As Emma rode south along the Rio Grande, which was showing signs of nightly freezing near its low banks, she heard a horse approaching from the rear at a fast pace. Her heart jumped. Not everyone in these parts appreciated the influx of Americano settlers. Was it Indians? Mexicans? Both had settled and owned this land for centuries. Should she continue to stare straight ahead or turn around and face whoever it was? Her hand went to the rifle sheathed to her saddle.
“Hey!” Jared Mattson’s unmistakable voice cut sharply through the cold December air.
For the briefest moment relief flooded Emma and her heart jumped again, this time rather pleasantly. Oh, bother. Her agreeable reactions to the man just had to stop. Yes, she was glad to have a man along as she rode out to check on the sheep, just not this man.
“Wait up, Emma.” His horse galloped up beside hers and fell into the same cantering pace. “You lit out like a bat after a horsefly. What’s the hurry?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. It had come loose from the tiny pins that never seemed to hold it in place. Her hat hung on its leather strings down her back, but she was enjoying the cool breeze through her hair and hadn’t bothered to put it on. “Gotta check the sheep.”
“Yep. I know.” Was that worry in his voice? “Now, I know you can take care of yourself, ’specially with that rifle you’ve got strapped there to your saddle. But your pop sent me to keep you company. Said you might need some help with those sheep.”
Emma snorted, a sound her mother would scold her for if she were here. Emma always tried to be ladylike around Ma so as not to grieve her. “What do you know about sheep? All you have up at your place is cattle.”
Jared shrugged. “That’s right.”
He didn’t seem inclined to say more, which was just fine by her. Pa had probably sent him to look after her, and if the scowl on his face was any indication, he didn’t particularly relish the chore. She didn’t want to be with him either. Never mind that he’d looked quite manly all morning as he’d worked on his side of the barn. Not that she’d noticed. Well, yes, she had. The work made them all hot, and he wore a thin shirt that showed off his muscles. Who could fail to see that?
He’d seen her, too, dressed like a man, working like a man on her side of the barn. What of it? She wasn’t the only woman in these parts who had to get out of the kitchen and do a man’s work. Long before the barn caught on fire, she’d worked alongside Pa to keep the ranch going.
Maybe that was why Jared had jilted her. He wanted someone more girly, like Julia. But why hadn’t he taken up with any of the other gals at church? At least a half dozen or more hung around the Mattson boys after Sunday services every week, each trying to get their attention. Will and Cal seemed to be the only ones who responded to their feminine ways. Now Cal was engaged, and maybe Will would be soon, if the gal he was sweet on said yes. Emma knew without a doubt she would have said yes to Jared if he’d proposed two years ago instead of suddenly quitting his courtship. Was it her fault? Or his?
She couldn’t change, wouldn’t change. She was who she was. What she had to be for her family. If that meant she’d be an old maid, so be it. She had to be true to herself.
And yet part of that truth was that she longed to be loved and cherished by some fine Christian man, to be married and have a quiver full of children, as the scriptures described it. She supposed the Good Lord just had a different plan for her life.
*
Stubborn, prickly female, taking off on her own like that, acting like she doesn’t need anybody to look out for her. Jared ground his teeth but decided not to argue with her. When he’d seen Emma ride away from the house after dinner, he’d been plenty concerned. Too many unsavory men wandered these parts, and a gal shouldn’t be out alone, even in the middle of the day. Not even one who could shoot her rifle as well as Emma.
He hadn’t exactly lied about why he’d followed her, but the truth was Mr. Sharp hadn’t sent him. Jared offered to do it. Mr. Sharp got a funny look in his eyes and then gave Jared a crooked grin and a brief nod. Which only went to prove the old man misunderstood his concern. Jared was just doing a decent man’s duty by protecting his neighbor’s willful daughter.
One thing was true: Jared didn’t know much about sheep. They’d seemed fine when he and Cal fed and checked them before sunrise, and so had the dogs. They’d find out in a few minutes.
The sheepfold lay on the side of a hill with barbed wire fencing all around it. A one-room adobe house stood to one side, the humble house where the Basque shepherd had lived. Nearby was a small adobe barn filled with hay. Jared felt a flash of anger toward the man for abandoning his employer just as winter was setting in. Then he recalled that the old fella had begun to show signs of the rheumatiz, so maybe he deserved to retire. Not to mention, living out here by himself probably got pretty lonely. Jared would have to be prepared for that when he moved to Colorado.
The two large brown guard dogs bounded over to the fence to greet Emma and Jared, wagging their tails as if they wanted to be petted yet still not breaching their boundaries.
Emma dismounted and went through the gate. “Hello there, Blackie, Jennie.” She ruffled their thick winter coats. “What a good boy and girl you are.”
Jared followed her lead. “Hey there, doggies.” He knelt down and was rewarded by a couple of tongues licking his cheeks. Their lively welcome toppled him over, and he landed on his backside on the cold ground. Laughing with shock and surprise, he found himself the object of even more canine affection as the dogs pounced on him. “Hey, cut that out.”
“Blackie, heel.” All business now, Emma used her bossy voice to summon the dogs. “Jennie, come.” She slapped her leg and gave a sharp whistle, one that many a cowboy would envy. This little gal had hidden talents.
The dogs scurried to her, wiggling and whimpering almost as if they were apologizing for something. Emma crossed her arms and stood as straight and tall as her five-foot-one-inch height would allow. The dogs sat and eyed her expectantly.
“Have you been taking care of these sheep?” She spoke to them as if she was talking to a ranch hand.
The critters tilted their heads and whined. Emma huffed out a sigh, and her shoulders slumped. “Yeah, I’m as confused as you are. I know you’re used to Lucien being here, but for now you’re just gonna have to take care of things for us.”
Jared surveyed the flock of a hundred or so animals, and his gaze took in some men riding along a ridge maybe a half mile away. He couldn’t make out who they were, and they weren’t headed this way, but their appearance confirmed he’d been right to come with Emma. Not that he’d tell her that. Or even mention the riders if he didn’t have to. “The sheep look all right to me.”
“Yeah,” Emma said. “To me, too. But the dogs seem a little anxious. I sure hope no predators have been around.” She scanned the field, squinting her eyes in the early afternoon sun. “No signs of coyotes or bears. That’s good. Plenty of hay.” She waved a hand toward the adobe barn. “Thank the Lord we moved it down here just last week, or it would have burned up.”
Jared grunted his agreement. “That’s the Lord’s mercy indeed.”
She shot him a glance, as if surprised that he would acknowledge God’s goodness. Or maybe surprised that he cared about her family’s livestock. He’d never been able to figure out Miss Emma Sharp, so he’d just set those thoughts aside.
Without another word, she gave the dogs one more pat on their heads and then retrieved the bag of table scraps to feed them. That chore done, she was in the saddle and headed back to the ranch house before a man could say tumbleweed. Jared shook his head and followed at a more leisurely pace. That was, until he remembered why he was here instead of at home. He had a barn to build, and if Rob and Will had returned with more lumber, he needed to be there to help them unload.
As he kicked his horse into a gallop, a thought came from somewhere in the back of his mind. Those sheep were all right today, but a bear, a
coyote or even a pack of wolves could come along at any time and destroy what Mr. Sharp had worked long and hard for. They needed another shepherd, and they needed him now. With his wrenched hip, Mr. Sharp wasn’t in any shape to ride down to Espanola to hire one. If Jared went, he’d lose a day of competition with Emma in building the barn. More important, with those clouds hanging over the Sangre De Cristo Mountains, a blizzard could come along at any time and stop their work altogether.
Lord, there’s gotta be an answer. If I can help, give me wisdom. Show me what to do.
*
After placing the last board on her pile, Emma rolled her shoulders to work out a cramp, which she refused to let slow her down. She mustn’t stop working. If Jared kept on jawing with his brother Will over by the Mattsons’ wagon, she and Paco would have a good head start on framing their second side of the barn. Of course, they couldn’t raise the barn until Jared and Cal completed theirs, but she’d still have the satisfaction of beating them on this part. Rob Mattson said he’d gather other men in the community for the raising, so if Emma and Jared worked without interruption, they’d have the barn finished just in time for the Christmas Eve Las Posadas.
She’d been surprised at how glad she’d been to have Jared follow her out to the sheepfold, even happier after she’d spotted three men on the hills across the river. Of course, she hadn’t pointed them out to Jared because that would have been as much as admitting she appreciated that he’d come, even though Pa had sent him. Anyway, Jared probably saw the men, too. From the shape of their wide-brimmed hats, they appeared to be Mexicans. That didn’t mean they were dangerous, but one could never be too cautious.
After a long day of work followed by Ma’s usual fine supper, the family and the two Mattson brothers gathered in the parlor. Last night Pa hadn’t been up to reading the scriptures, but he was doing better tonight and wanted to resume the family tradition. Emma sat on the settee beside Julia and got to work knitting the gloves for Jared and Cal. Her hands ached from a day of lifting and hammering boards, but the lanolin in the unwashed wool soothed the pain, and soon the kinks worked themselves out. Then her fingers fell into the familiar rhythm of making close, tiny stitches required for comfortable gloves. She’d shorn the wool herself last spring, carded it and then spun it into yarn on Ma’s spinning wheel to save for just such a project as this. Doing all that work gave her a special sense of satisfaction.
Jared and Cal sat across the room, each whittling at something, but she wouldn’t be too nosy. Maybe they’d decided to make gifts, too, or maybe they just liked to keep their hands busy, a habit her family knew well. Right now, Ma and Julia were stitching tea towels for Julia’s hope chest, which was just about filled with all the things a woman needed to begin housekeeping.
A bittersweet pang struck Emma’s heart. This cozy scene wouldn’t be the same once Julia was gone. Even at that, Emma was happy for her sister.
Holding the large Holy Bible on his lap, Pa began to read the fifth chapter of Ephesians.
“‘Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children. Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us.’”
Emma stopped listening so she could think about that first verse for a moment.
She wanted to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, but it was mighty hard with Jared Mattson in her home for nigh on to two weeks. Even though the Lord said she needed to forgive him seventy times seven for his offenses, his being here kept the remembrance of his jilting her right in front of her face. And all the while he acted as if he’d never done a thing wrong.
Pa had reached the part of the chapter about wives submitting to their husbands, and Emma understood why he’d chosen this passage to read tonight. He was advising Julia regarding her upcoming marriage. Julia wouldn’t have any trouble with that. She was the sweetest, most agreeable person Emma knew. A few verses down, the scripture instructed husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church. From the gentle look in Cal’s eyes, Emma felt fairly sure he’d do just that. Like Julia, he was kind and easygoing. She figured they’d be too busy trying to make each other happy ever to argue.
Pa finished reading the chapter, his face aglow as it always was after he read the Holy Bible. He reverently placed the large, leather-bound book on the coffee table and said, “Let us pray.” It was his signal to the family that bedtime had arrived and their labors must cease. “Lord, we thank You for this day, and we thank You for a restful sleep to come. Thank You for your Word. Help us to be obedient to it in all things. Now, Lord, although we don’t know why You permitted our barn to burn down, in faith we thank You. We believe all things truly do work together for our good, so we’ll trust in that promise. In Jesus’s Name we pray. Amen.”
Everyone chorused “amen” in response and then gathered their things to retire.
“Emma.” Pa gave her a warm smile, the one that usually preceded some word of correction. Wasn’t she too old for this? “Sit with me for a moment more.”
The others said their good-nights, with Ma shooting a mysterious smile over her shoulder as she left the room. As quiet settled over the house, Emma gazed at Pa expectantly.
“Yessir?”
“Daughter, I’ve noticed that you’re doing a fine job on that barn.”
She shifted in her seat on the settee. He always gave a word of praise before telling her what she’d done wrong. “Thank you, sir.”
“I’ve also noticed something else.” His smile went from paternal to teasing. “A certain young man on these premises admires you more than a little bit.”
He couldn’t have said anything more outlandish. “Oh, Pa—”
“Now, don’t ‘oh, Pa’ me. I know he broke your heart two years ago, but I believe he’s done considerable growing up since then.” He chuckled softly. “Why, today when he asked to follow you out to the sheepfold, I thought sure Ma and I would have another proposal to deal with.”
“What? He asked you?” Emma’s mind raced. “But he said…”
“Don’t know what he said, my gal, but I know what I see. If you have any soft spot in your heart for him, then just try being a bit nicer to him, and let’s see what happens.” He blew out a breath, and his eyes took on a troubled look. He quickly forced another smile and spoke in his usual cheerful tone. “On the other hand, if you’re eager to see the last of him, then keep on being your usual feisty self. Now, get on to bed and get some well-deserved rest.”
Emma kissed Pa’s cheek and made her way to her bedroom. After donning her nightgown, she took care not to wake Julia as she nestled beneath the quilts, knowing all the while she’d have a hard time going to sleep.
So Jared had asked to follow her. Why? Was Pa right about him admiring her? Nonsense. She’d believe that when the sun rose in the west.
“Emma?” Julia turned over and faced her in the darkness. Her voice didn’t sound the least bit sleepy. Obviously, she’d been waiting for Emma to come to bed.
“What, dear?”
“Cal told me something today that you need to know.”
Her mind still reeling from what Pa said, Emma had a hunch about what was coming, so she didn’t respond.
“Don’t you want to know?” Julia sounded annoyed, unusual for her.
Emma breathed out an exaggerated sigh. “Not really, but you’re going to tell me anyway, so go on.”
Julia giggled, sounding more like herself. “Well, Cal said that Jared said… Well, didn’t exactly say…but has made it really clear to Cal that he’s in love… Well, he didn’t say love, but that’s what I think he means. What do you think?”
Emma pursed her lips to keep from giggling like Julia, not because of what she’d said but the way she’d said it. Her sister had no idea how funny and adorable she was. But if Emma were to make a guess, she’d say that a conspiracy was going on to put her and Jared back together. Well, it just wasn’t going to happen.
“Well?” Had they been out of bed, Julia’s impatient tone would have been accompanied by a tilt of her h
ead and a perplexed look on her sweet face. “What do you think?”
“Well…” Emma drawled out her repetition of the word. “Who is Jared in love with?”
Julia gently shoved Emma’s shoulder. “You, silly.”
“Uh-huh.” Emma rolled over to face away from her sister. “Good night, Julia.”
Julia’s exasperated sigh would have made Emma laugh if her heart weren’t suddenly tied in knots. Jared loved her? Maybe so. Maybe not. But she wouldn’t do as Pa said and start being nice to Jared just to get him to say so. Even if Pa was right about him growing up, Jared would still have to prove himself to her.
She might have to work like a man on the ranch, but she was still a woman inside. If Jared Mattson loved her, he’d have to eat some crow before she’d ever accept his courtship again. The Lord said to be kind to her enemy, even forgive his offenses, but He never said she had to marry him.
Chapter Three
After the family devotions, Jared had gathered his whittling gear and carried it to the bedroom, taking care not to let any wood chips fall out of the small canvas tarp he always spread across his lap. It had been a long, tiring day, but he still wanted to work on the Christmas gifts a bit more before settling down for the night.
Sitting with the Sharp family and hearing the verses Mr. Sharp read had stirred something deep inside Jared. His family had never gathered in the evening that way, not even before Mama left. Tonight had shown him a side of family life he’d never dreamed of, and he’d enjoyed it more than words could explain. What would it be like to have Pop and all the brothers gather at the end of each day to hear God’s Word and pray together?
Love Inspired Historical October 2015 Box Set Page 60
