ChapterTwenty-One
The next day she got up and got dressed,fixed breakfast as usual and they talked at the table like anynormal day.
"Your kind of dressed up, what's theoccasion?" Wes asked.
"Going to the bank today."
"Are you going to be able to pay themortgage?" Wes asked.
"Yes, for another year."
"That's great."
"I couldn't have done it without you, Wes."She said, not looking at him.
"I'm going with you into town and see if Ican find someone who wants to work here." Wes told her.
"Oh, well, okay. That would be nice. Comeplanting time I'll need some help if I don't sell the place."
Wes stared at her hard, his heart poundinglike a drum. He didn't want her selling the place, but then, shehad every right to, if that was what she wanted to do.
"Do you want to sell?" He asked her, comingtoward her now.
"No, of course not. But I'll need a goodworker, one that can help me keep this place going." Sheinsisted.
"Then I'll get busy trying to find you somehelp."
"Alright," she agreed.
On the way into town, Wes rode with her, shewas too tense to talk, her throat was still too full of tears. Shedidn't know how she'd be able to talk to the bank manager and notcry. But she was grown and on her own now and had to take care ofthings.
"Want me to go in with you?" He asked.
"No, I'll be fine." She said softly.
"Okay, I'm gonna see if I can findsomeone."
"Alright."
She took care of the mortgage payment firstthen withdrew money enough to pay Wes for his help.
"You did good this year, Kate." The bankPresident told her. "I hope you can continue to do so. Is yourhired man staying on for the planting season?"
"No, he's going to try to find me some help,as he's leaving soon."
"Sorry to hear that. Well, there are a fewmen in town that could sure use a job. Here's a couple of names tocheck out."
"Thank you, Mr. Mueller." She saidswallowing the lump in her throat.
"You take care, now." He smiled at her.
Wes wasn't back by the time she finished soshe went to a dress shop and looked about. She kept an eye out forWes as she looked at the pretty dresses.
Maybe she'd buy a dress to wear for the dayWes left. Maybe if she looked at this as a positive step, she'dfeel better about him leaving.
Trouble was, she gave him ample time to tellher how he felt, and he hadn't said much about it. She'd been afool, as she knew this day would come. How could she have been sodense.
Wes had done more than his fair share of thework. He'd killed the cat, and he'd got her crops in and foundbuyers for them. He delivered it all. She couldn't expect more thanthat.
Still, all they shared, and after all thistime, he was nothing more than a friend. She wished she'd neverkissed him now. Because that told her so much about him. If shehadn't gotten so emotionally involved with him, she wouldn’t befeeling this way.
Now she began to realize what he meant whenhe had told her about his true love. When she died, he gave upliving.
Still, that had been years ago, and hadn'the found anything worth living for since?
Perhaps if she'd loved Jim, she'd have feltthe same way when he died.
She wasn't making much sense.
The lady in the dress shop kept asking herif she could help her find something, but she wasn't interested inpretty dresses. Wes obviously didn't see her as anything, but afriend and she couldn't change that.
She'd never had a friend like him. Nevershared so much of herself with anyone before. Why did she have topick him to share with? She knew he wouldn't stay.
She spotted him walking down the boardwalkand went out to meet him.
"Well, I'm through, are you?"
"Yeah, I didn't get very far."
"The bank manager gave me a couple of names.You want to go check them out really quick?"
"Sure, why not." He encouraged. Somethingsounded so flat in his voice, as there was no excitement there. Shemissed the way he got excited about things. But today, he wassimply indulging her.
"We don't have to, if you don't want to."She told him.
"One of them is right here in town. Come on,we'll see." He told her taking her elbow and directing her in thegeneral direction.
But the man wasn't home and when he peakedin the bar, he stopped to ask for the man's name. The bartenderpointed him to a man sitting alone at a table, with a half emptybottle of whiskey.
Wes walked away from that one.
Kate wanted to know why he didn't go talk tohim.
"Kate, he's a drunk. You don't need thatkind of trouble."
"I suppose," she said dejectedly.
"Look, I'll hang around for a while and seeif I can find anyone to help."
"I don't want to impose on your time."
"A week and then I'm gone." He told her.
"A week," she sighed heavily. "Alright."
They went home, but they were both veryquiet.
When she went inside, she began preparingthe evening meal. Dickens was oiling his gun and he watched herfling things around in the kitchen.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"No, nothing. Just trying to decide what tocook." She told him.
He didn't believe that. "Did you see thebanker?"
"I did, and I've got Wes' money for him. Iguess I should go give it to him." She told him.
"I can do it, if you want me to."
"No, I need to thank him for all he's donefor me." Kate said, chewing on her lower lip.
Wes was oiling his gun when she went intothe barn. She hadn't gone to his little room before since he came.She didn't want to intrude, but she knocked on the door.
"Come in, it's open." He hollered.
He was washing up at the washbowl and he hadhis shirt off. It was the first time she'd ever seen him shirtlessand it startled her a bit.
"Uh…um… I came to pay you. I forgot." Shedug the money out of her dress pocket and handed it to him.
"Sure you can afford to pay me?" he askedwith a slight smile as he turned toward her.
She couldn't speak, she was looking at himand
