Page 8 of Under an Oklahoma Sky

“Oh, yeah. Don’t get me wrong. Heaven’s Pastures is a good operation. The Hammonds have been breeding Appaloosas for generations, and their horses have a reputation. Sage already has buyers lined up for some of this year’s foals and shouldn’t have any trouble selling the rest. She just needs to hang on until that money starts comes in. Once it does, she’ll be able to catch up on the mortgage, cover the ranch expenses, and finally have a little breathing room again.”

Parking the vehicle next to the barn, Evan glanced at his watch. “The stuff can stay in the truck since we need to work on some more of the fence line on Monday. Sundays around here are basic chores only—been that way since Mark’s folks first took over the place. If you want to go wash up, dinner will be at five-thirty. Just let yourself into the kitchen through the back-porch door.”

Thirty minutes later, Adam approached the main house, fresh from a well-needed shower and wearing a clean T-shirt and jeans. Drifting from town to town, he only had work clothes with him and one pair of nice pants and a button-down white shirt for church every week. It didn’t matter which church he attended as long as it was based on the Christian faith, and over the past few months, he’d enjoyed a variety of denominations. Reverend Stevens’ church was Protestant, and Adam had liked the man instantly when they’d met outside the building early that morning. A trucker Adam had hitched a ride with had dropped him off nearby.

Climbing the back steps, Adam knocked on the wooden frame of the screen door. The aromas of savory meat and freshly baked bread assaulted his senses, making his stomach growl and his mouth water.

“Come on in!” a female voice called to him.

He opened the door and stepped into a cheery, yellow kitchen where a round, petite, dark-haired tornado of a woman flitting about the room greeted him. “Hi there. You must be Adam. I’m Maddie, and it’s nice to meet you. Knocking isn’t necessary in my kitchen. Just walk right in.”

She handed him a heaping bowl of mashed potatoes and a filled gravy boat, then pointed behind him. “Would you mind putting these on the dining room table? I’ll be right behind you with the roast.”

He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face at her peppiness. “Absolutely. And it’s nice to meet you, too, ma’am.”

Heading in the direction she’d indicated, he almost ran into Evan, who was returning from dropping other dishes on the long wooden table. Stepping out of the way, Adam let the older man pass before continuing into the dining room. The only other person there was Sage’s son. The boy looked at him with curiosity but remained quiet.

Adam set the dishes down in the middle of the table. “Matthew, right?” The child nodded. “That’s a good, strong name. It means ‘gift of God’.”

“It was my grandfather’s name,” Matthew stated with a proud smile. He had his mother’s bow-shaped mouth and hazel eyes, but his light blond hair had to have come from his father, whom Adam noticed in a family photo hanging on the wall. “I’m named after him. He was the best, but he’s gone now.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, but we have something in common then. I’m also named after my grandfather, but I never knew him. He’s been gone a long time too.” He held out his hand. “My name’s Adam, and it’s nice to meet you, Matthew.”

The boy shook his hand with a surprisingly firm grip. “It’s nice to meet you too. What does Adam mean?”

“Man of the earth.”

“Huh.” He paused for a moment, clearly thinking about something. “What does Mark mean? That’s my dad’s name.”

“Hmm. If I remember correctly, I think it means warlike.”

Matthew’s brow furrowed. “A warlock? Like a man witch?”

Laughing, Adam shook his head—his New York accent was causing problems again. “No. Not a warlock. War-like. It means… he was a brave warrior.” That was a bit of a stretch, but he didn’t want the kid to think his father was hostile, as the word’s definition suggested.

“That’s so cool!”

“What’s cool?”

Adam and the boy turned their heads to see Sage walk in from the living room with a shy-looking little girl who seemed intimidated by the sight of him. She popped her thumb into her mouth and stepped closer to her mother. From the kitchen, Maddie and Evan brought the last of the dishes.

“Dad was a brave warrior,” Matthew exclaimed. “Adam says that’s what Mark means.”

Sage guided her daughter to a chair next to Matthew, then took a seat at the head of the table. “Really? That is pretty cool. Please, Adam, sit.” She gestured to the chair at the opposite end of the table from her as Evan and Maddie sat across from the children.

“What does Jenna mean? That’s my sister’s name.” The curious boy pointed at the little girl beside him.

“Matthew, that’s enough,” Sage chastised. “Adam doesn’t want to answer a bunch of questions during his dinner.”

Adam smiled. “It’s okay, but Jenna isn’t a name I’m familiar with, so maybe we can look it up later.”

A slight frown crossed Sage’s face, and he wondered if he’d overstepped his boundaries—after all, he was an employee who’d just been hired a few hours ago.

Sage held her hands out toward her daughter and Maddie. “Matthew, please say grace.”

Everyone joined hands as the boy bowed his head. “Please, God, bless our food, our family, and our ranch. Bless all our friends and give Daddy a hug for us and… and… oh, yeah, bless our animals too. Amen.”

“Amen,” the rest chorused.