An Unlikely Place for Love

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  He heard her gasp. She peered over the edge of the loft and looked down at him. She looked as shocked as he felt.

  “Where is Bob?” he repeated.

  She seemed to be struggling for an answer.

  “Can you speak?” he demanded.

  “Bob is at the outhouse,” she replied. “He’ll be back soon. If you go back to the house, I’ll tell him to talk to you there.”

  He decided he wouldn’t give her a lecture about sleeping with Bob on his property. “While you’re at it, get dressed,” he ordered before he left for the house.

  He forced himself to calm down. He didn’t know what was worse: knowing Bob was lying to him about sleeping around or the fact that he was so aroused by seeing the woman in the loft. It had been almost a year since he had any interaction with a woman, and the fact that she was naked only made it that much more difficult to forget how turned on he was. He didn’t recognize her. Was she new in town? He hadn’t been to town in ten months.

  Five minutes later, Bob ran into the house, looking overwhelmed.

  Chad was sitting at the kitchen table. His jaw clenched. “I do not approve of immoral behavior on my property. Send her home and don’t bring her back.”

  “It’s not what it looks like,” Bob quickly argued. “I’m not sleeping with her.”

  “You expect me to believe that?”

  “Yes. She’s my sister.”

  Chad scoffed. “Then what was she doing sleeping naked in the loft?”

  “You saw her naked?” Bob’s eyes grew wide. Then he asked, “Did you like what you saw?”

  He shook his head. “What kind of question is that?”

  “Just making conversation.”

  How could Bob make light of this situation?

  Bob sat across from him. “Look, she came here late last night. I had to let her stay here. She has nowhere else to go. I slept in the space under the loft, so we weren’t sleeping in the loft together. That would be gross.”

  “How did she get here?”

  “Our brother dropped her off. He had to keep going so he quickly left.”

  “Is she really your sister?”

  “Of course. Didn’t you notice the resemblance?”

  “No, not really.” He hadn’t been looking at her face.

  “Well, next time you see her, take a good look at her. I know, I’ll tell her to come speak to you. Take a good look at her face. We have the same features. There’s no hiding the fact that we are related. You’d be surprised at just how close we really are.” He jumped out of the chair and raced out the front door.

  Chad’s head was spinning. Was she really his sister? He did recall Bob mentioning a sister and a brother. Why didn’t he tell me his sister was coming? I would have made provisions for her. When did all of this happen? How late at night did this occur?

  Ten minutes later, a disheveled but beautiful tall woman with flowing blond hair walked into the house. She wore a modest light blue shirt and a light brown skirt. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking but figured she would be embarrassed. He stood up as she entered the room.

  “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I thought you were Bob so I just climbed up the ladder. I didn’t mean to see you...sleeping.”

  She smiled at him. “I know. It was an accident. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to warn you that I was coming. Believe me, it was very unexpected.”

  He felt better. “Are you Bob’s sister?”

  She nodded. “Can’t you see the resemblance?”

  He examined her features. She did have the same nose, cheekbones, and light blue eyes. “Yes, you do look a lot alike, except for the hair color.”

  “I take after my father’s side of the family. They are blonds.”

  That probably explained it.

  “So, is it alright that I’m here?”

  It was more than alright. It was wonderful. “Yes. Are you going to be here as long as Bob will be here? He didn’t specify how long he planned to stay.”

  She hesitated. “Yes.”

  He went to the cookstove and checked to see if it was hot enough to cook on.

  “Billy has told me about you,” she continued. She still had that wonderful smile on her face. She must be as optimistic and outgoing as her brother. “Apparently, you’re a good employer. You may be tough but you’re fair.”

  He returned her smile. “He’s the best employee I’ve ever had. He didn’t really say anything about you.”

  “Well, he’s a free spirit. I suppose he doesn’t run into many people who care whether he has a sister or not.”

  “Since you surprised him, I take it that you don’t usually visit him.”

  “You got that right, which is why I decided to come out here. If he had known I was coming, he would have warned you.”

  “It would have been less awkward if he had.”

  She shrugged. “There’s nothing to be done about it now. What’s done is done. Can I help you with breakfast? I don’t know much about cooking but I can follow instructions.”

  He was startled that she would offer to help him. Apparently, the Ingram family was a group of hard workers. “You’re a guest here. It wouldn’t be right to expect you to help.”

  She walked over to him and put her hand on his arm. “Really, I don’t mind. In fact, it would help me feel better about being here if I could be useful.”

  He felt his cheeks flush at her touch. It had been too long since a woman touched him, and his body was on fire from the simple action. Georgia hadn’t been affectionate. She had made it clear that physical contact repulsed her, which was why they hadn’t had children, except for the one time she lied about it. Sex with Georgia was a rare occurrence, and when it did happen, it wasn’t fulfilling since she made him feel guilty for even having a sex drive. He pushed the memories away. He didn’t realize that having Bob’s sister near him would drag up the past with crystal clarity.

  He forced himself to back away from her touch. “If you want to help me, then I will need those eggs over there.” He pointed to the basket on the table.

  She nodded and went to get the basket.

  I love the way she walks. She has so many wonderful curves. He suddenly had the inclination to throw a pitcher of ice water all over himself. He took a deep breath to force his heartbeat back to normal. “Where’s your brother? Shouldn’t he be coming back? He usually eats breakfast with me.”

  “Oh.” She paused at the kitchen table with her hands on the basket. “Billy mentioned something about wanting to sleep in since he was up late getting my things put away in the trunk.”

  That made sense. “I can’t complain about the quality of his work. I’m sure he needs a lot of rest in order to do everything he does.”

  She seemed pleased by his words. “Billy does like you. He says that you are real. He thinks of you as a friend.” She returned with the basket and looked at him.

  “I think of him as a friend too.” He glanced at her. He was struck by her beautiful blue eyes. They looked better on her than on Bob. They are related, alright. There was no denying that those could be the same eyes Bob looked at him with. He was relieved that she was Bob’s sister instead of someone Bob was sleeping with. He reluctantly turned his attention to the eggs and cracked them into a bowl. “I’m making scrambled eggs and bacon this morning,” he told her. “How hungry are you?”

  “I’m famished,” she admitted. “I haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon.”

  He winced. “I wish Bob had woken me up. I would have made you something to eat.”

  “You would have done that, wouldn’t you?” She seemed pleased.

  “It wouldn’t have been a big deal.”

  “Is there anything else I can do?”

  He glanced around the kitchen. “If you like milk, we could drink that. Sometimes I even pour a little milk in with the eggs and add butter for flavor.”

  “I’ll get it right away.” She immediately went to the basement door.

  “How
do you know I keep the milk down there?” he asked, shocked that she knew where it was.

  “Uh...Billy mentioned it. We talked a lot last night.”

  “What else did you talk about?”

  She thought for a moment. “We talked about where he’s been since I last saw him, what I’ve been doing, and what kind of work he does out here. He did mention you and how good you’ve been to him.”

  “Has he mentioned my dead wife?”

  “You were married?”

  He was relieved that Bob had been considerate enough to not mention Georgia. He didn’t want to spend his time with his sister discussing his past. “Yes but she’s not alive anymore. I would like to focus on my future.”

  “I understand,” she softly replied.

  The way she said those words reminded him of Bob. “It’s really uncanny how much alike you and Bob are. You sounded and looked just like him when you said that.” He shook his head. “You two are obviously related.”

  She looked relieved. “I am looking forward to getting to know you. From the way Billy talks about you, I know I’m going to like you.”

  “Maybe we’ll be friends.”

  She peered at him through her eyelashes. “It’ll be a start.” She opened the basement door before she headed downstairs. When she returned with the milk, she asked him where the glasses were.

  “In that cabinet.” He pointed to where he was talking about. He put the bacon in the pan and placed it on the hot stove. He added the scrambled eggs next to the bacon. “I forgot to ask you what your name is.”

  “My name is Kate.”

  “I like it,” he told her. “It fits you. Simple and pretty.”

  She blushed. “Thank you.” She took the glasses out of the cabinet. “I’m glad I made the trip out here.”

  “So am I.” He didn’t look at her as he said it.

  She quietly set the table and filled the two glasses with milk.

  “You are a lot like your brother,” he noted.

  She glanced at him.

  “You are the two nicest people I’ve ever met.”

  “So are you, Chad.”

  He was ready to ask her how she knew his name but figured Bob mentioned it. He chuckled. “Your brother calls me ‘boss.’”

  “Should I refrain from using your first name? I don’t wish to offend you.”

  “You can call me Chad.”

  Her smile lit up the room. The place seemed brighter with her there.

  After he finished cooking the meal, he put the bacon and eggs on their plates and saved aside a plate for Bob. “Will you tell Bob that I saved a plate for him in the basement?”

  “You don’t have to do that. He’ll get something to eat at lunch.”

  “But he’ll need his energy for the morning chores. The other farmhands are due to come out soon. I don’t want him to go through the morning on an empty stomach.”

  “You really are a thoughtful person.”

  He couldn’t recall the last time someone spoke so nicely to him. He tried not to let his gratefulness show in case she thought he was weak. He covered Bob’s plate and took it to the basement so it would stay cool. When he came back upstairs, he saw that she had taken the plates to the kitchen table and had the utensils set out next to the plates and glasses. It seemed so natural to see her sitting at the kitchen table and waiting for him to join her for breakfast. This is something I can get used to seeing every morning. Georgia didn’t eat with him. She stayed in her room and let him serve her. Georgia didn’t lift a finger to do anything around the house. He ran around and managed the house and the farm. The only thing Georgia did was make herself look as good as possible so she could impress her family and friends. So to have Bob and Kate do so much to help him was a very pleasant change. If he could judge Kate by how Bob behaved, then he was assured that Kate was as wonderful as she initially seemed.

  “Will you tell me more about running a farm?” she asked him as he sat across from her.

  That was a safe discussion, he realized, so he gladly did that while they ate. After they finished, he assured her that he could wash the dishes.

  “I don’t mind. You made the meal,” she remarked.

  “Kate, please let me take care of it. I’m used to it.”

  She nodded. “Alright.”

  He smiled at her. It was hard not to fall in love with her.

  Tim, Sam and Jeff walked into the kitchen. He tensed. He really didn’t want to share her with them.

  “Well, look here,” Sam said as he looked her over. “Chad, are you keeping a beautiful secret from us?”

  Chad sighed. “These are my farmhands. Sam and Tim Montgomery and Jeff Rod. This is Bob’s sister, Kate.”

  She smiled and said hello to the other men.

  Chad watched as the men nearly drooled over her.

  “We don’t recall seeing you before,” Tim commented. “And I don’t believe Billy mentioned you.”

  “Oh, that’s because he didn’t think I would show up,” she explained. “I’m spontaneous by nature so I decided to come out with my other brother and see Billy. Billy travels all over so much that I hardly get to see him anymore, so when I learned he was here, I figured I would come out and surprise him. He didn’t expect me.”

  “When did you get here?”

  “I got here at two in the morning.”

  “So you must be tired,” Chad stated. “Would you like to rest? You can lay down on the bed in my bedroom if you want. We’ll be outside working with your brother.”

  “Where did you sleep last night?” Sam wondered.

  “Is that your business?” she asked him.

  “Kitty’s got claws,” Tim mumbled.

  “Well, we know that Chad is safe,” Sam told her, still smiling. “He has problems rising to the occasion, if you know what I mean.”

  Chad’s jaw clenched. That was what Georgia said in order to explain why they didn’t have children, and it wasn’t the truth, nor was it the image he wanted to present to Kate. “It’s not like Georgia ever inspired my interest,” he retorted.

  The three men lunged at him.

  He got ready to fight back.

  She quickly stepped in between them. “Please. I am a lady. I would prefer a peaceful morning. I think Billy mentioned milking cows when you arrived, but he didn’t know where the pail was for such a chore.”

  Chad and the others relaxed. He didn’t want to fight in front of her anymore than they did.

  “I will rest in your bedroom after I wake Billy and tell him everyone is here,” she told Chad.

  “Be sure to lock the door,” Chad whispered so the men wouldn’t hear.

  She nodded and left.

  “You can’t have her,” Sam snapped.

  “And you think you can?” Chad sharply asked.

  “You’re lucky we like Billy. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t even bother to help you.”

  “Considering the fact that I pay you, that’s hardly an insult.”

  “I’ll never understand what Georgia saw in you.”

  He shrugged. The question was, what did he ever see in Georgia, but he knew it would be pointless to tell them that. “I suggest we put aside our differences for Billy and Kate’s sakes. We don’t need to get them tangled up in our family bonding,” he sarcastically said. He tried to be nice to the men but found it nearly impossible. So he settled for any kind of truce he could possibly get.

  “She’ll make her own decision anyway,” Jeff replied. “But you know, once Todd finds out about her, he’ll want to come out and see her. She’s a good looker, and I think he’s getting serious about marriage.”

  Chad didn’t want to hear this but held his tongue. Todd wasn’t a bad man, but he hung out with shoddy people. Bob knew what the men were like. He would warn his sister about them, right? He decided he would have to ask Bob if he planned to tell her about them. But that would have to wait until he could speak to Bob alone.

  Chapter Nine

  Kate w
as in a panic as she ran from the house to the barn. She didn’t intend to start a fight. She nearly tripped on her shoes when she saw Lacy waiting outside the barn. I can’t believe they brought her out here! She stopped as the raven long haired woman called out to her.

  “Where is Billy?” Lacy asked her.

  “He’s in the barn. I’ll get him. Stay here,” she ordered.

  She was out of breath by the time she reached the loft. She anxiously threw open the trunk and took out her Billy disguise. When she went to bed the night before, she never imagined she would be waking up as Kate. She assumed it was going to be like any other morning. She would get dressed as Billy and join Chad in the kitchen for breakfast. She had no idea he would even consider climbing up the ladder of the loft to ask her a question while he knew she might be asleep. Part of her was relieved it happened since it meant she could approach him, at least part of the time, as Kate. The more she got to know Chad, the more she liked him. She had been trying to think of a way to approach him as Kate, and this was as good a way as any. For the moment, she would have to go back to being Billy. And confront Lacy. That part, she was dreading.

  She checked herself in the mirror to make sure her beard and wig were in place. She adjusted the binding around her bosom so that her chest appeared flat. Her flannel green shirt and brown pants were loose enough to make her appear masculine. She cleared her throat. “I’m Billy,” she said using Billy’s voice. She nodded. She was ready. She quickly climbed down the ladder. She made it to the barn door in time for Chad’s arrival. Once again she marveled at how good looking he was. She cleared her head. She was Billy right now. It wasn’t the time to think of him in such romantic terms.

  “I was just on my way to find you,” she said.

  “Kate mentioned you wanted to milk the cows,” Chad replied. “Where is she?”

  “Oh, she ran through here on her way to the outhouse. Anyway, I’ve never milked a cow before, so you’ll have to show me how to do it.”

  Sam, Tim and Jeff walked into the barn. She inwardly cringed as they brought Lacy with them.

  “I told them not to bring her,” she whispered to Chad.

  Chad sighed as they walked into the building. “Now we’ll never get any work done.”