Chapter 4
After doing his morning chores at the ranch, Joe mounted Cochise and rode to Kate's house. The closer he got, the more he dreaded being there...but she'd asked him to come. She was scared to death, and he was the only friend she had right now. When he saw her house come into view, he began to hope that she would get into a fight and scare the man away.
He knocked on the door, and was greeted by Kate's mother. "Oh, hello, Joseph, come on in. Kate told me she invited you over. I think it's just wonderful," she continued as he removed his hat and followed her inside to be seated in a chair in the sitting room, "that she has a friend like you, whom she can spend time with and not have to worry about romance."
Joe tried to smile at the woman as she took his hat, but he was sure it was unconvincing. Fortunately, she was too preoccupied to notice.
"I was afraid you wouldn't show up," she said from behind him.
Joe spun around in his chair and gasped when he saw her. She was beautiful. He hadn't seen her in a dress in a month, and now, to see her in her finest, with her hair curled and piled up on her head, and just a touch of rouge...
He swallowed hard. "Of course I'm here. You asked me to come," he whispered. "You look beautiful."
She blushed and looked down at the floor. "Thank you."
"Where is everybody?" he asked, standing, to lead her to a seat of her own. Once she was seated, he went back to his own chair.
"Mama's cooking, Daddy's trying to get the chores done before everyone gets here. Aunt Dodie and Marcus stayed in town last night. They're to arrive here at noon." She looked at his hands, which were resting lightly on his pants leg, pulling and pinching the fabric, then smoothing it back out. "About yesterday, Joe..." She brought her gaze up to meet his and continued, "I'm sorry. All I can say is I wish things were different." She stood. "I'd best go help Ma." He stood as she left the room, then collected his hat and walked outside, to the barn.
Her Pa was inside, putting fresh hay down in the stalls. "Need a hand, Mr. McGill?"
"Well, Little Joe, when'd you get here?!" McGill smiled at him and wiped the sweat from his brow. "No sense in you gettin' your good clothes mussed. I'm about finished here, anyhow." He went back to work. Joe took off his suit jacket and hung it on the wall. He began working in the stall adjacent to the one Kate's father was in.
"I won't get too wrinkled this way," Joe said as he worked. "You already took care of the hard work." After a few minutes, he took courage. "Mr. McGill, can I ask you somethin'?"
"Sure, Joe, anything."
"What do you know about this fella comin' to court Kate?"
The older man chuckled. "I know that my wife's sister thinks he's a prince, and she didn't even like me until I'd been married to Karen for 12 years." Upon seeing that this didn't seem to relax the boy, McGill stopped. "You got somethin' you wanna tell me, young man?"
Upon being confronted like this, Joe's heart was in his mouth. He could feel the sweat in his palms. "Well, sir, I just... I like Kate a lot you know, and well, I'm worried about her."
"Hmmm. Like her a lot, you say. That's good. You've been a real good friend to her lately." McGill went back to work.
Joe stood stunned. He was completely unsure of himself. Afraid to say more, he silently finished the task he'd begun and accompanied Mr. McGill back to the house.