An Unlikely Place for Love

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “No. You have a lot to learn about farming, Bob. You’re clearly out of your element here.”

  “You can say that again.”

  Chad suspected that there was a hidden meaning in Bob’s words but decided not to mention it. He quietly led Bob out to the barn, carrying a lantern with him.

  “Aren’t you worried about coyotes?” Bob asked him, struggling to keep up with his fast pace.

  “No. They tend to stay safely away during daylight.”

  “That’s a relief.”

  When they reached the barn, he shook his head in mild amusement as Bob tried to carry his armful of books up the ladder. He kept dropping a couple of books, went back down, picked them off the ground and tried climbing the ladder again. Chad fed the three horses. Then he went to take care of the hens and sheep. He returned to the barn to find that Bob left a couple of books on the ground and was up in the loft placing the other books on the blankets. Despite his best intention, Chad chuckled to himself. Bob wasn’t very graceful but he wasn’t so bad. Chad picked up the remaining books and took them and the lantern up the ladder.

  “Here you go,” Chad told him.

  Bob quickly turned around, startled to hear Chad right behind him.

  “Relax. Nothing’s going to harm you up here. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He set the books and lantern down and climbed back down the ladder. Then he headed back to the house where he would spend the night reading.

  ***

  The next day, Jeff and Tim brought Sam out with them to the farm. Chad realized he shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, Sam would want to check out Bob, but he worried that the three men would distract Bob from his tasks. To his shock, Bob had managed to talk all of them into helping him finish painting the fence with him. Then they came up to him about cutting the sheep’s wool. Chad couldn’t believe it. Bob hadn’t threatened the men at all, so how did he get them to work? Is it because Bob wasn’t their brother-in law? Did being married to Georgia automatically qualify me to be a doormat?

  Even more surprising was the fact that Bob got along with them. Never once in the ten years of his marriage to Georgia did Chad ever fit in with their tight group, but Bob showed up and within a day, he was talking to them as if they had known each other for years. Perhaps Bob could have put Georgia in line and made her a lovable woman. There was definitely something about Bob that attracted people to him.

  When lunch hour came, Chad went to milk the cows and came back with the fresh milk. When he entered the house, he heard a roar of laughter coming from the kitchen.

  “Did that really happen?” Sam asked.

  “Yes, it did,” Bob assured him. “And if I’m lying, there’s not a tattoo on my butt. But you can’t see it. Only the ladies can.”

  “What a riot!” Tim laughed. “Who would have thought to pull such a prank?”

  “Well, my brother doesn’t mind doing unusual things,” Bob said.

  Chad hid his disgust. That was why Bob fit in so well with their group. They didn’t mind sleeping around. He put the pail on the counter and took out the glass bottles to put the milk in.

  “You and your brother sure did have some wild times together,” Sam stated. “Tell me, between the two of you, who gets the most women?”

  “Me of course,” Bob bragged. “I understand women much better than he does. Did you know he actually approached one fine lady and told her that she reminded him of his dog? He meant the color of hair they both shared, but I tell you, that lady took it the wrong way and swung her purse at his head. He was so surprised. I can still see how big his eyes got. They were like this.” Bob demonstrated by widening his eyes and crossing them. “He was drunk though, so who can blame him for the saying the wrong thing?”

  “What pick up lines do you use?” Tim asked Bob.

  “I try not to think of them as pick up lines. Instead, I see them as ways to break the ice. I find a quality I admire about a woman and mention it. It’s really easy. Say she has blond hair. Tell her that her hair reminds you of the sun shining at noon. Or say she’s known for being intelligent. You can tell her that you enjoy having good discussions with her. Women like it when you take time to notice their beauty and mind. Also, women are naturally inclined to want babies. It’s all a part of that mothering instinct.”

  The men nodded.

  Chad rolled his eyes. Georgia was opposed to having children because being pregnant would ruin her figure. The men were oblivious to the fact that Chad was even in the room, so no one noticed as he stopped pouring the milk and watched them.

  Bob continued, “When you see a woman talking to a child, you mention how nice she looks with a child and that you often wonder if you will ever have the fortune of marrying someone with a love for children.”

  Jeff cringed. “What if you’re not looking to settle down?”

  “Then find another topic because as soon as you mention children, women automatically assume you’re headed for the altar.”

  “A lot of women are eager to get married.”

  “It’s natural. They’re made that way. It keeps us men in line. You find a good woman to marry and it levels you out.”

  “Are you looking to settle down? We have a twenty-four year old sister named Lacy who would like you,” Sam offered.

  “Bob, I need you to help me carry these bottles downstairs,” Chad interrupted.

  They looked up at him, shocked he spoke.

  He tried not to show his disgust. He might as well have been invisible for all they cared.

  “Can’t you take care of those bottles by yourself?” Tim asked.

  “When did you get soft?” Sam scoffed.

  “Now my boss says he needs me,” Bob said as he stood up. “I’m sure it’s all a ploy to tell me some deep dark secret about you all that I can use later on to humiliate you.” He said it as a joke so the three men laughed. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it won’t take long. I’ll meet you outside with the sheep.”

  Chad gritted his teeth when he saw the three men finish their lunches so they could go outside.

  Bob collected three bottles and waited for Chad to gather the remaining two so they could take them to the basement where it was cool.

  Chad sighed and led him down the stairs and set the bottles on the table in the corner of the bare room. Sometimes, he kept other food items that required cooling but that wasn’t the case that day.

  “You wanted to warn me about the sister?” Bob asked as he set the bottles next to the two Chad had put down.

  “What are you? A mind reader?” Chad didn’t understand how Bob could be so perceptive about everything, and he was intimidated by that fact.

  “It’s obvious what they’re like. I’ve run into men like them before.”

  “So you know how to handle them because of that?”

  He shrugged. “It’s simple. All you have to do is act like a know-it-all. They’re insecure and need someone to lead their pack.”

  “Pack?” That was an interesting term to describe them.

  “They’re a bunch of wolves. Frankly, if I was a woman, I wouldn’t go near them. But since I’m a man, they’re harmless. They’re pretty easy to direct. If you want more control over them, start bragging like you know more than they do. Act like you enjoy drinking and sleeping around. That’s how you impress them.”

  Chad put one hand on his hip and the other one on the table. “So you don’t drink and sleep around?”

  “No, I don’t. But I have to play it up like I do to be believable to them. It’s all a game.”

  “What is real about you then? For all I know, you could be telling me all of this because you’ve figured out that I actually have morals.”

  “The truth is, I’m just trying to get by while I’m here. I can see that you need some help putting those morons in line. We’re going to get that wool ready for Tyler Patrick by midday tomorrow. You’ll be ahead of schedule.”

  He didn’t appreciate the fact that Bob was doing what he couldn’t.r />
  Bob seemed to understand the situation. “Look, I’m trying to make your life easier. I appreciate the fact that you’re looking out for me. You were going to warn me to not court Lacy because her sister wasn’t all that great so she won’t be either.”

  He felt his anger surge but kept it in check. “What do you know about Georgia? According to them, she was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  “Yes, they did mention that, but I see that you don’t have anything to remind you of her, except for the horse. I suspect the horse is too practical to get rid of, so you decided to keep it. However, I would never have guessed that you were ever married if someone hadn’t told me you were. That tells me that she made your life impossible. Of course, her relatives didn’t realize how horrible she was. She must have been good at hiding her true nature, though she couldn’t hide it from you for long since you two lived in the same house. When you marry someone, you end up seeing them for who they really are.”

  “You were married so you would know this?”

  “No, I’ve never been married, but I’m twenty-eight and understand how life works.”

  He stared at Bob in disbelief.

  “You know what you need?” Bob asked.

  Chad wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it. In fact, he was sure he didn’t but something in Bob’s eyes stopped him from leaving.

  Bob said, “You need a good woman to love you. If you can get that, you’ll get the self-confidence back that you had before Georgia destroyed it.”

  He stared at the newcomer, unable to reply.

  “I can tell when I’ve said too much,” Bob finally spoke up. “I’ll be out in the building with the sheep in it. We’ll start cutting wool at your command.”

  Chad watched him as he walked up the stairs.

  Chapter Three

  Kate knew she had struck a nerve in her employer, so she was glad to get out of the house before he could yell at her. She joined the other three men in the building. They were laughing and sitting around, drinking some whiskey they hid in their pockets. She knew Chad wouldn’t approve of their drinking on his property, especially during work hours. She wondered why they pretended to obey this rule when they openly disobeyed the others.

  “You want some?” Tim offered her his flask.

  “Sure do,” she lied. She took the flask and pretended to take a big swallow of the stuff. She held her tongue over the opening of the flask so she wouldn’t actually drink it but they wouldn’t know the difference.

  “You know, you’re alright,” Sam told her. “I can’t wait to see how well you handle a horse at the race on Saturday.”

  “Well, I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I’m one of the best horse riders there is.”

  “I’m like a bolt of lightning on a horse,” Jeff warned her.

  She grinned. “I look forward to proving you wrong.”

  The men chuckled.

  Chad came out to the building. He didn’t say anything as he checked to make sure all the supplies were ready for use. “Jeff, is Roger ready to help lead the sheep in?”

  Jeff went out to check.

  “Who’s Roger?” she asked.

  “That’s the sheepdog,” Sam answered for Chad. “He’s been a loyal dog. He does a good job of protecting the sheep.”

  She hadn’t even seen him yesterday so she was surprised to know that there was a dog on the property.

  Tim stood up from the bench he had been sitting on. “Roger also helps us bring the sheep in here. Cutting their wool doesn’t hurt them, but they still don’t like being held in place.”

  “I suppose that could be said of anyone,” she reflected. “People like to be able to move around at will.”

  “That’s why you’re checking out the country?” Sam noted.

  She nodded. “My life is all about adventure.” Was it ever! She had more adventure than she cared to admit.

  Chad walked up to her. “Since you’ve never done this before, you can hold a sheep while I cut the wool. Sam, you can hold sheep while Tim cuts the wool and Jeff and Roger will bring the sheep in.”

  She hid her apprehension at the task that loomed before her. She wasn’t comfortable with the idea of holding a sheep in place, but she was determined to overcome her fears. “You got it, boss,” she said, sounding confident.

  Sam and Tim snickered.

  “Billy calls him ‘boss,’” Tim quietly said to Sam.

  Chad ignored them and handed Sam a pair of clippers while he held his own clippers.

  “There’s nothing to it,” Sam told her. “If you can handle a horse, a sheep is no big deal.”

  Jeff brought in the first sheep. She watched as Tim grabbed the sheep and led him to Sam who began cutting the wool off of it.

  The next sheep Jeff brought in was hers. She made sure her hat was securely in place before she ran to the animal. The sheep ran from her, so she chased it around the building.

  “Just jump on it!” Chad called out.

  That wasn’t as easy to do as it sounded. The animal was faster than she thought it would be. She leapt at it but it quickly dodged her so she fell flat on her face on the dirt.

  Sam and Tim laughed.

  “I hope you’re more graceful on a horse!” Sam called out to her.

  She grimaced as she stood up. She wiped her hands on her pants. She noticed that Chad sighed and rolled his eyes.

  “I’ve got this one,” Tim told her. “Get the next one.”

  She was disheartened that Sam was already done removing the wooly coat from one sheep. Determined not to let her fall get her down, she got ready for the next sheep. Jeff chased another sheep into the building. Instead of running after it, she jumped in front of it and leapt at it. She landed on its back and held on tightly as it raced across the room.

  “Dig your feet into the ground to stop it!” Chad instructed.

  She was trying to obey him but holding onto it was awkward. She grabbed a fistful of wool in her hands and managed to slide down the sheep. She tried to secure her footing into the ground but she tripped on her bootlaces. The sheep dragged her around the building.

  “Let go of it!” Chad yelled.

  She did and rolled into the wall.

  The three farmhands were laughing at her. Her face grew hot from embarrassment. She had never been so humiliated in her entire life.

  “Forget it,” Chad told her as he grabbed her by the elbow and lifted her to her feet.

  She struggled to maintain her balance when he released his hold on her. She rubbed her elbow. Did he have to be so rough?

  “Sit on the bench and watch us,” he finally said. He shook his head. “I don’t know whether to call you a man or a boy.”

  She stopped herself from making an unflattering comment as she stomped over to the bench and sat down on it. She refused to cry over her failure. She steadied her emotions by focusing on the wall on the other side of the room. She suddenly felt intense anger towards her employer. He didn’t have to make fun of her in front of the other men by calling her a boy. She had just gained their respect but he destroyed her hard efforts to fit in with the other farmhands. Was he getting even with her for telling him he needed a woman to love him? Some people in the past were disturbed when she displayed an uncanny ability to perceive their strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps, Chad was the same way and wished to let her know that he wouldn’t tolerate it again.

  After half an hour of sitting and watching them, she asked, “Can I do something productive?”

  Chad wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked over at her. “I don’t know. Can you?”

  She glared at him. Did he have to be so condescending, especially in front of Tim, Sam and Jeff?

  “Give Billy a break, Chad,” Sam said. “He’s never done this before.”

  “I don’t recall you giving me a break when I first got here,” Chad bitterly replied.

  “Billy’s one of us. He doesn’t think he’s too good for us.”

  She could tel
l that this greatly upset Chad though he didn’t do anything about it.

  “Billy,” Tim called out to her, “do you want to try clipping the wool off this sheep?”

  “I’d be glad to,” she said, relieved that her chances of fitting in hadn’t been ruined after all. Thankfully, their opinion of Chad was so poor that they dismissed anything he thought or did. She went over to Tim while Sam held the next sheep for Chad who reluctantly went to work on it. “Is he always such a killjoy?” she whispered to Tim.

  “Yes. He doesn’t believe in having fun. He didn’t even have fun when Georgia was alive.”

  “It’s a wonder she decided to marry him.” What woman wanted a man who wasn’t fun to be with?

  “She was very forgiving of people’s faults. He didn’t deserve her.”

  She wondered why they worked as his farmhands if they thought so ill of him but realized that they were probably such lazy workers that they couldn’t find anyone else to pay them for mediocre work.

  She turned her attention to the sheep and began cutting its wool. It was easier to do that than it was to hold the stupid animal in place. She was relieved that she could at least do that part of the work. She found the process of cutting wool to be a good distraction from her hurt feelings. She knew that not everyone was going to like her, but she actually thought Chad was a decent man.

  She hated to admit it but there was something that attracted her to him. It was probably best that she focused on not liking him. After all, what good would it do to fall in love with a man who thought she was a man? It was insane that she would even consider falling in love when her life was in danger. I left Virginia with the plan of going back as soon as the police arrest Dave and Derek. I have no intention of living here for the rest of my life. My world is back home, even if my parents are no longer alive to be a part of it. My brothers Bob and Paul are still alive. Thankfully, they weren’t there to witness their parents’ murder. They’re safe. Dave and Derek won’t be going after them, but they are looking for me. The safest place for her to be was out west, far away from anyone familiar with her and her family. Even if she didn’t care much for the way Chad treated her, she knew it was better to be at his farm hiding out than it was to be in Virginia where everyone knew her because she was the daughter of a wealthy Senator.