Chapter 5
Anita took Betsie to the paddock and locked her in there. She lowed at Anita as she walked away, but Anita shook her head.
“Betsie, you need to learn that cows live in the paddock, and they don’t get to behave badly with their people.”
Then she turned to the new cows and led them to a different enclosure, which was right beside the one that Betsie was in.
Working comfortably together as though they’d been married much longer than just a few hours, she and Kevin gave the Ayrshires water and food and then took care of the horse. They unpacked the cart and left behind the things that Kyle would take to the town store in the morning.
Then they went inside.
As Anita stepped into the kitchen, she could smell that something was cooking on the range. She sniffed the air. “That smells like stew.”
“It is,” Kyle said happily.
“You cook too?” Anita asked.
“Oh sure, Kevin taught me,” Kyle said with a grin.
She looked around the kitchen. There was a large mess with bits of vegetables on the kitchen table, a knife and chopping board still lying there. Pots and pans were stacked in the sink, and several spice jars stood on the countertops.
A large cauldron hung over the kitchen fire, where something soapy was bubbling away. A pile of laundry lay on the floor by the fire, and a pair of muddy boots had been left by the door to the scullery. It looked like a house that two men had been living in without supervision.
“It’s a bit of a mess,” Kyle said hastily as Kevin started cleaning off the kitchen table. “We’re usually a lot tidier than this. It’s just been a little busy.”
He hurried to pick up the laundry.
“Oh, don’t,” Anita reassured him with a laugh. She was finding Kyle almost as easy to be around as Kevin. “I have laundry that needs to be done too. Don’t worry about it. I can start on it in the morning.”
She walked through the kitchen, inspecting everything—the pantry, the cold cellar under the floor, the scullery. Then she went through the other door and down a hallway that led to the parlor, Kevin’s study, a drawing room, and upstairs, where there were three bedrooms.
“You can pick one of the two open ones until we get to know each other better,” Kevin said, appearing beside her. “I furnished them, but if you don’t like it?—”
She smiled and shook her head. “Everything is wonderful.”
Kevin and Kyle manhandled her trunk up the stairs, and then it was time for dinner.
The stew was good. Although she was excited to be there, Anita felt overwhelmed after dinner. It was strange, but suddenly, after they had finished eating and were talking about what needed to be done in the morning, things became real.
All at once, Anita realized that all of the traveling she had done was now at an end.
There was no other stop to make, no next new bed to sleep in, no additional new town to visit—this was it.
These dishes she was washing in the scullery were hers.
The leftover stew was hers, as were the floorboards she was standing on and the kitchen table in the other room.
And her husband, who was chatting happily with Kyle. He was hers too. Forever.
Happy though she was, it all came crashing down around her.
She suddenly felt bone-weary, as though she could sleep for an age. Perhaps things would feel better in the morning.
Anita was completely overwhelmed and made a beeline for the door.
“I’m really tired,” she said as she passed the two men at the kitchen table. “I think I’ll turn in.”
“Are you sure?” Kevin asked, looking startled.
“I’m sure,” she said with a smile she had to force onto her lips. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Yes, in the morning, when all of this would seem familiar and normal, she would feel better.
“Good night,” she called as she hurried down the corridor and up the stairs. She raced into her bedroom and closed the door behind her.
Leaning against it, she slid down to the floor and, for a moment or two, sat there staring at the room, which was hers, and yet was strange and unfamiliar. Why was she feeling like this? Why was she so unsettled? She had wanted this, hadn’t she?
Of course she had, and she was so very fortunate to have gotten it. Not every girl got a farmhouse, a kind husband, a herd of cows, and a chance at a new life. She should be grateful.
Anita was, but she was also sad because in arriving at her new home, she had to admit that her old home, the one with her mother and father and all those siblings she had complained about for years, was now very far away.
They would only feature in her life as the names attached to letters and that thought was deeply upsetting.
A couple of tears slid down her cheeks, and Anita wiped them away.
There came a knock on the door.
She started in surprise.
“Anita,” Kevin called. “I know you said you’re okay, but you didn’t look … I mean … Do you need anything?”
Oh gosh, he was so thoughtful and kind. It made her want to cry all over again. She swallowed down her tears and managed to say, “No, I’m really fine, thank you. I’m just so very tired all of a sudden. I think it’s just realizing that I’m home. Finally.”
There was a shuffling sound outside the door as though Kevin had shifted his weight from foot to foot. “I’m glad to hear you say that. Just know that I sleep with my door open, so if you need anything, just call. I’ll hear you.”
The tears almost came rushing back at that. Good golly, he was a catch. So sweet and kind. But she’d known that from his letters. Kevin was a literal gentle man, and that was what had drawn her to him from the start.
“Sleep well,” she said.
“You too,” he said.
When his footsteps faded, Anita stood, got into her night things, and crawled into bed. She said her prayers and fell asleep with a lighter, happier heart.
The next morning, Anita woke feeling a good deal better. With the sunshine streaming in through her window, she couldn’t help but feel bright and cheery. She went downstairs and spent a few minutes finding everything in the cupboards.
As she stood in the kitchen and looked around, she realized that she had no idea how Kevin liked his coffee, his eggs, or anything.
“Morning,” said a voice behind her.
Turning, she found Kevin standing behind her with a large grin on his face.
“Morning,” she said. “I was about to start breakfast when I realized I have no idea what you like. Funny how we wrote to each other about everything except food, especially given that you like to cook.”
Kevin chuckled and, taking the coffeepot from the range, he went to the pump at the sink. “I like coffee, and I’m partial to eggs with runny yolks and toast, or oats are also fine. Although, those I find you have to soak for a couple of hours before cooking them.”
“I usually leave those overnight,” Anita said. She had seen skillets in one of the lower cupboards. Now, which one was it? She began to open and close doors until she found the right one. “It’s the only way to be sure they’re not so hard and chewy.”
The door opened, and Kyle came into the kitchen. “Morning, Mr. and Mrs. I realize I forgot to say congratulations last night.” He beamed.
“Thanks,” Kevin said.
Anita nodded. “Thank you, Kyle.” She smiled shyly.
“Well,” Kyle said. “I’ve brought in the eggs, so I’ll put them on the counter and?—”
“Sit down and have breakfast,” Kevin said. “It’s the least we can do since you looked after the house for us.”
“Ah, it was nothing,” Kyle said.
“It was a lot,” Anita said. “How are the cows this morning?”
“Fine,” Kyle said. “I think Betsie is making friends with the others. They’ve had their heads over the fence between them. Maybe we can let them get properly acquainted soon.”
Kevin and Kyle talked while they set the table and made the coffee. Anita fried eggs and made toast over the kitchen fire.
Then they all sat together and had breakfast.
“So, I was thinking that we should take the groceries to the town storehouse and then introduce everyone to Anita and …” Kevin said.
“Everyone?” she asked, suddenly worried. “What do you mean, everyone?”
“They’ll all want to meet you,” Kevin said. He must have seen the fear in her eyes, and he smiled kindly. “Okay, we’ll limit it to Julia, Lizzy, and Emily at first. They’re the women we have the most dealings with.”
“Apart from Andrea, who is on every committee this town can form,” Kyle said with a laugh.
Anita was worried. All these people. She knew she would have to meet them, but she had hoped that it would be in a relaxed manner. Kevin made it sound like everyone would line up, and she would have to meet them all in one go.
“Oh, don’t worry about Andrea,” Kevin said. “She’s tough but nice enough once you get to know her.” He glared at Kyle, which didn’t make Anita feel better at all.
They finished breakfast, hitched one of the horses to the cart, and off they went. Kyle stayed at the farm in case Betsie got ideas and tried to be aggressive toward the new cows.
As they drove through the town to a large barn-style building on the top end of the main road, they passed a lot of people. So much for only meeting the three women Kevin had mentioned. He waved and greeted each person.
By the time they reached the store, it seemed the whole town had followed them and was lining up to talk. Anita tried not to panic.
“You finally came home, huh?” a tall, stocky man with sandy hair said.
“Hey, Michael,” Kevin said, smiling broadly. “I’d like you to meet Anita.”
Michael offered her his hand to help her get down from the cart. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Anita. Kevin told us so much about you.”
She took his hand and climbed down, mumbling a shy greeting.
A pretty blonde woman with fine features stepped around Michael.
“I’m Emily, Michael’s wife. Welcome to our still nameless town.
” She shook Anita’s hand while giving her husband the kind of look that meant he was in some kind of trouble.
Anita felt some of her worries dissipate in the face of her amusement at this obviously mild, ongoing husband-and-wife argument.
She wondered if she’d have any of those with Kevin and rather hoped she would. It felt like a nice married thing.
“I suggested a different town name than my wife’s choice, and apparently that’s not allowed,” Michael said in a not-so-quiet whisper.
“Okay, move along!” another tall and sandy-haired man said, obviously related to Michael in some way. They looked so alike.
He smiled and held out his hand. “Hello, Anita. I’m Troy, this big man’s little brother, and this is my wife, Lizzy.”
Lizzy had long dark hair and chocolate-brown eyes. She was very pretty. Anita shook both of their hands and began to feel more comfortable as she realized how kind all these people really were.
A big man with brown hair walked up, along with his pregnant wife.
“I’m Andrew. This is my wife, Julie,” he greeted her with a firm handshake that Julie more than matched, to Anita’s surprise. The woman gave her a wide grin that confirmed she was as tough as her husband but probably softer inside, at least.
“Andrew runs the town and the mine,” Kevin said. “He’s kind of like our mayor. And Julie is our resident apothecary and doctor and dentist sometimes.”
“They keep me pretty busy,” she said with a smile.
“Kevin says you have experience working on a dairy farm,” Lizzy said. “That’s wonderful. We could really do with someone who can make cheese.”
Everyone nodded.
“Oh?” Anita asked in surprise. Her cheeks reddened with pleasure that she might have something to contribute to these kind people. “Well, it’s going to be a while before the cows we bought give milk. They’re all still young and?—”
“Oh, of course,” Julie said with a smile. “I’m sorry if we’re being pushy. It’s just so wonderful to watch our little town growing and new people arriving.”
“There are a few things that I’ll have to sort out before I can start making cheese,” Anita said nervously.
“Look, if there’s anything you need, you just tell us, okay?” Julie patted her shoulder. “We can make a plan. Lizzy here is our farrier. She’s amazing at making and fixing things.”
Lizzy grinned. “When it comes to metal, I’m your gal.”
“And Emily is our teacher,” Julie said.
“I was actually thinking that when you’re set up and the farm is running properly, maybe I could bring the children around sometime? Let them see how it works?” Emily asked. “I know it’s a lot to ask.”
“No, it’s perfectly fine,” Anita said, thinking she’d enjoy meeting the children—probably more than meeting their parents. “I can show them how to make soft cheeses at home. Those are very easy.”
“Oh, that sounds amazing,” Emily said. “Let’s see those little blackguards roll their eyes at me and say that’s boring!”
A youngster happened to be traipsing by at the moment and called saucily to his teacher, “Seein’ cows would be more interesting than grammar, Ms. Em! Ain’t nothing you can do to make me like that, no matter how much you try.”
Emily sighed. “Some things are important even?—”
“When they’re not interesting,” another child called from nearby, the smirk on the girl’s face suggesting it was a refrain Emily’s students heard often.
Anita smiled at the exchange and wondered what exchanges with her own children would be like someday. She thought Emily would probably be an excellent teacher for them, given the level of comfort and connections she clearly had with her students.
“So, you bought some cows yesterday?” Andrew asked, interrupting Anita’s musings. “You were gone so long we thought something had happened. We almost sent someone to check.”
“No, it wasn’t anything like that,” Kevin said hurriedly. “Sorry, there was no way to let you know that we were fine. It was just one of those things. We got married by Father Sumner?—”
“Congratulations,” everyone said.
“Thanks,” Kevin said, and Anita blushed as he reached back to take her hand. “We stayed in a lovely place called the Lucky Bull. Do you know it?”
Andrew, Michael, and Troy shook their heads.
“I’ll drop by your place after lunch, Andrew,” Kevin said. “There’s some stuff I want to fill you in about.”
Anita got the vague impression it was stuff he didn’t want her to hear, but she decided that was ridiculous. What would he have to hide?
“I’ve got an idea,” Emily said in the silence that followed. “Why don’t we have a campfire party on Saturday night? We can let you meet everyone and help you get settled in. Otherwise, you’ll have nothing but neighbors popping in for days to meet you.”
“That … sounds nice,” Anita agreed, albeit a little hesitantly. Meeting everyone all at once sounded overwhelming—and if this wasn’t everyone already, it sure was a lot of people!—but it would be nice to just get it over with, too.
Then they all turned to the task of unloading the cart.