Her Heart's Desire NH2 Page 6

  He laughed, a sound she enjoyed, and knowing she was the one who made the joke that caused the laugh made her pulse race with excitement. Perhaps this meant he found her likable and would start thinking of her in a more romantic light.

  She took a couple more sugar cubes from the sack and handed one to him. “Want to give one to a horse?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Why not?” She fed another horse one of the cubes.

  “I’m not used to them.”

  “Well, this is a good chance to do that,” she suggested.

  “Maybe next time.”

  Her ears perked up. Next time?

  Clearing his throat, he added, “I’m bound to run into one in town at some point, right?”

  Disappointed, she fed the other two horses their sugar cubes and avoided eye contact with him in case he detected how much she was hoping he meant he’d be coming out here again. Of course, he wouldn’t. At least, he wouldn’t be planning it. Patting the last horse with affection, she smiled at Rick. “You ready to see the chicken coop?”

  He stepped back from the horses. “Sure.”

  As they headed for the entrance, Tom ran into the barn. “Don’t tell Joel where I’m at,” he called out as he climbed the ladder that went to the loft.

  She sighed and shot Rick a “see what I mean about my brothers?” look. He chuckled as Tom reached the top of the loft and hid behind a large trunk.

  A second later, Joel ran into the barn, his face red in what Sally recognized was frustration from losing whatever fight he and Tom were having. Joel turned to Sally and Rick. “Where’s Tom?”

  Rick shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  Surprised Rick chose to play along with whatever foolery Tom was partaking in, Sally added, “I’m sure you’ll find him.”

  Grunting, Joel threw his hat on the barn floor. “He came in here. I saw him, and you two know where he went.”

  Sally shook her head. “Maybe this will teach you to stop running off with Tom’s things.” Even as she said it, she doubted it would stop Joel from doing such a thing. Her two brothers had way too much fun messing with each other to quit their antics, no matter how much they pretended to be upset with the other one. “Anyway, I promised to show Rick the chicken coop, so we have to go.”

  “Oh sure,” Joel called out as they left the barn, “I remember how important it was for you to get some time alone with Rick so you could show him how much he’ll want you—”

  “Did your hat land on some manure?” she interrupted before he could finish his sentence.

  Gasping, he picked it up and examined it. “No.”

  “Hmm… I hope it doesn’t in the future then.”

  Seeming to understand her threat, he plopped the hat on his head and resumed his search for Tom.

  Satisfied she’d shut him up, she turned to Rick and laughed. “What did I tell you? My brothers love to interfere with my life.”

  As they walked to the chicken coop, Rick looked at her. “What was that Joel was saying about you wanting me to do something?”

  Deciding to avoid the potentially embarrassing admission that she wanted him to marry her, she laughed and motioned to the coop which was close to the barn. “I wanted you to tell me what you thought of my family, but I can see how they’re acting. You’ll have some good stories to tell Ethel Mae when you see her.” There. That should stop him from assuming she wanted him to marry her.

  “They’re not that bad, Sally. I can see why they bother you, but they’re just having fun.”

  “Really? They don’t make you want to run for town so you’ll never have to see them again?” That’s how she often felt when Tom and Joel were chasing each other around the property.

  “No. They’re just being boys. They’ll grow out of it.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes. I think they’ll be grown men with families of their own and still find a way to goof off. I don’t think they’ll be able to help themselves. But enough about them. This is the chicken coop.” She motioned to it, but her attention went to the barn when she heard Tom’s loud laughter as Joel yelled in frustration. She rolled her eyes but made sure to smile when Rick looked back at her. “If you want to go back to the porch, you can get a good view of the land.”

  “Sure, but I was wondering about something. It has to do with the barn.”

  She hid her grimace. He knew she lied about what Joel was referring to. She just knew it! And now he was going to expose the real reason she wanted him to be out here, and he’d know this whole time, she never intended to help him end up with Ethel Mae. Forcing her voice to remain chipper, she asked, “What is it?”

  “Well, I notice your house and the coop are made from wood. Why is the barn made of sod?”

  It took her a moment to realize he wasn’t going to accuse her of lying to him about helping him get Ethel Mae. Relaxing, she pressed her hand on her stomach, which was already a jumble of nerves just from being near him, and said, “Oh, that. We couldn’t afford enough lumber for the house and barn, but we had enough for the house and the coop. My mother hates sod houses.”

  “I can’t say that I blame her.”

  “Me neither.”

  “Is there anything else I should see?”

  She glanced around the yard that led to the fields and shrugged. “There’s nothing as exciting as what you already saw, but if you want to get a good view of the land, the porch is a good place to be.”

  “I got a good view of the land as I rode in. I can appreciate the peace and quiet you enjoy out here—”

  From the barn, someone yelled and someone else laughed in time for her father to come out of the house and shake his head. “Just as I thought,” he said as he strode toward the barn. “They aren’t doing any work.” He stopped in front of Rick and shook his hand. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Likewise, sir,” Rick replied.

  Joel darted from the barn but then spun around to face it. “You’ll never get the best of me, Tom! You might be older, but I’m smarter.”

  As he spun back on his heels to get ready to run toward the house, his father crossed his arms and glared at him. “What are you doing, Joel?”

  “Uh…” Joel glanced around. “I was looking for a rake to clean out the stalls.”

  “Outside the barn?”

  “I didn’t see any in there.”

  “Take another look.”

  His cheeks pink, Joel nodded and rushed back inside where Tom laughed at him.

  “Don’t be a stranger, Rick,” her father said with a smile before he headed for the barn.

  When her father was out of hearing distance, Sally asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to see the land from the porch? The sunset makes it look even better, and there’s no better place to see it than from the porch swing.”

  “I have to return this horse and buggy to the owner.” As Rick turned to go to the buggy, she walked with him. “Thank you for supper and the tour. I enjoyed both.”

  Though she was disappointed, she smiled. “Now when you see Ethel Mae, you can tell her all about it.”

  He untied the reins to the horse and hopped into the buggy. “I’ll pay Ethel Mae a visit this week. I think I should do that before I see you again, just to see how the plan is working. Will you be in town soon or will you be busy out here? You mentioned planting will start, and I don’t want to intrude if you’re busy.”

  Deciding it wouldn’t do good to appear too eager to see him since he wasn’t showing a romantic interest in her yet, she said, “I will be busy, especially with helping my mother in the kitchen so we can feed my father and brothers.”

  “I suppose they don’t take Saturday and Sunday off like I do.”

  “No, I’m afraid they work all day from sunup to sundown.”

  “Can I come out next Saturday? Maybe around a time when it’s not so busy?”

  “If you want to do that, I suggest around three. That’ll
be after lunch.”

  “Alright. I’ll be out here then, and I’ll let you know how things go with Ethel Mae.”

  Well, at least she’d be seeing him again, and if she played her cards right, she’d be on the porch swing so he’d have to sit with her. She made a mental note to find another place for the two rocking chairs on the porch so he’d have nowhere else to sit. “I’ll expect you then.” Even though she nearly choked on the words, she added, “And good luck with Ethel Mae.”

  “Thank you.”

  He released the brake, and she waved as he led the horse toward the dirt road that would take him to town. Patience. She just needed to be patient. Rick would be coming out here again, and that was a step in the right direction. The more he came out here to see her and the less he went to see Ethel Mae, the better. But it wouldn’t happen right away. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Comforted by this reasoning, she returned to the house to see if there was anything she needed to clean.

  Chapter Six

  Rick waited until Wednesday before going to Ethel Mae’s house. He didn’t rush to see her for a couple of reasons. One was simply because he didn’t want to seem too eager to see her again, but the second reason puzzled him. Ever since Saturday when he’d spent the evening with Sally and her family, he ended up thinking of her far more than he should. It bothered him that he should dwell on her the way he was. She was being nice to him by helping him attract Ethel Mae. Surely, the pleasant conversation they shared after supper wasn’t meant to lead to something more.

  With a sigh, he adjusted his tie and examined his reflection in the mirror at his room in the boarding house. Taking a deep breath, he decided Ethel Mae was surely done with supper by now and headed out of the boarding house. The sun wouldn’t be setting quite yet, but he wondered if he might talk Ethel Mae into watching it with him tonight. He missed the opportunity last time.

  I also missed the opportunity with Sally.

  Criticizing himself for thinking such a thing, he focused on the houses in front of him. Sally meant to discuss her friend. That’s why she offered for him to stay longer, but at the time, he hadn’t been in the mood to talk about her friend which was why he declined. He sighed. This was ridiculous. He couldn’t keep going in circles, thinking of Sally all the time. He wanted to be with her friend. The first time he saw Ethel Mae in the mercantile with her mother and little sister, he decided she’d be his wife one day. The plan was simple really. All he needed to do was stick with it.

  He reached Ethel Mae’s house and climbed the porch steps. To his surprise, Vivian came running out the front door and almost ran into him. “Whoa! Watch where you’re going,” he teased as he stopped her from plowing into him.

  She took a step back and laughed. “Sorry, Mr. Johnson. I was on my way to give my friend a letter.” She held the neatly folded piece of paper up. “It’s important.”

  “Oh, I don’t want to interfere with something important.” Grinning, he stepped aside, but to his surprise, she didn’t go down the steps. “Is something wrong?”

  “Are you here to see my sister?”

  “As a matter of fact, I am.”

  “I’ll tell her you’re here.”

  He blinked when she spun on her heel and bolted back into the house. What a strange girl. Slipping his hands into his pockets, he waited for her to come back out to invite him inside. However, when she returned, she shut the door behind her, signaling that such an invite wouldn’t be happening unless her sister allowed it.

  “Mr. Johnson,” she began in a hushed tone, “I want you to know that my sister is getting ready. She had on one of her old shirts but is putting on something better.” With a wink, she added, “She’s also fixing her hair. She didn’t do that for the other man interested in her. I suppose what you and Sally are doing is working.”

  “Oh well, that’s good,” he replied.

  “Go on and sit on the porch swing. I have a feeling my sister will want to sit with you tonight.”

  As he was about to sit on the porch swing, he recalled that it wasn’t just one man interested in Ethel Mae. “You said two men are interested in your sister.”

  “Oh yes, but she’s only interested in Samuel. Well, that is until you went out to Sally’s. Now she’s been talking about you all the time.”

  “Does Samuel know about me?”

  “No. But then he isn’t as interested in her as you are, so why would he care?”

  Something about this whole thing wasn’t adding up. Vivian was talking a little too fast, and she was twirling her hair around her fingers while avoiding eye contact with him. “What is Samuel’s last name?” he asked.

  Her jaw dropped. “What?”

  Just as he thought. She was definitely nervous. He’d been too anxious about seeing her sister last week to notice, but now that his enthusiasm for coming here had waned a bit since Saturday, he was beginning to notice details he missed before. “I’m assuming Samuel has a last name. I mean, everyone has a last name, unless they don’t exist.”

  Vivian let out an uneasy laugh. “He’s real. My sister doesn’t make people up. Samuel is real, and he has a last name. It’s…um…” She tapped her lips with her finger. “Let me see…”

  Furrowing his eyebrows, he waited for her to think of a suitable last name to a man he was beginning to believe really didn’t exist after all.

  “Dixon! That’s a good one. His name is Samuel Dixon.”

  That confirmed his suspicions.

  Giving another nervous giggle, Vivian said, “I have to go.”

  He watched her as she bounded down the steps, with her letter still in hand, and wondered why Ethel Mae, Vivian and Sally would make up a man named Samuel. And if Samuel was made up, it was safe to guess that they made up Larry, too. But the question was why. Why would they go to such lengths to make up different men who wanted to court Ethel Mae? What could they possibly have to gain by such a ploy?

  He sat down on the swing and debated his options. He could pretend that he hadn’t figured out what they were doing. Drumming his fingers on the arm of the swing, he stared off into the evening sky, not particularly seeing the pinks and yellows forming on the horizon. What was his best course of action? Did he tell Ethel Mae he caught onto what she was doing? Did he play along? What, exactly, did this mean?

  The front door opened, and his gaze went to Ethel Mae who stepped out onto the porch, her hair and dress much nicer than it’d been the last time he’d seen her. That was suspicious, too, wasn’t it?

  “Good evening, Rick,” she said, a wide smile on her face. “I’m so glad you came over.”

  “Are you?” he asked uncertainly.

  “Well, sure I am.” She crossed the porch and sat next to him, this time looking attentive.

  If he remembered right, last time she was yawning when they were sitting together like this.

  “I missed you since I last saw you,” she continued, adjusting the cameo around her neck. “Did you have a good weekend?”

  Yes, she was definitely more interested in him this time. Uncertain about what to say, he shrugged. “Yes.”

  “Really? Did you go to Sally’s for supper?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did.”

  “And?”

  What did she want him to say? It was quickly occurring to him that she expected him to reply in a certain way. Could it be that the supper at Sally’s had something to do with this? Trying to figure out what she wanted him to say in light of what he learned about Samuel and Larry, he said, “I had a good time at Sally’s.”

  “Did you?” Ethel Mae studied her hands which were in her lap for a moment before she turned her attention back to him. “I hope you’ll consider having supper over here, too.”

  He furrowed his eyebrows. “Supper over here?”

  “Why yes. It’d be wonderful to talk to you. You could learn more about me, and I could learn more about you. Like now. Here we are with that glorious sunset.” She motioned to it and then tapped his arm af
fectionately. “Isn’t it lovely? And isn’t it good we’re sharing this moment together?”

  “Uh, yes.” Not quite as lovely as it would be to share it with Sally. The thought surprised him, but perhaps it shouldn’t have since he’d been thinking of Sally all week.

  “You know, I think the sunset is like looking at a painting. The way the colors blend together is beautiful. What do you think of when you look at the sunset?”

  He glanced at the sky. He figured he should have something romantic to say about it, but his mind was blank. When he thought of watching a sunset with a woman, he thought it’d be nice to wrap his arm around her shoulders and maybe kiss her. The sunset was a way to spark a romantic atmosphere. But it didn’t seem right with Ethel Mae. Perhaps last week, it did, but for some reason, it didn’t anymore.

  Shifting so he wasn’t so close to her, he said, “Vivian tells me that you know someone by the name of Samuel.”

  Her eyes grew wide as she pressed her hand to her heart. “Samuel?”

  “Yes. I hear he’s rather charming.”

  She giggled and waved her hand at him. “Oh, that Vivian. You know how she is. She exaggerates. Remember the way she was going on and on about Hugh? She claims to hate him, but honestly, I think she fancies him deep down.”

  “I don’t know. Vivian was quite adamant that you were fond of Samuel.”

  “I might have talked to him on occasion, much like I’ve talked to you, but I assure you, it’s of little consequence. Isn’t the sunset lovely?”

  Hesitant, he glanced at the sky. He couldn’t believe Ethel Mae and Vivian were lying to him. Even worse, Sally was behind it! Bolting out of the swing, he said, “I have to go.”

  Ethel Mae gasped and stood up. “But why? We were having a wonderful time.”

  When he realized she followed him to the porch steps, he spun around and faced her. He was ready to tell her exactly why. She was making a fool out of him. Lying to him about some man who didn’t even exist! If only he knew why. He knew she’d never tell him the truth. If he confronted her, she’d make up some excuse in an effort to shift the blame to someone else.