Seeds of Summer by Deborah Vogts Page A

drink. The Trevors thought a little mission work might help them focus on things more meaningful.”
    â€œYou’re not being too hard on Sarah, considering her good reputation?” Carl frowned.
    â€œShe should have thought about her reputation before she came to a youth meeting half-tanked.” Jared went on to explain his plans for involving the girls in Vacation Bible School. After ten more minutes of questions and answers, the three men left, seemingly satisfied.
    Jared drummed his fingers on the desk and stared out the window at the blue sky. The spring air called to him, a perfect morning for fishing. He’d already gone over his sermon notes, and now that his elders’ meeting was finished, he had a mind to gather his tackle and head for the river. Then he remembered Natalie’s plan to brand cattle today. Guilt settled in. He recalled their last conversation here at the church.
    Heated.
    Though he couldn’t deny the woman’s beauty, it took a backseatto her hard-headedness—her desire to conquer the world with her own two hands. He probably shouldn’t have been so hard on her, but the woman seemed to have a negative effect on his logic.
    Should he go fishing or help Natalie and her family vaccinate cattle? Jared glanced at his brown loafers and flexed his fingers, growling at the lingering doubt. He might not remember everything about working cattle and might very well make a fool of himself, but he was still a man in the prime of his life. Despite whatever differences Natalie and he had, she needed the help. Nothing but pride stood in his way.
    NATALIE LIFTED HER HAT TO WIPE HER BROW WITH HER SHIRTSLEEVE, STILL amazed at how many friends and neighbors had shown up to help with the branding. With just enough notice the night before, she and Chelsey prepared breakfast for a crew of twelve who arrived on their doorstep around four that morning. Together they’d served hot biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage, and bacon to the hungry workers. Afterward, they gathered their horses in the dark corral behind her father’s towering limestone barn.
    Now late morning, Natalie gazed at the many helpers of all ages and size. Bruce and Ray Bennett, a father and son team, had driven over thirty miles to heel and drag calves to the ground crews, as did the Edwards brothers and Charles Knight, a good friend of her father’s. Gene and Lori Carpenter helped Dillon and Chelsey with the branding and vaccinating along with their two kids, who sometimes climbed on the corral fence and watched.
    Others included Willard at the sorting gates, and country veterinarian Mattie McCray, along with her husband, Gil, a former NFL quarterback. John McCray came too, although because of his health, he mostly stood behind and handed people things. Natalie first met the McCrays when training for the Miss Rodeo Kansas competition and remembered well the day Gil proposed to Mattiein the rodeo arena. His declaration of love had caused many hearts to flutter that day, including hers.
    Although overcome with gratitude that these people cared enough to be here, her heart ached from memories of past brandings with her dad. Blue sky above, dust fogging the ground, the sound of calves bawling, and the occasional curse from one who’d missed his roping target. So much the same, yet so many changes. She waited for Gil to flank the next calf to the dirt, then pressed her knee into its shoulder while Dillon stretched out its back leg to keep it immobile.
    With two ground crews working at the same time, they had fallen into a pattern so efficient and skilled it took less than a minute for them to perform the tasks on each calf. In tandem precision, Mattie plunged the hypodermic needle into the calf’s flesh as the others did their part. The new steer let out a haunting bellow as the stench of burnt hair and hide hung in the air after the branding.
    â€œHow many of our calves have we done?” Dillon