Rosemary gave a heavy sigh. “The truth is, I’ve raised cattle back in Kansas with my pa. Sheep are much easier to raise. They consume less food by a large margin. If I were a cowman, I’d be more concerned about the other cattle ranchers taking up all the grazing land.”
“You’re one smart young woman, Miss Jackson.” She nodded toward Finn as they approached the kitchen. “Don’t be too smart for your own good and let that one slip away.”
Rosemary sat with Finn in the kitchen while he fed Sarah. Dottie kept her distance, claiming she had knitting to do in the sitting room. After a few minutes of draining the feeder, Sarah had kept the baby formula down and slept peacefully.
“It’s late, and I have to check my fields in the morning,” Finn said.
Rosemary reached for the baby. “Of course. I never expected you to stay in town. We’ll be fine.”
She walked him to the door, Sarah cuddling against her shoulder. Finn hesitated before opening the door. “Rosemary, I’m sorry for earlier.”
Averting her gaze, she nodded. “I forgive you, Finn.” A rush of boldness suddenly overcame her, and she looked up. “I’m not sorry.”
His eyebrows rose. “About the…”
“Kiss. Right. I’m not sorry for that.” She stepped back, afraid he might take her words as an invitation. “I kissed you because I wanted to, Finn. The only regret I have is not knowing if you were kissing me because you wanted to or because you wanted to kiss the image of Rachel.”
He released a heavy breath, leaned forward before she could protest, and pressed his lips to hers so fast she barely felt the kiss. “This much I can promise you, Rosemary Jackson. That one was for you.”
Chapter Twenty-One
...........................
A sense of unease filled Finn as he headed for his fields the next morning. His horse seemed antsy as well. Finn kept a close watch for wild animals, though morning wasn’t a typical time for predators to be after horses.
He heard them before he saw them—the soft bleating of sheep. What on earth? The sight of his field stunned him. The tender shoots of hay had been pulled up by the woolly beasts, the dirt turned up by two hundred pairs of hooves…. Horror filled him and he rushed forward on his horse, Cooper on his heels, barking with abandon as though the creatures were there for his amusement.
In the months since Rosemary had purchased the animals, Finn had purposely kept Coop away from the sheep because he wasn’t sure if he would try to harm them. But now he couldn’t care less. Let the enormous dog slaughter the whole herd.
It just didn’t make any sense how the sheep could have even gotten into his field. But there was no fence, and only the one field between his property and hers. Rosemary hadn’t wanted a fence. “As long as the boys keep them herded away from your fields, we’ll never have a problem. You’ll see. I don’t want a fence between us.”
And now a whole field of tender new hay was ruined because of her arrogance.
Coop’s low, menacing growls and barks began to clear the field at last. The sheep turned, and as they were scampering away, Peter and Ian raced toward Finn. “Mr. Tate!” Peter called. “We had no idea this happened.”
“Why didn’t you two know?” Finn growled, his jaw set as his anger built. “Weren’t you supposed to keep them all night?”
“When I got back from town, Rolf chose to stay in the fields and not sleep,” Peter said. “He told me to go.”
“So Rolf is the one who let these sheep ruin my field?”
For the second time in three days, Finn had an uneasy feeling about Rolf. It wouldn’t have surprised him if the jilted young man had set the sheep loose on purpose rather than keeping them herded in Rosemary fields. He recalled again the scene between Rolf and Clayton’s men.
He glared at Ian and Peter. “Why didn’t one of you stay with Rolf? There is never supposed to be less than two of you out here with the sheep at a time.”
Peter shrugged and stared at his boots. “I apologize, Mr. Tate.”
“That doesn’t tell me why you left Rolf alone at night when you know that doing so is expressly against Miss Jackson’s orders for this place. If the two of you can’t start obeying orders, I’m going to recommend that she let you go. And Rolf.”
“Mr. Tate,” Peter said, still refusing to meet Finn’s gaze, “I am sorry for not staying when I was told to do so, but my brother ordered me to go, and because he has been so angry with me over Marta, I went. I didn’t want to anger him further.”
Finn scowled. “All right.” He looked at Ian. “Is that what you say happened also?”
Peter jerked his head up and frowned. “I am not a liar, sir.”
“I don’t suppose you are, but I still need to know whether your uncle heard the same thing you did.”
Ian’s face grew red as Finn stared at him. “Well?”
“Rolf is my brother’s son. I do not be disloyal to family.”
“Well, that pretty much answers the question anyway.” He looked from one to the other. “The two of you go get those sheep and herd them away from my pastures.”
“Yes sir,” they said, turning to go. Then Peter turned again. “Do you know when Marta will return from town?”
He didn’t blame the boy. He was missing Rosemary too. A sense of camaraderie sprang up between them and evaporated much of his anger. “Mrs. Fischer has to remain bedridden and unmoving for a few more days, but I believe Marta is planning to bring the children back home in another day or so.”
Peter’s face relaxed at the news. “I am glad to hear this. Marta helps with the sheep.”
Finn grinned. “You want her back because she helps?”
“Well, that is not the only reason.”
“I’m sure she’s just as anxious to see you, Peter. But please keep those sheep out of my fields from here on out.”
“Yes, sir. I will.” He glanced past Finn and suddenly his smile vanished and his body tensed.
“What is it, Peter?”
“Mr. Clayton. He is not a good man.”
“Clayton?” Finn whipped around as the rancher rode toward him, heedless of the new hay that hadn’t been trampled or consumed. Peter was right about him; he was not a good man.
“Well, Finn, I guess now you’ll admit I was right.” Clayton pulled his sleek black horse to a halt. “It appears Miss Jackson’s sheep have ruined one of your fields.”
“And what makes you think that?” Finn asked, refusing to give him any evidence to use against Rosemary. The fact was, all Clayton would have to do was incite a few of the cattle ranchers over a fifty-mile radius and they’d run Rosemary out of the area just on rumor alone. He’d be no party to it.
“Well, just look at it.” The man’s face twisted in anger as he caught on to Finn’s attitude.
“Believe me, Mr. Clayton, I have been. I’m thinking prairie dogs might have gotten to it.” He raised an eyebrow, challenging Clayton to prove that Rosemary’s sheep were responsible for his field.
“This isn’t over,” Clayton said. Staring at Peter, he asked, “What would you say got to this field, son?”
Peter kept his gaze leveled on the bully. “It is as Mr. Tate says. I believe I saw a prairie dog in this field one day. Could be he came back with his family.”
Clayton glared at Peter but dismissed him, turning back to Finn. “I know you’re sweet on that wild sister-in-law of yours, but let me assure you, I will get rid of those sheep one way or another. And it’ll be a shame if she stands in my way.”
“That sounded an awful lot like a threat against Rosemary.”
“Call it what you wish.” Clayton turned his horse and rode back across the field. Once he reached the road, he nudged his horse into a run and took off like a man with purpose.
Finn refused to let Clayton spook him, so he wasn’t sure how concerned to be. He turned to Peter. “What was all that about with Clayton?”
The young man’s ears grew red instantly.
“Don’t bother d
enying it. Just explain to me how you know him and why he tried to get you to be an ally.” Finn studied the boy’s face closely. “Is Rolf involved with Mr. Clayton?”
Peter let out a heavy sigh. “He is. After Marta angered him, I believe he accepted Mr. Clayton’s money to harm Miss Jackson’s property or sheep.”
“But why would he do that?”
“My mother and father live on Mr. Clayton’s land. My father works his cattle. He has tried to bribe my family before, but we are not interested. The only reason Mr. Clayton keeps Papa working after we work for Miss Jackson is because he is very good and works very cheap. I believe Rolf will profit highly for turning the sheep into your field.”
“But what good will it do to turn them into my land? Other than ruining my fields, it doesn’t do anything for him.” With a sense of unease, Finn recalled when his anger had run so hot just minutes ago that he would have had strong words with Rosemary if she’d been standing in front of him when the sheep were in his field.
“Mr. Clayton is using this incident to make a point that the sheep are destructive to cattle grazing and farmer’s fields. If he can get all the farmers and the ranchers to come against Miss Jackson, she will not be strong enough to withstand the pressure, I’m afraid.”
Finn guffawed. “Clearly he doesn’t know Rosemary.”
The despicable man just couldn’t leave Rosemary alone. She would never let her sheep graze on another field on purpose. And after this morning, he’d be putting up his own fence so it would never happen again, accidentally or from sabotage. And if it did happen again after he put up his fence, he would know for sure that sabotage was involved.
He dreaded having to tell Rosemary that Rolf had ceased to be loyal to her. He would go to town later to see her. For one thing, he missed her. And he missed Sarah, whom Rosemary insisted upon keeping with her so that he could work in his fields. So far the baby had kept down the food that the doctor had given them, so Finn was hopeful that soon he could bring his daughter home.
He mounted his horse. With Rosemary gone and Rolf a traitor, he didn’t feel comfortable about leaving her home unattended. The men had completed the barn, collected their pay, and gone back to Williston.
Everything was quiet when he arrived. Too quiet. He tethered his horse to the house railing and climbed the steps to the porch. He heard scuffling inside and didn’t have to guess who it could be.
Flinging open the door, he watched with grim satisfaction as Rolf jumped, his eyes wide. “Mr. Tate. Vat are you doing at Miss Jackson’s house?”
“Are you seriously asking me that? You little traitor!”
Rolf had clearly been going through the papers on Rosemary’s desk in the sitting room, and he had tucked one hand behind his back.
Finn nodded toward the hand. “I’ll see what’s behind your back.”
Rolf frowned and took a step backward, his eyes shifting toward the door as though gauging whether or not he should make a run for it. “There is nothing there, Mr. Tate.”
“Don’t take me for a fool, Rolf. I’ve had a bad feeling about you from day one.” He stepped closer, his hand on the butt of his pistol. He wouldn’t draw it unless he had no choice. But Rolf didn’t know that.
Rolf’s blue eyes blazed with anger as he produced a paper from behind his back. He held it out for Finn.
“Step forward and give it here, easy-like.” Finn took the paper from Rolf and examined it. “What were you planning to do with the receipt from Rosemary’s land claim?”
Rolf shrugged.
“Did Mr. Clayton put you up to this?”
Shaking his head, Rolf averted his gaze. “I did vat I did.”
Finn drew his pistol. “Drop your gun belt,” he said. “We’re going to town to pay a visit to the sheriff.”
For the first time since Finn had known the young man, Rolf’s arrogance failed him and his eyes showed fear. To his credit, he didn’t beg Finn not to take him, doing instead as instructed and dropping his gun belt. Finn left it where it had fallen and motioned for Rolf to walk toward the door. With his gun leveled at Rolf’s back, Finn fell in line behind him.
They mounted up and headed for Paddington.
* * * * *
Rosemary nearly burst into tears of relief when Agnes greeted her with a smile and sat up on the third day after her surgery.
Dr. Richards followed them into the room. “Children, don’t get too close. She’s in a good deal of pain yet.”
“Doctor.” Agnes’s voice was still thin, but her tone was firm. “My children must come and give their mama hugs.”
Rosemary stepped between them quickly. “One at a time.” She eyed them with such stern admonishment that they obeyed instantly. “Afonso, you first. Gently.”
He tiptoed to the bed and stood unmoving at his mother’s bedside.
“Well?” Agnes said, her eyes smiling.
“I don’t know what to do,” the boy said.
“You haf forgotten how to give your mama a hug?”
“Gently,” Rosemary reminded.
Agnes smiled at her son. “Yes, gently.”
At the first touch, the rough-and-tumble boy burst into tears. “I miss you, Mama.”
Agnes released her own tears, and each child in turn wept until there wasn’t a dry eye in the room, including the doctor’s.
After a few minutes, the doctor stepped up. “You should all go wait in the chairs while Miss Jackson and your mama talk.”
The children left, and Dr. Richards regarded Rosemary. Fear gripped her stomach. She braced herself for bad news.
“Agnes is doing well,” he said.
Wilting with relief, she frowned. “I thought you were telling me something very different.”
“No, no. She is doing well.” He pulled off his spectacles and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“What is it, Doctor?”
“The doctor is saying I must recover in peace and quiet.”
“What do you mean?” Rosemary looked from the doctor to Agnes and back to the doctor. “Whatever you need me to do, I’m willing. Just say what’s on your mind, Dr. Richards.”
“I would like to keep Mrs. Fischer as still and quiet and worry-free as possible for the next two weeks. If she stays quiet and can regain her strength, then she can go back to your homestead.”
“Ach, I do not vish to be trouble.”
“Agnes, please.” Rosemary took her hand. “You are far from trouble.” She turned back to the doctor. “What can I do for her?”
“There is no good place for her to convalesce in my office. I’m not set up like a hospital. And there is no hospital within a hundred miles.”
“What do you suggest?”
“The boardinghouse is the only decent place.”
Agnes let out a gasp. “Herr Richards, Doctor.” She looked at him earnestly. “I am in your debt. You haf saved me, and now I must find a vay to pay you for your surgery to me.” She closed her eyes and opened them, and Rosemary could see that her pain had returned. The doctor must have seen it as well. He walked to the cabinet, unlocked it, and pulled out a bottle of white, milky liquid.
He brought it to her, but she shook her head. “Not until I say vat I must.”
“All right. But no more about paying my fee.”
She turned to Rosemary. “This is a very stubborn doctor. How vill he pay for his medicines and equipment if he vill not accept payment?” She turned to him. “You are very goot doctor, not so goot head for business.”
He chuckled. “I’ll never get rich by fixing people up. That’s the truth.”
Rosemary squeezed Agnes’s hand. “I think what she’s trying to say is that she can’t afford to stay in the boardinghouse.”
“Yes,” Agnes said, her chest rising and falling. “This is true.”
The doctor spooned the liquid into her mouth, no longer heeding her protests. “Let’s lay you down now.” His soft words and gentle manner touched Rosemary. He glanced at her and she smiled. In turn,
his face reddened and he cleared his throat. “Help me please. She has been sitting up long enough.”
“Thanks to you two,” Agnes said. Her breathing was beginning to slow.
Dr. Richards patted her hand. “You’ll be more comfortable once you’re settled in at the boardinghouse.”
“I can’t…”
“It’ll be taken care of.” Rosemary nodded at the doctor. “I’ll speak with Dottie today.”
“Rosemary, you mustn’t.” The laudanum was already beginning to take effect.
“Shh,” Rosemary said. “Concentrate on getting strong for those babies.”
The doctor walked her to the door. “The best thing is for Marta to stay with her and the other children to go to the homestead with you. Otherwise, I fear that Mrs. Fischer will not be able to keep from taking care of them.”
“I don’t mind taking the children home with me. The boys can help with the younger children. And even Elsa is good with Sarah.”
“That’s good. Good.” He pinched the bridge of his nose again then looked up at her as though he had been trying to remember another detail. “Agnes can’t climb steps. Under any circumstances. She will pull her stitches out.”
“I’m sure Dottie wouldn’t mind setting up a room for them downstairs.”
Rosemary smiled as the children filed toward her. “Is Mama coming home today?” Elsa asked in the soft voice Rosemary had come to love. She reached down and rubbed the girl’s blond curls. “Not today, honey.” She reached out to take Sarah from Marta. “Can you please get the children to the wagon?” she said. “I’ll be out there in just a minute.”
“When should Agnes move to the boardinghouse?” she asked the doctor, glancing at the wagon through the door the children had left open. “I don’t see how she will even bear to be moved.”
He nodded. “We will need Finn and perhaps the sheriff again.”
Rosemary’s heartbeat sped up, but she wasn’t sure which man had caused the increase. “I’m sure either man would happily agree.”
“She will, of course, have to be carried.”
“But what about her pain, Doctor?” No matter how careful the men were, they would never get Agnes to the boardinghouse without jostling her beyond her pain threshold.
Love Finds You in Wildrose, North Dakota Page 21