Getting himself together, he stepped into the barn and headed for Kirk’s stall. The majestic black head poked out of the stall as soon as he got close. Geoff got a carrot and fed it to Kirk, rubbing his nose, the horse calming the last of his nerves as it munched loudly, those huge, deep eyes watching him closely. “You are something else, boy.”
Len had tried to convince his dad for years to have Kirk gelded, but Cliff would have none of it, and Geoff had no intention of doing it either. With a farewell stroke of that black nose, Geoff left the barn and headed toward the house.
The kitchen was filled with voices and laughter, the four men talking and joking easily with each other.
“Come on, Geoffy, pull up a chair.”
He took a seat away from Fred, and Len dealt him in the next hand. Simon continued the banter. “Pete, did you see Joey brushing Kirk this afternoon?” Kirk wouldn’t let Pete get anywhere near him without trying to bite the short, stocky man. Not that he’d let Simon, a.k.a. Lumpy, anywhere near him either, but Pete had always bragged about how good he was with horses.
A cheese curl went flying across the table. “Knock it off, Lumpy.” The aim was good—it left an orange splotch on Simon’s shirt.
“Are we gonna play?” Pete grumbled into his cards.
They settled down as the betting got under way. Not that there was big money involved. Geoff thought that someone might have won five dollars once, years ago. For them, it was all about who could bluff whom.
Geoff couldn’t help himself and got in on the ribbing, “Come on, guys, Kirk’s a big baby.”
Fred snickered. “Only ’cause he likes you.”
“And apparently Joey.” The fact that the teenager found favor with the stallion amused Geoff immensely. Geoff always felt that horses could sense what was in your heart, and Kirk was a particularly astute horse. That he liked Joey spoke a lot about the young man, as far as Geoff was concerned. It didn’t hurt that the kid was as cute as they came, either. If he were a little older…. Geoff had to force the thought from his mind as he bet carefully with his full house.
Sure enough, Lumpy bet big, which meant he was probably bluffing, and Geoff called him.
“Three nines.” The tall, wiry man laid down his cards, grinning like a cat.
Geoff smiled and showed his cards. “Full house.” Lumpy groaned and threw in his cards while Geoff raked in the pot. “Joey seems like a real good kid,” Geoff commented, and the conversation around the table stopped. “What?” He hadn’t expected the simple comment to have such an effect.
Len leaned forward, voice low and serious. “His daddy died a year ago, and his mom’s doing her best, but it ain’t easy for her. Joey’d been hanging around the barn for a while, and he finally asked how much riding lessons cost. I told him if he’d help around the barn, I’d give him lessons for free. You should have seen his face—lit up like a Christmas tree. That look alone was worth a year of lessons.” Somehow Geoff didn’t doubt it. “Why, what are you thinking?” Len somehow could tell an idea was percolating, but Geoff shook his head, not ready to talk about it yet.
Geoff patted Len on the shoulder. “You old softie,” he accused as he went to the refrigerator. “Anybody need anything?” The conversation around the table returned to normal.
“I’ll take a beer.” Geoff got two and handed one to Len before sitting back down.
Fred picked up the cards and started shuffling as antes were thrown in. “I hear your Aunt Janelle’s mad enough to spit nails at you.” Pete was dating Geoff’s cousin Jill. They were pretty serious, and whatever Janelle felt, Vicki and her kids were gonna hear about it.
Len muttered something—sounded like “old witch”—but Geoff took it in stride. “She tried to steal something from the house when she was visiting after dad died. I caught her and made her put it back, so of course she’s mad.” Conniving woman.
Fred piped in, “You know that woman’s the most vindictive creature ever put on this Earth.” The cards were dealt and the hand began.
“Don’t really care. She can go be vindictive someplace else. She’s not gonna steal from me and get away with it. Hell, she’s lucky I didn’t let her leave and then call the police.” Geoff decided it was time to change the subject, “So Pete, how are you Jilly getting along?” Bets were thrown into the pot while they talked.
Pete immediately turned red. The youngest of the group, apart from Geoff, he’d had a crush on Jill since high school. Two years earlier, he’d finally worked up the nerve to ask her on a date. They’d been inseparable since. “We’re doing good.”
Fred supplied the details. “Pete’s gonna ask her to marry him as soon as he can afford the ring.”
Pete still looked embarrassed,. “I’m almost there.”
Geoff smiled at Pete. “Good for you. She’s a nice girl who deserves someone who’ll be good to her.” His cousin was nice, not particularly bright, but down-to-earth, very sweet, and nurturing. There was no doubt they’d take good care of each other and make good parents.
“What does it feel like to be the Boss-man?” Lumpy could usually be counted on to be a pain in the ass.
Geoff thought quickly about how to answer. “Don’t know yet; we’ll see what it feels like when I sign your paycheck.” A chorus of “Ooooos” came from around the table, and then everyone laughed. He’d known these guys for some time; none of them were strangers, but he could see and feel that things had changed slightly. They used to pick on him and tease him. Now, other than Fred, that was largely absent. Geoff knew why and knew it was inevitable; he just wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
Geoff folded and threw in his cards, watching the remainder of the hand as the comfortable conversation and easy ribbing the guys gave one another continued around the table. Rumors and gossip were shared.
“Lumpy, did you hear that old man Jones claims he saw a bear on his property?” Len asked.
Lumpy laughed. “Like he claimed he saw a gorilla two years ago that turned out to be a combination of a scarecrow and too much whiskey.”
All the guys laughed except Len. “Just the same, be on the lookout for any signs.”
“There hasn’t been a bear in the county in twenty years. I bet it was one of the Hamms’ bears he saw through the bottom of his beer glass,” Lumpy said.
The card game broke up about nine, as it usually did. The guys helped to clean up and then hit the road. Most of them lived within a couple miles of the farm.
“Len, did you know today was Joey’s birthday?” Geoff asked. Len’s reply was a shake of his head. “I saw him at the barn today wearing old tennis shoes and jeans with more patches than denim,” Geoff added.
“What are you getting at?” Len glared at him, “You don’t want him around anymore; is that it?” The glare turned into a scowl. “’Cause I raised you better than that.”
“Don’t get your underwear in a twist.” What had Len so growly all of a sudden? “I was thinking that tomorrow I’d take him in to town, and we’d get him a birthday present. I was thinking a pair of boots, a proper pair of jeans, and maybe a hat. If he’s gonna be out in the sun, he’ll need one.”
Len turned away, and Geoff knew he was trying to hide the fact that he was feeling emotional. “Sometimes I forget just how much of your father there is in you.”
“There’s just as much of you in me as there is him. Remember that.” Geoff patted Len’s shoulder and then went into what had been his father’s office to give Len some privacy. He looked around and found the ledgers and records on the desk and started looking through them. It became apparent that they weren’t up to date, which wasn’t a surprise, and he sat down at the desk and got to work.
An hour later, he’d been able to map out what his dad had been doing and what needed to be done to get the books caught up. He also made a note to go down to the bank to talk to them about the farm accounts, find out about his dad’s personal accounts, and see what was going on with something his father listed as his emergency accou
nt.
Len knocked on the door frame. “Can we talk for a while?”
Geoff closed the ledgers and turned off the light. “Living room?” Len nodded, and Geoff got up and followed him.
Len sat in his usual chair. “I’ve decided that I’m going to move.”
“What? Where are you going?” This was not good. He didn’t want Len going anywhere.
“Sorry… I mean that I want to change bedrooms. The house is yours, and you should be using the master bedroom, and….” Geoff waited for him to finish. “Sleeping in that room without Cliff… I thought I could do it, but I just can’t. There’re too many memories,” Len finished.
Geoff wasn’t sure he could use the room either, but he could understand Len’s feelings. “I’ll help you move whenever you want.”
“Thank you.” Len reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. “Your dad asked me to give this to you once you’d made your decision about keeping the farm.” Len handed it to him and got out of the chair. “I’ll see you in the morning.” He then went upstairs.
Geoff stared at the envelope he held in his hand. He could see his name on it in his dad’s distinctive scrawl. Finally, he opened it and pulled out a handwritten letter.
My Darling Son:
By now I’m sure that Len has told you what I did and why. I know you’re probably upset with me, but this is what I wanted. These last few months have been filled with unending pain from the cancer and prodding from the doctors. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I know you would have tried to talk me out of it, and I could never deny you anything.
I asked Len to give you this letter once you’d made a decision about keeping or selling the farm. In case you’re wondering, I know what you chose, and I’m proud you decided to keep it. You will be the fourth generation to run the farm, and I know you’ll pass it on to the next generation in as good a shape as I’m passing it to you. You love this land as much as I do; it’s in your blood.
There are some things I need you to do. Please take care of Len. He’s the love of my life, and I was blessed with both him and you. I hope he’ll find someone and be happy again, and you mustn’t try to stop him. He deserves all the happiness he can find in this world, just as you do. Farming can be a very lonely life, so find yourself someone to love who loves you back. That makes everything else worth it.
Finally, I want to tell you how much I love you and how proud I am to have you as a son. You brightened my life every day. The first time I held you, I couldn’t fathom how quickly anyone could capture my heart, but one look from your big blue eyes, and I was a goner. As you grew up, you became an extraordinary man with a huge capacity for love and caring. You will be tried by many things in the years to come, but whatever happens, remain the same loving, caring person you are today.
I love you always,
Dad
Geoff’s eyes stung and his throat hurt as he finished the letter and put it back in the envelope. Walking back into the office, he placed the letter in the top drawer, turned off the lights, and went upstairs, his father’s words singing in his ears.
Chapter 4
GEOFF HAD never needed an alarm to get him up in the morning—well, at least when he hadn’t been drinking—and this morning wasn’t an exception. It was still dark, and Geoff was out of bed, cleaned up, dressed, and in the kitchen grabbing a bite to eat before going to the barn for his morning ride. He heard a soft knock and opened the door to find Lumpy standing on the steps, looking concerned. “There’s something in the barn that you have to see.”
Geoff felt dubious but followed Lumpy across the yard, into the barn, and down to the empty stall on the end, where he saw a pair of black boots. Looking into the stall, he was surprised to see a pair of legs, and peeking around the corner, the sleeping form of what looked like a boy. The barn was still largely dark, with only the early morning light coming through the windows and open door, but it was enough for Geoff to see that this boy was extraordinary. It was only after seeing his sleeping face that he noticed the black pants sticking out from under the black coat he was using as a blanket, and the wide-brimmed black hat that had been carefully set on the empty manger. What on earth was an Amish boy doing sleeping in his barn?
Geoff didn’t get much time to contemplate the question, because a few seconds later, the boy’s eyes opened and immediately filled with fear. Suddenly he was on his feet and running like a jackrabbit out of the barn and into the yard. Lumpy looked at Geoff and took off after him, but Geoff called him back. “I’ll go. You get started with your work.” Lumpy nodded, and Geoff picked up the hat and pair of boots, walking outside. Dawn was just starting to break, and he could see the boy standing by the road, looking back at the barn.
Geoff walked slowly in his direction, treating the boy like a spooked horse, making no sudden movements. “You forgot your boots and hat.” Geoff held them out to him, and when the boy didn’t move forward, Geoff slowly bent down and set them on the ground. “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.” He stepped back, and the boy moved forward, pulling on his boots and taking his hat. “Why were you sleeping in the barn? Where’s your family?”
“Rumspringa.”
The word sounded foreign to Geoff. “I don’t know what that means.”
The young man—Geoff could see now that he was definitely not a boy—stood back up again, those intense blue eyes boring into him. “It is my time away from the community.”
Geoff nodded, not really understanding too much about Amish life other than what he’d heard secondhand. But if the boy was supposed to live away from the community and he was sleeping in his barn, he obviously didn’t have a place to stay. “Are you hungry?”
The young man stood stock still as if deciding whether to answer or bolt, to listen to his fear or his stomach. “Yes.”
Geoff smiled and extended his hand. “I’m Geoff, and this is my farm.”
The Amish youth looked around, his eyes traveling over the house and barns, his expression filling with awe. “I’m Elijah, Elijah Henninger.” He took Geoff’s hand and shook it tentatively.
“All right, Elijah, follow me, and we’ll get you some breakfast.” Geoff turned and walked toward the house, checking to see if Elijah was following. “It’s okay. We’re just going inside.” He led them to the back door and into the kitchen. Elijah followed and immediately took off his hat when he came inside, unsure of where to go or what to do.
The look of surprise on Len’s face when he saw the young Amish man standing in the kitchen was hard to miss, but luckily Elijah was looking around and didn’t see it. Geoff pretended he hadn’t seen it either and started talking as though there was nothing out of the ordinary. “Is breakfast almost ready?”
For a second, Len looked at him like he had three heads, but then he remembered his manners. “About ten minutes.”
“Good.” Geoff motioned Elijah over. “Len, this is Elijah; he’ll be joining us for breakfast. Elijah, this is Leonard—Len. He’s the foreman here on the farm.” There was no way that Geoff was going to try to explain their relationship, and Len seemed to understand and followed his lead.
Geoff indicated a chair, and Elijah sat down, placing his hat beneath the chair. “Thank you, sir.”
Len finished dishing up the food, putting three plates at their places on the table while Geoff poured glasses of juice and set them at each place.
“What’s that?” Geoff saw Elijah pointing at the glass.
Oh my God… what a realization. “It’s orange juice; try it.” Elijah looked dubious but took a sip and smiled, tasting some more before putting the glass back down. He then started eating with gusto, the eggs, pancakes, and toasted bread disappearing quickly, washed down by the juice. He was definitely hungry. Geoff watched out of the corner of his eye as he ate his own breakfast and sipped his coffee. He’d poured Elijah a cup, and the young man had sipped it, shuddered, and put the cup back down, not touching it again.
Len had been watching Elijah with a
strange look on his face. “I know you.” Then he remembered. “I see you at the bakery when I buy bread.”
A banging outside startled all of them, with Elijah jumping a little in his chair, and then Fred hurried into in the kitchen, his eyes widening when he saw Elijah. “Len, it’s Princess; she’s struggling with the foal. I called the vet, but she’s on another call. Her office said she’d be here as soon as she can.”
“Fuck and damn.” Len leapt from his chair, grabbed his coat, and was out the door with Fred right behind him.
Geoff gulped the last of his coffee like he was downing a shot of whiskey and grabbed his coat as well. He wasn’t sure what he could do, but he was sure as hell not going to sit here while one of his horses was in trouble. “Come on!” He handed Elijah his coat and rushed out the door, Elijah following on his heels.
“Do you know about birthing horses?” Elijah called from behind him.
He’d seen it plenty of times, and he knew what was supposed to happen, but Geoff had never helped with a birth, and he’d never seen a troubled one. He called over his shoulder, “Not really.” They arrived in the barn to some very agitated horses. Geoff turned to the men standing around Princess’s stall. “Get the rest of these horses turned out.”
The men snapped to and started opening stalls, getting halters on horses and leading them out of the barn. Slowly, the barn started to quiet, and Geoff looked into Princess’s stall. His heart nearly broke. She was lying on her side, covered in sweat, breathing like she’d just won a race, head thrashing, and her eyes… begging for help. Geoff stepped back and bumped into Elijah. “Sorry.” He hoped to hell the vet got here soon.
Dreamspinner Press Year Three Greatest Hits Page 27