Sawyer chuckled as he poured some more feed into the trough. “My job here isn’t that cut and dry,” he said, turning to Emily. The sun shone behind her, and she was illuminated by it in a way that made Sawyer’s heart melt.
“My sister told me about how the ranch is understaffed,” Emily confessed, pushing her long hair back over her shoulders. “She told me about all the complications and tragedy caused by the Reed boys.”
Sawyer turned away abruptly and bowed his head. “Yes,” he muttered under his breath. “They’ve caused a great deal of harm here, and they continue to pose a great risk.”
“Sooo,” Emily began, asking a question that’d been stewing in her mind since she first learned of Sawyer’s employ, “why aren’t you out with Peter on the cattle run?”
Sawyer turned back to look at Emily, with a blank expression on his face.
“Amanda said that only Peter’s bravest men join him on his runs,” Emily went on. “Am I to take your staying here to mean that you are not brave?”
Sawyer shook his head, took a deep breath, and smiled. “Quite the opposite,” he answered. “It’s true that Peter is hard-pressed to find men to accompany him. But, understand, his safety and the integrity of his herd are not his only concerns when he goes on such a trip. Indeed, they’re not even his greatest concerns.
“I offered to go along with Peter on this run. But, he declined and insisted that I stay here. It’s his fear that, in his absence, the Reeds might try to stage an attack on his home and hearth or do something else to put Amanda in danger’s way. So, he wanted me to stay here to keep an eye on things, and to defend what is his, should the need arise.”
“Oh,” Emily replied, blushing. She wasn’t such a logical explanation.
“I guess the Reed brothers are a real rascally bunch,” Emily went on, trying to shift the conversation a bit and save face. “Have you, yourself, had any encounters with them?”
Sawyer couldn’t take his eyes off of Emily’s face. She was so beautiful, and the red hue in her cheeks stirred something deep inside of him, which he tried to avoid.
“I only moved here to Copper Rock less than a year ago,” Sawyer responded. “And, I’ve only been working for Peter for six months or so, since shortly after his foreman was killed… So, no, I haven’t directly encountered the Reed brothers.”
“Well, what do you know about them?” Emily pressed on, curiously.
Sawyer took another deep breath and reluctantly looked away from Emily. “I don’t know much,” he said with the image of her face still burning in his brain.
“Do they come to Copper Rock often?” Emily continued. “Do they have associates, or other criminal cohorts, here? Are they—”
“I don’t know,” Sawyer interjected. The firmness in his voice caught Emily of guard.
Sawyer reached up and adjusted his cowboy hat, pulling it down a beat to shield his eyes. “You know,” he went on, “I guess you’re right… There are a few ranch-related chores I should be tending to right now. So, I’ll leave you to yours and go off and do mine.”
Sawyer turned and walked away, toward the pasture off in the distance. Emily watched him as he did and felt a great confusion. As much as he’d seemed like a burden she had to endure, she was sad to see him go, and she wondered when she’d encounter him again.
Emily spent the next few hours taking care of several more outside chores. Every time she turned a corner or became entrenched in an activity, she half-expected Sawyer to pop up. But, alas, he did not.
When Emily returned to the house, it was late in the afternoon. She was very hungry, and very pleased to find Amanda preparing a hearty stew. She offered to help with the meal, but her sister declined, reminding Emily how such busy work occupied not only her body but also her worrisome mind.
“So, I met Sawyer,” Emily said, taking a seat at the table.
“Ah,” Emily smiled as she added sliced onions to the pot. “And, what do you think of him?” she asked.
“I… I don’t know,” Emily answered honestly. “He seems okay, I guess.”
Amanda turned to Emily and wriggled her eyebrows. “He’s unattached, you know,” she said. “He is not married and isn’t courting anyone. So…”
Amanda stopped speaking, and Emily blushed and shook her head from side to side. “Oh, sister!” he laughed. “I came here to escape our parents forcing an unwanted courtship on me. Don’t tell me you’re going to try and force one on me too!”
“Don’t be silly,” Amanda replied, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel and moving closer to the table. “I’m not one to force anything on anyone… And, from what I’ve come to know of Sawyer, I don’t think a courtship with him is something any woman would want to escape. He seems to be a wonderful man, in my opinion. He’s very helpful and considerate. He’s strong and has a good work ethic, and he’s very respectful. And, of course, he’s very…”
Amanda paused and searched for the right word.
“Handsome?” Emily asked, giggling like a child.
Amanda grinned. “I’m a married woman,” she answered. “So, I shouldn’t really speak to the attractiveness of any other man but Peter… But, yes, oh yes. He is quite handsome indeed!”
“Indeed,” Emily repeated, grinning as well.
The sisters laughed for a few moments and went on to discuss Sawyer’s many other attributes, until it was time for Amanda to put the finishing touches on their meal. Once she’d done so, she served up the food, and the two of them enjoyed a leisurely supper. Their dinnertime conversation expanded to include topics other than Sawyer, though his name still came up a few times.
After dinner, the women entertained themselves with additional conversation and pastimes for a couple of hours, before both turning in for bed.
When Emily got to her room, she cleaned herself up and changed out of her clothes, then said her prayers and hopped into bed. She was very tired from her long day on the ranch, but it took her much longer than it should have to fall asleep, for thoughts of Sawyer raced through her head.
As Amanda had pointed out—and, as Emily, herself, had observed—Sawyer was quite the model of everything a woman could want in a man. Sure enough, he appealed to Emily’s interests in many ways. He was so unlike Leonard Latimer, or any of the other men her parents had tried to push on her back in New York, and he invoked in her feelings she’d never felt before.
As Emily closed her eyes and focused on falling asleep, she fantasized about Sawyer and imagined the two of them courting, marrying, and starting a family. She felt comforted by thoughts of what a wonderful provider and father he would be, and how safe and satisfied she would feel as his wife.
Before much longer, Emily was fast asleep. But, unfortunately, her sleep did not last long. A loud clamor sounded from outside of the house, and it caused Emily to awaken abruptly and spring up in her bed.
Emily glazed out the window from behind the curtain and saw the figure of a man lurking in the darkness several yards away. Her heart pounded in fear.
“I bet that’s one of the Reed boys, come to take advantage of the fact that Peter is away,” she said aloud to herself.
Emily didn’t know what to do. But, she knew she needed to do something—and, she needed to do it quick.
Emily got up and crept out of her room. She went to the pantry, where, earlier, she’d seen a shotgun on a rack mounted behind the door. Emily had never used such a weapon before, but she took hold of it anyway, hoping that her holding it, alone, would scare away the Reed boy(s) who were outside.
Without further thought, Emily ran outside brandishing the shotgun. She stood on the back porch, cleared her throat, and shouted, “Be gone, whoever you are! I’ve got a shotgun, and I’m not afraid to use it!”
There was no immediate reply—in words or action—to Emily’s warning. But, a moment later, a man stepped out of the darkness and spoke up.
“I’m sure you’re not afraid to use it,” the man said. “But, the way you’re holding
it, I should advise you, if you do fire it, it’s likely to buck back on you.”
Emily’s heart fluttered, with both joy and relief. She recognized the voice and eased her hold on the weapon.
“What are you doing here?” she asked Sawyer for the second time that day.
Sawyer started walking toward the porch. “Like I told you earlier, my job here isn’t cut and dry,” he explained. “I’ve been coming here late at night each night Peter’s been away, to make sure that everything I alright.”
Sawyer stepped up onto the porch. “Give that thing to me,” he added, reaching out for the shotgun.
Emily eagerly surrendered the weapon to him, and Sawyer did a quick inspection of it. “Good thing you didn’t need to use this,” he laughed. “It’s not even loaded.” He walked over to the door and set the shotgun inside the house, then turned to Emily again.
Sawyer was taken back by how amazing Emily looked in the moonlight, but he tried not to stare at her too intently, as she was adorned in her sleeping gown.
“What was that commotion I heard a few moments ago?” Emily inquired, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she, too, become awkwardly aware of her garb.
“Oh, that,” Sawyer smiled. “I was checking the grounds, when I gazed up at the moon. I became a bit entranced by it and lost track of my footing. I stumbled over a bucket that someone must have haphazardly left out in the walkway during her chores today.”
Emily disregarded Sawyer’s criticism and glanced up to the sky. The moon was round and full, and it gave off the most spectacular glow.
“Beautiful,” Emily purred.
“Very,” Sawyer replied, eying Emily, not the moon.
“I’ve always found the nighttime sky a marvel, especially when it’s full,” Sawyer added, walking over to Emily’s side. She could feel the heat of his body as he got closer, and it made her feel an unexpected warmth within her core.
“It appears so close to us,” he went on. “But, really, it’s so far… As a child, I used to try and chase it, thinking, if I ran fast and far enough, I could take hold of it one day. But, since then, I’ve realized the futility of such a thing and, instead, have refocused my goals. The things I want—and need—in my life aren’t up there in the sky. They’re down here, on God’s earth, right in front of my eyes.”
Emily turned and looked at Sawyer, and a smile slowly crept across her face. She knew, in her heart, what he was hinting at, and it pleased, and excited, her in so many ways.
Just then, the backdoor swung open, and a very dazed and confused Amanda peered out from the doorway. “What’s going on out here?” she asked, rubbing her tired eyes.
“Oh, nothing,” Sawyer quickly replied, trying to regain his composure. “I came ‘round to check on things. But, I clumsily tripped over a bucket, and the sound of it woke Emily, who ran out in alarm.”
“Mmmhmm,” Emily hummed, appraising the star-struck expression on her sister’s face.
“But, now that I’ve inspected the ranch, I guess I’ll be on my way,” Sawyer went on. He stepped down from the porch, tipped his head at the women, and walked off into the darkness.
Emily turned to walk back in the door. Amanda gave her an inquisitive look as she reentered the house. But, Emily simply smiled and ignored it and made her way back to her room.
EIGHT
The next morning, Emily awoke with a big smile on her face and a great eagerness to start her day. She quickly readied herself and joined her sister in the kitchen, where the two of them enjoyed a lovely breakfast of fried eggs, biscuits, and cured meat.
Once their meal was through, Emily quickly excused herself from the table to go out and do her chores. Amanda couldn’t help but smile and laugh at her sister’s behavior. She recognized her particular form of excitement all too well.
When Emily got outside to the barn to milk Bessie, she found Sawyer already there. He was standing next to the cow, patting her head and saying kind words to her. He blushed with embarrassment when Emily saw him speaking to the animal, but promptly recovered himself to speak to her.
“I wasn’t expecting you this early,” he said with a broad smile. “And, I hope you don’t find it strange that I was talking to Bessie. But, I believe animals have feelings too, and they deserve a kind word every now and then.”
“I don’t think it’s strange at all,” Emily replied, walking over toward Bessie. “Good morning, girl,” she said, ruffling her fingers through the patch of wiry fur atop the heifer’s head.
Emily looked over at Sawyer and grinned. “And, good morning to you,” she said full of cheer. As she regarded Sawyer, she took note of how his beard appeared freshly trimmed and how his entire face seemed to glow.
“Good morning,” Sawyer echoed, lost in Emily’s sparkling eyes.
Emily and Sawyer stood silent for a moment and continued to pet Bessie. About a minute later, Emily’s sense returned to her again, and she turned to get the bucket and stool.
As Emily sat down to milk Bessie, Sawyer watched. After two or three minutes, he leaned down, close to her working hands. “You’re doing a good job,” he said, bringing his hands to Bessie’s teat. “But, you could do even better if you let me show you some tricks.”
Emily removed her hands from the cow and sat back. “Please do,” she smiled.
Sawyer went on to show her a better way—the proper way—to milk a cow, and, once the tutorial was done, Emily found herself milking Bessie with greater ease. She thanked Sawyer for his help, then stood up to do her other chores, making sure to secure the bucket of milk before turning to another task.
For the rest of the morning, Sawyer shadowed Emily much like he’d done the day before. But, this day, she actually allowed him to help her and teach her some of his “tricks” for completing outdoor, farm-related chores.
As the pair continued to work together, a strong closeness grew between them. It developed from the initial affinity they’d felt toward each other and was nurtured by the wonderful way they got along. Emily had a newfound willingness to be cordial, and learn from Sawyer, and Sawyer had a newfound respect for her stick-to-it-ness and openness.
Within just a few hours, Emily and Sawyer were interacting with each other as if they’d known each other for a long time. They had a good dynamic between them, much like the one found between good friends—though, what they each felt inside of their hearts, was much more than that.
As the day progressed, the two of them conversed a lot and shared a great deal about their personal experiences and dreams. Emily described how different life, and land, was back in New York and briefly explained some of the troubles she’d endured with her parents and their windfall wealth. And, Sawyer talked of how he always dreamed of one day visiting other regions of the country and had experienced some difficulty with his own father, who’d tried to urge him into a lifestyle he would not have chosen for himself.
Indeed, Emily and Sawyer had a great deal in common, and their discussion brought them both a great sense of comfort… and hope.
Meanwhile, back at the house, Amanda paced back and forth in the living room. It was already midafternoon, and the house was spotless. She’d done all of her daily chores—and then some—and had a delicious meal on the stove, as well as a variety of baked goods cooling on the counter.
Amanda paced so much that she was surprised she hadn’t worn a groove into the floor. Today was the day Peter was due back from the cattle drive—and, according to her calculations, he should have been home hours ago. So, all things considered, she was gravely worried.
It’ll be okay, Amanda assured herself inside her head, repeating the things she’d been telling herself since Peter left the ranch several days earlier. Peter will return home safely, and our loving marriage will continued to thrive.
Amanda walked over to the window and stared out of it for the umpteenth time. But, this time, something caught her eye, and it made her thoroughly doubt the assurances she’d just said.
“De
ar God!” Amanda screamed out in pure fear. In the distance she saw Peter’s carriage approaching, along with four horses. But, only three of those horses had cowboys on their backs—the fourth, the black one with brown spots, the one that Peter favored—strode unburdened.
Amanda ran to the front door, ran out of the house, and sprinted toward the road.
“Pray tell, where is Peter?” she shouted at the top of her lungs as she made her way toward the group. “Where is my husband? Is he okay?”
Emily and Sawyer had been over by an apple tree on the far end of the ranch, discussing several people, places, and things of interest in Copper Rock as the picked up the apples that had fallen to the ground. But, when they saw Amanda running and shouting, they dropped everything they were doing and followed her trail.
Amanda got to the men just as they arrived at the fence to the ranch, and Emily and Sawyer came up behind her several seconds later.
‘Where’s Peter? Is he okay? Is he alive?” Amanda yelled through her years, trying to catch her breath.
“Yes, yes,” a kind-eyed man replied, nodding his head. His clothes were soiled and stained in blood, which caused Amanda, Emily, and Sawyer great concern.
“Where is he, Malcom?” Sawyer asked, stepping up to the mind.
“He’s in the bed of the carriage,” Malcom replied.
With that Amanda and Sawyer rushed to the carriage, and Emily followed at a more reluctant pace. She hadn’t met Peter yet, remember, and was very scared of what she would find.
“Oh, heavens!” Amanda exclaimed as she jumped onto the back of the carriage to be at her husband’s side. She gazed down at his bandaged shoulder and sweaty brow. “What happened?” she asked.
Just then, Emily arrived at the back of the carriage as well. She appraised Peter, who appear relatively high-spirited despite his obvious injuries.
“Who’s that?” Peter asked, raising his head to look at Emily.
New Beginnings Spring 20 Book Box Set Page 58
