Page 20 of Her Gentle Protector
He dragged his worn boots across the dusty floor of the old barn, each step revealing a slightly cleaner patch beneath. There hadn’t been any animals in the barn apart from the occasional rodent, judging by the random pellets scattered on the floor. He wondered if they brought the swayback horse in at night.
Despite its solid construction, with massive beams and sturdy walls, the barn had seen better days. The roof leaked in spots, and the air was thick with the smell of mildew and age. There were four stalls, and Baxter opened each door to look inside. Manure piled up on the corners and when he kicked the waste with the toe of his boot, it was rock hard. No one had cleaned the stalls in a while.
“What used to be in here?” he asked, moving further into the barn.
Ira moved closer and poked his head in the stall. “Pa had some goats and there was a horse.”
Baxter scratched his chin and made his way to the back of the building, where a small loft tucked under the eaves. “A horse, you say. It wasn’t that one I saw outside yesterday, was it?”
“Oh no,” Josiah said. “Pa took the horse when he left. Copper was Mama’s horse.”
“Copper. Fitting name for a red horse.” Baxter examined a wooden ladder that was leaning on the far wall. “Where does Copper sleep at night?”
“He stays in the field,” Jenny piped up.
“In the field? Why’s that?”
Ira grinned. “In case he gets hungry, silly. That way, he has all the grass he wants to eat.”
“Silly!” Jenny chimed in, laughing hysterically.
Baxter grinned, but kept his face hidden as he dragged the ladder across the creaky wood floor. He steadied it against the wall and cautiously began his ascent, one rung at a time. The wood groaned under his weight. Once his eyes peaked above the ledge of the loft, he spotted a mouse scurrying along the dusty beams, its furry tail disappearing into the shadows. He gritted his teeth, realizing this meant there were likely many more mice living the barn.
He looked down at the children, who were now gathered around the bottom of the ladder. “Do you have a cat?” he called down.
The children shook their heads.
Josiah’s shoulders sagged, and he looked away, avoiding Baxter’s gaze. “No, we wanted a puppy, but Midge said no,” he muttered. His voice was almost too soft to hear, but there was no mistaking the disappointment on his face.
“Puppies don’t eat mice.” Climbing down from the ladder, he ruffled Josiah’s hair. “I’ll bring over a kitten or two from my barn. They will take care of the mice lickety-split.”
“Oh! I want a kitten!” Jenny said, jumping up and down.
Petunia walked into the barn, fastening a leather pouch to her belt. “What’s this about a kitten?”
“Kitten?” Midge said, following behind her.
“Mr. Hartman said he’s going to bring a kitten over here,” Berry exclaimed.
“We can’t have a kitten. Absolutely not.” Midge stamped her foot.
“You have mice. You might not be in the barn, but my horse will be in here. I’ll be sleeping in here. I don’t want mice crawling through my things.” Baxter gave a visible shudder. “Nasty creatures when they are in your clothes or feed. You want them gone before winter. I’ll be bringing a cat.” Looking at the house for a minute, he turned his cool gaze back to Midge. “I’m surprised you don’t have mice inside.”
“There ain’t nothing in there for them to eat.” Petunia waved her slingshot in the air. “I’m gonna go out hunting again.”
“You just got back, Pet,” Midge said. “Why are you leaving already?”
“Did you see those biddies in there? They wanna give me a bath,” Petunia scoffed. “Uh-huh. I’ll do my bathing in the creek when the water is warm.” She started counting on her finger. “Guess that means next summer.”
“Someday, you’ll change your attitude,” Baxter said. “Especially about bathing.”
“I doubt that. Who wants to sit in a tub?”
“You’ll meet a boy who turns you inside out and he won’t want to be near someone that smells like Daisy in the middle of a swamp.”
“I don’t like boys, mister.”
Giving Midge a wink, he looked back at Petunia standing there with her arms crossed and her chin held high. “Ah, you say that now, but you wait until you meet the right one.”
