Deeply Devoted (16 page)

“I may consider doing that, Dorothy, if Catharine wants to.”

“I would. I’m sure I’d love it.” She looked up adoringly at her husband.

“I can get us tickets as soon as they become available. Would that be all right? We could all sit together.”

Not if I can help it!
Catharine plastered on a fake smile for Peter’s benefit.

“Sure. Guess we need to get going now.” He turned to assist Catharine up to the wagon seat. “We have to go collect Greta and Anna.”

“Oh?” Dorothy said, as if waiting for him to explain. “Yes, well then . . . I must be going too. I hope to see you soon.”

Who does she hope to see soon, Peter or both of us?
Catharine wondered, but she just replied, “Nice to see you again, Dorothy.” Catharine adjusted her skirts, and Peter crawled up to the wagon seat beside her, then lifted the reins. With a wave of his hand and a shake of the reins, Peter headed the wagon toward Mario’s.

Lush, rolling prairie hills undulated in the distance with every mile as Peter drove home. The rain was an unexpected treat in Cheyenne. Before long the wheat would be a foot tall. He loved how the wheat looked like rippling waves when it grew waist high. He’d walk through it, looking for any possible insect infestation that might be harmful, reveling in the bountiful harvest that would soon come from God’s gift of grain. He was so blessed.

He glanced over at Catharine seated at his side, breathing in the scent of her until he thought his heart would burst with pride. She had more than responded to him last night, and he would forget any doubts of her love for him. It had been a very good decision to spend the night in town!

Catharine caught his gaze and smiled. “Peter, what are you smiling about? You look like the cat that just caught the mouse.”

“I was thinking of you and what a lucky man I am.” He watched her freckles become more prominent as her face colored at his words.

She blinked. “I’m happy if I’ve made you happy, Peter. That is my greatest desire,” she said in a hushed tone so her sisters couldn’t hear. But they were chattering away about the events of the Cristini household and the fun of staying with them.

“Why did you quit our game of checkers, Greta? We were having so much fun playing with the twins,” Anna asked. “Then I played another game with Angelina.”

“I . . . er . . . I had a headache,” Greta answered quietly.

“Is your headache gone now?” Catharine turned on the wagon seat to look at her.

Greta licked her lips. “Matter of fact, it is.”

“Well, you weren’t in bed when I came up, so I didn’t know where you were. I guess I fell asleep before you came to bed,” Anna said.

“Silly girl.” Greta fidgeted with her bonnet strings. “Of course you did.”

“I’m so glad you girls enjoyed staying with the Cristinis. They were nice to offer their home . . .” Catharine’s voice softened. “So we could have a night alone.”

Peter cleared his throat, feeling heat in his face. He wasn’t comfortable with them discussing this. “Well, we had a nice time despite the rain—”

“Don’t be embarrassed, either of you!” Greta laughed. “You two deserved a little respite.”

“Just the same, it all worked out so nicely. When we get home, there’ll be plenty of chores waiting for us to attend to.” Peter guided Star around a rut to keep from spilling them onto the road. “It appears that the rain barely fell here. I was hoping for a good drenching for the fields.”

Catharine reached over and patted him on the arm. “Don’t worry. There’ll be another rain shower. How about apple dumplings after supper tonight?” That brought a loud cheer from the other three. “Then I expect someone to peel the apples while I attempt to roll out the dough.”

“I hope it’s better than your first attempt at making a pie,” Peter teased.

“Oh, Peter!” Catharine poked his side with obvious embarrassment. “I admit that I’m still learning. But no one’s died yet.” They all laughed loudly. “Maybe Angelina can teach me how to make that cream dessert we all loved.”

Anna clapped her hands. “Oh, yes! Please ask her, Cath.”

“I will the next time we venture to town.” Catharine turned back to face the road ahead, anxious to be at home. Their home. Her heart swelled with pride at the thought. They would make a wonderful home, and Lord willing, children’s laughter would someday ring throughout it.

“What do you think of me staying with your mother this fall, Peter?” Anna asked. “I think I could be a companion to her in the evenings after my studies are done. Besides, I’m really not a farmer’s daughter.” She sighed and twirled a lock of her long blonde hair around her finger.

Peter coughed. “I’m not sure that would work with my mother right now, even if she did suggest it. She probably doesn’t know what she’s getting into. She hasn’t had a young person living with her in years, and she might get on your nerves.” Peter knew he was just making excuses to avoid a decision until he could resolve the rift between him and his mother.

“Couldn’t you at least consider the possibility? I do want to finish school.”

“I think you should let her. Then she’ll be out of your hair.” Greta chuckled.

“We’ll talk about it, Anna, but now is not the time. We’re almost home.”

Anna harrumphed. She folded her arms across her chest and stared out over the prairie.

Catharine and Peter worked side by side with a renewed closeness, planting seeds in the neatly laid-out rows in the flower bed. When she looked up from where she knelt on her knees in the soft earth, he grinned back at her as he sprinkled the seeds, then lightly raked the soil over them.

“You wear the dirt well,” he teased. “You’ve become a farmer’s dream.”

She reached up, feeling the smudges on her face, then lifted the edge of her apron to wipe the dirt away as best as she could. “What I’ll need is a good long soaking to get the dirt out from under my nails.” She flashed him a smile and leaned back on her heels. She placed her hand behind her aching back and stretched. “This is hard work, but the rewards will be worth it in just a few short weeks.”

Peter laid the rake down. “I’ll go start filling the buckets with water if you’re through planting. You just take a break for now.”

She gave him a nod and didn’t argue, then sat down to wait until he returned to water the seeds in the freshly turned soil. As usual, there was a nice breeze that cooled the dampness under her arms. She liked the fecund smell of the earth and the buzz of insects and watched a fat earthworm digging his way back down into the cool earth. Enjoying nature on the prairie was a continual learning process and entirely different from Holland, where spring showers were abundant.

The thought of home caused deep pain in her heart. The last thing she’d planted were the tulip bulbs at the head of a little plot in her family’s cemetery. The only way she’d survived the grief was with God’s constant reminder that He was with her and would send the Comforter to soothe her anguish. She’d clung to that promise. She squeezed her eyes shut for a few moments and once again felt peace. Wiping her eyes, she dragged herself out of the dirt to help water the seeds.

Watching Peter carrying the two buckets filled with water made Catharine’s heart swell with love. He didn’t have to be out here helping her when he had other things that needed tending to, but he’d insisted. She had no idea where Anna was, and Greta was supposedly peeling vegetables for dinner. Catharine had a roast in the oven, and its delicious smell now wafted on the breeze from the open kitchen window.

“Supper sure does smell good!” Peter said when he reached her. He tilted the bucket so that the water would flow in a slow stream, pouring it slowly back and forth over the rows until he’d emptied the bucket. “My appetite is growing by the minute.”

“I can help,” Catharine said, reaching for the other bucket.

He pushed her hand away. “Oh no you don’t. I can do this. Why don’t you go on inside and clean up before you finish supper?”

Catharine shifted her gaze to movement across the yard and saw Anna hurrying up the hill, her apron rolled up in a ball. “Here comes Anna. What has she gotten into now?” she said, her hands on her hips.

Peter chuckled. “I’ll tell you one thing, that Anna is a free spirit with a big heart.”

Her hair escaping her braids, looking flushed and out of breath, Anna nearly fell at Catharine’s feet in her excitement. “Look, Cath, I’ve rescued a litter of puppies by the creek. Aren’t they adorable? Can I keep them?” Her blue eyes sparkled with joy as she pulled her apron away to reveal four squirming balls of fluff.

“Whoa . . . slow down a minute. Where’s their mama?” Peter asked, reaching down to scratch one of the puppies behind the ear. The puppy yawned, then looked into his face with large brown eyes.

Anna sat down in the grass and the puppies scrambled out of her apron to pounce on each other in play, but they didn’t amble too far away, apparently preferring Anna’s attention. “She was nowhere around,” she said. “Can I keep them?”

Catharine knelt down, fondling the fuzzy heads of the puppies as their pink tongues licked her hand. “Mmm . . . I don’t know. What do you think, Peter? Maybe just one?” She was already falling for the adorable little bundles. “What kind of puppies are they?”

Peter’s expression was thoughtful. “After my last dog was bitten by a snake and died awhile back, I hadn’t really considered it. Not sure I want to get attached to another dog just yet.”

Catharine struggled to cover her laughter as she watched Anna’s face crumple. “Don’t look so serious, Sis. It’s not the end of the world.” Looking up at Peter, she said, “I’m sorry you lost your dog. I didn’t know, but maybe we could use a dog around here to alert us to visitors or varmints.”

“
Pleeease.
I’ll take good care of the puppies until you decide which one we should keep.”

Peter rolled his eyes heavenward in defeat. Shoving his hat back further on his head, he said, “Now how can I refuse when the two of you gang up on me?” He knelt next to them in the grass. The puppies hopped around and one of them chewed on Anna’s shoelaces.

Anna clapped her hands, stepping over the puppies to give Peter a hug. “I knew you’d say yes. Thank you!” Peter started to say something but clamped his jaw shut and returned Anna’s hug. “What kind of dogs are they, do you think?” she asked.

“They look like sheepdogs to me. Should be a right fine pet for you, Anna. Notice I said
pet
—singular. You’ll have to find homes for the other three.”

“Whatever you say.” Anna’s entire face lit up. “I’d better go find some bowls and give them some milk or something to eat.”

“There should be two or three bowls I used in the barn near the tack room. You’ll see ’em on the floor. Be sure and wash them up before you use them.”

Anna scampered in the direction of the barn. “Keep an eye on the little fellows,” she called over her shoulder.

As the puppies crawled all over Peter’s legs, Catharine scooted over to where he knelt in the grass to give him a kiss.

“What’s that for?” He leaned back to look at her.

“For being such a softie, that’s what.” She kissed him again and removed his hat to ruffle his damp hair. He grabbed her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. She swayed and their kiss deepened until Catharine pulled away. “Phew! We both need a dunk in the creek before supper!”

“I’ll race you,” he said, pulling her to her feet.

“But what about the puppies? We’re supposed to watch them until Anna returns.”

Peter’s gaze softened. “They made it just fine before she found them, didn’t they?”

Catharine arched an eyebrow, giving him a knowing look. Lifting her skirts, she whirled around and ran in the direction of the creek with Peter hot on her heels, her laughter ringing out across the meadow.