Chapter 20
“They saved our lives, too,” Rose added. “Some creeps were fixing to have their way with us when these two showed up. They beat them to a pulp, then we helped them get out of there.”
Harriette seemed impressed by what the girls were telling her.
As quickly as she’d been to welcome the girls into her arms, she soon welcomed the newcomers, too.
It didn’t take long before the group was headed in the direction of the stable, and they got to learn more about the property and the protective woman.
Harriette had worked for the previous owners of the homestead, Rose and Bella’s grandfather.
When he had passed and his daughter inherited the property, she pleaded with Harriette to stay on.
The woman was like a grandmother to the girls and had taken care of the farm any time the trio left.
Walking into the stable made Sarah long for her own homestead and her parents.
She was still grateful they had met the woman when they did.
Even if they’d only gained a few extra days by using the horses, anything was better than being days behind.
Now that the animals and girls were safely back home, she was ready to push forward on their journey.
First, they needed to sleep while they had the opportunity.
Harriette insisted the group meet her on the back patio as soon as the animals were tended to.
An hour after they first saw the property, they walked toward the house to where Harriette was waiting for them on a huge screened-in back porch.
It was the kind of place you never wanted to leave.
Sarah was comforted knowing the girls would be safe and cared for.
Her stomach growled when they walked onto the porch, and she caught a whiff of something being cooked on the closed grill.
“Something really smells good,” Sarah said.
“Yeah, I’ve got a duck and potatoes cooking for dinner. There’s plenty enough for everyone,” Harriette said. “If you’ve done what the girls said you did, then you’re more than welcome to stay and have something to eat.”
“Well, I, for one, am not going to turn down a good home-cooked meal,” Adam said. “Thanks for the invitation. It smells amazing.”
“The girls say you’re trustworthy and helped keep those men away from them. It’s the least I can do to thank you for saving them. Where are you two heading, anyway?”
“We’ve got family up in Maine we’re trying to get to,” Sarah said. “My parents have a nice homestead up there, and since this all started, I’ve been worried about them. So, I’d like to make sure they’re okay first, but ultimately, I just want to help them out when we get there.”
“Sounds like the two of you have a long road ahead of you. It’s not going to be easy getting that far with no cars to carry you.”
“That’s one of the things I was going to talk to you about, Harriette. How many horses do you have?”
“Now that Bella and Rose have come back with the four they had, we have six total,” Harriette said.
“Though, I think we’re going to be back down to four soon,” Bella said.
“What do you mean?” Sarah asked.
“I just figured that after all the help you’ve been for us, it would be all right if two of them left when you did. You’re going to need them if you want to get to Maine faster than walking.”
Sarah’s gaze darted to Rose and Harriette.
It was not something she’d expected, nor was it something they had discussed.
The last thing she wanted was to take resources away from the homesteaders.
If they’d had more than six, she would have tried to come up with some sort of trade, but taking two could put them in danger later.
While the horses were incredibly valuable, they might need them to trade or flee if trouble came knocking.
She quickly shook her head, ready to argue with the girl over the offer, but before she could, Harriette quickly excused the trio for a quick family discussion.
Sarah turned to Adam, totally blown away as she shook her head.
“We can’t take them, right?” Adam whispered.
“No way, they need them, or at least they might. I don’t know how prepared they are here. We need to make sure we aren’t leaving them empty-handed and stranded for the winter. It’s going to start getting cold before long.”
“I agree. I know they have horses and ducks…or at least they had one duck, but that won’t get them far in the long run.”
“Plus, I don’t think they are going to be able to eat them if it came down to that. I know how attached you can get to your pets. We might be helping them by taking a few mouths to feed over the winter.”
“It still doesn’t feel right. They are just kids, and Harriette?—”
“Harriette, what? Young man?” the woman said.
They both turned to find the trio looking at them.
“As touched as we are that you’re worried about us, we are well prepared both with ammunition and seeds to keep ourselves and the animals fed over the winter,” Harriette said.
“You aren’t going to talk us out of giving you the horses, nor are you going to talk us out of making sure you’ve got what you need to make it home. ”
“We just wouldn’t feel right about taking them,” Sarah said. “We didn’t help the girls because we were looking to get anything out of it. Besides, you never know when you’re going to need the spare horses.”
“It’s actually more helpful if you take two of them off our hands,” Rose said. “We already ran the numbers, and we can make it through this with four horses, just not with six. You’re actually saving them all if you take the two.”
Sarah was blown away by their generosity. “I don’t know what to say. It’s definitely going to help us make it to Maine.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Harriette said. “Consider it a thank you for saving the girls and getting them back home safely.”
Sarah smiled. “I wish it hadn’t come to that, but you’re more than welcome. I promise we’ll take good care of them both.”
“Do your parents have a barn or another building they can be housed in?” Rose asked.
“They sure do. They have a good-sized barn that would be perfect for them. Actually, we had a few when I was younger, but once they passed away from old age, we just thought it would be best if we didn’t get new ones.”
“As long as they help get you to your parents and they’re going to be well taken care of, that’s all that matters to us.”
“They’ll be in good hands at Harmony. My parents will probably be happy to have a few horses at the homestead,” Sarah said. “I promise you have nothing to worry about when it comes to the horses.”
“I have no doubt that you’ll take good care of them. That’s why none of us have any issue giving you the horses for your journey.”
“Thank you so much. You have no idea what this means to us.”
Before she knew what was happening, the girls were pulling her into a group hug.
Sarah couldn’t stop the tears from falling as she thought about how lucky they were.
Now, they would be able to make it to her parents’ place in half the time.
With that knowledge dancing around in the back of her mind, Sarah was anxious to hit the road again.
“Now, dinner still has an hour before we can serve it, but I just put a pot of boiling water on the stove for a nice hot bath. Why don’t you all go and get cleaned up and find a place to settle for the night.
Then we can talk and get to know each other.
I want to hear all about you girls and your adventures.
For now, though, you can take these two to your mother’s room for the night.
I’ll bring up some water for you shortly. ”
Sarah glanced at Adam as a blush jumped to her cheeks.
She didn’t want to argue with their host or seem ungrateful.
Still, sleeping on the floor in the bedroom was better than the barn.
If it came down to it, she was happy to crash on the carpet.
As they headed into the beautifully built log cabin.
The ranch-style home was open and inviting despite the chaos the world had collapsed into outside.
Walking through a large kitchen, the girls opened the first door to the right, revealing a beautiful and large master bedroom and attached bath.
Thankfully, there was also a small sofa in the corner that she was happy to take for the night.
Looking around, her heart ached once again to be back with her own family. They would be leaving soon enough.