After a gruelingfew hours of riding and talking, Kent stretched his back, trying to find a comfortable seat in the saddle. If he was struggling, Alice had to be hurting. He hated that but loved having her at his side. She’d said hardly a word, though offered support to him in brief glances and smiles. She encouraged his very soul.
They had one more farm to visit, then they could go home. Could he really think of the Johlman Ranch ashome? The offer to stay there had meant to be temporary. When he’d agreed, he hadn’t even been certain he would stay in Belle Fourche after they found what was causing the illness. Now, he wanted to stay with Alice, but that meant finding a home and a job. Dr. Spight had managed both human and animal medicine until now, so only taking animals wouldn’t pay enough to keep him there.
He clenched his jaw and his scar throbbed, though that was probably more from all the jawing he’d done that day than anything else. He’d had to put the worry about his face away when there was a job to do that required him, not anyone else, to do it. But he was still only a man with hurts and weaknesses. His main weakness rode right beside him. What if she changed her mind? What if he asked Bodey for his blessing and then she said no?
They pulled into the Oleson place well after luncheon, but all three brothers and the Oleson cousins slowly made their way toward the house, a solemn group of dusty cowboys. For some reason, the comradery spoke to him. Like home. Maybe it wasn’t ranch life that he’d hated all this time, but the combative life of living with his pa?
He’d never considered that he cared for animals because of the life he’d lived growing up. But did he still love ranching, too? Could he do both? Conrad slowed his walk, then stopped, letting the others go up the steps and into the house.
“Afternoon, what brings you by?” He squinted as he tipped his head into the sunlight to look at them.
Kent dismounted and filled him in on all they’d discovered. Alice remained on her horse, off to the side. He hadn’t considered it until that moment, but they’d visited many cattle ranches that afternoon. When they’d gone to cattle spreads, she’d stayed mounted and out of the way. For sheep outfits, she’d dismounted and even helped him talk to them. He’d gotten the impression they only trusted him because of her presence.
“Would you like to come inside and sit a spell?” He gave Alice a smile. “Give your horse and yourself a break?”
Alice bit her lip and gave an almost imperceptible shake to her head. He wasn’t about to have her frightened of anyone. If she hadn’t let him hold on to fears, he could only do the same for her. Especially with the Olesons, who had always been good people as far as he knew them.
“I’d like that, thank you.” He went around his horse and reached up to help her dismount.
She pulled in her knees and Blaze backed away from him a step. “I can’t go in there.” Her gaze dashed from him to Conrad.
“You’ve been invited, which means you’re welcome. Come with me?”
She hung her head for a moment before she swung down out of the saddle. Conrad gave a sharp whistle and a young boy bolted from the barn and grabbed their reins. “I got this, Pa! See you inside!”
Conrad chuckled as he motioned for them to follow him. “I never thought, never dreamed, I’d be taking the knowledge of ranching and passing it on. No one ever warned me how it would feel to see my son’s love for horses and cattle come through.”
Alice gripped his hand so hard he was sure she would break bones. He patted her fingers, both to remind her he was under there and to hopefully calm her. “How is Izzy?” she whispered.
Conrad’s face broke into a grin. “She’s right fine. About the best thing to ever happen to me.”
He wanted to question what was the best, but that would be personal and he didn’t know Conrad all that well. He was a fellow rancher, but older by at least a decade. Alice loosened her grip with the man’s smile and Kent took a deep breath as they followed Conrad through the house.
“Ma, we’ve got company.”
The dining room was plum full. Kent quickly scanned the room and fought the urge to tug his hat low over his forehead to hide his face. Reminding him he needed to take it off or risk being rude. He whipped it from his head, finally releasing Alice’s hand as he hung it on a peg near Conrad’s.
“Welcome! Gracious, Conrad. I know you were rounding up calves, but I didn’t know you’d be rounding up guests, too.” She laughed as she set two more plates at the heavily laden table. “Don’t worry.” Her eyes twinkled. “There will be plenty.”
Conrad’s ma was so different from his own. She was silver-haired and active, serving her family and bustling around. His own ma never cooked and always tried to look the part of a wealthy rancher’s wife. She’d loved him, that he knew, but he’d never felt such warmth and welcome.
“Thank you.” He led Alice to one of the new place settings and held out her chair for her. As soon as she was seated, he then took the one next to her.
Within minutes, they heaped plates full and conversation flowed around the table. Everyone was so loud, he wasn’t sure who he should listen to or what to say. Wasthishow families acted and sounded? This warmth was what he wanted for his own family, but he had to make Alice want it too. He didn’t want anything without her anymore.
He reached under the table and gripped her hand. “You all right?”
She chuckled, her sparse plate untouched yet. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’m not used to being invited to a cattleman’s table.”
“Would you like to come more often?” he whispered and loved her quick indrawn breath of surprise.
She gave him a weak smile, then released his hand and finally picked up her fork.
Conrad cleared his throat from the other end of the table, silencing the huge assembly. “Kent, I appreciate that you had the character to come all the way out here to tell us what you did and exactly how to fix the problem. That’s above and beyond what you had to do. I’ll admit, my herd improved almost right away because the grass finally came in. As soon as we turned them out in the pasture, they improved. I thought we had a barn sickness and kept everything away from the barn. I was happy that I didn’t need to come back into town and get you.”
He rested his elbows on the table and folded his hands together. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t need your help. A spread the size of ours needs care. And we’re only growing. I’ve got my brothers and my cousins here. All but one ranch here on this land. Five ranches on one property, all with similar brands.”
Conrad’s brother, Eli, crossed his arms over his chest. “Quit jawing and get to it, Conrad.”