A quiet, private man, Pop had never read the scriptures to his sons or prayed at meals, although he did insist on them going to church. That was where Jared had learned about the Lord’s salvation, and he’d accepted Jesus into his heart. Each time the pastor preached a message, Jared tried to apply the lessons to his life. He even picked up their family’s Holy Bible from time to time and read it for himself, but sure not the way Mr. Sharp did, as though he understood it all. Many passages still remained a mystery to Jared.
Did Pop know about the verses in Ephesians that instructed a man to love his wife as Christ loved the church? All these years, Jared had blamed Mama for leaving her family, for not submitting to Pop’s plan to settle in this harsh land. But maybe Pop bore some of the blame. Had he loved her as Christ loved the church, sacrificing himself for her? Jared would never know the answer to that, but it was something to think about if he ever planned to marry. Which he didn’t.
“Say, brother.” Cal climbed into the upper bunk bed, beat his pillow into shape and then fussed with his blankets like a dog circling to make its bed in the hay. “I’ve been meaning to tell you something important. Just haven’t had a chance.”
“What’s that?” Jared sat on the edge of the lower bed and hunched over Emma’s comb to carve the right amount away to make smooth teeth. It wouldn’t do for it to snag that beautiful black hair. Beside him, the kerosene lantern on the side table cast just enough light for him to work.
Cal hung his head over the side so he could look Jared in the eye. “Julia says Emma loves you.”
“What!” Jared sat up straight, banging his head on the wooden side of the bed above him. “Ow.” It didn’t hurt all that bad, but it gave him an excuse for venting his disbelief of Cal’s dumb statement. “She does not.”
“Does so.” Cal rolled over and disappeared from view.
“Does not.” Jared muttered the words with finality, hoping Cal would drop the subject.
Instead, Cal’s annoying face popped back over the bedside. “Does so.”
Jared blew out a growling sigh. They hadn’t had one of these childish discussions in years, but Cal would never stop until he won, so Jared might as well give in.
“All right, baby brother, what makes Julia think Emma l-loves me?” The word was so foreign to him, he could barely stammer it out. Nobody in the Mattson house ever talked about love.
“Girls know these things about each other.” Cal’s smug tone further annoyed Jared.
“So she didn’t actually say it to Julia.”
Cal kept quiet for a few minutes. At last he said, “Not in so many words.”
“That’s what I thought.” Jared put away his handiwork and dumped the shavings into a wastebasket near the door. He crossed the room and lowered the wick on the lantern until the flame went out before climbing into bed.
Cal’s regular breathing indicated he wouldn’t be arguing anymore. Jared never got used to how fast his younger brother could fall asleep. Sleep often eluded Jared because he always felt the need to set his day in order in his mind before surrendering to sleep.
His thoughts returned to this evening’s family gathering. He didn’t intend to marry, but…but what if he did? What would it be like to have his own wife and children sitting around at night reading scripture and praying, everyone’s hands busy with necessary tasks like knitting or carving or mending clothes, maybe folks sharing the events of their day?
A strange longing settled in his chest, a longing he couldn’t dispel with the usual thoughts about Mama and Maybelle abandoning their families. If Julia was right, if Emma did love him—which he was sure she didn’t—maybe he should reconsider his plans to remain a bachelor.
Emma was a mighty fine-looking woman and a hard worker, doing a man’s work out of necessity, which made him admire her far more than he did her pretty face. She even seemed to enjoy it. With so much of herself invested in the land, she probably wouldn’t run off to the city like Mama and Maybelle. But he wasn’t anywhere close to considering courting her again, not till he made up his mind to see it through to the end. He’d hurt her something awful two years ago, and he wouldn’t do it a second time. If he decided to court her, and that was a mighty big if, he would treat her as Christ treated the church, loving her and giving himself for her.
But that didn’t mean he had to let her win the barn-building competition.
*
In spite of her skeptical thoughts the night before, Emma woke up with a feeling of anticipation. If Jared loved her, she should be able to tell by the way he treated her. She wouldn’t accept anything less than the way Pa treated Ma or anything less than what Pa read in the Holy Bible last evening. A man who courted was declaring himself ready to be a husband, so he should behave toward his intended bride as the Lord did toward the church. For a brief moment, she let herself believe that meant Jared should let her win the barn-building contest.
But if she backed up a few verses in that chapter of Ephesians to the part about wives submitting to their husbands, she knew that a gal who planned to marry needed to be willing to submit to her husband after the wedding. All the more reason to be very careful in making that choice. But did that mean she should let Jared win? Or at least let him have more say-so about the way things were done?
Pa said Jared admired her, and he’d emphasized admire with a twinkle in his eyes, which meant he believed Jared loved her. Not only that, but even telling her about it meant Pa approved of Jared, like he approved of Cal. Would he really want both of his daughters to marry and move up to the Mattson ranch? If they did, who would take care of him and Ma? Who would shoulder the responsibilities around here?
By the time Emma got dressed and made her way to the kitchen, her head was spinning with these ideas, though she’d reached no conclusion on either issue, especially where Jared was concerned. It didn’t help that he kept glancing at her across the breakfast table but stared down at his plate when she returned the look. She couldn’t detect any admiration in those gray eyes. What was he thinking? She brushed a hand over the side of her hair and then scolded herself for the self-conscious gesture typical of some of the silly girls at church. She wasn’t anything like them. No wonder Jared had stopped courting her.
None too soon for her, it was time to get to work on the barn. A light snow had fallen in the night but not enough to prevent progress. By noon the hazy sun had melted most of it and the dry breeze took care of all but a few remnants hiding in corners.
After dinner five neighbors came to help for the afternoon. One of them, Buck Paisley from down the road, brought a wagonload of lumber.
“Me and the wife figured you might run out,” he said. “This is left over from the addition we finished last September.”
Pa welcomed the offer. “We’ll figure out a trade one day soon.”
“Fine by me.”
Another man, Juan Martinez, unloaded two tin pails filled with eight and sixteen penny nails. “We’ll work it out, too, amigo. We got to get this barn built for the last night of Las Posadas, sí?”
“Sí.” Pa smiled warmly and thanked them all, but Emma could tell he was concerned about repaying all of these trades. He wasn’t a terribly proud man, but he did have a healthy dose of self-respect that didn’t cotton to charity.
The men gathered around him with hammers and saws in hand.
“Tell us what to do, Señor Sharp.” Juan’s brother, Diego, held up his hammer.
Leaning on his cane, Pa laughed. “Well, I’m not the boss of this operation. You’ll have to speak to my daughter.” He waved a hand toward Emma. “Or Jared Mattson over there.” He beckoned to Jared, who hustled over to the group. “These two are your bosses, so choose which one you want to work for. Whichever team finishes their side first has bragging rights and gets served first at the Christmas feast.”
For several seconds, not a sound was heard in the barnyard. Then laughter erupted from the five men.
“I choose Miss Emma.” Patrick Ahern’s
green eyes sparkled with approval.
Emma felt an odd little tickle near her heart. She had no feelings for Patrick other than friendship, but it was nice—and different—to receive such admiration, which usually went to Julia. Without meaning to she glanced at Jared, who was glaring at the back of Patrick’s head. The tickle near her heart turned into an oddly pleasant hitch. Was he jealous? Were Pa and Julia right about his feelings for her?
The rest of the newcomers stepped over to Emma. “We’ll be on your team, too, Señorita Emma,” Diego said. The others chorused their agreement.
“Hey.” Jared posted his fists at his waist. “How about some help for my team?”
“All right.” Emma gave him a sassy smile. Maybe this was a chance to see if he did have feelings for her. She’d send the two married men to him and keep the single ones. “Mr. Paisley, Juan, would you please work with Mr. Mattson? I’ll keep these other men on my side.”
Sure enough, Jared scowled for a few seconds as if he’d figured out what she was doing. Then he tipped his hat and gave her an elaborate bow. As he straightened, the smirk on his fine lips sent a giddy feeling through Emma. My, he was a good-looking man. Those broad shoulders and strong arms could heft a lot of weight, as she’d seen these past couple of days. But physical strength and a handsome face didn’t mean he was husband material. And from the way he gathered his team and quickly gave them assignments, he had every intention of winning their competition. So much for a man sacrificing for his lady.
“Miss Emma.” Patrick leaned against Buck’s wagon and chewed on a toothpick. “I have no doubt we’ll get this thing built by Las Posadas.”
She eyed him briefly, seeing too much interest there. Maybe he’d been a bad choice for her team. “Not if we stand around jawing.”
She marched across the barnyard and could hear her men following behind her. Paco was waiting beside her two framed sides, which lay on the ground. They briefly discussed what each of the four men would do, and the work began. Patrick acted busy but seemed to skirt around actual work. What a difference between Jared and him. On the other hand, every time she looked Jared’s way, he seemed to feel her stare, because he’d look up from his work and give her a brief nod and that cute, crooked grin. And each time, she had to resist the urge to brush her bushy hair back from her face in that silly, girly way.
When Julia brought out coffee and cookies in the middle of the afternoon, Patrick sat on a stump beside where Emma stood.
“This is a mighty fine place you folks have here, Miss Emma.” He gazed around the barnyard and beyond. “Mighty fine. I suppose if a man married one of you sisters, he’d gain more than a pretty bride.” He waggled his red eyebrows at her and gave her a slick smile.
Emma shrugged and turned away to hide her shock at his rude comment. She’d never considered such a thing before, but as the idea sank in, she realized it was true. Julia and Cal already had their plans to live at the Mattson ranch, so that left her. Maybe she should do what Pa said and try to encourage Jared’s interest, try to get him to marry her. Instead of moving to the Mattsons’ place, they could stay here, if Jared agreed. Then Pa would have the son he’d always wanted even though he never said so. Then she wouldn’t have to carry the burden of the ranch all on her own. Yet if Jared didn’t love her, it wouldn’t be a love match; it would be a business arrangement. Her heart sank like a brick in her stomach.
Without meaning to, she once again looked in Jared’s direction. His scowl was a bit hard to read, but he obviously wasn’t happy about Patrick’s comment. The brick in her stomach lightened considerably.
She could do this. She could marry for Ma’s and Pa’s sakes. Maybe if she made Jared jealous enough, he really would fall in love with her. Turning a friendly smile on Patrick, one she didn’t feel at all, she deliberately brushed her hair back behind her ear in that girly gesture she despised. “Now aren’t you the sweetest thing talking about pretty brides? You do know Julia and Cal are promised, don’t you? That leaves just one sister.” She almost gagged on the words.
Patrick’s smile broadened, and he winked. “Yes, ma’am. I knew that.”
“Everybody back to work.” Jared set his coffee cup on the tray and waved impatiently to his men. “This barn won’t get built if we waste time talking.”
Emma made sure he was looking her way before giving Patrick another smile.
*
“You sure are pounding that nail mighty hard,” Cal muttered as he carried another two-by-four to Jared. “Are you wishing it was that cowboy’s head?” He nodded toward Patrick Ahern.
“Humph.” Jared pulled his hammer back and gave the nail one last whack. His brother read him well and probably agreed with him about Ahern. The man was a shirker, a schemer and a ladies’ man, someone Jared had no respect for. If he could sweet-talk Emma into a courtship, that would prove she didn’t love Jared. Worse, it would ruin her life.
Jared had been galled by Ahern’s suggestion that by marrying one of the Sharp girls, a man would eventually own this ranch. No man worth his salt would marry a good woman such as Emma just so he could have her father’s land, especially if he didn’t love her. If Jared married Emma—or anybody—they’d buy their own place and build it up just like Pop and Mr. and Mrs. Sharp had done.
Ahern’s words also sent a thread of worry through Jared. What if the scalawag actually decided to court Emma? What if she fell for his pretty words? The only solution Jared could see was to beat him to it. Staying here in the Sharps’ house gave him the advantage, so he’d best make use of it. Strange how that thought made him feel good instead of scared. Despite his unhappy memories of Mama and Maybelle, he’d begun to feel that he could risk his heart again. He’d pray about the courting first, of course. He’d vowed not to hurt Emma again, and he meant it. Yet, if the Lord gave him a sign, something to prove she cared for him, he’d jump into courting her with both feet.
By the end of the afternoon, the four side frames were ready to raise and secure to the corner posts, but it would take more than eight men to accomplish the task. The day was too far gone for them to gather more help, and Jared’s other brothers couldn’t come until Monday. With tomorrow being Sunday, no work would be done because everybody would go to church and rest, as the Lord instructed. Even Pop. Sunday work around the Mattson ranch was limited to seeing to the animals’ needs and nothing more.
As the men left one by one to return to their homes, Jared kept an eye out for Will. Yesterday, he’d asked his brother to ride down to Espanola to search for a shepherd for Mr. Sharp, if one was to be found. The Basques who had come to New Mexico to work for the Spanish settlers had grown old, and few new ones had immigrated here to take their places. Will promised to do his best, but Jared wasn’t holding his breath that he’d succeed. By sundown, it was clear Will hadn’t found the right man.
After another fine supper, Saturday night baths and a peaceful evening in the Sharps’ parlor, Jared spent a while whittling in the bedroom. He hadn’t received a sign about courting Emma, nor had she encouraged his attentions. Unless he could count her offering him thirds of her mother’s tasty mashed potatoes and gravy. She hadn’t done the same for Cal, but maybe she was just being hospitable because she sat beside Jared at the dining room table. On the other hand, that courtesy was an improvement over his first day here when she’d seemed to think he was eating too much. But then…
He had to stop this crazy thinking. He needed to relax and let things happen. Then maybe the sign would come. He put away his whittling and lay down, determined to trust the Lord, only to dream of Patrick Ahern standing with Emma in front of the preacher.
Yip-yip-yip! Piercing animal cries broke the silence of the winter night.
“Coyotes!” Jared sprang from his bed and quickly donned his clothes and boots.
Cal wasn’t far behind him as he dressed, grabbed his rifle and headed out of the room. Emma, fully clothed, was already heading down the hall toward the kitchen. Mr. Sharp met them at the back
door with Emma’s rifle in hand.
“Be careful.” Light from the candle he held etched worry lines deep into his face.
“I will.” Emma took the rifle and darted outside.
“We’ll take care of her.” Jared patted Mr. Sharp’s shoulder.
Mr. Sharp grasped Jared’s arm and held on tight, his gaze boring deep into Jared’s eyes. “I know you will.”
The old man’s confidence reinforced Jared’s determination to protect her, even though he’d never tell her he was doing it. He and Cal were only a few yards behind Emma as she entered the corral. Not wasting time on saddles, they grabbed halters and lead ropes from the wooden fence, put them on their horses, mounted up and kicked the animals into a gallop. Although his emotions were gripped by the urgency of the situation, in the back of his mind he could only admire a woman who could ride bareback—and at a gallop, no less.
The half-moon spread its dim light over the landscape, and within minutes they covered the quarter mile to the sheepfold. The sheep bleated in terror as they huddled against the barbed wire fence, some entangling their thick wool on the sharp spikes. On the far side of the fence, the two brave guard dogs barked furiously to hold four coyotes at bay. The varmints paced back and forth looking for a weakness.
Emma tried to still her horse, but he turned in circles, probably spooked by the coyotes. Jared managed better and fired off the first shot at the largest one. The nasty critter yelped in pain until Jared ended its misery with a second shot. Cal fired at the remaining three as they took off across the barren winter landscape, one of them limping on three legs.
“Nice shots.” Emma jumped from her horse and secured its lead rope to a fencepost. She strode toward the coyote carcass. “Let’s hang this varmint on the fence to keep his friends from coming back.”
Jared and Cal traded a look. They’d never been convinced the practice worked. More likely the blood would spook the sheep. But Emma seemed determined to do it. Jared shrugged and slid from his horse to help her, with Cal right behind him. Once the smelly animal was secured, they wordlessly went about loosening the sheep from the fence.
Love Inspired Historical October 2015 Box Set Page 61