“Here.” Her ma gave her a cookie. “This will tide you over.”
Glad the topic had changed, Nelly helped them set out the foods so that everything was ready by the time Val came over to them.
Chapter Nineteen
“Are you ready for the harvest?” Nelly asked as she came into the kitchen, tucking her shirt into her pants.
Val glanced up from the eggs he was beating in the small bowl. “I’ve been waiting for this day with bated breath.”
She giggled at the sarcastic tone in his voice. “I’ll be with you. I’ll teach you how to cut down the crops with the scythe.”
“I don’t even know what a scythe is.”
“It’s the tool I have next to the rake in the barn with the long-curved blade at the top.”
So that’s what the scary looking thing was called. He’d seen it, but he couldn’t recall ever seeing her use it. However, that hadn’t stopped him from feeling apprehensive whenever he happened to pass it.
“It’s easy to use once you get the hang of it.” She pretended she was holding it and then gave a quick sweeping motion close to the floor. “There’s nothing to it.”
He rolled his eyes. “Sure. There’s nothing to it at all.”
He didn’t have to use the thing to know it wasn’t as simple as she was making it seem. Ever since he’d come out here, he had learned that nothing was as simple as it seemed. Farming was hard work, and even if he spent most of his time cooking and doing the laundry, there were times he had to help out around the place. This farming thing wasn’t for the weak of heart. He wasn’t looking forward to being out in the fields and harvesting, but he knew it would be too awkward to stay inside and cook or sew with the women, even if her sisters would probably enjoy telling him more stories from Nelly’s childhood as they were prone to do whenever Nelly wasn’t nearby to hear them. He didn’t know why she found such stories to be embarrassing. He thought they were funny, like when she was a child and tried to put the saddle on the dog.
Nelly went over to him, and he turned his attention back to her.
“The scythe will feel heavy and clumsy at first, but you’ll get used to it,” she said. “The one I have is shorter and has a smaller blade so it’s lighter. My pa has one he’ll let you borrow. That will be bigger. But you can handle it because you’re stronger than I am.”
“Yippee.” Just what he wanted: a heavier and bigger scythe to make reaping crops more difficult for him.
She slipped her arm around his waist and offered him a pretty smile that would have prompted him to agree to help with the harvest if he hadn’t already been committed to it.
He set the bowl on the worktable and gathered her into his arms. “I have no doubt I’ll provide the other men with some laughable moments today.”
She kissed his cheek. “No one will laugh at you.”
“I seem to remember how you laughed at me not too long ago when I was trying to help you get the cow out of the bush it’d gotten tangled up in.” He could see that she was trying not to laugh at the reminder of that incident, so he added, “It’s alright. You can laugh. It was funny that I lost my balance and ended up falling into the cow pie.”
“It could have happened to anyone,” she said, openly laughing.
“It never happens to you.”
“That’s because I know to look around me before I do anything. But now you know to do that, too. I doubt that will ever happen to you again.” She gave him another kiss on the cheek.
“You know, if you’re trying to get me even a little bit excited about today, the least you could do is kiss me on the lips.”
She brought her mouth to his and did as he suggested. Now, this was much better. When he was with her this way, it was easy to remember why living on a farm was worth it. He tightened his hold on her and deepened the kiss. He might have proceeded further had a gunshot not rung through the air.
He ducked and took Nelly with him. “Was that what I think it was?”
“Yes.” She stood up and hurried over to the window.
“Get down,” he whispered.
“The gunshot went in the direction of the barn, not this house,” she replied as she peered out the window.
After a moment, he realized she was right and got to his feet. He inched along the part of the kitchen that would make it difficult for someone to see him and came up behind her.
He searched the area. Who’d shot the gun? Had it been Seth? Had Seth had enough of waiting and decided to use force to scare him off this property? He hadn’t seen or heard anything from Seth ever since Nelly’s father talked to him.
Wait. Seth could see what they were doing. He wouldn’t be shooting toward the barn. He would be shooting toward the house if he was after him.
After a moment, he saw a man he didn’t recognize come around the side of the barn on his horse. He was holding a gun and cursing under his breath.
“I’ll take care of this,” Nelly whispered.
Val watched as she ran out of the kitchen and to the bedroom. Was she insane? What did she hope to accomplish by going to that room?
“Get your yellow hide out here right now!” the man on the horse yelled.
Val turned his attention back to the barn.
The horse shifted impatiently under the man’s weight then neighed.
For a moment, everything was quiet. Val had never been in this situation before, so he didn’t know what to do. Was this something that happened a lot? Back in Boston, he recalled someone referring to the West as a wild place.
He saw Nelly emerge from the bedroom and noticed she was carrying a handgun. She didn’t look the least bit disturbed by what was happening.
Maybe this was a common thing around here. This just might be the first time he was exposed to it.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn’t know if he should stop her or let her go out there. She seemed to know what she was doing. If he intervened, he might get in her way. But if something happened to her and he could have stopped it, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.
Hunching down so the man wouldn’t see him pass by the window, Val whispered Nelly’s name as he ran to the parlor. She paused at the door and turned to face him.
“I don’t think you should go out there,” he whispered once he reached her.
“I have to. That person has no right to be on our property,” she whispered in return.
“But what if he shoots you? Did you see how mad he is?”
“He’s not after me. He’s after someone who came onto this property. That person is hiding in the barn.”
“I realize that, but this isn’t our fight. Whatever is going on is between those two men. We should stay out of it.”
Another gunshot rang through the air, and a cow mooed.
“It might be between those two men, but those animals belong to us. We have a right to defend what’s ours.”
She put her hand on the doorknob, and he hurried to put his hand over hers. “They’re just animals. They can be replaced. If something happens to you, I can’t do anything about it.” As much as he hated to admit it, he added, “I’ve never used a gun. I’d go out there if I could, but I can’t.”
“The man shooting his gun isn’t mad at us. He has no reason to shoot at me. This gun,” she lifted the gun she was holding, “is just a precaution. I doubt I’ll have to use it. But if I do, I’m prepared. I’ve been using a gun since I was twelve.”
“You got to the count of five to get your worthless hide out here,” the man yelled to the person in the barn. “If you don’t, I’m coming in there to get you, and if I do that, I won’t be responsible for what happens next!”
“He’s going to kill all of our horses and milking cow if he starts shooting in there,” she said. “They’re more than animals to me, Val. They’re like friends. They each have their own personalities and everything. I have to protect them.”
Realizing he’d lost the argument, he released her hand. “Alright, but
you need to be careful. And,” he quickly added as she turned the doorknob, “I’m coming with you.” If things didn’t turn out well, he’d rather go down with her than live his life alone.
“Well, you do have a way of talking that puts people at ease.”
He did?
She opened the door and stepped onto the porch. He followed after her, trying not to pay attention to the fact that she seemed much more confident than he was.
“What’s going on?” Nelly called out as she and Val went down the porch steps.
The man kept his gun pointed at the entrance of the barn, but he glanced over at them. “Yellow belly ran onto your land. He let his horse run off into your cornfield and made a beeline for the barn.”
“What did he do?” she asked.
“He got my daughter with child,” the man replied, a bitter edge in his voice. “Tom Larson told me where he lives.” He gestured to the land nearby. “As soon as he saw me coming, he went off running like a coward.” Turning his attention back to the barn, he yelled, “You either marry my daughter, or you leave here in a pine box. You will not get away with ruining her reputation!”
“There’s no need to get violent,” Nelly said. “I’m sure we can come to a solution that doesn’t involve gunfire.”
Val thought it was ironic she should say that when she held a gun in her hand. “Who’s in the barn?”
“Seth McCarthy,” the man replied.
“I’ll go in there and talk to him,” Val volunteered.
“We both will,” Nelly added.
“You’re not going to let him escape, are you?” the father demanded, narrowing his eyes at them.
“No. Seth needs to face up to his responsibilities.” And quite frankly, Val was glad to be a part of this moment. It was about time Seth had to own up to his actions. The father reminded him a lot of a friend of his father’s. The man had been a general in the war, and he didn’t take guff from anyone. A man like that was the perfect father-in-law for someone like Seth.
Since the father nodded for Val and Nelly to go into the barn, they did so.
“We know you’re in here, Seth,” Nelly called out. “There’s no sense in hiding.”
Val didn’t expect Seth to give up that easily, and sure enough, he stayed hidden. He scanned the barn, looking for a place where a grown man might hide. Finally, his gaze went to the corner of the barn which was hidden in the shadows behind a couple of barrels.
Val nudged Nelly in the side and pointed over at the corner. He gestured for her stay where she was before he went over to confront Seth. He peered around the barrels, and Seth hunched further down.
“If only Zane and Scott could see you now,” Val said. “This is nothing compared to me falling off a horse.” Seth didn’t move, so Val let out a heavy sigh. “I know you’re here. I can see you.” He leaned forward and jabbed Seth in the shoulder.
Seth jerked back, and he finally looked at Val.
Val’s eyes widened in surprise. The father was right. Seth was a coward. “For someone who talks big, you’re a disappointment,” Val said.
“I was only with his daughter one time, and that was because she tricked me. She’s been after me for over a year. No matter how much I said no, she wouldn’t stop coming after me.”
Val’s eyebrows rose, thinking of all the times he’d come here to bother Nelly. “That sounds strangely familiar.”
“It’s not the same thing as what I did with Nelly.”
“How do you figure that?”
“I had something worthwhile to offer. I had my land and animals. His daughter has nothing.” He grimaced. “She’s not even that pretty.”
“She was pretty enough for you to sleep with.”
“I was drunk. Every woman looks pretty when you’re drunk.”
Val shook his head. “You’re a weasel of a man, Seth. You knew what you were doing. You just didn’t expect to get caught. Well, guess what? You did. Now you have to take responsibility for your actions. You’re going to marry her.”
When Seth didn’t make a move to leave the corner of the barn, Val grabbed his arm and pulled him out.
“You’re unbelievable, Seth,” Nelly hissed.
“I wouldn’t have done this if you had married me,” Seth hissed in return.
Nelly rolled her eyes. “I doubt that. You were always a creep. I feel sorry for that poor girl you’re trying to abandon.”
“I have a feeling her father will make sure he treats her right,” Val told Nelly.
“I don’t know,” Nelly replied as she scanned Seth up and down in disgust.
“There’s nothing like a father’s wrath to make a man behave, and the father waiting for old yellow belly here is furious,” Val assured her. “You don’t have to worry about the girl. She’ll be fine.”
Val pushed Seth to move forward, but Seth tried to get away from him.
Nelly held her gun up toward him. “Don’t you run, Seth. I’m not going to kill you, but I can make it so that you can’t get away. Then you’ll be worse off than you are now.”
Seth glanced between them. “You’re really going to make me do this?”
“What’s going on in there?” the father barked.
Val gave Seth another push, and this time, Seth moved forward. It took another few good pushes until Seth was outside the barn.
The father glowered at him. “If you ever run from me again, I’ll make you sorry.”
Seth flinched.
Now that the father had Seth, Val doubted Seth was going to ever run off again.
“I’ll need to get back to my barn so I can get another horse,” Seth mumbled after everyone spent half a minute in awkward silence. “I can’t get the one that ran into the corn.”
Nelly didn’t look the least bit pleased with the reminder that the horse had probably trampled some of her corn. Val didn’t have to be familiar with farming to know that an animal running through crops was going to do some damage.
“You’re riding to the preacher with me,” the father said. “My wife and daughter are waiting for us. After that, you’re going to live with us. I intend to keep a close eye on you. You won’t be going anywhere unless I tell you to.”
“So what’s going to happen to his property?” Nelly asked.
“I’m going to sell it,” the father replied.
Nelly’s eyes lit up, and without even having to ask her, Val knew what she was thinking. Deciding to do it for her, Val said, “We’d be willing to buy it.”
Seth glared at Val, an action which only made Val all the happier to make the purchase. It would require them to take out a loan since he’d just put the money he’d received from his clothes into stocks, but if Nelly was going to make as much as she expected from the harvest—and they were able to combine that with the yield from Seth’s land—they might be able to pay it off before the end of the year. They could also sell the animals they didn’t need. He didn’t know what animals went for around here, but he was sure he could work out something with other farmers in the area. It wasn’t all that different from the transactions his father and others had made in Boston.
“How much do you want for it?” Val asked the man.
The man thought for a moment then gave him a price.
“If I go to the bank and get the money right away, can we own it by the end of the day?” Val asked.
The man scratched his beard. “Since you two got Yellow Belly out for me, I’ll be more than happy to do that.”
Val glanced at Nelly. “You don’t mind if I miss the first day of harvest, do you?”
“Not for something this good,” she said, not hiding her excitement. “I’ll explain it to the others. They’ll understand.”
“Great. I’ll get the horse saddled up and go into town with you,” he told the father.
It wasn’t until he, Seth, and the girl’s father were leaving the property that Val remembered he hadn’t finished making breakfast, but he supposed in light of everything, it didn’t matter
. Nelly would grab something to eat before everyone got together to help with the harvest. At the moment, he was going to make a business deal, and he had no doubt it would bring in many benefits in the years to come for both him and Nelly.
Epilogue
Two Years Later
“This is going to be the first year I won’t be able to participate in the harvest,” Nelly said as she came into the kitchen.
Val glanced up from the eggs he was beating into the small bowl. Nelly sat down with their one-month-old son, Ethan. He figured this day was going to be difficult for her. She loved being outside when it was harvest time, and this year they were due to start the harvest at her parents’ farm.
Val gave her a sympathetic smile. “If I could trade places with you, I would, but you need time to heal after giving birth.”
“I know, but it’s still going to be hard to watch you and the other men having all the fun.”
He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Even though he’d gained a lot of experience in planting and reaping since marrying her, those two things weren’t his favorite activities. They were fine. He didn’t mind them a whole lot. But he still preferred cooking. Sometimes it was fun to try a new recipe.
However, his favorite activity was working through the ledger, and he was very happy with the performance of the stocks he’d purchased with the money he’d made from the sale of his clothes and trunks. Shortly after paying off the loan he’d used to acquire Seth’s property, he and Nelly moved into Seth’s house since it was bigger. They turned their old home into a bunkhouse a year later, and he had hired a farmhand once he found out Nelly was expecting a child. That had ensured the last planting season was a good one, and judging by the looks of the crops, he might be able to hire another farmhand, at least for the spring, summer, and fall months next year so long as he was smart with the money the crops brought in.
He didn’t know if they would expand the farm beyond that point, but he had every intention of making sure they had a solid financial foundation so that he’d never have to tell his wife and children they lost everything. He hadn’t realized how hard that was for his father to do until he held little Ethan for the first time. He was determined that he would make sure his family always had what they needed, and any more than that would just be a bonus.
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