An Unlikely Place for Love

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “Will you be coming to our house?” her mother asked him once the people began to disperse. “We are going to honor her memory by telling stories of how she improved our lives.”

  “No, I don’t feel up to it,” he replied. He couldn’t think of a single way that she had improved his life, though he would never tell anyone else that.

  “Oh, come with us,” her sister insisted. The twenty-three year old woman brushed her black straight hair from her eyes. “You were closer to Georgia than anyone else.”

  “Lacy is right,” Sam added. “You need to be with family at a time like this.”

  He knew it wouldn’t do any good to argue with them. They would find a way to make him feel guilty if he didn’t comply with them. At least, he wouldn’t have to pretend to adore Georgia with her right there watching him. He reluctantly nodded and followed them to her parents’ house.

  There was a large potluck dinner for everyone who decided to attend the dinner. Her parents were determined to make it a celebration of her life, but he thought of it as a celebration of her death and ate until he was full. The Montgomery women did know how to cook good meals.

  “You must have been overwhelmed with grief out there by yourself,” her mother consoled him as she watched him finish his last piece of pie. “I bet you haven’t had anything to eat ever since the accident.”

  “The accident was a shock,” he admitted. It was a good shock.

  “We are going to tell stories to honor her life,” Tim told him. “Finish up and join us outside on the porch.”

  He did as instructed and walked out to the porch. He noted that the sun had finally peered through the clouds and showed off a colorful display of pinks, yellows and blues as it set for the night. After the long gray day has passed, hope is on the horizon. He liked the thought. Now that Georgia was dead, he could enjoy life again. He sat next to Sam and the family dog. He crossed his arms. I’ll be home soon.

  Her father stood up. “I’ll start. Georgia Montgomery was a sweet girl. Born and raised in this town, she endeared many people to her with her natural joy and goodwill. She cared deeply for others. I recall a time when she was thirteen. Lacy had just turned two, and though Lacy was years younger than her, Georgia watched over her as if she were already her best friend. One time when Lacy fell and scraped her knee, Georgia took care of the wound without even mentioning it to anyone. Had Lacy not told us what happened, we never would have known about it. Georgia was humble. She did good things for others but refrained from bragging about it.”

  No one knows that she’s the one who threw a rock at Lacy and caused the wound, and Lacy was too young to remember what really happened. Chad sighed.

  The father sat down and motioned for the mother to go next. Her mother dabbed the tears from her eyes. “Georgia was a wonderful girl. She was eager to chip in and help out with the meals. She was the oldest child and delighted in helping me cook for her siblings and father. Her attempts weren’t always a success but she had a big heart.”

  She intentionally put nasty things in her dishes to watch people gag on her foods. She thought it was one big joke. Chad couldn’t believe no one ever caught onto what she was really like.

  Lacy stood up next. “She was good about protecting me. I almost accepted Joshua Stein’s marriage proposal, but she caught him kissing another woman and warned me about him. I had no idea he was even involved with someone else, for he never mentioned it.”

  Considering the fact that Georgia was the other woman, Chad wasn’t surprised that she didn’t reveal the truth about the situation. Georgia had cornered Joshua and purposely got him drunk enough so he would kiss her. Georgia had disguised herself as another woman, so he never knew who it was who kissed him that night. Georgia didn’t want to see Lacy married in case Lacy had children and became the favorite girl in the family. It’s just as well. Joshua’s better off with Regina. Regina’s a good woman and has made him happy. Marriage could be a beautiful institution if the man chose the right woman, which was where Chad had messed up.

  As her family and friends made their rounds with stories praising Georgia, he tuned them out. Everything they said was a bunch of garbage because none of it reflected how she really was. Finally, it was his turn. He slowly stood up and thought of what he could say that was the truth and nice.

  “I’ll never forget how we met,” he began. “Georgia was on a trip with her friends to California, and I volunteered my weekends to be a lifeguard at the beach. She was out in the ocean, and when she cried out for help, I went out to the water and saved her.” She hadn’t really been drowning, but he didn’t find that out until years later. “I thought she was pretty and kind, so I spent the summer courting her. She was a good friend and I learned that we had a lot in common.” Because she lied and told me what I wanted to hear. “When it was time for her to return home, I couldn’t bear the thought of being without her, so I asked her to marry me, and she said yes. She insisted that she had to be with her family, so I decided to go with her.” She ruined my life and probably a lot of other lives too. Thank God she’s gone.

  He sat down.

  “One thing is for sure,” her mother began, “life just isn’t the same without her.”

  He nodded his agreement with that statement. “We’ll never forget her.”

  Her mother looked at him sympathetically. “You loved her greatly. I’m sure our grief is nothing compared to yours.”

  He decided not to respond. Instead, he stood up with the other people, said good-bye to her immediate family and quietly slipped out before anyone could stop him. When he got home, the first thing he did was tear down her pictures that she had put all over the house. Then he gathered everything that reminded him of her and threw them outside on a pile in the yard. He took everything he could find and burned it. The only thing he kept was Star.

  Breaking out of his thoughts of the past, Chad spread the blankets over the hay. He set the pillow in the middle. Bob could figure out how he wanted to sleep. Chad picked up his toolbox and climbed down the ladder. He was satisfied with the repair on the barn roof.

  He turned his attention to Star. He loved that animal. He saw the accident from a distance. Georgia was racing through the fields on her horse. He didn’t know what spooked the animal but he saw her fling Georgia off of her back. Georgia flew through the air and her head hit the post of the horse fence. He didn’t even think. He ran to her. He still recalled how scared he had been. But I was afraid she survived the fall. He wasn’t a doctor but he could tell just by looking at her that it wasn’t good. He checked her pulse and was overwhelmed by the relief he experienced when he realized she was dead. Later he learned that the fall broke her neck. Tim and Sam had been there that day and saw it happen as well. They were upset she died, so he put on the mask he was familiar with wearing and acted like her adoring husband. He was good at pretending to be something he wasn’t. Years of misery will do that to a man.

  He took a carrot from the food pile and fed Star the treat. He patted the horse’s nose and silently thanked the animal for saving his life. Reliable and Buck snorted in protest. He grinned and gave them a carrot too. The other two horses belonged to Tim and Jeff, so he ignored them.

  When he left the barn, he marveled that Bob was painting the fence as he had asked. Tim and Jeff were talking to Bob, and Bob seemed to be listening but he kept his focus on his work. I wish Tim and Jeff would do the same. He shook his head in aggravation as he walked over to them.

  “We can bring out a copy of the newspaper for you,” Tim told Bob.

  “It does cover national news, correct?” Bob asked, never taking his eyes off the fence.

  “Sure. We might be a small town but we do keep current on what’s going on.”

  “I do miss reading the paper.”

  “Why did you pick this place to stay for awhile?” Jeff wondered.

  Bob shrugged. “I don’t know. I saw the train pull up to the stop and decided to hop off.”

  I don’
t believe him. He’s hiding something. Chad pushed the thought aside. He didn’t get a bad gut feeling about the bearded man, and he knew he was stronger than Bob in case Bob tried to attack him. Being so far out of town, Bob didn’t have easy access to steal anything. Not that Chad had anything of value except the land, but no one could steal that.

  “Is everything ready for shearing the sheep tomorrow?” Chad blandly asked Tim and Jeff.

  Tim glanced up at him. “There’s no hurry on that. A couple more days of wearing those wooly coats won’t hurt the sheep.”

  His frown deepened.

  “Besides, we got to welcome Billy here to town,” Tim continued. “It was rude for you not to introduce us.”

  “Really, what would Georgia think?” Jeff agreed.

  “I don’t care because she’s not here,” Chad replied.

  “We know you miss her but you should still be polite.”

  He gritted his teeth.

  “I have a great idea,” Bob spoke up. “The painting will go three times as fast if you fellows will pitch in and help.”

  Tim and Jeff hesitated.

  “It’ll be a good excuse to talk,” he added.

  Tim nodded. “And it’s not too hot out. Alright. Where are the brushes and paint?”

  Chad stopped himself from shaking his head in amazement. How did Bob win them over so easily?

  “Over there in the shed,” Bob motioned to the building. “It’s all on the top shelf. You fellows think you’re tall enough to reach them?” He smiled as he said it so they knew he was joking.

  Both men were two inches shorter than Bob.

  “We’ll be back,” Jeff replied, grinning.

  After he and Tim went to the shed, Bob looked at him. “I’ll see what I can do about getting them motivated to get the stuff ready for shearing sheep. Tell me, what is involved with that anyway?”

  “I don’t need your help, Bob,” Chad bitterly stated.

  “Could’ve fooled me,” he muttered under his breath.

  “What?” Chad glared at the newcomer.

  “Nothing. I’m just trying to make your life easier.”

  “Then stay out of my business.” He angrily walked into the house and shoved the toolbox under the kitchen sink. He stood up and stared out the window as Tim and Jeff started painting the fence with Bob. They were laughing. How did Bob do it? What was his secret to getting Tim and Jeff to actually work?

  ***

  That night for dinner, Chad made beef stew. It wasn’t the best meal he ever made, but it was edible. He hesitated to eat at the table with Bob but decided it might be a good idea to feel out the newcomer so he could see whether or not he should keep a close eye on him. He called Bob in from the shed. He had to admit that he was impressed that Bob not only began painting the fence as soon as he told him to do it and talked Tim and Jeff into helping him, but Bob also continued to paint the fence after Tim and Jeff left. He had completed half the fence. Chad knew that if he had to rely on Tim and Jeff to paint it, the fence would take a week to complete. Bob would easily have it done by noon the next day. He had to admit that Bob was a hard worker.

  When Bob came into the house, Chad handed him a bowl of stew, a spoon, and a glass of milk.

  “How chilly does it get here at night?” Bob asked as he sat down at the table.

  “You’ll need all the blankets I set out for you,” he replied. “I’m not sure what the temperature will be, but June is a nice time of year. The summer nights will be cool as well, though not as chilly as tonight will be. The temperature was a little cooler than usual today.” He sat across from Bob with his own bowl and looked at him.

  Bob nodded and started eating his stew.

  Why doesn’t he look me in the eye? Bob had surprisingly clear blue eyes. It almost seemed like a shame to waste such an eye color on a man. He pushed the thought aside. “You came here from Kentucky?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you leave any family behind?”

  Bob looked startled by the question. He stopped eating the stew and finally looked him in the eye. “Does that matter?”

  He shrugged. “Not really. I’m just making conversation.”

  “It doesn’t have anything to do with my job performance. Have I met up to your standards?”

  “You did fine.” You actually did better than fine. You exceeded my standards. He decided on another question. “What state do you plan to visit after you’re done with this one?”

  “I hadn’t thought about it. I pretty much like to live one day at a time.”

  “Still, you have to make some kind of plan. You must have some idea of where you’ll go next.”

  Bob took a deep breath and set the spoon down. He tapped his fingers on the table.

  “You have small hands for a man,” Chad noted.

  He stopped tapping his fingers and quickly put his hands under the table. That hit a nerve.

  “Mr. Walker, I do not wish to upset you since I would like to keep my job, but my past and future are my business. As long as I do what you ask, I don’t see how my personal life is of any significance to you.”

  “I just like to know something about my employees. It seems that you are more willing to discuss your life with Tim and Jeff than you are with me.”

  “They also told me about your deceased wife, which is something you haven’t done. So, I’ll make a deal with you. If you tell me about your personal life, I’ll tell you about mine.”

  He had to admit that Bob could handle difficult situations with surprising ease. “Alright. You win. The only thing I’ll say about my dead wife is that she’s dead. End of story.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I hope my future spouse leaves me a better legacy than that.”

  Chad quickly finished his stew and got up to wash his dishes. He didn’t care to have a discussion with Bob anymore. So his new employee was a smart alec. He didn’t have to like the man to benefit from his work.

  To his dismay, Bob brought his empty bowl to him. “When do the sheep have to be sheared?”

  “By Friday at three. That’s when Tyler Patrick is coming for the wool.”

  “How long does it take to get the wool together for him?”

  He considered the fact that it was Tuesday. “It depends on how many people are here and how well everyone does their job. It can take a full day if everyone does their part. Judging from your performance today, I’d say that we are guaranteed to have the wool on time if we start tomorrow after lunch. If Tim, Sam and Jeff do half the work, we’ll make it by Thursday.”

  “Do you mind if I ask what got you into farming? Were you born into it?”

  “No. I started out as an accountant in California. I came here to be near my wife’s family. She was on vacation when we met, and I wanted to be with her so I left California to marry her. She was very close to her family and couldn’t live far from them.”

  “That’s sweet.”

  He looked at Bob. That didn’t exactly sound like something a man would say.

  Bob’s eyes grew wide, as if he realized his error. “Uh...That’s what my sister would say. I miss her sometimes.”

  The explanation sounded plausible so Chad decided to accept it.

  “So, did her family own this farm?” Bob asked.

  “Her grandfather owned this place. He died two months after we got married, and she wanted to come out here. Her brothers didn’t want the headache of running a farm, so they didn’t argue with me taking over it.”

  “Would you rather be an accountant?”

  “Yes.”

  “So why do you stay here?”

  “I have nowhere else to go.”

  “Can’t you go back to California?”

  “No. And that’s all I care to say about it.”

  Bob nodded. “Well, I think it was a good gesture to leave everything behind for her. I can only hope my future spouse will do the same for me someday.”

  “So you plan to take your future wife on your travels through A
merica?”

  “I don’t intend to travel forever. But when I finally settle down, I am hoping she’ll come with me.”

  “Just make sure she’s worth taking along.” If he could steer Bob in the right direction of finding a good woman, then he would have done more than his part to help another man avoid a terrible mistake. “Not everyone is what they seem.”

  Bob glanced out the window.

  He’s nervous about something, but he won’t tell me what, nor is it my business. “Anyway, I’m going to take care of the horses for the night. You can take that lantern over there on the counter for some light.”

  He hesitated to go to the lantern.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Bob turned back to him. “I forgot to bring anything to read and the night will most likely get long out in the loft by myself. Do you have any books to read? It doesn’t matter what kind they are.”

  “I have some books you can read. Follow me.” He led the man to the parlor which was sparsely furnished with a couch, two chairs and a bookcase. The bookcase was filled with a variety of literature.

  “You love to read?” Bob asked.

  “It passes the evenings.”

  Bob picked out several fiction titles.

  “Sherlock Holmes?” Chad noted.

  “Among a couple other mysteries,” he added.

  “Well, try not to let the coyotes disturb you too much.”

  His eyes grew wide and his voice sounded oddly feminine when he gasped, “Coyotes?” He blinked and shook his head. In a deeper voice, he explained, “I didn’t realize there were such animals out here.”

  “You’ll be fine in the loft. If it makes you feel any better, you can take the gun over by the front door.”

  “I’m not familiar with guns.”

  “You’re kidding? You make it a point to travel alone across the country and you don’t know how to protect yourself against wild animals or Indians?”

  He shrugged. “What can I say? I’m an optimist.”

  “Apparently.” And you’re very odd.

  “Since I have my arms full of books, I’ll just walk out with you to the barn and head up to the loft for the night.” He paused. “Coyotes don’t climb ladders, do they?”