An Unlikely Place for Love

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “I’ve been walking around.”

  “Well, now that we found you, let’s play horseshoes.” Jeff handed a couple of horseshoes to her. “Want to play, Paul?”

  “Alright. Such a game is bearable,” her brother consented.

  “You’re a little high and mighty.”

  “I have fine taste.”

  “That explains the debt.” He handed the horseshoes to her brother.

  “Right.” He frowned at her. “My debt.”

  They followed Jeff and Sam to the place where they would throw their horseshoes.

  “I was trying to get Lacy off your back,” she whispered.

  “I can handle her. I’ve met women like her before. She won’t go near me after the way I put her down today. Just watch out for yourself,” he softly replied.

  So that was the secret to deterring Lacy. For once, her brother’s attitude was the perfect thing to ward off unwanted female attention. She wished she had thought of it. She glanced over at Lacy who smiled and waved at her. She sighed. She would have to do something about the woman but she would have to figure out what that was later on.

  After the potluck was over, her brother rode with her back to the farm.

  “I have some things I want to check out about Senator Rich,” he told her. “Now that I know you’re alright, I feel safe about going back to Virginia. You say that there are mines in the ten acres Father wanted to designate for the lumber industry?”

  “Yes. What do you plan to do?”

  “Get concrete proof. I bet that Ethan’s cabin in his park will have some interesting evidence too.”

  “Billy, you can’t do that! It’s too dangerous.”

  He stopped his horse and looked at her.

  She stopped Reliable.

  He sighed. “Kate, they were my parents too.”

  “Then I’ll come with you.”

  “No. You’re the witness. You have to stay safe. You’ve already taken too many chances. Now it’s time for me to take over. Let me do some investigating. When I’m done, I will come back and let you know what I discover. Alright?”

  She knew she wouldn’t be able to talk him out of it and he was right. Without her testimony, Dave, Derek and Ethan would likely get away with murder. She wiped the tears from her eyes.

  “I’m going to take you back to Chad’s farm,” he softly said. “He’ll take care of you. I want you to be safe.”

  She nodded and silently rode with him back to the farm.

  ***

  On Monday, Tim, Sam and Jeff were even more annoying than they had been the previous week. She had to constantly remind them to get back to work. Now that they hailed Billy as a hero, they kept asking her to replay the events surrounding the fire rescue, and it was difficult to get any work done during the morning. Even as Kate, they continued to go out of their way to impress her. If it weren’t for her as “Billy” and Chad finishing the new shed, it wouldn’t have been completed late on Monday afternoon.

  On Tuesday afternoon, Chad fixed a door to the horse barn while Tim, Sam and Jeff took their time painting the other barn. She had on her Kate outfit and was glad for the reprieve from the farmhands’ attention as she got a chance to watch them instead of having to talk to them or listen to them. She sat in the grass and watched the men work.

  She blinked when she noticed an unfamiliar man riding onto the property. She hadn’t seen him in town. Upon closer examination, she realized he shared the same light brown hair and facial features that Chad did. He was younger, clean shaven, and not as muscular as Chad. He wore what he considered to be western clothes, but they were expensive so she knew he came from money. She wondered if he was Chad’s brother.

  To her surprise, he rode his stallion over to her. “You are far too beautiful to be Georgia. Are you one of her friends?”

  “Uh...no.” His manners threw her off guard. He spoke and acted like the elite did in her society. She wasn’t sure what to think of him. “I’m the sister of Chad Walker’s new farmhand.”

  “And a wonderful attraction to this farm.”

  “Thank you,” she uncertainly responded. Did she dare trust him?

  “I come looking for Chad Walker. He’s my brother.”

  So her initial impression had been correct. “He’s over there.” She pointed to Chad who was working on the barn door.

  “Perhaps when I am done with him, I’ll get a chance to get more acquainted with you.” He tipped his hat to her and urged the horse to trot over to Chad.

  Even from a distance, she could tell that Chad wasn’t happy to see him. Chad wiped his forehead with a cloth he kept in his back pocket and took several pieces of paper that his brother handed him. His brother was talking while he flipped through the papers, carefully reading everything on them. She wondered what they were talking about.

  Jeff walked over to her. She inwardly groaned. “I just finished painting my section of the barn. I have a few moments to spare before I help Sam and Tim with more of it.”

  She forced her attention to him. “Where were you when I went to see everyone at lunch?” she kindly asked him, wondering what lie he would come up with since she knew he had checked out the loft to find her in a compromising situation.

  “Oh, I fed the horses. I didn’t even wait for Chad to ask me to do it.”

  “So you take initiative?”

  “I sure do. I don’t mind taking the lead. It makes for good practice when I have children someday. Do you want to have children?”

  Not with you. Keeping her thoughts to herself, she said, “Of course. What woman doesn’t?”

  “Well, I can assure you that I have no problem with that. Everything works like it should. That’s important to consider.”

  “I suppose.” What was he getting at?

  “Georgia wanted children. She used to cry on her mother’s shoulder about her desire to bear her mother some grandchildren, but Chad wasn’t able to accommodate that wish.”

  Oh. That’s what he’s doing. She decided to play along. “Really? How so?”

  “Well, you know.”

  She stared innocently at him. “I’m afraid I don’t.”

  He cleared his throat. “You know how babies are made. Well, certain things have to be working on a man for that to occur.”

  She just blinked at him as if she had no clue as to what he was talking about. She hoped that by playing dumb, she would turn him off.

  “You do know how babies are made, don’t you?”

  “The stork brings them.” She forced herself to look as serious as possible. She had to focus on the way the wind blew her hair around her shoulders so she wouldn’t laugh at his uncomfortable expression.

  “Not exactly.”

  “I’m confused. If storks don’t bring them, then how are they delivered to the parents?”

  Sam and Tim walked over to them. Jeff looked relieved. “I was trying to explain that Chad wasn’t able to give Georgia any children.”

  “Poor Georgia,” Sam said. “She was devastated to learn that Chad was impotent.”

  “Impotent? What does that mean?” She couldn’t help but continue her stupid act. She looked wide eyed at them.

  “You’re kidding, right?” Tim chuckled.

  “I’m sorry. I lead a very sheltered life.” She hoped she sounded sincere.

  “Well,” Sam slowly began, “being impotent means that a man can’t get an erection.”

  “I don’t understand. Why would he need an derection?”

  “Erection,” Tim clarified.

  “Oh. Right. That word. What does it mean?” Don’t laugh. The expression of disbelief on their faces was well worth the act she was putting on.

  “Do you really believe a stork brings babies?” Jeff hesitantly asked.

  “Of course. My mother told me so.” Just how much were they actually going to explain to her? She decided to be even more outrageously stupid. “The stork’s name is Bonnie and she collects the babies out of the cabbage patches from a magi
cal place called Babyland. People who are honest and good get to receive these wonderful bundles of joy. The babies are a real blessing.”

  They looked at her, as if trying to determine whether or not she was serious.

  She glanced from one man to the other. Then she gasped. “Was my mother lying?” She put her hand to her heart.

  “Apparently,” Jeff uneasily replied.

  “Do you know the difference between men and women?” Sam asked her.

  “Sure. Men have facial hair and women don’t. Oh, and women have these things called nobs that stick out of their chests. They feed the babies,” she said.

  “Are there any other differences?”

  She pretended to think about it. Finally, she shook her head. “No. That’s it.”

  Now they looked like they were ready to bolt.

  She hoped that her plan was working and they were going to stop pursuing her.

  “Maybe we should get you a book,” Sam finally said. “It’s not really appropriate to discuss these matters aloud.”

  “Really?” She didn’t think it was appropriate for them to discuss Chad’s impotency in front of her either but it was all a part of their ploy to get her interest off of him and onto one of them. She knew exactly what they were trying to do and she was determined not to give them the satisfaction of going through with their plan.

  “We’ll get a book for you,” Jeff agreed. “You’re a lady, and we wouldn’t want to impose on your delicate sensibilities.”

  “Oh. Is it that awful?”

  “No. No, it’s not awful,” Tim quickly assured her. “It’s just not talk meant for mixed company.”

  Though you don’t mind taking advantage of women. She pretended not to be disgusted with them and smiled instead. “Alright. Just make sure there are lots of pictures. I finally mastered my ABCs but still have trouble reading.” Maybe being a complete moron in every aspect of life would repel them. “Oh, I have to go talk to Billy. I will be back soon.”

  She ran to the barn to get away from them. She ran up to the loft to spend some time alone before she would show up again as Billy.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chad wasn’t happy to see his younger brother, Chris, nor was he happy to see the three farmhands surrounding Kate. No doubt they are giving her reasons to not be interested in me. He sighed as he forced his attention back to the forms his brother handed him. He hadn’t seen Chris since he left California. He didn’t especially care for his brother, and he was aware that his brother felt the same way.

  Chad carefully read through everything his brother wanted him to sign.

  “Since Father passed away three years ago, Mother got soft and left you half of the estate,” Chris informed him. “I wasn’t even aware that she changed the will until she died. As the executor, it’s my duty to make sure her wishes are carried out.”

  “If I sign these, then you will receive all of the estate,” Chad noted. Leave it to his brother to be greedy, even in the aftermath of their mother’s death.

  “It is my rightful due. I didn’t abandon our parents and the family business. You did.”

  “It wasn’t like I was given a choice.”

  “Right. You let a woman separate you from us.”

  He shrugged. He didn’t wish to rehash the past. “Why would Mother leave me half of the estate?”

  Chris rolled his eyes. “She was sentimental. She regretted cutting you off from the family.”

  He frowned. “Did she try to contact me?”

  His brother glanced at the ground. “No.”

  Chris never was a good liar. Chad felt his face grow hot with anger. “She did. Who stopped her?”

  Chris looked startled.

  “Obviously, you did. Who else? Father?”

  “She was weak,” he finally replied. “She wanted you to come back or to come visit you. I assure you that had Father outlived her, then this wouldn’t even be an issue now.”

  “But she lived longer. When did she die?”

  “She passed away in the hospital a week ago. She left you a letter but I see no reason to dig up the past, so I disposed of it.”

  “How typical of you.”

  “Why open old wounds? Surely, you got what you wanted. You have this farm that is worth enough to provide you with a good living if you ever sell it. You have Georgia. You probably even have some little Chads running around the place somewhere.”

  “I hate to destroy your image of the happy family life you seem to think I enjoy but Georgia passed away a year ago and we had no children.”

  “So, is that pretty young woman over there the new Mrs. Chad Walker?”

  Chad tensed. “You wanted me to sign the papers. If I do that, will you go back to California?”

  He smiled. “She’s not married to you yet. Why else would those men be slobbering all over her? She said her brother works here. I suspect that’s why she’s here, to visit him?”

  “I won’t sign this if you insist on staying.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You did notice how much our parents were worth?”

  He nodded.

  “And you’d give up all that money for her?” He pointed to Kate who stood up and walked past the three men and to the barn.

  Chad wanted to run after her and find out if anyone said something to upset her. She looked like she was relieved to get away from them. Instead, he focused on his brother. “Does that surprise you since I gave it up for Georgia?”

  “You were always soft when it came to women. Was Georgia worth it? Will she be worth it?” He nodded to Kate.

  “I don’t believe that’s your concern. You came for the money, did you not?”

  “She’s much more attractive than Georgia ever was.”

  Chad gritted his teeth. This wasn’t the first time Chris tried to win over a woman he was interested in.

  “Perhaps I’ll stay in town for awhile. There just might be some appeal to the small town life after all.”

  He didn’t like the satisfied smirk on his brother’s face. “Give me a pen or pencil and I’ll sign the papers so you can get out of here,” he snapped.

  “She must be quite the woman.” He grinned as he handed him a pen. “I just need your signature on pages 1, 4, and 7.”

  “I can read where I’m supposed to sign.”

  “Why do you keep giving up money for women, Chad? I mean, the sex can’t be that great.”

  “You know this from experience, do you?”

  “No, actually I don’t. I just can’t imagine sex is worth all this money.”

  “It’s not about sex, Chris. There’s more to a marriage than sex.”

  “Right.” He clearly didn’t believe him.

  “You’re going to live a lonely life.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not. I could think of settling down with someone like her. What’s her name?”

  Chad quickly signed the papers and shoved them at his brother. “All the money is now yours. Get off my property or I’ll run you off.”

  Chris laughed. “You seem to get more and more stupid each time I see you.” He folded the forms and put them in his pocket. “I think I’ll stick around and see why you would give up all this money for her. She must be something.”

  Chad knew his brother wouldn’t leave town, which was why he signed the papers in his brother’s name. Chris was so busy harassing him that he hadn’t noticed the name he wrote. “Yes. You showed me up alright.”

  Suddenly, Billy showed up. “The cattle are doing fine,” he announced. “Kate is hiding out in the loft. Apparently, Sam, Tim and Jeff were bothering her.”

  Chad sighed. “I’m sorry, Billy. I was detained.”

  Chris raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your farmhand?”

  Did he have a choice? “This is Billy Ingram. Billy, this is my brother, Chris.”

  Billy nodded. “Glad to meet you.” Billy shook Chris’ hand. “How long are you staying?”

  “I wasn’t originally planning
on sticking around but I just found a good reason to. If there’s something I can’t resist, it’s a good challenge.” Chris smiled at Chad.

  Chad hid his irritation. It’s too bad he didn’t win Georgia. Of course, once he discovered she was after money and he would lose his inheritance if he married her, he gave up on her. Money was more important than women.

  “What challenge is that?” Billy asked Chris.

  Chris chose to ignore the question. Instead, he said, “Am I going to meet the other farmhands?”

  “You weren’t talking about my sister, were you?”

  Chad was surprised with the accuracy of Billy’s perception.

  Chris hadn’t expected Billy’s ability to see people’s motives without knowing them very well, for he stared at the farmhand in disbelief.

  Billy chuckled. “You better stand in line because she’s used to having men line up to court her. She’s very particular. If you want to join in the bet that those men are having over who will get her, then go for it. Personally, my money is on the boss.”

  Chris smiled. “There’s a bet?” He glanced at Chad. “This might prove interesting.”

  “I’m constantly amused that so many men think they have a chance with her. Well, give it your best shot, but be warned that she can figure out motives really quick.”

  Chad wondered why the man was encouraging his brother. Did Billy wish to see all these men go after her? It was annoying that he had to fight them for her.

  “Do you have any other tasks for me to do, boss?” Billy asked him.

  Chad sighed. “No. Tell everyone to go home for the day. We’ll just do it all again tomorrow.” The hour was getting late anyway and he was eager to get Chris off his property.

  As Billy went to tell the three men they could go home for the day, Chris turned to him. “So, where am I sleeping?”

  “In town.”

  “That’s not very hospitable of you, brother.”

  “I wasn’t trying to be. You aren’t welcome here.”

  “I’m dismayed. What would Mother think?”

  “Go or I’ll force you off my property.”

  “I’m sure you would do your best to try. I don’t want to embarrass you in front of your farmhands, so I’ll graciously bow out for today.”