Free On Her Way Home by Sara Petersen Page A

made it the entire way across the field, the sun shined its last ray and sunk below the horizon, taking the heat of the day and the heat of Jo’s anger with it. Before her swim had been so rudely interrupted, she was enjoying the serenity of her new life and had come to the conclusion that God had led her here. For what purpose she didn’t know, but the assurance that this was true couldn’t be shaken from her.
    Reaching the yard, Jo hoped to find Kirby and Mattie relaxing on the porch in the cool sundown like they had done every night since her arrival, but when she went up the porch stairs, it was empty. Not wanting to dirty the floor, she sat down on the porch rocker and yanked off her wet filthy shoes, regretting her rash decision to throw on her dress without toweling off first. Figuring it was best to change her wet clothing before notifying Kirby about the nasty stranger, she climbed up the front stairs to her room. Jo pulled the damp chemise and dress over her head, dropping them with a wet “smack” onto the hardwood floor.
    Now that she was past her shock, fear, and subsequent anger, she began to wonder more about the man. He obviously felt at home enough on the ranch to inform her that she was trespassing. Leif had referred to a couple of ranch hands that had recently left to find work in the copper mines. It was possible that they hadn’t been able to get hired and had come back to the ranch to resume their old job. Jo sincerely hoped that wasn’t the case. The man was cold and obviously held certain opinions regarding the opposite sex. If he was back at the ranch to work, Jo wondered how secure her own position was. Her experiences with Leif led her to believe that he wouldn’t dismiss her simply because his other ranch hands had returned, but still she was uneasy.
    In a hurry to find Kirby and clear this all up, she roughly pulled the comb through her snarled hair and threw on a fresh skirt and blouse. Bounding down the stairs, she turned the corner into the parlor, looking for Mattie or Kirby. Finding neither, she walked down the hall to their bedroom door. No light peered from under their door, so she rested her ear softly next to the wood, listening for sounds that someone was occupying it. Sure enough, she could hear the low rumble of Kirby’s snoring. It had been a demanding week, and Kirby and Mattie had retired to bed early. Back down the hallway Jo noticed the glass double doors leading into the study were open and the lamp on the desk was brightening the room. Several papers were scattered about the desk. Figuring Leif must be home, she went into the yard to find him. The black ford was absent from its usual parking spot, and there was no sign of Charlie in the bunkhouse. Jo’s questions would have to wait until morning. Once upstairs, she changed into her thin nightdress and snuggled into her bed to read.
    ***
    Mac jogged up the back porch, taking the stairs two at a time with his long strides. As he pulled the screen door open and entered, he stumbled over something. Aptly grabbing the door jamb in the dark to prevent himself from falling, he reached down with both hands, searching for whatever it was that had tripped him. Shoes. Wet shoes , he realized with irritation. Mac fumbled through the kitchen until he found the pull cord hanging from the pendant light and yanked it on, filling the room with a dim glow. Small, dirty black shoes, the same ones he had stared at not thirty minutes ago on that girl. What the hell is going on here ? He angrily tossed the shoes by their laces onto the floor by the back door. He wished he knew where Leif was tonight so he could get some answers.
    It had been an exhausting two weeks of travel. Leif had dropped him off at the depot two weeks prior to catch the train to Boise, Idaho, where thirty-five tractor companies had erected a tent city to market their tractors to area farmers. Mac must have looked at over two hundred tractors before finally deciding to