Page 6 of A Letter to Carolina
Did it not strike her mother as odd that her husband seemed near obsessive about adding his new wife’s adult daughter to his home?No, clearly it had not, but the mere notion made Carolina queasy.
The server came then to take their orders. Carolina waited until Mama had placed hers, then simply asked for tea and toast. She could pay for those on her own if she needed to, but it also would come quickly. Which wouldn’t prevent her from making a quick escape if she must.
“That’s something I wanted to speak with you about,” Carolina said once the server left. “I accepted a nursing position that was offered to me.”
“At the hospital? That’s wonderful.” Her mother smiled brightly.
“No, Mama. At a small office in Nebraska. I’ll be leaving next Saturday morning.” Carolina watched as a myriad of emotions swept over her mother’s face.
“Why on earth would you go to Nebraska?” She finally asked, the same way one would ask about a new illness spreading through town.
Would it be too much to tell Mama she’d accepted because of how far it would take her from Alfred?
It had been two weeks since Nate packed up his belongings and moved to town. The decision to move to the main office proved to be the right one, saving him from having to travel the ten miles from the ranch every time he needed to reach someone.
Today, he’d spent the morning at the Moore homestead in the hills that ran along the river. Trapper Tommy Moore fell off his horse when a rattlesnake startled the animal. He was lucky. It was a clean break and should heal easily if Tommy stayed off it.
Once Nate was done, it was time to help Doc move into the line shack that sat on the edge of the Pickett property. Emily and Georgia had been busy cleaning the place and making it feel like a home for a man they barely knew, and he was proud of them.
Doc was loading up the last of his things in the wagon as Nate slipped over to the Sheriff’s office. A knock on the doorframe heralded his arrival, and the sight of Mrs. Hartman sitting at the little table in the entrance area had him quickly removing his hat.
“Ma’am.”
“What can I do for you, Nate?” Whit smiled, holding out his hand when the door closed, leaving them face to face.
“I’m headed out to the ranch for the weekend, helping Doc move. Thought it best I let someone know where to find me.”
“You know people are going to call you Doc here soon, right?”
Nate felt the heat rising in his neck. He knew that was his title now, but it still made him feel a bit like a boy trying to wear his daddy’s boots. He nodded at the Sheriff.
“Not quite used to that, I suppose. Things seem quiet this week, but I’ll put word out at the store and the livery, too. I’ll be back in on Sunday for services and then here for the rest of the week. I’ll feel better knowing Doc’s out there to look after Aunt Cleo, though.”
“I remember feeling that way when I left my ma’s house. It gets easier, but we always feel like we have a responsibility to the women who raised us. You have a pleasant visit, and we’ll hold the town together.”
“Thanks. Have a good weekend yourselves.” He slipped back out of the office and thought about that. The sheriff’s office was further from the Hartman Ranch, and it made sense that Whitney would understand what he was going through.
Seeing the wagon loaded and Doc chatting with Dillon Arden, Nate poked his head into the diner to check on Madison. He always asked if she needed an escort home, and she’d declined each time. Still, the need to make sure she was fine and to reassure Georgia filled him.
“I told you he wouldn’t leave without checking on you!” Amy King giggled when Nate opened the door. He saw Maddy poke her on the side with a sharp finger and almost laughed out loud himself.
“Hi Nate. I’m fine. Mrs. Davis says the diner is going to open for breakfast and lunch next week. No, I’m not in need of an escort this evening. Thank you for checking on me.” Maddy grinned, and he wondered how long the good-natured teasing had been going on for her to have the entire speech out in almost one breath.
“Hello Maddy. Breakfast and lunch sound like a dream. I miss having a warm breakfast that I didn’t have to make on my own. I’ll let Georgia and Simon know they will see you on Sunday.”
“Thank you!” She bounced on the balls of her feet before going back to setting the tables she had been working on when he arrived.
Doc waved at him and soon they were both seated in the wagon. Scout led a borrowed team from the livery that was pulling the wagon.
Thoughts clouded his mind for most of the ride to the homestead. Things were changing in the small town. Flat River wasn’t growing with outsiders, but the number of babies that were cropping up meant a hardy next generation, built on families that were connected. Now the Picketts were a part of that too.Thanks to Bass and his silly idea.
Emily had come and brought a calm to Bass’s restlessness. Something Nate only sort of remembered with his parents, but it was heartening. Georgia, well, she had tunneled her way right into Simon’s heart. He was still awkward, the most awkward of them all, but he was less of a stick in the mud than he had been for the last couple of years. While Madison’s interest in numbers and business mirrored Simon’s, it was Georgia who took care of him, keeping him from isolating himself and making sure he ate.
It made Nate glad and so thankful, but it also made his gut ache. He didn’t think he could stand it if Jesse and Beau both found their brides and it left him to be the odd man out.
Ingrid Chapman, Marmee, was doing really well with her matches, but as far as he could tell, Justine Davis was the only out-of-towner that Marmee had brought in. Nate didn’t want to marry one of the local girls. There weren’t many to begin with if you didn’t count the ones at Miss Marcy’s. He hadn’t taken much of a liking to any of them, though the attention could be nice, he supposed.
Blinking, he realized his horse had stopped. They were at the top of the ridge overlooking the ranch. It was his thinking spot, and clearly Scout knew he needed to do some of that.
