Chapter 10

10

T ired of pacing the kitchen floor, waiting for the phone to ring Monday morning, Aundy finally sat down at the table with one of the books J.B. let her borrow and read the chapter on sheep again. She hoped Mr. O'Connell would call and prayed she hadn't made a bad decision.

Absorbed in the information she read, she jumped when the telephone rang. After rushing to answer it, the lyrical Irish voice of Mr. O'Connell on the line brought out her smile.

"Mrs. Erickson?"

"Yes, this is Mrs. Erickson." Aundy wanted to dance a jig. The man had called just like he said he would. "May I help you?"

"I'd like to think so," Mr. O'Connell said. Aundy could hear the smile in his voice. "I met a boyo Friday night who indicated the fair and lovely Mrs. Erickson might take a shine to the critters I have for sale. If that's correct, would ya have time to meet me in town today to discuss the details? If they are satisfactory to both parties, we could sign the paperwork and I could bring the animals to ya tomorrow. It's with haste and hurry I am to be on me way to the sunny warmth of California."

"That would be satisfactory, Mr. O'Connell," Aundy said, grinning from ear to ear. She asked him to meet her at her attorney's office and thanked him for the call. She hung up the phone then placed a call to Nash's Folly. Relief flooded over her when Garrett answered.

"Mr. Nash, this is Mrs. Erickson." Aundy was all too aware of the many ears listening to their conversation since the phone lines were far from private. The buzzing static in her ear hinted that several people listened in on the party line. "I have a business matter to conduct today and was hoping you might offer your insight into the matter. Would you be able to provide your assistance?"

"I'd be happy to, Mrs. Erickson." Garrett maintained a formal tone. "What time shall I expect to meet with you?"

"I could stop by around ten on my way into town, if that wouldn't be in imposition." Aundy wanted to ask how the Chinese man was doing, if Garrett was still mad at her, and if he'd experienced as much difficulty sleeping as she had after sharing such heat-filled kisses the other night. Instead, she squeezed her lips together to keep from blurting out something she shouldn't.

Now that she'd set the wheels in motion for buying the sheep, she was frightened of what she'd done. What if she invested the money in the flock and they ended up being worthless, or causing all her hands to quit?

"I'll see you then," Garrett said, then hung up.

Aundy was sure that meant he was still upset over her escapade Friday evening.

She packed a basket with cookies she'd made earlier that morning and finished a few things around the house. Aundy took a bath and dressed in one of her nicest suits with a frothy ruffle of lace at the throat of the shirtwaist. She picked up her reticule, gathered a pair of creamy gloves to go with her buttery-yellow and cream striped outfit, and pinned a hat on her head.

Suddenly realizing she should have hitched the horse to the buggy before she dressed in her finery, she hoped one of the men would be nearby. Fortunately, she discovered Glen mending tack at the barn. It took him just a few minutes to hitch a horse to the buggy and have Aundy on her way to Nash's Folly.

She parked at the end of the walk and hurried up the steps. With a perfunctory knock at the front door, she stuck her head inside and greeted Nora as the woman approached the front entry.

"Aundy, don't you look like a picture of spring today. That soft yellow color is a perfect complement for your hair." Nora hugged Aundy warmly then pulled her inside the house, accepting the basket of cookies the girl held out to her.

"Thank you."

"You won't believe what Garrett dragged home the other night." Nora took Aundy's hand, once she'd set down her reticule and removed her gloves, leading her to a bedroom near the kitchen.

"A puppy?" Aundy asked, giving Nora a silly grin.

"No, you goose. A man from China."

Aundy followed Nora into the room. The man looked even worse in the morning light than he had Friday in the evening shadows. His face was a swollen mess and he slept on one side with his knees slightly bent. Aundy felt pity for him and the pain he had to be feeling. Maybe they should have the doctor examine him. "Will he be okay?"

"I think so. Other than a few cracked ribs and his poor face, he didn't seem to have any other injuries. He doesn't speak very good English, but we think he said his name is Li Hong."

"Li Hong," Aundy repeated, testing out the foreign name. She hoped Li Hong wouldn't remember her part in his coming to be at Nash's Folly.

He opened one eye and glanced first at Nora then at Aundy. His eyes widened when he saw her, but he held her gaze. When he didn't appear to plan to say anything, Aundy released the breath she held.

"Mr. Hong, this is our neighbor, Aundy Erickson. She lives on the next farm over," Nora said, making introductions.

Aundy took a step closer to the bed and inclined her head toward him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hong." Uncertain if she should extend her hand, nod her head, or bow, Aundy decided to stick with a friendly smile. "I hope you aren't in too much pain."

"No," Li said, working up something that could have been a smile had one side of his mouth not been badly swollen. "Li fine."

Aundy smiled again and backed toward the door. She was glad he could talk and seemed coherent. It must have been frightening for him to wake up in a strange place, beaten and in pain.

"I'll get you a fresh glass of water, Mr. Hong," Nora said, following Aundy out the door to the kitchen where J.B. sat reading a newspaper and drinking coffee.

"Well, look at you, Aundy. Don't you look like summer sunshine?" J.B. offered her a smile that reminded her of Garrett as he helped himself to a handful of cookies from the basket Nora set on the table.

"Thank you, J.B. I need to pay a visit to my attorney and then possibly the bank, so I decided I better be dressed for the part."

"She has a talent for dressing the part," Garrett said, giving her a wicked smile as he strolled into the room. Dressed in pressed pants with a crisp shirt, light coat and vest, Aundy thought he looked too handsome for words. The burgundy vest and dark gray coat accented the liquid silver of his eyes and the rich color of his dark brown hair.

"Lands sakes, honey, what's got you all fancied up?" Nora asked, knowing Garrett much preferred to wear the denims the cowhands all favored with a soft cotton shirt than his "fancy duds" as he and J.B. called their town clothes.

"I promised Aundy I'd go with her to meet a man about some business she wants to conduct this morning. If you want more detail than that, you'll have to pry it out of her." Garrett kissed his mother's cheek and grabbed his hat off a peg by the back door.

"Shall we?" Garrett asked, holding out his arm to Aundy.

Gingerly, she placed her hand on his offered arm then turned to Nora. The woman looked at her expectantly. "I'll give you all the details when we return. May I bring anything back for Mr. Hong?"

"I can't think of a thing." Nora waved them out the door. "Remember, I want all the news when you get back. We didn't get to visit at all yesterday and I'm feeling neglected."

Aundy insisted on driving herself to church and left immediately after the service. She and Nora didn't have a chance to visit about the unexpected houseguest at Nash's Folly. Garrett was sure Aundy's avoidance of them had been intentional. He wondered if his disapproval of the sheep or his ardent kisses kept her away.

"Yes, Ma," Garrett called, settling his hat on his head once they were outside the door.

Aundy studied him from the top of his dark cattleman's hat to the tips of his freshly polished boots and thought Garrett looked far more handsome than Ashton Monroe ever would.

She was still irritated at Ashton for treating her so roughly in the saloon, even if he didn't know who she was. He shouldn't be that brusque with anyone.

While Ashton was what she'd call aristocratic in appearance, Garrett was all muscle and rugged man with a little rogue thrown in to further discombobulate her senses.

The strong arm that helped her into the buggy made her knees feel wobbly and the friendly grin that promised more teasing drew a smile from her own lips. She breathed in his spicy scent and longed to have his mouth pressed against hers again.

His fervent kisses Friday night were so mesmerizing, she'd completely lost herself in the experience despite her vow to stay far, far away from men and romance.

Aundy settled her skirts on the buggy seat and noticed Garrett staring at her. Apparently, he waited for a response to a question she hadn't heard him ask while she was lost in thoughts of his kisses.

"My apologies, Garrett. I didn't hear what you said." Flustered under his intense gaze, she fussed with her hat, and tugged at her gloves. She smoothed down each finger just to have something to do to keep her hands busy.

Garrett snapped the reins and the horse ambled down the lane at a moderate pace. It was a beautiful day.

He sat elbow to elbow with a girl who sent his heart skittering into a rapid beat at thoughts of her kisses while her soft rose scent made him think things he knew were highly inappropriate, but didn't really care.

"I asked how your shoulder is today. You don't seem to be favoring it, but you're sure to have a bruise."

"It's fine." Aundy appreciated his concern, but wasn't worried about something as trivial as a bruise when she had much more important matters on her mind. "Did you find out anything about Mr. Hong, other than his name?"

"Not much. He said he works for different people, doing odd jobs. He refuses to discuss what happened. I got the idea that someone asked him to do something he wasn't willing to do, so they beat him up and tossed him in the doorway. He fell down the stairs and crawled up to the top, where you found him."

He glanced at her, swallowing hard.

Aundy made such a beautiful picture in her yellow striped dress with her golden hair piled on her head. A few errant tendrils worked their way loose, swirling temptingly along her neck and thoroughly distracting Garrett.

It took every ounce of willpower he possessed to keep from hauling her into his arms and kissing her until they both forgot where they were going or what they were doing.

Instead, he turned his attention to the horse and looked out at the rolling fields of green against the bright blue sky. Eastern Oregon was a spectacular place to be in the spring, before the heat of the summer turned things brown and dry.

"That's terrible." Aundy was thankful she had found Mr. Hong and was able to help him. She wondered what he refused to do that resulted in the beating. They'd probably never know. "Are you sure he's fine at your house? I could take care of him."

"I don't think so." With his dad in the house, Garrett wasn't concerned their guest would try anything. If Li Hong were at Aundy's, Garrett wouldn't get a wink of sleep, worrying about her well-being. "He's just fine at Nash's Folly."

Determined to get to the reason they headed into town, Garrett broached the subject of sheep. He wasn't happy that Aundy had agreed to buy the flock and knew her hands would like the idea even less than he did. However, as she pointed out Friday night, it was her decision to make.

"Did you talk to Dent and the others about your sheep?"

"No." Aundy made a point of looking at the green fields they drove by rather than the very good-looking man beside her. She wanted to avoid his question along with the disapproving look he'd turned on her.

"Don't you think you should? You can't exactly hide the sheep from them."

"I wasn't intending to," Aundy said defensively, leaning away from Garrett. She needed to focus on how annoying she found his persistent questioning instead of how handsome he looked or how good he smelled. His warmth at her side made her stomach flutter in a most disconcerting way.

If she wanted to be in any condition to negotiate with Mr. O'Connell, she needed to tear her thoughts away from how much she enjoyed being around Garrett and how well he filled out his coat and pants.

Flushed with heat from her forbidden musings, she wished she'd brought along a parasol or at least a fan. Instead, she fanned her gloved hand in front of her face.

Garrett raised an eyebrow her direction and gave her a mocking grin. "A little warm out for you?"

"No!" Aundy wondered why he insisted on goading her. "And to answer your question, I plan to tell Dent and the boys tomorrow. I wanted to make sure the deal was final before I said anything and jeopardized losing Fred. I'd really like to find a way to keep them all working for me."

"Could you hire someone to tend the sheep and tell the rest of them they won't have to worry about the woolies?" Garrett suggested. As fiercely as Fred hated sheep, he wasn't sure that would be enough to keep him from quitting.

"Perhaps." If she could find someone willing to work for her, she'd hire him in a heartbeat.

"I take it you spoke with Owen this morning."

"Owen?" Aundy asked, confused.

"O'Connell. His name is Owen O'Connell." Garrett scowled. "Didn't you get the full name of the man you're doing business with? Might be good to know, don't you think?"

Quickly realizing her mistake, Aundy felt like a chastised child. The feeling irked her considerably. "Yes. Of course."

"What did you discuss?" Garrett asked, wondering if she'd offered a price, made a verbal agreement.

Aundy repeated the brief conversation she had with Mr. O'Connell. Garrett nodded, pleased that she hadn't made any promises.

When she pulled up in front of the attorney's office, Garrett noticed Owen O'Connell sat on a bench near the door, waiting.

He hurried around the buggy to give Aundy his hand and then turned to the Irishman.

"O'Connell. Good to see you again," Garrett said in his typical friendly fashion, shaking hands with the man as he stood from the bench. "Hear you're getting ready to head south and leave our lovely Eastern Oregon weather behind."

"It's lovely now, boyo, but when the snow blows and the ice freezes everything, I'll be sunnin' meself in the warm, balmy California weather."

"So you will." Garrett reached a hand over to place on the small of Aundy's back and gently pushed her forward. "May I introduce Mrs. Erickson? Aundy Erickson. She married Erik the day of his injury."

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Miz Erickson. Terrible thing that happened to Erik," O'Connell said, doffing his hat and tipping his head to Aundy.

"Thank you, Mr. O'Connell. I appreciate your condolences." Aundy smiled at the man, noting his eyes looked bloodshot and tired. "Shall we go in?"

"Certainly." O'Connell held the door for Aundy and Garrett to precede him.

An hour and a half later, they left the bank together and O'Connell shook both their hands. Once he delivered the sheep, he would receive payment in full. For now, Aundy paid him half of the agreed upon price, after drawing up papers at the attorney's office.

"We'll be at the farm tomorrow afternoon with your woolies, Mrs. Erickson. See you then." O'Connell touched the brim of his hat then walked away in the direction of a saloon.

"While we're in town, I'd like to go by the sheriff's office," Garrett said as he helped Aundy into the buggy and started down the street. "I want to ask about Li Hong and see if any of them have heard anything."

"Do you think he's wanted by the law?" Aundy asked, hoping the man wasn't. For some reason, she felt a little protective of the poor immigrant who'd been beaten so badly.

"Probably not, but never hurts to ask." Garrett stopped the buggy when he noticed his friend Kade walking toward them. He set the brake and turned to Aundy. "Mind waiting just a moment?"

"Not at all," Aundy assured him. She watched as he ran across the street and enthusiastically shook the hand of a man who looked like an officer of the law with a shiny star pinned to his vest. The tall, brawny man looked familiar then she realized he was the handsome cowboy she'd seen at the train station the day she arrived in town. He'd also been at church several times although he usually left before the service ended.

Garrett visited with the officer a few minutes then both of them looked her direction. Far enough away she couldn't hear what they said, she smiled when Garrett walked back across the street with the man.

"Aundy, this is my very good friend, Kade Rawlings. He's a sheriff's deputy," Garrett said, making the introduction.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Erickson." Kade doffed his hat and nodded to her. "I've known Garrett since we chased tadpoles in the creek and terrorized the little girls at school."

"It's very nice to meet you," Aundy said, shaking the man's hand and offering him a smile. It was hard not to notice his handsome face, brawny frame, or towering height. Garrett was quite tall and his friend Kade stood an inch or so over him.

"Garrett tells me he made a new friend Friday night. I might ride out later and ask him a few questions," Kade said, watching the way Aundy and Garrett snuck glances at each other. So that was the way the wind blew. He'd have to torment Garrett about his obvious interest in the winsome widow later. "He also said you purchased a few head of sheep. Good for you. My uncle raises sheep south of here and does well with them."

"Thank you, Deputy Rawlings. I hope the sheep will be a good addition to our farm." Aundy caught Garrett rolling his eyes. "Although Garrett has made it clear he much prefers cattle."

Kade chuckled as he slapped Garrett on the back. "You'll have to ask him sometime where he got his dislike of sheep."

Aundy smiled and looked over at Garrett. He narrowed his gaze and shook his head at the deputy. She laughed and offered Kade an approving nod. "I will do that."

"I better be on my way." Kade tipped his hat to Aundy with an engaging smile. "It was truly a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to contact me."

"Thank you, sir," Aundy said, liking Garrett's friend. He was fun and seemed kind.

Garrett sat on the buggy seat and picked up the reins. "Since we're here, want to have some lunch?"

"That would be agreeable," Aundy said, pleased at the idea of spending more time with Garrett.

He parked the buggy a few blocks from a busy restaurant and they strolled along, her hand on his arm. Anyone looking at them saw an attractive couple, one fair, the other dark, enjoying a beautiful spring day.

After lunch, Aundy requested a few moments to purchase supplies at the store. Garrett left her there while he attended to some errands of his own and caught up with her just in time to carry a box packed full of supplies to the buggy.

"You buy out the store?" Garrett teased, easily carrying the loaded box.

"Of course not," Aundy said, waiting for Garrett to assist her in the buggy, not because she needed the help, but because it was the proper thing to do. At least that's what she tried to tell herself. It couldn't have anything to do with the proximity of Garrett, or the feel of her hand in his, or the opportunity to inhale his masculine scent.

Once the busyness of town was behind them, Aundy let out a deep breath.

"Do you really think Fred will quit?" She looked at him with such concern in her moist eyes, he felt his chest constrict with pain.

"Fred is the only one who can answer that question, but it's certainly a possibility." Garrett wasn't convinced Aundy going into the sheep business was a good idea, but it was too late to worry about it now. She'd signed on the dotted line and made a partial payment to O'Connell.

Garrett sat in the meeting with the attorney and then the banker, but he kept quiet. Fully expecting to help Aundy negotiate the price and terms, he was surprised she did so well without any assistance. She even bartered down the price on the sheep and got O'Connell to agree to deliver them.

O'Connell blustered and fumed, putting on a good show. Aundy appeared calm and collected, refusing to budge from her offer. Everyone in the room, including O'Connell, knew he would agree to her terms.

"Do you plan on telling Dent about the sheep before they show up?" Garrett thought Aundy had already waited longer than she should have to share her plans with the foreman. He might have a thing or two to say about a flock of sheep descending on the farm.

Due to the reaction she anticipated receiving from the men in her life, she kept her plans a secret. Regardless, she still should have been more forthcoming about what she wanted to do.

Then again, it was her farm and she could do whatever she wanted, whether Garrett, or any of the men, liked it.

"Of course. I plan to make a nice breakfast and tell the men after they're full of good food and strong coffee. I figure I need all the help I can get and they always seem to appreciate a hot meal." Aundy's impish grin made Garrett chuckle.

"You are something else." Garrett placed his hand on her knee and squeezed before realizing the gesture was far too intimate for two people who were just friends. Jerking his hand back, he grabbed the reins with both hands and glanced at Aundy. "If a home-cooked meal changes Fred's mind, your pancakes must be a lot lighter and fluffier than Ma's."

"Maybe." Aundy shot him a sassy grin. "Why don't you tell me why you don't like sheep? Either you do, or I'll have to pay a visit to Deputy Rawlings."