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She tsked. “That’s a right shame, ya know. You don’t know what you’re missin’.”
“That might be so, but right now what I’m missing is checking on our orchards. I’d better hurry and get to it.”
“Mighty shame that you have to rush around here, there and yonder all the time.”
“I’m sure it is. But I’ll just have to take your word for it.”
They readied their horses and led them out of the barn into the warm sun. A light breeze brushed across Michael’s face.
He turned to help Selina mount but never got the chance. She grabbed a hunk of mane and swung her small form onto the horse’s back. How she did it as small as she was, he wasn’t quite sure, and he would have never believed it if he hadn’t witnessed it for himself.
He shook his head, amazed, then mounted his own horse.
They rode through willows, white pine, cottonwood and fir trees. One thing was for sure—she hadn’t been kidding him when she said she took time to enjoy God’s creation.
Although he thought it was cute how her face lit up and her eyes sparkled when she stopped to study yellow buttercup flowers, white daisies, wild pink roses and even a few syringa bushes that weren’t even blooming, did she have to do it now? At the pace they were going he would have to work twice as hard and twice as fast to get his work finished.
Not only did she point out every little detail, she had to stop and smell them all, too, closing her eyes as she did. Even placed a few under his nose. It had been a long time since he’d enjoyed the pleasant scent of roses or the sweet smell of a syringa bush. Someday he’d have to take the time to do it again, but right now he really needed to get back to work.
And yet, isn’t that what had gotten him into this mess in the first place? Not taking time from work to check things out? Even now though, he still couldn’t. There was too much to do and too little time to get it all done. So as much as he wanted to enjoy the things she was enjoying, he couldn’t. He needed to hurry her along.
Finally, they reached the orchards. To his dismay, she did the same thing there. He gave up trying to hurry her and resigned himself to having to work late again. Riding to one of the pear trees, he plucked a nice ripe one, reined his horse close to Selina’s and handed the fruit to her. “Ever had a pear right from the tree?”
“No, can’t say that I have. Don’t know that I’ve ever had a pear before at all.”
“Never?” That shocked him. “Well, you don’t know what you’ve been missing. Here, try one.”
She took it from him and studied it first. He should have known she would. She closed her eyes, her chest expanding as she breathed in its scent, and then she took a small, hesitant bite and chewed. Her eyes darted open. Her mouth parted and a big chunk disappeared out of the pear. Juice ran down her chin.
He reached over to wipe it away. When his fingers touched her, he noticed how smooth and soft and warm her skin felt under his fingers.
Their gazes connected, then hers dropped to where his fingers still lingered. He yanked his hand away, wishing he didn’t have to, wishing he could run his finger over her cheeks and neck to see if they were as soft as the rest of her skin. A quick frown from her and he cast his urge aside and sat back straight in the saddle. “Well, this is where we part ways. Enjoy your pear. Eat as many as you’d like.”
“What do ya mean ‘this is where we part ways’?” From the fear that flashed through her eyes, he wondered if she had taken it the wrong way and forgotten she had asked him to point her toward Tom and Sadie’s house.
He shifted in his saddle, and leather creaked under him. “Remember you wanted me to show you the way to Sadie’s?”
Her mouth formed an O and the fear dissipated. He’d been right. She had misconstrued what he had said. Relieved to put her fears at rest, he pointed the direction she needed to go and said, “You need to follow the dirt path over the hill and through the trees. It’ll take you straight to their house. But be careful. Out there in Idaho Territory, you may run into wild animals.” His sisters traveled alone all the time, but they were skilled in dealing with wild animals. He battled with what to do.
“What kind of wild animals?”
“Bears, coyotes, wolves.”
Her eyes brightened. Not a trace of fear showed on her face. In fact, intrigue fluttered across it and that made him nervous. The woman had no idea what dangers lurked out there.
“I wish I would have thought to tell you to bring your rifle.” This was one time he was glad the woman had one and knew how to use it.
