Page 317 of Conveniently Wed
“I think I mentioned cattle are bringing a good price right now in the local market, so it really is a good time to take advantage of it. Don’t worry about the negotiations. I’d be happy to make the arrangements.”
“Would the buyer object to working with a woman?” She had to jump in and learn at some point. Aundy couldn’t always depend on the Nash family, particularly Garrett, to come to her rescue.
“I don’t know, but I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?” Garrett grinned at her.
“I guess we will.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Erickson. We’ll be out tomorrow to move the cattle,” Hiram Anderson said as he shook Aundy’s hand and walked out of the bank.
After Garrett contacted Hiram about buying Aundy’s cattle, the man agreed to meet with her over lunch to discuss the purchase.
Although he trusted Hiram, Garrett still felt the need to escort her to not only make the introductions, but also ensure the deal was fair.
As he introduced Hiram to his neighbor, he watched the man size her up and could see she earned his approval. When he stuck out a beefy hand to her in greeting, Garrett was pleased Hiram conducted business with Aundy as he would have any man, minus the usual questionable language and a trip to the saloon to seal the deal.
Aundy seemed to like Hiram as well, offering him a genuine smile and speaking to him confidently. When they agreed upon a price and terms, Garrett suggested they run by the attorney’s office to have paperwork completed then to the bank where Hiram left payment for the herd he planned to take into his possession the following day.
Garrett watched Hiram shake Aundy’s hand a second time as warmth invaded his heart. He was proud of the woman who had come so far from the mud-covered girl standing on his mother’s front porch.
“I’ll look forward to seeing you at the farm tomorrow, Mr. Anderson. Thank you, again.” Aundy turned and caught Garrett staring at her. She put a hand up to her hat but it felt like it was on straight, so she glanced at her shirtwaist and didn’t see anything amiss. Nervously smoothing her skirt and tugging on the hem of her jacket, she shifted her gaze down the street and began walking in the direction of the doctor’s office.
“Before we leave town, do you mind if we stop by Doc’s office?” Aundy asked as Garrett fell into step beside her. He tried to ignore the admiring glances men shot Aundy’s direction. If he paid too close attention to them, he might give in to the temptation to punch someone in the nose.
Garrett was the last person who would lose his temper or pick a fight, but something about Aundy made him feel protective and slightly unreasonable. “That’s fine. Are you not feeling well?” Visually checking her over from head to toe, he didn’t see anything amiss. Pink roses blossomed on each cheek and she looked like a picture of health with her freckled nose, bright eyes, and rosy lips tipped up in a grin.
“I’m fine.” The look in her eye, along with an impish smile said she kept secrets. “I just want to ask Doc a question.”
“I see,” Garrett said, although he didn’t. He had no idea what kind of question Aundy would ask the doctor. Worry niggled in the back of his mind. He’d never been a worrier before meeting the intriguing woman, either.
About as easy-going and laid-back as they came, Garrett didn’t like the feeling of unease that settled over him as he thought about all the possible reasons why Aundy would need to see the doctor.
“I’ll just be a moment.” Aundy stepped inside the doctor’s office. Garrett followed on her heels, taking a seat in the waiting room while Aundy spoke with a woman seated at a desk, trying to maintain order in the doctor’s chaotic office.
The woman smiled and nodded her head at Aundy’s inquiry, then motioned for her to take a seat. She sat down beside Garrett and he fought the urge to take her hand in his. Instead, he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and jiggled one foot impatiently, one more thing he’d never done until he met Aundy.
“If you’d rather wait outside or have any errands you’d like to run, I can meet you back at the buggy.” Aundy tried to hide heramusement at Garrett’s restlessness, but couldn’t help the grin that tipped the corners of her mouth upward.
“I’m fine right here.”
“Of course you are. How silly of me.” The hint of sarcasm in her tone made Garrett stop jiggling his foot and sit back in the chair. Aundy asked him questions about his herd of cattle, if he was through with spring planting, and if he thought he would have time to give her another shooting lesson the following week.
“You can practice without me there,” Garrett said, encouraging Aundy to use the guns that had been Erik’s and were now hers. “You’re good enough you don’t need anyone watching over you.”
“Thank you.” A pleased smile blossomed on her face at his words of praise. “I wanted…”
Interrupted by the doctor’s assistant, the woman escorted Aundy to an examination room where the doctor greeted her.
“Aundy, what a pleasure to see you.” Doc smiled as he motioned for her to sit on the examination table. “You look too healthy to be ailing with anything, so I guess you’d probably like to see about getting that cast off your arm. Has it been six weeks already?”
“Yes, sir.” Aundy removed her jacket and held out her arm while the doctor pushed up her sleeve. “Six weeks and five days, to be exact.”
“In that case, let’s see if we can take this off today,” Doc said, examining Aundy’s arm. He stepped out of the room, returning with his assistant. In no time at all, Aundy’s arm was free of the cast. The skin looked a little pale and shriveled, but other than that, it felt wonderful to have the cast off.
The doctor made her move her arm in a range of motions then gave her a list of exercises to build back the strength.
“I know this is going to be challenging for you, but you really do need to gradually put your arm back into use and not overdo it. If you do, you’ll be sorry down the road. If you follow my orders, you’ll be back to one hundred percent in no time at all,” Doc instructed as Aundy fastened the buttons on her sleeve and slipped on her jacket.
“Thank you so much, Doc. I promise to behave.” Aundy grinned at the man, then hurried back to the waiting area and paid for her visit. Garrett got to his feet, still wondering what ailed Aundy.
