The High Calling (8 page)

He got up at once and greeted her. “I’ve missed you,” he said with a smile.

“I’ve missed you too.”

“Big news, Kat,” Lewis said. “Parker’s going to buy the beginnings of a herd from us.”

“What about Hercules? Are you going to buy him, Parker?”

“Oh yes. And you don’t have to worry about his being made into beef steaks. He’ll be a stud.”

Her eyes danced, and she hugged him. “Oh, that’s wonderful! I’ve been so worried about him.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry anymore. He’ll have an easy life.” Quickly he added, “Why don’t you and I go out to the pasture and we can talk about which of the cows I need to take back with me. Then perhaps you’d like to go into town with me afterward.”

“That would be wonderful! Just let me go wash my hands. I’ll be right back.”

Lewis watched his daughter leave and shook his head. “I’m glad you’re buying that bull. She loves him like he was a cat or dog or something.”

“I’m glad for her. She’s very sentimental, isn’t she?”

“About animals she is.” Lewis grinned. “If she loves a husband like she loves that steer, she ought to have a good marriage.”

****

Kat and Parker were lingering over their meal at the Colonial Grill—Summerdale’s fanciest restaurant—when the waitress came over and refilled their coffee cups. “Will there be anything else?”

“No. I think we’re fine,” Parker said. He waited until she left and then leaned across the table toward Kat. “I’ll miss American cooking when I get home.”

“Isn’t English cooking good?”

“I don’t think it’s as good as yours. The cooks just put everything together and let it simmer. It’s not seasoned like yours. I may have to change their minds.”

Kat basked in the warmth and security of his smile. She had been pleased beyond words at the news that Hercules was going to lead a long and happy life, and she had been excited to talk with Parker about which of the cows to take with him. She knew them all by name, as well as their every flaw and virtue.

Parker interrupted her thoughts. “I’ve got something to ask you, Katherine.”

“I’ve been curious about why you always call me Katherine. Everyone else calls me Kat.”

“You don’t mind, do you? I think Katherine is such a beautiful name.”

“Actually, I like it,” she said. “Especially the way you say it. What did you want to ask me?”

“I’d like you to make the trip with me to take the cattle back to England.”

Kat stared at him. “Why, I can’t do that!”

“I don’t see why not. You’ve got some time before your fall classes start.” He leaned forward and put his hand over hers. “I’d also like you to meet my family. And it would be helpful to have you with the animals to get them settled, you know.” He laughed and shook his head. “I’m being devious. I really want to be with you. It would be a nice trip. The ship
wouldn’t be fancy at all—just a cattle ship—but we could have fun and have lots of time together. You’ve never been on a ship like that, have you?”

“Oh no—never!”

“It’s so relaxing. The world feels far away, and we could talk. I could find out all about what you did as a little girl, and you could pry into my boyhood secrets.”

Kat was stunned by the enormity of his offer. She had never entertained any such idea. He was looking at her with an expression that told her how much he wanted her to come. She tried to think of reasons to refuse, but before she had time to answer, she heard footsteps and turned to see Brodie advancing toward their table. His hat was pushed back, and his face was flushed.
He’s been drinking,
Kat thought, angry that he had spoiled the pleasure of the moment.

“Well, limey, I see you brought my girl to town for me.”

“Brodie, go away,” Kat snapped. She had discovered that Brodie did not often drink, but he had a reputation for making trouble and becoming aggressive when he did.

Brodie ignored her and stood glaring down at the Englishman. “I reckon you think you can come over here and take our women anytime you take a notion.”

“I had no such thought,” Parker said quietly.

“You and your fancy talk and fancy clothes! I don’t care what you say—you ain’t takin’ my girl!”

“I don’t think this is the place to discuss it,” Parker said. He was aware that everyone in the place had turned to watch them. “Perhaps we could talk somewhere else.”

“Right here’s good enough for me.”

Kat was alarmed, and she tried to interrupt Brodie, but he persisted.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave,” Parker said quietly. “Your behavior is not that of a gentleman.”

“I’ll
gentleman
you!” Brodie yelled. He grabbed Parker by the jacket and hauled him to his feet. He swung wildly and Parker blocked the blow, but Brodie was an accomplished
fighter. Even drunk, he had the skills developed over years of fighting. His next swipe caught Parker high on the temple, and Parker went down into his chair, dragging the tablecloth with him.

He jumped back up and tried to protect himself, but Brodie waded in swinging.

Kat could not believe what was happening, and she cried for help. The manager of the restaurant was already running toward them, and a couple of men dining nearby had jumped up to grab Brodie and subdue him.

“Brodie, you stop at once!” Kat cried out. “Are you crazy?”

Brodie struggled to shake the men off who were holding him tight, but then he blinked his eyes and quieted when he saw the blood running down the Englishman’s face. “I-I’m sorry . . . I don’t know what got into me.”

“Get out of here! Go away!” Kat cried, her face pale and her lips trembling. “I’m ashamed of you, Brodie Lee. Now leave!”

The manager intervened, “You’re not going anywhere, young man. We’ve called the police and they’ll be here any minute.”

Brodie gave Kat an anguished look and allowed himself to be led to the foyer to wait for the police.

Kat went to Parker at once. “I’m so sorry, Parker. He was drunk.”

“Yes. I noticed that.” His mouth was bruised and his eyebrow was bleeding.

“Come on. We’ll have to go clean you up.”

“It’s not that bad,” he protested as he straightened up the table and chairs and apologized to the other guests, feeling mortified more than injured.

After paying for their dinner and making more apologies to the restaurant manager, they went outside to speak to the police, who wanted to know if they wished to press charges. Parker merely suggested that they lock him up overnight to let him sober up, figuring that a night in jail and a stiff fine for disturbing the peace might be enough to teach Brodie a lesson.

“I’m sorry about all this,” Kat said as they walked to Parker’s car. “Brodie’s not like that except when he’s drinking. And he doesn’t do that often. He’s had a hard life.”

Parker pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and held it over his eyebrow. “Actually,” he said slowly, “I don’t blame him. He’s in love with you, Katherine.”

“No he isn’t.”

“I think he is,” Parker said as he started the car.

She tried to ignore his statement. “When we get home, I’ll put something on that cut.”

The two said little on the way to the house, but when he stopped the car Parker said, “I won’t go in. This isn’t a bad cut, and I’d rather not have to explain to your parents.”

“I understand. It was such a good evening until Brodie came.”

Parker got out of the car and walked around to open her door. When she got out, he said, “I hope you’ll think about making the trip to England with me.”

She had forgotten about the trip in the confusion. Now she still didn’t know how to answer him. “I’ll . . . I’ll pray about it, Parker.”

He grinned ruefully. “Well, there’s no way a man can argue with that. I’ll pray about it too. I think it would be a wonderful thing for us.”

She saw him lean toward her, and she took his light kiss. He smiled and said good night, then got into the car and drove off.

Kat went into the house and found the boys already in bed, but her father and Missouri Ann were waiting for her.

“Did you work things out with Parker?” Lewis asked. “About the cattle, I mean?”

“He wants me to go to England with him, Dad, to help with the cattle.”

Lewis shot a quick glance at Missouri Ann. “Are you going to do it?”

“I don’t know. I need to think about it and pray about it.”

“Would you like to be Lady Braden someday?” her father asked.

Kat stared at her parents. “No. The title would mean nothing to me.” She turned and hurried upstairs.

“She’s troubled about this, Missouri.”

“Yes, she is. I’m thinkin’ she’s in love with that Englishman.”

“I hope not. I would hate to have my daughter living so far away.”

“She wants to do God’s will, Lewis,” she said. “We’ll have to pray that she finds it.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Yellow Light, Red Light

The story on the front page of the newspaper fascinated Kat—as it did almost everyone in the western world. For weeks now she had been reading of the scandal concerning the former king of England, who had romanced and finally married an American divorcée. Last December, for the first time in English history a king had stepped down from the throne “for the sake of the woman I love,” as the article quoted.

As she read the story curiously, Kat wondered what Parker thought of all this and decided to ask him. He had been persistent in his pleas for her to return to England with him, and she had been in agony over her indecision.

Tossing the newspaper down, she rose to go check on the bread she was baking. Her parents and the boys had left for the day, so the house was unusually quiet. As she turned to go down the hall toward the kitchen, however, she heard a car pulling up in the driveway, and she went to the door. It was Brodie. Her lips tightened and she greeted him coolly.

“Hello, Kat. Can I come in?”

“I suppose so.” She reluctantly opened the door.

He followed her into the kitchen. Bending over the stove, she tested the bread with a broom straw. Seeing it was still not done, she closed the door and turned to find Brodie twisting his hat in his hands.

He blurted out, “Hey, Kat, I came to say I’m sorry—you know, for what happened the other night.”

“You should be.”

“Well, I really am. It was the first time I’d had a drink in six months. I don’t know what got into me.”

“You shouldn’t drink, Brodie. It makes you into something you’re not.”

“I know that. I won’t do it again.”

“You’ll have to apologize to Parker.”

“Sure,” he said quickly and stood a little straighter. “I’ll do that as soon as I find him. But I didn’t want you to be mad at me.”

“I
am
upset with you. The story is all over town, and everywhere else in the county, for that matter.”

Brodie gnawed his lower lip, looking subdued, and despite her anger, she felt compassion for him. She knew all about his abusive stepfather and how he’d been forced to leave home to get away from him. Kat sighed and said, “Sit down, Brodie.”

“Sure. Could I have some coffee?”

Kat poured him a cup, then poured one for herself. She sat down, and he began to speak easily, as if to put the incident behind him. “Maybe we could go out tonight,” he finally said, hope in his eyes.

“Not tonight, Brodie.”

His face fell, and he got to his feet. “I’m real sorry,” he said. “You won’t see that side of me again.”

He looked so woebegone—almost the same way the triplets looked when they had gotten into trouble—that her heart melted. “It’s all right, Brodie. I’m not angry anymore.”

“You’re not? Good! Do you want to go up in the plane with me?”

“Maybe tomorrow. I need to cook supper for tonight.”

“All right. How ’bout if I land out back in the field about eight o’clock in the morning?”

“All right. You’d better go now. I’ve got a lot to do.”

She sighed as Brodie left. “He’d be such a good man if he could just settle down,” she said to herself, shaking her head.

****

When Parker answered the knock on his door at the Summerdale Motel the next day, he was surprised to see Brodie Lee standing there.

“Hello, Parker. Can I talk to you?”

“Of course,” he said, opening the door wide. “What’s on your mind?”

Brodie stepped in and stood uncertainly in the middle of the room, but then found the courage to speak. “Well, I made a sap out of myself at the restaurant the other night. I just came by to . . . to tell you I’m really sorry. You should have shot me.”

Parker laughed. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“Yes it was. I should have known better than to get drunk. I think I’ve had enough of that to last me a lifetime.” He put his hand out and gave Parker a twisted grin. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right, Brodie.” Parker took his hand and felt the power of his grip.

Brodie heaved a sigh of relief. “I’m just one of the roughs, but I do care for Kat.”

“She tells me she had quite a crush on you when she was younger.”

“I guess so. She was just a kid when I left town, but she’s not now.”

The two men stood silently weighing each other, and finally Brodie said, “I know you’ve got everything—money, manners, a title—but I’m not giving up.”

“That’s fair enough, Brodie.”

Parker stared at the closed door after showing Brodie out and felt a strange sense of camaraderie with the young man.
He’s got some good in him, poor chap. He hasn’t always had it easy.

****

At the same time Brodie was making his apologies to Parker, Kat was at the church helping organize an outing for the youth group. The pastor, Luke Maxwell, was new in
town. He was a tall, lanky man with sharp features and a quick sense of humor. He had come to appreciate Kat’s help with the young people as well as with the choir, since she had a beautiful singing voice. He stood chatting with her after the others had left.

“Could I talk with you, Pastor Maxwell?”

“Why, of course. Would you like to come into my office?”

“No. This is all right.” They were in the sanctuary, and Kat was nervously twisting her hands together, something Maxwell had never seen her do. Maxwell was a bachelor and had thought several times of asking her out. He had refrained, however, fearing that dating a church member could lead to trouble. “Let’s at least sit down,” he said. “I’m tired.”