“Everything all right?” I asked, startling her out of whatever trance she was in.
“Huh? Oh, Mary Katherine!” She fumbled, dropped her hand, and snatched up the coffee. “I’m fine, you jus’ surprised me, girl.” Just as quickly, she put the coffee back down without taking a sip and walked over to the stove. Then she leaned over with a grimace, opened the oven and pulled out a metal tray filled with warm, scratch-made biscuits. “C’mon and get you somethin’ to eat. Plenty of eggs and biscuits left, now.”
“Are you sure you’re ok? You look like you’re hurting.”
“It’s this old back of mine. Your pawpaw and I need a new mattress, I reckon. It’s been botherin’ both of us for ages.” She groaned and rubbed her back before shuffling back over to Daddy’s chair.
I looked at the untouched biscuit on the plate in front of her. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
“I am, I am,” she lifted her head towards the window again and answered slowly. “Jus’ admiring the day. They say it might rain late this afternoon. Reckon that ain’t helpin’ my back out much either, but Lord knows we needs us a good rain.”
“You see Hale yet this morning?”
She leaned towards the window and squinted her eyes. “Naw. Don’t see his truck out there, neither. Why you all worried about what Hale Ellis is up to?”
I shrugged. “Shane’s coming today.”
“Oh, that’s right! I’ve been dyin’ to meet him.”
“I figured I’d show him around. He’s never even been on a farm before. Maybe I’ll make him try to milk Lucy and see how far he gets,” I said and had to let out a laugh as I pictured it.
“Well, you make sure to bring him by the house. He comin’ by early, or-“
“Around ten.”
Mother nodded in understanding. “That’s good, then. He can have lunch with me and your pawpaw. Might even get to meet Abby if she’s up. Swear I ain’t never seen a girl need so much beauty sleep in all my life.”
“Want me to go kick her out of bed?”
“Good luck if’n you try. It’s that darned phone. She stays up all night messin’ with it. We shoulda never let her buy one, but it looks like everybody’s usin’ em these days.”
“She’ll run out of minutes eventually.” I sat down at the table next to her and folded my steaming biscuit over onto the eggs. “Just do me a favor. Hide the shotgun from Daddy before Shane gets here.”
A few hours later I was sitting on the top step of the front porch and watching under the shade of my wide-brimmed straw hat as Shane’s BMW rolled up. I stood up and dusted off the grit from the rear of my blue jeans, which still fit but hugged around my waist almost a little too much. Maybe I’d avoided the dreaded “freshman fifteen” when I moved away to college, but I’d definitely run smack into the nursing student five, at least. Still, the jeans didn’t look bad on me at all.
When he popped out of the car, it was a surprise to see him not wearing the usual type of business attire he normally greeted me in. He’d gone full casual; dressed in a pair of rugged old wranglers, tennis shoes, and a simple plaid shirt which had several buttons open at the top, exposing just a bit of the tight, firm skin underneath. That same smile was still there of course, beaming out at me already from one side of his mouth along with those smoldering amber eyes.
“Hey,” I said, and tried to shove my hands in my rear pockets. It didn’t take long to figure out they weren’t going to fit.
“Howdy. That’s what they say on a farm, right?”
“Sometimes. Glad you could make it.”
Shane looked around. “Where is everybody?”
“Daddy’s out working.” I pointed towards the tractor rolling across a field several hundred yards away. “That’s him out there now. Momma laid down for a rest. My sister had just got up a few minutes ago, I think she’s inside somewhere.”
“Good. Now that I know we’re alone, I can feel free to compliment you on how beautiful and sexy you look today.” He leaned comfortably against one of the posts at the end of the bannister. “Nice kicks, too, by the way. Very cowboy. Or…cowgirl.”
I twisted my leg and looked down at my boots. They were a pair I’d won in a youth horse-riding competition when I was only a little older than Abby, yet they still fit as well as the day I received them. Despite how the red color on part of the design had faded to a light rust along with the shine of the leather, they were still my favorite.
“Thanks. We ought to get you some.”
“Boots on a city slicker like me? Mmm, I don’t know,” Shane said. “The judge might frown on me if I wore boots in his courtroom.”
“Well, I actually meant for riding, silly. C’mon inside. I’m sure Daddy’s got a pair layin’ around that will fit you.”
I led Shane through the front door and left him standing in the living room while I slipped into my parent’s bedroom to look for some boots he could wear. Momma was lying on the bed and appeared to be asleep, so I rummaged in the closet as quietly as I could. Underneath a pile of disused sheets and pillow cases I fished out a pair of beaten-up boots that looked like they might fit him. On the top shelf I discovered a faded brown Stetson that I could remember Daddy wearing a time or two. After a brief moment of indecision, I grabbed that, too.
When I shut the closet door, Momma rolled over and let out a faint, tired-sounding groan.
Something’s up with her, I thought, and the idea that she was getting worse sank in once again. Ever since Wednesday, and her insistence that I let her drive herself to the clinic, something had not felt right to me. She’d definitely been acting funny. I glanced at the bottle of pills on her nightstand. It certainly looked like she’d been taking them like she was supposed to.
I love her, but I wish she wasn’t so stubborn sometimes. With the boots in my hand, I slipped out and silently closed her bedroom door on my way out.
In the living room, Shane was nowhere to be seen. Where’s that boy gotten off to? I found my answer in the kitchen. Sitting on one side of the table was Shane, and on the other side was Abby, who was propped back with her feet up on an empty chair and busily tapping the screen on her phone.
“I met your sister,” Shane said, and held out his hand towards her. “She’s, uh, real talkative.”
“Abby?” No response. “Abby!”
“Whaaat?” she answered in a whine.
“Did you say hello to Shane? He’s come to visit us today.”
“Hey,” she said as if forcing it out, and then turned her attention immediately back to the phone in her hands.
“Well, there you go. Now we’re old friends,” Shane said. “Those the boots?”
“Yep. I figure they’ll fit you good enough.”
“You brought me a cowboy hat?”
I tossed him the Stetson. “Here. Try it on.”
Shane caught it and slipped it on carefully, checking twice to make sure he wasn’t putting it on backwards. “Fits pretty good. What do you think, Kat…I mean, ma’am?”
I had to admit, he looked damn good wearing that hat. Something about it added to his already rugged appeal. “That’s a good look on you, Mr. Lawyer. Why, by the time today is over, you might just want to leave the big city and move out to the country. Here, see if the boots fit, too.”
“Do I really need boots to ride a horse?” he asked after kicking off his bright white sneakers.
“Not really. I just wanted to give you the full farm experience. They do protect you from rattlers, though.”
He stopped and glanced up at me seriously. “Rattlesnakes? You’ve got to be kidding, right? I thought they were only out West. Like, Nevada or Texas or something.”
“Oh, no. We have them here also. Eastern Diamondbacks. Pretty rare to see one, though.”
“And Copperheads,” Abby mumbled. “Lots of them out there.”
“Thanks for letting me know, Abby, I think. Let’s hope we don’t run across any.” He shoved his foot the rest of the way in to one boot and then
did the same with the other. It was a bit of a struggle, but once he stood up and rocked on his heels, a satisfied look returned to his face. “These fit like a glove.”
“Alright, then. Ready to go meet Ruby and Zip?”
“Born that way, ma’am,” Shane said, trying very much to sound like John Wayne, and tipped his hat.
“Good. We can walk there from the house. Driving’s faster, but if we walk I can show you a few things along the way.”
“Lead the way.” Shane raised his hand to my sister, who was still absorbed in her phone. “Bye, Abby. Nice to meet you.”
His farewell was met with her typical, “Uh-huh.”
The day was absolutely gorgeous as we set off across the yard and down the well-used trail through the grass towards the garage. Thick clouds drifted lazily and far apart across the sky and a light breeze had kicked in once again from the coast. With the breeze came a hint of muggy humidity, nothing extreme, but enough to let a person with a nose trained for weather predict that a late summer storm might just be brewing up.
I was just glad that so far there was no sign of Hale Ellis.
When we reached the garage, both doors were wide open and the front end of the harvester was poking out between them. I led Shane inside and did my best to explain the machine and how it worked. I’d almost finished telling him how the blades separated the corn from the stalk when I nearly tripped over Dale, who was lying underneath the harvester with both legs poking out.
“Oh! Dale! I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone was in here,” I apologized.
The old man slid out and looked up in confusion. He was dressed from neck to ankle in a grimy pair of coveralls and held a crescent wrench in on hand. What little remained of his hair went out wildly in all directions and was as white as snow. When he finally stood up it seemed like something flashed in his brain and he remembered me all at once.
“H-hey there, Lil’ Bit!” His wide, cheerful smile was given with a mouth missing several teeth. “I-I-I didn’t want to interrupt ya’ll talking. Jes’ kinda figgered I would stay down there and be quiet till ya’ll left.”
“Don’t be silly, Dale. I want you to meet Shane Logan. I’m showing him around the farm today.”
Dale stuck out his wrinkled, oil-covered hand, thought better of it, and then promptly wiped it on his coveralls before offering his hand again. Shane took hold and gave it a shake. “Right pleased to meetcha, young feller. I heard you might be around and abouts the farm.”
“Yes sir. Nice to meet you, too. Lovely place out here.”
“Well, I ain’t never heard nobody call it lovely ‘fore, but I reckon it is that. Been workin’ here for dang near half my life and wouldn’t trade it for nothin’. Ya’ll gon’ out to ride today?”
“I thought I’d let Shane here go for a ride. He’s never been on a horse before.”
“That right?”
Shane kicked up a little puff of dust from the barn floor with his boot.
“Yep,” I said, giving Shane a playful bump with my elbow, “He’s a newbie.”
“I kinda figgered that. S’ok, though, son. Everybody’s gotta be new some time or ‘nother.” Dale turned to me. “It’s been real fine, Lil’ Bit, and I’d sure like to carry on talkin’ with you but I need to see if I can get this here thing up and runnin’. My help still ain’t here this mornin’. Spec’ he must be late again, if you know what I mean.”
I held my breath when he almost said Hale’s name. Thank goodness.
“I’ll…I’ll let you know if we see him.”
“Alright, back to work for me. Nice seein’ ya’ll.”
After Dale crawled back under the harvester, Shane and I walked outside the garage and around to the narrow path which led towards the stables. The way took us through a stretch of forest where the path seemed carved out of the wilderness like a tunnel just big enough to walk through without hitting your head on the branches. At the very tips of their leaves, the sprawling oak trees were starting to show the first signs of fall’s approach.
Shane caught my hand as we were walking and said, “Thanks for bringing me out here. It feels like I’ve been spending too much time cooped up inside an office or a courtroom or a…a hospital room now that I’m walking here with you.”
“You’re welcome.” I squeezed his hand. “And I can definitely relate to that last one.”
We shuffled along a little further. Not much longer, and the path would open up and we would be across the meadow from the stable.
“How long do you think this case will take you?” I asked. It seemed like the words could only manage to fumble out. The truth was, I wanted to know how long we had before Shane would have to leave.
“I’m not sure, Kat. Probably several months.”
“Oh. Do these sorts of cases take a long time?”
“They can,” he answered, never breaking his easy stride. “I’m working on a solution though, for the employees. There’s a chance we might be able to work something out sooner.”
“A solution?”
“Forgive me if I’m not more specific. It’s really still sort of a plan I’m trying to work out. Until then, I can’t really say much about it. You understand, right?”
I nodded. I didn’t.
“Is that it, up ahead? The wooden building?” Shane pointed across the meadow. Without me even realizing it, we’d already broken into the clearing.
Instead of trying to climb the split-rail fence and crossing through the overgrown meadow, we made our way around the outside, through the tack room, and into the stable. Ruby and Zip had already sensed our presence and both of them were happily tapping their hooves in anticipation. When I drew near, Zip let out a soft whinny and thrust his head against my shoulder.
“Wow,” Shane remarked. “This is the one you had with you the other day, right?”
“That’s right. this is Zip. The brown one is Ruby.”
“They’re beautiful. How did you name them?”
“Mother named Ruby when Daddy bought her as an anniversary gift years and years ago. She told me once that she’d always wanted a horse called that. I named Zip when he was just a little pony because he could run so fast.”
“Uhh,” Shane said and scrunched up his face as Ruby nuzzled him, almost knocking off his Stetson. “I think this one is tasting me.”
I giggled and scratched Zip behind one pointy ear. “Relax. They don’t bite. Well, they might nibble on you a little bit, especially if you taste like apples.”
“No apples today. The doctor, and the horses, apparently, are going to be a bit disappointed.”
“They sure look ready for another outing. Let’s brush them and get them saddled. Don’t worry, it’s not that hard.” I walked back into the tack room while Shane was still getting to know the horses and brought out the saddles and a pair of curry combs for us to use. With the saddles balanced on the wooden beam in the middle of the stable, I handed Shane one comb and showed him how to gently brush away the stray hair and dust that covered Zip’s velvety black coat. Once that was finished and the saddles were on, we led the horses out of the stable by their reins.
“So, which one am I riding?” Shane asked.
“You’re definitely going to be taking Ruby. Zip is…a little wild sometimes.”
“Ok…so, how do I get on? Do I just sort of jump?” Poor Shane looked completely bewildered as he pulled on Ruby’s saddle trying to figure it out.
“Just watch me.” I placed my left foot in the stirrup, gave a little bounce to get myself started, and swung up, putting my other leg over to the opposite side. “See?”
It was funny watching Shane try to copy me. He tried several times, once even spinning all the way around and having to do a half-run back into the stable, before he finally got it. The moment he landed in a sitting position, Ruby began to trot eagerly out into the meadow.
“Alright…alright…steady, girl,” Shane told the horse. He had the reins in a deathgrip while he worked on maintaining hi
s balance. “How do I control this thing?”
“That’s Ruby. She kind of goes wherever she wants. Right now she probably wants to get out into the meadow near the Johnson’s orchard and try to score some free apples.”
“They sure make this look a lot easier in the movies.”
“It’s ok. Riding takes a little getting used to. You’ll get the hang of it.”
To his credit, Shane did. He learned fairly quickly not to try and direct Ruby until she was ready. Within a short time, and about a dozen half-eaten apples later, he was taking the horse all over the field. Sure, he was bouncing all over that saddle, but the look in his eyes had gone from caution to sparkling delight as he went along.
When I started taking Zip in racing laps around the perimeter of the meadow, even old Ruby couldn’t resist joining in. Before long Shane was holding the saddle with one hand and letting out loud whoops while the horse kept up as best she could. Time got away from me and for nearly an hour we rode together, while I guided the stallion into keeping pace with the old mare. Down to the end of the meadow and back we went, then outside the gate and along the dusty trail which led off the main driveway.
Before I realized it was happening, the clouds had gathered and turned into growing thunderheads that seemed to expand and lower in the sky. The few drops fell, a smattering that came in on the wind, and soon turned into a downpour.
“Let’s go back,” I shouted to Shane across the meadow. He pulled on Ruby’s reins and the horse quickly turned in my direction. She didn’t like getting wet any more than I did.
“Oh man,” Shane said as he rode up beside me. Rain dripped off his hat and his plaid shirt clung darkly to his skin. “I don’t know where that came from, but I’m soaked.”
“Yeah. Momma was talkin’ about rain coming today. Guess I should have listened.”
“That’s all right. Ruby here needed the exercise.”
Love Lift Me Page 13
