Aundy (Pendleton Petticoats #1)(9)
Author: Shanna Hatfield

After dinner, Aundy helped Nora wash the dishes then Nora insisted everyone gather in her parlor for a while before Garrett took Aundy home.

“Have you decided what you want to do with the farm yet?” J.B. asked, knowing Aundy had been trying to decide if she would keep it or sell it.

“I’ve decided to stay and make it a success as a way of honoring Erik,” Aundy said quietly, sipping the tea Nora made for her.

“That’s wonderful, honey,” Nora said, patting her leg from where she sat next to her on the sofa. “What are your plans?”

“I want to learn all I can about managing a farm. I need to learn about animals, crops, everything. Dent said he’d help, but suggested Garrett might be able to provide assistance with some of my lessons, like shooting.”

Garrett, who’d been drinking a cup of coffee, choked in his efforts not to spew the drink all over his mother’s prized set of furniture. J.B. reached over and slapped his back a few times, grinning at his son.

“Sounds like a grand idea to me,” J.B. said, winking at Nora as Aundy watched Garrett with concern.

“I don’t want to be any more of a burden to anyone. I’m sure I can figure things out,” Aundy said, glancing down at the teacup she held in her hand.

“Nonsense,” J.B. said, settling back in his chair. “Garrett would be happy to teach you how to shoot and whatever other lessons you need help with. I might not be much use outdoors yet, but I can teach you about cattle and crops if you’re of a mind to come here for a little schooling. We’ve got a few books that might be a help to you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Nash,” Aundy said, nodding at him with a shy smile. “I’ve been reading a book I found on Erik’s desk, but I still have some questions about what I’ve read. I hate to bother Dent because he’s so busy and he informed me today we need to hire more hands.”

“Well, you probably could use a few more. Erik always hired some seasonal help once the farm work began,” J.B. said, still waiting for Garrett to recover from his choking fit and join the conversation. “Do the hands know you’re planning to keep the farm and run it yourself?”

“Dent said he’d tell them after supper tonight,” Aundy said, glancing at Garrett as he took a cautious sip of his coffee. “I realize I’ve got a lot to learn, but I’m strong and determined and willing to work hard.”

“We know you are, honey,” Nora said, patting Aundy’s leg again. “Don’t you worry about a thing. We’ll all help you learn about farm life. You can count on us. All of us.” Nora gave Garrett a pointed look and he numbly nodded his head, trying not to look at Aundy. The firelight in the room was making her hair glimmer and shine and the look on her face, filled with animation and excitement as she talked about learning to farm, made him want to promise to do everything in his power to help her succeed.

Visiting for a short while longer, Garrett went to hitch the horse to the buggy. J.B. and Aundy worked out a schedule for her to come learn what he could teach her from the kitchen table about crops, livestock and rural life.

Nora gave her another hug as she walked out the door and waved enthusiastically as Garrett helped her in the buggy and started down the lane back toward the road.

“Thank you,” Aundy said quietly, taking in the beautiful colors filling the sky as the sun set. She would never tire of the smell of clean air and the wide-open spaces she’d found in Pendleton. Unlike anything she’d ever experienced, she felt such a peace here in the country.

“For what?” Garrett asked, keeping his gaze fastened on the horse instead of his companion.

“For being so kind and encouraging,” Aundy said, releasing a sigh. “Most people would have told me to sell the farm, get on a train and return to the city life I know. Your family hasn’t offered any opinions on what I should do and have been supportive of my decisions. Not everyone would encourage a woman from Chicago to stick it out and learn about farming.”

“We’re not everyone,” Garrett said with a smile that revealed his white teeth and lit up his face. “Everyone should have the opportunity to learn and grow regardless of their age, color, or gender. If you want to learn about farming, then who are we to tell you no? You should know, though, that learning from Pops means you’ll be learning from one of the best.”

“I assumed as much,” Aundy said, grinning at Garrett as he stopped the buggy and hurried around to offer her his hand. “It’s easy to see you’ve got a prosperous well-run ranch and that doesn’t happen by chance. I do know enough to realize that only happens because of skill and hard work.”

Garrett nodded his head, pleased at Aundy’s words. Walking her up the steps to the front door, he tipped his hat. “After you finish your lesson with Pops, I can give you a shooting lesson. You should be able to get in some practice one-handed with a revolver until that arm of yours heals.”

“Thank you,” Aundy said, opening the door and stepping inside before turning to smile at Garrett. She felt a flutter in her stomach as her eyes connected with his silvery gaze and he offered her a broad grin.

Garrett backed up and almost fell off the porch step, his attention centered on Aundy’s blue eyes and golden hair instead of where he was going.

He thought he heard Aundy giggle, but when he looked up, she was closing the door.

Chapter Five

Swinging open the kitchen door as the sun began to chase away the early morning darkness, Aundy walked toward the chicken coop with a determined step.

After her tour around the farm with Dent the previous afternoon, she was confident she could at least feed the chickens and gather eggs. Finding the bucket and feed Dent indicated she should give the chickens, she carefully opened the door to the enclosed pen and shut it behind her. The chickens were still inside the coop, sitting on their nests.

Aundy used her good hand to shake the bucket, making a racket she hoped rousted the chickens. Switching the bucket to her other hand, she held it against her waist and tossed out handfuls of the feed, calling to the chickens. “Here chick, chick. Here chick.”

Soon chickens were all around her, pecking at the feed. Aundy emptied the bucket then entered the coop, sticking her hand in the nests like Dent showed her. As she gathered the eggs, she felt a growing satisfaction in having accomplished something worthwhile. Although a little frightened by the chickens, she decided they were only harmless birds, after all.

As she reached the last nest, she felt a sharp stinging on her leg and looked down to see a little rooster pecking at her. He looked up at her with angry eyes and Aundy started backing toward the door. The sound he emitted made Aundy’s eyes widen with fear and she hurried out the door of the coop and through the chickens as they ate their feed. She was working the latch in the gate when the rooster flew up with his spurs set to dig into Aundy.

Anticipating the attack, Aundy raised her arm and the rooster’s head connected with her cast, thumping loudly. He fell to the ground and Aundy escaped the pen, closing the gate firmly behind her. Looking in the bucket, she was glad to see she hadn’t broken a single egg in her haste to get away from the rooster.

Turning, she found several sets of eyes looking her direction as Dent and the hands all stared at her, most with smirks on their faces.

“I see you met Napoleon,” Dent said, trying not to laugh. He and the boys heard a commotion in the coop and hurried over to see the little rooster chasing Aundy to the gate. It was hard to keep from breaking out in chuckles when she held up her cast and knocked the bird senseless.

“What a fitting name,” Aundy said, staring at the rooster that had yet to get back on his feet. “I didn’t kill him, did I?”

“Probably just stunned him is all,” Dent said, watching as the bird shook his head and staggered to his feet.

“Too bad. I’ll have to try harder next time. Chicken stew would have tasted good,” Aundy said, thinking she and Napoleon needed to reach a compromise or one of them was going to have to leave the farm and it wouldn’t be her.

The hands broke out in laughter and watched as Aundy walked up the steps to the kitchen door and disappeared inside.

“Chores won’t do themselves,” Dent said, pointing toward the barn when the men continued to stare at the house. He didn’t get a chance to talk to them about Aundy keeping the farm the previous evening, but if he was a betting man, he’d bet after breakfast they’d be short a few more hands. He supposed he ought to get it over with and quit putting off the inevitable.

Taking off his hat, he ran his hand through his hair and let out a sigh. “You might as well all know, I spoke with Mrs. Erikson yesterday and she intends to not only keep the farm but be in control of it.”

“You mean that citified woman thinks she’s gonna run this place?” one of the men asked, glaring at Dent in disgust.

“That’s what the lady said.” Dent glared back at the hand, daring him to say anything more.

“Then I quit,” the man said, stalking off toward the bunkhouse.

“Any of the rest of you agree with Harry?” Dent asked, looking at each face and anticipating a few more would follow. At the nod of three more heads, Dent shook his and pointed toward the bunkhouse.

“Pack your gear and I’ll get your wages ready for you. You can light out after breakfast,” Dent said, disappointed but not surprised. With the four men leaving, that left him with just four other bodies besides his own to do all the work. Aundy was going to have to hire more men if they hoped to make it through spring calving and farm work.

Turning toward the house, he hated to start the day with bad news, but he needed to let Aundy know what was going on as well as discuss paying the men. Erik always took care of paying wages and the men received theirs at the end of each month.

“Come on in,” Aundy called as Dent raised a hand to knock on the door. He didn’t know how she knew he was out there, but he opened the door, took off his hat and stepped inside. “If nothing else, I guess I’m good for providing the morning entertainment.”

Dent grinned in spite of himself. “You did just fine for your first time in the chicken coop. That lil’ rooster is full of attitude, but I have a feeling he’ll leave you alone for now.”

“If he doesn’t, you’ll have to teach me how to kill a chicken. I’ve plucked and cooked them, but never had to execute one before,” Aundy said, glancing at Dent as she continued wiping off the eggs and placing them in a basket on the counter. “Napoleon may make me anxious to learn that particular skill.”

“Missy, you are something else,” Dent said, leaning against the door. He watched Aundy carefully hold an egg in her hand then use a soft cloth to wipe it clean. “I’ve got some news you aren’t gonna like, but need to hear.”

“Oh?” Aundy asked, setting down the egg and giving him her full attention.

“I told the men you’re planning to run the farm and four of them quit this morning,” Dent said, hoping Aundy didn’t take it personally. The hands would have quit if any woman had taken over the farm. It wasn’t that they disliked her, just the idea of being bossed around by a woman.

“I see,” Aundy said, sitting at the table, staring down at her lap. She was quiet so long, Dent didn’t know what to make of it. He finally pulled out a chair and straddled it.

“We need to pay them for wages due. Erik always paid everyone on the last day of the month, so we need to talk about pay for all the hands.”

“I recalled seeing the monthly withdrawal in the ledger book, but it slipped my mind that you all will want your wages soon,” Aundy said, bringing her gaze up to look at Dent. “If I forget going forward, please just remind me. It won’t be intentional, I’m just not used to taking care of paying wages. Do I need to go to the bank to collect the funds?”

“Yep. Erik usually went in and got the money, picked up supplies, and made a day of it,” Dent said.

“I see. Do you know how much is owed the men who are leaving?” Aundy asked, recalling a list of payroll in Erik’s ledger.

Dent listed their names and what he thought they should be paid. Aundy told him she would have the funds ready for him by the time the men were finished with breakfast.

“That would be good, Missy,” Dent said, deciding they might as well get all the problems out on the table. “We can’t operate five men short, which is what we’ll be now. We’ve got to hire more help.”

“Do you feel comfortable hiring more men?” Aundy asked, knowing she could judge character, but wasn’t sure she’d be able to know what to look for in a hired hand.

“I can do that,” Dent said, nodding his head. “If I help you write an advertisement, can you make sure it gets in the paper? We could post it around town, too.”

“That would be satisfactory. Perhaps after you pay the men and see them on their way, we can come up with something I can take to town. I’ll need to go to the bank to collect wages for the rest of the men. If anyone needs supplies, please let me know and I can pick them up when I go.

“How are you going to get to town, Missy?” Dent asked, knowing she couldn’t drive the buggy and he was sure she didn’t know how to ride a horse.

“I’m not entirely certain, but I’ll figure something out,” Aundy said, getting up from the table when Dent stood, nodded his head again and stepped outside.

Sitting back down at the table, Aundy raised her gaze heavenward and prayed for strength and wisdom. She was going to need an extra helping of both to get through the day.

Going to Erik’s desk, she took out his ledger and noted a final payment made to the four men who quit and the date. She took out a scrap of paper and wrote down the amount of wages from the previous month and placed it in her pocket then began opening drawers, hoping to find some cash Erik might have on hand. Searching through the desk, she came up with enough to pay one of the men.