Kate Tanner felt awkward dressed in men’s clothes, wearing
the short haired black wig and black beard. The beard was itchy, but it did a good job of making her look masculine so she was determined to keep it on. Her brown pants and navy blue and
green plaid shirt and white undershirt were loose on her which helped to hide her figure. She had difficulty breathing with the
binding wrapped so tightly around her chest but it did hide her bosom. She pinned the brown hat on her head, hoping it would
help keep her wig in place so the wind wouldn’t blow it off. She breathed a sigh of relief as she got off the train. She was in a fairly small town. It would be isolated enough to make her difficult to find, but with her disguise, she was sure that Derek Robin and
Dave Reinhart wouldn’t recognize her if they happened to see her.

She walked into the post office in the small North Dakota town and scanned the job listings board. She needed to do work that would keep her safely out of town. She also had to do a job that would be suitable for a man.

“Good afternoon, sir,” the post master greeted her.

She turned and nodded to the scrawny old man who was about five inches shorter than her 5’8” height. She began to speak but realized her voice sounded too high so she cleared her throat and spoke in a lower tone. “Good afternoon.” She hoped she sounded
like a man. “I’m looking for work.”

“You’re not from here.”

There’s nothing like pointing out the obvious.
“No, sir. I just hopped off the train. I come from Kentucky,” she lied. “The town
is a small one, similar to this one. I doubt you’d recognize the name if I told you what it was.”

He nodded. “We don’t get many newcomers wishing for
work.”

“Oh, I’m here for a short while, so I’m looking for temporary
employment.”

“Hmm....Let me think. There are some farms around here, and
farmers typically hire for half a year.” The man scanned through
the job listings. “Uh huh, uh huh. Hmm...”

She forced herself not to roll her eyes. She was fully capable
of reading through the listings. Deciding to ignore him for a moment,
she did just that. She pointed to the opening for someone to
help saw down trees. “What about this one?” she asked. It was
safely out of town.

The man shook his head. “No offense, son, but you’re not
strong enough in the arms to handle that task. Sawing trees down
is harder than it looks.”

She sighed. He was probably right.

“Oh, this one will work for you.” He picked up the small white
card asking for a farmhand. “Chad Walker is a nice man. He just
lost his wife a year ago. The poor man tries to act happy but I’m
sure his wife’s death hit him hard. Everyone thought she was a
wonderful woman. Sadly, they weren’t able to have children, so
he’s all by himself out there. He does have a couple of other farmhands
but they aren’t very reliable. Good work is hard to find. If
you show up on time and do your job, you’ll be a big help to him.”

“What does a farmhand do?”

“Well, Chad has a lot of cattle, sheep and horses on his property,
so you will be helping with the livestock.”
That didn’t sound like her idea of a good time.

She hesitated.

“Chad is a good employer,” the man continued. “He’s fair and
will give you a decent wage. Of course, his farm is further out of
town and more difficult to reach. He’s offering lodging and food.
If you would prefer being in town, then this won’t do.”

But it would be perfect for someone hiding from danger. “It
sounds perfect. How do I get there?”

“Travis Richards can taxi you out there on his horse-drawn
buggy.”

“Alright. I’ll see what I can do about getting that job. Where
do I find Travis Richards?”

“He’s currently at the bank. His buggy is right out front.” He
pointed to it.

She saw the building across the street. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate
the help.” She picked up her suitcase and left the post office.

Looking both ways before she crossed the street, she quickly
walked across it before Travis had time to hop on his buggy and go
somewhere. She made it to his buggy just in time to stop him from
urging his horse forward. “Sir!”

He turned his attention to her. “Do you need a ride?” He set
the reigns back down and jumped off the front seat of the buggy.

“Yes, I do. I’m applying for a job at Chad Walker’s farm. Can
you take me there?”

“Chad isn’t exactly noted for welcoming strangers. You might
have difficulty getting employment with him.”

She shrugged. “We won’t know until I meet him.”

“I can’t argue with that logic. Alright. As long as you can pay
the fare, I’ll take you out there but I won’t leave until I verify you
got the job, in case you need a ride back.”

She wondered what kind of man Chad Walker was but knew
she would find out soon enough. She paid the man and got into the
buggy. She adjusted her shirt, hoping it really did hide her figure.
It was loose and long enough. She only hoped it was convincing.
The ride out to the farm took nearly an hour. There didn’t seem to
be anyone else nearby for miles. It was the ideal place to hide. I
have to get this job.Whatever it took, she was determined to get it.

The scenery was so different from Virginia. A few trees dotted
the landscape but for the most part, the plains were arrayed in different
shades of green. The land seemed to go on forever, and the
noonday sun showed several puffy white clouds dotting the clear
blue sky. A wave of homesickness brought tears to her eyes but
she quickly brushed them aside. Men didn’t cry, so she couldn’t
afford to cry when she was in disguise. She couldn’t afford to
think of what happened in Virginia right now. She would think
about it later. Then, she would make her plan. Justice must be
done.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She settled her
emotions rather quickly as she focused on slowly exhaling. My
name is Bob Ingram, and I’m a twenty-eight year old single man
traveling the country and working odd jobs along the way. I can
do this. The postman and Travis believed she was a man. Surely,
other people would too.

She felt calm by the time she reached the
farm. A two story white house was on her right and two large
brown barns and a white building were on her left. She knew very
little about farm life, so Bob would have to be new to this whole
world. When the buggy stopped, she waited for Travis to open the
door. Figuring it was masculine to take her own suitcase, she
quickly grabbed it and exited the cab.

“Mr. Walker is a reserved man,” Travis warned her. “He rarely
goes into town since his wife passed away a little over a year ago.”

She wondered why he felt the need to tell her this. It had nothing
to do with being hired by him. She didn’t care what kind of
person he was as long as he gave her the job. She needed a place
to hide out for awhile, not to socialize.

Travis led her to the barn. “Most likely, he’ll be cleaning out
the stalls this time of day. Since it’s still early in June, the weather
is cool enough to do hard work without needing frequent breaks. I
see Tim Montgomery and Jeff Rod made it out today.” He motioned
to two men who couldn’t have been older than thirty-five.
They were checking on the sheep in the white building.

She noted that Chad seemed to take good care of his buildings.
She had seen several worn down farm buildings while she was riding
the train, so she was relieved that her hope-to-be employer was
concerned with his things. After watching the men her father dealt
with, she knew that the way they conducted their professional lives
reflected how well they conducted their personal lives. From the
farm’s appearance, Chad was an orderly and detailed man. He will
make a good employer.

When she and Travis reached the barn door, Travis called out
to him: “Chad, I got a possible hire for you!”

“I’ll be down in a minute.” Chad called out from the loft in the
barn. “The hail from two nights ago broke through this roof. I just
noticed it this morning.”

“Take your time. We’ve got nowhere else to be.” Travis
turned to her. “You’ll most likely be staying up there in that loft.
He’s been preparing it for the person who is to work here.”

She frowned as she inspected the rest of the barn. Five horses
stood quietly in their stalls while a handful of cats and about six
hens ran around the ground. She would have to sleep with animals?

When Chad came down the ladder, she didn’t hide her surprise.
She expected a widower to be an old man, but he was in his midthirties.
He was 6’2” and slender with muscles that had developed
due to years of farming. He had short light brown hair and a neatly
trimmed goatee. He sighed. “I see the hens are out of their coop
again.” He looked over at her. “You’re here for the job?”

“Yes, sir,” she said, using her deep masculine voice.

“I’ll tell you what,” he began as he flung the damp towel, he
had used to soak up the remaining rain water, over his shoulder, “if
you can gather all these hens and put them into their coop outside
the barn door over there, you got yourself a job.”

Rounding up hens wasn’t her idea of a good time, but she was
determined to get the job, so she started chasing them around the
barn.

While she did so, she could hear Travis and Chad talking.

Chad crossed his arms and told Travis, “I would fire Tim right
on the spot if he wasn’t Georgia’s brother. You know how it is. If
I upset him, then the rest of the family would be upset, and they
would gather all their other relatives and friends on a rampage
against me. Then my life would be impossible.”

“That’s the curse of living in a small community. Everyone
knows each other’s business. It’s best to keep the peace,” the
buggy driver agreed.

“I should never have left the big city.”

“Why don’t you just sell this place and go back?”

He shrugged. “There’s nothing to go back to. I burned all my
bridges a long time ago.”

She was getting frustrated chasing the stupid hens so she
picked up a rake she found in the corner of the barn and threatened
to run them down with it if they didn’t go to the coop.

Chad and Travis chuckled.

“Obviously, you have no experience,” Chad said to her.

She stopped running and looked pointedly at him. “What I
lack in experience, I make up for in drive and determination. Tell
me what to do and I’ll do it.”

“Put them in the coop one hen at a time.”

She realized that was the best course of action. It was amazing
how she dismissed the easiest solution. I hope that doesn’t mean I
should have stayed in Virginia. Pushing aside her thoughts of the
past, she chased one hen and succeeded in getting it into the coop.
One down, five to go.

“So, where did you find this one?” Chad motioned to her but
asked Travis the question.

“He found me,” Travis replied. “I came out of the bank when
he approached me about the job posting you had in the post office.”

“He’s not from here.”

“No, he’s not. He’s got a suitcase which he left by the barn
door.” He pointed to the brown piece of luggage resting on the opposite
door from where the coop was. “He probably came off the
train.”

She managed to put two more hens into the coop. She was
glad the beard was sticking firmly to her face. Her sister-in-law
was right that the glue was resistant to sweat.

“Someone new might be a nice change of pace,” she heard
Chad comment. He called out to her, “Where are you from?”

“Kentucky,” she replied as she chased another hen into the
coop. Four down, one to go. Getting hens to behave wasn’t as
easy as it looked.

“Why are you here?”

Did he really have to ask her all these questions when she was
working? “I wish to see the country.”

“So you just do odd jobs while you travel around?”

“Yes, sir.”

“How long do you plan to stay here?”

She was busy cornering the hen so she didn’t answer right
away. She picked up a stick from the ground and tapped the hen
so that it ran to the coop. When she finally got it safely in the
cage, she breathed a sigh of relief and dropped the stick.

She
walked over to the men and looked at Chad. “I’m going to stay
here for as long as I want to.”

“So I can wake up one morning and find you gone? That
doesn’t sound like a good employee.”

“Well, I can’t tell what the future is going to bring.” Especially
my future, considering I may not have one much longer.

“I’m not going to hire you then.” He turned from her and
walked to the ladder.

“Wait! You said if I got all the hens into the coop, then I
would get the job. You didn’t say anything about the length of my
stay here.”

He turned back to her. “I have to be able to rely on you to get
the jobs done around here that I’ll need you to do.”

“Considering the fact that you keep Tim around, I am surprised
you put any standards on your employees.”

“What?” He seemed offended by her comment.

“I heard you talking to Travis. Tim apparently doesn’t do his
job very well, but you keep him on as a farmhand. I guarantee you
that I will work harder than him. I have a great work ethic. You
might have to teach me a thing or two but I’m a quick learner. I
took care of the hens and made sure the latch was secure on the
door. They won’t be escaping again unless you want them to.”

“Can you give me an idea of how long I can expect you to stay
here?”

She thought for a moment. “I can safely say a month for sure.
Any longer than that is questionable.” She could tell he was ready
to say no again so she added, “Look, all I ask for is lodging and
food. You don’t have to pay me. I just want the experience of being
in North Dakota.”

“In the meantime, you can still leave the job posting at the post
office,” Travis reasoned.

“Very well. You can have the job, but I need to know before
you leave so I can prepare to take over your duties,” Chad responded.

“I’ll tell you before I leave.” Whether that involved writing a
note or speaking to him, it didn’t matter. If Dave and Derek found
her, she would have to hightail it out of town.

“You’ll sleep up in that loft,” he notified her.

She followed his gaze to the loft he had been working on before
she arrived.

“Breakfast is at six, lunch is at eleven and dinner is at five,” he
instructed. “I don’t make anything fancy, just oatmeal, sandwiches,
bean soup, grits and stew. Sometimes I make eggs and bacon
but that’s not often. I’m a farmer, not a cook, and since I can’t
afford to pay a woman to cook, I make what I can for my farmhands.
Now, Tim and Jeff live in town, and they bring their horses
in. Sam Montgomery comes in whenever he pleases.”

“Tim and Sam are brothers,” Travis informed her.

“And they figure they can do anything they want,” she reflected.

Chad didn’t seem happy with her analysis.

She shrugged. “You do not need to worry about me. I’m not
afraid of hard work.”

“You are unusually perceptive,” Chad noted.

“It’s a gift and a curse.”

“Anyway, we can take your suitcase up to the loft. There is a
river down in that direction.” He pointed north. “It is about a mile
from here and that will be where you will bathe.”

She cringed. She had hoped for an actual bathtub.

“Of course, you can always use the metal tub in that corner,”
he continued. “All you need to do is drag the water from the well
and dump it in there. The water will be cooler than the river water
but it’s manageable.”

Neither option appealed to her. She missed the life she was accustomed
to but realized a bath in unfavorable conditions was better
than death. She simply nodded. She would make the best of
the situation.

“Congratulations,” Travis told her. “No offense, Chad, but I
honestly didn’t think you’d hire him.”

“Why not? He can’t be worse than who I already got working
for me.”

“True.” Travis nodded to them and left.

She walked back to her suitcase.

“So, what do I call you?” Chad asked her.

“Bob Ingram is my name. My friends call me Billy.”

“Alright, Bob. I’ll take your suitcase for you and take it up to
the loft. I have to finish up with the repairs but it’ll be ready by
tonight.”

She noticed that he intentionally used her formal fake name.
He’s not a friendly fellow. “What should I do now, Chad?”

He glared at her. “Let’s get one thing straight. I’m your employer.
You are my subordinate. You will address me as Mr.
Walker or sir. You will not call me by my first name.”

“Are you this delightful with everyone?” She said it jokingly
but he wasn’t amused.

“I don’t need a comedian. I need a farmhand. Should I send
you back to town?”

“Why do I have the feeling you don’t talk to the other farmhands
this way?” She frowned at him.

“I don’t have to explain anything to you.” He turned away from
her and took her suitcase up the ladder.

“I’m sorry to hear about your deceased wife,” she said.

He ignored her and continued climbing the steps.

He’s a real joy to be with, she sarcastically thought. She shook
her head. The poor woman is probably better off. She waited for
him to come back down so he could tell her what to do next, but he
peered over the ledge at her.

“Do you want to check out the loft or not?” he asked.

“Alright, sir,” she said and climbed the ladder. As soon as she
was at the top, she inspected her temporary quarters. She considered
that it was the perfect hiding place, should she need it.

“I’ll get some blankets and a pillow to put out here, and this
trunk can hold your things in it.” He set the suitcase next to the
trunk. “I can put some hay up here so it’ll be more comfortable. I
realize the wood isn’t very comfortable to lay on.”

She was surprised he seemed concerned about her comfort.
His formal manner and previous words to her gave her the impression
that he didn’t care about anyone.

“Sounds great, sir,” she
nodded. “Where’s the outhouse?”

He pointed down the field to the wooden outhouse several feet
from the horses’ fence. “It’s a little further from the house and
barn than is typical but Georgia was very particular about certain
things.”

She raised her eyebrow. “I reckon you’re not too upset that
she’s gone.”

He scowled at her. “My personal life is my business. Don’t go
snooping into it.”

“Fine. As long as you don’t go snooping into mine.”

“You got yourself a deal. Now let’s get to work.”

She followed him down the ladder and waited for his instructions.

“I have to get lunch ready. Can you ride a horse?” he asked.

“Sure can. I got great horsemanship.” Thanks to my hours of
showing off my horse in competitions. She did miss her mare,
Flash.

“Good. You can ride Reliable over here to the fields and check
on the cattle. If any of the cattle are outside the fence or stuck in a
ditch, can you get it back to safety?”

“No.”

He sighed. “I’ll tell you what. Check the cattle and let me
know if there are any that are in trouble. I’ll take care of them at
that time.”

She nodded.

“Can you saddle up the horse?” he wondered.

“Yes, I can do that. I’m not completely incompetent.”

“When you’re done, come into the house and get a sandwich.”

“You got it, boss.” She hid her grin as he stopped himself from
rolling his eyes. You really need to lighten up, pal. She went over
to Reliable and got him ready for the ride into the fields while

Chad went to the house.

* * * * *

By the time she was done checking on the cattle, nearly an
hour had passed. She was surprised that Chad owned so much
land. She enjoyed riding Reliable. The horse was probably the
easiest one to ride out of Chad’s other two horses, which was why
he told her to ride it, but she could handle more difficult horses.

When she went into the house, she noticed that the other two farmhands,
Tim and Jeff, sat at the round kitchen table while Chad was
nowhere in sight.
So much for introductions. Apparently, Chad wasn’t interested
in making sure his farmhands got along. Little did he realize that
she easily made friends.

“Good afternoon, men,” she greeted the two men who were
eating some sandwiches and drinking some milk. “I see I scared
the boss off,” she joked.

They chuckled.

The brunette shook her extended hand. “I’m Jeff. This is
Tim,” he motioned to the black haired man who wore a mustache.

She shook Tim’s hand as well. She wasn’t overly impressed
with either of them. They had a certain look about them that made
her weary of them. She put on a smile and pretended that she was
happy to meet them.

“Chad doesn’t hang around during lunch,” Jeff informed her.
“Your sandwich and milk are on the counter.”

She nodded and grabbed the food. She was famished but
forced herself not to wolf her meal down. Instead, she sat down
and watched the way they ate the food and imitated their mannerisms.
Her upbringing was to act like a proper lady, but she knew it
wouldn’t be appropriate to eat that way if they were to believe she
was a man.

“Where does the boss hang out while you eat?” She
took a bite of the sandwich and had to admit that it was good.

“Chad is making you call him ‘boss’?” Tim asked.

“No. He wants me to call him Mr. Walker or sir. He made it
clear that I am not to refer to him by his first name.”

He shook his head. “Well, we’re family with him. I am Georgia’s
younger brother, and Jeff is our cousin.”

“Chad usually eats before we do,” Jeff said. “He works all the
time. But ever since Georgia died, he’s stuck mostly to himself. I
suppose he still hasn’t gotten over her death.”

“Georgia was a good woman. She was the center of his world.
He didn’t go anywhere without her.”

She glanced around the kitchen. It was free of clutter but there
was no indication a woman had ever lived there. “How long was
he married?”

“Almost ten years.”

“Why aren’t there any pictures of her hanging on the wall or
any other indication that she lived here? She did live here, didn’t
she?”

“Of course, she did. They were inseparable. He took her death
hard. He said he couldn’t bear to be reminded of her death so he
put all her things away after the funeral.”

That’s odd. If Kate had been married for ten years, she would
want to remember her husband.

“So what’s your name?” Jeff asked her.

“Bob, but my friends call me Billy,” she replied.

“Good to meet you, Billy.”

“You’ll fit in just fine,” Tim agreed.

“I just got hired this morning,” she told them. “I am out seeking
adventure all across America. My goal is to see every state and
spend at least a month working there. I started out in Kentucky
and worked my way over twenty-two states until I got here. So,
what is there to do in this town?” She figured the sooner she told
them a little about herself, the sooner she could ward off any awkward
questions. People seemed to be content when a stranger offered
up some information about himself before they had to ask
about him. She finished her lunch while they talked.

“You landed in a small town, so if you’re looking for big city
fun, you came to the wrong place,” Jeff said. “However, we do
manage to have some entertainment. The church potlucks are a big
hit, but we prefer going to the bar. Lots of beer and women.”

“Alright!” she cheered, realizing she would fit in easier if she
showed them they shared a common interest. It was typical that a
man would like women and beer.

“We also have horse races,” Tim spoke up. “Are you any good
on a horse?”

“I’m the best there is.” She knew bragging would be another
popular characteristic since it would show them that she wasn’t
afraid of a challenge. “Got a race coming up?”

“Actually, we do. You should come out to the fairgrounds this
Saturday.”

“Do you think the boss will let me borrow a horse?”

“Sure. Chad’s easy. He does anything we want.”

She wondered about the comment. Perhaps that’s why they
can work whenever and however they want to. “He made it clear
to me that he’s the one in charge and I am to take his orders.”

“Oh, he’s so funny, acting all tough with you. It must be because
you’re a newcomer. Seriously, he’s like a big old dog,
harmless and faithful. Don’t mind him. He may act rough, but
he’s not.”

“If he gives you any problems, come to us and we’ll help you
out,” Jeff offered.

“Thanks, man, but I got it covered,” she replied. “I can handle
myself just fine.”

“You’re probably right. So, are you coming to the horse races?
We’d love to see how good you are with a horse.” Jeff finished his
milk.

“I’ll be there. But if I can’t borrow a horse from Chad, then
can I borrow one of yours?”

“Sure.”

She was looking forward to riding a horse in a race. She was
competitive by nature and combining her love of horse riding with
her desire to win was just the thing she enjoyed.

“We’d better get back to the shed,” Jeff remarked.

Just as Tim and Jeff stood up, Chad entered the house and
walked into the kitchen.

“Speak of the devil,” Tim grinned. “Why didn’t you tell us
you hired Billy here?”

“I figured that you would meet him soon enough,” he said as
he placed the pail of milk on the counter.

“He’s going to borrow one of your horses for the horse race on
Saturday.”

Her jaw dropped.

Chad loudly sighed. “I don’t recall being asked if he could do
that.”

“Oh come on, Chad. Billy’s new and it would fun to see what
he’s like on a horse.”

“Besides, what else have you got going on this Saturday that is
so important you can’t spare your new hired hand?” Jeff added.

“Give him one of your horses since you like him so much.”
Chad didn’t look at them during any part of the conversation.

“We know you miss Georgia, but do you really have to make
everyone around you suffer?”

“If he needs me here to work during that time, then I should
work,” she quickly inserted. She could tell that Chad didn’t care
much for either Jeff or Tim. The last thing she needed was to get
fired because he was having trouble with them because of her.

Chad poured the milk from the pail into a couple of glass containers.
“Alright. Bob can borrow Reliable or Buck, but Star is
off-limits.”

“Star was Georgia’s horse,” Tim commented. “She loved that
animal.”

Chad finished filling the glass bottles and took them to the
basement.

“He can’t bear to see Georgia’s horse with anyone,” Tim continued.
“I guess it’s too painful for him yet.”

She watched as Tim and Jeff walked out of the house. She
frowned. Why would he keep Georgia’s horse but nothing else
that would remind him of his departed wife? Something was
wrong. She wasn’t sure if it was a wise idea to pursue her questions
regarding Chad and Georgia or not. The last time she investigated
a strange situation, she got involved in a dangerous predicament
that led to her running from Dave and Derek. Let sleeping
dogs lie. Whatever happened in Chad’s past and how he’s reacting
to it now is not my concern. I’m here to work until Dave
and Derek are safely behind bars.
She stood up and collected her plate and glass, along with the
ones that Tim and Jeff left, and put them in the kitchen sink. She
didn’t need too much discernment to recognize that Tim and Jeff
walked all over Chad, and even if her employer was aloof, he still
deserved some amount of respect. After all, he did hire her without
knowing anything about her, except that she came from Kentucky
and wanted to check out the country. Those were lies of
course. She knew she had to keep her secrets to herself until it was
safe to return to Virginia. The less anyone knew about her situation,
the better. She wasn’t going to drag anyone else into the web
she was caught in.

Chad walked up the basement steps that led into the kitchen.
He blinked in surprise when he saw her. “You don’t have to wash
the dishes. I can do those.”

“I was bored,” she shrugged. “Do you mind that I’m doing
them?”

“No, I guess not.”

But he’s surprised. She didn’t wish to get off on the wrong
foot with him since she would be working under him for at least a
month, so she decided to clear the air. “I don’t have to go to the
horse race. It wasn’t my idea to insist on taking one of your
horses.”

“I’ve known Tim and Jeff for a long time. I understand what
happened.” He grabbed a toolbox from under the kitchen sink.

She shouldn’t have been startled that he was right next to her,
but she worried if he got too close he might discover her true identity.
“I’m alright with your taking Reliable or Buck on Saturday, but
I recommend Reliable if you’re looking for speed.” He closed the
cabinet door and stood up. “Just remember to stay away from
Star.”

Of course, she had to wonder why, but he left the house before
she could ask. She knew he wasn’t going to answer that question
so she remained quiet. Chad was a secretive person, and he wasn’t
one to open up to anyone. However, she wasn’t exactly an open
book either. She had her own secrets to hide. So, as long as he
could respect her secrets, she could respect his. She finished washing
the dishes and went back outside.

She found Chad finishing his work on the loft roof. “What do
you want me to do now?” she yelled up at him.

He glanced down at her. “I could use someone to paint the
sheep fence. A can of white paint is in the shed which is in that direction.
You can find the can on the top shelf. You’re tall enough
to reach it without any problems.”