Bertie (Pendleton Petticoats Book 6) Read online

  “I best wait here for Nik to get back or he won’t know where we’ve gone.” Aundy leaned against Ilsa’s shop door.

  “I’ll park his motorcycle in front of Caterina’s place. He’ll figure it out easily enough,” Lars said, pushing the bike off the kickstand and down the street to the Italian restaurant Caterina owned and managed.

  Lars grinned at his older sister as he put down the kickstand and rocked the bike back onto it. “Did you try it yet?”

  “As much as I want to, I’ll have to postpone a ride until I get rid of this detestable thing.” Aundy held out her arm in the sling. “I can hardly stand to wait.”

  “It’s sure a fun thing to ride.” Lars held open the restaurant door. “How about you, Bertie? Did you take it for a spin?”

  Bertie’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “No. I did not. I’m not certain I want to.”

  “You’ll have to talk Nik into letting you give it a try. It’s quite an experience with the wind whipping in your face and bugs smacking against your teeth.”

  “Lars! What a thing to say!” Marnie rolled her eyes before turning to Bertie. “Don’t pay him any mind. He’s nearly as bad as Kade and Garrett about teasing.”

  “Nearly? I thought I was as good as those two. Guess I need to practice more.” Lars waggled his eyebrows at his wife and swept her into a waltz around a few of the tables, making the group laugh again.

  Nik drew their attention outside when he parked the buggy out front and hurried in the door. “What’s everyone doing here?”

  “Eating lunch. Caterina decided there were too many of us to descend upon any of the other eateries in town.” Aundy motioned for Nik to walk with her into the back of the restaurant. “Hope you’re in the mood for Italian.”

  “You bet I am.” Nik hurried across the room and kissed Caterina’s cheek. “No offense meant to your family, but none of them can make ravioli like you do, Cat.”

  Caterina patted his cheek. “No offense taken, Nik. I’m glad you like mine best. From the way you’re finally starting to fill out your frame, I assume Mama feeds you well.”

  “Angelina and Franco take great care of me. I so appreciate them letting me stay with them and work in the store while I go to school.” Nik hugged Caterina then kissed both her cheeks and hugged her again. “The kisses are from your mama and sisters-in-law. The hugs are from your father and brothers.”

  Caterina brushed away tears and sniffled before she opened one of her large refrigerators and started setting out food. Kade stoked the fire in the stove and Ilsa filled a teakettle with water, setting it on a hot part of the stove.

  Marnie and Lars took down plates from a shelf while Nik gathered silverware.

  “Bobby and Bertie, do you mind pushing some tables together? That way we can all sit together.” Caterina pointed toward the front of her restaurant with the knife she held in her hand as she sliced fresh bread.

  “We’d be happy to do that,” Bertie said. She noticed the absence of Caterina and Kade’s rambunctious twins, and grinned at the feisty Italian beauty. “Caterina, where are the boys?”

  Kade moved beside his wife and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Brett and Ben are staying with my Uncle John for a few days. He claimed he and his cat had sufficiently recovered from their last visit in the autumn. I expect he’ll bring them home after one night of putting up with their tomfoolery.”

  “Your Uncle John is a brave man,” Nik quipped then ducked as Kade reached out to give him a playful swat.

  Bobby motioned for Bertie to join him in the front of the restaurant. The teasing from the family in the kitchen made them both smile as they shoved the tables together. “Are they always like this?”

  “From what I’ve seen, they tend to joke and tease most of the time. There’s never a dull moment out at Nash’s Folly. They have many visitors out there, too, unless, family doesn’t count.” Bertie moved a chair as Bobby pushed two tables together.

  Puzzled by what she meant, he glanced up at her.

  “In the few days I’ve been there, Nora and J.B. have been over twice, Tony stopped by with an ice delivery, Ilsa brought Laila out to stay for a few hours one morning, and Kade dropped by for lunch yesterday. Oh, and we went to Lars and Marnie’s place for a visit after supper one evening.”

  “Did you enjoy seeing Dogwood Corners?” Bobby asked as he and Bertie straightened the chairs around the tables they’d moved.

  “Yes, I did. Although we both saw it during the ball back in April, it looked quite different without all the decorations and filled to the seams with people.” Bertie tugged on a pristine white tablecloth to remove a wrinkle and stepped back, admiring her efforts. The rich tones of the décor coupled with the stark simplicity of the white-covered tables created an elegant, welcoming atmosphere.

  “Lunch is ready,” Aundy said, poking her head back in the dining room. “Come on and get a plate full.”

  Bertie and Bobby returned to the kitchen to find a platter heaped with sliced tomatoes, a bowl full of fresh strawberries, and a selection of Italian dishes including spaghetti, lasagna, and ravioli in a cream sauce.

  Aundy motioned for Bertie to come next to her. They all bowed their heads and Kade offered thanks for their meal. He sent up a special word of gratitude to have Nik home with them again.

  As the last “amen” faded, Caterina told them to choose whatever they liked for lunch. She pulled a pan of bread she’d sliced and drizzled with oil and spices out of the oven then placed it in a basket.

  The conversation was lively as they ate and visited. Nik shared news of all the Campanelli family with Caterina and Ilsa.

  “Tony will be sorry he missed seeing you, Nik,” Ilsa said, as she leaned back in her chair.

  “He must have Laila today.” Nik glanced over at his aunt. “If he has her on an ice delivery day, that must mean he went out to the reservation to see Rebecca.”

  Ilsa smiled. “Right you are. Laila seems to think Rebecca is her grandmother just because it’s what everyone calls her, even if she is Lacy’s grandma.”

  “I’ll catch up with him soon.” Nik rubbed a hand across his stomach, stuffed with Caterina’s good food. What he was really hungry for was some of Aundy’s Norwegian food or Li’s Chinese food, but he wouldn’t have told any of them that at that moment.

  He’d eat his fill of both before he headed back to New York. For now, he was content to enjoy seeing his family and friends, especially when the friends were as pretty as Bertie Hawkins.

  Uncertain how it happened, he found himself sitting between her and Aundy with her scowling brother across the table. Nik struck on an idea to break the ice with Bobby and got to his feet. “Say, Bobby, before I head out to the farm, would you like to take my motorcycle for a spin?”

  Surprised by Nik’s offer, Bobby glanced up. “Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?”

  “Not at all. Come outside and I’ll show you how it works.”

  Bobby pushed back his chair and rose, along with Lars and Kade. Kade kissed Caterina’s cheek while Lars brushed his lips across Marnie’s mouth.

  “As much as we’d like to stay, we’re both on duty and need to get back to work.” Lars settled his hat on head and touched the brim as he stepped outside. “Thanks for lunch, Cat. It was delicious as always.”

  “You’re welcome. You boys be careful out there.” Caterina rose from the table with a groan.

  Ilsa pushed her back down as she hopped to her feet. “Since you expectant mothers look tired and Aundy is supposed to be resting, how about Bertie and I do the dishes?” Ilsa looked at Bertie to make sure she didn’t mind being volunteered to help.

  “I agree. The three of you should rest. It won’t take long to clean these.” Bertie unpinned her hat and left it on her chair, rolled back the sleeves of her dress and carried a stack of dirty plates into the kitchen. She and Ilsa slipped on wide aprons while water filled the sink. They took turns washing and drying and soon the dishes were back in the cupboards, the foo
d put away, and the kitchen set to rights.

  After drying her hands, Bertie rolled her sleeves back down and returned to the front of the restaurant only to find it empty. She and Ilsa pinned on their hats and ventured outside to where Caterina, Marnie, and Aundy sat on a bench watching Bobby ride toward them with Nik running alongside him, shouting encouragement.

  “Bobby looks like a kid at Christmas.” Bertie grinned to see her brother appear so carefree. “I don’t think Nik knows what he may have started bringing that thing to town.”

  “No, I don’t think he does.” Aundy smiled at Bertie. “Not in the least.”

  Chapter Eight

  “That’s the way. Slow and easy.” Garrett spoke quietly as he leaned on the corral fence, watching Riley ride a horse that had been broken then turned out to pasture far too long. The horse had good bloodlines, even if his manners needed a little polishing.

  Garrett had picked up the gelding at an auction a few days before Aundy injured her arm. With all the hubbub of her accident, he hadn’t been able to ride the horse as much as he would have liked. After riding for a while that morning, he asked Riley to take the horse for a turn around the corral to see what he thought of his potential.

  “Once he settles down, you’ll have a good mount,” Riley said, rubbing a gentle hand along the horse’s neck.

  “That’s what I thought.” Garrett placed his boot on a rail and leaned his elbows on the top pole of the fence. “It will take a little time and patience to bring out the best in him.”

  “Yep,” Riley agreed, guiding the horse in a circle then turning him to go the opposite direction. The more he rode, the more the animal relaxed. He’d just reined him to the left by the barn when a loud pop that sounded like a gunshot startled both him and the horse.

  The beast beneath him went crazy, crowhopping and bucking like his life depended on unseating Riley. Each time his butt came up off the saddle, Riley could see Aundy’s sheep racing around the pasture below the house in a frenzied panic.

  In the background, the rumble of a motor grew to a loud buzz before it stopped nearby. Unable to focus on the horse and the noise, he tightened his grip with his thighs and held on, hoping to keep his seat.

  “Well, I’ll be!” Garrett rushed away from the fence and hurried in the direction of the disturbance.

  By then, every cowboy within earshot had arrived to investigate the cause of the racket. After greeting Nik, they watched Riley’s bronc riding techniques put to the test. Just when he thought the horse was about out of steam, it got a second wind, whipped around in mid-jump, and sent him flying.

  He landed with a thud on his stomach at the edge of the corral after his head smacked into the bottom rail of the fence. With the wind knocked out of him and brightly colored stars flickering through his blurry vision, he hoped the horse didn’t take it in his head to trample all over him. At the moment, he couldn’t muster the strength or will to move.

  A sudden, searing pain across the back of his leg confirmed the angry equine wasn’t yet finished inflicting damage. He would have moaned if he’d possessed the ability to breathe.

  As his vision cleared and he could finally draw in a breath, hands clasped around his arms and pulled him to his feet, helping him through the gate.

  Garrett propped him up against the fence. Someone stuck a thumb on his eyelid and pushed it up, looking at his eye then repeated the offensive action to the other.

  Riley tried to shake his head, but the movement made him dizzy so he squeezed his eyes shut and took another breath.

  “Mister? Mister? Are you okay?” A friendly voice spoke to him, but it wasn’t one he recognized. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked into the concerned face of young man near his own age.

  “Let’s give him a moment to get his bearings, Nik.” Garrett placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder and drew him back a step.

  “Are you hurt anywhere, Riley?” Garrett asked, waiting for him to regain the ability to speak.

  A thumping headache, tightness in his chest, and the throbbing pain in his leg seemed minor compared to what could have happened.

  Before he could assure Garrett he was fine, Bertie and Aundy rushed up to them.

  “My stars, Riley!” Bertie pushed her way through the men and stared at his face, coated in dust with a white line of pain circling his compressed lips.

  Riley wasn’t sure if having everyone watch him get bucked off or having Bertie see him in agony bothered him more. “I’m fine, really. No need for anyone to worry.” He swallowed and cleared his throat then took a step away from the fence.

  “Why don’t you come up to the house and I’ll take a look at you?” The man Garrett called Nik placed a hand on his arm. Riley stiffened and pulled away. As he pondered the identity of the stranger, he recalled Aundy and Garrett talking about their son, Nik, several times. The boy was supposed to be away at school.

  He never imagined their son would be near his age — near Aundy’s age, for that matter. With his aching head, he couldn’t make sense of anything and at that moment didn’t really care to.

  Bertie stepped near to him again and the scent of her fragrance, that alluring scent, penetrated the fog in his brain and drew his gaze to her pink lips.

  Annoyed he’d once again been drawn to her, Riley forced himself to walk back into the corral where Dent had caught the wound-up horse and worked to calm him down.

  “Riley, what do you think you’re doing?” Bertie grabbed his arm and tugged until he stopped.

  “Riding that horse.” He lifted her hand from his arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze before turning it loose. A forced smile crossed his face. “Now, pardon me, Miss Bertie, but I need to get to it.”

  “Why don’t you sit this one out, Riley?” Aundy suggested. Immediately, she realized that was the wrong thing to say to the stubborn young man. She’d been around the cowboys who worked at Nash’s Folly enough to know if they got bucked off, the first thing they’d do is get right back on and ride the horse again, even if they required medical attention.

  Covertly, she glanced at Nik. Almost imperceptibly, he nodded, agreeing with her assessment that Riley was hurt, just not bad enough to keep him off the horse.

  Riley limped into the corral and accepted his hat from Fred who had rescued it from the far end of the enclosure. After thumping it twice against his leg, dislodging the dust, he tugged it down snug on his head. Calm and cautious, he approached the horse, talking quietly to it with each step.

  Dent kept a firm grip on its head, holding the horse still. Unhurried in his movements, Riley ran a gentle hand along the horse’s neck, easing his way back to the saddle. In a smooth motion, he set his foot in the stirrup and swung onto the horse’s back.

  The animal snorted and yanked his head away from Dent then crowhopped his way around the corral before bucking a few more times. All of a sudden, he seemed to tire of the game and settled down to a trot then a walk. Riley rode him in a full circle around the corral three times before pulling him to a stop.

  When he dismounted, Riley rubbed the horse along his neck, again speaking softly to him before turning the animal over to Fred.

  Bertie looked like a lovely summer blossom as she stood on the fence and watched him with wide blue eyes. The sea of cowboys in their dusty work clothes only made her appear more appealing, more undeniably enchanting.

  Acutely aware of her presence, Riley pretended not to notice her as he limped over to Nik and held out his hand. “You must be Nik Nash. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Riley Walsh.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Walsh. I’m sorry about my motorcycle spooking the horse. I should have known it would terrorize the animals.” Nik shook his hand and offered him an apologetic glance.

  Garrett grinned and thumped Nik on the back “They’ll get used to it soon enough, although I’d prefer you keep it far away from the cattle. No need to cause a stampede.” He gave his son a questioning glance. “Why didn’t you send word you were on your way hom
e? We’d have met you at the train with a welcoming committee.”

  “I wanted to surprise everyone.” Nik looked around the group of men who’d helped raise him for the last seven years. “I think I got the job done.”

  Chuckles echoed around the group as Nik turned back to Riley. “Are you new to the area?”

  “He bought Marvin’s place, Nik,” Aundy said, joining the conversation. “You won’t believe it, but Marvin married Widow Johnson and moved to her boarding house. He sold his farm to Riley.”

  Nik took a moment to absorb the news then smirked at Riley. “You’ve got your work cut out for you if you plan to breathe new life into that old place.”

  Garrett pushed his hat off his forehead with his forefinger and looked at his son. “He’s already making great progress, Nik, and we helped him move his cattle last Friday. Shorthorns. You won’t find a finer looking herd than his.”

  Pleased by Garrett’s words of praise, Riley felt pride in what he had managed to accomplish in a short time. He made good wages working at Nash’s Folly, even if he lost a few hours of sleep between rising early and staying up late to work on things at his own place. It was just for a few months. The extra money would allow him to complete the repairs he wanted to make on his farm.

  A flutter of pink drew Riley’s attention away from his immediate conversation to Bertie. He caught her eye as she studied him. She blushed and looked away, gathered some things from the buggy, and hurried through the side gate in the yard to the house.

  Riley watched her go, groaning when Dent slapped him on the back, stirring up a cloud of dust. “You best let Nik take a look at that leg of yours. He’ll be an honest-to-goodness doctor in another year or so. He knows what he’s doing.”

  Whether Nik knew his way around a stethoscope or not, Riley had no intention of dropping his trousers and letting him poke around on his leg. If he wasn’t mistaken, from the looks Nik kept shooting at Bertie, Aundy’s son was completely smitten with the girl.