Catching Kent (13 page)

Rose had been giggling about something
that he had brushed off as one of her many fantasies involving
him.

“
I’m going to be one of the
men who’ll be in the bachelor auction,” the young man said. “My
name is Stan Craftsman, by the way.”

Kent nodded. “Kent Ashton.”

“
It’s for a good cause, you
know. The bachelor auction. It’s to raise money so Joel can buy
better medical supplies and equipment.”

Figuring Stan wanted him to say
something, Kent finally replied, “That’s good. And Joel’s a good
doctor.”

“
I heard you were attacked
in an alley. Did they find the men who did it?”

“
No.”

“
Sorry that
happened.”

He shrugged. “I’ve been through
worse.”

“
Really? Worse than being
left for dead in an alley?”

Kent didn’t feel like telling Stan his
life story, so he asked, “What is this bachelor auction you’re
going to be in?”

“
Oh, it’s where women get
to bid on the man of their choice and then spend the afternoon with
him.”

It was then that Kent remembered the
man who told Rose he hoped she’d bid on him that day they were in
town. Rose had more than one man who was hoping she’d try to spend
the afternoon with him. Clearing his throat, he shoved aside the
unpleasant image of a group of men surrounding Rose and begging her
to bid for them.

“
I have heard about the
bachelor auction,” he finally told Stan.

“
I’m hoping Rose bids on
me,” Stan admitted, adjusting his hat to block the sun from hitting
his eyes. “She can have anyone she wants. I know she’s not likely
to pick me. But a man can dream, can’t he?”

Kent caught sight of Rose leaving the
house. Stan jumped up from the bench and hurried over to her.
Uncomfortable with the way it bothered him that Stan was talking to
her, he turned his attention back to his hands. These were the
hands of a man who hadn’t worked on a farm. Investing, acquiring
and running businesses, increasing wealth from the comfort of his
desk… These were things he knew, things he was good at, things his
uncle had trained him in. That was his future. And he’d go to
California and leave all of this—Rose and blisters and
all—behind.

Stan laughed from across the lawn, and
Kent chanced a glance in his direction, noting the way Rose shook
her head as she held a neatly folded blue shirt in her hands. Her
gaze met his and he quickly turned his attention to the fields
where corn blew in the breeze. How he wished he’d never met her.
She was nothing but trouble, and he’d had enough trouble because of
women to last a lifetime.

After another minute of cooling off,
he decided to go over to Mr. Larson and Mr. Craftsman to see if he
could do anything to help out. The two men were laughing, something
that surprised him. Rose had told him that the two hadn’t always
gotten along, but apparently, whatever happened in their past had
been resolved. From where he stood, it didn’t seem like the two had
ever been at odds with each other.

Mr. Larson, who was running his hand
along a cow’s back, glanced his way. “Kent, this is Neil Craftsman.
His oldest daughter is married to my oldest son. Neil, this is Kent
Ashton, the young man I told you about.”

Neil reached out and shook Kent’s
hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Kent nodded.

“
Are you familiar with
cattle?” Mr. Craftsman asked.

“
All I know about them is
what I’ve seen on this farm,” Kent admitted.

“
They’re easy,” Mr.
Craftsman replied then looked at Kent. “Want to lead one to the
pasture?”

Kent studied the three animals. He had
no real interest in handling any of them. Fortunately, he was
spared from having to answer when Rose called out his name.
Usually, he wouldn’t welcome her interruptions, but in this case,
it was a reprieve because he didn’t think he could say no to Mr.
Larson, not after all the things Mr. Larson had done for
him.

“
Pa, do you mind if I talk
to Kent for a moment?” she asked, her fingers tracing the collar of
the shirt in her arms.

“
It’s fine as long as Kent
wants to talk to you,” he replied.

Since it was either talk to her or
help with the cows, Kent walked away from the wagon. “What is it,
Rose?”

“
Remember when we went to
town last week and I asked you what color you liked?” she asked,
her eyes twinkling with excitement.

“
Yes.” His gaze lowered to
the shirt then over to Stan who headed over to the wagon where his
father was leading the first cow to the pasture. Returning his
attention to her, he said, “I hope you didn’t go through that
trouble for me.” He motioned to the shirt.

“
It was no trouble at all.”
She smiled and unfolded it so he could see it. “I might not cook
all that well, but I can sew. I hope you don’t mind, but I used
Adam’s measurements since you fit his shirt well
enough.”

“
You made this? From
nothing?”

“
No, not nothing, silly.”
She giggled. “I got some cotton material at the mercantile and used
a needle and thread. Oh, and I added some buttons. It’s not fancy,
but it’ll last for years. I was careful while I stitched it
together.”

“
You made this,” he touched
the shirt, “from that fabric you got at the mercantile?”

“
Of course. I told you I
was going to.”

He was so used to the tailor coming in
and taking his measurements that he hadn’t thought about what the
tailor went through when he made the clothes. “And you did this in
one week?”

“
I know it took me a little
longer than usual, but I wanted to make sure I got the measurements
right. I kept rechecking them.”

“
You shouldn’t have gone
through all this trouble for me. I can buy a shirt any time I want
one.”

Or at least he would once his money
came in. But for some reason, this shirt seemed much better than
any of the others he’d worn or could buy, and he chose not to dwell
on why he felt that way.

“
I wanted to make it for
you.” Her smile faltered. “You don’t like it?”

“
No, I do. It’s a good
shirt.” He didn’t know how he could explain how he felt so she’d
understand it. “I don’t deserve this shirt, Rose.”

“
Of course, you do. You’re
going to be my husband. I’ll make you more shirts in the
future.”

With a sigh, he let go of the shirt.
“No, Rose, I won’t be your husband. I’m heading out to California
as soon as my money comes in. When that happens, you won’t ever see
me again.”

“
That’s not true. And deep
down, you know it’s not.”

He glanced at Stan who led one of the
cattle into the pasture. “Why aren’t you going to marry him? He
knows all about taking care of animals and living out on the farm.
You two are better suited for each other.”

“
I don’t care for
him.”

“
I saw the way he was
talking to you. He obviously cares for you.”

“
I know, but I’m all wrong
for him. He’d never be happy with me. He’d be much better suited
for my sister, and she fancies him.”

“
Well, he doesn’t fancy
her. Anyone paying half attention can see that.”

“
But I love you and always
will.”

He shook his head and headed for the
barn, needing to put some distance between himself and Rose. He
didn’t want to think of the last time he heard a woman tell him
that, nor did he want to do anything to encourage another woman in
her ridiculous pursuit of him. Perhaps he shouldn’t be surprised
that she followed him right into the barn, but he was.

Stopping when he reached the center of
the barn, he turned around to face her. “Why don’t you give
up?”

“
You don’t give up when you
love someone.”

He gritted his teeth. “Yes, you would.
If you married Stan, you’d fall in love with him and forget all
about me. You wouldn’t want me in your life. You’d forget all the
times you told me you wanted to marry me. It’d be as if none of it
ever happened. So go and be with him. Give him the chance you’ve
been denying him.” He hadn’t meant for his pitch to rise as he kept
talking, but he couldn’t help it.

“
Is that what she did?” she
softly asked, her gaze tender.

For a moment, all he could do was
stare at her. “What?”

“
The woman you once loved.
She said she loved you but married someone else and acted as if you
never meant anything to her.”

He glowered at her, hating the fact
that she was so perceptive. How could she know so much about him?
He hadn’t told anyone about his past. He didn’t know what was
worse: realizing she could detect so much about him or the fact
that she actually seemed sorry for him.

“
I’m not her,” she assured
him. “You won’t ever have to worry that I’ll change my
mind.”

In frustration, he threw his gloves on
the floor and glared at her. “I’m not going to marry you.
Ever.”

Before she could argue, he stormed out
of the barn and hurried to the house, praying she wouldn’t follow
him. And as luck would have it, at least for the moment, she
didn’t.

Chapter Twelve

Rose dug the money from her pocket and
counted it. Three dollars and sixty cents. It took her years to
save it and today she’d use all of it if she had to. She just hoped
no one else had more than her.

“
Rose, are you ready to go
to the bachelor auction?” Harriett asked as she came into their
bedroom and picked up her bonnet.

Nodding, she slipped the coins into
her dress pocket. “I’m ready. Who are you going to bid
on?”

Her sister shrugged and turned from
her. “I don’t know. The whole thing seems silly to me. What was
Uncle Joel thinking when he came up with the idea of women bidding
on men?”

“
He wants to raise money
for more medical supplies, and he figured this would be a fun way
to do it.” Rose checked her hair and pinched her cheeks to add more
color to them.

“
I know that, but it seems
wrong somehow.”

“
What could be wrong with
it?”

“
Well, wouldn’t it make
more sense if men bid on women?”

“
Oh, don’t be so boring.”
Rose gathered her bonnet and tucked it under her arm. “I think it’s
about time the women got to choose the men they wanted instead of
waiting for the men to choose them.”

Harriett set her hand on her hip and
studied her sister. “Why don’t you tell me the truth?”

“
What truth?”

“
You’re afraid if the men
got to bid, you wouldn’t get to spend the afternoon with Kent. You
know very well he wouldn’t bid on you.”

“
Then it works to my
advantage that I’ll be the one bidding for him.”

“
Did you convince our uncle
to switch things so women bid on the men instead of the other way
around?”

Letting out an uneasy chuckle, Rose
finished buttoning her boots and hurried out of the room. “Why
would Uncle Joel listen to me?”

Harriett followed close behind.
“Because you two are a lot alike?”

“
Since we’re a lot alike,
then it just means he did this without my prompting.” Before her
sister could reply, she bounded down the steps. “Adam, you couldn’t
get any more handsome than you already are,” she said as she
entered the parlor.

Her brother grimaced and turned from
the mirror. Placing his hat on his head, he faced her and Harriett.
“I don’t know why I agreed to this. I feel like an animal being put
up for the slaughter.”

Rose giggled and pulled her bonnet
over her head, tucking her hair under it. “You’re not an animal.”
She rolled her eyes and glanced at her sister. “Can you believe
him?”

“
It’s not an easy feeling
when you know you can’t pick who you’ll be spending all afternoon
with. And all for what? Just so our uncle can get new
equipment?”

“
It’s important he gets
newer things. People will benefit from them. You should feel
honored. You get to help save lives.”

“
Some honor,” he grumbled.
“I hope whoever bids on me is a good cook.”

“
Oh! That reminds me. I
need to grab my basket.” Rose rushed to the kitchen. “Which one is
mine?” she asked Harriett who was still following her.

“
It’s the one with
sandwiches and rolls.”

“
Right.” She lifted the lid
and made sure she had the right one. Glancing at Harriett’s basket,
she ventured, “I don’t suppose you’d switch with me?”

“
Definitely not. I spent
considerable time on this meal.”

“
I know.” Rose’s meal
looked pathetic next to the one her sister made. Her sister had
fried chicken, cinnamon rolls, pickled beets and dainty cakes.
Sometimes, like now, she wished she had her sister’s talent for
cooking tasty food. She bit her lower lip as her sister adjusted
the blanket over the covered food. “I’ll trade you some rolls for
the dainty cakes or a piece of chicken.”