When she turned back to the people around her, she suddenly realized that Chris was giving her a detailed explanation on sex. She didn’t care to hear this. She shook her head. “I have to go!” She shoved Jeff’s book back at him and quickly made her way to the loft. She needed a moment to think of the unexpected turn of events.
She sat in the loft and tried to decide what to do. She had to get rid of those women. They had no right to flirt with Chad. He belonged to her! He was going to marry her. No man had ever been able to resist her before, so why was he turned off by her? What had she done wrong? What did he find so repulsive about her? She thought she was a decent enough woman. She certainly wasn’t creepy like Lacy, and if Georgia was anything like Lacy, then she was much better than his dead wife. She was attractive, even if she was wearing prairie clothes instead of her usual expensive dresses.
She had to get rid of Cheryl and Gabriella. They didn’t need to turn on their charm and win him over. She quickly opened her trunk and changed into her Billy disguise. Her spontaneous plan required some climbing and she needed to be in pants to do this or else she’d slip on her skirt. She climbed down the ladder and dragged it along the ground. She checked to make sure everyone was occupied so that no one would see her run to the other barn where Chad had set up his things to paint. She grumbled to herself when she noticed that he was still talking to the two women. Why is he encouraging them?
She had to struggle to get the ladder against the side of the barn. There was a slight decline from the side of the barn, so it took a moment for her to balance the ladder until it was sturdy enough to hold her. Before she climbed it, she walked around the side of the barn, still making sure no one saw her. The men and Lacy were talking and laughing while the two women still talked to Chad.
She found two cats and quickly picked them up. Fortunately, her long sleeved shirt was thick enough for her to dismiss their claws which dug into the sleeves. She gingerly climbed the ladder, trying to maintain her balance as she struggled to keep the cats in her arms. They didn’t like being dragged up to the barn roof, but she ignored their meowing and clawing at her arms. Sometimes love can hurt. After she made it to the roof, she held onto the cats while she spied where the women were. They stood in front of Chad and laughed at something he said. She didn’t know who upset her more. The women who had initiated the flirting or Chad who seemed to enjoy their attention. He didn’t have to encourage them!
She finally decided that she was more angry at him and pushed the cats down the side of the roof so they would have to land on him. She heard the cats screech and the sound of the paint can fall to the ground. The women shrieked and ran off. Kate felt satisfied and cautiously made her way down the side of the roof. The men and Lacy laughed hysterically. Kate wished she could have seen exactly what happened. As she spotted a cat covered in red paint race across the field, she knew one of them had landed in the paint can. The other cat had climbed a nearby tree.
She glanced down at her feet and spotted the ladder. She slowly made her way to it. Just as her foot got to the top rung, the ladder moved. She gasped and regained her footing on the roof. She looked back down and saw that the ladder was a foot away from her. She moved along the roof until she was at the ladder again and just as her foot touched the ladder, it moved again. It suddenly occurred to her that someone was moving it. She wondered who it was. Perhaps it was Lacy? She didn’t know if she should move to the ladder again or not so she waited.
A couple of minutes passed by uneventfully. She sighed, bored. How was she going to get down unless she went down the ladder? She hoped that whoever had moved the ladder would get bored and leave. As she drummed her fingers absentmindedly on the roof, a pigeon flew to her and landed in front of her. She tried to shoo it away but it jumped on her head and sat down. She shook her head. The bird flew off of her head and rested on her foot. What was this stupid bird doing? She angrily jerked her leg back and forth until it flew away. She breathed a sigh of relief.
She decided enough time had elapsed since her last attempt to climb down the ladder so she moved over to it and set her foot on the rung. To her surprise, it moved again. This time someone moved it in the other direction. “Very funny!” she yelled.
No one answered her. Really, if Lacy wanted to get her attention when she in her Billy disguise, she could afford to do a better job.
She climbed to the top of the roof and saw the group of people were gone. If it wasn’t Lacy who was moving the ladder, that meant it could only be one person. Chad must have figured out what she did and decided to teach her a lesson. She saw that the ladder he planned to use was still leaning against the other side of the barn.
As she was ready to position herself to the other side of the roof, Chad said, “If you’re going to paint the roof, don’t you need some paint?”
Startled, she lost her footing.
He quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist so he could pull her up.
“I was wondering how long it would take you to figure out that I kept moving your ladder,” he said.
Was he amused? She grunted and sat up. “Fine. So you discovered I was the one who threw the cats down at you.”
“Why would you do that? If you wanted the people to leave, why didn’t you just tell them to go?”
She decided not to answer that because it would require her confessing her feelings for him, and since he obviously did not return those feelings, she didn’t need to suffer further humiliation. “The cats were funnier.”
“You know, if you were Kate, I’d kiss you.” He shrugged. “However, since you’re Billy, I’ll have to play rough.”
What did that mean? Before she had time to think about his comment, he grabbed her ankles and flipped her over so that she was upside down. She put one hand over her hat so that her hat and wig would stay in place. He picked her up and carried her to the edge of the roof. “What are you going to do?” she demanded as she anxiously tried to reach the side of the roof with her free hand so she could hang onto something. She feared that he was going to drop her so she would fall to the ground.
“Why did you throw cats at me?” he asked.
Did he still sound amused? It was hard to tell with all the blood rushing to her head.
He let go of one of her ankles.
She screamed.
“You sounded just like a woman when you screamed like that,” he noted. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
She cleared her throat. “Of course not,” she said, using her masculine voice.
“Alright.”
He’s not actually going to drop me, is he? Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. “Let’s be rational about this. Can I be of any use to you with broken bones? You need a farmhand who can work.”
He paused. “You’re right.” He lifted her by the waist and flipped her so that she was standing next to him.
She grabbed his arm to steady her footing. “You’re insane,” she finally told him. Then she quickly slid down the ladder before he could toss her in the air again.
Before she could grab the ladder from him, he was already halfway down it.
She marveled that he could be so fast.
When he was on the ground, he took the ladder down and handed it to her.
She buckled under its weight.
“I have decided that you’re right, Billy. You are a man, not a boy, and I need to give you manly duties. So for now on, I won’t be babying you. You need to gain some upper body strength so if you ever decide to be a farmhand for someone else, you can handle the job.” He slapped her on the arm with so much force that she nearly fell over. He chuckled. “I’ll make a man out of you yet.”
She rubbed her arm. That hurt.
“Where’s your sister?” he asked.
She quickly thought of a place where Kate would be. “She got tired of the activities so she went to rest in the loft.”
“And you took her ladder so she had to stay up there?”
She shrug
ged. “I was going to bring it right back.”
“Do you mind if I go see her? I got her something while I was in town today.”
“You did?” She was pleased that he thought to get her something. “What is it?”
“I’d rather tell her.”
She realized that he was walking to the loft. She couldn’t let him find out that she wasn’t really there. “Oh, hmm...You know, I bet she went to the river to take another bath. That crazy woman has to be as clean as can be.”
He looked disappointed. “Well, I suppose I can wait to give it to her. When do you think she’ll be back?”
“Soon. I’m sure it won’t be long. Why don’t you go into the house and wait for her?”
He nodded. “I’ll do that. I should make some dinner. What would you and Kate like to eat tonight?”
Right. They were supposed to be two different people. It was getting harder and harder to come up with excuses as to why Kate and Billy couldn’t be in the same place at the same time. “Actually, I’m full from the picnic. I couldn’t eat another bite.”
“That’s funny. I saw Kate eating with the group but I didn’t see you anywhere.”
So he did notice her. She felt better that he took the time to look for her. She waved her hand. “I ate and left. Lacy was coming onto me. I had to bolt.”
“She was? Did you manage to discourage her this time?”
“No,” she sourly reported. “I flung her all over the place and even threw her at Roger but she still wants to be with me. I don’t know what I can do to get rid of her.”
“I know what you can do.”
“What’s that?”
“Be Kate.” He turned to go back to the house. “I’ll be waiting for Kate when she decides to make an appearance.”
Chapter Sixteen
Chad chuckled as he watched “Billy” go to the barn with the ladder. He shook his head. No wonder Billy had such a hard time carrying things, holding down sheep and lassoing cattle. Billy was really a woman. It wasn’t until Chad read through the papers that everything clicked. The papers talked about Senator Tanner’s daughter who had disappeared. The date of her disappearance coincided with Billy’s arrival to town. Chad figured there was something unusual about his farmhand from the moment he saw him, but he decided to hire him. If Chad had known his farmhand was a woman dressed up as a man in order to hide out, he wouldn’t have been so hard on her. However, since she insisted on keeping up the charade of being Billy and Kate, he figured the least he could do was play along for the time being. If she wanted to play the role of Billy, he would help her do that.
Of course, he had more fun with her when she was Kate, though he knew she wasn’t Kate Ingram. She was Kate Tanner. The description of her in the paper made it impossible to mistake her true identity. He only hoped the other people in town hadn’t put the pieces together. He reasoned that the men were too infatuated with her to care about her past. He did worry about Lacy. If Lacy put the pieces together, she wouldn’t hesitate to notify the Virginia police on her whereabouts. As long as Lacy thought Billy was real, Kate was safe since Lacy wouldn’t dare harm Billy’s sister.
He couldn’t help but sympathize with Kate’s plight. He recalled her sorrow over Senator Tanner and his wife. Little had he known at the time that she was crying over her parents. Worse yet, she saw the murders. That was the only logical explanation as to why she would disguise herself as a man and run away. Everything made sense. All the pieces fit together very well.
She hadn’t intended to reveal her true identity but he caught her sleeping and what else could she do but make up a story about a brother dropping her off so that she could explain why she was there when she was supposed to be a man. He guessed that she didn’t tell him the truth because she was afraid if she did, then the men who were looking for her would go after him as well. He couldn’t blame her for lying. He would probably do the same thing if he was in her situation.
Oh Kate. You have no idea how much I love you. When he got back from town, he had been furious to see her surrounded by the men. He pretended not to notice since showing signs of being upset would only prompt the men, especially his brother, to pursue her further. He read through the papers and went to the trunk in the loft to verify his suspicions. Then it occurred to him that she was trying to make him jealous by intentionally flirting with the men. After his earlier conversation with “Billy” regarding “Billy’s” insistence that he be upset to see the men vying for Kate’s affections, it dawned on him that she wanted him to care about her, which he already did but had been too timid to outwardly express in case he scared her off.
When he went to get the paint, he was shocked that Cheryl and Gabriella came up to him to ask him about how he was recovering from Georgia’s death before asking him about the farm. He hadn’t thought anything of the encounter until Kate disappeared. He realized that Billy wasn’t in sight either. As soon as one cat landed on him and the other one landed in the paint can, it dawned on him that Kate had thrown them at him because she didn’t like him talking to other women who were being more friendly than they should have been. Kate’s plan had worked. The women quickly left and talked the others into leaving too. So Chad took the moment to find out which character Kate was playing and saw that she had chosen the Billy costume. He decided that the opportunity was too good to pass up and acted like she really was Billy. Georgia had never been jealous of him. Her main concern was looking good to others. But Kate actually cared about him, and he was very pleased with that knowledge.
By the time Kate made her appearance, he had finished making the steak, mashed potatoes and corn.
She didn’t hide her surprise. “You made this for me?” she asked.
He hid his smile. She was obviously flattered he thought so well of her to do such a thing. “It’s more fun to cook for a woman than for a man,” he simply explained. “Billy told me that I didn’t have to worry about you and the other men. He assured me that you have absolutely no interest in them and wished to simply go along with them just so they would leave sooner.”
She looked startled. “Billy said that?”
He nodded. “He sure did. I was ready to force everyone off the property but once Billy cooled me down and explained the situation, I decided to play along too and acted like I was having a good time talking to Gabriella and Cheryl.”
“Billy Ingram?”
He forced aside his laughter by focusing on the food he put on the plates. “Yes. Your brother, Billy.” He set the plates on the table. “Oh, before I forget, I got you a book and some newspapers.” He handed them to her. He would wait later for the ring.
Her shock was replaced with a big smile. She blushed as she took them. “You got these for me?”
He grinned. “I wanted to get you something special while I was in town getting the papers. I thought you might like to read the latest on Senator Tanner.” He sighed at the momentary flicker of sorrow that passed over her features.
“Thank you, Chad. That was very thoughtful of you.”
He walked over to her and pulled out her chair. “Will you have a seat?”
She silently sat down and watched as he placed a glass of water and apple juice in front of her. “Is that what you were doing today? Buying me a book and getting newspapers for me?”
“Yes. I was happy to do it for you.”
“I must admit that I’m touched you would venture into town again just for me.”
He had a feeling that the men who usually attempted to court her weren’t as interested in her as they were in how she looked. He decided to keep his observation to himself. Instead, he replied, “You’re worth it.”
She took a bite of her steak. “You do a great job of cooking. Don’t tell any of the women I said this, but your food actually tastes better than half the women’s stuff at the potluck.”
He grinned. “I don’t think the women would like to hear that.”
“That’s why we won’t tell anyone I said it.”
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“I hope you find the book to your liking. I thought since you liked Sherlock Holmes that you would find this book interesting as well.”
“I like to read just about anything. That’s why I bought the library. Sometimes it saddens me when I talk to someone who doesn’t like to read. There are so many different genres out there that everyone should be able to find something interesting to read.”
He figured that when she was Kate, she was her real self. Now that he knew she was also Billy, he picked up the similarities between her two roles easier. They used the same hand gestures while they talked. It was no wonder he often thought that she and Billy seemed to be the same person. They were.
“Well, you missed the excitement earlier. Your brother thought it would be funny to throw cats down at me from the barn roof in order to get rid of the people. I don’t know why he just didn’t tell everyone to go home if he was anxious to get rid of them.”
“Billy has a weird sense of humor.”
“Apparently. One of the cats scratched me up pretty good.”
“Really?” She frowned. “Did it hurt?”
“I’ll survive. I just have to remember to watch what’s going on around me when Billy’s nearby.”
“Billy wasn’t trying to hurt you.”
“I know. He just wanted to get rid of the people.” He hid his smile.
After they finished eating, she insisted on cleaning the dishes.
“I want to do something to help out,” she insisted when he protested. “You’ve gone out of your way to be nice to me. I appreciate it, and I would like to do something nice for you.”
“Then I’ll dry.”
She nodded, seeming content with his small role in helping her.
It felt natural to be with her, doing everyday work. I could get used to this. He enjoyed doing simple household tasks with her. How different she was from Georgia. He knew that women like Kate existed but didn’t dream that she’d ever show up in his life, especially right in his barn one day. Thank you, Lord, for her.
An Unlikely Place for Love Page 27
