Five dollars and ten cents. With the twentyDickens gave her, it seemed like a lot, but still wasn't enough totake care of the mortgage.
She put the twenty in the can and put itup.
She looked at Moby, "It's not enough, notnear enough." She cried.
Moby whined and laid down, shooting her asad glance.
Chapter Three
The next day she was out at the corn field.It was a beautiful day and the air smelled clean and fresh. Shebegan picking the corn as usual and worked at it for several hours.Just as she got ready to go inside and fix something to eat, shestumbled across a man in her field, eating a sandwich. He wasdressed like a cowboy, and he was sitting on the ground,eating.
She had brought Jim's rifle out and put iton the wheel barrel and turned it on her intruder.
The man barely moved, but his head shot upand she was shocked that such a handsome man was sitting there inher field eating. It caught her off guard, for it was like instantattraction. Taken aback that she even noticed such a thing, sheaimed the rifle at him now, and he didn't flinch.
He was young and looked healthy, so what washe doing sitting there in her field.
"Who are you and what are you doing on myproperty?" she asked holding the rifle at him and frowning. She wasdoing her best to intimidate him, but he barely reacted.
"You Kate Marley?" He asked, giving her asideways glance as he finished his sandwich.
"I am, who are you?"
"The name is Wesley Dolan."
"That doesn't tell me much, where did youcome from?"
"Old man Dickens sent me out." He stared ather, seeing how the gun was shaking. "Said you were needing somehelp."
She looked a bit taken aback.
"Oh, he did?" she swallowed hard and let therifle dangle from her arm. "Are you looking for work?" She relaxedher stance.
"Yeah, I am."
"You from around here?" she asked.
"Nope, I'm a drifter. I stop off and workwhen I need to."
"A drifter, huh?"
"That's right," he stood up now, and shenoted that he was tall and slender, and not as old as she firstthought.
He had brown hair, and light brown eyes. Hewas kind of handsome too.
"I couldn't pay you until you get the cropsin." she told him, waiting to see what he thought of that.
"That's fine with me, as long as you cancook for me and give me a place to sleep."
"You can sleep in the barn, there's a bed,toward the back, got an old stove pipe out there too, for coldnights, and I'll fix your meals for you. They won't be fancy butI'm a good cook." She told him.
He seemed to study her a minute. "Soundsgood. Where's your husband?"
"He died a couple of days ago." She saidflatly.
"Sorry to hear it. Who's been picking yourcorn for you?"
"Me. And I'll work alongside you too."
Now he really looked at her. "You will,huh?"
He smiled and she noted how white his teethlooked. He was a clean man, from what she could tell. He didn’treek either. But that smile curled around her as though he'd puthis arms around her.
That was silly. Why was he effecting herthis way?
"I gotta get these two crops in, or I won'tbe able to keep this place." She quickly distracted him.
"Bring that wagon over here closer," he toldher.
"Are you going to work now?" she asked.
"Sounds like you need somebody to work foryou." He said quietly.
"Well, good, thanks. I'll go grab a bite toeat and be with you shortly. I got lemonade in the house" Sheinformed him. "I'll bring you some when I come out."
He nodded but said nothing.
The man seemed to study her for a longwhile, but he got busy and by the time she came out, he had halfthe wagon filled with corn. She stared at how fast he had pickedit. Dear God, he was fast. How did he do it?
"You work fast," she told him.
"Yes ma'am." He answered.
"How long can you stay?" she asked as shebegan to pick the corn too.
"How long you need me?"
She looked at him for a moment. "As long asyou can stay," she answered softly.
"I don't usually stay longer than a seasonthen move on." He told her, his voice low and firm.
"Oh."
He obviously heard the disappointment in hervoice, as he turned to look at her. Something in his glanceattracted her again, and she cleared her throat and moved away fromhim.
She hung her head and started picking thecorn faster.
They didn't talk much after that, but alongabout sundown she showed him where he could bunk, and she wentinside to fix them a meal. "You can clean up a bit and come on into eat in about an hour." She told him.
He nodded.
A bit later, he came inside and took his hatoff and hung it on the peg by the door.
"Where you from Mr. Dolan?" she asked as shepoured him some coffee and went to tend the pork chops that Mr.Dickens had given her the day before. He'd always given her porkchops and or bacon when she brought a load of corn.
"I move around a lot, but my home I guessyou would say is San Antonio."
"I hear tell that's a pretty place," shesmiled.
"It's getting bigger every day, and it isright pretty with the river right there inside the town."
"You married, got kids or anything?" sheasked.
"Nope, not a one, and no woman either." Heremarked, his glance penetrating her thoughts.
"You got family?" she asked sitting downwith him at the table.
"No ma'am, guess that's why I'm a drifter."He smiled.
His smile lit his face and the room. Shehadn't expected that.
Kate had to admit, she was blatantlyattracted to the man. It wasn't just his looks, but his calmattitude and his glances.
"I sense that you were lookin' for more of afull-time hand."
"Yes, I was." She admitted. "But I'll takewhat I can get." She shrugged. "As you can see, it's a sizablepiece of land, and I can't manage it alone."
"You don't have no regular help?"
"No, my husband was not a social man, andmost folks around here didn't
