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He glared at his brother and focused on Kent once more. “There’s a house down in the south pasture that was my brother’s, but he doesn’t live there anymore. It’s small, but clean. It’s yours if you want to come work for us.”
Kent stilled, unsure if he made any move at all. He’d either agree or disagree. “What about the rest of the ranchers? I’ve been working with Dr. Spight, so he doesn’t have to do animal medicine anymore.”
“I’d be willing to let you make the side shed, the one just outside and to the back of the house, your office. You could put a desk in there and go see Dr. Spight when you need to. All I ask is that you don’t bring any type of illness here and you give us help first if we need it.”
The feeling of home and family had been his first reason to agree to Conrad’s offer, but the option of having an office that wasn’t in town was exactly what he needed. He gave a nod. “I’d like that. When would you need me to start?”
Mrs. Oleson spoke up then, her eyes crinkled in a rich smile. “Give us a day or two to air that cabin out. It’s clean, but dusty after winter.”
They finished eating and Alice remained silent, though she finished a few bites of her food. When they’d been on the road for a few minutes, he couldn’t wait to hear her feelings any longer.
“I understand your fears, but they treated you very well.”
She nodded, biting her lip for a moment. “Yes, more than I imagined they would.”
“Have the Oleson’s ever treated you poorly before?” Had he just signed on to work with people he didn’t really know?
“No, but others have. They have made me feel my whole life that I don’t belong with them because cattle are more important than sheep and we shouldn’t waste good land raising them.”
He’d done that very thing when they’d been children. He was probably one of the reasons she felt that so deeply, even in the face of evidence to the contrary. “I know I hurt you when we were children. I know I’ve told you how sorry I am, but that doesn’t change how you feel. Dr. Spight told you to look at evidence and ask questions. How did all those cattle ranchers make you feel today?”
She blushed and looked away from him. “They didn’t say a word to me, good or ill.”
Mostly because there was no need. But he didn’t want her to feel useless. “And Conrad?”
“They were kind,” she mumbled.
He stopped his horse, and she startled, then stopped hers. “Kent? What’s the matter?”
He waited until she dismounted, then took her hands in his until she looked him fully in the eyes. “Alice, I don’t plan on doing anything without you anymore. I want this position, but if you won’t come see me because I’m on a cattle ranch, then I won’t go. Would you be willing to live on a ranch if you had the Douglas name?” He wished he’d had the chance to ask her father first, but when had he ever done things in the order they were meant to be done?
Her eyes widened, and mouth formed a sweeto. A moment later, she found her words and her face broke into a smile. “Yes, I would love that.” She threw her arms around his neck. “I would love that very much.”
When she released her hold, they were in the perfect position for a kiss and he took advantage of the situation, allowing the horses to protect them from the view of anyone who might be passing on the road. She giggled softly as he pulled away from her.
“What’s so funny?” He wiped a stray tear from her cheek.
“I never thought this day would happen. I can’t stop. There’s joy welling up inside me.”
He’d never been one to think of names for his feelings, but joy was a good word. A good word indeed.
Chapter20
Seventy-five days later
Mid-August heat had every woman in the church fluttering a fan. Alice glanced through the narrow crack her mother had allowed to leave the door open. She hadn’t wanted anyone to see her before the wedding. A chuckle bubbled in her throat. She wasn’t sure how she was to get to the back of the building when the time came for walking down the aisle when she was at the front of the church already.
Hannah sat in the front row, her husband at her side. She was just starting to show a softly rounded belly to those who knew what to look for. They hadn’t told anyone yet about the little Longfellow due to come sometime around Christmas. Ma and Pa sat next to Hannah. Behind them were Leo and Tamar with Gideon and Josie, who even wore a dress for the occasion, and their two children. Next to them was the open place where Kent usually sat with her now for Sunday services. He’d returned to attending the Sunday after he’d asked her to wed.
A few rows behind her family sat two rows of Olesons. They had become wonderful friends over the last few months, coming to help cut and distribute the alfalfa and even giving her brothers a hand with sharpening the sheers for the next spring. Her brother Leo and George Oleson had become fast friends, and the little town of Belle Fourche didn’t seem so small anymore.
When she thought about all the things she’d done to get right here, her heart felt full to bursting. She’d helped move the flock to more distant pastures that they hadn’t used in a while and the sheep improved. They’d had to have the guard dogs in with the flock to protect them, but that was a small price to pay to improve their health.
Kent had worked hard with all the ranchers and the locoweed sickness cleared up shortly after they’d told everyone about it. Those who’d wanted to, had understood the risk, and mixed the purchased hay with bales they had grown on their own, mixing it reduced the amount so much that there wasn’t enough for any more cattle or horses to show any signs of illness.
Sheriff Slater had worked with Blake to check out the fertilizer plant, just to be sure nothing was going on there that shouldn’t be. The owner had shown them the patent to the formula and how the plant had to be run. Dr. Spight had tested the water and it had no poisons, but the fish and plants were affected by the heat of the water.
A cold nose pressed into her palm and Alice turned around. Colby pushed in close to her and whined for attention. She’d decided, since Colby was the reason she’d decided to give Kent another chance, he would be walking down the aisle with her.
