Buck fell back.

  Savannah noticed a gully ahead. It wasn’t wide, but it was deep. That must be what Elias was shouting about. With a reckless abandon that telegraphed itself to her mount, she leaned forward, her hands high on the mare’s neck. With a huge leap, Elsker soared over the ditch, landing gracefully on the far side and galloping onward. At the horizon, trees appeared where the creek must be. Savannah eased back in the saddle, gently pulling the mare up, asking rather than demanding.

  Elsker resisted for a moment and then dropped to a lope, then a trot, then a walk, tossing her head and prancing, her sides pumping. Savannah patted the mare’s warm neck, pleased and exhilarated.

  Elias pounded up on Buck, his face like a thundercloud. “What were you thinking? You could’ve broken your neck!”

  Savannah tried to make some sense of her hair, which had come loose from its pins and lay about her shoulders in a tumbled, curly mess. “I was in no danger. I saw the ditch in plenty of time and knew we could jump it easily.” She patted Elsker again. “This is a very fine mare.”

  “You knocked about ten years off my life. I saw myself trying to explain to Tyler how I killed his teacher on the eve of the first day of school.” Elias didn’t seem to be quite over his temper yet. “That was a foolish thing to do.”

  Savannah blinked. He really was upset. “I told you I was a good rider. There was nothing to fear.”

  “You raced an untried mare over unknown ground with no thought to prairie dog holes or gullies or anything else. You knew I was hollering at you to stop, but you just kept going faster. You have no idea of the dangers you could encounter here. This isn’t a bridle path in some city park, you know.” He whipped off his hat and slapped his thigh. “What if you’d come up against a barbed wire fence? The mare wouldn’t have seen it in time, running full out like she was, and you’d have come a cropper for sure. As it is, you had no idea how that mare would react to having a woman in flapping skirts on her back. What if she’d started bucking, shied or flat out run away with you? Plenty of danger to you, but what about the danger to the mare? You could’ve killed her along with yourself.”

  Savannah held up her palm to stop the flow of words, remorse flooding her as she realized the truth in his tirade. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think. It just felt so good to be riding again, and the mare wanted to go.” She dropped her hand and gripped the reins.

  “Walk her and cool her out a bit before we get to the creek.” He pressed his hat back on his head and nudged Buck into a walk.

  Savannah wanted to say that she knew enough to cool out a horse before allowing it to drink, but she clamped her mouth shut, aware that she’d transgressed. She followed Elias across the open ground and down the creek bank, keeping Elsker to a leisurely walk, feeling the mare’s breathing slow.

  They arrived at the water’s edge. Elias slid from the saddle, then reached up for Savannah. His hands spanned her waist, and when she kicked free of the stirrup, he lifted her to the ground. How many times had Girard done the same for her after a ride? But Elias had bigger muscles, broader shoulders. Where Girard had worked inside at a desk, in a job with few physical demands, Elias worked outside, helping on his father’s farm, keeping law and order in Snowflake. Handy with tools, good with animals, a man of the land. Girard had been suave in any social situation, quick to smile and flatter. Elias said exactly what he thought, pulling no punches.

  She drew herself up short. Comparisons got her nowhere. And anyway, why should she care? She was over love and romance forever and beyond noticing how
handsome and virile a man was.

  The horses drank, Buck pawing at the water and blowing ripples in the surface. It was much cooler there under the trees, and Savannah took the time to quickly divide her tumbled hair into three hanks and braid it to lie on her shoulder.

  Elias watched her, something intense in his eyes that made her self-conscious. He must still be angry. Savannah unpinned the ribbon at her throat and used it to secure the end of her braid. “I suppose I’ll have to look for my hat on the way back. I only used one hatpin today, since I didn’t know I would be riding. If my aunt Carolina saw me now, she’d be mortified and call me a hoyden.”

  “You’ve mentioned your aunts before. Are they such dragons?” Elias squatted at the edge of the creek, picking up sticks and breaking them, tossing them into the water.

  A prickle of homesickness jabbed Savannah’s chest. “Aunt Carolina is a dragon and a sweetheart. She practically raised us girls, she and Aunt Georgette. Aunt Georgette is flighty and gentle and given to dramatics, but so much fun when she forgets to worry about everything. My mother passed away giving birth to my youngest sister. There are three of us girls, me, then Charlotte, then Virginia.”

  “And your father?”

  “Father is a banker. He travels frequently, up and down the East Coast. His job involves investing, quite often in shipping companies, and he prefers to visit business sites before putting money into them.” She placed her hand on Elsker’s neck, fiddling with her mane. “He makes a lot of money, but he’s rarely home.”

  “If your family is so well off, why did you come all this way to teach school for thirty dollars a month? It sounds as if you had everything you ever needed at home.” Elias stood, tucking his hands into his pockets.

  She sighed. “Money can’t buy everything. Maybe I just needed something more.” Aware of the wistfulness in her voice, she firmed her tone. “We should be getting back, don’t you think?”

  They rode back to his parents’ at a slower pace, heading into the afternoon sun. Elias found her hat and retrieved it for her. The feathers were broken, and the spot where the hatpin had been was torn clean through. Savannah shrugged. The ride had been worth it.