by Jacelyn Rye
Edward spent a lot of time with Oscar touring the farm, getting familiar with the equipment, and meeting the various employees. He would spend most of his days in the field overseeing the employees and making sure productivity was at its highest. Other days, he would be in the shop, keeping up any equipment that needed maintenance and repairs. There was no doubt that he would be kept very busy. At least here, he would be able to come home each night to his family.
Sarah and Matty had their duties as well. Sarah was responsible for the garden upkeep. She would have to keep the weeds at bay, as well as harvest daily to keep the plants producing. And she was once again the egg collector, although this time on a much larger scale than at home. Most of Matty’s chores revolved around the animals in the barn. While the mainstay of the Somerton’s ranch was the fruit and vegetable crops, they had plenty of animals to tend to as well. A half dozen hogs, four goats, four horses, and thirty or so sheep would all need to be fed and, of course, cleaned up after. Each of them seemed content with their chores because they suited their personalities. Sarah preferred the tranquility of the garden, and even being with the chickens brought her the solitude that she craved. Matthew had always been good with animals, and he was happy that Riley could accompany him throughout the day. Most of all, they were content to be busy and hopefully that would help them avoid being homesick. As nice a notion as that was, Sarah knew it was an impossibility. Although the Somerton’s were certainly good enough folks to work for, and they had a roof over their heads and food in their bellies, none of it felt like home, and nothing could remotely come close to what it felt like to be with Will.
Chapter 19
Winter in California was anything but. Coming from real winters in the Colorado Rocky Mountains to the winter months in the San Joaquin Valley, made the two states as different as being on two different planets. Winter in Colorado meant subzero temperatures and nine feet of snow. Winter in California meant rain, and a light coat. Anyone caught unprepared in a Colorado blizzard may or may not live to tell about it. Anyone not prepared in California would get slightly damp.
It was easy to acclimate to the more pleasant weather. It was just a lot less work to do everything. There was no need to plow snow, to put on seven layers of clothing to step outside, and there was no danger of sliding off into the ditch because of icy roads. Sarah would’ve traded all of the conveniences of the warm weather to be back in Colorado though. Their home had always been toasty warm with a crackling fire in the fireplace, and Sarah loved to sit at the window watching the snow fall silently on the sleeping ground.
But now, her life was here. Everyone had settled into their roles on the Somerton Ranch. Her parents seemed to be forming a friendship with Oscar and Ellie, although it was nothing like the way it was with Henry and Catherine. Sarah and Matthew spent a great deal of time playing card games with each other and reading. But Sarah devoted most of her spare time to thinking about Will. She was adamant that she would not forget his face, forget the sound of his voice, or forget their promise to each other.
One day in the garden she was so lost in her thoughts of Will, that she didn’t notice Adley until he was right behind her as she was kneeling down picking strawberries.
“There you are. I should’ve known you’d have your nose in a plant. Seems like every time I see you, you’re here.” Adley’s deep, husky voice jolted Sarah clean out of her daydream of her first kiss with Will, and she jumped straight up, practically falling into the row of strawberries.
She turned to face him with her heart pounding so hard that she could feel its beat in her temples. Adley took after his father with his height and was broad shouldered with strong, muscular arms. He had done his fair share of the work on the farm during his twenty-three years, and his physical features thrived because of it. Although she wouldn’t allow herself to outwardly admit it, Adley had quite easily gotten her attention as he worked on the farm. Sarah had seen him hoist a sack of grain and toss it like it was a pillowcase filled with cotton. His movements were agile and smooth, despite the amount of strength his chores required. His face looked especially tan against his sandy-blond hair. He usually left his hair to its own accord, but amazingly, it looked good, even tousled.
Sarah put her hands to her chest, “Oh my goodness, Adley. You scared me half to death!”
“Well, sorry. It’s not like there was a door to knock on something. I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you. Besides, I could’ve been charging through here like a bull in a china shop and I still don’t think you would’ve heard me. What? Does strawberry picking take some sort of concentration that I don’t know about?” He gave her the same smile that gave her the nervous feeling in her stomach the first day they met.
Suddenly Sarah was self-conscious, like somehow Adley knew what she had been thinking about. Her cheeks flushed and she looked to the ground. “No, not at all. I was just thinking about…about home. That’s all.”
Adley eyed her suspiciously. “Home, huh? You sure about that? Your face doesn’t look like you were thinking about home.”
The way he emphasized the word home made the hair on Sarah’s neck stand up. Of course he can’t know what I was thinking about, don’t be silly, Sarah. Stop looking so guilty! She tried to convince herself, but it was uncanny how Adley knew she wasn’t thinking about pine trees and mountains. “Yes, I’m sure. I was thinking about home, and the people there…that I knew. People that I miss. The people who are still there…that I miss.” Even to Sarah, she sounded awkward and wondered why Adley seemed to have this effect on her.
“Okay, okay, if you say so,” Adley conceded with his hands up.
Trying to settle her nerves and appear somewhat collected, she cleared her throat. “Yes, well...was there something that you needed?”
Now it was Adley’s turn to look nervous, a stark change to confidence he normally exuded. “Oh, yea, well…I was wondering, I mean, if you were done here in the garden, and you didn’t have anything to do…if you wanted to go check the sheep with me?”
Sarah stared at Adley, not only contemplating what he said, but also trying to figure out what he was really asking.
With more and more seconds ticking by, and Sarah just staring at him, Adley grew even more uneasy and didn’t seem to know what to do with himself. He finally jammed his hands deep into his pant pockets. “It’s really no big deal…never mind,” he recanted.
Sarah hadn’t spent a great deal of time with Adley over the past few months. She saw him mostly in passing while they each did their chores. They would share a few quick words while he cut the grass, or he would help her collect eggs. He had always seemed genuinely interested to hear what she had to say, even though it really wasn’t much. In her mind, there wasn’t much to be said. She was attempting to keep her memories of Colorado, and her memories of Will, fresh in her mind. And that meant that there wasn’t a lot of room to clutter her mind with pointless chitchat.
Nonetheless, there was something dangerously intriguing about Adley, and the way she felt around him. She wanted to ignore it. Something inside of her told her she should ignore it. She reasoned it as innocent curiosity of getting to know him. After all, whether she like it or not, she was going to be around him a lot, and it wasn’t in her nature to be rude. “Sure, Adley. Let’s go check the sheep.”
Chapter 20
The day Sarah and her family left, William could barely bring himself to function properly throughout the day. He wasn’t alone. The whole family hardly ate a bite or spoke two words to each other. William and Thomas went about their chores without even being told, and all four of them seem to disappear to their own private corner to lament losing their best friends to a thief on the West Coast.
William found himself at King’s Creek. Everything he looked at reminded him of Sarah. The cove, the willow tree, the log bridge, and of course, the stump. He walked across the log and stared at the carving on the stump for a long time. His face showed no emotion, but on the inside, he was seethi
ng. It was so unfair and wrong that they had to move. But who could he blame? That made it worse, if that was even possible. There was no face to put with the perpetrator who took her away. He had the sense to know that her parents had exhausted all other options and had no choice but to make the decision that they did. He knew his parents would do the same if it ever came down to it. Hell, even he knew that he would make the same decision for his family in the future, God forbid that it would be necessary. But all of the sense in the world didn’t matter because it still didn’t bring her back. All of his anger and sadness left him still standing at the stump, without her. He knelt down to place his hand over the carving. She was the last one to touch it. He closed his eyes and committed to memory the warmth of her hand as he held it over the carving. He almost placed his hand over the carving but stopped himself. He suddenly felt the need to keep her presence there, her lingering touch, on their symbol. She would be the next one to touch it, too, because although he didn’t know how or when, he would be here again with Sarah. As he stared at the carving, all he could hope was that fate would allow that to happen.
But many days had past since that day and whether this winter was actually colder than in years past, William felt like it was. Everything seemed different without Sarah. If the aspen leaves had turned gold before they fell to the ground, he hadn’t noticed. All he knew was that now the branches were barren and lonely and reaching to the sky and had nothing to hold. He and Tommy had gone to the pines on a few different occasions, but neither of their hearts was in it, and they eventually just stopped going. And now that it was winter, William felt as if his heart might as well be a block of ice just waiting to shatter.
William kept himself as busy as possible. His mind would wander too easily to Sarah, what she might be doing that very moment, wondering if she was thinking of him. So, to keep from going stark raving mad, he worked harder than he ever had at whatever chore he could find, and read every book he could get his hands on.
Despite his certainty that winter would never end, of course it did. Springtime in Colorado was a glorious time of the year. The spring run-off made an awful muddy mess out of everything, but the newborn aspen leaves cast a bright green hue over the valley, and yellow Johnny Jump-Up wildflowers announced the arrival of the new season.
William slowly came out of hibernation. Missing Sarah was just a part of him now. Every day he thought of her, but at least with winter over, he could hope that his heart would start to defrost a bit as well. His father depended on him heavily to help keep the farm afloat, and there would be many days of working from sun up to sun down. He welcomed the work. His mind craved an outlet to escape the loneliness that was holed up in him all winter long. William knew his parents were fighting with everything they could to hold onto their farm. Henry had been saving every penny toward the purchase of a new tractor. With a tractor, production in the fields could be multiplied to the point of actually making some money. His father had told him, “The fate of our farm lies with a tractor, William.” And after the heart-wrenching departure of their dear friends, William knew what was at stake. His father didn’t have a job offer in California to fall back on. For the Harstons, there was no other option but to make their farm profitable.
Just as with every season, the arrival of spring brought with it a special set of farm duties that needed immediate attention. The heavy snow wreaked havoc on fences, corrals, and sheds. Everything needed to be properly mended before the large investment of livestock arrived. Henry had made a detailed list of supplies they needed to repair the damage and sent William to town to gather them all up.
When William arrived at Thornton’s Lumberyard, it seemed everybody in the whole town had the same agenda. Springtime was full of promise. Folks needed hope, hope for a better year than the last. After planning and praying all winter, the first thaw set everybody in motion. And that meant repairing and preparing for a prosperous summer. The lumberyard was a madhouse, and William hoped that the supplies he needed would still be in stock.
As he hurriedly searched for his materials, he came face to face with Vernon Thornton himself. Seeing him brought back the memory of the picnic and how ill-mannered Vernon had been to his mother. William wouldn’t too soon forget that moment, and the look on his face didn’t hide that fact.
“William. Stocking up, I see. Good. Good for you.”
“Yes, sir.” William was in no mood for small talk. “The store is crazy. I better be gettin’ what I need and be on my way.”
Vernon laughed but looked anything but amused “Ha! You said it. I’m running around here like a chicken with my head cut off. My stock boy got sick. Real sick. Can’t work no more. And by God, I’m a real mess trying to do my job and his job, and—” he stopped as an idea flashed in his mind, and then across his face. He looked William square in the eyes. “Say, what would you think about coming to work for me, boy? I need someone strong enough to do heavy lifting, help customers, cut lumber, you name it. I pay good, too.”
William was dumbfounded. Vernon Thornton just offered him a job and it was the last thing he ever expected. He stood for a moment with his mouth open to say something, but no words came out.
“Christ, boy. Shut your mouth, what are you trying to do? Catch flies?” And Vernon slammed William’s jaw shut with a swipe of his hand.
William still hadn’t found a coherent thought and couldn’t find two words to put together to answer him.
“You just talk to your dad about it. You tell him he can talk to me and we’ll figure out your wage. But I need an answer by tomorrow. If it ain’t gonna be you, it’s gonna be someone else.”
Without even a goodbye or kiss my ass, Vernon walked past William through the sea of people. William wasn’t even sure how much longer he stood there before slowly turning his attention back to his father’s list. He couldn’t focus long enough to read a word of it. A job. A real job. Excitement was building, but almost as quickly a rush of guilt hit him. If he had a job at the lumberyard, he wouldn’t be working on the farm with his father. He knew he was getting ahead of himself. He had no idea if his parents would even agree to this whole thing.
Chapter 21
“Absolutely not!” Catherine threw her dish towel down. “No! He will not go to work for Vernon Thornton! He will stay right here and work on our farm!”
“Now, Catherine, you’re not thinking this through. Just take a minute to calm down. This might just be the break we needed. With William earning some money, we can get the tractor way ahead of when we thought we could. Don’t you see that?” Henry knew how emotional his wife could be, but he also knew how sensible she was. He hoped that by directing her attention to facts that couldn’t be disputed, she would consent to William’s employment at the lumberyard.
“But what about helping you? You need his help here on the farm. You can’t do it all on your own.”
“No, but Thomas is getting old enough now to help me in the fields. I can teach him everything he needs to know. I just don’t see how we can pass up an opportunity like this. I never even imagined William getting a job, but I can see that it just might be what this family needs to get ahead. We need the money, Catherine. This is not the day and age of turning down a paying job, surely you can agree with that?”
Catherine put her hands on her hips and stared out the window. William watched her expression change as she knew that her reasoning was going to be no match for her husband’s. She knew all too well the dire straits they would be in if they could not make their farm successful. William felt as if they were hanging by a thread, as it was. He would do anything he could to help the family. Her apprehension of him working at Thornton’s Lumberyard was streaked across her face, and he wished that he could convince her that if anyone could handle Vernon Thornton, it was him.
If William had been expecting a break from hard work when he took the job at Thornton’s, he was in for a rude awakening. From the minute he got there until the last customer of the day, Vernon had Will
iam earn every penny of his daily salary of forty-five cents. Vernon was getting one heck of a deal with William. Not only was he one of his hardest working employees for a solid eight hours, but it was obvious to William that his presence at the lumberyard kept Margaret out of Vernon’s hair. Margaret couldn’t hide that she was more thrilled about the new hire. Prior to William working there, Margaret avoided the lumberyard. She was always complaining that it was dusty and dirty, and her father would usually try to put her to work helping customers find what they needed. If anything was unnatural to Margaret, it was providing customer service with a smile. William knew that as far as Margaret was concerned, the notion that ‘the customer is always right’ was ludicrous.
With William on the payroll, he noticed that she found every excuse to be at the lumberyard. She narrowed in on him one day when he was the only one in the back lot stacking boards on a pallet.
He stopped to wipe the sweat from his brow when he heard her voice and she emerged from the doorway. “Well, it is certainly hot back here, William,” she said as she casually sauntered to his side. “Here. I thought maybe you could use this.” She let her gaze fall on his chest and his undershirt that was drenched in sweat as she handed him a tall glass of cool lemonade.
William had been entirely absorbed in his assignment and lost in one of his many contemplations of Sarah. Margaret’s arrival caught him entirely off guard. “Margaret,” he said catching his breath. “I didn’t realize anyone else was out here.”