Song of Her Heart

Disgusted that she’d allowed thoughts of Mason to keep her awake, Norah flopped over on her side and hoped for sleep, but concern about the uncertainty of her future wouldn’t let her rest.

She was committed to working for Mason during the summer, but what then? Knowing that she didn’t have enough education to become a missionary kept Norah wide-awake. She’d hoped to use the money from the sale of the family home to prepare for her lifelong dream of becoming a missionary. But was she too old to work on the overseas mission field? It would take several years to receive the education she needed for mission appointment, and by that time she’d be almost fifty years old. What could a woman in midlife do to make her life count?

Hearing a soft knock on the door, Norah roused from her catnap.

“Yes,” she answered sleepily.

“I’m going to the barn,” Mason said. “I’ll be back in an hour, and we can have breakfast. But if you’re tired, go back to sleep.”

“No, I’m ready to get up.”

The room was cold, and after she heard Mason’s deliberate tread outside the window, Norah put on her robe and hustled into the bathroom across the hall. After a shower, she put on the extra change of clothes she’d packed in the small bag. A pair of jeans and a plaid, long-sleeved shirt seemed suitable attire for a ranch cook, she thought humorously as she walked toward the kitchen.

From the many boxes of dry cereal on the table, she concluded Mason didn’t often have a hot breakfast. The refrigerator contained what she needed to prepare an omelette and mix a batch of bread. She put the biscuits in the oven, thinking she could warm them in the microwave if they baked before Mason finished his work. She found honey and oleo in the fridge and put them on the table, made a pot of coffee and prepared a pan for the omelette. Ready to finish breakfast when Mason came, Norah sat on a wide window seat to watch for him.

Low rolling hills surrounded the Flying K ranch that was located in the Niobrara River Valley. A large red barn with a tall silo attached and several smaller buildings were near the house. A wide shelter belt of evergreens was positioned to protect the ranch headquarters from northwest winter winds. Sunlight was just beginning to illuminate the meadowy fields where a herd of cattle grazed, and Norah wondered if Buster was among them. In the light of day, her fear of the bull seemed a little foolish, but the sudden sight of him in the middle of the road had overwhelmed her.

When Mason emerged from the barn, he was accompanied by two black Labrador dogs that frolicked at his heels all the way to the house. When Norah opened the door and said, “Good morning,” the dogs froze in place. Mason stooped to lay calming hands on their heads.

“It’s okay,” he assured the animals. Smiling at Norah, he continued. “Around here, the dogs get their breakfast before I do.” He dipped some dry dog food from a container and filled a couple of bowls. He turned on a faucet and replenished the dogs’ water pans. Patting their heads again, he stepped inside and came to a standstill, almost as quickly as the dogs had done.

“You’ve made breakfast!”

“Why not? You need a sample of my cooking to see if I’m suited for the job. If not, you can hire someone else before the kids come to the ranch.”

Smiling, he said, “If the food tastes as good as it smells, I won’t want to hire anyone else.”

“Everything’s finished except the omelette. I’ll have it on the table by the time you’ve washed up.”

“Even biscuits!” Mason marveled as he returned from the bathroom and pulled up to the table. “I make biscuits once in a while, but they don’t look like these.”

Since he usually ate alone, Mason didn’t talk much while he ate three-fourths of the omelette, several biscuits and downed two cups of coffee. By the time only one biscuit was left on the plate, Norah didn’t need any more evidence that her cooking passed muster.

When Mason leaned back from the table, with a satisfied smile on his face, Norah filled his coffee cup for the third time.

“I’ve never eaten a better meal in my life,” Mason said. “Thanks, Norah. If the therapy program doesn’t improve the kids’ health, eating your meals is bound to be good for them. Thanks for coming to help.”

A song rose in Norah’s heart at his praise. In spite of her efforts to please her family, she’d seldom had any thanks for what she’d done for them. Her father had paid her for taking care of the household, but it always rankled that her family had taken her work for granted.

Unbidden, an old adage popped into Norah’s mind. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. But why would she want to find her way into Mason’s heart? The goal she’d set for her life when she was a teenager couldn’t be realized on a Sand Hills ranch. And although she’d known Mason only a few hours, she couldn’t envision him in any other place except this setting.

Mason interrupted her thoughts when he said, “I’ll take you to the Bar 8 ranch today so you can see where you’ll be spending the summer. The program doesn’t start for two weeks. You may not want to stay there all that time.”

“How far away is the Bar 8 ranch?”

“About ten miles.”

“Anyone live closer than that?”

“One of my employees and his wife live on the property as caretakers, three-quarters of a mile from the main house. I graze cattle and horses on the ranch, and we occasionally have rustlers, so I can’t leave the property unprotected.”

Norah had always lived in a city and didn’t look forward to staying at the isolated Bar 8. But where else could she stay? There weren’t any motels close by, and she certainly couldn’t spend two weeks at the Flying K. This was one hurdle she hadn’t considered in her hasty decision to accept the job.

“I’ll look around the Bar 8 before I decide where to stay. I’ll need to check out the kitchen facilities and start planning meals. The only time I’ve cooked for a large group has been on holidays. I’ll need to plan well in advance, so I’ll know what groceries to buy.”

“Then you should drive your car to the Bar 8, in case you do want to move in today, and I’ll follow in the truck. Otherwise, we could have gone on horseback. There’s a nice trail between the two ranches, and I’d rather ride a horse than drive, but trucks are a lot faster.”

Norah slanted her eyes toward him. She’d never ridden a horse, but she figured that was something she’d learn to do before the summer was over. Would she regret her hasty decision to take this job?

Pulling his chair up to the table again, Mason reached for the last biscuit. “I might as well eat this. It looks lonesome on that plate all by itself.”

The two-story frame white house at the Bar 8 ranch gleamed in the morning sun. As they stood in the yard, Mason explained, “This place was a horse ranch for years, and the house was built sometime before World War I when ranching was profitable. But after the original owners died, a man from Colorado bought the property and developed it into a vacation ranch for city people.”

Norah followed Mason’s pointing hand as he said, “He turned the barn loft into dormitories and kept the ground floor as a meeting room and dance hall.”

“Will these children be able to use second-floor facilities?”

“No, but that motel-like building beside the barn has several rooms. The staff will use the barn loft for offices, the first floor as an inside riding arena, and the one-story building will be used to lodge the children and volunteers. Those other buildings are the stables and equipment sheds.”

He turned his attention to the house. “Let’s go inside so you can see where you’ll be working.”

A newly installed ramp made the house handicapped accessible. When the house was renovated for use as a dude ranch, partitions had been taken out of the original structure and the first floor contained a kitchen, a large dining area and rest rooms to the left of the dining room.

“The kitchen equipment is modern,” Norah commented as she looked around the large room.

“Yes, it’s in good shape. The upstairs rooms haven’t changed much since the house was built.”

“Hey, Mason,” a voice called from outside.

“That’s Doug. I’ll see what he wants.”

Mason opened the door. A young blond man, dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt, stood on the porch. “Doug, meet Norah Williamson. She’s the one I hired to take care of the cooking.” He turned to Norah and explained, “Doug Johnson and his wife, Sheila, are the caretakers here. Sheila will be helping you in the kitchen.”

“Glad to meet you, Norah,” Doug said, taking off his wide-brimmed hat. “Sheila’s been looking forward to your arrival.” Looking at Mason, he said, “Before you leave, I’d like for you to come to the stable. I brought in an injured calf—thought you’d better take a look at it.”

“I can check the rest of the house by myself, if you want to go now,” Norah said to Mason.

“All right. I’ll stop back soon and see what you’ve decided.”

The upstairs was divided into four bedrooms and two bathrooms. All the rooms were furnished comfortably with choices of queen or twin beds, and plenty of chairs and chests. Norah chose a room with a queen-size bed on the back side of the house for her personal quarters. She was downstairs giving the kitchen a closer inspection when Mason returned.

“This kitchen is supplied with anything a cook would need, but I want to wash all the utensils and dishes before the guests arrive. I’ll have plenty to keep me occupied for the next two weeks. We might as well move in my things, and then you can go back to your work.”

“You don’t have to clean the house. Sheila does it occasionally, but H & H has arranged for volunteers to do the cleaning. You’re not required to do anything except cook.”

“Still, I’ll have enough to keep me busy until the children arrive.”

“But I’ve gotten the feeling that you’re a little uneasy about living in the country. Will you be afraid to stay alone?”

“Probably, but I’ll get used to it. Don’t worry about me.”

Mason’s eyes still reflected his concern after the car was unpacked. “I’ll leave my cell phone with you until phone service can be started here.” He took a sale bill from his pocket and wrote Doug’s phone number as well as his own on it and handed the paper to Norah. “If you have any trouble at all, call me. Will you promise to do that?”

“All right, Mason, I promise.”

She stood on the porch and waved to him as he drove away. After spending her life caring for others, it was nice to have someone concerned about her. In less than twenty-four hours, Mason had brought a song to her heart—a song of thanksgiving to God for bringing this man into her life.

She watched until Mason reached the county road, where he made a quick U-turn and came back to the house. She went down the steps to meet him.

“Is something wrong?”

He pushed his hat far back on his forehead. “We’re not thinking too well. There’s no food here, unless you have groceries packed in your suitcases.”

“I have some fruit and crackers in the car.” Norah laughed and patted her stomach. “But it won’t hurt me to fast for a few hours. If you’ll give me directions to a grocery store, I’ll go shopping tomorrow and lay in a supply of food to last me until our guests arrive.”

Mason scratched his head, an unconscious mannerism he displayed when he was thinking. “I’ve got some work to finish today, but tomorrow I can take you into Valentine and show you where to shop.”

“I don’t want to inconvenience you. I’ll find my way if you point me in the right direction.” She added, in a joking manner, “That is, if I don’t encounter Buster again.”

“I told you that Buster is a lamb. Actually, I’m trying to think of a way to keep you at my house for a few days. After that breakfast you prepared, I want to see what you can do with a full meal.”

“Then I’ll settle in here today, come to your ranch, prepare supper, spend the night and tomorrow we’ll go shopping. How’s that?”

A wide smile spread over his face, and his whiskers seemed to bristle with pleasure.

“That’s music to my ears. If I’m not at home when you arrive, go on in. The door’s never locked. The freezer is full of meat.”

Mason’s gaze roved over the secluded valley that surrounded the Bar 8, and he reflected, “For the past four years I’ve often considered this ranch a pain in the neck.” He looked pointedly at her, and his dark eyes were gentle and contemplative as he added, “Today it looks better to me than it ever has.”

His words brought a glow of warmth to her face, and her heart sang with delight as he stepped into the pickup and drove away.

Chapter Three

Norah had just started checking out the kitchen appliances when a knock sounded on the door. A petite brunette entered at Norah’s invitation.

“Hi,” the newcomer said. “I’m Sheila Johnson, Doug’s wife. I’ll be your closest neighbor. Is there anything I can help you do today?”

“I hardly know what to do myself,” Norah admitted. “Mason seems vague about the rehab program. Have you talked with any of the staff members about their planned schedule?”

“Yes, a little.” Sheila shivered. “It’s cold in here. We need more heat to take out the dampness. Come in the dining room, and I’ll turn up the thermostat. I run the sweeper and dust once a month, but I haven’t been here for three weeks.”

Heat soon penetrated the house as Sheila and Norah sat on the sofa located at one end of the large dining room.

“The equine therapeutic program is called Horses and Healing,” Sheila explained, “better known by H & H. Their activities start the first of June and will end by September. That’s about all I’ve been told. I have the telephone number of the Omaha office if you want to talk with the director.”

“I’ll do that. I’ve never handled a job like this,” Norah admitted, “and I’m a little anxious about it. I want to be well prepared before the first group arrives.”

Sheila stood. “Let me know when I can help you. Will you come to our house for supper this evening?”

“Thanks, but I’m going back to Mason’s tonight, and he’ll take me into town tomorrow. I need to buy groceries for myself until the therapy sessions start.” A smile touched Norah’s shapely mouth. “He invited me to supper, but I have to prepare it. He mentioned meat, but I wonder what else he has to cook.”

Sheila laughed. “Precious little! He keeps meat, potatoes and apples, but not much else. He’d starve to death if he had to depend on his own cooking. He goes to town several times a week, and he always stops in at a restaurant.”

“He mentioned that you invite him to dinner often.”

Sheila’s eyes gleamed fondly. “Yes, we do. Doug’s father and Mason have been friends for years. He’s almost like one of the family.”

“I’m sure he appreciates it.”

“By the way, I keep a well-stocked pantry and freezer, because sometimes in the winter we’re snowbound and I can’t go to the store for a week or more. Come to our house for lunch, and you can choose some food from the freezer to supplement what you’ll find at the Flying K.”

“Thanks, I’ll do that. It’s not easy to step into a strange kitchen and prepare a meal, although I managed breakfast this morning.”

After Sheila left, Norah took an inventory of the kitchen equipment and serving dishes, but she couldn’t keep her mind on the work she’d be doing throughout the summer months. Instead, she kept anticipating another evening in Mason’s company.

Soon after she returned from lunching with Doug and Sheila, she packed her overnight bag and headed toward the Flying K headquarters. Sheila had contributed some fresh vegetables and other staples to supplement the supplies she’d find in Mason’s kitchen.

Barking loudly, the black Labs surrounded her car when she reached the Flying K. Their tails were wagging, and considering that a good sign, Norah got out of her car, let them sniff her hands, then scratched their backs before she went inside.

She didn’t know when to expect Mason, but she figured he’d work until almost dark. She took a thick steak from the freezer, and while it thawed in the microwave, she checked out the rest of the supplies she’d need.

Three hours later, when she saw Mason, on horseback, hazing a small herd of calves toward the corral, she had the meal prepared. Swiss steak, curried rice, green beans, vegetable salad, hot rolls and custard pie should be the kind of meal he’d like. As hard as he worked, Mason would soon throw off the calories from that kind of meal, but Norah knew she’d have to eat small portions.

When had she suddenly become concerned about the extra ten or fifteen pounds she carried? Oh, just in the past twenty-four hours! Admiration of Mason’s muscular body had prompted her to take a closer look at herself, making her wish she still weighed the same as she had twenty years ago.

All day long, Mason had looked forward to another evening with Norah. While he rounded up calves for branding, he kept remembering how well she’d fit into his environment. It hadn’t seemed awkward to have a strange woman sitting at the table. He couldn’t recall when he’d ever met a woman who put him more at ease. Living alone as he did, he’d talk for hours when he met one of his male acquaintances, but he never had much to say to women.

He’d used the excuse of a meal to persuade her to spend another night at the Flying K, although it wasn’t the food, but Norah’s company that he wanted.

After he’d thought about it, Mason figured Norah had hesitated to accept his invitation because she wasn’t comfortable staying in the house with him. He supposed he should have thought of that. He knew she was safe with him, but she had no way of knowing what kind of man he was. He’d wondered all day if she would really come, but his heart beat a little faster, and he jiggled the reins for added speed, when he topped a small rise and saw her white car parked in front of his home.

Norah was standing on the porch, and she waved as he drove the calves into the corral. He hustled to finish his evening chores, so eager to see Norah that he didn’t even think about food until he stepped up on the porch. It was such a change to smell food cooking when he approached the house that he halted abruptly. What had he missed all of these years by not having a wife waiting for him at the end of his day’s work?

Norah smiled easily, and Mason’s smile, gleaming from his bewhiskered face, matched hers in contentment when she appeared at the door, dressed in a red blouse and tan pants.

“Good evening, Mason. You work late.”

Mason had never experienced such a pleasurable homecoming. If she’d been his wife, he could have taken her in his arms and kissed her, but he only said, “There’s always a lot of work on a ranch in the spring. I usually have a man or two working with me, but no one could help today. Smells like you’ve got a fine supper waiting. I haven’t eaten since morning, so I hope you fixed plenty.”

“I don’t think you’ll go away from the table hungry.”

And he didn’t. When the meal was finished, dishes put away, they sat down to relax. He’d forgotten how much pleasure a wife could bring to a home. He’d only lived one year with his wife, and that had been a long time ago. Besides, she’d been ill most of that time carrying their child, and they hadn’t had much opportunity to enjoy each other’s company.

Just two days of Norah’s presence, and he’d started thinking of marriage again. He’d told himself, over and over, during the past twenty-four hours that his thoughts were ridiculous. He knew they were, but he could see no reason not to enjoy Norah’s company to the fullest when he could.

Wanting to learn all he could about her, Mason asked, “What about your family, Norah? Your childhood?”

Norah’s dark eyebrows curved mischievously. “You’ve already hired me. It’s a little late for a background check.”

He countered her lighthearted mood by saying, “After that feast tonight, regardless of your credentials, you won’t get fired. I’ll kidnap you if I have to, just to have you cook for me.”

“But when Horses and Healing starts operating, I’ll be cooking for them,” she responded. An eyebrow tilted provocatively, and her lips trembled slightly in amusement.

“Surely you won’t turn me away if I come around for an occasional handout.”

“We’ll see,” she said, her azure eyes sparkling with silent laughter. “But about my childhood,” she continued, seriously, “it’s been so long ago that I can hardly remember. Actually, I had a fine childhood but my mother was killed in an automobile accident when I was almost eighteen. I grew up mighty fast after that.”

“My mother died when I was two. I can’t even remember her.”

“Oh, I’m sorry!”

“My dad made up for it, though. He didn’t marry again and devoted his time to me. But go ahead with your story.”

“There were five of us. I was ten years older than the other children, so Dad asked me to take over managing the house after Mother’s death. I didn’t hesitate to do that, although it was a great disappointment when I couldn’t go to college as I’d planned.”

“What was wrong with your disabled brother?”

“Billy had cerebral palsy, and I cared for him as my mother would have done.” Her lips quivered as she added, “He died six months ago, a month before my father. My other brother and two sisters were away from home by that time. The work I’d spent over half of my life doing was suddenly taken away, and I was at loose ends. I admit that I’d chafed at my lifestyle—often thinking I was in bondage. But when I had my freedom, I didn’t know what to do with it.”

Norah paused, and her thoughts filtered back to the time when her whole life seemed to collapse around her. “While I was casting around for some direction, I came across your e-mail advertisement. Coming to do this work seemed like an opportunity to get away from familiar surroundings for a few months and find a new perspective on what I can do with the rest of my life.”

“What do you want to do?”

“Become a missionary,” she said simply. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. I was fifteen when I experienced God’s call to go overseas as a missionary. By the time I graduated from high school, I’d been accepted at a Christian college. My training would have started a month after my mother was killed.”

“Are you going on with that training now?” Mason asked, with some disappointment. His dreams of a future with Norah had been nipped in the bud before they’d hardly materialized in his own mind.

“I don’t know. I’m kind of apprehensive about starting college at my age. I’d be almost fifty before I could get the necessary education and training. And I’m not sure I could receive an appointment at that age.”

“It seems a bit selfish of your father to ask you to give up the career you’d planned.”

“I’ve never blamed him. He couldn’t care for Billy by himself, and none of us wanted to put Billy in an institution, so I was happy to do it. But I fully expected, when my siblings became older, that they would assume some of the responsibilities and free me to go to college, but none of them even considered it.”

“Did you ask them?”

“Yes, of course, and they’d give me half promises, then pursue their own lives as if they had no obligation to their family. I’d been a mother to them, and I’m ashamed to admit that I find it hard to forgive them for being so insensitive to my needs.”

“It does seem as if they could have helped.”

Norah leaned back and closed her eyes. “You would think so, but they didn’t. In fact, they compounded my problem by using me as a baby-sitter. They knew I’d always be at home, so they brought their children to me for an afternoon, a day, sometimes as long as a week while they went on vacation. It didn’t seem to occur to them that I might like a break. My father took over so I could attend church services, but I didn’t even do that after Billy’s health worsened.”

“Sounds like your siblings are selfish.”