“Thank you.” Brody clapped him on the shoulder and stuck the envelope in his suit pocket. He walked into the house.
Chapter Fourteen
Everyone changed clothes and lingered over a long lunch at the kitchen table. The mood was somber. The farm was quiet. Most of the hands had the day off and were spending the time with family or friends after the funeral. Lou was looking forward to being alone with Brody the way that someone might look forward to going to the dentist. One thought of the way he kissed her had her face filling with heat. And other places. But one thought of having to explain Sarah’s parentage made her ice right back up.
Lou strolled out to the barn and looked over the stall door at one of the new foals. The gangly little one was just getting steady on his feet, toddling around the stall. The brood mare hung her head over the stall door and nudged Lou’s pocket, looking for a piece of peppermint or a sugar cube. Lou smirked and produced one. “Girl, I know you so well. I think you would sell that baby for a piece of peppermint.” She unwrapped the peppermint and held it in the palm of her hand. The horse ate it hungrily while Lou stroked her face.
“Mrs. Wester would have been really proud of you today, girl,” Lou said. “That’s one healthy looking baby you have, there.”
The horse nudged her pocket again. “Sorry, girl, that’s all I have.” Lou held up both hands in surrender and stepped away from the door.
“Good thing a Boy Scout always comes prepared,” John said as he hobbled up behind her. He was no longer on crutches but he still had to wear a walking cast for four more weeks.
He pulled a peppermint from his own pocket, unwrapped it, and held it out to the mare. “Do you know this one was bred with Wester’s Folly? So that’s a little champion we have there.”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to be out here, are you?” Lou asked him, shaking her motherly finger at him.
John sighed long and loud. “Lou, if I have to stay cooped up inside for one more minute, I’m going to lose my mind. I love Sadie to death but she’s driving me nuts.” He puffed his chest out like a strutting rooster and grinned. “Sometimes, a man’s just got to act like a man.” Then his chest deflated.
Lou laughed out loud at his antics.
“What are you doing for the rest of the day?” John asked shyly.
He was plotting something. She just didn’t know what. “I don’t have any specific plans. Why?” He would drop some sort of trouble in her lap without even thinking about it twice.
“There’s a stallion two counties over I want to go and take a look at. He's still a young’un but I think he would be a great sire. He has great bloodlines. Today is the only day I can go and look at him. The bank is foreclosing on the property and they are selling all the horses at auction. If I can sneak the stallion out before they do, I have a chance at getting him.”
“So, why don’t you go and look at him?” Lou asked. “Doesn’t Jeb usually go with you for things like that?”
“See, Lou, that’s the problem. This one is going to be mine. I have some money saved up and I want to get my own stallion. I want to train him, work with him, and stud him out. I want to see if I am any good.” He kicked up sawdust from the barn floor with the toe of his cast. Then he pointed at it. “But, see, this thing is in my way. I can’t drive.” He put on his best little boy’s pleading face and gracelessly dropped to one knee. “Will you, please, please, please be my…”
A third voice broke in, “I swear to God, John. If you ask that girl to marry you, I’ll knock you flat on your ass.”
John whispered the last word so that only Lou could hear it, “…chauffeur?” Then he smiled broadly and rose to his feet. They both turned to look at Brody.
His grey eyes flashed as his cheeks reddened. “Just what the hell is going on here?”
John rushed to explain, “Brody, I was just asking Lou…”
“No need to explain, John.” She touched his arm gently. “I accept your proposal. Why don’t you go inside and see if Sadie can watch Sarah and then we’ll go.”
“Go where?” Brody growled through gritted teeth.
Lou pushed John toward the door. “Go ahead.” She shooed him with her pointed finger.
Brody grabbed Lou’s elbow and spun her around as soon as John was outside of the barn. “And just where do you two think you’re going?”
“Why is that any of your business?” Lou threw back at him.
He grabbed both of her arms and pulled her to him. “Do I need to remind you why it’s suddenly my business?” he said, his mouth inches from hers.
Despite her anger, Lou felt her pulse begin to quicken. She pushed it down and let the anger rise back to the surface. “How dare you manhandle me?” She shrugged her arms out of his grasp and stepped away from him. “Don’t ever grab me like that again.” She stomped out of the barn and toward the house.
****
Brody watched her through the barn door as she walked to the house, spoke to Sadie, grabbed her purse, and kissed Sarah on the head. She slid into the driver’s seat of John’s pickup truck and John got in on the passenger side. Brody watched as John turned to Lou and smiled. Damn them. Where the hell were they going?
Brody’s mood became more and more disturbing as the day wore on. He sat on the front porch, tapping his foot on the wooden planks, his muscles drawn tight as guitar strings. Jeb walked through the screen door and sat down in the chair beside Brody’s.