30

During the week that followed, Emily hardly saw Chase. He left long before she woke in the morning and didn’t come back until late at night. That was if he came back at all.

Cookie had told her more than once that calving time required all hands on deck. Still, it bothered her that no matter what happened on the ranch, Chase never missed his Friday trips to town.

She tried not thinking of him and Mrs. Decker together, but she couldn’t help it. Even Kansas Pete had said that the widow would have made Chase a fine wife. Emily could hardly blame him for thinking that. Mrs. Decker evidently knew all about cattle and running a ranch, skills that Emily knew nothing about.

Fortunately, her classes kept her busy. Still, she felt like she was always on alert. Always looking for Chase. Listening for him.

Last night was one of the nights that he’d failed to show. She’d stayed awake until the wee hours of the morn, listening for his tread. When it didn’t come, she’d fallen into a restless sleep that left her feeling tired and out of sorts.

Hoping to take her mind off Chase and the vague yet unsettling feeling that something bad was about to happen, she tried to think what to do with her time.

The twins were needed at home that day, so no classes had been scheduled. Was that why she felt at loose ends? Why this nagging feeling of impending doom haunted her? Even the gray sky seemed to reflect her dark mood.

“Looks like rain,” she said when Cookie joined her on the veranda.

“Nope,” he said. “No loose drawers.”

She laughed. Trust Cookie to make her laugh on a day when such a thing seemed unlikely. “Is calving always like this?” she asked.

“Like this?” Cookie studied her. “You mean are the boys usually gone so much?” he asked, and she got the feeling he purposely omitted mentioning Chase’s name. “Yep, pretty much so. Heard they had a couple of difficult births, but so far, they’ve only lost a couple.”

“Maybe I’ll ride out and see if they can use more help,” she said.

“They can always use an extra pair of hands,” he said. “Just be prepared to fall in love.”

She frowned. “What?”

He laughed at her expression. “Ever see a newborn calf?”

“No,” she admitted.

“Well then. You’re in for a real treat.”

Ginny joined them, looking especially pretty in a blue dress. Her hair fell down her back in a single braid. “Can I go and see the baby cows too?”

“That’s up to your teacher here,” Cookie said.

“Can I, Mrs. Knight? Can I?”

“It’s may I, and yes, I think that can be arranged.”

“May we go now?” Ginny asked.

Emily cast a glance at the threatening sky. “Yes, but we’d better hurry. We don’t want to get caught in the rain.”

Ginny couldn’t stop talking the entire time it took them to walk the distance to the calving pen. She was so excited, she couldn’t seem to get her words out fast enough.