Providence. He heard a
hawk calling in the night, a haunting sound as though its heart were breaking.
Chapter seven
The sun was already peeking
through the lace curtains when Kate’s eyes opened. “Oh no!” she cried jumping
out of bed. She could already hear Nana banging pots around in the kitchen.
“How did it get so late?” She must have slept half way through morning chores.
Pulling on a pair of trousers and a clean cotton shirt, she tucked it in
quickly and cinched up the leather belt. She stuffed her feet quickly into wool
socks and a pair of old leather boots that had seen far better days, but were
oh so comfortable, and dashed out to the kitchen.
“Oh, Mrs. Insley, I’m so sorry. I
didn’t have the fire going or anything,” she apologized.
“No mind. I’ve done it myself.
Hurry off and get those horses tended to before the men have to do it all
themselves.”
“I’ll hurry!” Kate replied
slapping the old felt hat down over her loose curls and grabbing her jacket
from the peg by the door.
She reached the barn in
time to see Jake beginning to pitch the hay into Raven’s manger. A stab of
guilt shot through her. “Jake, I’m sorry I’m late. Give me that. I’ll finish
the horses.”
“You’re taking to sleeping in as
late as my Jon!” he grinned. “No need to worry. Between Luke and I we got ‘bout
all the chores done already.”
Luke! In her rush this morning,
she had nearly forgotten about the new hand. Looking around the dim barn, she
saw him watching one of her mares in the foaling stall. Pitching the hay to
Raven and giving him a quick pat, she walked over to the foaling stall.
Jake was busy hitching his mares
to the plow, while Jonathan milked the jersey cows they kept for milk and
butter. The rest of the morning’s chores had already been finished, leaving
Kate feeling quite guilty and almost useless for a moment.
***
Luke did a double take as Kate
entered the barn. It was the first time he had ever seen a woman dressed in
men’s clothing. He had to admit, with those curls floating around her face beneath
that old dusty hat, she was actually quite charming, but it would sure take
some getting used to.
“She’s due next week, but since
she started bagging early, I brought her up last Friday.” Kate offered quietly
coming to stand next to him.
“Has she waxed?”
“Haven’t checked yet today,
but she hadn’t yesterday morning.” Kate answered, opening the stall gate. She
ran a hand down the dun mare’s golden side. Feeling the life within moving
lazily, she smiled a radiant smile. Luke realized that it was the first time he
had seen her smile. It lit up her entire face, giving her a simple childlike
glow that he found hard to resist. He found himself wondering if she would ever
smile at him in just that way.
Reaching lower, she felt the
mare’s udder. It was full and swollen, dripping a creamy looking milk. “No wax,
but she’s milking, should be soon.”
“Do you want me to keep an eye on
her tonight?”
Kate looked up as though she had
forgotten that he was standing there. “You don’t mind?”
“Naw, I’m right next door,” he
laughed.
“You’ve foaled out a mare?”
“A few.”
“Well, it would set my mind to
ease some,” she agreed. “I’ve been a little worried about how big she is this
time. I can’t afford to lose one.”
“Has she had any problems in the
past?”
“No, and this is her third
foal, but I still worry. Next to Gypsy, this is my favorite mare.” She stroked
the horse’s nose as she spoke, and the mare placed her head on Kate’s shoulder.
Sighing, she opened the stall door and stepped out, closing it gently behind
her.
Luke watched her appreciatively.
She definitely had a way with horses, and spoke as naturally about them as any
man. She didn’t blush or use euphemisms when discussing the intimate details of
foaling, as most women would.
“I thought we could saddle up and
I’ll take you on a tour of the
hawk calling in the night, a haunting sound as though its heart were breaking.
Chapter seven
The sun was already peeking
through the lace curtains when Kate’s eyes opened. “Oh no!” she cried jumping
out of bed. She could already hear Nana banging pots around in the kitchen.
“How did it get so late?” She must have slept half way through morning chores.
Pulling on a pair of trousers and a clean cotton shirt, she tucked it in
quickly and cinched up the leather belt. She stuffed her feet quickly into wool
socks and a pair of old leather boots that had seen far better days, but were
oh so comfortable, and dashed out to the kitchen.
“Oh, Mrs. Insley, I’m so sorry. I
didn’t have the fire going or anything,” she apologized.
“No mind. I’ve done it myself.
Hurry off and get those horses tended to before the men have to do it all
themselves.”
“I’ll hurry!” Kate replied
slapping the old felt hat down over her loose curls and grabbing her jacket
from the peg by the door.
She reached the barn in
time to see Jake beginning to pitch the hay into Raven’s manger. A stab of
guilt shot through her. “Jake, I’m sorry I’m late. Give me that. I’ll finish
the horses.”
“You’re taking to sleeping in as
late as my Jon!” he grinned. “No need to worry. Between Luke and I we got ‘bout
all the chores done already.”
Luke! In her rush this morning,
she had nearly forgotten about the new hand. Looking around the dim barn, she
saw him watching one of her mares in the foaling stall. Pitching the hay to
Raven and giving him a quick pat, she walked over to the foaling stall.
Jake was busy hitching his mares
to the plow, while Jonathan milked the jersey cows they kept for milk and
butter. The rest of the morning’s chores had already been finished, leaving
Kate feeling quite guilty and almost useless for a moment.
***
Luke did a double take as Kate
entered the barn. It was the first time he had ever seen a woman dressed in
men’s clothing. He had to admit, with those curls floating around her face beneath
that old dusty hat, she was actually quite charming, but it would sure take
some getting used to.
“She’s due next week, but since
she started bagging early, I brought her up last Friday.” Kate offered quietly
coming to stand next to him.
“Has she waxed?”
“Haven’t checked yet today,
but she hadn’t yesterday morning.” Kate answered, opening the stall gate. She
ran a hand down the dun mare’s golden side. Feeling the life within moving
lazily, she smiled a radiant smile. Luke realized that it was the first time he
had seen her smile. It lit up her entire face, giving her a simple childlike
glow that he found hard to resist. He found himself wondering if she would ever
smile at him in just that way.
Reaching lower, she felt the
mare’s udder. It was full and swollen, dripping a creamy looking milk. “No wax,
but she’s milking, should be soon.”
“Do you want me to keep an eye on
her tonight?”
Kate looked up as though she had
forgotten that he was standing there. “You don’t mind?”
“Naw, I’m right next door,” he
laughed.
“You’ve foaled out a mare?”
“A few.”
“Well, it would set my mind to
ease some,” she agreed. “I’ve been a little worried about how big she is this
time. I can’t afford to lose one.”
“Has she had any problems in the
past?”
“No, and this is her third
foal, but I still worry. Next to Gypsy, this is my favorite mare.” She stroked
the horse’s nose as she spoke, and the mare placed her head on Kate’s shoulder.
Sighing, she opened the stall door and stepped out, closing it gently behind
her.
Luke watched her appreciatively.
She definitely had a way with horses, and spoke as naturally about them as any
man. She didn’t blush or use euphemisms when discussing the intimate details of
foaling, as most women would.
“I thought we could saddle up and
I’ll take you on a tour of the
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