His long legs ate up the ground to the barn in a few frantic steps. “What happened, Aundy?” He reached for her elbows in a familiar gesture but she backed away from him.
“Ella dumped her and she hurt her arm,” Dent tattled. He patted the horse on the neck and led her into the barn.
Aundy glared at her blabber-mouthed foreman’s retreating back. “I’m fine, Garrett. It’s nothing.” She turned to walk toward the house, but he gently took her arm in his hand, effectively stopping her departure.
If her arm hadn’t hurt so much, she would have squirmed away. Before she could protest, Garrett ripped the fabric of her sleeve up past her elbow and assessed the damage with a grim set to his mouth.
“Dent! Hitch up the buggy. I need to take Aundy to Doc Reed’s.” Garrett gingerly touched her elbow. Despite her determination not to, she winced.
“It’s fine, Garrett. I just need to put a little ice on it. Nothing to worry about.” Slightly woozy, Aundy felt lightheaded as her husband probed around her elbow.
He brushed his thumb over the injured spot. “It’s not fine, honey. The bone is poking past where it should be. If it isn’t broken, you’ve at least knocked it out of joint.” Aundy swallowed hard, trying to keep the queasiness swelling in her throat from erupting. When she swayed on her feet, Garrett swept her into his arms and carried her to the buggy. Dent finished harnessing the horse and looked up as Aundy’s face turned white.
“Garrett…” Aundy clamped her lips together as another wave of nausea washed over her.
“Hush up, wife, and enjoy the ride because we’re heading to town.” Garrett stepped into the buggy, sat down next to her then snapped the reins over the horse’s rump. As the buggy rolled forward, he glanced over his shoulder at Dent. “Keep everyone out of trouble while we’re gone.”
Dent snorted and waved his hand at them. “Shouldn’t be too hard since you’re taking trouble to town with you.”
Aundy would have offered a stinging rebuttal if she could have spoken around her pain. Instead, she leaned back into the soft leather of the seat and held her arm against her side.
“Here…” Garrett whipped off the neckerchief he wore and handed it to Aundy. “Use this as a sling. It will help support your arm.” He helped her tie it around her neck. Once she had her arm resting inside it, he pulled her closer to him. “You do know you’re the most stubborn and obstinate woman I’ve ever met, don’t you?”
Aundy nodded her head. “And you’re bullheaded and bossy.”
Garrett chuckled. “Maybe I am, but that’s why you love me so much.”
“Humph.” If she possessed the energy to huff indignantly, Aundy would have done it. Instead, she closed her eyes and mentally urged the horse to go faster.
Sooner than she would have deemed possible, the buggy rocked to a stop. She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. Afraid Garrett would make a scene by carrying her inside the doctor’s office, she stepped out of the buggy before he had a chance to walk around to help her down.
She glared at him as he wrapped a hand around her waist and guided her across the boardwalk. “If you’re going to force me to see Doc Reed, let’s get it over with.”
Garrett grinned and opened the door to the doctor’s office. “Yes, ma’am.”
After the doctor pulled Aundy’s dislocated elbow back into place and gave her a dose of pain medication that made her sleepy, Garrett left her at the doctor’s office to rest while he ran a few errands.
He opened the door to the mercantile, but before he could step inside, his sister-in-law breezed out carrying a box with her purchases.
“Garrett! What are you doing in town this morning?” Ilsa smiled as Garrett tipped his hat to her.
“Aundy took a spill off Ella and I brought her in to see…”
Ilsa shoved the box at him, lifted her embellished skirts, and raced off in the direction of Doc Reed’s place. Garrett stared at the box in his hands and released a sigh. He turned away from the mercantile and headed in the direction of Ilsa’s home. Instead of going to the front door, he walked around to the back entry and tapped on the screen door. Tony, Ilsa’s husband, pushed it open with a broad smile.
“Hi, Garrett. What brings you into town today?” Tony held the door and motioned his brother-in-law inside.
Garrett held out the box in his hands. “I ran into Ilsa at the mercantile. When I mentioned that Aundy was at Doc Reed’s she handed me the box and took off. So here are your groceries.”
“Aundy’s at Doc Reed’s? What’s wrong?” Tony took the box and set it on the counter then turned back to Garrett with a worried look.
“She and Ella had a little trouble this morning and she landed wrong on her arm. It’s just a dislocated elbow, but Doc gave her some pain medication that made her sleepy.” Garrett accepted the cup of coffee Tony held out to him. “While she’s resting, I thought I’d see to a few errands since we’re in town.”
The telephone on the wall jangled and Tony answered. His one-sided conversation gave Garrett a moment of pause. When Tony hung up, he grinned at Garrett.
“Unless you want to answer telephone calls from half the town, you better hightail it over to the telephone office and ask Millie to send out a general call letting everyone know Aundy will be fine. That was my sister and she’s hopping mad no one told her Aundy had been hurt.”
Garrett shook his head in disbelief. “How could she possibly know anything? I just left Doc’s office a few minutes ago.”
“Word travels fast in a small town. Someone saw you and Aundy going into Doc’s office and mentioned it to Caterina at the post office.”
Quickly finishing his coffee, Garrett slapped Tony on the back and opened the screen door. “If you have time, can you bring some ice out today? I think Aundy will need more than we have on hand with that arm.”
Tony followed Garrett outside and pointed to his ice delivery wagon. “I’ll stop by this afternoon. I’m taking care of Laila this morning, but I’ll bring ice out later. How long will Aundy be down and out?”
Garrett knocked the dust off his old Stetson and resettled it on his head. “Doc said she’d need to be careful with it. She’ll have to wear a sling for a few weeks then gradually regain strength in it. I’ll ask Millie to get the word out Aundy’s gonna need some help around the house for a month or so.”
Tony nodded. “If there is anything we can do to help, we’d be happy to do whatever we can. I’d volunteer to bring out a few meals, but no one wants to eat Ilsa’s attempts. I’m sure Caterina would be happy to send out food.”
“Thanks, Tony. We’ll get along. We can always eat at the bunkhouse and I’m sure once Ma finds out what happened, she’ll be over with a basket full of food.”
“Nora most likely will. If she bakes a pie, save me a piece.” Tony grinned as Garrett shook his head and walked down the driveway.
The sound of Laila, Tony and Ilsa’s toddler, calling for her daddy pulled him back up the steps to the door. “See you later, Garrett.”
“Thanks, Tony. Give Laila a hug from her favorite uncle.” Garrett waved his hand in the direction of the house before he stepped onto the sidewalk and continued down the street.
It took just a few moments for Garrett to reach the telephone office. He opened the door and saw Bertie Hawkins sitting alone at the switchboard. Millie Matlock, the manager of the office, was most likely taking a lunch break.
Lacy Williams Hill, one of the other operators, married the town’s most esteemed banker the previous week and had not yet returned from their honeymoon trip to Portland.
Garrett waited while Bertie answered incoming calls. When the lines quieted, he stepped up to the counter and removed his hat.
“Howdy, Miss Hawkins,” he said in a friendly tone.
Bertie jumped and screamed, spinning around on her seat with a look of panic on her face. It took her a moment to realize who stood on the other side of the counter and calm down enough so she could think rationally.
&nb
sp; Promptly removing her headset, she set it aside and rose to her feet. “Hello, Garrett. How may I be of assistance to you today?” She approached the counter and looked up at him.
His silvery gray eyes held warmth as he tipped his head to her. “I’m sorry to have frightened you. I certainly didn’t mean to.”
“You don’t need to apologize. It’s not your fault.” Bertie shook her head and straightened an already neat stack of papers they used for telegram messages. “Now, what can I do for you?”
“Aundy had a little mishap this morning and hurt her arm. She’ll be in a sling for a few weeks and limited in what she can do for a while. I was hoping Millie would send out a general call to let everyone know what happened. You know how word gets around town. Folks start speculating on the facts and soon the truth gets left far behind.”
“Oh, my stars! Is Aundy going to be fine?” Bertie glared up at him, troubled.
Garrett offered her a conspiratorial look. “Although she hates to admit it, she took a tumble off the horse she’s training and dislocated her elbow. Doc says she won’t be able to use that arm the rest of the summer.”
“How terrible. Is there anything I can do, other than get the word out around town she’s injured but will recover?”
Inspiration struck him with sudden clarity and he studied her intently. An idea, one he deemed brilliant, rolled through his mind. The more he considered it, the more he decided it would benefit both the frightened girl before him and his injured wife.
Under his direct gaze, Bertie reached up a hand to make sure her unruly blonde curls hadn’t completely escaped their confines. Finding her hair mostly in place, she waited for Garrett to speak.
He leaned on the counter so he didn’t tower over her. As one of the tallest men in town, he put considerable effort into appearing approachable and friendly. “Say, Bertie, how do you feel about living in the country for the summer?”
“The country? What in the world are you talking about?” Bertie shot him a confused frown.
“Aundy is going to need someone to help around the house, with cleaning and canning, working in the garden, that sort of thing, until Doc says she’s healed. I’ve been trying for the past few years to get her to hire someone, but she refuses. Now, she won’t have any choice. If things work out well, the position might become permanent. Would you be interested in the job? You’d be out on our ranch, where it’s peaceful and secluded.” Garrett gave her a long, knowing look. “And safe.”
Bertie stared at him, trying to decide if he was serious. He’d said the one word guaranteed to pique her interest. There wasn’t a single place in Pendleton she’d felt safe since the night Richard Kent beat her senseless. The thought of being away from town and all the people there held a certain amount of appeal. Garrett’s mention of it being peaceful and safe almost made her agree on the spot.
Instead, she straightened the papers again and considered her response. Millie was already short-handed at the telephone office and Bobby might starve to death if she wasn’t there to cook for him, but something in her heart whispered for her to spend the summer at Nash’s Folly.
“Well, what do you think?” Garrett continued leaning on the counter, awaiting her response.
Bertie forced herself to meet Garrett’s gaze and smile. “I think I should discuss the possibilities with my brother this evening. May I reply to your very kind offer tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow would be dandy. I appreciate you...”
The door opened with a bang and Millie Matlock breezed inside, balancing a box on one arm with a bag in her other hand. She toed the door shut before noticing Garrett at the counter.
“Garrett Nash, what brings you by our office?” Millie smiled at him as she set the box and bag on the counter then removed her hat. She hung it on a coat rack by the door then marched behind the counter and placed a gentle hand on Bertie’s tense shoulder.
“Aundy hurt her arm this morning. Considering how fast news travels around town, I hoped to talk you into sending out a call to let everyone know she’s alive and well before someone starts planning a funeral.”
Millie laughed and nodded her head. “I’d be happy to do that, Garrett. In fact, I have another bit of news to share with everyone.”
“What might that be?” Garrett straightened and gave Millie a curious glance.
“As hard as it is to believe, Marvin Tooley and the Widow Johnson wed the day before yesterday. Pastor Whitting performed the ceremony.”
Garrett’s eyes widened and he slapped his hat on the counter, sending up a little puff of dust. “You’re pulling my leg, Millie. What woman in her right mind would marry that old goat?”
A giggle bubbled up from Bertie’s throat and out her lips. “Now, Garrett, you know Aundy and Caterina have declared Mr. Tooley their special project. He’s become almost civilized in the last year or so.”
“Almost.” Garrett smirked at Bertie and Millie. “I’m thrilled for them both. Marvin and the widow deserve all the happiness they can get. Aundy will be plumb peeved Marvin didn’t invite us to the wedding. Did you hear what he plans to do now?”
Millie nodded her head. “He’s moving into town and going to help Mrs. Johnson, er, I mean Tooley, manage her boarding house. I happened to run into the two of them this morning and they couldn’t have looked any happier. They’d just finished signing papers at the bank, selling Marvin’s place.”
Garrett sighed and drummed his fingers on the counter. “I wish Marvin had mentioned his plans to sell. I would have given more than a fair price for his farm since it borders our land. He didn’t happen to mention who he sold it to, did he?”
“He didn’t share a name, but I believe it’s that man right there. The one leaving the bank.” Millie motioned across the street where a young man with a dusty brown Stetson mounted a tall chestnut horse. Lean, yet visibly strong, he appeared to be accustomed to hard work. A slight stoop in his movements made it appear as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Despite the sadness that seemed to surround him, he had a very handsome face.
“Thank you both, lovely ladies, for your assistance.” Garrett opened the door and stepped outside. “Oh, and Miss Hawkins, just let me know tomorrow what you decide.”
Millie waited until Garrett closed the door before glancing at Bertie. “Decide? About what?”
“Garrett offered me a job helping Aundy this summer. I told him I needed to talk to Bobby before I could give him an answer, and you, of course. I don’t want to leave you more short-handed than you already are with Lacy gone on her honeymoon.” Bertie walked back to her chair at the switchboard and sat down. “Besides, I’ve never lived in the country. I’m not sure I’d enjoy it.”
Millie shook her head and plopped down in a chair next to Bertie. “Are you crazy? Aundy and Garrett have a beautiful home with indoor plumbing and I heard they recently had electricity installed. They also have that Chinese cook at the bunkhouse. Just think of all the exotic foods you’d get to eat. You and Bobby have raised a garden and I know you put up preserves, so those are skills you wouldn’t have to learn. You’re a good cook and can take care of a home. It seems to me as if this opportunity would be a great adventure.”
Bertie struggled to believe Millie encouraged her to quit the job she’d held and enjoyed for the past two years. At least she’d enjoyed it up until Richard Kent destroyed her perfect little life.
“But what about…”
Millie smiled and slapped her hands on her thighs then spun around in her chair. “Bertie, I couldn’t have thought of a better plan myself. I know working here has been hard on you after, well, after what happened. I see you jump every time that door opens. It isn’t good for you to put yourself through that day after day. You need a change of scenery and I think Nash’s Folly is just the thing to help you get past what happened and find yourself again.”
“But you’ll be so short-handed. Lacy won’t be back until…”
The efficient
and effervescent Millie tugged on her headset and plugged in a call. While she waited for someone to answer, she winked at Bertie. “Don’t you worry about a thing. If you want to work at the ranch this summer, I’ll get Susan to come back to work part-time and find someone else to fill your spot until autumn. You can decide then if you want to return. Who knows? Maybe you’ll fall in love with one of those handsome cowboys out at Nash’s Folly.”
Bertie rolled her eyes, ready to offer a retort, but the switchboard lit up with incoming calls claiming her attention.
If her brother agreed, it looked like she’d spend the summer at one of Pendleton’s most successful ranches...
Find Bertie and other Shanna Hatfield books on Amazon!
Pendleton Petticoats Series
Set in the western town of Pendleton, Oregon, at the turn of the 20th century, each book in this series bears the name of the heroine, all brave yet very different.
Dacey — A conniving mother, a reluctant groom and a desperate bride make for a lively adventure full of sweet romance in this prelude to the beginning of the series.
Aundy (Book 1) — Aundy Thorsen, a stubborn mail-order bride, finds the courage to carry on when she's widowed before ever truly becoming a wife, but opening her heart to love again may be more than she can bear.
Caterina (Book 2) — Running from a man intent on marrying her, Caterina Campanelli starts a new life in Pendleton, completely unprepared for the passionate feelings stirred in her by the town's incredibly handsome deputy sheriff.
Ilsa (Book 3) — Desperate to escape her wicked aunt and an unthinkable future, Ilsa Thorsen finds herself on her sister's ranch in Pendleton. Not only are the dust and smells more than she can bear, but Tony Campanelli seems bent on making her his special project.
Marnie (Book 4) — Beyond all hope for a happy future, Marnie Jones struggles to deal with her roiling emotions when U.S. Marshal Lars Thorsen rides into town, tearing down the walls she’s erected around her heart.
Lacy: (Sweet Historical Western Romance) (Pendleton Petticoats Book 5) Page 30
