An Unlikely Place for Love

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Chad released his breath as Chris turned to leave. He stopped to introduce himself to the other farmhands first, and they laughed at something he said. Why do I have a hard time getting along with so many people? It hadn’t always been that way. He actually used to have quite a few friends. Did being with Georgia really have a sour effect on his personality? Certainly, Kate would rather be with someone who was more likeable. Someone like Chris. Pushing aside the depressing thought, he turned back to his work on the door.

  ***

  The next day was Wednesday but Chad wished it was Saturday so everyone would just stay in town. As soon as he took out the paint for the barn to continue painting, he saw a group of eight people coming onto his property. He shook his head. He knew they were all coming to see Billy and Kate. I’ll never get any work done today. Worse, he would have to share Kate with every interested male in the town, plus his irritating brother who had decided to join the group. He groaned. This was going to be a long day.

  Billy came out of the barn and stopped when he saw the people.

  Chad put the paint back in the shed. He would be doing good just to feed the animals and milk the cows that day.

  Billy ran over to him as soon as he shut the shed door. “What are all those people doing here?” he asked, not hiding his shock.

  “I think they came to see you and your sister. They’ve never come to see me.”

  “Why? What is so great about us?”

  Chad shrugged. “You are two very likeable people.”

  “I had no idea that my personality could attract so many people.”

  “Well, Kate has a good personality too.”

  “What? Oh, right. Kate.” He shook his head. “This is insane. Don’t they know that Kate sleeps in late?”

  “Apparently, they figure she’ll wake up as soon as she hears the festivities.”

  “There’s no way that’s going to happen. She was up so late that even I’m tired this morning.”

  “I’m sorry, Billy. I kept her up. We were talking about books that we’ve read and we lost track of the time. I didn’t think we were that loud when I walked her to the loft.”

  Billy didn’t seem to hear him. Instead, he groaned. “They brought Lacy back.”

  “Along with two other women.”

  “Gabriella Turner and Cheryl Alan.” He slapped his hand to his forehead. “I wish I knew how to turn women off.” He turned to him. “What do you do when you want to repulse a woman?”

  “I never had the problem where a woman couldn’t get enough of me, so I’m not the person to advise you on what to do about them.”

  “Well, Kate likes to spend all of her waking moments with you. You must do something different with other women than you do with her.”

  “Kate’s the only woman who’s shown any real interest in me. It’s probably just friendship.”

  Billy rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything as Sam called out to him. Billy cringed. “This can’t go on every day. I have to find a way to put a stop to this madness. I came here to get away from people, not to attract them. Why do I have to be so likeable?” He sighed and turned to Sam who was running over to him.

  “We thought we’d come out and have a little fun today. Get your sister. We’re going to do a square dance.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. I can’t get her.”

  “Why not? She is here, isn’t she?”

  “Well, yes, but...” He looked flustered.

  “But what?”

  “She’s asleep. I can’t wake her up when she’s asleep.”

  Chad took a good look at Billy. Was the man panicking? Something isn’t right. What could it be? He’s hiding something besides the identity of Senator Tanner’s murderers. He suddenly realized that he never saw Billy and Kate together. One was conveniently busy when the other one was available. Chad was so glad to get some time alone with Kate that he hadn’t thought to question it until that moment as he watched Billy argue with the men that Kate couldn’t show up to partake in the square dance. Did Billy fear that if Kate were with him in public then she would unknowingly expose his secret? There was no denying they were related. There were even times he wondered if they were the same person since they were so much alike. Chad examined the way Billy shook his head and threw his arms in the air while Sam kept telling him to get Kate.

  “Sam, this is Wednesday,” Billy reasoned with the farmhand. “We’re supposed to be working. We have Saturday to engage in entertainment.” Billy turned to Chad. “Are you going to allow this?”

  “I’m not cooking for anyone,” he finally replied. He turned to go to the barn so he could milk the cows.

  To his surprise, Billy followed him. “Don’t you know why the men are here? They’re trying to get Kate’s attention.”

  “And the women are here to get yours. I told you that the best approach to those people is to keep your distance from them. That’s what I’m going to do today, and I’ll manage to stay out of trouble. But you had to be their friend, and now they like both you and Kate because you’ve done such a good job of playing the game of getting along with them. I told you they throw curve balls. You thought you had perfect control over the situation but you didn’t.”

  “Fine. You were right. Aren’t you going to send them back home? This is your farm.”

  “Things will go a lot smoother if they get today out of their system. I’ve learned a long time ago not to make waves. It’s best just to ride the current. It’s a lot less painful that way.”

  “So the fact that the men are here doesn’t bother you?”

  “They were at the fairgrounds on Saturday when she went out there. What’s the difference? I’m not her boss. She’s free to do her own thing. Last time I heard, she agreed to meet them in town. She might as well meet them out here too.”

  “Do you honestly want that?”

  “Kate’s an adult. She can pick whoever she wants.” He didn’t like the idea of her with someone else but if she chose that, then he wasn’t going to stop her.

  “I don’t believe what I’m hearing. Don’t you care if she ends up with another man?”

  “My personal business is my personal business. She may be your sister but I don’t have to explain anything to you.” He picked up the pail from the corner of the barn and carried it over to the cow he planned to milk for the day.

  “Are you serious? All this time you’ve been spending with her has been because you just think of her as a friend?”

  He set the pail under the cow’s udder and sat down. “You’re not the person I want to talk to about this, Billy. Just because you’re her brother, it doesn’t give you the right to probe into her personal life.”

  “Considering the fact that our father is dead, I am in his position.”

  Why couldn’t Billy just back off? An idea came to him. “You were asking me how you can turn a woman off? Bother her about something that she doesn’t want to talk about. It’s the perfect repellent.”

  “Alright. I can read the writing on the wall. Fine. If it doesn’t bother you that other men are seeking her out, then so be it.”

  He rolled his eyes as Billy left the barn. Sometimes Billy reminds me of a woman. Men didn’t typically make a big deal out of a simple social gathering.

  After he milked the cow, he took the pail into the kitchen. He saw Billy laughing with the men and women. He noted that Sam, Tim, Jeff, Todd, Chris, Lacy, Gabriella, and Cheryl had made the trip out to the farm that day. He was relieved to see they brought their own food with them. At least, he wouldn’t have them going into his house to eat lunch. He also noted that Kate was still out of sight. It only confirmed his earlier suspicions that Billy was afraid to be with her in front of other people. What else is Billy hiding? If Kate wasn’t sleeping in the loft, Chad would have investigated that trunk.

  He poured the milk into the bottles and set them in the basement to keep cool. He wasn’t sure what he should do next, but he knew that he didn’t want to stick aroun
d for all the festivities. He loved dancing and meeting with people he liked, but he didn’t care for the Montgomeries or their friends. An idea came to him. He took his wallet, counted the money in it, and put it in his pocket.

  To his surprise, Kate came up to the house. He wondered what she told the men so they didn’t follow her. He smiled at the sight of her. She was beautiful. “Good morning,” he greeted. He stepped back so she could walk into the house. “I thought you were sleeping.”

  She seemed like she was upset, though she was struggling to be pleasant. “What are all those people doing here?”

  “Didn’t they explain it to you when you walked past them?”

  She hesitated. “Well, I didn’t really give anyone a chance. I just told them I had something urgent to tell you.”

  He tensed, immediately concerned. “What is it?”

  “Nothing. I just said that to get a moment to talk to you without someone hovering nearby.”

  He motioned to the kitchen table. “Alright. Do you want to sit down? Are you hungry? I could make you something to eat.”

  “I’m fine.” She sat down and waited for him to sit.

  “Do you want something to drink?”

  “No.”

  He frowned. Did she sound impatient with him? He slowly sat across from her, uncertain of what he did to upset her. “Are you mad at me about something?”

  “Billy said that the men are here to see me so he woke me up. Are you alright with them being here?”

  “No, I’m not, but it’s easier to have them out here for the day so they can get it out of their system than to get into a big fight with them. I figure that tomorrow, things can go back to normal.”

  “So you’re upset that they’re here but you won’t tell them to go home?”

  He sighed. He didn’t feel like bringing up unpleasant topics around Kate. It was one thing to talk to Billy about the less attractive side of his past but he didn’t wish to burden Kate with it. “It’s not worth arguing with them about. You have to trust me on this. If we just go along with what they want, things are better for everyone.” He recalled the last time he had upset them with crystal clarity. They didn’t mind gaining up on him to prove a point. He was no match for four men and his brother.

  She shook her head, as if she couldn’t believe her ears. “You can’t let people bully you. You have to stand up to them.”

  He wished she didn’t feel the need to press the issue. “I’d rather not discuss this. I have my reasons. Fortunately for Billy, he gets along with them. I’m sure it’ll be a much needed break from all the work he’s been doing anyway.”

  “You think Billy wants them here?”

  He shrugged. “He goes to town every weekend so he can hang out with them. Since he won’t be here for long, he might as well enjoy himself as much as he can. He certainly works hard enough to earn a day off.”

  “What if he doesn’t want a day off?”

  “Then I’m sure he can find a way to work. They’ll listen to him better than they’ll listen to me. I don’t know his secret but he’s able to talk to them in a way that gets results. If you’re that upset that they’re here, ask Billy to send them home.” He hated to sound like such a wimp but he had unsuccessfully tried to get them off of his property in the past on several occasions. He was tired of fighting them.

  “Why don’t they listen to you?”

  “Probably because I never played along with their games the way Billy does.”

  “Do you think Billy’s making a mistake?”

  “As long as he keeps his hands off the women, he’ll be fine. The men aren’t his problem. They consider him to be a friend, so they will be good to him. I’ve already warned him about Lacy. He knows what to do about her. As long as he heeds my advice, he won’t have any trouble getting out of town when he’s ready to go somewhere else.” He didn’t wish to go into detail about it since she was a woman.

  “Should I be worried?”

  “No one is going to try to take advantage of you, if that’s what you’re worried about. There are plenty of people around so you’re safe. They’ll probably just be obnoxious in how they try to impress you.”

  She huffed. “Do you care that they’re interested in me?”

  Before he could respond, there was a knock at the door.

  “Could the timing be any worse?” she grumbled.

  Chad didn’t know anyone who would knock with the possible exception of his brother, so he reluctantly stood up to answer it. He hid his distaste for the way Chris was smiling at him. It was the same satisfied smirk that drove him insane when they were growing up.

  “What is it, Chris?” he politely asked him.

  “I’d rather speak with you alone.” Chris looked past the screen door and at Kate.

  She sighed and stood up. “Alright. I can take a hint.” She stomped past them and went to the crowd of people who waved to her.

  Chad didn’t like the fact that she was upset. He didn’t understand what he did to cause it, but he had to wait until everyone was gone before he could approach her. With the way everyone gathered around her, he knew he wouldn’t be able to tear her away from them.

  “She’s got a certain appeal to her, doesn’t she?” Chris noted. Turning back to Chad, he continued, “She attracts men to her like flowers attract bees. I can see that it bothers you.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Why are you still here?”

  “Do you think I’m stupid? I know you signed my name on the papers.”

  “Only because I knew you had no intention of leaving once you realized I like Kate. You can’t resist trying to steal her from me.”

  Chris laughed. “My dear big brother. It turns out that winning her won’t be as difficult as I originally thought it would be. What woman wants an impotent man who can’t get over the death of his wife?”

  “What?” Chad knew that the men played up on his devotion to Georgia but he didn’t realize that they would be pushing the impotency story on her. The knowledge that they were doing that greatly angered him.

  “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes the equipment malfunctions.”

  “My equipment works just fine.”

  “Would Kate be aware of this?”

  “Of course not! I don’t believe in having sex before marriage.”

  He looked amused. “So it’s your word against theirs. Considering your lack of proof, the story looks damaging.”

  “What lack of proof?”

  “You have no children and you were married for ten years.”

  He didn’t feel like explaining his lack of a sex life with Georgia, so he asked, “Is there anything else?”

  “No. I think I’ll go join the fun. We’re going to square dance. I’ve never done that before. It’ll be interesting to see how the common people dance.”

  I need to get out of here. Chad angrily shut the door behind him and headed out to the barn to get Reliable. He noticed that Billy was nowhere in sight and the horses were all there. He was tempted to go up to the loft and see what it was that Billy was hiding in that trunk. The answer was there. He knew it was, but he couldn’t bring himself to intrude on Billy’s privacy. Instead, he saddled Reliable and headed out of the barn. No one noticed him as he left. It was typical. People enjoyed his things but didn’t take the time to acknowledge him.

  When he reached town, he saw Georgia’s mother walking along the boardwalk past the shops. He almost turned around and went back home but was determined to get the gift for Kate. He reluctantly got off the horse and tied him up to the post in front of the mercantile. He quickly went into it before she had a chance to reach him. It wasn’t that she was mean to him. In fact, she was the one person in Georgia’s family who had been nice to him. He just didn’t want to be reminded of Georgia.

  He breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed behind him. It would be good to get out of here and start a new life somewhere else.

  Wilma Jensen heard the bell on the door and walked ove
r to him. She smiled at him. “I didn’t expect to see you,” she kindly greeted. “Georgia would be proud of you for coming to town. She wouldn’t want you to stay at the farm by yourself all the time. She was full of life. Certainly, she would want you to get yours back.”

  He hid his annoyance. Why does everyone want to talk about Georgia? Perhaps his next words would give her the hint to stop talking about Georgia. “Actually, I’m here to purchase a wedding ring.”

  Her eyes widened in interest. “You are? Why, Chad Walker, you are a sly one. No one suspected you were courting.”

  “I’m not officially courting her.”

  “May I ask who it is or is it a secret?”

  “Her name is Kate Ingram.”

  “Billy’s sister?”

  He nodded.

  “I saw her last Saturday. She had men swarming all around her. I confess, some women in this town will be glad if she accepts your proposal.”

  He wondered what chance he had against all the available men in town. He got along great with her and loved her, but he wasn’t sure how she felt about him since he hadn’t asked her. He figured that a proposal was a definite way to find out.

  “Well, she’s a lucky woman,” the older woman kindly stated. “I always thought you were a good husband to Georgia.” She clapped her hands. “Do you know her ring size?”

  “Yes. Actually I do.” He had to be subtle about finding out that information but it worked. He told her the size.

  She led him to the jewelry case where her rings were.

  “She’d probably like that one.” He pointed to the gold ring with a diamond in the center of a butterfly made out of black hills gold. She did like butterflies.

  “It is a beautiful ring.” The woman took it out and handed it to him. “It’s the right size.”

  “I’ll take it,” he decided.

  She took it back and put it in a small black velvet box.

  He glanced over at another counter and saw a new mystery novel. Kate seemed to gravitate to mysteries. “I’ll take the book too,” he told Wilma.

  She nodded and walked over to the other counter to get the book for him.