“It’s officially a city, though not a big one. And I bet you ate at Nancy’s Diner. Best breakfast place around.”
Amigo, sitting on the barn floor between them, looked from one to the other. The dog seemed to be waiting for the next move, and Luca decided to let Westfield make it.
“Know anything about tractor engines?”
That surprised him. Maybe she wasn’t as predictable as he’d thought. “Uh, well, I picked up a few mechanical skills in my army stint, though not for tractors.”
Her loud sigh drew Amigo’s gaze to her, and he cocked his head. She swiped a hand across her face, leaving a streak of grease on her cheek. “Well, then,” she went on, sidestepping the dog to edge closer to Luca, “I guess you’re here to collect Amigo and take off.”
He found the statement annoying, considering that was the whole point of his return to the farm, but what really caught his attention was the bitter downturn of her mouth and the way she kept her eyes on Amigo, rather than him.
“That was the idea.”
She turned his way enough for him to see she was welling up.
Great. “Uh, what seems to be the problem with the tractor?” He wanted to change the subject. Anything to avoid dealing with tears.
“I’m not sure, except that it won’t start. It hasn’t been used for almost a year, so I thought maybe the engine needed a cleaning. You know—those spark pluggy things and that.”
“Has it got enough gas?”
“I did check that,” she snapped. Another sigh. “I need to get this going so I can plow the fields. We’re already late.”
We. Of course, McDougall had mentioned she was staying at her parents’ farm. Odd that there had been no sign of anyone else yesterday, except for the boy. “Is there someone here who can help you?”
“I wish.”
He waited for more information. Finally, she added, “My parents are in Columbus at the moment.”
So she was alone on the farm with her young nephew. Luca guessed there was a lot more to her story but decided he didn’t need to get involved. He’d had his fill of problems. “I’m sure there’s a mechanic in Lima who could fix it.”
“I was hoping not to have to bother.” She gave a resigned shrug. “Looks like I have no other choice. So—” a deep breath “—let me get Amigo’s leash and you might as well take the rest of his food. And his bowls.” She started toward the barn door.
Luca glanced down at Amigo, who stared expectantly up at him. “Okay, if you don’t need them. I mean, if you get another dog—”
That stopped her. “There won’t be another dog.” Then she went on, out the door and across the yard.
Sheesh. Be good to leave this place. “C’mon fella,” Luca said, patting Amigo. “Let’s go home.”
He waited for what seemed ages until the door at the side of the house slammed shut and she reappeared with a large plastic shopping bag. Amigo, who’d been nosing around the foundation of the garage, ran to her. She dropped what she was carrying and stooped, hugging the dog and whispering something to him as she ruffled the hair around his ears.
Luca clenched his jaw. Again, the situation was turning into something bigger than he’d expected. And why? Could nothing be simple and straightforward with this woman?
Eventually, she stood and handed him the bag. “There’s enough food for a few days. I put a bottle of water in there, too.” She brushed the legs of her mechanic’s suit and kept her eyes on Amigo.
“Great. Uh, thanks again.”
By the time he reached his car, a dozen random thoughts had flashed through his mind. The one he focused on startled him.
He turned back to her. “Look, if you like, maybe we could drive into Lima and check out a tractor supply place or whatever. See if we can get some spark plugs. If the problem is just replacing them, I might be able to do that. Worth a try, anyway.”
“It’s not really your problem.”
“I’ve got lots of time.”
She thought for a moment. “That would be great. I’ll just go change,” she said, walking back to the side door.
A thank-you would have been nice, was his first thought. The next, sobering one was, What’s happening here? What have you just done, Rossi?
CHAPTER FOUR
THE DRIVE INTO town was tense. Kai sensed that Luca regretted his offer. She knew she ought to let him off the hook but getting the fields turned over and planted before her parents returned home was her first priority. If she had to humble herself a bit to accomplish that, so be it. As soon as the tractor was up and running, Captain Rossi and—sadly—his dog, could be out of her life.
They pulled into the parking lot at the tractor supply and hardware store. Luca was about to open the rear door of the pickup for Amigo when Kai stopped him.
“We should leave him here, with the window rolled down a bit.”
“Seriously?”
“We left the bag with the leash in it back at the farm. People don’t like unleashed animals coming into their stores.”
“I thought it would be different in the country.”
“Lima isn’t the country,” she pointed out.
“Okay.” He patted the dog’s head and followed her inside.
The place wasn’t busy midweek and late morning. Kai waved to the manager, flipping through a handful of papers behind the all-purpose reception and check-out counter.
“Hi, Bill!”
“Kai! Are you here to put up some more posters? I noticed some of the tear-off strips on the one you brought in a while ago have been taken, but nothing lately.”
“No bites at all, I’m afraid.”
“College kids seem to want jobs wherever they’ve been studying, I think.” He looked past her, just registering the fact that the tall stranger who’d entered the store behind her was actually with her.
She saw the question in his face and said, “This is, uh, a friend. Luca Rossi. He’s helping me get our tractor going.”
“Oh? Pleased to meet you. Bill Hutching.” He gave a nod. “What seems to be the problem with the tractor?”
“It won’t fire,” Kai said. “It hasn’t been used since...well, for almost a year.”
Bill’s face sobered. “Yeah. Right.” He paused a second and added, “It may just need cleaning and new plugs, oil filter and so on. Let me look up the model number. We’ve converted all our records now, so it should be here somewhere.” He turned his attention to the computer on the counter.
Kai noticed Luca wandering along an aisle, checking out the various items on display. He walked in the manner of someone who’d never been inside a machine-parts store as he took the occasional object off a shelf and examined it. She remembered the first time she’d entered a high-end camera shop in New York. Although he didn’t appear as excited as she’d been that day, he was definitely interested. There likely weren’t many farm machinery outlets in that fancy suburb he grew up in.
“Got it,” Bill announced. He jotted down a number and beckoned her to follow.
Luca picked up their trail, closing in behind her until they reached a section at the rear of the store. The back of Kai’s neck prickled, and she rubbed it self-consciously, feeling his eyes on her the whole way.
“Here we are,” Bill said, as he pivoted, pulling objects from the shelves and handing them to Kai and Luca. “That should do it if the problem is a basic tune-up. Anything more, I guess you’ll have to call a mechanic.” He looked at Luca, who merely nodded.
Kai hoped his silence meant he had the situation well in hand, but at the same time, she noted Bill eyeing him skeptically. “For sure!” she exclaimed, breaking the moment.
They trooped back to the cash register, and by the time they left the store, it was well past noon. Kai realized she might have to offer some lunch when they got back
to the farm, and while she was making a mental list of the contents of the refrigerator, she heard someone calling her name.
“Kai! Over here!”
A man sitting in a pickup two vehicles over was thumping his palm against the driver’s door to get her attention. Kai stared at the florid, grinning face and uttered a low moan, aware not only of Luca’s expression but of Amigo’s excited barking. Kenny Lewis.
She waved. “Hi, Kenny.”
“Dad told me you were home. Staying long?”
“Maybe a few more weeks. Dad’s doing a rehab program in Columbus.”
“I heard about his stroke. Sorry about that.” He looked past her shoulder, seeming to notice Luca for the first time. “So...anything else new with you?”
Kai forced a smile. “Nope. Just having tractor problems at the moment.”
His attention shifted back to her. “We wondered if you’d get your fields planted this season. You know, after everything.”
“Of course we will.”
His face clouded at the snap in her voice. “Happy to help with anything. Good neighbors and all.”
Good neighbors! “Thanks, but we’ll be fine. Nice to see you,” she lied, turning away to open her door. Amigo greeted her with a loud round of barking.
“Is that your dog? Dad suspected you had a dog at your place.”
A rush of anger overwhelmed her, threatening to spill out all the sorrowful memories she’d been trying to squash since her return to Lima. But before she could reply, Luca answered for her.
“Actually, he’s my dog.”
“Oh.” Kenny looked from Kai to the man on the other side of the car. “Right. Well, maybe see you around then.” He rolled up his window and began reversing out of the lot.
Kai climbed into the front seat, refusing to meet Luca’s eyes. She sat, clasping her hands to stop the trembling, and then turned on the engine.
He cleared his throat as she shifted into reverse.
“Don’t ask,” she said. “Long story.”
“I wasn’t going to. But you need to fasten your seat belt.”
Kai took a deep breath and reached behind for the strap. All the way back to the farm she thought about Bryant Lewis, the tractor, the dog and that day.
* * *
KAI HAD JUST placed ham-and-cheese sandwiches on a plate and poured two glasses of cold water when the rumble of an engine came from the barn. A few chugs and sputters sounded next, followed by silence. Kai waited. It had been more than an hour since Luca had used the bathroom to change into Harry’s old coveralls and headed into the barn. She’d offered to assist, but he’d quietly explained that he liked to “feel my way around a problem, especially a mechanical one.” She could relate to that, knowing how much she hated having someone watch her work on her editing
Then came the sound she was holding her breath for. A loud roar, steady and healthy. Kai smiled. They were set to go. She headed for the barn.
Luca was clearing a path for the tractor’s exit. He didn’t notice her approach until she was a few feet away.
“It sounds great,” she said.
“So far so good, anyway. I’ll take it out for you, unless you—”
“No, that’s fine. I’ve got some lunch ready.”
“Great. Where do you want me to park?” He sat on a wooden crate and swiped his forearm across his face.
“Um, right outside the door, I guess. The way to the fields is behind the barn.”
“Okay. Meet you in the kitchen.”
As he slowly rose to head back to the tractor, she asked, “Do you know where Amigo is?”
“No. He hightailed it as soon as the engine turned over.”
“Guess he’s never heard a tractor before.”
“More like he’s learned to be very afraid of loud noises.”
Like explosions, she realized. “I’ll see if I can find him. I don’t want him...you know...to get in the way.”
“I’m sure he’ll be out of the way completely.”
“Probably. And, uh, thanks very much, Captain Rossi.”
“Right. No problem.”
He walked stiffly to the tractor. Perhaps the work had irritated his knee. Corporal MacDougall had told her Luca’s knee had been damaged in the explosion. She didn’t know what other injuries he might have sustained. Perhaps that accounted for his terseness. Or perhaps, and she had to admit this was more likely, he was simply itching to leave. Whatever the reason, she hoped he and Amigo would be long gone before Thomas got home from school.
While Luca was moving the tractor, Kai located Amigo crouching beneath the front veranda, about as far away from the barn as he could get. By the time she coaxed him to follow her to the kitchen door, Luca had parked the tractor and was waiting for them. Amigo yelped and ran to him.
“He’s happy now,” Kai commented. “Okay, then...let’s get some lunch.”
Well into his second sandwich, Luca finally said more than “please” and “thank you.” Kai had given up trying to kindle conversation once she realized he either wasn’t much of a talker or he had something on his mind.
“What’s your plan?” he asked, adding when she frowned, “I mean, regarding the fields. You mentioned you had to get them ready to plant, but what is the main crop in these parts?”
“Soybeans. That’s all we plant now, though in the past Dad has done corn, wheat, hay and some market produce. But soybeans are a main crop around here.”
“Don’t think I’ve ever eaten a soybean.”
“You probably have, in one of its many forms. Vegetable oil, for one. Soya sauce. Do you like Japanese food?”
“Sushi, yes. Can’t say I’ve eaten anything more exotic.”
“Edamame?”
“Those bean pod things?”
She nodded. “Yep. Soybeans.”
“So I assume you plant right after the fields are turned over?”
“Yes. We’re late this year because of Dad’s stroke. I guess you gathered that when we were in the parking lot with Kenny earlier. I...I’d like to surprise him when he gets out of the rehab hospital. I hate to see him just give up.”
“Give up?”
Kai peered into her empty glass. “Well, the stroke has been a setback, but knowing him, he won’t want to quit farming. Not just yet, anyway.”
“The manager at the farm supply place mentioned an ad you’d placed for help with planting. Any luck there?”
“Afraid not.” She let her frustration out in a long sigh. “College kids want to work where they can earn more money. I might be able to pick up some high-school students when summer vacation starts in mid-June, but unless they live on a farm, they’re not often very experienced. And if they do live on a farm, that’s also where they’re likely to work. Migrant workers come through here, so that might be a possibility. They usually start showing up by May.”
“It’s already May.”
“Yeah.” The obvious hung between them. “But I’m going to give it a try. Thomas will be in school for at least another month, and that’s about when my folks will be coming home.”
He mulled that over. “I had an idea, while I was working on the tractor.”
He stopped for so long she had to prompt him. “Yes?”
“The thing is, right now I’m kind of in limbo. Still living with my mother, as you already know.”
The memory of that awkward moment on his mother’s doorstep gave her pause. She fought back the urge to exclaim, “Sure, we’ll keep Amigo,” feeling certain she could eventually persuade her parents to accept the dog. But she also didn’t want to appear too eager. He had something on his mind, but when he came out with it, she was speechless.
“Before I left home, I told my mother I was collecting my dog even though her house isn’t
an appropriate place for any dog, much less Amigo. I want her to adjust to the fact that I’ll be moving into my own place with him, but I think she’ll need a bit of time, and meanwhile—” he gave a harsh laugh “—I have nowhere to go. So...what I was thinking was, how would you feel if I stayed to help out with the planting? I mean, I’d stay in town,” he quickly added.
Kai resisted the urge to jump to her feet in horror. He had, after all, just repaired her tractor. “I appreciate the offer, but perhaps it wouldn’t be such a good idea.”
“I see. Sure, I understand. It would be awkward.”
“More than that,” Kai went on. “It would only prolong the inevitable, and that absolutely wouldn’t be fair to Thomas.”
“No, you’re right. It was an impulsive thought, that’s all.” He pushed his chair back and got to his feet. “Thanks for the lunch.” He signaled Amigo, who was lying under the table, with a low whistle and made for the door.
“Wait!” Kai blurted.
He turned slowly, his face giving nothing away. She hesitated, unsure why she’d stopped him but knowing instinctively that she shouldn’t let him simply leave, especially after the favor he’d just done and now, this offer. “Maybe...well...perhaps giving people more time to get used to something makes sense. I mean, a few extra days for Thomas to understand the bond between you and Amigo could be good. And your mother can also prepare for Amigo’s arrival a bit more.”
The look on his face dismissed that as a likelihood. Kai hesitated, flummoxed not only by what she had just said but also by what her next step should be. His steady gaze gave no indication of his feelings. She wavered. Was this impulse about Thomas or herself? The sudden vision of plowing fields, planting and setting up irrigation with a sullen teenager from town convinced her.
“I...I think I can bring Thomas around. Or maybe, by then, we can negotiate some arrangement with Amigo.” Her voice rose at the end, implying a question that he ignored.
“Might be worth a try,” he said. “So why don’t you show me where to start. There’s still half a day left before he gets home. And I’ll call the motel later, book myself another room.”
For Love of a Dog Page 6
