Aundy (Pendleton Petticoats - Book 1) (12 page)

There was very little about Aundy he didn’t admire. Except maybe the way she could clamp her lips together, set her jaw and be so stubborn even he backed down, like she forced him to do when she told him to quit sending over his hands. He knew Dent and the men were struggling, but he wouldn’t go behind her back and send some of his men over after she’d asked him to refrain. It was hard not to get involved, but he was trying to mind his own business.

Deciding he would see her home, Garrett stopped Jester and opened a gate in the fence, leading the horse through before closing the gate and mounting the horse.

“I’ll ride home with you,” Garrett said, trying to think of some excuse to escort her home. “I’ve been meaning to ask Dent something, so if you don’t mind, I’ll do it now before I forget.”

Pleased to be riding alongside Garrett, Aundy nodded her head as they continued toward the house.

“I’m ready to sell the cattle,” Aundy said, taking Garrett by surprise.

He turned in the saddle to look at her, make sure he heard her correctly. “Are you certain?”

“Yes,” Aundy said, releasing a soft sigh Garrett would have missed if he hadn’t been watching her face so attentively. “Dent and I discussed it earlier this afternoon and we agree it’s what needs done if we’re going to keep the farm. Apparently, working for a woman is something akin to selling your soul to Beelzebub, so we’re just going to have to figure out how to run this place with a smaller crew.”

Garrett couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped at her comment, causing her to look at him with a raised brow, although she smiled. “I’d sign on to work for you without thinking twice.”

“Thank you, Garrett. I appreciate that,” Aundy said, looking over the farm from their vantage point on top of the hill behind the barn. She loved this land with a possessive fierceness she’d never imagined she could feel. “However, since you’re in charge of Nash’s Folly and a very busy man, I’ll have to make the best of things. I do have a favor to ask, though.”

“Anything,” he said, meaning it. He’d do anything for the golden-haired woman riding beside him. Although he’d known her for only a short while, he felt like she’d been part of his life for a long time, like a close friend.

“Would you contact the man you said might be interested in buying the herd? It would make me feel better to keep them together. I know it’s silly, but… I…”

“I’ll get in touch with him as soon as possible,” Garrett said, reaching out a hand and placing it on Aundy’s arm. She could feel the heat of his fingers searing her skin even through his glove and her sleeve. “And it isn’t silly. I’m fairly certain he’ll want them all. If not, I’ll see if I can find another buyer.”

“I appreciate your help with the matter. Perhaps you or your father could advise me as to a fair asking price,” Aundy said, realizing she had no idea what three hundred head of cattle would be worth, along with their newborn calves.

Garrett stated a number that made Aundy shoot him a wide-eyed look indicating her shock at the amount.

“I think I mentioned cattle are bringing a good price right now in the local market, so it really is a good time to take advantage of it,” Garrett said. “Don’t worry about the negotiations. I’d be happy to make the arrangements.”

“Would the buyer object to working with a woman?” Aundy asked, thinking she had to jump in and learn at some point. She couldn’t always depend on the Nash family, particularly Garrett, to come to her rescue.

“I don’t know, but I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?” Garrett said, grinning at Aundy.

“I guess we will.”

><>< 

“Thank you, Mrs. Erickson. We’ll be out tomorrow to move the cattle,” Hiram Anderson said as he shook Aundy’s hand and walked out of the bank.

After Garrett contacted Hiram about buying Aundy’s cattle, the man agreed to meet with her over lunch to discuss the purchase.

Trusting Hiram, Garrett still felt the need to escort her to not only make the introductions, but also ensure the deal was fair for Aundy.

As he introduced Hiram to his neighbor, he watched the man size her up and could see he gave his approval.  Sticking out a beefy hand in greeting, Garrett was pleased Hiram conducted business with Aundy as he would have any man, minus his usual questionable language and a trip to the saloon to seal the deal.

Aundy seemed to like Hiram as well, offering him a genuine smile and speaking to him confidently. When they agreed upon a price and terms, Garrett suggested they run by the attorney’s office to have paperwork completed then to the bank where Hiram left half the payment for the herd and would pay the remainder after he took possession the following day.

Watching Hiram shake Aundy’s hand, Garrett felt a foreign warmth invading his heart. He was so proud of the woman who had come so far from the mud-covered girl standing on his mother’s front porch.

“I’ll look forward to seeing you at the farm tomorrow, Mr. Anderson. Thank you, again,” Aundy said, turning to see Garrett staring at her. She put a hand up to her hat but it felt like it was on straight, so she glanced nervously at her shirtwaist and didn’t see anything amiss. Smoothing her skirt and tugging the hem of her jacket, she turned her gaze down the street and began walking in the direction of the doctor’s office.

“Before we leave town, do you mind if we stop by Doc’s office?” Aundy asked as Garrett fell into step beside her. He tried to ignore the admiring glances men shot Aundy’s direction. If he paid too close attention to them, he might give in to the temptation to punch someone in the nose.

Garrett was the last person who would lose his temper or pick a fight, but something about Aundy made him feel protective and slightly unreasonable. “That’s fine. Are you not feeling well?” Checking her over from head to toe, he noted her face wasn't flushed. Pink roses blossomed on each cheek and she looked like a picture of health with her freckled nose, bright eyes, and rosy lips tipped up in a grin.

“I’m just fine,” she said, turning to gaze at him with a smile that said she was keeping secrets. “I just wanted to ask Doc a question.”

“I see,” Garrett said, although he didn’t. He had no idea what kind of question Aundy would be asking the doctor and worry niggled in the back of his mind. He’d never been a worrier before meeting the intriguing woman, either.

About as easy-going and laid-back as they came, Garrett didn’t like the feeling of unease that settled over him as he thought about all the possible reasons Aundy would need to see the doctor.

“I’ll just be a moment,” Aundy said, stepping inside the doctor’s office. Garrett followed on her heels, taking a seat in the waiting room while Aundy spoke with a woman seated at a desk, trying to maintain order in the doctor’s chaotic office.

The woman smiled and nodded her head, then motioned for Aundy to take a seat. She sat down beside Garrett and he fought the urge to take her hand in his. Instead, he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and jiggled one foot impatiently, one more thing he’d never done until he met Aundy.

“If you’d rather wait outside or have any errands you’d like to run, I can meet you back at the buggy,” Aundy said, trying to hide her amusement at Garrett’s restlessness.

“I’m fine right here.”

“Of course you are. How silly of me,” Aundy said with a hint of sarcasm, making Garrett offer her a hangdog look. He stopped jiggling his foot and sat back in the chair. Aundy asked him questions about his herd of cattle, if he was through with spring planting, and if he thought he would have time to give her another shooting lesson the following week.

“You can practice without me there,” Garrett said, encouraging Aundy to use the guns that had been Erik’s and were now hers. “You’re good enough you don’t need anyone watching over you.”

“Thank you,” Aundy said, smiling at his praise. “I wanted…”

Aundy was interrupted by the doctor’s assistant and taken to the examination room where the doctor greeted her.

“Aundy, what a pleasure to see you,” Doc said, giving her a friendly pat on the shoulder. “You look too healthy to be ailing with anything, so I guess you’d probably like to see about getting that cast off your arm. Has it been six weeks already?”

“Yes, sir,” Aundy said, removing her jacket and holding out her arm while the doctor pushed up her  sleeve. “Six weeks and three days, to be exact.”

“In that case, let’s see if we can take this off today,” Doc said, examining Aundy’s arm. He smiled and stepped out of the room, returning with his assistant. In no time at all, Aundy’s arm was free of the cast. The skin looked a little pale and shriveled, but other than that, it felt wonderful to have the cast off.

The doctor made her move her arm in a range of motions then gave her a list of exercises to build back the strength.

“I know this is going to be challenging for you, but you really do need to gradually build your strength and not over use it. If you do, you’ll be sorry down the road. If you follow my orders, you’ll be back to one hundred percent in no time at all,” Doc said as Aundy fastened the buttons on her sleeve and slipped into her jacket.

“Thank you so much, Doc. I promise to behave,” Aundy said, grinning broadly as she walked back to the waiting area and paid for her visit. Garrett got to his feet, still wondering what Aundy was doing.

“Are you okay?” he asked as they walked down the boardwalk in the direction of the buggy.

“Better than okay. Great, actually,” Aundy said, feeling so much lighter with the cast gone. She swung her arm as they walked and Garrett suddenly grabbed her other arm, pulling them to a stop beside his buggy.

“I completely forgot about your cast. You don’t let it slow you down and you keep it covered up all the time. Did Doc take it off?” Garrett asked, reaching over to touch Aundy’s arm through her jacket, not caring if it was appropriate or not. He could feel warmth seeping into his palm and grinned. “Why didn’t you tell me you were getting the cast off?”

“I wasn’t sure Doc would take it off and besides, I was thoroughly enjoying your inability to figure out why I wanted to visit Doc. Honestly, Garrett, what did you think was wrong with me? I have a strong constitution and a stubborn streak a mile-wide. You won’t find a woman in much better health than me,” Aundy said, smiling tauntingly at Garrett as he helped her into the buggy.

“How did you…? Never mind,” Garrett said, feeling silly and a little stupid. He agreed with Aundy, though. He’d be hard-pressed to find a female more robust and vibrant than the one sitting beside him.

Chapter Eight

“There they go,” Dent said, watching as Hiram Anderson and his men drove the cattle up the road. They would hit open range and drive the cattle west to Hiram’s ranch. Dent sent their hands along to help until they got past the neighboring farms.

“Indeed,” Aundy said, sitting on Bell as she watched the mass of cattle plod along, churning the road to dust as the cowboys drove them forward.

“Are you doing okay, Missy?” Dent asked, looking at Aundy in concern. He knew how hard it was for her to make the decision to sell the cattle.

“I’m fine, Dent. I just feel like I’ve somehow let Erik down,” Aundy said, her normally straight spine bent and her shoulders drooping.

“Erik would be proud that you made a good decision and are doing what you can to keep the farm going. Don’t worry about the cattle. Maybe we’ll have another herd on the place someday,” Dent said, turning his horse toward the house.

Aundy followed behind, glad Garrett was tied up with a broken piece of equipment that needed immediate repairs and wasn’t able to come over. She didn’t want him to see her fight back the tears that threatened to spill over or the defeat that weighed heavy on her shoulders.

Wishing she could think of some way to generate more income, she knew it couldn’t increase the workload. Her crew was stretched way too thin as it was. The payment from the cattle was a boon, but Aundy felt driven to make the farm prosperous, like it would have been under Erik’s direction.

Keeping her thoughts to herself, she unsaddled Bell and brushed her down at the barn before returning to the house. Needing a distraction, Aundy made a batch of butter cookies then decided to prepare a nice dinner for her men. She was pulling a pan of rolls out of the oven when the hands rode up to the barn.

Aundy hurried out the kitchen door and down the steps, waving a dishtowel at them to get their attention. She needed to have someone make her a triangle like Nora had at her house. It would sure come in handy.

“Something wrong, Mrs. Erickson?” the hand who also did most of the cooking in the bunkhouse asked, hurrying her direction when he saw her approach.

“No, George. I just wanted to invite you boys for supper. You’ve had a long day and I thought you might like a hot meal.”

“That’s right nice of you, Mrs. Erickson. We’ll wash up and be in directly,” George said, nodding toward the three other hands who were storing their tack and brushing down their horses.

“Wonderful,” Aundy said, hurrying back in the house and setting the big kitchen table. She didn’t think the men would appreciate sitting in the dining room surrounded by gleaming china and starched linen.

A knock sounded on the kitchen door and Dent stuck his head inside as Aundy was setting a bowl of mashed potatoes on the table. “Please, come in.”

“You sure you want all of us in here?” Dent asked, stepping inside followed by the other four hands. George, Bill, Glen, and Fred all had freshly scrubbed hands and faces. George and Glen had gone to the effort of changing their shirts and combing their hair.

“Please, have a seat. Feeding you dinner is the least I can do after all your hard work rounding up the cattle today,” Aundy said, taking a seat at the table so the men would stop feeling the need to be formal and stand. They all sat and Aundy looked at Dent, asking him to say grace. Although the words he said were brief, it was easy to tell they were heartfelt.

The men dug into the food with enthusiasm, offering praise for Aundy’s cooking. When she brought out a chocolate cake for dessert, she thought more than one of them looked a little excited at the prospect of something sweet.

“You didn’t make that just for us, did you?” Fred asked, trying not to look overly eager for a piece of cake.

“I did,” Aundy said with a smile as she cut generous slices and placed them on plates along with a dollop of freshly whipped cream.

Thanks to the milk cows, she never lacked for fresh milk, cream or butter. Although the men brought her a pail of milk every morning, not one of them said a word about her learning to milk the cows. As soon as she regained the strength in her arm, she knew the chore was one she should eventually take over.

Keeping a few cows for milking and beef, Dent said they’d need to get a new bull or borrow one from a neighbor. 

Garrett would give her good advice on whether to buy or borrow one. Realizing she depended more and more on his input, Aundy needed to stop leaning on him and stand on her own two feet.

“Mrs. Erickson, I think this is the best thing I’ve ever tasted,” Glen said, closing his eyes as he savored the last bite.

“Would you like more? There’s plenty.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Five eager faces looked at her, waiting for a second piece.

When they finished their cake and were drinking cups of hot coffee, Aundy asked them for ideas on bringing in more income. They discussed several options, everything from planting experimental crops to renting out one or two sections of land.

“Maybe we could get us a herd of sheep,” Bill said, grinning at Fred before looking at Aundy. “They don’t take much care and some people are making a small fortune from the wool.”

“There ain’t no way on God’s green earth I’m gonna wrangle woolies for a living,” Fred said, shooting Bill a dark glare.

Bill gave Fred a good-natured shove. “I was only joshing ya. We all know how much you hate sheep.”

“They stink, they’re stupid, and I can’t abide them,” Fred said hotly as he finished his coffee. Aundy refilled his cup then returned to her seat.

“Are they really easy to care for?” Aundy asked, curious. She hadn’t seen any sheep on nearby farms and tried to remember what she read about them in the books J.B. had given her.

“All you need to raise sheep is pasture, a good dog, and a shepherd. From what I’ve seen, you can run five to eight head of sheep on what it takes to feed one cow. You don’t have to ride herd over them like you do cattle. Just turn ‘em loose and let ‘em grow,” Bill said.

“Do they really stink?” Aundy asked, looking at Fred.

He nodded his head. “To high heaven and back again.”

After a few more teasing comments, the men finished their coffee, thanked Aundy again for the meal and sauntered out the door.

Finishing the dishes, Aundy went to the front room and started flipping through the books she borrowed from J.B. Surely one of them had information about sheep.

><>< 

After church services, Aundy was standing with Nora listening to a group of women talk about getting together for a quilting bee. Aundy absently nodded her head when one of the women asked if she would join them.

Centering her attention on the discussion of a group of men off to her left, Aundy was frustrated she couldn’t march right up to them and be a part of it. Hearing the words sheep and wool several times, she tried to listen to the conversation over the chatter of the women.

Taking a few deliberate steps that direction, she finally heard enough to figure out they were talking about the price of wool and who was raising the best sheep in the area. She caught a few details and wished she had something to write on, desperately wanting to take notes. How she dreamed, for just a moment, she could be a man.

An idea she thought would bring in a good profit for the farm with a minimal amount of additional work was simmering in her head, but finding someone who would do business with a woman was proving difficult. It would have been a simple thing to ask Garrett to help her, but she wanted to do this on her own, without his help or that of J.B.

After asking at the general store, the post office, the newspaper office, and a few other businesses around town, the men all shook their heads and told her to go back to taking care of her house and leave the discussion of farming to men.

“Eavesdropping?” a deep, familiar voice asked, stirring the hair by her ear. Turning her head, she looked into the broad smile and silvery eyes of Garrett. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to listen, but the chatter of the magpies is drowning out the conversation,” Aundy said, tipping her head toward the group of elderly women gathered around Nora.

Garrett threw back his head and laughed, causing more than a few glances their direction. His mother shot him a scowl that he ignored as he ushered Aundy out to the surrey where J.B. was waiting.

“You want to come over for more lessons this week, Aundy?” J.B. asked as Garrett helped her into the back of the surrey.

“If you have time, I’d like that very much. I have some questions I wanted to ask you,” Aundy said, adjusting her skirts as she settled back against the plush seat.  Nora had taken Aundy to town several times in a small buggy, but on Sunday, the family took the canopy-topped surrey to church. Garrett left his house early to swing by and pick up Aundy. Ignoring her protests she could get herself to town, Garrett made sure he had plenty of time to get her and stop back by Nash’s Folly for his folks. Dent and two of her four hands often rode their horses into church, and Aundy knew if she asked, Dent would hitch up the buggy or wagon for her and take her himself.

“Why don’t you come over tomorrow morning once you get done scaring your chickens,” J.B. said, looking over his shoulder at Aundy. She suddenly realized where Garrett got his teasing grin. It came straight from his father.

“You boys be nice to our girl,” Nora said, stepping up to the surrey just in time to see J.B. say something that made Aundy’s cheeks turn bright red.

“Yes, ma’am,” Garrett and J.B. said in unison, although Garrett shot a wink at Aundy before he picked up the reins and guided the horse out of town.

Later that week, Aundy saddled Bell and rode her to Nash’s Folly, taking along a basket of fresh cinnamon muffins she’d made. Nora would no doubt have already served breakfast, but the men often liked a mid-morning snack.

Leaving Bell at the barn, she walked to the kitchen door and knocked. Clomping boots let her know Garrett was still in the house as he pulled the door open and gave her a smile that weakened her knees.

“Good morning, Aundy,” Garrett said, welcoming her into the kitchen. “Pops will be right out. He was helping Ma get something off a shelf in their room. Who knows what she’s got planned today.”

Smiling, Aundy set the basket on the table and removed her hat and gloves, leaving them by the door.

“Do I smell cinnamon?” Garrett asked, pushing aside the napkin covering the basket. “Did you make these?”

“No, I plucked them from the muffin tree on my way here,” Aundy said, trying to keep a serious expression on her face.

Garrett looked up in surprise then broke into a broad grin.

“Mrs. Erickson, I do believe you are a bit sassy this morning,” Garrett said, snatching a warm muffin from the basket and biting into it. “This is really good. Maybe you can give Ma your recipe, or just make me some more. I’m quite partial to cinnamon treats.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Aundy said, tucking away that information for later use.

Nora breezed into the kitchen, followed by J.B., and gave Aundy a big hug. “What did you bring, Aundy?”

“Cinnamon muffins. Apparently they grow on trees over at the Erickson place,” Garrett said, taking another one from the basket as he grabbed his hat and work gloves and went out the door with a teasing grin.

“I think that boy is working too hard. He’s talking crazy,” Nora said, making Aundy a cup of tea and pouring a cup of coffee for J.B. “I’m going to work on cutting out some quilt pieces in the parlor, but if you need anything, just holler.”

“Thanks, Nora,” Aundy said, sitting down at the table with a notebook and pencil she’d brought along.

“What would you like to talk about today?” J.B. asked, leaning back in his chair and taking a drink of hot coffee.

“Animals,” Aundy said, and proceeded to ask J.B. about every type of farm animal she could think of, including sheep.

“What’s the interest in animals?” J.B. asked, helping himself to a muffin while Aundy poured him another cup of coffee. She spent so much time in the Nash’s kitchen, she felt as at home there as she did anywhere.

“Just curious,” Aundy said, toying with her teacup. “If you knew someone who wanted to find out more about a certain type of enterprise, where would you recommend they go to glean the information they would need to further pursue their interests?”

J.B. chuckled. “If it was a man, I’d tell him to go Underground on a Friday night. You can hear more gossip and truth in an hour there than you can anywhere else the rest of the week combined.”

“The underground? Like in a hole?” Aundy asked.

“Land sakes, girl. You haven’t heard about the Underground yet?”

When Aundy shook her head, J.B. leaned toward her conspiratorially. “Nora’d have my head if she knew I told you, but there are tunnels under part of the town connecting some businesses of questionable nature. They started out as service tunnels to legitimate businesses then they added a card room and saloons, Chinese laundries, that sort of thing. A lot of men spend their free time there and you can hear just about any news you want.”

“Really?” Aundy said, shocked by this revelation. “Where are the tunnels?”