Page 19 of Beyond Montana's Sky
Although tempted to tellFarfarto mind his own business, Cai knew he couldn’t take out his own ire on the man who was practically a grandfather to him.
“Saw you run into the house to fetch your bearskin from your bedroom. Don’t think that fur will be enough to keep her safe in a storm. Should have gone along with my plan to find a stone in her horse’s shoe. A bruised frog would have kept her here overnight.”
Cai refrained from rolling his eyes. Earlier, when Frank-Swen wanted to talk to him before he took Edith into the house, the young man was really carrying word ofFarfar’soutrageous scheme. He hadn’t liked the idea then. But if the subterfuge kept her here for her own good…. “Maybe so. However, I hoped my persuasive charm would carry the day.”
The old man cackled.
“I didn’t really want to keep her here under false pretenses.”
“That is as may be. But she’s gone and weather’s comin’.”
“Saddle up Rascal. Add a saddlebag with fodder.”
Farfarsquinted at the sky. “No need. The half-way house is clean and fully stocked. Had young Frank-Swen see to everything last week.”
Cai gave the old man an amused glance. “What if we don’t stop at the half-way house?”
“You will. By the time Mrs. Grayson reaches that area, the sky will be darkening, the wind blowing hard enough, maybe even snowing, to convince even a stubborn lady to hunker down.” He elbowed Cai in the ribs. “When you’ve been married fifty-six years, you learn a thing or two about managing women, especially the beautiful, stubborn ones.”
Cai laughed. “You ever tellMormoryou’re managing her?”
“You think I’m a fool, boy?” He lowered his eyebrows. “I like good meals and my warmkärasteto snuggle up with at night.”
“I’d have thought you’d say, ‘I like my head exactly where it is—on my neck, and not sideways from being banged by a rolling pin.’”
“That, too.” The old man tilted his head toward the barn. “Now, don’t take all the oatmeal cookies. Leave some for me.”
“Maybe I’ll leave youone,” Cai teased. “With a bite out of it. Or two.”
“You’re not too grown for me to turn over my knee, boy.”
“That would beboss, notboy.”
Farfarraised an arm and brought it down in a whipping motion. “I still have plenty of strength in my switching arm.” He winked.
“That you do, old man.”
“Leave me half a dozen, boy.”
Cai jerked a thumb at the barn. “Go saddle my horse, old man.”
With another cackle,Farfarturned and made for the barn.
Shaking his head, Cai continued toward the house, veering left toward the kitchen, mentally checking off what he needed to grab, starting with winter outerwear. He scraped the soles of his boots clean on the straw mat before entering.
The kitchen was fragrant with the smells of cooking. From long practice, he separated out the scents of beef stew, biscuits, and oatmeal cookies.
Mormorstood at the stove, transferring cooling cookies from a rack to a flowered linen napkin.
When he’d seen the fancy napkins—which they hadn’t used since Aurie’s death—at the table today, Cai experienced a stab of sadness. With his sister grown too weak to sit at the table, he’d ordered pretty napkins, hoping to coax her to eat. They’d been packed away in a drawer since her death. He didn’t have time to wonder whyMormorchose today to bring them out.
The old woman flicked a gaze to the window. “I saw Mrs. Grayson drive away just now.” She shook her head. “How you could allow a lady to go off on her own, I don’t know,” she scolded. “I raised you better than that.”
“If I tried to go with the lady—” Cai drawled “—we’d still be out there arguing the matter and delayed her even further. Right now, Mrs. Grayson thinks she’s gotten her own way. Maybe she’s mighty smug about how she’s won. I already planned,beforeanyone suggested I do so, to follow her.”
“Maybe she’s frightened. But too stubborn to back down.”
“If she has the sense God gave her, she should be frightened. We’ll shelter out the storm at the half-way house. Please put out the word to the family that Mrs. Grayson stayed here, properly chaperoned, throughout the storm. I don’t want any hint of gossip or scandal to surround us.”
