Thoughtfully, Tony held a hand to his chin, studying her for a moment. He knew she didn’t understand how the machinery operated and most likely didn’t care. His little chickadee, as he thought of Ilsa, was as out of place here in the wheat field as he would be in her aunt’s fancy dress shop.
When Kade’s dog approached, he tried not to laugh at the horrified expression on Ilsa’s face. The big animal walked up to her and sniffed her dress.
“What is that thing?” Ilsa whispered, glancing from Tony to Nik, uncertain if she should hold still or run to the safety of the buggy where Aundy and Nora visited with the men.
“He isn’t a thing and wouldn’t appreciate you thinking ill of him,” Nik said, rubbing his hand over the dog’s head. An enormous tail began to wag enthusiastically and Tony stepped aside to keep from receiving a beating from it.
“That ‘thing’ is Kade’s dog, Ike. Caterina ranks just a little higher for Kade’s affection, so you best be nice to him,” Tony said, patting the dog on his side. A huge tongue lolled out of his mouth and licked Tony’s hand. “Isn’t that right, Ike?”
The dog woofed a low, throaty sound that made Ilsa’s eyes widen with trepidation.
“What kind of dog is he? I don’t recall ever seeing one so large.” The few dogs she’d seen had mostly been at the park or walking down the street. She couldn’t remember viewing one so big or with such vibrant blue eyes.
“He’s a blue Great Dane.” Tony took Ilsa’s hand in his and placed it on the dog’s head, making her pet him.
Ike grunted in satisfaction and leaned against her. Tony braced her from behind, letting her balance against his side to keep the dog’s weight from pushing her over.
“He’s as gentle as one of our lambs if he likes you,” Nik said, scratching the dog along his neck. “You passed the test, or Ike wouldn’t let you pet him.”
“So this is an honor, then?” Ilsa asked, a spark of mirth lighting her eyes. She wouldn’t necessarily consider petting a behemoth canine a prestigious occurrence, but apparently, Ike was choosy about the humans he liked.
“An absolute honor that you should be quite proud of achieving.” Tony nodded solemnly although the grin that broke out on his handsome face gave away the fact he was once again teasing her.
“I’ll be sure to make note of this auspicious occasion.” Ilsa noticed Aundy waving at her to return to the buggy. “Thank you, gentlemen, for enhancing my education in regard to farm equipment and large dogs.”
“Happy to be of service, chickadee,” Tony said, offering a wink and a cocky smile as Nik walked her back to the buggy.
Tony checked all the mules to make sure none of them had sores and the harnesses were all in good working order. He chuckled as he thought of the look on Ilsa’s face when Ike sniffed her skirt and earlier when she stood in Aundy’s kitchen, dripping eggs all over the floor.
The polite thing to do would have been to announce himself and behave like a gentleman. However, Tony had long ago discovered there wasn’t much enjoyment in always following society’s idea of proper behavior.
He recalled the feel of her skin, warm and so soft beneath his fingers. As he unfastened the buttons of her gown, he should never have brushed his fingers against her back. The currents zinging throughout his body from the contact made it hard for him to think of anything except how much he wanted to remove her dress and kiss every inch of Ilsa’s exposed skin.
Even now, the thought of what he did see made heat and longing flood through him.
A slap on his shoulder jerked him out of his musings of Ilsa and back to Garrett’s field of wheat.
Hastily corralling his thoughts, he looked up to find Kade standing beside him, rubbing Ike on the head.
“I see Ilsa met Ike. What did she think?”
“Ike took her by surprise, but I think she liked him well enough. He seemed to approve of her.” Tony refastened the buckle on the lead mule’s harness then gave the animal a pat on his back.
“And what do you think of the fair little Ilsa Thorsen?” Kade asked. Even if Caterina hadn’t pointed out Tony’s interest in the girl, Kade would have noticed his brother-in-law’s infatuation. Tony couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her. He wore a besotted look Kade had known all too well when he was falling for his feisty wife.
“She seems like a nice girl.” Tony had been around Kade enough to know anything he said could and would be used later to tease him unmercifully, especially if Kade shared his opinions with Garrett.
“Nice, huh?” Kade said, climbing up on the machine with Tony. He was the one steering the header on this particular rig. Turning to catch the attention of his dog, Kade pointed toward Aundy. “Go back to the house with the women, Ike. Keep an eye on them.”
The dog barked and ran after the buggy as it bounced out of the field.
“I worry about him getting run over or in the way,” Kade said, as he pulled his gloves back on. “Now, what were you saying about Ilsa? That you thought she’s nice?”
“Well, she does seem nice.” Tony picked up the reins, waiting for Nik and Fred, one of the ranch hands, to climb back on so they could return to work. “I think she’s scared of her own shadow, afraid to have fun, and full of too much propriety.”
Kade laughed and pointed a finger at Tony. “But you’re just the man to overcome that, aren’t you?”
Before Tony could reply, Nik and Fred showed up and they got back to work.
Garrett and J.B. stopped the work at noon and one of the empty wagons hauled the men back to the ranch house where they washed then sat down at tables laden with food beneath the big cottonwood tree in the side yard.
Eagerly, Tony bit into a crispy piece of fried chicken. Although his sister was a marvelous cook and kept him well fed, there were some things, like fried chicken, he preferred to eat when Aundy prepared it.
As he watched Ilsa keep the men’s glasses filled with lemonade, he wondered if she knew how to cook.
Glancing around at the array of delicious food, he couldn’t picture Ilsa being any handier in the kitchen than she was doing outdoor chores.
Although the girl seemed somewhat lacking in the domestic skills one hoped to find in a suitable wife, Tony somehow didn’t care. He didn’t know what it was about Ilsa, but his attraction for her seemed to grow stronger by the day.
When she smiled at something one of the men said as she poured a glass of lemonade, jealousy took a tight grip on him. Fighting down his urge to jump up and punch the man in the face, he tried to focus on his meal and the conversations taking place around him. If he had to sit through two meals a day for the next several days with men ogling Ilsa’s every move, he wasn’t convinced he would survive.
It wouldn’t be easy, that was for sure.
Chapter Eight
From her spot on the front porch, Ilsa watched the last of the wagons head to town, loaded down with burlap sacks full of golden kernels of wheat. She expelled a relieved sigh.
The past ten days were a blur of cooking, washing dishes, cleaning, and waking up exhausted to do it all over again.
She didn’t know how Aundy and Nora could not only handle such hard labor, but also joyfully embrace it. The two women laughed and joked, acting like they were truly enjoying themselves while slaving over a hot stove in a kitchen that felt like the inside of an oven in the stifling summer heat. Even with Li Hong helping, the work was nonstop.
Barely able to boil water without scorching the pan, Ilsa found herself in the role of helper and errand girl. She picked vegetables from the garden, broke ice into small pieces, peeled and sliced more potatoes than she ever wanted to think about, and did what she could to be of assistance.
She was grateful egg gathering wasn’t included on her list of chores. If Aundy had asked, Ilsa would have refused. No one told her the golden fried chicken she so enjoyed eating came from birds possessed by pure evil.
An arm slip around her waist and Ilsa glanced up at Aundy, offering her a tired smile. She wanted
nothing more than to sit quietly by an open window, sip a glass of lemonade, and rest. As tired she felt, she realized Aundy had to be even more so. Her sister rose long before dawn every morning and stayed up past dark every night, making sure the men would have plenty of good food to eat.
“I’m ready to go home. What do you say?” Aundy asked, as she stretched her arms over her head and rolled her neck.
“That would be more than satisfactory.” Ilsa walked inside Nora’s house to gather their things. The first half of the harvest, the men ate at Garrett and Aundy’s house with the second half spent feeding them from J.B. and Nora’s kitchen, due to the proximity of the fields where they worked.
Ilsa still didn’t understand what the men meant when they talked about Nash’s Folly and the combined ranch.
She knew Aundy inherited Erik Erikson’s farm upon his death. When her sister married Garrett, they decided to combine the Erickson farm with the ranch already owned by the Nash family. Now, the two places were known as Nash’s Folly, even though Dent managed the acres that originally belonged to Erik and a man named Jim was the manager at J.B. and Nora’s home place.
Ilsa wasn’t sure what constituted the difference in a farm and a ranch, although she knew the Nash family had many more acres than the ground Aundy and Garrett referred to as the Erickson land. In addition to all the wheat, several hundred head of cattle pastured on J.B. and Nora’s place while Aundy had her sheep.
It was all very confusing to Ilsa, and the fact of the matter was that she didn’t really want to know enough to sort out the details.
Helping with harvest confirmed her dislike for all things rural. The dust, the smells, the noises — she hated it all.
As much as she loathed living with her aunt, she missed the quiet of her room there. She also missed the pleasant fragrances, the soft carpet, and the lack of dust.
Even though Aundy seemed to dust every day or two, it took no time at all for surfaces to bear a powdery coating. Ilsa was sure five minutes after wiping the dust from a table, she could write her name in the grit coating the top.
While she couldn’t wait to find a suitable place for her dress shop and move to town, she did appreciate the freedom she found living with Aundy and Garrett. They made no demands of her, helped her with any questions she had, and offered unconditional love.
No longer under her aunt’s oppressive hand, she felt some of the spunk and joy she knew as a young girl beginning to return.
Maybe one day, she’d feel free to be herself again.
For now, though, she’d settle for a cool bath and the soft mattress of her bed.
“Well, we made it through harvest, girls,” Nora said, plopping down at the table and picking up a fan. Slowly waving it back and forth, she stirred the damp tendrils of hair around her face, closing her eyes to enjoy what little breeze the motion created.
“I, for one, am glad it’s over,” Aundy said, packing empty bowls and pans into a box. “Garrett said it was one of the best crops you’ve ever had, though. That’s good news, especially with the price farmers have been getting for harvested wheat.”
“J.B. heard we might get as much as fifty cents a bushel,” Nora said, opening her eyes and smiling at Aundy. “Can you imagine?”
“Garrett mentioned the yield ran right at twenty bushel per acre this year. We had just over two thousand acres of harvested wheat, so I think I’m going to order that new rifle I’ve been wanting.”
Ilsa choked on the glass of water she’d been drinking. She wasn’t sure if it was her sister’s proclamation that she wanted a new rifle and no doubt intended to use it, or the amount of money the Nash family had just made with their wheat harvest. It was almost more than she could fathom.
As Aundy thumped her on the back, Ilsa pushed at her hand when her coughing subsided.
“No need to dislodge something vital,” she said, looking at her sister. “Did you just say you wanted to purchase a new rifle?”
“Yes. The one I inherited from Erik is too heavy for me to use. I found one I think will be much lighter without as much kick.”
“You actually go out and shoot a gun?” Ilsa asked, trying to picture Aundy holding a gun to her shoulder and firing at something.
“I do. Garrett and I enjoy hunting together and shooting targets.” Aundy packed up the last of her dishes, handing the smaller of two boxes to Ilsa.
“She’s a good shot, too. Garrett taught her everything he knows,” Nora said, getting to her feet and walking the sisters to the door. “If you’d like to learn, you’ve got two good teachers at your disposal.”
“I can assure you, that won’t be necessary.” Ilsa kissed Nora’s cheek then followed Aundy down the steps to their waiting buggy.
As Aundy guided the horse toward home, Ilsa thought about the money Garrett and Aundy would earn from the harvest. Although she’d worried about her sister making ends meet on a ranch in the untamed west, the couple was much better off than even haughty Louisa and Henri.
Pleased to know her sister and brother-in-law were doing so well financially, she realized she shouldn’t be surprised. They worked hard, didn’t flaunt their wealth, and were kind and generous. She’d seen Aundy give coins to some children who looked like homeless urchins when they were in town and overhead Garrett talking about helping a family who fell on hard times.
Her father used to say something about hard work having its own reward. She wondered if that was what he meant.
Ilsa enjoyed the comforts money could provide. Grateful she had her own money saved to start her business, she didn’t think she would do well if she had to give up some of her expected comforts, like indoor plumbing.
Thinking about having to trek out in the dark to an outhouse made her cringe and Aundy gave her a strange look.
“What was that about?”
“I was just thinking about how thankful I am to be staying with you and living in a house with indoor plumbing. I can’t wait to take a bath. I might even skip dinner and go right to bed.” Ilsa smiled at her sister as the horse pulled the buggy down the road.
Aundy laughed. “I never expected to live in a house with both a bathroom and a telephone out here, but Pendleton is a progressive town experiencing a lot of growth. You mark my words, it won’t be long before you see some of those new automobiles driving through town.”
Ilsa grinned. “I don’t know about the autos, but I agree. Pendleton isn’t anything like I expected it to be. There are many more stores, shops, and restaurants than I anticipated. I can’t believe there’s an opera house and theater here.”
“When things on the ranch slow down, perhaps we can talk the men into taking us,” Aundy said, letting the horse have its head as it turned up their lane. “I’m sure you wouldn’t lack for gentleman companions, although I think Tony Campanelli would be first in line.”
At the mention of Tony’s name, heat seared Ilsa’s cheeks. Although he’d missed a few days of the harvest because of ice deliveries and other obligations, when he was there, he somehow managed to find his way to her side during breaks. She’d felt his eyes glued to her during the meals.
The intensity of his gaze made her feel like he was looking past her exterior and seeing down into her soul. The thought of that made her want to hide in her room and never come out.
She wasn’t always pleased with what she saw in herself. She certainly didn’t want someone like Tony, someone so friendly, open, and full of life, to see her faults.
“Since you haven’t been out in the sun enough to attribute those red cheeks to sunburn, I have to guess the idea of going with Tony isn’t entirely unappealing to you,” Aundy teased.
“I… well… that’s not to say…” Ilsa stammered, trying to pull her thoughts together.
“You like Tony, don’t you?” Aundy asked, in her usual forthright manner. When Ilsa refused to reply, Aundy patted her on the back. “That’s okay. I think he likes you, too.”
“You do?” Ilsa asked, whipping her gaze arou
nd to her sister’s face. “You aren’t just saying that?”
“No, I’m not just saying that.” Aundy smiled as she stopped the horse at the gate to the side yard near the kitchen door. “I’d say he’s probably every bit as interested in you as you are in him.”
“I didn’t realize my feelings were so transparent,” Ilsa huffed as she carried a box of dishes into the house.
Aundy set down her box and gave Ilsa an encouraging hug. “They aren’t, but you are my sister and I do know you well.” Aware of how uncomfortable it made the girl to discuss her feelings, especially for Tony, Aundy gave her a reprieve. “Why don’t you go take that cool bath while I put things away and make a light supper?”
“How can you do anything? All I want to do is be clean and then sleep for a week. You worked twice as hard as I did.” Ilsa stared at her sister with admiration. She knew Aundy was a hard worker, but the past several days of harvest had proved her capable of much more than Ilsa would have imagined.
“I do it because it needs to be done. Believe me, I’d love to soak in a tub fragrant with my special rose soap until my fingers wrinkled up, but that will have to wait for a while. Besides, if I keep going, I’ll be fine. It’s when I sit down and give in to the fatigue that we’ll have a problem.”
“I’ll take a bath and then you can put me to work,” Ilsa said, not looking forward to more time spent in the kitchen.
“I think tonight we’ll keep it simple with sandwiches and maybe some sliced tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden. I held back some cookies from what we took to Nora’s this morning. We’ll eat those with peaches and cream for dessert. I won’t even have to heat up the stove.” Aundy gave Ilsa a gentle nudge down the hall. “Now go get cleaned up and take your time. The men won’t be back until right before supper.”
Inspired by thoughts of a leisurely bath, Ilsa hurried to her room and gathered what she needed then returned to the bathroom. She filled the tub with tepid water and sucked in her breath as she slid down into the cooling liquid.
A sigh of pleasure worked free as she washed her hair then soaked for a while. Her eyes closed and thoughts drifted while the fragrance of her favorite soap surrounded her.
Ilsa (Pendleton Petticoats Book 3) Page 8