Page 14 of Wrangling Her Heart
“George, God will provide for us,” she whispered, displaying unwavering faith in the face of fear. “We don’t need to deceive or manipulate others for our own gain.”
“Your foolish faith never put food on the table!” George snapped, his patience wearing thin. “Now, you will do as I say, or you’ll regret it. We are going to town this afternoon.”
“I can’t go with you.”
“You can and you will. Remember what you owe me.”
His words hung heavy in the air as he spun on his heel and stormed off, leaving Tillie standing alone under the morning sun. There was nothing she could do but watch him go, feeling a sense of dread settle in her stomach.
Chapter Six
It was getting late, and Rex didn’t know where Tillie was.
She had promised to meet him before dark to help gather acorns for Annamae’s famous Thanksgiving bread. But as the minutes ticked by, there was still no sign of Tillie. He knew Annamae would need time to dry and soak the acorns overnight to remove their shells and skins, then soak them again for a week to leech out the bitterness from the acorns. The family loved this tradition and the anticipation of biting into warm, nutty bread on Thanksgiving Day.
Rex looked around the yard once more, his jaw clenched as he willed Tillie to appear. He pulled out his timepiece and glanced at the current time.Where could she be?
“I’ll give her five more minutes and then I’m headed out,”Rex said to no one in particular.
The sound of a door squeaking, and light footsteps signaled that Annamae had stepped outside. He looked over his shoulder at his sister. Despite being weaker than most women in town because of having scarlatina, she was still one of the strongest women that Rex had ever known.
“Any sign of them?” she asked, placing a hand on Rex’s shoulder.
“Not yet. Where were they going?”
“George mentioned needing to go to the mercantile.”
“Hmm.” Rex harbored doubts regarding George’s explanation.
“I hear riders coming.” Annamae stepped off the porch and shielded her eyes from the afternoon sun.
“That’s coming from the wrong direction. It’s probably Pet.”
“There’s at least three.”
Rex watched as the riders moved closer and Baxter, Petunia and Peter came into view.
“Bax,” Rex greeted his brother. “What are you doing over here?”
“I thought you might need an extra set of hands. Pet mentioned you were gathering acorns today, and she wanted to learn how Annie turns them into flour. I told her it starts with looking at the ground.” Baxter chuckled. “It seems you are a little late getting started this year, Annie.”
“Well, when everyone is getting married or running off, it means I no longer have anyone to help me,” she replied, giving Rex a wink. “Good thing Rex is staying here. Come on in, the coffee’s hot. Sawyer’s inside. They’ve got five minutes and then Rex is leaving.”
“Who has five minutes?” Petunia asked, sliding off her horse.
“Tillie and George disappeared.” The thought really bothered Rex now that he said it out loud.
Petunia snorted. “I’d call that a blessing.”
“Petunia,” Baxter warned. “That’s enough.”
Petunia ignored Baxter as she moved towards the door. “Got any of those biscuits left, Annamae? Yours are the best around. Just don’t tell Midge.”
Annamae laughed. “I am sure I can find something. I am sure your sister makes a fine biscuit.”
As Annamae disappeared inside the house with Peter and Petunia, Baxter stepped onto the wooden porch, his boot scraping against the rough surface. He leaned against a weathered post, propped one dusty boot on the edge and folded his arms across his chest. Turning to face Rex with a thoughtful expression on his face, he finally spoke. “Looks like you have something on your mind other than two houseguests running off.”
Rex looked around. “I don’t want to talk here. Let’s go to the barn.” He pulled up the collar of his long duster, tucking his hands into the pockets of the soft leather. Without a glance back to see if Baxter was following, he strode towards the old red barn. The familiar scent of hay and dried cow manure filled his nostrils as he stepped inside. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting the peacefulness of the ranch wash over him.
