Aundy (Pendleton Petticoats - Book 1) (17 page)

Pulling up in front of the attorney’s office, Owen O’Connell sat on a bench near the door, waiting.

Garrett 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 said, reaching a hand over to place on the small of Aundy’s back and gently pushing her forward. “May I introduce Mrs. Erickson? Aundy Erickson. She married Erik the day of his injury.”

“I’m so terrible sorry for your loss Miz Erickson. Terrible thing that happened to Erik,” O’Connell said.

“Thank you, Mr. O’Connell. I appreciate your condolences,” Aundy said, smiling at the man, noting his eyes looked bloodshot and tired. “Shall we go in?”

“Certainly,” O’Connell said, holding 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 said, tipping his hat and walking down the street.

“While we’re in town, I’d like to go by the sheriff’s office,” Garrett said as he helped Aundy in the buggy and started down the street. “I want to ask about 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 said, stopping the buggy when he noticed his friend Kade walking toward them. Setting the brake, he turned to Aundy. “Mind waiting just a moment?”

“Not at all,” Aundy assured him, 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. Aundy thought the tall, brawny man looked familiar then realized he was the handsome cowboy she’d seen at the train the day she arrived in town and 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 was 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 said as he 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 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 said, catching 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 who had 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 said, tipping 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 took his seat in the buggy 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 a striking 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 saw 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 wagon, 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.

Settled in the buggy and on their way out of town, Aundy let out a deep breath.

“Do you really think Fred will quit?” Aundy asked, looking at Garrett with such moist eyes he felt his chest constrict.

“Fred is the only one who can answer that question, but it’s certainly a possibility,” Garrett said, not at all convinced Aundy going into the sheep business was a good idea, but it was a little late to worry about it now. She’d signed on the dotted line and made a partial payment to O’Connell.

Although Garrett sat in the meeting with the attorney and the banker, he kept quiet. Expecting to need to help Aundy negotiate the price and terms, he was surprised she seemed to know what she was doing. She even bartered down the price on the sheep and got O’Connell to agree to deliver them.

Garrett smiled to himself, thinking how O’Connell fussed and fumed, putting on a good show. Aundy appeared calm and collected, refusing to budge from her offer. Everyone in the room knew O’Connell would agree to her terms, including the man himself.

“Do you plan on telling Dent about the sheep?” Garrett asked, thinking 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. Even knowing she kept her plans a secret because of the reaction she anticipated getting from the men in her life, 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 liked it or not.

“Of course. I plan to make a nice breakfast and tell the men after they’re full of good food and coffee. I figure I need all the help I can get and they always seem to appreciate a hot meal,” Aundy said, making Garrett chuckle.

“You are something else,” Garrett said, placing his hand on her knee and squeezing 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, who sat watching him. “If a home-cooked meal changes Fred’s mind, your pancakes must be a lot lighter and fluffier than Ma’s.”

“Maybe,” Aundy said, with a sassy grin. “Now, 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.”

Chapter Eleven

Awake most of the night with nerves, Aundy finally gave up on sleep and found things to keep her hands busy. Long before the sun began sending streaks of golden light across the horizon, she had baked a sheet cake and cookies, washed a load of laundry and strung it on the clothesline to dry, and dusted the front room.

By the time she heard the men clomping their way down the bunkhouse steps, she’d already gathered the eggs and made her morning threat to Napoleon to turn him into chicken dumplings if he didn’t refrain from pecking at her or flogging her head.

Hurrying back in the house, she whipped up a batch of biscuits, set bread to rise and put a big pot of beef stew on to cook for lunch. Frying strips of crispy bacon, and scrambling a big pan of eggs while potatoes fried in another pan, she made a pot of coffee and stuck her head out the door to call to Dent when she saw him walk toward the barn.

Although he didn’t appear to increase the speed of his steps, his stride quickly ate up the ground and he soon stuck his head in the kitchen where Aundy stood at the stove making sure the eggs didn’t burn.

“Morning, Missy. Need something?” he asked, taking in the site and smells of breakfast. His stomach rumbled in anticipation.

“I’d like you and the boys to join me for breakfast if you haven’t eaten yet. It will be ready in just a few minutes,” Aundy said, smiling over her shoulder at her foreman. If she could get the hands in a good mood, maybe they’d be more receptive to her plans. Feeding them a hearty breakfast had to be a good start, despite Garrett’s skepticism.

“I’m sure they’ll all appreciate a hot meal none of us had to prepare. I’ll round them up,” Dent said, hustling down the steps and across the barnyard toward the bunkhouse.

He soon returned with the other men, their hands and faces bearing traces of a thorough scrubbing.

“Good morning,” Aundy said, setting a bowl of fried potatoes on the table next to the eggs.

“Mornin’, Miz Erickson,” Bill said. “We’re mighty grateful for your invite for breakfast.”

“I’m glad you all could join me,” Aundy said, pouring five cups of coffee and making herself a cup of tea. Sitting in the chair Dent held out for her, the hands took their seats and Dent asked a blessing on the meal.

Aundy encouraged small talk, asking the hands about things they’d done or seen in the past few days, their growing up years, anything she could think of besides the topic of sheep.

George consumed the last piece of bacon while Aundy refilled coffee cups and took a deep breath.

“You’re probably wondering why I asked you to join me for breakfast,” Aundy said, looking around the table. At Dent’s nod, she continued. “I purchased something that I think will add to the value of the farm and provide additional income without increasing the work load by much.”

“Did you buy one of those new-fangled gas-engine tractors?” George asked, looking hopeful.

“I did not,” Aundy said, glancing at the man who was usually quiet. “However, if you all agree it would be a sound investment that will pay for itself in saved labor and increase production, we can discuss it at a later date.”

“So, what’d you buy?” Glen asked, swirling the last dregs of his coffee around in his cup.

“A surprise,” Aundy said, not quite able to get the word sheep past her lips. If they reacted even half as badly as Garrett did, she wasn’t up to facing all five of them at once.

“What kind of surprise?” Dent asked, giving Aundy a long, inquisitive look.

“One I hope you all will give a chance before you form opinions,” Aundy said cryptically.

“We can do that, Miz Erickson,” Bill said, looking around at the other fellows. Dent was the only one not nodding his head.

“Wonderful. In that case, I’ll hope you’ll join me for lunch today as well. The surprise should arrive early this afternoon,” Aundy said, smiling and starting to rise from her chair.

“In order to be prepared for this surprise, why don’t you just tell us what it is,” Dent said, his voice taking on unfamiliar hard tone. She quickly surmised Dent didn’t like surprises of any kind, unless they involved food.

Sitting back down, she put some starch in her spine and looked directly at Dent. “Yesterday, I bought some sheep.”

Fred, who had been leaning on the back legs of his chair, let it thump forward. “Goldurn it! How many of those filthy, stinkin’ monsters did you buy?”

“Roughly five hundred,” Aundy said, not letting Fred’s annoyance cause her to back down. She gave each man a look before continuing. “I intend to raise them for their wool. The man I purchased them from will be delivering them this afternoon. He assured me they should take far less care and feed than cattle.”

“Five hundred woolies! Five hundred!” Fred ranted and started to jump to his feet. A restraining hand on his arm from Dent kept him in his seat.

“That’s a lot of sheep, Missy,” Dent said, giving her a look that said she had lost her mind. “Don’t you think we maybe should have discussed this before you bought them?”

“Perhaps, but I assumed you men would all belittle my idea, think I’d gone crazy, and do your best to talk me out of it,” Aundy said, starting to lose her temper. She needed the men and appreciated their hard work, but she sorely wished they’d quit treating her as if she had rocks in her head. “I researched the options extensively and came to the conclusion that sheep would provide additional income, could be pastured on less acreage than the cattle and should be far easier to care for.”

“But I done told ya…” Fred started to say, but was interrupted by Aundy. Getting to her feet, stretching to her full height that was taller than several of the men, she gave her temper free rein. Angry blue sparks shot from her eyes, burning into those seated at her table, rendering them speechless.

“I quite clearly heard what you told me, Fred. I did take that into consideration. More than you can possibly know. I need all of you here on the farm. The thought of any of you leaving, for any reason, saddens me greatly. You work harder than I expect and are far more dedicated than I deserve. I appreciate each one of you, which is why I don’t want any of you to have to spend time working with the sheep. Mr. O’Connell said his shepherd would be happy to keep his job regardless of who he’ll be working for,” Aundy said, taking a calming breath and sitting down again. “Perhaps at some point, once we get our feet back under us, we can look at getting cattle once again. I know you all prefer working with the cattle. For now, though, we have a farm that needs care and are short on people willing to work for a woman. If you’ll stick with me, I will do my very best to make it worth your while.”

“You really aren’t going to make us work with the sheep?” Bill asked, glancing at Fred, who looked mad enough to chew nails.

“No, I’m not. You certainly may if you choose, but I won’t demand any of you work with the sheep on a daily basis. If they get out or we need to move them to another pasture, I may ask for your assistance, but other than that, you won’t have to work with the sheep. When it’s time to cut their wool, I plan to hire a crew to see that done.”

The men sat quietly for a few minutes, considering their options. Aundy treated them fairly, paid them well, and often made them special treats. They all knew they’d be hard pressed to find somewhere to work where they earned as much pay with comparable working conditions.

“I apologize for springing this on you, but I didn’t know what else to do,” Aundy said, looking pointedly at Dent. He stared at her for a minute before nodding his head in resignation. Aundy could have mustered up some tears and turned the men in her favor. She’d seen countless women do just that, but she didn’t operate that way. If she wanted men to treat her like the owner of a farm, then she’d swallow back her emotions and act like one. “Please, give me and the sheep a chance.”

The men glanced at one another and finally Dent gave her a tight smile. “We’ll give it a chance, but if it looks like it isn’t going to work, will you agree to sell them?”

“Absolutely,” Aundy said, nodding her head, glad the conversation went as well as it had. “If you’ll come back just before noon, I’ll feed you lunch and then the sheep should be here.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Dent said, getting to his feet and opening the door while the other men filed out. Turning to Aundy, he studied her a moment, looking thoughtful. “I sure hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Me, too,” Aundy said, with a bravado she was far from feeling as Dent went out the door.

Washing the breakfast dishes, she checked on the stew and finished what lunch preparations she could. Bringing in the clean laundry from the line, she ironed and then put away the clothes.

Glancing at the clock, she had a couple of hours before the men would return to eat, so she took the pile of dresses that belonged to Erik’s mother to her bedroom and began trying them on to see if she could wear any of the clothes.

Buttoning a navy calico dress sprigged with dainty pink flowers, she ran her hand down the fabric. Although out of style, the dress still had plenty of wear left in it. It billowed around her, but she decided with an apron over the top of the dress, it would serve well to wear on the farm. The dark color would help hide dirt or stains and the loose gown would be welcome on hot summer days.

Glancing down, Aundy noticed her petticoat hanging an inch or so out of the bottom of the dress and pulled up the hem to see if she could let it out. Studying it, she heard a commotion outside and the sound of a dog barking. Without taking time to change, she ran to the front of the house and threw open the door.

Sheep filled the barnyard, with wooly animals milling around as far as she could see.

Owen O’Connell rode his horse to the end of her walk and waved his hat at her. “Mrs. Erickson! Top o’ the morning to ya.”

Hurrying down the steps and across the  front walk, Aundy was grateful for the fence around the yard that kept the sheep away from the flowers she’d carefully weeded. “Mr. O’Connell, I wasn’t expecting you until this afternoon.”

“I know, lassie, but these woolies whispered bright and early they were ready to head to their new home, and moved right along,” O’Connell said with a beaming smile.

Seeing Dent approach, Aundy started to make introductions, but Dent greeted the Irishman by name and shook his hand. “If you’ll bring the sheep this way, we’ll pasture them in the north section over there,” Dent said, waving to an area behind the house.

“Sure and certain, Dent,” O’Connell said, herding the sheep in the direction Dent indicated.

When all the sheep were penned in the pasture, O’Connell returned to the house with a dog and a boy in tow. The dog, a Border Collie, wagged his tail in friendly greeting. Aundy had heard that particular breed was excellent at herding sheep.

The boy, who looked to be about fourteen or so, was tall and gangly, with dusty, worn clothes, a happy-go-lucky grin, and a mop of shiny brown hair topped by a bedraggled cap. He carried a small lamb in his arms, giving it a tender glance, letting Aundy know right away the youth had a soft heart and a gentle hand.

“Mrs. Erickson, I’d like ya to meet yer new shepherd. He’ll do a good job for ya, or answer to me,” O’Connell said, thumping the boy on his shoulder. “Tell her yer name, laddie.”

The boy set down the lamb. It bleated once then nuzzled the grass of Aundy’s yard.

Sweeping the cap from his head, he bowed and raised big,  brown, soulful eyes to Aundy. “I am Nikola Zorian Gandiaga, your humble shepherd.”

Aundy fought down a smile and nodded at the boy solemnly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nikola Zorian Gandiaga,” she said, her tongue working to pronounce the strange name properly. “Is this your dog?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the boy said, rubbing his hand on the canine’s head. The dog leaned against his leg and looked up affectionately. “This is Bob. He’s a good helper.”

“And how about this little one?” Aundy asked, bending down and petting the lamb. Its coat was so soft, she thought she could spend an hour just rubbing its back.

“This is a poor orphan baby,” Nikola said, offering Aundy a smile that would someday make women swoon. “Just like me and Bob.”

“An orphan? What happened to his mother?” Aundy asked, looking at O’Connell.

“When we were passing by a farm this morning with the sheep, a huge dog ran out and killed one of the ewes before we could stop him. Beast looked more like a wolf than a dog. Came out of nowhere, it did. It’s a bottle for this baby, unless ya can convince one of the mommas to adopt him.”

“I’ll make sure he’s cared for,” Nikola said with a firm nod of his head.

“Any other mishaps?” Aundy asked. O’Connell shook his head.

“No, ma’am. That was it. Yer now the proud owner of four hundred and ninety-eight head of sheep.”

“And I suppose you’d like the rest of your money, then?” Aundy said, tipping her head to O’Connell with a teasing smile.

“If yer of a mind to give it to me, I’d surely like to get the funds and be on me way. Me fondest hope is to begin me journey to sunny California by sunrise the day after tomorrow.”

“Then by all means, let’s get you on your way,” Aundy said, turning toward the house. Looking back over her shoulder, she studied the shepherd boy. “Nikola, if you wait right here, I’ll be back and we can talk about your wages and getting you settled in the bunkhouse.”