There was that word again. Katy huffed. “Annika, you’re my best friend. I want you to meet the girl who’s been nice to me at school. She wants to come so she can learn about quilting. If she learns, we could have fun making things together—maybe form our own little quilting bee.”
Annika rolled her eyes, reminding Katy of Jewel at the high school. Katy marveled that Jewel’s eyes were still in her head, she rolled them so frequently. She turned to walk away. “But if you don’t want to come…”
Annika grabbed Katy’s arm. “Oh, don’t run off. I’ll ask.” She scuffed her way toward the house, her head low. “At least it’ll get me away from my pesty brothers for a little while…”
Katy waited on the porch while Annika went in to get permission. The joy of seeing her father and Mr. Nuss shake hands and agree to let her and Shelby be friends melted away. Why couldn’t she hold on to peace for more than a few minutes at a time?
Chapter Seven
“Well…” Katy wiped her mouth with her napkin and dropped it on her plate. Plastering on a bright smile, she looked from Annika to Shelby. “Dad will need my help with the milking soon. Do you two want to stay here in the kitchen or come out in the yard?” Earlier, Dad had prayed for the meal, then filled a plate and taken it to the barn, claiming the need to do some work out there. But Katy knew he felt funny sitting at the table with her guests. She added, “It’s probably cooler outside than it is in here since I heated things up with the stove.”
Katy had deliberately fixed tuna-noodle casserole with buttered bread crumbs on top for supper. Annika loved egg noodles with tuna, canned cream of mushroom soup, and frozen peas stirred in. Preparing Dad’s favorite dessert had worked well to put in him the mood for company, so she’d employed the same technique to win Annika’s approval. But it hadn’t worked so well. Although Annika had eaten three hearty servings of the casserole, she’d barely mumbled two words since she arrived. Her sober face was starting to rub Katy the wrong way.
Shelby dropped her napkin on the table and bounced to her feet. “I’d love to go out and see the cows. I’ve never lived on a farm, so this is all new.” She turned to Annika, who remained glued to her chair. “Are—are you going out to see the cows, Annika?”
Katy couldn’t decide whether Shelby sounded hopeful because she wanted Annika to agree or because she wanted Annika to refuse.
Annika pushed a leftover pea back and forth on her plate. “I’ve seen cows before. You two go ahead.”
“Are you sure?” Katy asked. She wanted to make sure Annika understood she wasn’t being left out.
Shelby looped her hair behind her ears, revealing a little gold hoop high in the cartilage of her right ear. “Why don’t you come outside, Annika. Kathleen’s right—it is pretty hot in here.” She tugged the hem of her bold turquoise shirt and flapped the fabric.
Annika glanced up and then back at her plate. “No, thank you,” she replied stiffly. “You two go ahead. I can do the dishes for you or maybe find a book and read.”
“Okay then. C’mon, Shelby.” Katy propelled Shelby toward the back door and sent a murderous glare over her shoulder at Annika. Out in the yard away from Annika’s listening ears, Katy sighed. “I’m sorry Annika’s being so rude. I think she’s jealous.”
“Ya think?” Shelby laughed.
“If she’s really making you uncomfortable, maybe I should ask her to go home…”
Shelby shook her head and slipped her arm through Katy’s. “No, don’t do that. It’ll just cause problems for you later on.” She frowned toward the house. “She really needs to chill, but don’t worry about it. I’m infringing on her territory. Once she figures out I’m not trying to steal you away, she’ll get over it and be okay.”
Katy wasn’t so sure about that, but she was glad Shelby wasn’t offended. They moved to the fence and rested their arms on the top rail. Inside the fence, the black-and-white cows munched stubs of grass and nosed each other, waiting for the horn to signal milking time. One cow lifted her head and pinned her gaze on Shelby. The big animal stopped mid-chew, grass hanging from one side of her mouth, and stared, unblinking.
Shelby pointed to the cow. “Is she looking at me?”
Katy nodded. The cow, rapt in examining Shelby, didn’t shift a muscle.
Shelby released a nervous giggle. “Why is she looking at me like that?” She ran her hand over her face. “Do I have a noodle stuck on my chin or something?”
Katy grinned. “You’re fine. It’s just that cows are very curious.”
Two more cows lifted their heads and looked toward the girls. They, too, keyed in on Shelby. Now three cows gave her their unwavering attention.
Shelby shifted under their intense scrutiny. She dropped her voice to a whisper. “The way they’re staring at me is totally bizarre.”
“Not really. They know you’re new around here so they’re checking you out.”
Shelby flicked a glance at Katy, and her expression turned apologetic. “I’m starting to understand how you must have felt that first day, with everyone staring at you like you were some alien from Mars.” She touched Katy’s arm. “I felt so sorry for you.”
Katy didn’t answer. Had Shelby befriended her only out of sympathy? That didn’t seem like a very good basis for a friendship.
Suddenly the truck horn blared—one long blast. In unison, the cows lifted their heads and turned toward the sound. Then they started trotting around the barn, forming a single-file line.
Shelby stared in amazement. “Look at them! Lining up like first graders heading to recess. How do they know to do that?”
Katy shrugged. “They just do.” She grabbed Shelby’s elbow. “I have to go help Dad, but you can watch from the tank room. C’mon.” She deposited Shelby in the room that housed the large, refrigerated milk tank. A square plateglass window gave a view of the milking station with its four milking machines clustered in the center of the concrete floor.
After tugging a pair of men’s coveralls over her dress, since she hadn’t had time to change, she joined Dad. He took one side of the station, and she the other. The cows shuffled through the wide opening at the far side of the milking room and crossed the floor in pairs. Without prompting, they each positioned themselves next to one of the electric milking machines.
Working as adeptly as Dad on the opposite side of the room, Katy attached the suction cups to the cow’s udders and flipped the switch. Milk flowed from the tubes into a large glass orb above the machine, then through clear tubes overhead into the large holding tank in the milk room.
Shelby stood with her face pressed to the window, her eyes wide. As the cows were released, they passed the observation window on the way to the corral. Each one paused and gave Shelby a curious look before clopping outside. Shelby smiled and waved at them as they ambled past the window. An hour and a half later, when the last cow had been milked and released, Shelby met Katy and Dad in the barn.
“That was totally awesome!” Shelby dashed to the barn’s opening and looked out at the cows, which now mingled in the fenced corral beside the barn with Katy’s horse, their udders slack beneath their bellies. “I had no idea you could train cows. But here they came, all lined up and ready to go.” She spun around, flashing an astonished grin to both Katy and her dad. She gestured wildly while she spoke. “And they just stepped up to the machine, right where you needed them, and then took themselves outside when they were done.” She shook her head. “Amazing!”
Dad chuckled, rubbing his finger beneath his nose. “Oh, not so amazing. When their sacs are full, they’re uncomfortable. They know the machine will ease their discomfort. They also know they’ll get fed right afterward. They’re just earning their supper.”
“So that milk…” Shelby waved her hand toward the milk room. “Where does it go from there? Do you bottle it yourselves?”
Dad’s lips twitched. “Oh, no, we don’t bottle it…except for what we use. A truck comes every other day and takes it to a processing plant
where it’s homogenized and bottled. Our work ends with convincing the cows to give us their milk.” Katy’s eyebrows flew upward in surprise. Had Dad just had a conversation with Shelby?
Dad turned to Katy. “I’ll get them fed—you spend time with your guests now, Katy-girl.” He strode past Shelby and left the barn.
Shelby grinned, tipping her head. “Katy-girl?”
Katy’s ears heated. “Yes. That’s his nickname for me.” She paused a moment, then began a hesitant explanation. “See, my mom was Kathleen too, and she went by Kate most of the time, but Dad called her Katy. When I was born, Dad started calling me Katy girl to keep me separate from my mom. And it just kind of…stuck.”
Shelby giggled. “I think it’s cute. Way more cool than what my dad calls me for a nickname.”
“What?”
“Promise you won’t tell?”
Katy traced an X on her chest with her finger.
“Puddin’-pot.”
Katy burst out laughing. “Why Puddin’-pot?”
“Because I was so fat when I was little, my tummy was as wobbly as a pot of pudding.” Shelby cupped her stomach with her palms and pretended to joggle it. The girls shared a laugh.
Katy shook her head, looking Shelby up and down. “You aren’t fat now.” Shelby’s cap-sleeved shirt and caprilength jeans, while not as tight-fitting as those worn by some other girls at school, did nothing to hide Shelby’s slender figure.
Teasingly, Shelby struck a pose with one hand on her hip and the other behind her head. “Why, thank you.” Then she laughed and clapped her hands once. “Well, it was fun to watch the milking. What else is there to see?”
“We can take a walk around the farm, if you want to. We have a pond about a mile behind the house, and there are some old stone buildings that are fun to explore.” Katy peeled off her coveralls and hung them on a hook. “We can go everywhere except the bull’s pen. He doesn’t care for visitors.”
“Great! Let’s go!” Shelby grabbed Katy’s arm and charged out of the barn. Then she came to a halt. “Oh, we should get Annika, shouldn’t we?”
Katy’s heart warmed toward this Baptist girl—the visitor trying to make the host feel at home. “You stay here. I’ll go get her.” If Annika made a fuss, she wanted to protect Shelby from witnessing it.
She trotted to the house and found Annika standing at the kitchen window, looking out. “Shelby and I are going to take a walk down to the pond. Come join us.”
Annika stuck her nose in the air. “As if she’d want to see the pond.” She folded her arms over her chest. “Besides, I thought that was our spot. That’s what you’ve always called it—our private getaway spot.”
“Well, then, we won’t go to the pond. We’ll just walk the fence line and talk.”
“About what? If you two talk about school, I won’t know what you’re talking about; if we talk about things in Schellberg, she won’t know what we’re talking about.” Annika huffed. “This is stupid, Katy, trying to make us get along. We don’t even know each other!”
“And you won’t get to know each other unless you try.” Irritation sharpened Katy’s tone. “She’s willing—why can’t you be?”
Annika stomped her foot, and tears glittered in her eyes. “She goes to a school with…how many people, Katy? Over two hundred just in your class. There are all kinds of girls she can be friends with. But all I have is you. We’re the only two girls our age in all of Schellberg. If you and she become friends and start spending time together, then—” Annika looked toward the door.
Katy looked too. Shelby stood on the stoop, peeking through the screen. By the sheepish look on her face, Katy knew she’d heard Annika’s outburst. Katy’s ears burned hotter than the casserole dish in the oven. What should she do? Before she could think of anything, Shelby squeaked the door open and stepped into the kitchen.
“Hey. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop—honest. It’s just that the breeze has picked up a little, and I wanted to get my jacket before we explore.” Her gaze flitted back and forth between Katy and Annika. “But…can I just say something here?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Annika, I’m not trying to steal Kathleen away from you. You guys have been friends since…forever, and I totally respect that. But don’t you think Kathleen could benefit from a friend or two at the high school? I mean, it’s not much fun to be completely alone.”
Shelby turned to Katy. “And, Kathleen, if my being here is a problem, I can call my dad.” She patted her pocket, where her cell phone created a bulge. “He’ll come get me, no questions asked. I’d really like to go to the festival tomorrow and meet your grandma and everything, but…”
Shelby looked at Katy. Katy looked at Annika. Annika stared at the floor. No one said anything. Suddenly the screen door slammed and Dad clumped into the kitchen. He came to a stop when he spotted the girls standing in a silent circle.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” Katy answered quickly. “We were just trying to decide what to do next—go to the pond…” She gave Annika a challenging look. “Or walk out to the old rock buildings and look around.”
“Oh.” Dad popped his hat off his head, ran his hand over his hair, then plunked the hat back in place with the billed brim low over his eyes. “Well, whatever you do, don’t forget you’ll want to turn in early so you’re wellrested for tomorrow’s festival.” He headed around the corner, and in seconds they heard his feet on the stairs.
Katy crossed her arms and looked at Annika. “Well? What are we going to do?”
Annika shrugged, running her finger along the edge of the sink. “I don’t care.”
“To be honest, I’m having fun and I don’t want to go home.” Shelby’s bright tone contrasted Katy’s and Annika’s subdued voices. “How far is it to the stone buildings?”
“About half a mile.” Katy glanced at Shelby’s thicksoled flip-flops. They were cute, but they wouldn’t work well for hiking. “You’ll need sneakers, though. We’ll be walking through some tall grass. You can borrow an old pair of mine.”
Shelby shot Annika a wobbly smile. “Is that okay with you then, Annika? To explore the old buildings?”
Annika didn’t meet Shelby’s gaze. “Sure. Whatever you want is fine…”
“Great!” Shelby sat at the kitchen table and kicked off her flip-flops. “Go get those tennis shoes, Kathleen, and some socks too!”
Annika sniffed.
Katy rolled her eyes and headed for the stairs. Was Shelby unaware of Annika’s sarcasm, or was she simply choosing to ignore it? Either way, the minute she could get Annika alone, that girl was going to get a piece of her mind, long-standing friendship or not!
Chapter Eight
It was a disaster—a total disaster—from the very start! Katy slashed the words into her journal. A flashlight propped on its side illuminated the page with a triangle of white light. Across the landing, Dad slept, unaware of Katy’s nocturnal activity. Katy knew she should be sleeping too—they had service in the morning, and yawning in the middle of the sermon would earn her a stern talking-to. But she couldn’t shut down her thoughts.
She glanced at her bed, envisioning Annika and Shelby last night lying with their backs to one another. There’d been enough space between them for Katy to crawl in if she’d had a mind to. Her anger returned again as she remembered Shelby’s futile efforts to bring Annika out of her doldrums. Eventually Shelby had quit trying and ignored Annika, which put Katy in the middle—a very uncomfortable spot. And the tension had carried over from Friday night to Saturday.
Turning back to her journal, she recorded every humiliating second of the festival. Annika giggling and flirting with Caleb Penner but ignoring Shelby; Aunt Rebecca berating her—in front of Shelby!—about spending the day “playing” instead of helping with customers in her shop; Dad making her and Shelby come home before they had a chance to take a carriage ride because the cows needed milking…Just once, couldn’t the cows wait?
She ended the lengt
hy paragraph with Was it too much to expect a pleasant day with my two best friends?
Her hand stilled as she stared at the words two best friends. Could a person have two best friends? And was it even fair to give Shelby such an important title when they’d only known each other a few weeks?
Staring across the deeply shadowed room, Katy envisioned Annika in her white mesh cap and dangling ribbons next to Shelby with her shoulder-length, flippy hair. Two girls, so different. But not once during her stay had Shelby balked at following Katy’s routine of chores or Bible-reading with Dad at the end of the day. When Dad had prayed before sending the girls upstairs to bed, Shelby had bowed her head reverently, as if she’d prayed with Dad dozens of times. Even though her clothes were different, Shelby’s behavior had fit.
Katy snorted. If Annika visited Salina High North, she’d stand back with her arms folded over her chest, just like she did when they went shopping at Wal-Mart. Annika didn’t like mixing with the world. And apparently she didn’t like “the world” mixing with her.
With a disgruntled huff, Katy slammed the journal closed and flipped the little switch on the flashlight, plunging the room into darkness. She felt her way to her bed and climbed in, then lay wide-eyed, staring at the ceiling. Two friends from two worlds. But from now on, she’d have to keep them separate. It was like oil and water. They just didn’t mix.
Katy awakened the next morning to a loud banging on her door. Her heart in her throat, she jumped out of bed. Dizziness attacked at the sudden movement, and she stumbled to the door and opened it. Dad stood on the landing in his Sunday suit, his scowl directed at Katy.
“What are you doing? You aren’t even dressed. I milked without you because I thought you were inside fixing breakfast. We’ll need to leave for service soon.”
She groaned. How could she have slept so late? She never slept late on Sunday. “I’ll be down to fix your breakfast in a minute!” Katy slammed the door and scurried to dress. Her hands shook as she brushed her hair into a bun and pinned a cap in place. Dad would be plenty upset with her…and rightfully so. She knew better than to be so irresponsible.
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