But he stopped long enough to ask. "He yournew man?"
"No, he's my hired hand."
"Hired hand. Thought your old man didn'tlike nobody helpin' out." Arnold popped off.
"He didn't. But I do!"
Brent studied on that, "Good day to you,then."
Wes kept going then and didn't say anotherword until they got to the place.
"So that's the Smith's huh?" Wes asked hisbrow shooting upward.
"Two of them, there are two more sons andtheir father, living up on the hill yonder. They are usually toodrunk to carry on a conversation though." Kate huffed.
"I take it you don't care for them?" Wesasked.
"Not exactly the kind of neighbors Iappreciate. But they were here before me, so I can't rightly begriping about them, as long as they leave me alone." Kate saidquite matter-of-factly.
Wes stared off in the direction they rode.He didn't say any more about them.
Chapter Six
That evening at the table, Wes eyed her amoment while he sipped his coffee and waited for her to put thefood on the table. His glance traveled around the room, noting thepretty curtains at the window, the rug on the floor. She hadknitting sitting in the rocking chair. It looked homey andinviting. It had been a long time since he enjoyed the atmosphereof a real home and this woman had made a nice home.
"Soon as we finish gathering the corn, I'mgonna check that cat out. At the time you told me about him, Ididn't think much of it. I guess I assumed someone else might havedone it." He moved his thoughts away from how nice she had made itall look.
"It isn't your problem," she insisted,putting the bread and butter on the table.
"It could be if he decides to come back.Cats are dangerous creatures, Kate. They mark their territory. Theyare cunning in sly ways. Once they mark it, they can return at anygiven moment. Unlike a lot of other animals they almost try tooutthink people. Besides, he could be bothering others around heretoo." Wes did his best not to notice what a fine figure of a womanshe presented. She had pretty blonde hair, and deep blue eyes, anda figure any
man could admire. But she just lost herhusband, and he wasn't the kind of man to stay long. She wouldn'tbe interested in a short relationship. But he certainly was agood-looking man.
"Were you planning on joining the huntingparty?" She asked as she put the food on the table now.
"No, I'll go it alone."
"Isn't that more dangerous?" she asked hereyes widening.
"Depends, if the party are full of drunks ornot. Drunks with guns can be even more dangerous, Kate."
"Oh, I guess you are right about that." Katefelt she had said too much. "The Smith boys are quite the drinkers.At least that's what Mr. Dickens told me."
"Well, Dickens would know. He knows abouteveryone around here." he smiled.
She sat back in her chair now opposite him,staring at him, "I'm not worried about that. You already said you'dhelp me get the crop in. And I believe you'll do your best to doit, but a cat… "
"But you are worried about something, aren'tyou?"
She shrugged.
"Just what I'll do when you leave. Or ifsomething happened to you. I guess I've come to rely on your help.I shouldn't presume so much." She muttered. "I mean I have toprepare for it. I guess I'm going to have to make up my mind upabout selling the place or not. Right now, I'm still a little numbfrom all that has happened. You see we don't have enough paid intothis place to make much off it, and I imagine I'm going to have tomake money to keep it going. The land here is good, and Jim workedvery hard making it a fine place, I'll give him that."
"Maybe you need to get out more in thecommunity and meet people. You might find some local man or kid tohelp run the place."
"Maybe. Back home," she seemed to beremembering, "we had a small shack on a small piece of land, and Ihad a garden that could keep me fed all year round. The place waspaid for and I could manage, but this place isn't paid for and Idon't know if I can keep it going."
"Did you sell the place back home?"
"Jim did, when we married."
"What happened to the money you got for it?If you don't mind me asking."
"It went into making a down payment on thisplace." She answered quickly. "You see, it was a small place, butwith good soil. But Jim needed a bigger place to farm and so wemoved here and paid down on it. His farm wasn't really his, it washis families. But he did most of the work on it."
"So he took everything you hadbasically?"
She stared at him a moment, realizing forthe first time, that could have been his reason for marrying her."Yes, well, we were married when he took it. He had the right. Ihated selling it, but we were moving, and I figured some squattermight claim it if I moved off. "
Wes nodded.
"Why did you move out here?"
"Jim's folks didn't like me. And they hatedlosing him. He wanted to break away from them, see what he could dofor himself."
"Why?"
"My folks were just dirt farmers. Jim wasthe best of his family, they had a big place, a nice place, but Jimdid most of the work. When he married me, they lost him and had towork the place themselves. They resented me for marrying him. SaidI was a gold digger. But Jim wasn't rich, he just had a nice farm,that's all. And, unfortunately, when he married me, he didn't haveany money, it was all tied up in their family farm. He couldn'tsell it. It wasn't in his name. So it was my money that paid forthe down payment of this place."
Wes shook his head but said nothing.
Some emotion played in her expression, buthe couldn’t make it out.
"Well, I haven't left yet!" He smiled.
"No, but you will leave. After all, I’m notyour obligation. And I have to prepare for it."
"Well, I
